Come and See

While I have not wanted to face facts, the time is rapidly slipping past us and we are moving closer to the day I retire from my ministry with you and our two churches, St. Matthew’s and St. John’s. I go back and forth between looking forward to retiring and not wanting to leave you. We have been through a lot in 34 years. I have baptized you, married you, counselled you, and buried you. That is an honor given to a very few people in this life and I am eternally grateful that you have afforded it to me. We’ve had our ups and downs over the years, which is to be expected in any family. But I believe that our net progress as People of God has been positive and fulfilling for most of us. It is my hope that you have learned a few things from me as I have learned some things from you, having done my best to meet each of you where you are and to sojourn awhile. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for this remarkable and spirit filled experience.

Those of you who have had some experience in the Episcopal Church know the drill: When I retire, I am not permitted to have anything to do with either church pastorally, liturgically or administratively. This is a hard and fast rule and will be in place for a minimum of a year, probably longer due to our decades-long relationship. In the absence of a Rector or Vicar, the Senior Wardens, Krysta and Mike, have the canonical and legal responsibility for all aspects of the polity and activity of the churches, both temporal and spiritual. They have the final say in decisions affecting the work of St. John’s and St. Matthew’s until a new Rector/Vicar is called. Rev. Anne will continue as Associate and offer pastoral care and counseling as she is able in her double role as Head Start teacher and priest. This, too, is written in stone. I am exceedingly happy that Krysta and Mike are in that role. They are spiritually grounded and extremely capable of taking on the task of leading our churches to the next level, whatever that may be. Hold them in your prayers as they begin this important task in the life of The Episcopal Church in Garrett County.

We live in a small town and it will be impossible not to run into each other occasionally. While the rules are quite strict as mentioned above, you don’t have to cross over to the other side of the street if you see me coming. We can still enjoy each other’s company from time to time. I just cannot offer pastoral advice and comfort, counsel, discuss the churches, perform weddings, funerals, baptisms or attend church events. In future, any return to those things will only be with the express permission of the new Rector/Vicar. If we can honor that, we’ll do fine.

Kathleen and I are heading up to the Adirondacks to camp on Long Lake and my summer chapel in Blue Mountain. We will be away for seven weeks. I’m treating it as a sabbatical and an opportunity to rest up and get used to not being your priest anymore. That part is going to be very hard, believe me. I have come to love you all, even in the hard times. I will continue to pray for you and Krysta and Mike. You have begun a magnificent work in this community and I know you have the spirit and the strength to continue that work with them. God is with you. The moment you said Yes! she had your back for eternity. Give thanks for that, and pray for Kathleen and me. We have reached the place where the “two roads diverge in the wood”. Ironically, each is the road less traveled for both of us. Safe travels.

Blessings, my Dear Ones,
Chip

A Welcoming & Affirming Community

Welcome to The Episcopal Church in Garrett County - St. Matthew’s, Oakland, and St. John’s, Deer Park. We don’t take that word “welcome” lightly. We prize the uniqueness of all persons as Children of God. We welcome all people, regardless of color, gender, religious experience or lack of it, ethnicity, sexual orientation, social or economic class, or nationality. Jesus sought out and welcomed all people into the Kingdom of God — the gentile as well as the Jew, women as well as men, the poor as well as the wealthy, the slave as well as the free, the infirm as well as the healthy. We do so, as Jesus taught us, seeking and serving Christ in all persons, striving for justice and peace among all people, and respecting the dignity of all human beings.

Now, as we navigate through the vestiges of the COVID Pandemic, we are a faith community truly in a wilderness, seeking a way back to communion with God and each other, coming to realize that church and faith community as we once knew them will never be as they were. Our ministries will continue - in different ways; our fellowship will continue - in different ways; our community will endure, guided by the Spirit of Love which binds us all together. All of this has happened quickly and changes constantly. My colleagues in the Diocese of Maryland and I are working to find innovative ways for our congregations to stay connected and to continue the work we have been given to do. And yes, there is still work to do.

Daily prayer, in your own way and time, will help to bolster the foundation upon which you stand in the face of this wilderness. Prayer, in community, as we slowly begin to return to worship in our churches, will help to bolster the sense that you are not alone in this. Some are not yet ready to return. To that end, on this website, you will find links to our daily Morning Prayer podcasts and also for our YouTube channel, which will livestream Sunday morning services from St. Matthew’s at 10 AM.

At all times, remember this - My prayers and the prayers of this community are constantly with each of you. If you have a need, let us know. We will help you resolve it. If you have an idea that would be helpful to your brothers and sisters, let us know. We will pass it on. If you are not receiving the ENews, subscribe using the button on this site.

Together, we will discover new ways to be the church in Garrett County and the world.

YouTube Live Stream

You can watch our services live online at 10 AM by visiting our YouTube Channel.

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