Greetings.
I look forward to serving you as your Bridge Pastor for
the next couple of months. I also look forward to getting to know you
over the next couple of months as we journey together while Pastor
Hilary takes this time for rest and renewal.
I generally, with few exceptions, follow the Revised Common
Lectionary when preaching. It not only provides a disciplinary
framework for me (you can’t skip over the challenging stuff), but it also provides an opportunity for the congregation to read ahead and become familiar with the various texts each week.
My plan is to have office hours one day per week during this sabbatical time. The
day will vary based on my schedule, but my plan is to be in the office 3-4 hours on my
office days. Look for my office days in the bulletin each week. My Sabbath day is
Friday.
Starting Sunday April 30 our Sunday morning study group will be looking at the
Sabbath: Finding Rest, Renewal, And Delight In Our Busy Lives by Wayne Muller. This
will be a seven-part study covering Rest, Rhythm, Time, Happiness, Wisdom,
Consecration, and A Sabbath Day. Muller shows us how to create a time of rest, delight,
and renewal – a refuge from the busyness of our daily lives. A brief Sabbatical for us as
well. A path on how to find Sabbath time for our own renewal and refreshment. I have
ordered the books and they will be available starting Sunday April 23.
As the weeks go by, I hope to get to know all of you, but I’ll start by sharing a
little bit about myself. My wife Barbara and I have been married 24 years. We live in
Smyrna now but originally moved to Delaware in the Spring of 2016. I took the position
as the Director of Physician Recruitment at Bayhealth Medical Center, from which I
retired this past October. We enjoy hiking, reading, cycling, camping and travel. I have
two sons and three grandchildren. My older son, his wife and son live in Haddam CT.
Chris narrates audio books and his wife is a graphic designer. My younger son, his wife
and two children live in Northville MI where Jon is a CFO in manufacturing.
Blessing
Pastor Mark
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