Margo's Musings

[Reverend McKenna is on sebbatical until August of 2007]

I would like to express my gratitude to so many of you in the congregation who wrote emails, sent cards, or called me in the weeks after my father died. It was a difficult time, but your support allowed me to appreciate how richly gifted my life really is. It has reminded me of the many compassionate and generous people who surround me. Thank you for being the kind of congregation that provides a healing environment.

   The death of my father is only one of the many deaths that members of our congregation have experienced in the past few months. Not only have we lost three members of our congregation to death, but quite a few of our members have also lost loved ones. My heart goes out to each member or friend of Chalice who has lost a spouse, a lifelong partner, a mother, a father, a grandparent, an aunt, or a son-in-law. These are difficult losses, especially so since so many of them occurred during the holiday season. My hope is that you received the kind of support that provided a healing environment for you...and I hope that Chalice was part of that healing environment. I hope each of you found this congregation to be compassionate and generous in supporting you during your time of grieving.

   The experience of a community that surrounds and nurtures those in pain has been a reminder of how very healthy this congregation has become. We have moved beyond mere survival, struggling to adapt to transition and growth, and become a thriving congregation, eager to see what the future holds and hungry to fulfill its promise. And from this congregational healthiness, we have become increasingly adept at reaching out to others, providing an environment of support and healing when needed… not just to those with whom we are deeply connected in the congregation, but also to those we barely know. This is a sign of being healthy as a whole; when one part hurts, the whole can provide an environment of healing without being drained of its health. We are healthy and we have a healthy year ahead of us.

   We have experienced death, but at the same time we can rejoice in the experience of our ever-changing and growing life as a congregation. There is so much promise of our becoming a visible, viable, vocal, and liberal religious voice in northeast San Diego County, and it is fast becoming reality. Congratulations! You are not only a congregation of health, but you are visible in your compassion, your vision, and your action!