The End of a Wonderful Summer

Here are some of the things I will remember from this summer of Ministry Renewal Leave (in no particular order):

 -10 days of life without electricity or running water (not a big deal, by the way) in a cabin on a lake in the North Woods

-Watching the interplay of sky, land and water for multiple days at four different lakes: Upper Nemahbin Lake in WI, Little Brocky Lake in MI, Lake Michigan, and Lake Swanzey in NH

-The haunting cry of the loon

-Making friends with the woodchuck that lived under our porch at the cabin

-The rediscovery of the biblical principle of Sabbath at Cedarly Retreat Center in Wisconsin

-Picking wild blueberries

-The joys of a wood-burning sauna

-My hopeless quest to catch a fish (well, I did catch one, but threw him back, unrealistically expecting bigger things to come)

-Time for reading--sometimes at the rate of two books a day!  Authors included Richard Rohr, Barbara Brown Taylor, Joan Chittister, Mark Twain, Kent Carlson and Mike Lueken, Thomas Merton, Mark Buchanon, David Lamb, N.T. Wright, Susan VanZanten, Richard Russo (my one novel of the summer).  A feast!

-(By the way, the book that may have left the biggest impact on me was the book by Carlson and Lueken entitled Renovation of the Church.  This is the story of a mega church that decided it wasn't sure it wanted to be a mega church and totally changed directions, resulting in the permanent loss of about half its constituents, accompanied by a healthier and more biblical understanding of what it means to be church.)

-Wonderful connections with family and old friends in Illinois, Minnesota and Michigan, not to mention a visit from our California kids and grandkids here in Manchester at the beginning of the summer

-Nine weeks of attending worship services in different congregations: small and large, Covenant and non-Covenant, rich and poor, black and white, quiet and not-so-quiet.  All were a blessing!  (See previous posts for more details)

-Playing "Carcassonne" with Caryn by the light of kerosene lamps

-A Folk Festival in Chicago, Gilbert and Sullivan in Minneapolis, an Arts and Crafts Festival in Sunappee NH, and a Blueberry Festival in Marquette MI

-Great food, the highlight of which may have been Michael Symon's gourmet burger joint ("The B Spot") in suburban Cleveland.  We got plenty of exercise, but more than compensated with delicious food, both home-cooked and eaten out.  Meals cooked in the woods, no matter how simple, were always delicious!  Have you ever tried Lake Superior Whitefish?

-Uninterrupted rich conversation with Caryn about what we were reading and thinking: reading aloud favorite passages, hiking, biking and canoeing together.  We made the not-unexpected discovery that after 38 years of marriage we could be together 24-7 and appreciate one another in new and wonderful ways.  In so many ways, this Renewal Leave wasn't just about me.  It was about tending to my relationship with the wonderful ministry partner whom God has given me. 

There is so much more, but thanks so much for your part in making this wonderful summer a reality.  See you at Trinity next Sunday!