The Next Part of the Story: a letter from Allison
Dear People of St. Martin’s,
Fifteen years ago, I joined the staff of this parish. My first job here afforded me the rich opportunity to get to know children who are now either heading to college, or almost finishing their college years. I distinctly remember one of those little ones sitting in my lap throughout each Godly Play lesson I taught. That child is now taller than I am and about to step out into her young adult life.
I confess I did not expect to stay in my work here more than two or three years. At the time, I needed a transition profession. My first career as a journalist was shifting rapidly, and as a lifelong Episcopalian who had also covered religion, I had always wondered what it might be like to work for the Church. The opportunity offered here seemed a good time to find out.
I have worn many hats since then. Your trust in me has allowed me to teach children and adults, to travel in the U.S. and abroad, to write, to create, to stretch, to grow, to lead, to follow and to do A LOT of organizing.
In Godly Play, the children are asked a series of four questions at the end of every story. One of those questions is “I wonder if there is any part of the story we can leave out and still have all the story we need?” If I look at my 15 years here as a story, I’d say I could leave out some of that organizing.
All kidding aside, I assume you have picked up on where this story is headed. I am retiring in May. This is a decision I have been pondering for a while, but a recent cancer diagnosis has led me to assess this stage of my life anew. I am incredibly fortunate for early detection of two lesions on my spine that now require radiation. That process began this month. Mitch, Caitlyn and the rest of the staff here have been so generously supportive through this process, but just as the time was right to come here 15 years ago, now the time is right to let go of what turned out to be a really wonderful job.
Before my story here ends, though, I want to take a stab at answering those three other Godly Play questions.
“I wonder what part of this story you liked the best?” For me, it will always be the quiet, holy moments. Serving Communion to you as a Eucharistic minister. Taking items from the office over to the empty nave and hearing the wind eerily whisper across the roof. Standing in the Godly Play space when no one else was there and feeling the history of those stories fill the room. In Godly Play parlance, those moments taught me “the language of God.”
“I wonder what part of the story is the most important?” The most important part of the story has been learning the value of steadfastness. So many people steadfastly have and continue to weave the history of this sacred space. Those who built this church, those who attend it and those who work in it as both professionals and volunteers. The world doesn’t always value deliberate, sometimes boring, steadfastness. But the world doesn’t know “the language of God.” We do. The view is long.
Godly Play also asks, “I wonder what part of the story is about you or who you are in the story?”
I hope my part in this story has been to be a faithful person who showed up and cared about how things were done and for whom they were done. I also hope I expressed my gratitude often enough. Thank you for trusting me with this work, and thank you loving me while I did it.
After taking a break from worshipping here beginning in May and extending through the summer, I will look forward to seeing you in church again this fall -- as the leaves begin to flutter around the campus, and those many weeks of Ordinary Time (the 33 green weeks on the Godly Play calendar) near their end once again.
With love and gratitude,
Allison
