Final Post: Reunion Day

The sabbatical journey came to an official end last Sunday morning with "Reunion Day" worship and lunch at Church of the Palms. Clint Reynolds delivered a stirring sermon, "Pilgrims," and then returned the bible and stole I entrusted to him on May 31. A wonderful salad-and-sandwich lunch followed in King Hall with some Q&A about the summer journey.

The festivities included some terrific cakes... one is shown here. Thank you to everyone who was involved in the planning!

This has been a busy week of re-engaging with the ministry here, evaluating reports of the summer, and ramping up for what promises to be a busy and fruitful Fall.

So... pondering much, with insights still to come... onward!

Home Again

Our bodies are slowly re-orienting to the 9-hour time difference; it is amazing how productive I can be at 3 a.m. Our flights home were flawless, but long (2 hours to London, then 11 to Phoenix with a 2 hour layover in London). Harold and Rosemary Armbrust met us at Sky Harbor and whisked us home.
It is amazing how quickly it seemed as though we never left... how does that work? (If we were suddenly back in Paris, I am sure it would seem the same there.)
Happily, things were pretty good at the house. Ninety percent of the courtyard landscaping survived. Liz' car had a dead battery (it was six years old... not bad). A few bills needed IMMEDIATE attention, which they received. (The amount of mail that accumulates in 90 days is staggering; thanks, Cindy, for tending to that.) There were some high-tech matters to address that (of course) took more time to correct than expected. But all-in-all, no complaints.
I have made a few short visits to the church, and Liz goes back to work tonight. This Sunday will be "Reunion Day" at church, and Clint Reynolds will turn over the keys to my office... I hope. A lunch {free} will follow the service, and we will share briefly about my sabbatical and the church's renewal program.
For those who have followed this blog, I hope you have enjoyed the adventure with us. I will be preparing several presentations, so feel free to invite me to share one of them (e.g., Pilgrims in England; Pilgrims in Holland; Pilgrims in Plymouth; Monasteries; Provence (France); Alsace (France); Paris).
Onward.

Gratitude

An important part of "mindfulness" is learning to live gratefully in every moment. (The Apostle Paul wrote, you may recall, "Give thanks in all circumstances....") Some moments are easier than others; this is one of the easier ones:
As we prepare to wrap things up and head home, I want to express tremendous gratitude for what has been an experience of a lifetime. The list is not necessarily in order of importance... just the way it rolled out!
The Lilly Endowment: Thank you for believing in the proposal the church sent in, and for the grant that made my program and the church's possible. (Both I and the church now write an extensive report to the Endowment on our programs.)
The Church of the Palms: Thank you for writing sabbatical time into my terms of call, and for all the cooperation and interest you have shown. A special thank you goes to the planning team for working on the proposal last year and seeing the process through. Thank you to the staff and volunteers for weathering the changes and disruptions, for picking up the jobs that I had done before, and for taking good care of my mother when she was hospitalized... and after.
Cindy Fain: Thanks for faithfully coordinating our mail and other personal matters that came up.
Clint Reynolds: Thanks for serving so capably and enthusiastically as Acting Minister.
Summer Preachers / Seminar Leaders: Thanks for bringing your unique gifts and sharing them so freely.
Everyone who has held us in your prayers along the journey... thank you, you made a big difference.
This will be the final post... at least from Europe. A bientot! (See you soon.)

Happy Birthday, Kel!

Our daughter, Kelly, celebrates her birthday today... happy birthday, Kel... you are such a blessing to so many people! We spoke with Kel a few moments ago and we give such thanks for the person she has beccome, and the life that she (and we) share with Steve, Kayla and Aidan.
We spent yesterday on an open-top bus tour of Paris; it is a relaxing, informative way to see a wonderful city. Among the sites we saw, of course, was the Arche de Triomphe, commissioned by Napoleon I (pictured left).
Questions From Home, part 2:
Have there been surprises on this sabbatical?
Yes: Early on, in Farnborough (UK), we encountered the mausoleum of Napoleon III and the Empress Eugenie of France. We had never thought much about them. Well, so much of modern Paris is a result of the far-sightedness of NIII-- it is amazing. It gives me pause as I consider the importance of our ministry at The Palms; more to come on that. France wants their remains back-- no wonder!
How does this sabbatical compare with the one in '04?
Great question. In many ways, there is no comparison. In '04 it was all self-funded, and there was of a service focus (teaching in China and India). This sabbatical has been focused on learning and spiritual integration. I feel as though the Pilgrims are friends and personal acquaintances. I also feel a kinship with the artisans of medieval France.
Will the sabbatical impact your preaching and ministry?
You have no idea!!! Oh, yes. Poor people.

Picnic and Au Revoir

Mary's week here has flown by, and we are amazed at her ability to step into the entirely different rhythm of life here. She was an excellent guest and we all had a great time.
Yesterday we enjoyed one of our favorite things... a picnic on the steps of Eglise Sacre-Coeur (Sacred Heart Church) high atop Montmartre (Mount of the Martyrs) with a panoramic view of Paris stretching before us. Attached are the in-front-of and from-the-back views of mesdames enjoying bread, cheese, meat and some excellent wine.
Part of the joie de vivre of the steps is the excellent music and arts entertainment always ongoing. The whole experience is impossible to describe... ya gotta be there. Among yesterday's performers were two drama students to whom we made a gift in honor and memory of Katie.
A cafe visit and stroll around Ile de la Cite finished the day, and this morning we took a reluctant Mary to Charles de Gaulle airport for her flight home to Rhode Island.

Questions from home:
1) Are you ready to come back?
Three months is a really long time to be away, so yes, I am. It has been good to be "unhooked" from normal responsibilities and routines and free to pursue interests and new experiences. Now it is time to be home again.
2) Have you been able to find joy?
That is a tougher question. There have been many wonderful moments and experiences that I and we will be "unpacking" for a long time. We are so very grateful for all the pieces and people that have made this sabbatical possible, and I have some satisfaction at things being as I hoped they would be. At the same time, as we move through the grief process, using the word "joy" does not seem to fit. No, we are not "all better" by any means, and the sadness of losing Katie remains profound. We appreciate those who continue to pray with and for us.
Onward.

Cathedrals and Gift Shops

Mary's visit continues; here the cousins are in Luxembourg Gardens where we enjoyed a leisurely picnic, shared with an assortment of birds and bees.
This was a cathedral weekend... magnificent worship at Notre Dame on Saturday evening, and then a an hour's train trip to the medieval village of Chartres on Sunday.
The cathedral there (pictured) dominates the town and the surrounding area-- it can be seen from 25 miles away! Older than Notre Dame Paris, it was dedicated in 1160. (There has been a cathedral on the site since the 400s.) In both places the mighty organs were thundering... what a thrill. Built into the ancient Chartres floor stones is a huge labyrinth, a symbolic pathway to deeper spirituality. (I thought briefly of clearing away the chairs and people so I could use it.
Excuse me for this next item... I can't resist. I have long noted how gift shops are always positioned where you cannot avoid them... at the completion of a museum tour or exit from a theme park ride. We have made our way through hundreds this summer, but this one takes the cake... in a public toilet no less! Thankfully, the items for sale were not themed to the surroundings.
Since I mkentioned the public toilets: Unlike in the US, they are clean and safe here. There are two reasons: 1) You pay 1/2 euro to use them, and 2) there is an attendant on duty at all times. The attendants are on the public payroll, and are pleased to have a job with great security, 4-to-6 weeks' vacation, and a living wage.
Much of Paris is on the public payroll. The tax rate is high... it can be as much as 75%. With that comes free health care for everyone (so much in debate in the US now) and an admirable array of public services; for example, every street in Paris is cleaned every night.
Onward.

A Visit from RI

Liz' cousin, Mary, arrived Thursday from RI for a week. She is doing amazingly well with the jet lag, and is thrilled to fulfill a longtime dream by being here... especially seeing the Eiffel Tower for the first time. (I realized I had not included a picture of that... herewith corrected!)
Lunch near the Eiffel Tower provided an opportunity to discuss American sports with our waiter, who happened to be a Patriots fan. He was, however, unable to comment lucidly on the Yankees / Red Sox rivalry. ("Here we do not do ze bessbole.")
Yesterday we took a boat tour on the Seine, then walked back riverside to the Tuileries Garden, where we enjoyed a ride on the giant ferris wheel... erected only for the summer. From there the walk continued to the Louvre, where we enjoyed the sunset. (Pictured is the entrance pyramid with some of the Louvre to the left and also the beautiful arche de jardin.)
With ten days left in Paris, my thoughts and even dreams are turning to home and resuming life and ministry there. This has been a remarkable oddyssey, and in the next posts I will reflect on some of what I am taking away from the experience.
Onward!