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I’ve focused a great deal of my attention (as well as a few newsletter columns) to the subject of volunteerism and leadership within the congregation. This month, I want to take a little time to focus on volunteers again, this time to say simply, “Thank you.” I probably don’t say it often enough, and you probably don’t hear it often enough, so I’ll say it again. Thank you! The congregation can’t operate from day to day without the dedication of time and passion from our many volunteers, from committee and board members, to teachers and coffee makers and cooks, artists and musicians, canvassers and cleaners, I cannot sufficiently express how grateful I am for the hours of dedication you give to this community. It’s been a phenomenal year, full of a vibrant energy, and much of the success of this year can be credited to our many volunteers. Thank you again for helping to make this congregation such a joy to work in. ❦ While we’re on the subject of gratitude, I want to extend a very large and special thank you to Joyce Zaugg. It has been an immense pleasure to work with Joyce as our DRE these past two years, and her presence has been a large part of what has made my transition into ministry here in Los Alamos so successful. I am so very grateful for the work she has done with the religious education program here in Los Alamos, and I am proud to have had her as staff team member here. While I am sad to see her leave the position, I look forward to her continued presence as a member of our congregation (and I wish her a lifetime of fair golfing weather!). I hope you will take some time out this month to express to Joyce just how much she’s meant to you and to your children over the years. Please join us in services on May 3rd and at a special reception afterwards at the Betty Ehart Senior Center following the second service as we say thank you and good luck to a most valuable member of our community. ❦ The school year is beginning to unwind, and with it we approach the end of another church year. Already, my mind is turning towards the year to come and my own preparations for another year of preaching and pastoring. This month, I’ll be off to Colorado Springs for a workshop in Bowen family systems theory. A piece of my continuing education and an ongoing interest of mine, family systems theory, explores how large organizations of people (like a congregation, for example) behave like a family, and how individual people’s family histories influence their behavior within that system. The work I’ve already done in this subject has helped me become a better pastor and leader, and I’m looking forward to developing those skills further. Next month, I’ll be off to General Assembly in Salt Lake City where I’ll get to engage in a healthy mixture of business and pleasure, learning from other ministers and congregations, shaping the future of the movement, and reconnecting with old friends. I hope to see many of you there, as well. Sometime before the end of summer, I’ll be off on a personal reading retreat in preparation for the next year of preaching. If anyone has book recommendations for me, they are always greatly appreciated. The remainder of my renewal and preparation time will be spent reorganizing in the office (a much more therapeutic endeavor than it sounds) and preparing to orient our new interim DRE. The RE committee and I have interviewed several candidates for the position and are pleased with the response we received and with the candidate we’ve selected, and we look forward to making an introduction very soon. Along with being in the office a bit more than usual, you’ll be seeing me in the pulpit a little more often than last summer. I’ll be presenting a four-part sermon series spread out over the summer months called “Summer Blockbusters,” an exploration of theological themes in the movies. This year, I’ll be preaching on themes from “Big Fish,” Tim Burton’s 2003 film about fathers and sons; “The Fisher King,” (1991) in which Terry Gilliam tweaks the Arthurian myth to tell a modern-day tale of grief and forgiveness; “Contact,” (1997) based on Carl Sagan’s novel exploring the interplay of science and faith; and “Once,” (2007) a story of chance encounters and interconnection. We’ll be playing with some multimedia in the services, and plan on some special “Dinner and a Movie” showings prior to those Sundays. Stay tuned to the Voice and the announcements email list for more details. ❦ Have a safe, renewing, and blessed summer. Find joy wherever the season takes you. Rev. John Cullinan |
Thank You!
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