As promised earlier, here are my thoughts on the first of the last two Sundays at St. Peter's.
I announced my retirement in a letter to the members of the church two years prior so that the church would have ample time to discern new clergy leadership. The conventional wisdom is that one shouldn't make a retirement announcement that early as this would make the incumbent a lame duck. Yes, I did see the point. However, I was not concerned because I believe in the lay leadership of St. Peter's church. Following my announcement, Retta Sparano, who is most competent and ever so vigilant, began to work on planning a retirement party for Susan and me, and almost simultaneously, a discernment committee was also formed to prepare the church for new clergy leadership. After a year of fits and starts, they began their work in earnest under the able leadership of Todd Jackson and Diane Hope. The retirement committee consisting of Retta Sparano, Judi Hans (Senior Warden), Mona Chylack, Anne Atlee, Iris Blanch, Liz Fifer, Jolie Chylack, and Georgette Druckenmiller laid out the groundwork. A lot of planning went into it. It was a logistical nightmare, how can we accommodate all church members and their children, and the representative from the community and members and friends of our family to participate in a single retirement event. So they decided to have it in three days, first for children and youth a pizza party on Cinco de mayo, May 5th in the Smith Hall at the church, the second one June 2nd on the anniversary of my diaconate ordination with the Rev. Ranjit Mathews (our son) preaching and me celebrating and then a gala at Columbia Station, and the third on June 9th, the anniversary of Priesthood Ordination at the church with Canon to the Ordinary, the Rev. Shaun Wamsely presiding at the Leaving Taking liturgy. In my previous blog, I talked about the Pizza Party with children and youth.
As I am afraid my blog will turn into an essay let me limit myself to talk about the worship service on June 2nd. My next blog will be about the party at Columbia Station. It was important for Susan and me to have both our children present at my retirement. For Susan and me, one of great joys of our life is to see both our children, Ranjit, our son, and Manju, our daughter, involved in some form of helping profession. Ranjit became a priest in the Episcopal church. He is no shrinking violet when it comes to taking a stand on justice issues and Kingdom values the church should be concerned about. He is not afraid to call a spade a spade. He does not dilly dally around issues on matters of social justice. We're so proud of him. Currently, he resides with Johanna, his wife, and Dhruv, his son, and serves St. James' Church in New London, Connecticut. Susan and I are equally proud of our daughter, Manju, who is a Social Worker and works for a county in California, not too far from San Francisco. She chose this profession not accidentally but out of the passion to be in a helping profession. She said she wanted to do something meaningful that makes her look forward to getting up every morning. Manju also helped us broaden our understanding that the God we worship is a God of all people irrespective of one's sexual identity. Both Ranjit and Manju were enthusiastic and encouraging about my decision to make a mid-life career change and go into ministry as well. It was huge considering the time I made this shift. Ranjit was in college (George Washington University) and Manju was about to enter Rensselear Institute of Technology when I decided to go back to seminary to brush up on my God-language and theology in preparation for seeking ordination. It was an inopportune time to say the least. At one time three of us were in school. Suffice to say, if it weren’t for Susan’s steady hand at work and bringing in the dough, my going into ministry would have remainded only a dream. I am ever thankful to God for Susan and for her quiet and effective enabling ministry. So, it was great to have Ranjit and family and Manju by our side at our retirement. Ranjit preached and concelebrated with me at the altar.
In his sermon, Ranjit asked where would we show up when we are not in church. By citing an incident occurred around that time in the Arizona desert where a man was arrested in offering water to a migrant who crossed the border, he asked a question with a political overtone, "is it illegal now in the States to do what Jesus had asked his followers to do, offering water, food, and clothing to those who are vulnerable?" The church is not called to be obsequious to the whims of the State, but rather to serve as its conscience and be conscious of the Gospel's mandate: to show up at the margins of society and to walk in solidarity with the vulnerable, the migrants, the last, the lost and the least. I am proud to say, this is where we find St. Peter's today.
Serving at the altar with Ranjit one last time as the rector of St. Peter's was bittersweet. The church was full and was in a celebratory mood. Almost everyone, members and visitors came to the communion. That day there were people from the community whom I knew socially also kneeling at the altar rail. I felt a special bond with them as I shared the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. It was an overwhelming experience. I did not ask them whether they were qualified to be at the Lord's table. They ate the table, and I was happy and grateful that God we worship is a God of inclusion.
Thank you for reading. Hopefully the next one will be coming soon.
Here's the link to Ranjit's sermon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zArnzU9RTQ
