Dear sisters and brothers in Christ,
I am sooooo looking forward to our first Sunday together! How fitting it is that we begin anew on Advent 1. The Lord’s timing is perfect! Last week I responded to a few FAQs.
Here is a couple more:
Q: What was your family like growing up?
A: As I mentioned before my mother’s side were mostly from Louisiana and my father’s side from Texas. I was close to my grandparents on my father’s side who were friendly people and fun to be with. Staying with them was always an adventure. They lived near the Gulf of Mexico and liked crabbing early in the morning off their pier and deep sea fishing from their boat on sunny days. I was closer to my mother’s side of the family though in general. My maternal grandparents moved to the end of our street when they
retired so we often went to church together and we also enjoyed a lot of porch time together in the evenings. My parents and my sister have passed, but I’m still in touch with my uncles, cousins, and a niece and nephew. I am grateful for the many family reunions we had on both sides of the family tree. They were two very different kinds of folk, but love was abundant on each side and taught me that love can come from many different types of people.
Q: How do you like Ashland so far?
A: The first time I went to Ashland was to just check it out on my own during the preliminary stages of discernment to pursue the position.
I mainly concentrated on the layout of the city and learning the different parts of town. I was impressed with the activity downtown and the number of stores and restaurants in the area. I drove around the church building but did not go inside. I liked what I saw, but was curious about the inside especially what the worship space looked like. I just wanted to imagine myself in there if at all possible, but that would have been premature. I remember that day as just a day to drive around town. In fact I didn’t stop to get out of the car, although I certainly wanted to. But there is another part to this answer. The next time I was in Ashland it was to meet some of the Calvary clan. As I spent time with the Search Committee members and the Vestry members who came to the first meet & greet I remember feeling very comfortable with everyone I met. Then through the evening and through most of the next day I was able to spend time with the Search Committee members over meals and time to share our vision for ministry. I was struck by how genuinely present people were during those conversations. I was impressed by their passion for Calvary and for the Ashland community. They were proud of the congregation’s ability to self-sustain during the last year or two and they were proud of the city’s revitalization efforts. So now that I have been to Ashland and the church several times, the layout of the town and the church has definitely become more second nature. What comes to the forefront when I think of Ashland now? The people and the relationships we are starting to build. I am grateful for the time people have spent telling me their story and how they found Calvary to be their faith community.
Finally, last weekend I brought another load of office items and books. Several people showed up! Many hands make light work! After we unloaded the pickup truck Alyse invited me to Remy’s 5th B-Day party on Saturday in the Parish Hall. I accepted, of course, and thought I would stay for 15-30 minutes before returning to Lexington. I came up from my office and walked into the room a few minutes after the party had started. I was blown away by the decorations, the number of people of all ages there to celebrate one of our youngest. It felt like a big family gathering to me. People welcomed me and introduced me to their friends and family which I greatly appreciated. There was music, fun food, a piñata, and a bouncy house. I thought, “I want to be 5 again, this is so awesome!” I ended up talking with people for an hour and a half and it felt like hardly any time had passed. I didn’t want to leave. The strength of the community really came out and I drove back on a Calvary high!
In Christ’s love, Fr. Jon
