I spent Memorial Day weekend in Ohio helping my father and step-mother settle into their new assisted living apartment. Moving and downsizing is a lot of work: the sorting and discarding, the packing and unpacking, arranging the new space. I counted my progress by the number of boxes emptied and put away. A move like this, for two people in their eighties, has other challenges: allowing nursing staff to administer medications, eating in a common dining room instead of preparing your own food—and the mobility and cognitive struggles that make this move to assisted living necessary. At some point in the weekend it dawned on me that other work was happening besides moving boxes and organizing closets, and I had the presence of mind to ask my step-mother: What is the spiritual task for you around this move and this transition in your life? I guess that’s what you get when you have a minister in the family. Yesterday, returning to work after the long weekend, I was still thinking about progress and how we measure it. Sometimes I literally count the emails in my inbox at the beginning and end of the day to measure my progress. Sort of like counting the boxes unpacked in a move. The concrete things and the concrete tasks in our lives are usually how we measure progress. But I also like to measure progress in my day by songs sung; by poems read and reflected upon; by the quality of friendly greeting I give to strangers on the sidewalk; by the connections I am able to make, giving and receiving love in large and small ways. I’m blessed to have a vocation where poems, prayers, songs, and offering love to people are part of my job. On my list of personal intentions yesterday I wrote “walk at sunset,” and after a long day of juggling many things I was able to do that. I parked the car in the Mill Pond parking lot, walked on the river path for a few minutes, greeted the family with the adorable toddler on the bridge, and stood knee-deep in the water with the moon bright above me. After a minute, a voice told me to get home as twilight was coming on--the car was full of stuff from after-dinner errands to be put away at home, and today’s email count had been pretty low. And another voice told me to stay. The extra five minutes spent with my feet in the water and my prayers to the moon made all the difference. What a productive day. PRAYER: Spirit of the Moon and of the River; Spirit of Life within us and around us, be here now. May we be reminded of what is important in our days. May we resist to temptation to count progress by buying and hoarding, earning and spending, doing and accomplishing. May we spend our time being and loving, breathing and feeling, knowing that we are enough just as we are. Blessed be. Rev. Andrew Frantz |
For those of us who do go through the process, the first step is completing a Master of Divinity degree at a credentialed seminary. The rest of the process goes through a body at the UU Association called the Ministerial Fellowship Committee (MFC). The MFC consists of ministers and lay-people. The first step of credentialing is for a new minister to meet for an in-depth personal interview with the MFC. If the interview is successful, the candidate is now a Minister in Preliminary Fellowship. In order to progress into Full Fellowship, the minister must be working full-time for three years, and in each of those three years must pass an evaluation. The evaluation consists of written reports from the minister themselves, their Shared Ministry Team, and their Board of Trustees. The MFC receives these evaluations and responds with a Yes (or No), along with words of advice and guidance.
In other words, the achievement of my Master of Divinity degree four years ago was the start of a process, and this granting of Full Fellowship represents a completion. And for the last three years, the maturing of my ministry has been here at UUFCM. The evaluations written by the UUFCM Board of Trustees and Shared Ministry Team have reflected the strengths and weaknesses of my work here. The recommendations from the MFC have been about improving my work here—and encouragements for the Board and the Shared Ministry Team to improve their work as well. Ministry is collaborative. It doesn’t unfold in a vacuum. My ministry grows as relationships with the congregation (and with my contacts in the wider UU movement) grow. Next month, at General Assembly, I will have a moment similar to the one pictured here. Not a graduation, but a recognition of the achievement of Full Fellowship. At General Assembly every year there is the Service of the Living Tradition which honors retiring ministers, ministers who have passed away, new ministers—and those being granted Full Fellowship. Because of my work with UUFCM, my partnership with this congregation, I will grateful and joyful and honored to be recognized in that ceremony. And I’m looking forward to years to come of this fruitful, collaborative, and life-giving ministry here. PRAYER: May love and compassion bless the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Central Michigan. May all who enter here, and all who connect here, be blessed. Amen. Rev. Andrew Frantz
|
Rev. Andrew FrantzUUFCM Minister Summer Hours
Rev. Drew takes six weeks of time off during the summer months, and is also away for a full week at General Assembly. Although regular office hours are suspended for the summer, you may still contact Drew with any urgent Fellowship business if needed, or with significant pastoral care needs. Texting 440-935-0129 is the best way to reach Rev. Drew. [email protected] Phone/text: 440-935-0129 Pastoral Care Concerns
For support with life’s challenges, please contact Drew during his office hours or make an appointment with him. For specific needs such as rides to medical appointments or meals for people recovering from illness or surgery, please contact the Caring Team (formerly Arms Around) via Jen Prout at 989-400-3130 or [email protected]. Every effort will be made to lessen the burden on the individual or family who is dealing with a difficult circumstance. Archives
June 2024
Categories |