June 26, 2010
Dear All Saints' Parish,
Greetings from the Baltic Sea, where the sun sets around midnight and rises at four am - this time of year, at least! My last Sunday at Washington National Cathedral was June 13, and the following day I left on a cruise that is stopping at all the Baltic capitals, past and present. Spending today at the Hermitage in St. Petersburg was magnificent and a reminder of the human capacity for creativity and art, a gift that derives, most certainly, from our Creator.
Thank you for your generous welcome during my visit to All Saints' last month. It was a very happy experience for me. I was delighted to have an in-depth briefing on parish finances and dig in a bit with the stewardship committee, vestry and staff as plans take shape for the new program year. The real highlight, however, was meeting so many of you, even if only briefly, and a number of staff and committee members whom I had not met previously. It was an extraordinary blessing to join you at four exceedingly beautiful and engaging worship services on Sunday morning. I look forward to moving from these short introductions to getting to know each of you and your families.
Looking ahead to September, I want to announce that I have asked Mary Haddad to remain on the clergy team of four priests. Her clear gifts for teaching, preaching and organizational development and her ecclesiology (theology of the church) will continue to enrich our ministry as we live into this next chapter. I look forward to working with all of the clergy and staff to build on All Saints' legacy as a parish that proactively invites hungry people (and who among us is not?) into the Good News of Jesus Christ and a community of learning, spiritual depth, and transformation.
I begin my journey west in early August and hope to move into the rectory at 506 North Camden Drive around the middle of the month. My first official day in the office will be September 1. The custom in the Episcopal Church is to give a new rector and the parish a few months to get to know one another and consider how they will live together, and then to celebrate their new shared ministry. This event will take place fittingly on All Saints' Sunday, November 7 at 4:00 pm. Bishop Jon Bruno will join with us and formally install me as your rector. Please mark your calendars for what I hope will be a joyful celebration.
But before we start celebrating, it's a good idea to have some structured time together. I'm planning several town hall meetings in the fall so that you can learn about me and my initial hopes and dreams for us and so that I can hear what is on your hearts about life at All Saints. Watch the fall calendar for times and dates for these meetings.
Congratulations to Barry Taylor on his ordination to the priesthood. All Saints' and the larger church are blessed by his vision and ministry. I'm enjoying his book, Entertainment Theology, and recommend it. The larger church will also be blessed this summer by Gabri Ferrer's preaching and teaching at the American Cathedral in Paris.
Please keep CAST members who are on pilgrimage in your prayers. They are engaged in horizon-broadening ministry in Navajoland.
I hope the summer affords each of you some change of pace, fun and time for renewal.
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Blessings for now. I'll see you in September!
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Steve Huber
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