Dearest House of Mercy community, beautiful humans, friends,
When Mark and Russell asked me twenty-eight years ago if I would like to start a church with them, I really didn’t think so.
Jim and I were about to embark on a long-planned venture with our friends, living in community, cultivating the land, growing, planting, tapping trees, and raising children on an old farm an hour and a half from St Paul. We hoped to manage an alternative sustainable sort of way of living without strict division between home and work, without commuting and nine-to-five jobs.
As with many youthful ideals, the reality of peeling, canning, and preserving food, saving seeds, rural isolation, and dealing with tomato fungal diseases didn’t turn out to be as fun as I imagined.
Still, I never really could see myself as a pastor. I didn’t think I had the right personality for it or the best attitude toward the church. But I gradually began to believe the church idea could work. I’m so glad we tried it. My time as a pastor at House of Mercy has been more wonderful than I could have imagined. Especially the extraordinary community that is House of Mercy. But also all the reading and writing and struggling with scripture and what it means to be in relationship with God. I could not have asked for more meaningful work or a more beautiful community to be a part of.
Jim and I are eager to retire from our jobs so we can try some of that simple sustainable non-commuting, growing, canning, and tapping thing again with the wisdom of age. (And I’m thinking maybe fermenting might be more up my alley? After 28 years I feel ready (to at least try) to work with dirt and plants for a while instead of words. We’ll see how it goes.
We have thought about this long and hard and it is not without a lot of sadness that we came to the decision, but we’re excited too. We want to try this next phase when we still have energy (and can still walk and talk etc.)
It has been increasingly hard to juggle trips to care for my 92-year-old dad and the need to be at church. I don’t think that is going to get easier. We also need to make trips to Boston to be with our daughter and there are still places we want to spend time in addition to Boston and Kokomo, Indiana.
Serendipitously, Mark Stenberg, co-founder of the House of Mercy, has been wanting to come back to be a part of the community. I can’t imagine a more natural transition. Mark will join the staff for an interim year to preach and plan and bring excellent /new /old / smart / funny energy. I am confident things at House of Mercy will be good, and fresh and full.
My last Sunday will be September 24, the Feast of Jonah, which is all about changing seasons, so seems like a good last Sunday. My official retirement begins on October 1.
I am immensely grateful for all of you and I will miss being your pastor but look forward to continuing friendships. You are some of the most merciful, loving, and interesting people I know. Thank you for all you have given me.
Peace,
Rev. Debbie