Icebergs Afloat

Dear Friends,

It is said that nine-tenths of an iceberg is underwater, unseen. So it is with the dedicated people on your church staff. Tom Cowen especially comes to mind. Tom volunteered hundreds of hours (really) to create our evening with crusading journalist Ellen Goodman. What a gift she has been through decades of syndicating good sense about the role of women, gay rights, and a woman’s right to choose. And what a gift Tom gave us, along with his team of volunteers and generous sponsors of a grand evening. And didn’t Natalie Browne do us proud in her welcoming remarks?

Tom works for you full-time as facilities manager, tending to the countless details of managing a complex, maintenance-intense building. A portion of his time is devoted to administrative support, including production of the weekly Sunday service bulletin and the Blast. And then…he volunteers time directing fundraising projects and leading the Nature & Spirituality Chalice Circle.

Natalie, who has years and years of experience directing a religious education program in another church, guides our growing Sunday School for children and youth, and supports the expanding adult program offerings and special events. She commands the confidence of all ages.

The Reverend Adam Robinson supports the pastoral care program, the Welcome Team, Reverend Dr. Thandeka’s “What Moves Us” launch, serves as liaison to community groups like SEARCH and HATCH, and works with me to plan and lead worship. I notice that Adam is loved and trusted here, and for good reason.

Director of Administration Peggy Harvey could well be called the executive director of this outfit. She holds in care not only finance and administration, but the total program, mission and ministry of the church as well. Peggy does what in some congregations would be two or three jobs (bookkeeper, controller, newsletter editor, staff supervisor, executive assistant to the senior minister, and person-who-cares-about-everything-and-everybody.)

I’ve written here recently about the music staff, and will heap no more praise upon their heads now, except to say that Jason Oby’s high profile in the Houston music community stands us in good stead, and that Bob Fazakerly has given extra effort and virtuosity to this congregation for many, many years.

And we should not overlook the reliability and hard work of sextons Hillman and Aaron Laws, nor the ever-improving child care and nursery directed by Maria Nieto.
They all do much more than I will take space to tell you about. They all do more than is expected, and most likely more than you ever imagined.

They are the warmest icebergs ever.

Of course, the mission of the staff is to support and empower the congregation. We can accomplish very little on our own. The work of the church is done by the members and friends of the church, but there is so much to be done to make your ministry possible and effective.

To support the staff, keeping it at the current level of time commitment and excellence, will require a successful Stewardship Drive, now underway.

Please consider giving the ‘gold standard’ of five percent or more of income.

And because cold hard facts indicate that a twenty percent increase in giving will be needed this coming fiscal year, beginning in July, please consider increasing your pledge over last year by at least twenty percent.

The Stewardship Drive theme is “Giving by Heart.” There can be no doubt that your staff members give much from their hearts to serve you.

Best,
David

Jason Oby Week

Dear Friends,

By the power vested in all of us at First Church, let us hereby declare this past week JASON OBY WEEK in honor of the above and beyond service and gifts of our director of music. On Saturday evening, Jason orchestrated and starred in the Valentine’s Day concert, a delight of pop standards. Bringing together the excellent professional musicians who joined him obviously involved much time and effort. While he was performing this miracle, Jason was also arranging for the loan of handbells, making a perilous trip with the budding Bell Choir to fetch the bells and rehearse (a minor accident occurred, no doubt caused by a motorist who was not a music lover). Our worship on Sunday was unusual and I hope original in several respects, all made possible by Jason with able assistance from the singers of the choir. The bells were played so well, and their rendition of Spirit of Life so moving, that there is talk of the church someday owning a set of handbells.

Not one to rest on his laurels, Jason will join the Rev. Dr. Thandeka, our visiting spiritual guide, for another Evensong this Friday, February 19 at 7:00 p.m. Those who participated in the previous Evensong have been glowing ever since. And then, at 4:00 p.m. on March 20, to cap off the social justice planning weekend with Richard Ford, Jason is planning what some of us might once have called a Hootenanny — a concert for peace and justice featuring favorite folk songs from the anti-war and civil rights movements. Each Sunday and often in between, this gifted music professor, talented tenor soloist, and charming human being sees to it that we are fed and nurtured by marvelous music. Thank you, Jason.

Take my class, please. This is Ash Wednesday, and so begins the season of Lent. It has been observed in our religious movement more by taking something up than by giving something up, as we reclaim the ancient tradition of the season as a time of learning and contemplation. There are any number of “scriptures” you might want to study between now and Easter, from the poems of Mary Oliver to the sutras of Eastern faiths. But if you have not methodically, in a liberal context, lately considered the scope and power of our Great Western Parable and Story Book, allow me to invite you to sign up for the six Tuesday evening “Reading the Bible Again for the First Time” classes I’ll be leading starting on February 23. You can call or email the church office to sign up, or just hit ‘reply’ and I’ll take care of it for you.

Best,
David