In early June 2020, I walked up to the church to find two Youth Group alumnae and college students, Josie Abbott and Hadley Evans Nash, writing on the sidewalk outside of Unity Hall. “LOVE LIVES HERE” they drew, with arrows pointing towards the church, towards Rt. 7, towards Havurah down the street, towards the town green (translation: love lives here, and here, and here, and here). It was written in colorful chalk, and done in response to symbols of hate inscribed in various places around town, including outside of our own church building. George Floyd had been murdered just weeks before, and Hadley and Josie’s effort to “chalk Middlebury” was an effort to bring some visible love and justice into our little town. “Love lives here” was just ambiguous enough for meaning to be found in a lot of different places. That is, where does love live during a national racial reckoning? Where does love live when a pandemic limits us from gathering in our church building? Where does love live when hate and division seem to reign supreme? What and who is love? Where is here?

Since those two women gave the town of Middlebury and our church a glimmer of hope that day, our church staff has been thinking about a church theme for the start of our new program year. Something to focus our efforts and give us staff and the congregation direction in a time when things feel fleeting and uncertain. “Love lives here” seems a good enough message to rally us as a church when “here” can be in our Zoom rooms and living rooms, in our hearts, as well as in our sanctuary full of people. Love indeed lives here. Where does love live for you?

These last four months, while I’ve been your sole pastor as Pastor Andy has been on his sabbatical, I have witnessed the way love lives and grows in this congregation even more than I already knew. This was a big summer for our church as we navigated the murky waters of reopening our doors amidst the ever-changing landscape of COVID. We enjoyed a truly joyful Sunday back to in-person worship, complete with bagpipes and a fancy new A/V system. Our walking group got back up and running, and groups started meeting again in our church building. Several church members died and members of the church staff had medical and personal crises. Folks participated in “Reading For Racial Justice” — by asynchronously reading books and novels on race and racism in America, directed by Tara Affolter. We kicked the rust out of our gears and remembered what it was like to “do church” in person again. It was not a dormant summer around here! 

As our church gears up for a new program year this month, there’s both uncertainty and excitement on the horizon. I believe God, who is Love, is with us and guiding us through all of what is to come. As many of you know, I will be taking off for maternity leave starting sometime in the first part of this month and will be back January 1. God-willing, Pastor Andy and I will have a couple of weeks overlapping before I leave. I know I’ve said many times these last few weeks about how excited I am for Andy to return, which is true, but I also want you to know that it was a special privilege for me to be your only pastor for these last few full months. I feel like I not only grew in my own pastoral leadership during this time, but I was blessed to witness in an even more intimate way how this church takes care of one another, makes hard and complicated decisions, and supports their church staff when times are both joyful and hard. Thank you for letting me be your pastor in a real and full way during this time. And truly, Andy, we missed you!

I certainly will miss you all when I am away taking care of my new baby! But unlike a traditional sabbatical, I’m not taking it as an intentional break from church life. Instead, my focus will be  on being a new mother, I will not be involved in the life of the church in any meaningful way this fall. That being said, I will be around town and possibly even in church once in a while. I already feel grateful to be in a community where I know my growing family will be loved and supported. 

My prayer for our church this fall is that we can embody the love of God in everything we do and say, and that we can identify and celebrate the diverse ways that love truly does live “here” and there and everywhere in a world that desperately needs it. 

I am grateful for each of you! 

Peace,

Pastor Elizabeth