Gathering Fragments

Steve’s Christmas Letter December 22, 2011

It’s nearly Christmas once again!  The decorations are up, choirs are singing and there’s a chance I’ll catch the holiday spirit before Christmas Eve!  (I’m avoiding all the television Christmas specials so they don’t ruin it for me.  Apologies if that’s too Scrooge-like.)

This year has gone by quickly.  Son Jon was home on leave from the Navy in January and again in May, and helped me get the house ready to sell.  No, I’m not going anywhere, just downsizing and getting a place that fits me.  No sale yet; now that winter’s here I’ll wait ‘til spring to put it back on the market.

May and October found me in Washington, DC for conferences and public policy advocacy (Human Rights Campaign, Imagine No Malaria).  In April  I performed a short piece I wrote responding to sculpture at Sheldon Museum of Art.  Then in November was cast in Arthur Miller’s classic, The Crucible.  Both were productions of Angels Theatre Company.

Though there was no extended vacation trip, I did manage a weekend with friends in Ithaca, New York.  The Finger Lakes District was beautiful, even if the foliage hadn’t turned yet!  And I got to Jacksonville, Florida, at the end of July to see Jon before his ship deployed.  He’s a Petty Officer Third Class on the USS Carney in the Gulf of Aden and Horn of Africa.  I get occasional emails, and the ship’s information officer posts photos on Facebook.  They’ll return in mid-March.

Now in my tenth year at Saint Paul Church I still enjoy the congregation and the community I’m assigned to minister to beyond the church walls. I’m Vice-President of Parents, Family and Friends of Lesbians and Gays and frequently give pastoral care to LGBT people.  I’m a fan of theater and have made many friends there.  One actor texted saying she’s glad she has a pastor she can relate to even though she’s not religious.  Sounds like a new job description:  minister to the non-religious.

Here’s wishing blessings worth remembering for you and those you care about.

Merry Christmas!
Steve