Hello, Goodbye, Hello
Dear Friends,
In Praying Our Goodbyes, Joyce Rupp observes that “the rhythm of life is: hello, goodbye, hello.” Those words have been echoing in my heart as I prepare to take my leave as your rector. They speak to a truth that runs through all of life and through our faith itself.
We see this truth most clearly in the life of Jesus. In the Incarnation, God says hello – entering our world, taking on our flesh, walking among us in love. At the Crucifixion, we witness the great goodbye – the letting go, the surrender, the painful parting that every human heart knows. And in the Resurrection, we hear once again God’s triumphant hello – a greeting of new life, new hope, and unbreakable love.
That sacred rhythm has shaped our journey together as well. Fifteen years ago, we began with a joyful hello – meeting one another, sharing dreams, and learning the rhythms of ministry together. Along the way, we have known moments of both light and shadow, laughter and tears, growth and grace. We have prayed, sung, worked, and sometimes disagreed – all the things that make real community real. We have grown as a community, always seeking “to love like God loves.” For all of that, and for you, I will be forever grateful. You have been a gift beyond words.
Now the moment of goodbye has come. It is not easy to release what has been so dear, yet this too belongs to the rhythm of faith. Every goodbye, offered with gratitude and love, becomes an opening for God’s next hello. You will soon welcome a new rector, and I will greet a new season of life.
In all of it – hello, goodbye, hello – Christ is present. The love that has bound us together will not end. It simply takes a new shape, carried forward in our prayers and our memories. And one day, in the fullness of God’s love, we’ll say hello again in that place where there are no more goodbyes.
Thank you for letting me share this part of the journey with you. I go with a full heart, grateful for all that has been, and hopeful for all that will be.
Faithfully,
Nancy