Clergy from left, Deacon Amy Schmuck, The Rev. Lynn Finnegan, The Rev. Mary Ann Hill, Pastor Nicolé Raddu Ferry and Deacon Cynthia Biddlecomb, retired. Photo by Nate Limback/ladailypost.com
By Deacon Amy Schmuck
Bethlehem Evangelical Lutheran Church
Grace and peace to you, readers of this weekly article. I pray in the spirit of our column title, “All Shall Be Well” that you are finding ways to feed your souls with comfort, with gratitude, with joy, and with community in order to live into that mantra as you are able. Pr. Nicole’ Raddu Ferry wrote last week about remaining faithful during the election season and reminded us that “Jesus was political but not partisan.” I follow that up with an invitation to reflect on the subject of change and “letting go” this week.
We have in our minds a perception that what we have going on in our lives will be unchanged. We perceive that we can count on certain people, places, institutions, communities, etc. to stay static as a part of our lives. This is of course quite often not the case in our lived reality. Nothing remains static and change is a constant experience. Changes in families, changes in friend groups, changes in professions, changes in your favorite hair salon or barber shop, changes in our legal system, changes in our community leadership, and yes changes in our religious centers too.
Change comes at us fast and hard sometimes, and it can be overwhelming when we experience many changes at the same time. We get overwhelmed and may experience “whip lash”. Without a grieving period for big changes, we can also get emotionally bogged down. It’s important to acknowledge and share our emotional responses to big changes and in my professional and personal experience, it is very healthy to seek professional counseling to get good help with processing all of that.
What can be counted on dear community, is that the love of God is steadfast through all of life’s changes. God’s love can hold us steady even when we feel rocked by a big change. Trusting in the hope and resurrection of Jesus Christ as our “rock and our redeemer” we can face these changes around us and within us with courage.
The church where I serve the Gospel of Jesus Christ, Bethlehem Evangelical Lutheran Church, is facing a change soon with the departure of our loving pastor, Nicole’ Raddu Ferry and her supportive spouse, Ray Ferry. We face this change with many emotions whirling, but we send them both off on their new adventure with gratitude and love. Nov. 3, we invite you dear community to join us on their last Sunday at BELC for worship at 9 a,m, and a celebration immediately following the service to honor 12+ years of ministry together (see image).
I pray this quote serves you in any transition or change you have before you, whether it is personal changes or the communal changes that may come with this election:
“The sooner we let go of holding on, the sooner we can hold on to the beauty of what’s unfolding before us. Nothing was ever meant to stay the same forever.” —Julieanne O’Connor
Godspeed to Pastor Nicole’ and Ray Ferry. May your new adventures in ministry be blessed and may you always know how deeply you are loved by those whose lives you impacted here in Los Alamos and beyond during your time with us.
Editor’s note: ‘All Shall Be Well’ is a column written by local women clergy including ELCA Deacon Cynthia Biddlecomb, M.Div., retired (czoebidd@gmail.com); Pastor Nicolé Ferry, Bethlehem Evangelical Lutheran Church (pastornicole@bethluth.com); The Rev. Lynn Finnegan, Associate Rector, The Episcopal Church of the Holy Faith, Santa Fe (rev.lynn@holyfaithchurchsf.org) and The Rev. Mary Ann Hill, Rector, Trinity on the Hill Episcopal Church (momaryannhill@gmail.com) and Deacon Amy Schmuck, Bethlehem Evangelical Lutheran Church (deaconamy@bethluth.com).
