Limitations There were a number of hoped for goals that were not able to be achieved. The “Great Ocean Walk” in Australia, envisioned as a healing “Spirit Quest” for my sister Liz and I in honouring our sister Joan had to be postponed when we discovered in late November that we were soon to become parents and had to go to China in January instead! We will do this “Spirit Quest” – likely after my sister’s youngest graduates from high school and moves out, and after Lily Rose is either able to come with us (I hadn’t pictured a stroller on it exactly, but you never know) or is able to stay home without me – which may be a little while! I am certainly not all sorted, organized and completely computer literate, and have not completed the process of collating and gathering my sermons and writings into some sort of printable state; but there is still the fall to make some progress on that. Finally, I had to let go of being the Worship Chair of CONVO 2009, the every seven years’ gathering of UU ministers from across the continent. I was very honored to have been asked to join the committee and then nominated by my peers to head up the “Worship” portfolio and assume the Chair of Worship for a gathering in excess of 500 colleagues and especially to have special responsibility for something of great import to my colleagues and a passion of mine – worship, music and aesthetics as well an input into the Program pieces. Past meetings have stretched over 3 -4 days in sometimes far off locations, and included colleagues from all over the continent; I was scheduled to host a 4 day meeting in February two 2 weeks after coming home with Lily Rose. I had made the commitment, begun to assemble my team/committee, and expected to give it a tremendous amount of time and energy over the next 2 years. But as the work to which I had committed really ramps up this year while I am on parental leave, I agonized over the decision, but it felt impossible to me to do both. As well, as my decision was pending, the only person of colour on our committee got a full time job with the UUA that precluded them from being on the CONVO committee, and it became necessary to seek persons of colour for balance within the committee. So my decision dovetailed with a felt need within the committee to expand its membership, to someone different as I as well. Additions I was called on to do some additional ministry work while on sabbatical. I was an active participant in several of my ongoing clergy groups and prepared case studies for them and for my clergy coach. I conducted the funeral of Marion Bourns, the wife of the former President of McMaster, Dr. Arthur Bourns as a personal favour to a friend , and preached in our Olinda congregation following the sudden and unexpected death of the son of a colleague, Rev. Christine Hillman. Both of these services are attached in the Appendix. I also sadly was called upon to conduct the funeral of Celeste Cullen, a long time member of our church. I have been told that there may have been people (perhaps only one, I don’t know) who were upset because they thought it ‘inappropriate’ to see me conduct Celeste’s funeral while on parental leave. To this I can only respond that there are many models for ministerial engagement while on parental leave, some of which maintain quite a strong ministerial presence and connection while the minister is relieved of regular daily and weekly tasks. In addition, I was contacted by both the Chair of the Board and Congregational Health in response to Celeste’s death which occurred three days after our return home from China with Lily Rose. I responded out of compassion for her family and friends and out of deep respect and affection for Celeste, who was a parishioner of mine and a very dedicated church member for many years – in the way that any minister (indeed, I believe any caring human being) would; I ministered to her family and to her friends, and did my utmost to create a service for her that would honour her life and be a force for healing in the face of her death. These services are a part of my covenant of Ordination, to help and heal the bereaved, and I would never say no to such a request. If it was not my honour and duty to do this for Celeste, and for her family, whose was it? Next Page