MWR : Fall, sabbath and sabbatical

Last updated November 24.

Send letters to the editor, or suggestions for our stories or Web site, to MWR‘s editors.

Nov. 23, 2009 issue

Print this article.

Comment on this article

Tags: Congregations

Fall, sabbath and sabbatical

Chicago Community Mennonite Church

By Mallory K. Dignin

We were blessed with a rare sunny, warm fall day Sept. 26 for our annual apple picking outing in Galien, Mich. The apples were quickly put to use at our post-harvest potluck.

The next day our congregation was split between three homes for our annual house church service. The smaller, more informal services gave us a chance to fellowship with our geographical neighbors, as we are spread out across the Chicago area.

World Communion Sunday, Oct. 4, was a joyful service we celebrated with First Church of the Brethren and Iglesia Cristiana Roca de Esperanza (Rock of Hope Christian Church), the congregations with which we share a building. The global nature of the day was apparent on the communion table set with Ethiopian injera and Indian naan. We also participated in a service of footwashing and handwashing.

While our pastor, Megan Ramer, was on sabbatical, we had two special worship series. The first focused on sabbath and the practice of intentional rest in our everyday lives. Then we shifted to sabbath economics and explored what the Hebrew passages about sabbath and Jubilee years mean for us today as we seek economic justice in our world and community. During this second series we collected an extra offering for our congregational mutual aid fund. Guests and people from the congregation gave the meditations.

Pastor Ramer’s return Nov. 8 was a joyful reunion after three months of intentional time apart. The congregation greeted Pastor Ramer by laying on hands and asking for blessings in her re-entry into congregational life. She gave the church a baptism pitcher from Oregon, where she spent her sabbatical. We are looking forward to seeing the ways our different sabbatical experiences continue to shape our worship and community life.

Comment on the article Fall, sabbath and sabbatical

The purpose of comments is to engage in dialogue. We expect commenters to treat authors and each other as each would want to be treated. Respectful criticism is welcomed; offensive comments or parts of comments will be removed by the site administrator. Name and comment will be posted; email address is for follow-up only and will not be made public.