Those of you who open your mail on a regular basis have already heard the news that our rector of more than a dozen years, Hartshorn, is retiring. This is an item of great personal sadness to me and, I imagine, to a great many in this congregation. We had always known, of course, that Hartshorn would some day retire from the active ministry in this parish. I had hoped it would be later, but the truth is there was never going to be a good time to say goodbye to someone we love. Fortunately, while Hartshorn will be leaving his post as rector at St. A's, he will remain in this community. It is not really "goodbye" but "good luck" with a well-deserved retirement. Don't worry - there will be plenty of opportunities over the coming months to thank him for his work among us and celebrate his ministry with us.

I suppose that many of us may have thought at one time or another something like, "I cannot imagine this place without Hartshorn!" Now we are called to do just that. However, unlike the Roman Catholic Church or other denominations, our priests are not assigned to us from some higher ecclesiastical authority. Our Episcopal tradition is that the congregation – through the vestry – calls the new rector. This is also a moment when we are forced to grow in maturity as a Christian community. There is no more important or difficult decision for the vestry than the calling of a new rector.

The selection process is about more than hiring. A vital part of this is the creation of a "parish profile" that will express who we are quantitatively and qualitatively. Developing a parish profile will involve all of us.

In a larger sense, too, we have to think more deeply about what kind of community we are, what kind of ministry we need, and what kind of gifts we need in a new rector. This will be an important part of the vestry's discernment and deliberations going forward.

No priest has every gift; we must think not only of what we want, but what we need as a community. I suggest that Hartshorn's most visible spiritual gift is that he is a great preacher. His preaching has been vital to forming and growing this community. I assure you all that we will work our hardest to find someone who also has received this gift to a significant extent. However, we know we are not setting out to replace Hartshorn. We are going to find a new priest with whom we will form new relationships.

We will be mindful also of the progressive history of this parish, our diversity, our commitment to social justice, and our historic activism in promoting the full inclusion of women and gay, lesbian, and transgendered persons in our Christian life together. We will seek someone who understands our mission statement, to include all persons as we challenge ourselves to follow Christ. We, the vestry, also hope the Holy Spirit will guide us and also make our hearts open to a new person who may have qualities we did not expect.

Of course, change brings uncertainty, and uncertainty is always difficult. Adjustment always brings challenges. We will all feel some measure of disappointment, difficulty, and uncertainty no matter how well this process goes. Those are not signs of dysfunction; they are completely normal. Despite these fair warnings, the bottom line is that the vestry will try to ensure our parish life continues as normal during this time of transition.

We also must not think that we are going to be somehow "leaderless" during this time of change. First, as of January 1, 2010, we will have an interim rector selected in connection with the bishop's office while we select a permanent rector. This person will be helping in the transition to a new rector, not auditioning for the part. Second, and perhaps more importantly, the lay leadership of the congregation in the vestry is going to step up. If you get asked to help, consider stepping up too. The rewards of greater involvement are almost always good. This is also a time to get to know your vestry members better. Seek us out. Let's try to build relationships with one another that we haven't before, and deepen ones we have. We will also do our best to communicate regularly with the whole congregation during this process. Watch this space in the Ebb & Flow. This is how we make this transition a time of real spiritual growth as a community.

Finally, let me assure you all that the vestry committed to calling a rector in a timely fashion, to have someone in place next year (2010). Sometimes search committees are known to drag out decision making for long periods of time, and some of you may have such experiences. This is not going to happen here. Ours is a very desirable parish for a whole variety of reasons and our community is, despite its diversity, unusually cohesive.

We have the comfort of knowing that Jesus will be with us, and that our elected bishops will work with us throughout this time of transition. Peace be with you all.