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Coming to Montview Church this summer, I’ve been fascinated—as we all have—by the stonework being done on the labyrinth outside.  We’re all eager to walk it, to enter into its meditative mystery, especially as a garden of trees will soon add to its charm. Being brand new at Montview, this construction work on the South Campus has made me think about the difference between a labyrinth and a maze. The two aren’t the same.

For Patricia and myself, walking into an altogether new congregation this summer could easily have been a maze experience rather than a labyrinth. A maze is a tricky and confusing puzzle, filled with false passages and dead-ends. Its chaotic uncertainty demands hard choices. By contrast, a labyrinth assures us of its final destination; it has a single pathway. Moving inexorably toward its goal, we may take a long time to achieve it. But we can’t make a wrong turn. We only have to exercise patience in moving toward its end. A quiet order, not chaos, is what defines a labyrinth.

Our arrival at Montview has been like moving easily into a pattern of walking with others along divergent paths that all come together as well. It’s an exciting congregation, full of people interested in all sorts of things. But there’s a common goal to it all—echoed in the marvelous music, the informal yet traditional worship, the deep concerns for social justice, inclusiveness, and outreach into the world. We feel as if we’ve stumbled onto an extended family we hadn’t known before. Patricia and I don’t know how to be grateful enough for this—for the warmth extended to us, for a staff that works so well together, for Lindy Doty’s kindness in making her house available to us, for a church that truly practices hospitality. It’s a delight to be here.

With gratitude,
Rev. Dr. Belden Lane

Dear Friends,

As most of you know by now, I am just about to begin a three-month sabbatical.  The word ‘sabbatical’ comes from the same root as ‘Sabbath’, the biblical commandment to stop and rest.  This is not easy for many of us in our “Go” culture and it seems to fly in the face of our deeply ingrained values of productivity and achievement.  But the Bible is not anti-productivity or anti-achievement.  In fact, just the opposite.  God was quite productive in the first six days of creation before God rested on the seventh!

The wisdom of our tradition suggests that to truly be productive, sometimes the best thing to do is stop, look around, and take stock of the situation and what is really needed.  That is also the wisdom behind the long tradition of providing sabbaticals to ministers.  If we look to our ministers to help us make sense of this confusing world, it is important that they are not getting caught up in the fads and fancies of the day.  To look at the world from a spiritual perspective requires that we go more slowly, take a larger view.

This is my hope during my time away.  Rather than just being a vacation (although there will certainly be times to just rest and enjoy), the goal of a sabbatical for a minister is to ground oneself in God’s spirit.  To that end, I will be doing a number of things that will intentionally move me into that ‘thin space’ where we sense God moving.  For example, I will begin the sabbatical with a 12-day backpacking trip that includes four days of fasting and three days alone in the wilderness.  When I am home, I will spend the mornings building a stone hermitage, placing each stone carefully in a kind of embodied prayer.  In the afternoons I will spend time in prayer and do some spiritual reading.

My hope is to return to Montview refreshed, renewed, and centered in God’s presence so that I can be of use on your spiritual journey to do the same.  I wish you a restful summer filled with Sabbath moments of wonder and joy and I look forward to seeing you in the fall.

Wishing you God’s peace and joy,

Greg

Come as you are.

We invite you to join us for our summer Sunday worship service at 10 a.m.

Got zillions of zucchini, gobs of green beans, tons of tomatoes?  Sunday, July 18, August 21, and September 19 have been designated “Produce Drop-off Days”.  We will be harvesting veggies from the community garden, and welcome gifts from your own bountiful gardens to add to our donations to area food banks, homeless shelters and refugee centers.  Bring your produce to church and drop it off at a gathering spot in the Commons.  We will make sure that it gets into the right hands.

To learn more about Montview’s Community Garden plots or to volunteer click here.

8:30 and 11:00 a.m.

Dear Friends,

As some of you know, I will be on sabbatical this summer from May 8th through August 7th.  I am grateful to have this time away and I want to thank you and the Session for your long tradition of supporting clergy sabbaticals here at Montview.

I am happy to report that I received a generous grant from the Lilly Endowment’s Clergy Renewal Program (see www.lillyendowment.org/religion).  The purpose of these grants is to allow clergy to step aside for a few months from leading and caring for a congregation, and instead pursue something completely different that “makes our hearts sing.”  For me, masonry has captured my imagination and my passion in recent years, and I am eager to pursue my dream of building a 10’ by 10’ solid stone shed in my backyard that I will use as a “hermitage” – a place to write, pray and meditate.  I look forward to sharing pictures of it with you when I return (provided it is still standing).  During my time away, I will also refresh my spirit by taking three trips; one to New Mexico with my family, one to British Columbia with Laura, and one by myself as part of a backpacking trip/retreat in the Four Corners area.

Part of the grant will cover expenses at Montview for increased staff support while I am away.  We are very fortunate that the Rev. Dr. Belden Lane has agreed to come to Denver from St. Louis University where he serves as a professor in the Theology Department.  Dr. Lane is an ordained Presbyterian minister and a well-known author. He will serve at Montview during my absence for 20 hours a week, preaching regularly, helping in the office and teaching a class.  I know Dr. Lane personally and cannot speak highly enough about him.  We are very fortunate to have him come and I have no doubt that Montview is in for an exciting summer.

I look forward to returning with fresh ideas and fresh energy to share with you as we continue this journey together to better know God’s grace and love.

Blessings on the way,
Greg