Did you know that June is the most popular month for weddings to happen? The reason is that the month of June was named after the goddess Juno. Juno is said to be the protector of women in all things, but especially in marriage and child-bearing. Marriage is a time when one season of our lives ends and another one begins. For some, the couple moves in together for the first time and fully join and commit their lives to each other. It is an exciting time of the celebration of the love two people have for each other. June is a popular month for a lot of new beginnings. This means June is a popular month for a lot of goodbyes as well. People graduate and move away. People end one season of jobs and start new careers. For the United Methodist Church, this is the month many pastors say goodbye to their church and hello to a new one. It was this time last year that you all had a similar celebration to that of a wedding. Sewickley United Methodist Church celebrated the love they have for Pastor Russel Shuluga and welcomed in another. Like weddings, it was a beautiful display of love, but unlike weddings, it was actually a time to say goodbye.

I know this past year has had its challenges, much like the first year of marriage brings. You can think of our relationship like an arranged marriage. Yes, we prayed for each other, and I have no doubt God was the arranger, but all new relationships that are worth anything have to be worked on. Over this past year, we have gotten to know a bit more about each other. We have laughed together and cried together. We have seen some odd behaviors from one another and embraced some new ways of doing things. You have no doubt decided there are some things you like and some things you don’t. I have done the same. That is a part of any healthy relationship. Marriage is not about fitting perfectly together (not to say we don’t ), but it’s about compromise and commitment. After a year of being together (I know, July really marks the 1 year mark, but I came in June) I want to offer up these commitments to you:

1. I will continue to listen to you.

   • We are not at a stage in our relationship where I am ready to make any big changes. I want to know what your heart beats for. I want to know who you are, not just on the outside but on the inside too.

   • Please consider signing up for one of the PORCH PARTY time slots as a way to get to know each other better.

2. I will continue to be a safe place for you.

   • So many have come to me with comments, concerns and just to talk. I LOVE that! I am here for you. And I am a safe place for you to bring to me whatever you need to say and to be held in confidence. Even if your concern is with me or something I have done or said or am doing, I am here to 1. Listen!

   • My email address is pastor@sewicklyumc.org. My phone number is 412-294-7587 (call or text!). Please don’t hesitate to contact me!

3. I will take risks on your behalf and make mistakes graciously.

   • You might wonder how making mistakes can be a commitment that benefits you in any way. Mistakes are a great way for us to learn from each other and just to learn overall. If we know how to fail graciously and learn from it, then we will actually never fail!

4. I will be authentically me.

   • Part of saying goodbye to one relationship and starting another is the natural process of comparison. I promise I am not offended by this. Like I said, it’s natural! But I cannot be any pastor you had before. I can only be me. After all, this is who God has called me to be, has formed and is always refining me to be, and needs me to be. I am here at this time and place in the history of Sewickley United Methodist Church for a reason. I get the privilege of building upon the beautiful legacy of so many pastors who have gone before. I might not always do it right (see commitment #3), and sometimes I might hit the nail exactly on the head. Either way, if I do it with authenticity and integrity to God’s will, then that assures a future that is worth being a part of and leaves a new layer for someone else to come along and build upon.

   • My prayer is that through my unique ways, through my own authenticity, I encourage you to also embrace and be who only you can be. You might sometimes feel like you don’t fit in, but in reality your uniqueness is needed here. How boring would it be if we were all the same!?

I am sure over the coming year I will make some new commitments and make you wonder if I can even keep these ones. But I value you and how remarkable you have been in making this new “arranged” marriage a beautiful thing and something worth being a part of. When we are healthy together, we are healthy apart, and the community around us will benefit from that. Here’s to another year!

From One Light to Another,
Pastor Hannah Loughman

Photo by Ryan G. Smith