January 28, 2010

 

“I said to the man at the gate of the year, ‘Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown.”  And he replied, “Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the hand of God. That will be to you better than a light and safer than a known way!’”

                                                                        --M. Louise Haskin

Dear St. Christopher’s,

I pause at the gate of my first letter to you to put my own hand into the hand of God.

We begin our journey together completely sure of one thing:  that God is firmly holding both our hands as we move into our new year together.

My heart is filled with joy and anticipated delight as I look towards the beginning of our lives together.  Since that beginning needs to be postponed a bit to allow me the time to finish well at my current parish, St. James’, I am sending you this letter to give you a glimpse into who I am.  I also simply can’t wait to begin the process of developing a relationship with you that I pray will continue for many blessed years.

So, who is this woman that your Search Committee nominated and your Vestry elected to be your new Rector?

I am a native of southeast Wisconsin.  I was born in Madison, lived my first six years in West Bend, and then was raised in southwest Milwaukee.  I went to Milwaukee Hamilton High School, Mount Mary College for undergraduate, and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee for graduate school.  The only time I left the state was to journey to the deep south for seminary at Seabury-Western Theological Seminary in Evanston, Illinois.  I graduated in 1995 and was ordained to the priesthood that same year.

I have a Master’s degree in Social Work besides my Master’s in Divinity.  I am a licensed clinical social worker and keep that licensure current because, in part, it was so very hard to get; and because the educational requirements fit well with my priesthood.  Two years ago I became certified as a Mediator (for family issues) in the state of Wisconsin.  It was great continuing education for a priest!

Prior to and during seminary I lived in an intentional community in Madison.  I am not married, but, like most folks, when I come home at the end of the day I like to be able to share how that day went for me.  I am a passionate lover of canines and have also lived with at least one, and often, two or three dogs.  But although they listen well, they don’t talk quite as well.  My current canine companion, Jamie, a six year old Cairn terrier (think Toto in the Wizard of Oz) often takes my commands to her under advisement.

When I was called to St. James’ one of my Madison community members moved with me.  I own a rather large condominium in Menomonee Falls.  Last year my former housemate moved back to Madison to take a job there and, after six months living alone, I now have another.  She is introducing me to the curious joys of living with a cat.  The dog is not so sure about this development in her life.

My professional career has been amazing in its gifts to me.  You will now benefit from those earlier years in my career.  I have worked both as a clinician and as a program manager in the private sector and government. I’ve been the Director of Social Services for two health care facilities, the Chief of Training for the DNR, the Chief of Human Resources for the DOT, the former supervisor of the Sex Offender Unit for Milwaukee county, and even spent the six months prior to leaving for seminary on loan from the DOT to work on quality improvement issues with the Wisconsin Lottery!  Along the way I have had, but no longer maintain, a private practice as a psychotherapist.

Like the good Bishop of Chicago, the Rt. Rev. Jeff Lee, one of my predecessors at St. Christopher’s, I am now part of the Clergy Leadership Project.  I have three more units to complete so you will see me traveling off to West Cornwall, Connecticut, these next two years to finish that program.

In a life now long, long ago, I spent seven years of my twenties as a Roman Catholic Franciscan nun.  I left the convent (and yes, I have great stories and pictures from those years!) but not the church.  I have been in love with God for so long I can’t remember when that love affair began.

In the mid 1980’s I left Roman Catholicism and its doctrinal rigidity to seek a new home within Anglicanism.  I owe an enormous debt to the Roman church for the development of my spirituality.  But I do remember the time in 1985 while reading a book on spirituality that I said out loud, “why didn’t anyone ever tell me I was an Anglican?!” I am proud to be a member of the world wide Anglican Communion in its United States iteration, the Episcopal Church.

As an Episcopal priest I’ve been at St. Francis House in Madison for a brief stint as the Associate Chaplain.  Then I was called to Holy Cross in Wisconsin Dells as their three-quarter time priest-in-charge for almost three years while also was working on the former Bishop’s staff as his Associate for Pastoral Care (working with troubled clergy and parishes with problems).  For the past eleven years I have been blessed beyond measure to have been the Rector of St. James’ in downtown Milwaukee. 

And now, soon, I am to be your Rector.  You will be my people.  I am so excited to begin this next part of my life’s journey with you!

We have much to learn about one another.  I am eager to get to know you; your needs, your hopes, your dreams, your challenges.  In this next year I will take the time to listen to you.  I listen well.  I listen intently.  I will listen for what you do not say as well as for what you do say.  And, I hope, that you will also listen a bit to me.

I do not envision that we will make great changes in our next year together.  Our great task will be to form a trusting relationship that will be the foundation for all our years together.  I am your new Rector, and I do know how to be that. But I am also your new Pastor.  We will learn together how you need and want to be cared for.

As I look forward to my first weeks and months with you I bid your prayers for me and for the good people of St. James’ as we work hard to say good-bye to one another in a way that honors our years together.

My promise to you is that I will come to you the beginning of April with a heart that is completely free to embrace each of you.  My most important promise to you is that I will learn how to love you well.  I say often that “love has a look to it.”  It is, I think, a corollary to your often quoted statement that Christianity is not just a religion; it’s a way of life.

I am honored and humbled to have been called as your Rector.  I know we will do great things for God together.

 

In Christ’s love,

 

(The Rev.) Debra Trakel, Rector-elect

St. Christopher’s Episcopal Church