Rev. Dr. Joan Carter, Spiritual Travelers, Pastor Paul, and Joan’s Ordination Celebration, 30 years

A celebration to remember! Glorious! Our hearts echo with thanks and thanksgiving to all

Warm congratulations to our beloved Rev. Dr. Joan Carter and thank you dear Spiritual Travelers:
Lisa Dodge-Johnson, Ted Johnson, Joe Mitter, Netter Mitter, Verona Ryan, Vicky Smith, Cinda Stenge, DJ Wilson
Exchanging sacredness with you all is a privilege and an honor

NEW!! SCROLL DOWN for LETTER FROM SONNEE WEEDN – WITH RELATED PICTURES FROM JOAN’S PHOTO LIBRARY

AND Spiritual Traveler Ted Johnson’s video of Paul and congregation celebrating Joan with champagne and goodies downstairs at Fellowship

The interpretation of Mary’s Alabaster Jar was thrilling and inspiring! And we loved your songs!

LETTER FROM SONNEE WEEDN, READ BY PAUL DURING THE SERVICE (see video above, Paul Celebrates Joan’s Ordin 30 yrs)

October 5, 2019
Dear Joan,
I’m sorry that I cannot be with you at SPC this morning for the anniversary celebration of your call as our pastor.

As you recall, I was the Chairperson of the Pastor Nominating Committee that called you to be our Associate Pastor at the

Sausalito Presbyterian Church. I actually don’t recall all the folks on the committee, but I recall that we were of one mind … we wanted YOU!

When the representative of the Presbytery insisted that we interview others for the position, I vehemently refused. We wanted YOU and only you. If we couldn’t have you, we didn’t want anyone. That is exactly what I told the startled woman.

We wanted you because you brought warmth, humility, artistic talent that brought beauty and creativity to the sanctuary and to the worship service. And, you loved baptizing babies too, marching them up and down the aisles for everyone in the congregation to greet, as our newest members on the spiritual journey.

We wanted you because we loved how you and George said the Benediction in a call–and-answer response style that brought tears to our eyes and helped us to feel truly blessed as we left the service.

We had no idea that you would create enormous, amazing paper cuts that graced the sanctuary, or little flames over our heads on Pentecost, or a magical egg at Easter that lifted open to show butterflies flying out. There were corn kernels tied in cornhusks at Thanksgiving (I still have mine) and pieces of Turkish towels for washing hands and feet. There were so many deeply meaningful rituals that you initiated or added to for the purpose of deepening and grounding the material presented in the sermon and worship service.

And, so, dear Joan, thank you for your years of service to our church and to others. It was my great honor to chair the committee that cemented the deal to keep you at Sausalito Presbyterian as long as we could.

The words to Sam Baker’s song come to mind: “Go in Peace. Go in Kindness. Go in Love, Go in Faith. Leave the day, the day behind us. Day is done. Go in Grace. Let us go into the dark, not afraid, not alone. Let us hope by some good pleasure, safely to arrive at home. Let us hope, by some good pleasure, safely to arrive at home.”

Oh, I almost forgot …. we got Jack in the deal, which made the deal even sweeter!

Love, Sonnee Weedn

LISTEN TO SAM BAKER’S LOVELY SONG HERE 

JOAN’S EVENING CELEBRATION OF HER VOWS here