March 2008
As I have been settling in...
“Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained
angels without knowing it.” Hebrews 13:2
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. What a joy it is to be here at St. Mark as your pastor. As I have been settling in, I have been struck again and again by the warmth of the welcome my family and I have received. From the attention that we received on the first day we visited to the wonderful paint job and fresh flowers awaiting me in my new office to the enthusiasm surrounding the service of ordination and installation, I have been blessed by your graciousness and generosity. I look forward to our ministry together and pray that we will find many ways to extend that warm hospitality and generosity into our community.
A bit about me: I was born and raised here in Mercer County, in Lawrenceville, where my parents still live. I grew up in the Presbyterian Church and attended Lawrence High School, where Ginny Bogart was my French teacher! I went away to college where I majored in history and earned my teaching certification. My first teaching job was at Freehold Township High School and I lived in the Bromley section of Hamilton during that time. I met my husband Tom Cunniff through my teaching position and we were married in 1991.
In 1992, Tom and I moved to Cleveland, Ohio where he attended law school. Tom had been raised Roman Catholic and we ended up joining a Lutheran church in Cleveland as a compromise, “liturgical enough for him, Protestant enough for me.” We stayed in Cleveland ten years; Tom practiced law and I taught high school and worked as a youth director in our church. In 2002, we returned to New Jersey and I started school at Princeton Theological Seminary. I received my Masters of Divinity in 2005 and then spent a year as an intern at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in East Windsor and another year taking classes at the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia.
When we returned to New Jersey, we settled in the Mountainview section of Ewing Township. Tom practices law at Fox, Rothschild LLP in Lawrenceville where he is a commercial litigator and does a fair bit of work for the NJ Synod and ELCA congregations. He has started softball teams in our two previous churches and is looking for fellow players here at St. Mark. Our oldest daughter Beth is ten years old and a fifth grader at Lore School in Ewing. She is an avid swimmer and softball player and is looking forward to finding opportunities to serve here at St. Mark. Cassie is six and in first grade. She has enjoyed children’s choir at Abiding Presence where we have been worshipping and has started piano lessons this year. Julia has just turned three and likes playing games and dancing.
In my spare time (such as it is), I enjoy reading, especially mystery novels, knitting and scrapbooking. I am also involved with helping my daughters’ swim team and Girl Scout troops.
What I’m reading: Starting Simple: Conversations About the Way We Live by Bob Sitze. Sitze is director of hunger education for the ELCA and in this book he reflects on how we can use conversation as a starting point for moving toward simpler and more sustainable lifestyles. An interesting concept and interesting reading for those who’ve ever felt like their lives were spinning out of control in our hectic, fast-paced culture.
Some quotes to think about:
“How’s it going, really, in the world around you?”
“I think congregations could be places whose central identity went something like this: we are the folks who help you live a just, manageable, sustainable life.”
“Simple living is characterized by abundance, capacity and possibility.”
“You know you are living simply when ‘enough’ guides your decisions and when you know the difference between ‘yes’ and ‘no’….saying ‘no’ to something is easier when a deeper ‘yes’ burns inside of you….what is the deeper ‘yes’ burning inside of you?”
A note about change: A new pastor means a new chapter in the life of St. Mark and that will mean changes. As I told the call committee – “I’m not Pastor Houck; I’m shorter!” I know that there are many of you anticipating and hoping for changes and many others who are afraid of change. Most of us probably have both sets of feelings, depending upon the issue. Things will change – some on purpose, some accidental, some the result of circumstances. As we navigate through this transition, please feel free to talk to me about both your hopes and your fears as things change. I can’t promise to please everyone, but I do hope to listen well as we discern together God’s hopes and dreams for St. Mark.
Peace,
Pastor Linda
