No Ordinary Jane
BY STEFAN M. JONASSON, CO-CHAIR OF THE CLF BOARD OF DIRECTORS
In response to the sad news of Jane Rzepka’s leaving the CLF, the Rev. Stefan Jonasson offers these reflections.
I first encountered Jane Rzepka from afar, some twenty years ago. The ink was still wet on the pages of her volume of meditations, A Small Heaven, when I snatched up a copy on a visit to Boston. I read it from cover to cover on the flight home. I laughed, I sighed, I wept—and the man sitting next to me leaned away with a scowl, evidently alarmed that anyone could be so moved by what they were reading. Explaining the nature of her meditations, Jane wrote, “I offer you an ordinary year. The events described, and the observations, too, are ordinary, emerging from an ordinary universe of family and friends, past and present.… But for me, these people, this world, are a wondrous small heaven, swinging about my ears. They are what shakes up my gravity.…” Throughout her ministry, Jane herself has been shaking up the gravity of all who come within her orbit, disturbing our certainties and instilling the levity that lets our souls fly!
After returning home, I found myself using her meditations in worship, at the point in the service where the scriptures would be read in other traditions, or where a prayer might be uttered. Of course, I had no idea how to pronounce her surname, so I headed to the encyclopedia in search of similar names, only to provoke a debate among those of my congregants who thought they knew better. It didn’t matter—soon enough, people simply fell in love with her words and just called her “Jane.”
I first saw Jane in person at the 1990 General Assembly in Milwaukee. She preached at the Service of the Living Tradition—an honor that most ministers secretly covet—and her sermon that day,
“Those Singular Rooms,” was one of the finest I’ve ever heard, before or since. Drawing upon experiences from her earlier sabbatical in Nepal as well as the striking diversity—some might have said “weirdness”—of those gathered in the room, which she wove together with strands of poetry and theology, she challenged us to recognize and embrace the inherent tension between truth and love—and embody them both in our religious practice. I was smitten! I had gone to Milwaukee as a budding fan; I left as a disciple.
A little more than ten years ago, when Jane was called to be the new minister of the Church of the Larger Fellowship, I was both overjoyed and disappointed. My first thought was, “What a loss for such a magnificent preacher to leave the pulpit.” It wasn’t long before it occurred to me to ask, “Why shouldn’t CLF have one of our most gifted writers as its minister?” Besides, what more influential pulpit could a preacher hold? Surely Jane has been one of the most widely read Unitarian Universalist ministers during the past decade, so it’s almost impossible to measure the extent of her influence among us.
Soon after she became the CLF’s minister, I was struck by selfish delight: Jane Rzepka had been called as my minister! A few years ago, I added a link to the CLF at my personal website, in which I described Jane as a “preacher extraordinaire and ‘minister to ministers’.” This wasn’t hyperbole, but a simple statement of fact. Our unconventional congregation includes members who are isolated geographically, physically or socially, as well as people who are looking for “something more” than what their home congregations might offer them. It also includes well over 200 ministers who need a place to which they can turn beyond the congregations they serve, as well as frequent travellers like me, who must carry their church with them in their briefcases. Like many others, Jane has ministered to me through the pages of Quest, at the other end of the phone line, and in the hallways at retreat centers and convention sites. She has also “filled the pulpit” in my tiny home congregation when I’ve been away, as lay leaders have read her sermons from the pulpit on many such Sundays. Indeed, she’s filled the pulpit in numerous congregations she’s never visited!
It was shortly before Jane became minister of CLF that I became the large church consultant for the Unitarian Universalist Association, which meant that we had many opportunities to work together on matters of common interest. With each passing year, my regard for her both as a person and as a professional has steadily increased. She has been an enthusiastic and steadfast supporter of the Unitarian Universalist Association and its allied organizations, giving unselfishly of her time and talents to growing our larger movement and modeling the kind of leadership that inspires others to contribute their own share to the common good.
While I cannot state categorically that it’s impossible to say “no” to Jane, I can say that I’ve never succeeded in doing so myself. And no one else I know has ever admitted to greater success. Jane is very persuasive, largely because she is so thoughtful and reflective. She ponders weighty problems, solicits input and advice from others, formulates sound conclusions, and then develops plans to address the matter. If one appears in Jane’s plan, it is almost inevitable that one will be lured into action.
Now, with more than 3,500 members to serve, CLF has depended upon an efficient and highly-motivated staff (albeit a small one!) to support our minister in pursuing a unique congregational mission. Over the years, Jane has assembled a competent and cohesive team, which has shared the ministry with her, expanding its scope and enlarging its vision. Under Jane’s leadership, the CLF staff has functioned with astonishing effectiveness and the highest degree of collegiality. Together, they have ministered well to the most diverse congregation in the Unitarian Universalist Association. Jane’s oversight and encouragement has been instrumental in holding it all together and generating the resources needed to support this far-reaching ministry.
Jane’s ministry of presence and print has impacted the lives of thousands. We will miss her deeply as our minister—my own heart isn’t just heavy, it’s breaking!—but she leaves behind a strong congregation with a capable staff, devoted board and many generous supporters. Our search for the minister who will follow her is already underway and we are proceeding confidently, knowing that the prestige which Jane and her predecessors have brought to this ministry will inspire some of our denomination’s very best ministers to consider the possibilities and promise of serving the Church of the Larger Fellowship. But even as we look confidently toward the future, it’s impossible to escape the sadness of bidding farewell to a minister who has served us so well. And words are insufficient to fully express our gratitude to Jane for her leadership, care and inspiration.
Through it all, Jane Rzepka has shaken us from our gravity, while liberally preaching her twofold gospel of truth and love. While she has written and spoken to us about the ordinary events, challenges and joys of everyday life, there has been nothing ordinary about her ministry or her message. We have been blessed by a decade of extraordinary ministry, through which we have glimpsed pieces of that wondrous small heaven in which Jane has been first among the angels.
Church of the Larger Fellowship (CLF), 25 Beacon Street, Boston, MA 02108-2823, U.S.
or
Phone: 617-948-6166; or for international callers, use 00-1-617-6166
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