Written by:
The Rev. Dr. Joanna Benskin
Rector of St. James’ Episcopal Church, Clinton
When I first arrived at St. James’, Clinton, it was summertime, so I thought office hours outdoors would be a nice way to get to know folks and enjoy the beautiful CNY days. I and my parishioners enjoyed it so much that we’ve made it a habit, and this will be my fourth year of outdoor office hours. It’s about the simplest way I can imagine to let my parishioners and the wider community know that I’m there for them and want to be part of their lives, and it’s a lot of fun.
Every week in the summer, I pick a location and time to spend a couple of hours, and we put it in our bulletin and newsletter. I vary the times to give people with different schedules a chance. Sometimes I’ll sit on a bench or a blanket at the farmers’ market, or I’ll just pull some chairs out on the church’s front lawn, or I’ll be in the outdoor seating at the coffee shop on the village green. (Once per summer, I’ll be at the coffee shop when it opens at 6:30 a.m.—I’m not really a morning person, but a lot of other folks are, and it’s always one of the more lively times!) At the end of the summer, our local cider mill opens, so I try to have one there so that folks can enjoy delicious apple cider donuts. We’re welcoming a new music director at St. James’ (yay!), so last week he and I had special joint office hours at Bonomo’s, a favorite drive-in around here, and people ate delicious burgers and ice cream while chatting with us.
Sometimes parishioners stop by to say hello or stay for a long chat. Sometimes nobody comes to outdoor office hours, and I just get some study time. Sometimes I get to meet community members and say hi to neighbors I know. Occasionally, a community member will see me in my clerical collar and come with a deep pastoral care need, and we’ll share that holy time together. Sometimes it’s casual catching up, and sometimes it’s prayer. Whatever happens, it’s a ministry of presence that I and my parish have come to value and enjoy very much, and I look forward to it when summer comes around again.
