LEE TENNYSON WORDS OF REMEMBRANCE MARCH 31, 2012
Friends, it was my privilege and honour to be one of Lee’s companions on her journey into ministry, and it is my privilege and honour now to share some of that journey with you.
I think Lee’s call to ministry had been with her her entire life. It was what led her into the sisterhood, and what led her out of it again. It was what led her on her life-long spiritual quest to find a place where she could feel that her own spirituality was at home and embraced, and where she could exercise those gifts that so needed expression. It was in the United Church that she finally found that home, and it was in the United Church that she felt able at last to offer those ministry gifts.
But her journey to ministry was not an easy one. Churches are full of rules, and ours is no exception. First Lee had to become a member, and then she had to participate as a member for some time before she could begin the formal process of discerning her gifts for ministry. It was a long process and Lee was not a young woman, but she went through it with remarkable good grace. There was no hurdle she was not prepared to overcome, no task she was not prepared to undertake. She simply wanted to know what was required of her – and then she went out and did it. And throughout that whole long and difficult process, Lee was always grateful for the unswerving support of Denise.
And yet the process was also a joy for her. Lee was a person of depth, and seeking to move deeper spiritually was part of her being. Whether it was working with her minister on a Lay Supervision Team, taking courses at Calling Lakes Centre and St. Andrew’s College or engaging in conversation with friends and colleagues, Lee was always looking for the spiritual depths in the ordinary things of life. It was perhaps that deepening of spirit, especially in the crisis moments of life, that led Lee to chaplaincy.
Lee had always been drawn to the care of the elderly and sick, and knew that about herself. Being in her first Clinical Pastoral Education unit confirmed that for her. But she was also drawn to worship and preaching, to the disciplines of study and preparation that are a part of worship leadership. Lee was still pondering what direction her ministry might take when the opportunity to fill in for the chaplain who was ill came along. And because funding was uncertain, the chaplaincy was only able to offer Lee a three month appointment. And then another three month appointment...and then another...How many of us would have been able to endure that kind of job uncertainty? And endure it for years on end? But Lee had found her ministry. She loved the chaplaincy work, and the ministry she offered was deeply appreciated by the patients. One of them said:
Lee was my Chaplain for nearly four years; first at RGH and then at Wascana. She was a very faithful visitor who stayed a short time & always had a suitable short prayer to end our time together. In the midst of these 4 years, I had day surgery at RGH and was there just four hours. I was so surprised to find Lee standing at my bedside that morning. She was on top of her job. I don't know how she knew I was there.
Since the news of Lee’s illness and then death became public, I have been approached by many people in many places who wanted to tell me of their experiences with Lee when they or a family member was ill, and how much the ministry she offered to them at that time meant to them. My own mother was one of them, and so my family and I owe a personal debt of gratitude to Lee.
When Lee became the South Saskatchewan Hospital Chaplain, she set her dream of becoming a Designated Lay Minister aside. It did not seem that continuing in the chaplaincy and being part of the DLM program would be compatible, and her call to the chaplaincy work was strong. But losing that dream was not easy, and when the opportunity to have her studies assessed to see if she might be qualified to be recognized, Lee jumped right in with her usual determination and her usual “just tell me what I have to do and I’ll do it.” She completed the process and was recognized as a Designated Lay Minister, and it was a joy to celebrate that with her last spring.
Doing the ministry to which she was called mattered deeply to Lee, but so did being recognized for it. Being able to name herself as a minister of the United Church, and carrying visible signs of that were important to her. Such deeply held convictions sometimes cause us to be in conflict with others, and Lee was no exception. And so Lee’s life in ministry was not always easy and was on occasion quite painful, but she never faltered in her sense of purpose and in her sense of herself in ministry.
Lee saw the United Church as a gift that she was blessed to receive, and it drew from her the gifts that were a blessing to so many that her ministry touched. It is with both gratitude and profound sadness that we bid her farewell today, and honour the ministry that she gave to all of us.
Blessed be, Lee.
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