Bob Jensen

I would like to share with you a little vita for you to get to know me.  I was born in Longview, Washington, the second of six children.  I like to remind my siblings that I am the first born male and in the old days I would have gotten everything!  I now have ten nieces and nephews and even a couple grand nephews. I attended St. Rose parish and went through the parish school for eight years.  I was taught by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace.  In my junior high years I was impressed by a young priest assigned to our parish and I began thinking about priesthood.  As was the custom back then, I went to a high school seminary where I developed great study habits and leadership qualities. When I graduated from high school, I was still interested in the priesthood, but wanted a more rounded experience. I left the seminary and attended Seattle University. After a couple of years, with tuition going up and financial aid going down, I transferred to the University of Washington where I majored in Literature. I thought I got the best of both worlds: a small Catholic college and a major university. After college, I re-applied to the archdiocese and entered the seminary at the Catholic University of America in Washington D.C. It was a great time, being taught by such giants as Fr. Avery Dulles and Elizabeth Johnson. It was also exciting being in the nation’s capital.  I was ordained a priest for the archdiocese of Seattle in 1983 and have served at St. Patrick, Tacoma; St. Louise, Bellevue; Sacred Heart, Battle Ground; St. John the Evangelist, Seattle; and St. Vincent de Paul, Federal Way. (Gosh, I must be old!) I also served for about ten years as the director of deacon formation for the archdiocese.  Early on in my ministry I came to realize that my education was very strong in theology, but rather weak in spirituality. Archbishop Hunthausen gave me permission to go back to school where I received a Master in Christian Spirituality from Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska. I like to define being a pastor as being a spiritual director of a community. Where is the Spirit leading us?  How are we responding? As I begin my pastorate with you I look forward to discovering how the Spirit is active here at St. John the Baptist.

I have always been amazed to watch my parents dance.  Now in their 90’s they no longer waltz, but when they were younger, they gracefully moved as one across the dance floor.    Their seemingly effortless movement probably took years to master.  And they probably had a lot of fun practicing.     As I join the St. John the Baptist community as your new pastor, it’s like becoming new dance partners.  It will take a while to learn the dance we begin.  And a few toes might be inadvertently stepped on at first.    This dance can be a bit complicated since neither you nor I take the lead.  The Holy Spirit needs to be the one guiding us.  The music that moves us is the Lord’s love and mercy he bestows on each of us.   I may be a bit clumsy at first.  I may step on your toes (do let me know if that happens).  But let’s also have a lot of fun as we learn to move together in this dance we call the Christian Faith.

I guess this is my final pastor’s column for the bulletin. As I reminisce about my nineteen years of shepherding the flock of St. John the Baptist parish my heart is filled with gratitude. I have received so many blessings. When asked to come here back in early 2002 I did not hesitate to say yes. I knew that this parish was built on the principles of stewardship. I knew that Fr. Jack who was a year ahead of me in the seminary was a fine priest and pastor. I feel privileged to stand on his shoulders and those of the initial members of this community. Although there have been wonderful high points in our history such as our twenty fifth anniversary and the burning of the mortgage, my favorite part of being your pastor is the relationships I have fostered with so many of you over the years. You, with the help of the Holy Spirit have made this parish what it is today. I’m looking forward to being a part of the parish in a different way as time goes on. Fr. Bill McKee is a true servant leader with so many wonderful gifts. Welcome him as you welcomed me. I will continue to live three minutes away from the parish. See elsewhere in this bulletin my address, my cell phone number, and my email address. Take care and may the Lord bless you in every way. I love you!

 

As I wind down my tenure here as your pastor I can’t help but be deeply grateful for the relationships that have come about over the years. I especially am thankful for the pastoral staff, especially the present group, who have served our community so faithfully for many years. I would need several pastor columns to speak of each of them separately. Suffice it to say that they have always had your welfare at heart in all they do. They aren’t in it for the money, believe me. Each of them expresses stewardship as a way of life and they practice it. I have come to realize that they will be friends for life. Fr. Bill is inheriting a real treasure. Take the time to thank them. I most certainly do.

This weekend we continue with the readings from Ordinary Time. “Ordinary” comes from our use of ordinal numbers, e.g., first, second, third…eleventh. And we are entering on what has not been ordinary this past Covid year, mainly opening up our sanctuary to embrace so many more parishioners.

We are installing most of the chairs this weekend along with kneelers. I hope that many of you may join in our work party on Friday and Saturday (June 11-12.) Some sections will allow 100% capacity, others 50%.

We will begin our communion procession lines after a 15 month absence. And there is no more need for registration. If you are fully vaccinated, you may sit with others who are as well. We will still wear masks. I will explain all this and more this weekend.

Thanks for your patience and resilience over the past year. You are the best!

As we celebrate the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ this weekend we hear Mark’s account of the Last Supper. Jesus identified himself with the bread and wine he shared with his apostles. He knew that partaking of meals would be a perpetual tradition they would be involved with for the rest of their lives. He wanted them to remember him in a special way when they gathered together to share bread and drink wine. “Take it, this is my body.” “This is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed for many.” He wanted them and us to be nurtured for the journey. We are called to break ourselves open for others. Thanks for the many ways you are doing this in your families, for your schoolmates and work colleagues. Let’s pray that we will soon be fully gathered together again to share in the Eucharist.