Liturgies and Morning Sickness

Last week, I officially announced my pregnancy to the staff at church, and later to the session, making it as public as it can be in a 4,000+ congregation when I am not at all visibly pregnant. I am incredibly grateful for the kind reception of the news, but a little sad that the church will get to watch me expand, but my residency year there will likely be up before the baby arrives in August. Since I’ve never been pregnant before, and since I have never witnessed another woman pastor have a baby while working at a church, this has all felt new and a little scary.

I am so glad that I made this announcement this week. I may not know what I’m doing, but God does. For two months, I’ve had no major morning sickness symptoms–a little queasiness and heartburn, some pickiness about what I’ll eat. But that run came to an ugly halt yesterday. Of course, I was scheduled to be a worship leader at the 8:00am service this morning. But all was well. My colleagues were sympathetic, and so was my stomach, and the entire service was uneventful. Had anything happened, I guess that truly would have made the pregnancy public!

One Response to “Liturgies and Morning Sickness”

  1. meg Says:

    Erica,

    I was talking to a fellow seminarian last week about how it should be required that all Advent sermons be given by visibly pregnant women – so pregnant that the congregation has to spend the entire sermon worrying that their pastor’s water will break right there behind the pulpit. That would surely demonstrate a thing or two about what it means to wait for Christ in expectation.

    Congrats on the baby! Your dad is sure excited!
    Meg