The hardest thing about parish ministry is leaving a church. I have left a parish ministry call three times. In all of them, the process of leaving has not been fun. While the circumstances were different with each call, there were always people who I have had a pastoral bond with that was broken when I left the call.

I know that is true here. I love this congregation stemming back from my seminary teaching parish assignment here some 25 years ago. Coming back as a pastor was easy and the skills you needed were some of the skills I had. Together we did Oktoberfests, Confirmation Classes, Small Groups, Spring Flings, Yard Sales, God’s Work Our Hands, Date Night for young parents, Classics, Youth Gathering, and the big one: COVID. We did sermon series, and Christmas Children’s Services, and Easter Children’s Services. I even had a bless your pet day.

But it was the ordinary Sunday that was so special. Each week started with know thing the readings and living with them all week. On Thursday I would write the sermon and would edit it numerous times before Sunday. But when Sunday came, it was great to see everyone again. It was great to worship with our leaders and to worship with our regulars, and to worship with our members and non-members, and to worship with and greet our guests. Yes, Sundays were fun, and in our midst, no matter what we have planned, the presence of the Holy Spirit was felt. There were many occasions when I would say to someone, “Today was a great day, did you feel God’s energy among us?” And there were days that people said that to me.

People say a church is where things happen in the name of the Lord. It is the work of the people. I think that is true. It is the work of the people and it is important to come together as much as we can in as many ways as we can.

It was a Sunday afternoon during Advent in 2018 or 2019 when we were hosting our Christmas Carol Sing-a- long. Honestly, I didn’t have much energy left after Sunday morning, but I decided to support Nancy Fox and Marcia Merry and so I attended. The church was packed! I thought to myself, for some of these people, this is worship. We don’t realize it but the things we do – when we gather – we are church, no matter what we do. Matthew 18:20 is true: “For when two or three are gathered in my name, I am among them.”

I celebrate the times that we gathered, and Our Lord was among us. I celebrate that at times, it was so easy and natural. I celebrate what those occasions did for me as a person, and I hope you celebrate what they did for you. While I move on (somewhat unwillingly to retirement) I treasure the times we had together, and I know you will have more of them. I celebrate the relationships we have formed. They held me up in faith and will al- ways be precious to me.

We were called to share this part of our spiritual journey together. I am better for it (much better) and I hope that you are better for it as well. As I walk into the adventures of retirement, my heart is less willing to move on, and I am sure that some of you feel the same way. But I leave happy because I am not leaving you in a lurch. I am leaving you with your having the promise of a new future just a couple weeks away. You will be building and growing and re-establishing new relation- ship and experiencing new gifts and leadership from a very capable pastor, Pastor Kristin, who is so happy to be coming here to be your pastor. My confidence and joy as a pastor has been called already, is not usual (but it should be).

Thank you all for the honor of being your pastor. Thank you for trusting me. Thank you for sharing our spiritual journeys. It has been a great experience. May the grace of Our Lord continue to bless you richly.

In His service,

Pastor Gerry