St. Paul tells us, “Jesus existed before anything else and holds all creation together” (Col. 1:17). While I don’t claim to have held all creation together, I have held enough together, and when I say I, I mean Jesus and me.
I, along with Jesus, held a congregation together during disaffiliation. After a 57-43 vote, the church could have easily fallen to pieces. It didn’t. In fact, only three people left.
I, along with Jesus, held 3 families together after three suicides in six years. And that, brothers and sisters, happened at one church.
I, along with Jesus, held countless hands as those saints left this earth.
I, along with Jesus, held some women together in light of their husbands’ unfaithfulness, and some parents together in light of their adult children’s decisions to terminate the parental relationship.
I, along with Jesus, held a Leadership Team together as we swam in the red before coming out in the black.
I, along with Jesus, held many grieving families together, families I didn’t know before the funerals I did for their loved ones.
I, along with Jesus, held it together in the face of my own family’s ups and downs.
In all honesty, I haven’t done anything any of you, my fellow clergy, haven’t done. In all honesty, I may not have done it nearly as well as you.
In truth, Jesus did all the heavy lifting. Even so, he has released me from holding anything else together in the local church. Jesus isn’t done with me. I look forward to more ministry opportunities over many more years. This thought causes joy and anticipation to rise up in me, and for that, I am grateful.
Appointment History
[(FE) PL 2008; PE 2015; FE 2018] Caring Covenant Group Ministry: Richfield 2008; school (Asbury) 8/1/2012; Seymour Lake 2015; Chesaning: Trinity 2021.