Retirement has just been a word to me. It meant something in the distant future that eventually I would claim for myself. It is a chapter in life that until recently I thought little about. Now of course it is all I can think about.
I served Trinity in Boyd, MN (1978-1984), Abiding Savior in Milwaukee, WI (1984-1994), Vernon in Mukwonago, WI (1994-2003), Trinity in Las Cruces, NM (2003-2012) and am completing this ministry at St. John in Riverton, WY (2012-2016). For the most part I enjoyed being a Lutheran pastor these 38 years. I especially enjoyed preaching, leading worship and pastoral care. I will miss doing those two things. I am looking forward to not having all of the other responsibilities that go with that office.
Soon Cindy and I will be able to visit friends, family and places we simply did not have time too before. We can see New England in the Fall or dangle our toes in the ocean at the Florida Keys in the off season. Mostly though we will have more time to watch our grandkids grow up and be more involved in their lives.
Ministry for me will now be in meeting people on a one to one basis. Some retirees continue to pastor a church by serving part-time or as in interim pastor, but at this time that is not for me. I just want to help people on my own terms and on my schedule.
So, as I see it, retirement for me is about freedom, pastoral care to others as the Spirit provides and almost no stress. I will miss you and the close access you allowed me as your pastor. I will miss the smiles, hugs and many kindnesses you showed Cindy and I. I will miss having breakfast with “the boys” on Wednesday morning. I will miss my prayer partners. It is the interaction with you that I will miss the most.
One of the constants in life is change. We all know that
and expect it. That doesn’t mean we like it though. Pastor’s come and go and
for you that means going through a process of transition, calling a new pastor
and starting all over again. I will not be in that process any longer as a
pastor but you will. For me that means I will no longer have a congregation
just waiting for me and eager to integrate me into their lives. That will be
very different. Cindy and I will now have to "church shop" like every other laymen.
Your congregation president Larry Bauman will keep you
informed as to what is happening in the transition process. Then when your Call
Committee begins meeting the chair of that group will be your source for
information.
Now here is one congregations experience in calling a new
pastor I think you should ponder. This congregation was looking for a young pastor
fresh out of seminary.
The Call Committee
had invited him to come over to their church for the interview. The committee
chairman asked, "Son, do you know the Bible pretty good?"
The young minister said, "Yes, pretty good." The chairman asked, "Which part do you know best?" He responded saying, "I know the New Testament best." "Which part of the New Testament do you know best," asked the chairman. The young minister said, "Several parts." The chairman said, "Well, why don't you tell us the story of the Prodigal Son." The young man said, "Fine."
"There was a man of the Pharisees name Nicodemus, who went down to Jericho by night and he fell upon stony ground and the thorns choked him half to death.
"The next morning Solomon and his wife, Gomorrah, came by, and carried him down to the ark for Moses to take care of. But, as he was going through the Eastern Gate into the Ark, he caught his hair in a limb and he hung there forty days and forty nights and he afterwards did hunger. And, the ravens came and fed him.
"The next day, the three wise men came and carried him down to the boat dock and he caught a ship to Ninevah. And when he got there he found Delilah sitting on the wall. He said, "Chunk her down, boys, chunk her down." And, they said, "How many times shall we chunk her down, till seven time seven?" And he said, "Nay, but seventy times seven." And they chunked her down four hundred and ninety times.
"And, she burst asunder in their midst. And they picked up twelve baskets of the leftovers. And, in the resurrection whose wife shall she be?"
The Committee chairman suddenly interrupted the young minister and said to the remainder of the committee, "Fellows, I think we ought to ask the church to call him as our minister.
He is awfully young, but he sure does know his Bible."
The young minister said, "Yes, pretty good." The chairman asked, "Which part do you know best?" He responded saying, "I know the New Testament best." "Which part of the New Testament do you know best," asked the chairman. The young minister said, "Several parts." The chairman said, "Well, why don't you tell us the story of the Prodigal Son." The young man said, "Fine."
"There was a man of the Pharisees name Nicodemus, who went down to Jericho by night and he fell upon stony ground and the thorns choked him half to death.
"The next morning Solomon and his wife, Gomorrah, came by, and carried him down to the ark for Moses to take care of. But, as he was going through the Eastern Gate into the Ark, he caught his hair in a limb and he hung there forty days and forty nights and he afterwards did hunger. And, the ravens came and fed him.
"The next day, the three wise men came and carried him down to the boat dock and he caught a ship to Ninevah. And when he got there he found Delilah sitting on the wall. He said, "Chunk her down, boys, chunk her down." And, they said, "How many times shall we chunk her down, till seven time seven?" And he said, "Nay, but seventy times seven." And they chunked her down four hundred and ninety times.
"And, she burst asunder in their midst. And they picked up twelve baskets of the leftovers. And, in the resurrection whose wife shall she be?"
The Committee chairman suddenly interrupted the young minister and said to the remainder of the committee, "Fellows, I think we ought to ask the church to call him as our minister.
He is awfully young, but he sure does know his Bible."
That is a terrible story isn’t it? I’m very sure your Call
committee will do a much better job in selecting a candidate for you to
prayerfully consider calling as your next pastor. I suppose I should have kept
the tone of this article more serious but I couldn’t resist.
God has promised to be with all those who are faithful.
St. John Lutheran has been about ministry for over 50 years. You have seen
pastors come and go and the church, Christ’s church goes on. The church is all
about people sharing the Good News of the gospel in the community and beyond.
Do that and God walks with you.
May God bless you and keep you as we continue our
Christian journey not side by side but together.
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