As I have considered the pastor’s annual report
for 2012, I have been thinking not just about the past year, but the past
eleven. A lot has happened since 2001, when I accepted God’s Call and came to
Mossy Creek. The church has dealt with opportunities and obstacles; many old
friends have joined the church triumphant; new friends have joined in our
mission and ministry; and some have moved on, to other congregations or to a
fallow time in their faith. We have dealt with a variety of significant issues
– questions about the church property,
its preservation and expansion; issues surrounding worship;
uncomfortable truths about financial oversight; a rethinking of the meaning of witness and outreach. We
continue to wrestle with concerns about theology, polity, and the future of the
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A).
At the manse, our children have grown, with ups
and downs we could hardly have imagined; Ann has furthered her education,
shepherded several congregations through the interim process, and found a
position at Massanutten where her gifts and talents are truly valued. I am
older now, and perhaps a bit wiser; I have gone through desert times, and times
of refreshment; I have learned, and taught, and learned even more.
Over the years, many of you have dealt with both the
best and worst of life; birth and death, marriage and divorce, illness and
healing; exciting new
opportunities and difficult, painful transitions. You have celebrated; you have
mourned; you have questioned; you have laughed and cried; and I have been your
pastor.
Together, we have built relationships with our
community. We have shouldered the responsibility of a good neighbor, organizing
concrete ministries of concern for many who had fallen through the cracks of
society; we have built, and repaired; we have chauffeured, and provided
company; we have fed and clothed; provided warmth and understanding; we have
mourned with the grieving, comforted the suffering and brought love into the
lives of the lonely; and I have been your pastor.
In small but significant ways, we have begun to
rebuild relationships with the Presbytery. We have reached out in service to
the Central Valley Mission Community; we have welcomed
Presbytery representatives, and utilized presbytery resources for education. We have opened lines of communication about financial
and theological issues and sought engagement on difficult issues; and I have
been your pastor.
I have been your pastor. I have preached the Gospel
with integrity and organized worship in a thoughtful, theologically sound
manner. I have taught every age group in the church, preparing and sharing
thoughtful, accessible programs about biblical topics, church history, the
essential tenets of our faith, books of interest to the thoughtful Christian,
as well as numerous topics related to our faith journey and life experience. I
have stood with the grieving and uncertain, reached out to the hurting, and
celebrated with the joyful. I have served as a resource for both knowledge and
wisdom, and have been available to all who have expressed a need. I have been
accountable to the Session, for the work I have done; to the Presbytery, and to
God. That is my Call, and I have sought to honor God as I live it out.
Of course, it is not just my Call; a pastoral Call is a relationship ordained by God between
pastor and congregation, in which both parties have responsibilities and expectations.
It is not just the pastor’s performance that is evaluated; it is not just the
pastor who must meet expectations.
In thinking back over the last eleven years, I
realize I have sometimes spoken thoughtlessly, or without considering the
effect my words might have on those hearing. I have missed opportunities to
reach out, to build relationships, to anticipate the needs of others. There
have been times when personal issues and family problems have overshadowed my
work.
Likewise, there have been times when conversations
among yourselves have come back to hurt me; when complaints about incidental
things have been given the same weight as the good work being done in our midst;
when casual thoughtlessness has led me to question the importance
of our relationship, and my value to the congregation; when confidentiality has
been breached, affecting both Ann and me in our work with colleagues.
It is crucial for the Session and congregation to
examine their own responsibilities in the pastoral relationship –
responsibilities that go far beyond financial compensation. Such reflection
should be an integral part of the annual review process; but beyond that, it
should be an integral part of the relationship we build day by day, week by
week, year by year.
As we look forward to 2013, I can say without
hesitation that God has not yet called me away from Mossy Creek - although I am
open to the possibility. Of course, such discernment is not for me alone; you,
the congregation, must concur, along with the Presbytery, which stands ready to
help us address concerns and discern where God is leading us. In the end, we are like every church in every time
and place: ministering in an imperfect world, with an imperfect pastor and
imperfect members; and yet, God has brought us together for His purpose, and
gifted us with Grace sufficient to our Call. It
is my prayer that God would continue to guide and bless us, as we seek to do
His will.