Worship

Since Silas Mehl accepted the call you issued in the name of our Lord, many of you have expressed thanks to me for the job I have done as your intentional interim pastor.  Approving and warm words are good ways to express thanks; I thank you for giving me such things.  Please indulge me as I suggest additional ways to thank me, and more importantly, to thank God.

To thank God for sending his servants (like me) to this congregation, receive Silas Mehl as his servant.  Do not despise his youth, but welcome his energy.  Include him and his family into your community of faith.  Treat any foibles they might have as features, not bugs.  Pray for him and your service to our Savior together in this place.

To thank God for sending his servants (like me) to this congregation, instead of reacting with fear and anger when provoked, take the time and make the effort to respond with gentleness and respect.  Give one another and your new pastor the benefit of the doubt.  Help him to understand your history and needs and expectations.  Instead of resisting change, cultivate spiritual growth that produces the fruits of the Spirit.  Look for ways to forgive one another and spread the practice of forgiveness to your community.

To thank God for sending his servants (like me) to this congregation, consider the needs of others as more important than your own.  Instead of seeking to dominate others, look for ways to serve others in love. Respond compassionately as Christ comes to you in your neighbor in need.

Before I go, I want to be sure to thank you for your hospitality.  Thank you for helping me prepare a home away from home.  Thank you for listening respectfully when I said something crazy or difficult to understand.  Thank you for patiently correcting me when I just didn’t get it.  Thank you for questioning me, expecting me to help you make sense of God’s revelation of himself through his Word.  May our Good Shepherd watch over us in the one flock he gathers together even though his call to service sends us to different harvest fields.

— Pastor Roger L Mackie

Church Services: When we’re having extreme weather, watch the KOAM-TV scroll cancellation notices on the bottom of your television screen for possible church service cancellations.

PARKING:  If you need assistance parking when the lot is snowy, pull your car under the breezeway and ask for assistance from an usher.

Most people don’t like uncertainty much. We make plans––no matter how specific and achievable––no matter how vague and improbable––in an attempt to minimize the dangers of the unknown. Our unease tells us that the sooner we can achieve a higher level of certainty, the   better.

The transition between pastors is a time of uncertainty. Many members think they would feel better if the next settled pastor would come sooner rather than later. They could stop wondering when he will come. They could stop wondering who it will be––what his   family will be like––whether he will be stiff and formal  or informal and welcoming. They could start learning  how to get along with him and learn from him.

But nothing is really certain. We do not know what is going to happen next from moment to moment. We often make good guesses and effective plans. But sometimes they become worthless in a moment. Intentional interim ministry helps reduce uncertainty about who will meet pastoral needs. But other unknowns remain.

Events in life are uncertain. But for those who trust God, its ultimate outcome is certain. As the apostle wrote, “all things work for the good for those called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28). Whether the first pastor Good Shepherd calls accepts, or the seventh, you can be certain that God wants you to cling to him. All good comes from him. Meanwhile, his Spirit enables us to endure fear of the unknown while we walk together following the steps which will help us identify the servant God wants at Good Shepherd.

Pastor Roger L Mackie