Romans 12:9-21, Matthew 16:21-28
It’s Labor Day weekend! For many, this is primarily a time of family gatherings, cook-outs, the last day of fun before school starts up again. It is the unofficial end of summer. There are Labor Day parades, editorials and blogs that remind us how much has changed in the work world – especially since COVID – like working from home, arranging flex hours and the increasing influence that Artificial Intelligence is having on the workforce and so forth. In church, we start to see people coming back from summer activities. Typically, at about this time, churches start to gear up for the new fall season.
For Our Saviour Lutheran Church, this fall signals two important events – the first is the Church’s 100-year anniversary celebration on October 28. We will celebrate all the people who have been a part of the Our Saviour family, along with all the ministries to the community this church has carried out throughout the years. Think of all the challenges this church has faced as the neighborhood has changed over time. Immigrants have come and gone and made this corner of Jamaica their home. We all have memories of the people and the programs, all the ministries that have flourished here and served the community. So, it is appropriate on this Labor Day weekend - when we do thank God for the gift of work - that we acknowledge and celebrate the work of building up the kingdom of God - here at this corner of 175 Street and 90 Avenue.
This is also bittersweet time, for as we celebrate the church’s 100-year anniversary, we are also preparing for another big event: saying goodbye to Pastor Bob and his wife Cindy- who have faithfully tended this portion of God’s vineyard for thirty-two years. Pastor Bob is retiring on November 19 after a long and productive ministry. His ministry has guided Our Saviour through some perilous times - from almost closing its doors - to becoming a thriving church. Our Saviour is now a church solidly anchored in the community and beloved by many. Yay church! This work. It has been accomplished with a lot of prayer, a lot of hard and dedicated work. It has been tough work at times. It has been joyous work. It has been work carried out with love and devotion, integrity and grit. And Pastor Bob and Cindy have been at the center of this transformation these past three decades.
In our scriptures today, Jesus states plainly that such discipleship – the kind that Pastor Bob and Cindy have modeled - is the epitome of love rooted in the cross. Jesus lays down the code of love to us: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” This verse reminds us of the sacrifices that Pastor Bob, Cindy, and countless people of this church have made over the years. Today our scriptures call us to this same cross. Today we hear of the same code of love that must lead us during the next two and ½ months. Today we have been given a guide- a map -for how we are to be church as we celebrate 100 years of Our Saviour and we celebrate 32 years of Pastor Bob’s and Cindy’s devoted service.
Our lesson from Romans describes beautifully, powerfully, the code of love – rooted in the cross of Christ– that will guide us as we enter a new chapter of life at Our Saviour. How will we get through this? The apostle Paul writes about the expressions of love that will help us face the changes: a love that is patient, hopeful, joyful, hospitable, a love that shares, mourns, prays, lives peacefully, is not conceited, blesses, is humble, not vengeful, and that takes the high road. It’s good for us to review this code of love as we prepare ourselves to say goodbye to Pastor Bob and Cindy. And as we prepare to welcome an interim pastor- and ultimately- a new called pastor, into our midst.
So - what are the tasks we face with all these challenges coming at us? Well, part of the cross we must bear is saying goodbye to Pastor Bob and Cindy. They have been here 32 years. That’s 32 years of worship, fellowship, baptisms, funerals, weddings, prayer services. Of laughter and tears. This cross we must carry—a cross rooted in love -- encourages us to accept that now is the time to let them know what they mean to you. It is so important that we reach out to them – and tell them how you feel about them going. Share a special memory or two. Cry if you need to. Get mad if you have to. Saying goodbye is a messy process. It is natural, in this season of goodbye, for thoughts and feelings to be all over the map. If you can’t take out an ad out in the tribute journal, then send them a written note or card. Call them up. Send a text. The point is -don’t let the opportunity to share your love or whatever you are feeling pass you by. As Paul encourages, let your love be genuine. Do what is right. Show them honor and affection. Pray for them as you pray for the church and its future.
What makes saying goodbye so difficult is that it’s hard to imagine who can take Pastor Bob’s and Cindy’s place. And to be truthful, no one can. The next pastor will bring their own unique gifts and vision. As a result, many of us will be tempted to sit back and wait to see what evolves. Many of us might just withdraw. Even drop out. Let’s be honest about this. We’re all tempted this way. But Paul tells us that love demands exactly the opposite response from us. Now is the time to get involved. Now is the time to participate in the process.
As Paul puts it, now is the time to contribute to the needs of the saints. The needs are many. So now is the time for everyone to chip in. To help carry the load that changing pastors entails. Get involved in the tasks of this transitional time –which calls us to make peace with the past, to embrace a new identity, to help the church move forward. The church needs your voice - now. It needs your participation -now - to transition well. Frankly, this is not a job not just for a handful of the same volunteers we see every week. It is not just the church council’s job. It’s an all-hands-on deck situation here. And above all, it’s a call to trust God, and as Pastor Bob often says, to trust the process.
Because of how much this church loves Pastor Bob and Cindy, we will be tempted to make comparisons and to judge the next pastor. We must resist these temptations. The cross requires that we don’t measure the next pastor according to Pastor Bob’s achievements or what he might have failed to do. Paul reminds us that the code of love insists that we take noble path. God is in charge, and we must trust God will bring someone not to fill pastor Bob’s shoes - but a new pastor who will love and serve this congregation in his or her unique way. In a new way, appropriate to a new day. Love calls us to risk- to be open and supportive no matter how scary or unknown it all feels. Trust God. Trust the process.
Now there will be temptations, out of a sense of love, to stay in contact with Pastor Bob after he retires. We will want to call him, text him, invite him to do the next family funeral or wedding or prayer service. But this cannot be done. The noble and humble path the code of love Paul puts forth to us is that once Pastor Bob retires - once an interim is in place - a new senior pastor is called - we must let go. We must shift our allegiance to the next pastor. This is a very hard part of carrying this cross. It doesn’t mean you stop loving pastor Bob and Cindy. But the the code of love, says we must resist calling up Pastor Bob – for his sake, and for the sake of the new pastor. The cross call us to move forward and be gracious to the next pastor. To let him or her stand on their own feet. To get to know you. To learn with you where God is leading in the next chapter of Our Saviour’s life. God can’t move us forward if we keep looking back. So trust God. Trust the process.
So, the labor we are called to this Labor Day weekend is to pick up the cross Jesus has prepared for us in this new season. We are called to love well – so well - we can even let go of those we dearly love. Together we must embark on this journey – and in this time we must reconnect with each other. We must step up and fill the opportunities to volunteer and serve.
You see, the bottom line is - the greatest gift you and I can give to Pastor Bob and Cindy is the sure commitment that we will carry on faithful ministry here at Our Saviour – we will not give up – we will be open to where the spirit guides – we will warmly embrace whomever God sends to be the next shepherd of this flock. Because God is already preparing the way. He is already preparing the next pastor. The cross Jesus places on our shoulders today is nothing less than to trust God, to trust the process. Because that’s what love does.
So, hear it again, and etch it upon your hearts what love wants us to do the next two and ½ months. To be joyful. To rejoice. To weep. To be patient in affliction. Faithful in prayer. Help those in need and be hospitable. To contribute to the needs of the saints. Be noble, act in harmony. Above all, carry this cross Jesus has placed on our shoulders - with all the love we can muster. This love assures us that God has a plan for Pastor Bob and Cindy -- and God definitely has a plan for Our Saviour. So with love- let us trust the process and above all else - trust God – in whose loving hands contains our future. Amen
It’s Labor Day weekend! For many, this is primarily a time of family gatherings, cook-outs, the last day of fun before school starts up again. It is the unofficial end of summer. There are Labor Day parades, editorials and blogs that remind us how much has changed in the work world – especially since COVID – like working from home, arranging flex hours and the increasing influence that Artificial Intelligence is having on the workforce and so forth. In church, we start to see people coming back from summer activities. Typically, at about this time, churches start to gear up for the new fall season.
For Our Saviour Lutheran Church, this fall signals two important events – the first is the Church’s 100-year anniversary celebration on October 28. We will celebrate all the people who have been a part of the Our Saviour family, along with all the ministries to the community this church has carried out throughout the years. Think of all the challenges this church has faced as the neighborhood has changed over time. Immigrants have come and gone and made this corner of Jamaica their home. We all have memories of the people and the programs, all the ministries that have flourished here and served the community. So, it is appropriate on this Labor Day weekend - when we do thank God for the gift of work - that we acknowledge and celebrate the work of building up the kingdom of God - here at this corner of 175 Street and 90 Avenue.
This is also bittersweet time, for as we celebrate the church’s 100-year anniversary, we are also preparing for another big event: saying goodbye to Pastor Bob and his wife Cindy- who have faithfully tended this portion of God’s vineyard for thirty-two years. Pastor Bob is retiring on November 19 after a long and productive ministry. His ministry has guided Our Saviour through some perilous times - from almost closing its doors - to becoming a thriving church. Our Saviour is now a church solidly anchored in the community and beloved by many. Yay church! This work. It has been accomplished with a lot of prayer, a lot of hard and dedicated work. It has been tough work at times. It has been joyous work. It has been work carried out with love and devotion, integrity and grit. And Pastor Bob and Cindy have been at the center of this transformation these past three decades.
In our scriptures today, Jesus states plainly that such discipleship – the kind that Pastor Bob and Cindy have modeled - is the epitome of love rooted in the cross. Jesus lays down the code of love to us: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” This verse reminds us of the sacrifices that Pastor Bob, Cindy, and countless people of this church have made over the years. Today our scriptures call us to this same cross. Today we hear of the same code of love that must lead us during the next two and ½ months. Today we have been given a guide- a map -for how we are to be church as we celebrate 100 years of Our Saviour and we celebrate 32 years of Pastor Bob’s and Cindy’s devoted service.
Our lesson from Romans describes beautifully, powerfully, the code of love – rooted in the cross of Christ– that will guide us as we enter a new chapter of life at Our Saviour. How will we get through this? The apostle Paul writes about the expressions of love that will help us face the changes: a love that is patient, hopeful, joyful, hospitable, a love that shares, mourns, prays, lives peacefully, is not conceited, blesses, is humble, not vengeful, and that takes the high road. It’s good for us to review this code of love as we prepare ourselves to say goodbye to Pastor Bob and Cindy. And as we prepare to welcome an interim pastor- and ultimately- a new called pastor, into our midst.
So - what are the tasks we face with all these challenges coming at us? Well, part of the cross we must bear is saying goodbye to Pastor Bob and Cindy. They have been here 32 years. That’s 32 years of worship, fellowship, baptisms, funerals, weddings, prayer services. Of laughter and tears. This cross we must carry—a cross rooted in love -- encourages us to accept that now is the time to let them know what they mean to you. It is so important that we reach out to them – and tell them how you feel about them going. Share a special memory or two. Cry if you need to. Get mad if you have to. Saying goodbye is a messy process. It is natural, in this season of goodbye, for thoughts and feelings to be all over the map. If you can’t take out an ad out in the tribute journal, then send them a written note or card. Call them up. Send a text. The point is -don’t let the opportunity to share your love or whatever you are feeling pass you by. As Paul encourages, let your love be genuine. Do what is right. Show them honor and affection. Pray for them as you pray for the church and its future.
What makes saying goodbye so difficult is that it’s hard to imagine who can take Pastor Bob’s and Cindy’s place. And to be truthful, no one can. The next pastor will bring their own unique gifts and vision. As a result, many of us will be tempted to sit back and wait to see what evolves. Many of us might just withdraw. Even drop out. Let’s be honest about this. We’re all tempted this way. But Paul tells us that love demands exactly the opposite response from us. Now is the time to get involved. Now is the time to participate in the process.
As Paul puts it, now is the time to contribute to the needs of the saints. The needs are many. So now is the time for everyone to chip in. To help carry the load that changing pastors entails. Get involved in the tasks of this transitional time –which calls us to make peace with the past, to embrace a new identity, to help the church move forward. The church needs your voice - now. It needs your participation -now - to transition well. Frankly, this is not a job not just for a handful of the same volunteers we see every week. It is not just the church council’s job. It’s an all-hands-on deck situation here. And above all, it’s a call to trust God, and as Pastor Bob often says, to trust the process.
Because of how much this church loves Pastor Bob and Cindy, we will be tempted to make comparisons and to judge the next pastor. We must resist these temptations. The cross requires that we don’t measure the next pastor according to Pastor Bob’s achievements or what he might have failed to do. Paul reminds us that the code of love insists that we take noble path. God is in charge, and we must trust God will bring someone not to fill pastor Bob’s shoes - but a new pastor who will love and serve this congregation in his or her unique way. In a new way, appropriate to a new day. Love calls us to risk- to be open and supportive no matter how scary or unknown it all feels. Trust God. Trust the process.
Now there will be temptations, out of a sense of love, to stay in contact with Pastor Bob after he retires. We will want to call him, text him, invite him to do the next family funeral or wedding or prayer service. But this cannot be done. The noble and humble path the code of love Paul puts forth to us is that once Pastor Bob retires - once an interim is in place - a new senior pastor is called - we must let go. We must shift our allegiance to the next pastor. This is a very hard part of carrying this cross. It doesn’t mean you stop loving pastor Bob and Cindy. But the the code of love, says we must resist calling up Pastor Bob – for his sake, and for the sake of the new pastor. The cross call us to move forward and be gracious to the next pastor. To let him or her stand on their own feet. To get to know you. To learn with you where God is leading in the next chapter of Our Saviour’s life. God can’t move us forward if we keep looking back. So trust God. Trust the process.
So, the labor we are called to this Labor Day weekend is to pick up the cross Jesus has prepared for us in this new season. We are called to love well – so well - we can even let go of those we dearly love. Together we must embark on this journey – and in this time we must reconnect with each other. We must step up and fill the opportunities to volunteer and serve.
You see, the bottom line is - the greatest gift you and I can give to Pastor Bob and Cindy is the sure commitment that we will carry on faithful ministry here at Our Saviour – we will not give up – we will be open to where the spirit guides – we will warmly embrace whomever God sends to be the next shepherd of this flock. Because God is already preparing the way. He is already preparing the next pastor. The cross Jesus places on our shoulders today is nothing less than to trust God, to trust the process. Because that’s what love does.
So, hear it again, and etch it upon your hearts what love wants us to do the next two and ½ months. To be joyful. To rejoice. To weep. To be patient in affliction. Faithful in prayer. Help those in need and be hospitable. To contribute to the needs of the saints. Be noble, act in harmony. Above all, carry this cross Jesus has placed on our shoulders - with all the love we can muster. This love assures us that God has a plan for Pastor Bob and Cindy -- and God definitely has a plan for Our Saviour. So with love- let us trust the process and above all else - trust God – in whose loving hands contains our future. Amen
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