When I was a district superintendent, I would occasionally have someone say to me, “See if you can find out when our pastor is going to retire.” That usually meant, “We really want our pastor to retire, and we would like for you to find that out for us.” Admittedly, that would not have been a good or helpful way for me to help the churches as they looked ahead in ministry. In each case, we would move ahead to handle the situation a bit differently.
As a result of that, now anytime anyone asks me “When are you going to retire?” I get a bit paranoid. If it’s a church member, I think: “Uh-huh. They’re wanting to get rid of me.” It really happens pretty often – almost everywhere I go. Twice in one day recently, before 10:00 a.m., I ran into folks whom I have known for some time. They both asked me if I were retired yet (they weren’t FCUMC members). When I told them I was not, they seemed very surprised that someone of my age and follically-challenged head would not be retired.
Would you retire if everyday you saw the excitement and enthusiasm of people working to help people to know Jesus? Would you retire if you were surrounded everyday by people who love the Lord and want to help others know the Lord? Would you retire if you were employed in a place where everyday you saw people’s lives being changed for Christ? Would you retire if you worked with some of the greatest volunteers in the world? Would you retire if you worked with the greatest staff in the world? On and on I could go – all of it just to say, Fountain City United Methodist Church is a great place to be, whether as a lay person, a staff member or non-staff, or a clergy member.
The stories we see and have the privilege of being a part of are those things that remind us that Christ is at work among us. God is blessing us as individuals and as a congregation in ways that are absolutely indescribable. Not to respond in gratitude to those blessings would be a failure to thank God. And a failure to thank God, I truly believe, is a sin.
Even after six and a half years, I continue to be as excited to be your pastor today as I was the first year I was here. In fact, I believe that excitement grows because your excitement is growing as you reach out and touch lives for Christ. We will hear some stories this Sunday about how our church is helping to influence individuals in their Christian journey.
As you have already heard and read, our theme for this year’s financial stewardship campaign is “No One But Me.” No one but me can thank God for God’s love, mercy and grace in my life. No one but you can thank God for God’s love, mercy and grace in your life. I hope you will come this Sunday and thank God as you offer your financial commitment for 2009 for the work of the Kingdom through Fountain City United Methodist Church.
- Jim
