Calvary Lutheran Church in Golden Valley voted today to call me as their senior pastor. I'm sure I'll be processing this one for a while -- this is a major transition for me in my role as a pastor, and will be a significant transition for my family. But at the moment it is exciting and humbling and more than a little overwhelming!
For the last several weeks I've found myself looking around at Central and being so, so grateful for the people, relationships, experiences, events, and ministries that I've been blessed with there. The staff team, pastorate leaders, the Alpha team from way back when, and so much more -- these are key ways God has shaped and formed me over the last decade. I think about how much of what I bring to the table as a leader that has been deposited into my life through this congregation. What do I have that I have not been given? Nothing, it turns out. So I am blessed.
And those blessings, those relationships, create a powerful sense of grief as I think about leaving Central. Yet I am also so excited, so very excited, to take on the role of senior pastor at Calvary. I have immense respect for Calvary's history and identity as an evangelical Lutheran congregation. What a great church! We've met so many outstanding people who are key leaders at Calvary. The passion and eagerness I've seen about about moving forward -- even if that means getting uncomfortable -- is amazing. The people of Calvary seem ready and willing to do whatever Jesus calls them to do. It's stunning to think of the plans God might have for a congregation like this!
As I said, I'm quite sure I'll be pondering this call for a long time to come. Right now there are some logistics that need to be attended to -- submitting letters of resignation and signing acceptance forms, getting things filed in triplicate and planning out timelines. God is faithful, even in the bureaucratic details. As a very good friend of mine texted me tonight, "so we cling to Jesus." AMEN!
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