Dear Church,
“you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.” 1 Cor 12:27
Paul writes, “If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Love never fails.
And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”
1 Corinthians 13:1-8a &13.
“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” Col 3:12-17.
I believe I am accurate when I state that these past 16 months have been difficult for all of us. Change and transition, while in the throes of it, is never easy and always painful. But, then there’s the outcome, and for most everyone the difficulties fade quickly into the background as the church has indeed moved from anxiety to anticipation and now celebration of what God has done and will continue to do as you stay faithful to His leading and guiding.
Most of you stuck it out, some of you chose to wait it out, and some of you chose to simply go somewhere else. Those were options available to us all. If you stuck it out, thank you for staying and working through it with me. If you waited it out, I believe you can now look at the outcome and say it was worth it after all. If you chose to go elsewhere, I pray you found a place where you were blessed, even though your absence was sorely missed by those who stayed and who more than once expressed their concern, sense of loss, and sadness. If you decide to come back once the new pastor is in place, I am confident you will be welcomed back in the manner the prodigal son was welcomed home by his waiting father. All I ask of you is to return in the same demeanor and manner as that prodigal son did, knowing your decision to leave weighed heavily on those who stayed.
SFNAZ is poised to grow! The Holy Spirit is powerful and moving every time you come together. Revival is happening at SFNAZ! Every week new faces are showing up and some are staying. I keep hearing from them how warm and friendly and caring SFNAZ is, and they love the music. Folks hang around after church and talk and laugh and make plans to get together. The youth and children’s ministries are growing. The worship is Spirit filled and Spirit led. The online presence is getting better and better as you keep upgrading and training your folks who volunteer to operate it. The home schoolers are a very welcome addition to the building every Thursday. The new operating structure encourages pathways of ministry without roadblocks. And on top of all that God is sending SFNAZ His choice, Pastor Wes, to lead His church and minister to His church. These truly are exciting times, full of anticipation for the future as together SFNAZ embarks on a new and wonder filled 2023.
In closing, I want you to know how honored I have been to serve you as your TIPs pastor these past 16 months. I count it all joy and a great privilege to know you and to love you as I do. I will forever cherish our time together, even the difficult days, for through it all God’s Spirit was making a way, a path for us to follow. And follow you did! Our God is an awesome God! I will miss you and I will pray for you and from time to time I plan on stopping by to say hello and catching up – for I count you as my friends, and that is what friends and family do.
May the peace of God guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Shalom.
Pastor John