JuLy - From The Pastor's Pen

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FROM THE PASTOR’S PEN –
THE DYNAMICS OF SERVING THE LORD

It is officially summer and I know that I am not alone in enjoying the beautiful weather and sunshine. Hallelulah!
 
As many of you know this month, the beginning of July, is the official one year mark of my pastoring here with the congregation. It is a milestone in my 30 years of ordained ministry and one of pure joy. I know you have been very patient with me and I sincerely apologize for mistakes in worship, missing cues, not being as available as I would like. I also thank you for letting me change things up from time to time. It is hard to find the pulse of a congregation and the dynamics of ours make it still a steep learning curve.
 
As you know my main concern is the spiritual health of everyone who graces our community with their presence.  I know that we are all healthier and better when we have a sence of God’s purpose as a community and too, each of us personally. As we have God’s word each week and the fire of faith grows within us, we know we have something to believe in. As we share this belief in our actions and love, our greater community cannot fail to take notice of the Holy Spirit moving in our midst.
 
Equally important is building our sense of belonging, making sure every member knows they are loved and valuable. We take no one for granted. There are many ministries coming from our Methodist community and each is important. They take a lot of energy and time. We need to remember to care for the care givers and remind each other of our great value. We must also be certain of our neighbor’s wellbeing. More than knowing a person’s name and seeing them on Sundays we need to get to know each other well. The United Methodist Women and Man’s Group, Community Suppers, Bible Studies, work projects, committees and special events are all opportunities to build the bonds of spiritual friendship and fellowship. I am hoping we can extend each of these ministries to make certain and without a shadow of a doubt that everyone knows they have somewhere to belong and someone cares. In the true sense of the word we need to become an affectionate community with the Love of Christ.
 
Lastly, I hope each and every one of you will spend some time with me in private. I have had the rivilege of getting to know some of you. These things take time. Over the summer my office hours will be on Fridays from 9-12 and I can be available at other times too. I want to get to know each and every one of you better. As long as we are together in ministry we will live, laugh, love, cry and mourn with each other. I want to pray with you and for what is important in your life and share the love of Christ in the best of ways. All too often I get to know individuals during crisis or transition, I hope we can learn about each other long before those days come, as we know they will, so when they do come, we can stand together in faith and strength.
 
You are a deeply spiritual community with a hundred unique and gifted people around us. Hallelulah! I am blessed and grateful to be a part of this exciting ministry and looking forward to the coming year and all that the Holy Spirit will bless us with.

Pastor Eric Olsen