A letter to the Phoenicians from the disciple Leslie, a follower of Christ.
To the church of Coolwater, greetings to you my brothers & sisters in Christ Jesus & blessings to you all.
When I think of where we came from and how small we started I praise God for the mighty works He has done through the un-mighty hand of Coolwater. There is no way to count all the things Coolwater has done with so few resources. Surely it is only through the grace of God that it was accomplished. I trust that God knows our deeds & holds our congregation in His hands.
Our little congregation has made it through many dangers, toils, and snares to get where we are today, and now we face yet another season of change. Our pastor is leaving us to follow Christ's call. Our founding family is moving on to the next phase of growth in their ministry to a new place, with new people, & new work to be done in the name of God.
If you are like me, the news of this move caused sadness & grief. After twelve years of working side by side together & getting to know each other on a more personal & intimate level, how could we not feel grief, and sadness? How could we not hope that he and Jennie would, as David said, stay just a little bit longer?
They can't stay longer, no matter how much we may wish it. So then what are we to do as a congregation in grief? Do we dig in our heels & pout like children? No. David & Jennie have led us into a faith with more maturity than that & it is time to set aside childish things. So how can we move on to a place of peace? By taking our cue from some children's stories. Let me explain...
(You should know me by now, yes some Disney references are coming up.)
In the Disney movie Mary Poppins, young Jane & Michael Banks write a letter requesting the perfect nanny to look after them. Their father listens reluctantly and after they've left, tears up their letter & throws it in the fireplace. It is then swept up the chimney and carried like a burnt offering up to the clouds. Not long after, Mary Poppins ends up on the Banks' doorstep. Jane and Michael quickly come to love Mary Poppins, prompting one of them to ask her, you won't ever leave us, will you? Mary simply answers, "I shall stay until the wind changes." Meaning, she will be there until she has done what she came for.
In another Disney movie, Pete's Dragon, the orphan Pete is befriended by a dragon named Elliot who helps him escape a mean & careless family and find a new loving home. When Elliot tells Pete he has to go, Pete begs him to stay but Elliot explains that there are other children out there who need his help too. He has more work to do.
Jane and Michael and Pete were all sad to see their loved ones go, but they understood it had to happen for a greater purpose. So this is how I find peace in my mind. David & Jennie have accomplished what they set out to do, establish a new church. Here at Coolwater the wind has changed and there is more work to do, for both David and Jennie, and for us.
How can we ask them not to follow Christ's call when that is what brought them to us? How can we beg them to stay & deny another congregation the experience of their ministry and friendship when we know first hand the amazing things God is capable of doing through them?
I cannot wish that, no matter how terribly I will miss them. So, though I am grieving over this goodbye, I also rejoice for the time we have had, which has been more than most, and smile at the thought of what other miracles God will bring to fruition through them.
So thank you, David & Jennie for trusting God & following Him through the desert for 12 years towards His promise. Go now to the new place He has shown you. Go with our blessings upon you. May it be for you as it is written in 2 Corinthians 9:8-10: God is able to bless you abundantly so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.
To the church of Coolwater, greetings to you my brothers & sisters in Christ Jesus & blessings to you all.
When I think of where we came from and how small we started I praise God for the mighty works He has done through the un-mighty hand of Coolwater. There is no way to count all the things Coolwater has done with so few resources. Surely it is only through the grace of God that it was accomplished. I trust that God knows our deeds & holds our congregation in His hands.
Our little congregation has made it through many dangers, toils, and snares to get where we are today, and now we face yet another season of change. Our pastor is leaving us to follow Christ's call. Our founding family is moving on to the next phase of growth in their ministry to a new place, with new people, & new work to be done in the name of God.
If you are like me, the news of this move caused sadness & grief. After twelve years of working side by side together & getting to know each other on a more personal & intimate level, how could we not feel grief, and sadness? How could we not hope that he and Jennie would, as David said, stay just a little bit longer?
They can't stay longer, no matter how much we may wish it. So then what are we to do as a congregation in grief? Do we dig in our heels & pout like children? No. David & Jennie have led us into a faith with more maturity than that & it is time to set aside childish things. So how can we move on to a place of peace? By taking our cue from some children's stories. Let me explain...
(You should know me by now, yes some Disney references are coming up.)
In the Disney movie Mary Poppins, young Jane & Michael Banks write a letter requesting the perfect nanny to look after them. Their father listens reluctantly and after they've left, tears up their letter & throws it in the fireplace. It is then swept up the chimney and carried like a burnt offering up to the clouds. Not long after, Mary Poppins ends up on the Banks' doorstep. Jane and Michael quickly come to love Mary Poppins, prompting one of them to ask her, you won't ever leave us, will you? Mary simply answers, "I shall stay until the wind changes." Meaning, she will be there until she has done what she came for.
In another Disney movie, Pete's Dragon, the orphan Pete is befriended by a dragon named Elliot who helps him escape a mean & careless family and find a new loving home. When Elliot tells Pete he has to go, Pete begs him to stay but Elliot explains that there are other children out there who need his help too. He has more work to do.
Jane and Michael and Pete were all sad to see their loved ones go, but they understood it had to happen for a greater purpose. So this is how I find peace in my mind. David & Jennie have accomplished what they set out to do, establish a new church. Here at Coolwater the wind has changed and there is more work to do, for both David and Jennie, and for us.
How can we ask them not to follow Christ's call when that is what brought them to us? How can we beg them to stay & deny another congregation the experience of their ministry and friendship when we know first hand the amazing things God is capable of doing through them?
I cannot wish that, no matter how terribly I will miss them. So, though I am grieving over this goodbye, I also rejoice for the time we have had, which has been more than most, and smile at the thought of what other miracles God will bring to fruition through them.
So thank you, David & Jennie for trusting God & following Him through the desert for 12 years towards His promise. Go now to the new place He has shown you. Go with our blessings upon you. May it be for you as it is written in 2 Corinthians 9:8-10: God is able to bless you abundantly so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.