From the Pastor’s Desk
Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.
– Philippians 2:3-4
I recently had the opportunity to reconnect with some of my seminarian colleagues during a zoom meet up and it was GREAT to their faces… I forgot how much I missed them. We are now serving congregations from Alaska to New York to the Southeast - we are scattered.
And, we are all in the midst of discerning God’s call in our own respective congregations.
After catching up on new marriages, new babies, new homes, and other news, we began to talk about …. THE CHURCH.
One of the topics that came up was the topic of the ELCA church wide theme – “to activate each of us so that more new, young, and diverse people might come to know the way of Jesus and discover community, justice and love.”
So…. I am not young. I do not fall into the category of diversity that the church is looking for (I am a white, heterosexual female.) And so, even as a pastor, I have grappled with where I fit in this new mission.
Have you felt this way?
Is the church not searching for people like me anymore?
Here is a new way to look at this mission statement:
Yes, the Church is changing. The world is changing. And God is not just sitting idly by, yawning.
GOD IS ALWAYS SHOWING UP! GOD IS IN THE BUSINESS OF CREATION… and GOD IS IN THE BUSINESS OF RE-CREATION!
As I look at Gethsemane and all that has happened here in the past 22 months… I see “resurrection moments”.
Pews filling up on Sunday mornings, welcoming, engaged folks of all ages, ministries growing outside the walls of our building, events happening in our parking lot.
The outreach here is what I have heard called a “Resurrection Happening”!
But I am 100% certain that without the cornerstone folks that loved this place we call Gethsemane through some of the toughest times in recent years, we would not be here.
And most of these cornerstone folks are like me – seasoned adults. We don’t claim to be young, but we are gifted with a wisdom that comes only through experience.
Wisdom wears all kinds of hats and comes to us at all different stages in our lifetimes.
Wisdom is most often hard won.
Wisdom is often the result of falling and getting back up.
Wisdom is the result of failing – and trying again.
I believe God is calling us to continue dreaming of our next Resurrection Moment, calling us to partner with God in the Re-Creation!
Things will continue look a little different as change continues to come. And we will be called to educate and reeducate ourselves in the process.
But I believe this is God’s call and this is God’s work. And at our very best, we, God’s disciples respond with “Here I am, Lord!” – even when it is a bit uncomfortable.
It is said that if a young person (under age 30) has at least 5 supportive adults in their life, the incidence of mental health stability is greater than if a young person is going it alone.
We can be those people for the young and old who walk through our doors; who we encounter at Mr. Bob’s, Exploit No More or the New Berlin Food Pantry. We can exchange information and “wisdom” with one another to continue to grow Gethsemane and all we touch into the kingdom of heaven on earth that Jesus talked about.
Beloved people of Gethsemane, I thank you for your courage. I thank you for your shared wisdom! I look forward to the next 22 months and beyond!
God bless you! He is Risen! Alleluia!
Pastor Perrie
