Changes are an inevitable part of life. This past Sunday I made the announcement to my congregation that I will be moving to North Tonawanda, New York, in the first part of the New Year, and to say it was a difficult decision to make would be an understatement. But after much prayer and deliberation, I am fully confident this is the right decision.
My article today is not about the fact I am moving, but rather it is about hope. You see, in my deliberations, I would wrestle with, “What will happen to the church when I leave?” Then I realized how I sounded.
It is a fair question, for sure, but to think the church will rise and fall because of me is simply arrogant. The church is not founded on me, but it is rather founded on something far greater than some mere pastor.
The church is based upon what Jesus Christ did for me. In His death and resurrection, I was given the forgiveness for my sins, for the wrong things I do. It is this foundation that will stand the test of time, and will continue on after me.
The promise that God will never leave us nor forsake us, that is the hope that I have. And as I begin to pack I remind myself, I may not know what my future holds, but I know that God is holding it for me.
Published in Delta Optimist December 1 2013
Photo Credit stu_spivack
Saviour Lutheran Church 
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