Final Thoughts and Insights

September 15, 2024

James 3:1-12

 The letter from James we read today calls for us all to seek wisdom and to be mindful of the power of the tongue in how we conduct ourselves with others. I particularly appreciate it when the writer openly admits that no one is perfect. We all struggle with how we address others and how we use the power of words in our attempts to communicate with others. Words that can cut but also bless others, as the writer says in this passage. So as I depart from East Church United Church of Christ today I want to first say thank you. 

Thank you for being a caring, passionate and welcoming people that you are in so many ways. Thank you for letting me be your pastor. I hope and pray that those things born of God remain with you and that seeds of faith that my work has planted will be fruitful. I like the saying that we as humans can count the number of seeds in an apple but only God can count the number of apples in a seed. So I trust to God the task of growing those seeds. 

I also ask for forgiveness. Forgive me for ways that my words or actions have hurt you. When my ego, past wounds or other immature impulses have kept me from doing my best to serve and care for all equally. Forgive me when I struggled to see the best in others or allowed my own insecurities cast fear in my heart instead of staying vulnerable and open to God’s work in the conflicted times. I am sorry for the ways that I could not measure to your own expectations of what a pastor means to you. I pray that the healing balm of God’s spirit will mend those scars over time. 

I also forgive you for the times that I have felt the sting of rejection, criticism or prejudice that caused me to withdraw from walking more fully of God’s call of my ministry among you.

forgive you for times that you could not find the courage to come and seek clarity, but rather, fed into rumors, lies and misunderstanding that alienated us from one another. I also am guilty of this and ask for your forgiveness when I failed to seek clarity from the source. I trust that God is still at work within you, just as God is at work within me to grow in understanding of ourselves and how to be more courageous in our love for others especially those we struggle to understand or love. 

Finally I want to say I love you. I love this community of faith, this space where I sense the moving of God whenever we gather and most of all I love you, fellow siblings in Christ and all those who feel a kindred spirit of faith and justice. I also hold in my heart those who are not here with us but are still here in spirit. The ministry of a pastor is blessed with the sacred task of being with people at their most joyous and painful times. You see and feel the rawness of life in all its forms and all I can do is pray for more love, more grace and more peace through it all. 

As my ministry here comes to an end let me leave you with these words from Philippians 4:4-9 

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. As for the things that you have learned and received and heard and noticed in me, do them, and the God of peace will be with you.” 

To God be the Glory for God is doing great things in you and in me. Amen.