I thank my God every time I remember you, constantly praying with joy in every one of my prayers for all of you because of your sharing in the gospel from the first day until now. (Philippians 1:3-5 NRSV)

On Sunday, December 13, my pastoral call to Abiding Presence will come to an end. St. Paul captures my thoughts and feelings by touching upon the acts of thanksgiving, remembrance, prayer, and sharing from the first day I joined you in mutual ministry in early autumn 1993 until now.

My prayer time with these verses leads to more targeted expressions of thanksgiving for the collective spiritual gifts of Abiding Presence. Allow me to share these with you now:

I thank my God for your energy and youthfulness. Apathy would never be in my vocabulary to describe this congregation.

I thank my God for your love of music and singing. Worship and music enliven the heart and strengthen the community.

I thank my God for your love of scripture and your openness to its on going inspiration and interpretation through a generous orthodoxy.

I thank my God for your ability to stick with conventional parish programming (i.e. Sunday school, small group ministries, outreach ministries, etc.) by keeping it fresh and forward-looking.

I thank my God for the unique stories and life journeys of members and friends who come from many different parts of our country and world.

I thank my God for your financial generosity over my pastoral tenure. We have tackled several steep challenges related to building, program, and outreach.

I thank my God for your willingness to grapple with the larger issues and problems that we face in the world. We have lived through a tropical storm, two hurricanes, a terrorist attack, anthrax scares, and other less obvious realities.

I thank my God for your efforts to deepen and widen Christian care for each other. I have always been inspired by the lay initiative shown in visitation to homes and hospitals.

I thank my God for an ever-flowing stream of leaders who step up to serve on the congregational council and for the sake of strategic ministry initiatives.

I thank my God for your recognition that the congregation’s connection to the synod and national church expression is important to its identity and vitality.

I thank my God for your hospitality and Christian nurture for my own family—Tracie, Olivia, and Ethan. You have been a tremendous church home.

Dear brothers and sisters, by the continuing presence of the Holy Spirit, it is my prayer that the aforesaid blessings will continue to flow on and on and on. You might take the time to do your own inventory of blessings that you have received in, by, and through this wonderful congregation.

Let us pray . . . .O God, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown. Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go, but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (ELW, p. 304)

Contributed by Pastor Dan
Monday November 23, 2015
Liturgical Year B: Week 52
Liturgical Color: Green
Sunday Gospel reading: Proper28
Twenty-Sixth Sunday after Pentecost