Milt invites anyone interested in providing music for the summer services, to see him or Cheri and sign up on the choir room door. And he calls all of us to give the best going away gift to Pastor Lynn: to make Prince of Peace a place where EVERYONE feels welcome and important.
Pastor Lynn thanks all Prince of Peace Friends for “the welcome you have extended to (her), for the stories you have shared, for the many ways you care for one another, for the opportuniities to worship and serve, learn and grow, laugh and mourn together.”
Reminded of the poem “Footprints in the Sand,” while walking on the beach of Lake Michigan, Pastor Lynn asks whether it’s a complete picture of life with Jesus: “For example, where is the deep groove along the beach where I was reluctantly dragged–being led in a direction I did not want to go?”
One of my greatest privileges as a pastor is to hear and share the stories of those who have died. Sitting with family and friends, together we scratch the surface of the many joys, struggles, relationships, and passions that make up a life. There are always surprises in the story-telling when someone will exclaim – “I never knew!”
Are there things in your life that need to be left behind in order to make room for something new? Perhaps you’ve outgrown a relationship or you’ve nurtured a habit that needs to be given far less time and attention. Could your priorities be rearranged to allow for less fear and more joy?