 |
Pastor's Page |
JOHN ROTHFUSZ, PASTOR - Phone 779-901-0803; email:
Dear Friends in Christ,
Transitions are hard. We become accustomed to a particular way of being, and we hate to change. Even if our current reality isn’t great, it is a challenge to let go and start something new.
For anyone who has children in school, May is a time of transitions. All the school classes and groups will be drawing the school year to a close, getting ready for the summer break. At church, Sunday School and Confirmation programs will be coming to an end for the spring. And, more personally, my daughter, Anna, will be graduating from college this spring.
A few years ago Daniel graduated from college and moved to San Diego with a good job. David also graduated and landed back home with us. We are not sure of the next steps of the journey.
I am surprised at how strong an emotional reaction I get to the idea of each of them heading out into the world. It is the right thing for them to do, and they are clearly ready for this next step. Yet I have a hard time letting go, and imagining my kids as adults or living far away.
I share this, not (just) because I am feeling sorry for myself, but because these changes keep happening in our lives, and they can throw us for a loop. Children grow and move onward in life. Jobs end and change, and we have to adapt or move on. Relationships that seemed strong can drift apart, or break up suddenly. Friends can move away, or we might be the one who has to move to a new place. I have seen friends and colleagues retire or move away. And I have done funerals for people who die much too young.
These things do affect us. It hurts to let go of a person, a place, or a job that has been so close and central in our lives. It is hard to do, and can leave us in a sad funk for quite a while.
So I would say, to myself as much as anyone, this is a normal part of life. It is OK to lose your bearings and feel a little lost when something significant in your life changes. It is OK to acknowledge that these changes are hard on us.
But I would also say that we need to remember where our true foundation lies. Jesus Christ is the same, yesterday, today, and forever. The Lord has called us by name in our baptism, and he holds us close forever. Wherever we go, whatever we experience, the Lord goes with us, to give us guidance and help along the way.
And for those loved ones who are separated by distance, or even by the veil of death, we remember that we still have a firm connection with them by faith in Jesus. We can pray for them, and know that Jesus watches over them. We can share in Holy Communion, and feel them connected to us in our Lord’s one body, wherever they may be.
Jesus is the one stable point in our lives, even when everything else seems to change. He is trustworthy and faithful, so that we can build our lives and our hopes on him.
These times of transition remind us to use our lives to make meaningful connections wherever we can. Friends and loved ones will enter and leave our lives, but the times that we share will bless and change us forever. The more that we connect in real and significant ways, the more that we will always carry that person in our heart.
Jesus loves us, deeply and personally, and wants us to share that same kind of love with one another. He wants us deeply rooted in this world, enriched by the soil where we are planted, so that we can grow and flourish in his care.
Let us give thanks for all those who are a part of our lives, making them rich and full. We want to appreciate them while they are close, and entrust them confidently to God as they go forth.
Yours in Christ,
Pastor John Rothfusz
