This Saturday will mark my 16th year in pastoral ministry.
In many ways it has flown past. I can still remember the first days of being here. I remember visiting the church building with Liz for the first time before my ordination. I remember settling into the office. I remember working out the kinks of leading the liturgy. I remember the “inanimates” and the tasks…
…But most of all I remember the people.
Some of you are easy to remember because you’re still here. Somehow I have managed to not drive some of you away. Others have frustrated me by doing silly things like graduating or moving to get on with your own lives. I have laughed with most of you, cried with some of you, upset a few of you, prayed for all of you.
I have tried to refrain, when possible, to call the building that we worship in “the church”. I slip up sometimes, but this building isn’t the church. For all of its familiarity and for all of the memories that it associates, it isn’t the church. You are, we are. One of those first things I did about 16 years ago was to start using the phrase “A Jesus-Centered Community of Scripture, Faith, and Grace.” That is what the church is. We are this community gathered around Jesus and God’s gifts to us.
If anything, this church – this University Lutheran – is a great picture of what it means to be “the” Church, the universal Church. We have those who are with us now, and we have those who have been here before but are now elsewhere, but we’re all the Church – united by Jesus, by Scripture, by Grace, and by Faith. And we are all looking forward to a great homecoming reunion and a victory celebration that will rival even the best football game.
I’m proud of much of what we have been able to do together. I’m excited for the experiences that we will follow Jesus into as the days continue. But today I’m mostly grateful for you, University Lutherans, you Jesus-Centered Community of Scripture, Faith, and Grace. And I’m humbled that God has enabled me to be able to call myself your pastor.