Church Anniversary

This coming Sunday, my original home church, (at least the first one in New York) is celebrating its 160th anniversary and I was invited to participate.  All the previous pastors who have served that church, as well as the ones who have gone into the ministry out of that church were invited.  I fall into the latter category.  I will make a few remarks during the "remembrance" time frame.

My remembrances are mostly all about special events in my life, and the lives of my family members during the decade we attended there.  {It is where Gerry and I got married, for example} Whenever one reflects on their years at a particular church,  the history is generally experienced in blocks of time associated with the pastors. While it is not something I can say much about publicly,  the pastor who was there very briefly had an interesting  effect on me.  By the time he came, I was very involved in the church,  wholly dedicated to my faith,  fully committed.   Along came this preacher who was deeply troubled,  clinically depressed, and preaching the gospel of depraved humanity in a dark, dreary,  grim and hopeless world.
My reaction was:   This is the good news? ?  I can do better than that!  That visceral response surely played some part in propelling me into the ministry several years later.

 When people remember the years of my pastorates,  I trust that the memories will be good ones.  I hope they will recall an enthusiastic message of hope and forgiveness, as well as good times of creativity and prosperity,  love and laughter.  May it be so!