Dear Friends at Trinity,
One’s own legacy is a dangerous thing to dwell upon. The risk one incurs is to focus upon results and forget the task at hand. So I’ve never given consideration to what I wanted my legacy at Trinity to be. But now, as I am set to leave, I hope you will indulge me in a little foolishness. And, indeed, it is foolishness because ultimately it doesn’t really matter. What they say of any of us after we’re gone is of little import.
Here, anyway, is what I would like to imagine: that I provided a safe-haven for recovering Christians. I have a great care for such ones because I have witnessed with sadness too many Christians left scarred by the church. The gospel, at times, must be saved from the church; from the church that tries to domineer, or that behaves like a country club to the exclusion of those who simply hunger for good news.
Trinity, I have noted previously, is populated with a fair number of refugees who have suffered such hurts. And there are more of them out there. I have come across innumerable people over the years who want to believe but are wary of the church because of hurts, bad teaching, and experiences faced when young.
The church is apt to damage people. The trick, though, is not to hold the whole church in derision because it is filled with flawed sinners. They scorn the church for its failures – and there are many – to commit the same error as the modern world. The baby gets thrown out with the bath water. To judge the church and to condemn it for being too judgmental and condemning is to commit an irony too obvious to require pointing out.
We are all guilty and in need of forgiveness.
But I urge you to try to give your hearts to those who long for a gospel that brings forgiveness and freedom.
Let the church lead the charge in living in repentance.
John the Baptist speaks, in the gospel of Luke, about the fruits of repentance. “Give back what you have stolen,” he urges. Ask and find out from others what they hope for instead of simply packaging up and handing to them what you intend them to have. Be responsive to the needs of people around you. Listen to what they have to say.
As I head on my way, in spite of many failings, I can hold my head up and say that I have never been steered by the idea of “we’ve always done it like that.” Such an attitude, in my mind, is pure laziness. Try something different. If people don’t fit in ask yourself, is there any way we can bend to accommodate them.
The gospel always has a bright future. Institutions may not. Let everything you do be shaped by a love for others.
And may God’s peace be with you.
In Christ,
Pastor Picard
From our Vacancy Pastor – Rev. Michael Manz
Trinity Congregation,
As June begins, we enter the Season of Pentecost in the Church Year. If you look around the sanctuary, you’ll notice the color green showing up more often. Green is the color of growth and life. Pentecost is the long season where we focus on how the Holy Spirit continues to work in and through the Church by the Gospel, Baptism, and the Lord’s Supper. This year, Trinity is entering a season of change too.
After 23 years of ministry here, Pastor Picard has accepted a new call. That’s a big transition for any congregation. Twenty-three years is a long time. Many of you were baptized, confirmed, married, or have buried loved ones during his ministry here. There’s a deep connection that forms over that many years together in Christ. Times like this can feel a little uncertain. There’s excitement for Pastor Picard and his new congregation, but also sadness and maybe even some anxiety about what comes next for Trinity. That’s normal. Change is rarely comfortable.
But Pentecost reminds us that the Church has always lived through seasons of change. The disciples themselves experienced that after Jesus ascended into heaven. I imagine they had plenty of questions about what the future would look like. Yet Jesus did not leave them alone. He sent the Holy Spirit to guide, strengthen, and sustain His Church, and He still does.
One of the comforting things about being Lutheran is that the Church does not depend on the personality or abilities of one pastor. Pastors come and go. Congregations experience change. But Christ remains the same. His Word is still preached. His promises are still true. His Sacraments still deliver forgiveness, life, and salvation.
The Holy Spirit is still at work here at Trinity. That doesn’t mean every transition is easy. But it does mean you do not walk through it alone. The Lord has been faithful to this congregation for many years, and He will continue to be faithful in the days ahead.
So during this Pentecost season, keep gathering together around God’s gifts. Pray for Pastor Picard and his family as they begin this new chapter. Pray for Trinity’s leaders as they begin the call process. Pray for patience and wisdom. And trust that the same Lord who has carried this congregation through every season before will continue to do so now.
After all, the Church’s future has never rested in human hands. It rests in the pierced hands of Jesus.
In Christ,
Pastor Michael Manz