From the Pastor
The coming of June means the coming of more changes in the life of our church. We will be saying good-bye to some people who have faithfully served the church for years. As most of you know, our director of music, Samantha Starr, will be leaving with her family to pursue a master’s program at the University of New Mexico. Her husband, Ethan, has will also be working on an advanced degree. This is a wonderful opportunity for them and I wish them the very best, but it is also a great loss for us. In the past several months, really since the beginning of the school year, we have seen our church music program grow in depth and diversity. Samantha has been a major reason for that growth and I truly appreciate all she has done.
But a couple of other good and faithful servants will also be departing, two people who have provided invaluable and caring service “behind the scenes” each and every Sunday. I am talking about Megan Buckley-Cutting and Sarah Mitchel. Most of you do not see them on a Sunday, but for a number of years they have worked in our church nursery each and every Sunday morning. Megan has served as our nursery coordinator. I cannot overstate how important it has been for little children to see her kind and loving face in the nursery week after week. For many of them she has been the church nursery. Megan is expecting her third child in July and after that thinks she might enjoy actually attending Sunday worship for a change. No, we often have not seen her on Sunday, but knowing she was in the nursery has been a source of comfort to me and of reassurance to countless children and their parents.
Much the same could be said of Sarah. She has worked tirelessly in our nursery for over three years. In fact, she has often helped provide child care at other church events as well. Again, a familiar and caring face that many of our kids have grown to love. Sara will be leaving us to go to college. We wish her many blessings and thank her for her extraordinary faithfulness.
Replacing all these good folks will not be easy. It’s the stuff of which pastoral sleepless nights are made! But as we thank them and wish them well, I am reminded again of the amazing impact even just a few caring and dedicated people can have on our life together as a community of faith. Never think that you don’t’ count; that you can’t make a difference. In June we will thank three people who have made a positive difference. Their faithfulness reminds me of the old hymn:
For the saints of God are just folk like me,
And I mean to be one too.
Thank God for all the saints.
Gene
