2013 – September – Pr. Eric’s Letter

Dear Friends,

I have enjoyed the WELCA bible study this last month. It is the story of the feeding of the 5000 and in that story, towards the end of the day the disciples want to send the people away to nearby towns so they can find themselves something to eat. But Jesus tells the disciples, “You feed them.” Naturally they were astonished, they did not have that much food or even a way to get that much food. Jesus was not concerned about what they did not have and asked what they did have. They found two fish and five loaves of bread. The rest is history.

This is how I have come to be a pastor at Circle of Faith Parish. After many years of pastoral ministry, these past several years I was content to work with my friend in his lawn sprinkler business. Everything was fine until our Son (who is a pastor) challenged me to think about getting back into ministry where he thought I could

contribute to the Church. I explained to him all the things I did not like and did not have and all the obstacles etc. etc. He responded, “I didn’t ask what you don’t like and what you don’t have and what you think the obstacles are, I asked what you do like and what you do have and what the possibilities might be.” (He can be a handful, this boy…and sometimes stubborn) Well, it was a lot of work to change my way of thinking, but eventually, with some help, a resume developed which I threw out there with a prayer and a teeny tiny bit of faith. It happened to land in the hands of the call committee here who happened to be looking for someone that looked something like that resume. Imagine that! How could that happen? The rest is history. I’m happy and amazed to be here with all of you.

Over the next months we are going to be thinking about who we are as three individual congregations in one Circle of Faith Parish. We could do that either by looking at what we don’t have and what we are not, or by looking at what we do have and what we are. It is much easier and safer to focus on what we do not have as individuals and congregations. But I want to challenge us to do what Jesus did with his disciples…focus on what we do have. When we know what we have, we can offer it with just a teeny tiny bit of faith, and God will use it in ways we never even imagined. So, who are you? And, who are we? And, what do we have?

In Christ,
Pastor Eric