Pastor Tom Blossom's Weekly Update

Dear Family in Jesus' Love,

       The Bible continually reminds us in the land of great blessings not to forget the Lord, the Source of all goodness!!!  See you in Worship!

         In the near future we'll be broadening our musical Glorifying of God in our 10:30 AM Lord's Day Worship time.  Being born of two musician parents, I'm pretty sensitive to musical styles as well as words.  We won't be singing or hearing music we pastors don't feel properly glorifies God.  

        Our musical team includes our fantastic pair leading the choir and playing the organ and piano - and a dedicated, hard working choir - and soon a Praise Band, under the leadership of Charley Grahn, which has a great heart for God.  Thanks be to God!  I love to give Glory to God in Worship everywhere I can, and I know you do too!

        Thank you to all who shared in the Annual Meeting - a good attendance! -part of the price we pay for not having a small group or a beauracracy somewhere else govern our church business.

         As most of you know by now I am retiring from our beloved church at the beginning of March next year.  (I'm starting our next investment in God's future teaching confirmation / H2H, Head to the Heart, this Sunday at 5 PM, with pastor Mark following through to completion!) 

         Our church has a world of reactions to this change.  The older I get the less I like change.  Yet Susan and I both felt this is the right time for both the church and the two of us to begin new chapters in glorifying God.

         All change produces some anxiety - I know we're anxious about the future and yet confident and praying for God's continuing crucial outreach to all in and beyond our church.  Jesus said the gates of hell would not prevail against his church!

         And in grief we all experience some feeling of rejection of the reality -we don't want to deal with it.  Also bargaining - if we do this or that it will be different.  We get angry; this shouldn't happen! - and sometimes say things and blame people who may not be at fault at all; we may want to avoid having to deal with hard things.  We can get depressed, even run away from things we don't like - not realizing the shallowness of that "non-solution" to changes, which seem to keep coming, whether we like them or not.  With much prayer, thought, conversation with those we love, and accepting our journey through all those, praying, listening to others who are sharing, we reach a point where God gives us courage to walk on faithfully and with love.  May God bring our church out stronger, for his Glory - that is the Prayer of Hope that befits our Lord.

         Looking forward to a warm church and loving community to Worship God this Thanksgiving Lord's Day as always, in Jesus' Love, /pastor tom