My Pastoral Photo

There is a wall of photos in the church that shows every pastor (includes some Associate and Interims as well).  Here is my contribution to the "rogues gallery" as some have called it!  I am proud to have my photo included and honored to be in the company of my predecessors.   Thanks to Randy R. for taking it! 

A Top Ten Countdown to Gratitude

As a way of saying "Thank You" again for my ministry with you since December 2, 2007, I have compiled a list of my top 10 favorite spots in the church.


10) Library -- This is where I had my face-to-face interview with the Pastoral Nominating Committee August 18, 2007 ... and where we had many fun deacons meetings also!

9) Kitchen -- This is where Jeff K. taught me how to use the automatic dishwasher, and where Alex and I made lots of coffee.

8) Nursery -- This is where Sharon & Agnes took care of Sophia with such love, and where she played with her friends.

7) Choir Room -- This is where Natalie and David led the children's choir with Sam, Sarah, and their friends.

6) Multipurpose Room -- This is where we had so many wonderful funeral luncheons and Wednesday night meals.

5) Confirmation Room -- This is where I had great conversations about discipleship with our youth, where I passed on what my grandma taught me, that following Jesus is the best choice they'll ever make.

4) Narthex -- This is where, on my first Sunday, A.J. grabbed me by the arm and showed me where to stand in order to greet you all after Sunday worship services.

3) Parlor (soon to be Gathering Room) -- This is where we washed each other's feet for Maundy Thursday Services.

2) My Office -- This is where I studied for and prepared many sermons, sat and reflected on how best to be your pastor, asked God to provide visions and future stories for this congregation, offered many prayers, worked with potential new members, and had wonderful conversations with many of you.

1) Sanctuary -- This is where we sang, prayed, laughed, and cried together. It is where I stood in the same pulpit as my won-derful predecessors, where you taught me to be a better preacher, where Christ claimed us in baptism and communed with us at the table, where David C. played Bach on the organ and where the choir sang “Hallelujah” on Easter morning. This is where we learned "Who are you? I am a child of God" and "God is good all the time, and all the time God is good!"

Thank you! I will look back on my time here with great fondness and appreciation. I will also pray for you and watch with excitement what God has in store for you. You are an attractive church--stable, generous, mission-minded, ecumenical. You are impacting lives through 5 Key Ministries (Worship, Youth, Deacon Prayer Cards, Emmaus Cafe and Pastoral Residency). Your next pastor will be blessed to be here, and he or she will also bless you in new and exciting ways. Remember always what God tells you: "You are precious in my sight and honored, and I love you" (Isaiah 43.4). Therefore you have nothing to fear.

Gratefully, David

Trust the Proces

This past Sunday I submitted my resignation as your Pastor to the session of the church. It was a very emotional time for me. My tears were met with understanding, support by the ruling elders on session. Likewise so many of you have since expressed your love and care through emails, phone calls, or face-to-face chats. I am so grateful to each one of you! As one of you said, “let’s meet this situation with as much grace as possible.” And you have!


As I have emphasized before, I am not leaving under duress or any hardship. Quite the opposite. I dearly love this congregation. You have been a blessing to me and to my family. I have nothing but appreciation to express to you. My strong bond with you only serves to make this transition harder. But I also must say that since my announcement, I have been filled with peace. And as I have preached before, if what we are doing brings peace, then we can be assured that we have been led by the Spirit (Phil 4:7).

So many of you have confirmed me in this choice, affirming my decision and need to do what is best for my family. Thank you for those words of support.

The session and I will work out an official end date soon. Right now we are eyeing mid-October. At the same time you will begin to see some of the workings of the “next steps” outlined below.

Sometimes the process will seem convoluted and slow. I would only offer my perspective, that any church—Presbyterian or otherwise—has intentional processes in place that are there for a reason. And I might offer some spiritual wisdom: how we get there determines where we end up. There are no shortcuts. Trust the process.

In the meantime we are moving ahead with our fall programs, Pastoral Resident Patricia is astonish-ingly competent and graceful, and our new Gathering Room is under construction. Worship, Deacon Prayer cards, Emmaus and small groups continue on. In all of this, even in transition, our faith is shaping us. God is for us. Jesus is with us. The Spirit is in us. Amen.   David

My Resignation

Yesterday I met with the church session and submitted my resignation as your Pastor. My end date is yet to be determined, but will most likely be the middle of October (8 weeks). I am in the process of relocating my family to my hometown Forney, Texas. Sam and Sarah are starting school on Monday, August 27. Laura and Sophia will most likely leave for Texas at the end of this month, as Laura is finalizing details for her new job.



Over the next several weeks I will focus on wrapping up my ministry here in Muscatine. I will also begin the process of selling our house and finding a ministry position near Forney. I ask your prayers for me and my family during this time of transition.


Please know that my ministry here has been wonderful. I have been deeply blessed by the many opportunities you have afforded me to try new things and plant seeds for future harvesting. You have been graceful with me in my shortcomings and have been generous and hospitable with Laura and our children. I have nothing but gratitude and appreciation for each one of you!


The session will begin working with the Presbytery’s Committee on Ministry to take next steps. This of course will involve forming an Interim Search Team. The session will also make sure we continue to take care of our new Pastoral Resident Patricia Greene.


This transition will be difficult for me and will include grief and sadness. I am leaving a people and a place that I have truly come to love during our nearly 5 years together. Tears will flow and tears are good. But I also know that this relocation back to Texas comes at the right time for me personally and for my family. It is time for us to be closer to family. I pray that these next few weeks together will be a time to celebrate all the ways God has blessed our time together.


Since Sam and Sarah are leaving Thursday for Texas, my family will be at the church from 5:00pm to 6:30pm this Tuesday August 21. This will be an opportunity for you to say goodbye to the two of them before they leave town. This is a casual, "come and go" gathering, so please come as you are able.


Sincerely and in Christ's peace,

David

A Ministry of Service

Our new Pastoral Resident Patricia Greene began working with us on Wed. Aug 1st.  Just like doctors have a time of rresidency to complete their preparation to "practice" medicine, pastors can benefit greatly from such a time as well. 

Last night was the meeting of the Deacons.  In preparation for the meeting Patricia and I talked about the role of the deacons in the Presbyterian tradition.  I referenced a study that the PC(USA) conducted in the early 1990's.  The original study was entitled "A Proposal for Considering the Theology and Practice of Ordination in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) (1992).  In 1996 an abridged version suitable for study in congregations was released:  "A Ministry of Service:  A Guide to the Meaning of Ordination and Church Office in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A)."  Thanks to my friend Tom Green for telling me about it. 

One of the most exciting (yes, I get excited about theology and studies) aspects of the paper is that it is very empowering for the deacons.  It acknowledges that the role of the deacon has often been relegated to making coffee without any appreciation for the role of service in Christian faith.  This study goes a long way to challenge that view.  In fact it insists that if we do not understand the role of deacon, then we cannot understand the role of elder or minister.  And of course it is based on the notion that Jesus ministry was essentially a ministry of service:

"Calling people to a particular office does not imply that the church elevates these offices over the ministry to which the whole people of God are called.  To be called to leadership as a minister, elder or deacon is to be called to a ministry of service after the model of Jesus."

"Thus a spirit of diakonia permeates the church's understanding of leadership in ministry, transcending the traditional ways of thinking about power and authority.  The office of deacon, with its stress on service to and for God, is a paradigm for all offices.  It is not the "least" of the offices, but vividly represents the meaning of all ministry."  (Chapter 3, page 21)

This study has been influential to me and I hope empowering to the people in the church.  We are blessed in our congregation to have an outstanding board of deacons.  They know what they are called to do and to be.  They have fun with it--meetings are often filled with laughter.  It is a challenge and it is hard work.  They for me exhibit an ideal diaconate.  They are the hands and feet of Christ. 

Church Weddings

Lillian Daniel, a UCC pastor, has a way of crystallizing our thinking on lots of topics.  Here she tackles the common pastoral dilemma of conducting weddings for couples that like the idea of a church wedding, but perhaps for the wrong reasons.  Read her article entitled 10 Signs You Should Not Be Getting Married in a Church. 

Supreme Court Ruling on Affordable Care Act

The Presbyterian Church (USA) has long held that access to basic healthcare, regardless of your status, is a basic human right not a privilege.  There is lots of information on the PC(USA) website.  For now, here is Stated Clerk Gradye Parson's letter regarding the recent Supreme Court ruling that upholds ACA: 

Parsons letter on healthcare ruling

Sunday Morning Thoughts

I have followed Rachel for a while on Twitter and have consistently been inspired by her writing.  In this blog she writes about her struggles on Sunday morning, the thoughts she has on why and why not attend church.  She is struggling with this very faithfully. 

I normally don't read comments, but Tuesday night, when I read this blog, I read every one.  We have a lot to learn from what people are saying about their church experiences.  Only to our peril would we dismiss people who are not coming to church anymore. 

I recommend reading:  Sunday Morning by Rachel Held Evans

Courage Needed

I'm usually not inclined to do a sermon series on a single book of the Bible, but these last few weeks I preached a series on the topic of courage in relation to the book of 1 John. 1 John is written in very ambiguous Greek and is highly repetitious. That's probably why I liked preaching on it so much!




What I found was a surprising similarity between the situation of the church back then and the church today. 1 John addresses a community that has been hurt by division. What was a unified group of believers devolved into a split over the humanity of Jesus, the reality of sin, and the command to live a life of love. The separitist group left, presumably to form another church or no church at all. Out of this crisis, the letter (or sermon) of 1 John was written.

Today we face similar circumstances. What once was a culture that unified around church (as well as government, schools, et al.) is now a culture that no longer finds meaning in these institutions. People are splitting off, finding other things to do. Churches are left behind wondering what happened and what it all means. Even in our current crisis, the letter of 1 John still has wisdom.

God is love, and out of this never-ending source of love, God sent us Jesus. Jesus showed us how to love each other. Those who have Jesus have life because Jesus has power over death, darkness, and despair. Avoid these idols, recognizing that sin is real. Instead walk in the light as God is light. As we do that, we will have fellowship. And as we have fellowship, we find the joy of God is in us. And as we stick to it, we find that our joy is becoming more and more complete. And more than anything, little children, love one another. Repeat as necessary.

It takes courage to live a life of faith. But even courage is a gift. -- David

Reverend Alex Kindred

Alex Kindred, Ordained to Christian Ministry at Faith United Church of Christ (UCC).  May 12, 2012

His first official act as "Reverend Kindred" - leading us at the Lord's Table.

Farewell to Alex

On March 11th, we said a proper farewell to Pastoral Resident Alex Kindred. Thank you to all who sent Alex your cards of support and who greeted him so warmly. I also want to let you know that with the generous gifts you sent to the church office, we were able to provide Alex with some meaningful tokens of our love. We presented him with an entire commentary series: Interpretation: A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching, a 43-volume set covering every book of the Bible. We also gifted him with The Library of Christian Classics on CD-ROM, which means he can read it on his computer. Additionally, we gave him his own copy of John Calvin’s Institutes of the Christian Religion (2 volumes). This is one of the most important and influential theological works ever written. And now Alex can quote Calvin and always think of us! Finally, we gave Alex a gift of cash, which he can use in whatever way he needs. And isn’t it wonderful that Alex is only moving across town? I am so pleased that he will continue to be my colleague—and one whom I plan to see on a regular basis at Taco Johns!

Alex begins his ministry at First Christian Church on Palm Sunday, April 1. His ordination service at Faith UCC on Mulberry will be Saturday, May 12. I encourage us to pray for Alex and his new congregation as they begin their work together. Please join me in the prayer we prayed for Alex on that Sunday, from the book of Ephesians: “I pray that you may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.” Amen!

From Alex:

“Thank you for your warmth in receiving a stranger into your midst and making me feel at home right away. Thank you for your patience as I have continued to find my voice as a pastor. Thank you for your prayers, support, and care. It has been a blessed time of growth for me - thank you for making it possible.”

Alex Kindred, Pastoral Resident

The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord stands forever.

I Peter: 1:25



One of the most memorable of my Sundays at First Presbyterian was in May of last year. It started out as a normal Sunday, though I was leading the service as Pastor David was out on vacation. My sermon was prepared; the bulletin was prepared; I was prepared as prepared could be. And then the storm hit.

If you were there, I’m sure you remember it. But if you weren’t, it was a Sunday morning when the tornado sirens went a-blaring. Everybody who had a phone capable of connecting to the internet had theirs out and were pointing to the angry-looking red swirls on the weather map that were headed in Muscatine’s direction. There was hail and wind strong enough to sway the trees from side to side. The sky took on that curiously nauseated look of greenish-yellow that only comes with foul weather. Anxieties were running a bit high, most of all for the Pastoral Resident who was trying to figure out how to both have church and be safe.



With the help of some good people on Buildings and Grounds, as well as the wisdom of some of the choir, we decided to head to the multipurpose room in the basement in order to continue the service. The piano from the choir practice room was wheeled in, and David Coleman played as well as David always, always plays. Wes Walker set up a projection screen in what had to have been record time. Kate Anderson served as liturgist, Marcia Werner led the recognition of our graduates, and the offering was collected. The service went well enough for me to actually begin to enjoy it and to feel worshipful in the midst of this hulking crowd of wet Presbyterians seeking sanctuary in the basement away from the sanctuary.



It was a different space. It was a different routine. It was a different experience, but through it all the Word of the Lord was made manifest among us, and we were Christ’s church. It reminded me that, even when we fall into patterns of behavior and can even mistake those patterns for holy things themselves, they are not. The church is not the building, not the cold stones that give us shelter. We are the Church and wherever it is we are, the Spirit of the Risen Christ is with us, whether we are prepared for it or not. It’s a lesson I don’t plan to forget.



Alex Kindred