Musings at Altitude

Today was an emotional day at church.  Our Pastor, who has been with the church for 15 years, gave his last sermon at this church as he and his family move on to a new church and a new flock to shepherd.  He used this last sermon to remind us of a tremendous example of humility in John the Baptist.  As recorded in the Book of John, the followers of John the Baptist grew increasingly concerned as the crowds that typically surrounded him during his preaching grew smaller while the crowds around Jesus grew larger immediately following his baptism.  When John’s disciples confronted him with that issue, John the Baptist said, “He must become greater; I must become less” (John 3:30).  You see, John the Baptist came to get things ready for the Messiah, and now that the Messiah had come, he admitted, accepted, and took his place as less than the Messiah.

As our Pastor preached from this passage from the Bible, you could sense the emotion building and the tears soon to come.  After 15 years at this church, our Pastor was leaving behind a legacy of faithful service and a congregation of beloved friends and followers.  But with this passage, he reminded all of us that our faith was not pointed towards him and our love for him was not what anchored our church; instead, our faith was anchored in Christ, and even though our Pastor was moving on to another challenge in another state, our anchor never changed.  The one that John the Baptist cheered in ascent so long ago is still the one where “He must become greater, and I must become less.”

Good leaders have a special place in the hearts of those they lead.  Good Pastors take leadership to a very special level because they fill the spiritual reservoir of those they shepherd.  Our Pastor was that type of leader and he will be sorely missed.   But in his own parting words he reminded us that our faith can’t be anchored in him but instead in the one that suffered and died on a cross for all of us and in his death showed us the ultimate act of a good shepherd who cared for his flock. 

The service ended today with Michael W. Smith’s song, “Friends”.  The chorus goes like this:

“And friends are friends forever, if the Lord’s the Lord of them;

And a friend will not say never, cause the welcome will not end.

Though it’s hard to let you go, in the Father’s hands we’ll know

That a lifetime’s not to long to live as friends.”

Our Pastor will be greatly missed, but through his leadership at our church, he’s made friends that will last a lifetime.