Post date: Jul 28, 2013 5:07:12 PM
A Farewell from Pastor Adam
As you receive this newsletter, I will be in the process of moving to Durham, North Carolina, to begin a new role as assistant Chaplain and Director of Religious and Spiritual Life at Elon University. My thoughts and prayers remain with you as you begin what is to come as a congregation. I ask the same from you as I begin a new type of calling.
In thinking what to write to you this month, I turned to our hymnal, Evangelical Lutheran Worship, and paged through the sending hymns. From my perspective you are sending me out from your midst into a new future in a new place. Likewise, in many ways I send you out, on with your life as a congregation, to be a witness to who God is in your midst and in the world. In reflecting on saying goodbye, I could think of no better message than to remind us all of who sends us and what we are sent to do.
The Spirit sends us forth to serve; we go in Jesus' name
to bring glad tidings to the poor, God's favor to proclaim.
We go to comfort those who mourn and set the burdened free;
where hope is dim, to cherish life, to do the loving deed.
We go to be the hands of Christ, to scatter joy like seed
and all our days, to cherish life, to do the loving deed.
Then let us go to serve in peace, the gospel to proclaim
God's Spirit has empowered us; we go in Jesus' name.
-The Spirit Sends Us Forth to Serve, ELW Hymn 551
We go our separate ways now, but the same Spirit sends us all forth to be the people of God, to do God's work in the world, and to rejoice as Jesus' beloved ones.
May the peace of Christ be with you now and always,
Pastor Adam
p.s. As I relinquish my role as your pastor, I invite you to remain in contact with me as you feel so inclined. I will not be available for pastoral acts since I am no longer your pastor, but I do appreciate the occasional note or greeting. Jordan's and my new address will be:
Jordan and Adam Miller-Stubbendick
605b Maplewood Ave.
Durham, NC 27701
PastorAdamMS@gmail.com (I will occasionally check this email)