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Dear Covenant Presbyterian family,
Walter Brueggemann has suggested that the rhythm of the human life is to move from settledness, to unsettledness, then to a new settledness. Because of the retirement of a long-time and well-loved pastor, your church family has moved into a season where things might feel unsettled, where the familiar has become somewhat unfamiliar, as a generational stability has given way to uncertainty. And while change is constant in the world in which we live, we don’t always like it, and we resist it when we can.
I begin with that observation, because as the one who has been invited to come alongside you in this time of transition, I want you to know, that I know, that change is hard, and that it is almost always accompanied by grief. But what I also want you to know is that God is faithful, and though we cannot even begin to envisage the “new settledness” that is out there in the future, God will lead us there, by the same gracious hand that has been at work among you since Covenant Presbyterian Church was established.
It is an honor to be invited to serve in a congregation which has enjoyed such outstanding pastoral leadership, throughout its history and today. Truth be told, the chance to work with such a talented array of Associate Pastors and Pastoral Residents helped coax me out of retirement, and fills me with a renewed sense of energy and purpose.
And though we don’t yet know each other, I have begun to pray for you. I have prayed for Bob as he steps into the strange new world of retirement. I have prayed for leaders who have been asked to step up and assume great responsibilities. And I have prayed for the church family, that they, you, will be anchored and rooted in hope, confident in God’s faithfulness, now and forever.
Grace and peace,
Ed McLeod
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