Jesus said to the disciples, "I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own, but will speak whatever he hears, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. John 16:12-13
You may or may not have noticed, but The Rev'd Geoffrey Hoare's last Sunday with is this Sunday.
While I am happy for them (Sage, his wife, got a promotion with ATT), I already anticipate missing them all. I will miss having Ruthie and Allison around for youth stuff. (Friday night Attic invasion will not be the same without them!) I loved getting to know Joanna during our pilgrimage to Turkey, and will miss our talks and her honesty and sense of humor. I will miss the support and encouragement Sage has always offered me in youth ministry.
Geoffrey has been a great friend, teacher, mentor, pastor and priest for me (and I am sure for many of you as well). He was behind my being called as Associate Rector to All Saints'. I would not be with you right now were it not for him. I will always be grateful for being a part of his ministry here at All Saints' Atlanta. His influence will always be a part of my ministry. I will miss him terribly.
I find great hope in Jesus' words and in God's church, however.
Churches can sometimes become more about the pastor or priest or youth minister or choir director than about God. Our worship and our life together is always about communion with one another and with God in Jesus Christ through The Holy Eucharist. So our being restored to unity with one another and God is never about the person standing in the pulpit or behind the altar but about what God is doing in us, around us, and through her church. Our being able to carry out our mission in the world is always possible, because we are all empowered to be priests and ministers in the world with what God does for us in our church.
We get some wisdom from Jesus for this time of departure. The Spirit of Truth, Jesus tells his friends, will always be with them, even when he is not physically present. God's presence will not depart, even when God's son leaves the earth, he tells them. We take from that, then, that even though we may be sad that someone as important to our life together as Geoffrey Hoare leaves us, God will continue guiding us, inspiring us, and helping us to continue the good work that God began in us with and through Geoffrey.
Even when someone we love leaves us, the Church, (and more importantly God's presence) remains!
Tim