The word is out! After much thought, prayer, and reflection, I have decided to retire from 30 years of local church ministry on June 30, 2019. As I prepare to begin this new chapter in my life, I do so with deep gratitude for my years of ministry and the many wonderful, faithful people that have been a part of this journey with me.
Reflecting on my decision, words from Mary Oliver, one of my favorite poets, comes to mind:
We shake with joy, we shake with grief.
What a time they have, these two
Housed as they are in the same body.
There is great joy in anticipating this next step into retirement and also feelings of sadness in leaving Asbury Church and people I have grown to love.
One of the positive things about making this decision nine months before it happens is that there is plenty of time to prepare for your new Pastor and think again about what is the focus and vision for Asbury United Methodist Church. Change and transition can be difficult but it can also offer an opportunity to reflect on and evaluate what has been and dream new dreams about what can be.
In the gospel reading this past Sunday, Mark cuts to the heart of faith through Jesus’ encounter with Bartimaeus, the blind beggar. We hear how Bartimaeus begs, shouts, shouts even louder, and then jumps up, throws off and is healed. He then began to follow Jesus.
An important part of the story is when Jesus asks Bartimaeus, “What do you want me to do for you?” In the simple brilliance of that question, Bartimaeus was forced to decide what was really important in his life.
Bartimaeus’ answer is the answer of mature faith. “Teacher, I want to see,” he says which I believe means more than just his physical eyesight. In Bartimaeus’ answer, I think he wanted to see the way things really are so that he could follow Jesus, wherever he would lead him.
The question Jesus asked of Bartimaeus, “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus also asks of us. What DO we want Jesus to do for us? Heal us? Make us whole? Give us courage? Help us see? Or would we honestly prefer that he simply keep walking and leave us alone?
These next few months here at Asbury will provide an opportunity to take a step back and respond to Jesus’ question What do you want me to do for you, as individuals and as a community of faith. And in the simple brilliance of that question, we are invited to discern what is really important!
Blessings,
Pastor Cindy