Pastors Message

Dear Friends,

For the past two years you have been living in a state of transition, not an easy place to be. Rick had been your pastor for over twenty-four years, and imagining the church without him was both unsettling and sad. It is not uncommon for people to leave their church at such times, and that indeed happened here. But still you held firm and embraced the challenge, as step-by-step you met the tasks laid out by the Presbytery and began to envision your new future.

One bold and courageous step was your decision to seek to hire a half-time pastor, which I believe to have been a wise and prudent decision. Now, I too have decided to change my Interim position to half-time. It is the right decision for a number of reasons. The obvious, of course, is that it will save the church money, but it also gives you the opportunity to see how having a part-time pastor works and to give you a chance to make adjustments. I do want to assure you that though I will have reduced office hours, I can still be easily reached and available for pastoral concerns, and, of course, I will still be here on Sundays.

Another important point I want to make is that having a half-time pastor does not denote a diminishment or failure. It just means a shift and an adjustment, but I am certain that First Presbyterian Church is up to the task. From her beginning in 1827, she has periodically gone through challenging times, sometimes even extended periods without a pastor, but she kept going. Men and women stepped up and did what needed to be done. There was a “We Can” attitude chugging through the church’s long history. I encourage you to embrace this optimism and let go of doubt and defeatism, remembering that old adage about catching more flies with honey than with vinegar. People will not be drawn toward a church which exhibits no energy or passion. And let’s not forget that as Christians we are called to be the harbinger of the Good News.

Yes, there will be changes, but with change can come opportunity. I am hopeful that a sense of shared ministry will grow, resulting in a fifty-fifty partnership between pastor and congregation and that in that relationship will arise a sense of empowerment that will lead to a broad and vibrant ministry. The future is yours, and I am hopeful that your ministry will go far beyond these four walls.

The times they are a-changing, a fact there is no escaping. I love the image of the beautiful butterfly emerging from pupa stage and taking to flight. Change can be not only good, it can indeed be a blessing,

Following is a prayer from When I Talk to You: A Cartoonist Talks to God, by Mchael Leunig:

God help us to change. To change ourselves and to
change the world. To know the need for it. To deal
with the pain of it. To feel the joy of it. To undertake
he journey without understanding the destination.
The art of gentle revolution.

Amen

May it be so.

Blessings,
Pastor Beth

Dear Dear Friends,

We are well into the somber season of Lent, but a joyous early Easter is around the corner, and of course Spring is on the way!! And I am aware of a renewed energy and sense of purpose growing here at First Presbyterian Church Big Flats.

Yes, you are in transition, the Pastor Nominating Committee is hard at work, and you could be just sitting back and anxiously waiting, but that is not your way. No, not at all. The past Session meeting made that perfectly clear. There is work to be done, people to be cared for, love to be shown, here and now.

It reminds me of one long cold snowy winter in Boston as I walked by the Public Garden. It was early March and Spring seemed so far away. The Garden looked so lifeless and bleak beneath the gray sky. But I had just read of the thousands of bulbs planted there, and thought about what was going on be

neath the snow. I could almost feel the stirring and rumbling of those impatient bulbs preparing to burst forth. I feel that same energy here as one idea after another is shared and enthusiasm grows. And here the soil is so fertile. This church is blessed with people with such big hearts.

What we are talking about are relationships, partnerships and purpose, but also about joy and fun and friendships all things that draw people in, that make people want to be a part of such a community.

I don’t know if many of you have seen The Boston Public Garden in Spring, but it would take your breath away. May it be the same here as your Spring arrives.

I am reminded of the words of Frederick Buechner, writer, theologian and Presbyterian minister:

“The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.“

God bless you on this journey.

Pastor Beth