November 11, 2013 marked the 27th year of God calling and you
allowing me to serve as one of your pastors. Twenty seven years ago, the phrase “one of your pastors” meant being the
fourth different pastor called in your young existence but today it means being
one of four ordained pastors (five counting my dad) and one of nineteen full
time staff members.
Thank you
for allowing me to participate in the some of the most holy moments of your
lives, profession of faith and baptisms, births and deaths, graduations and
weddings. Thank you for trusting me to
be present when life was so dark you could not fathom living another day and
when the joy was so ecstatic laughter and smiles were laced with tears of
joy. Thank you.
Thank you
for taking a chance on a young, green, inexperienced, uneducated, brash 31 year
old wet behind the ears overly confident kid. Today, I understand why you first balked at hiring me because if the 31
year old “Rick Owen” applied today to join our staff I would more than
balk. His resume wouldn’t make the first
cut. I wouldn’t hire me, but you did. Thank you.
Thank you
for loving Dallas and Justin from the moment we arrived on the scene. Thank you
for being present when Jacob and James were born and helping us raise all three
into God fearing young men. Justin and Jacob are thriving in their
careers. James has a job waiting for him when he graduates from UT next May.
Most of all, all three are followers of Jesus. Thank you.
Thank you
for hanging in there with Dallas and me when our marriage was on the
rocks. We will celebrate 35 years of
marriage January 6, 2014 in large part because of the love and grace of Jesus
you showered upon us both. We will forever
be indebted to you being the hands and feet of Jesus to our family when the
shadows of darkness turned our days into what seemed like years of endless
night. Today our marriage is stronger
than ever for even when day gives way to night the light of Jesus shines upon
us. Thank you.
I have many
regrets. There are a litany of sermons,
conversations, conflicts, meetings and leadership moments I wish I could do
over. At age 58, I just now understand what
it means to really follow Jesus and be a senior pastor. At age 58, I realize how much I didn't know
then and don’t know now. At age 58, I finally understand what my elder mentor
Paul Buening told me time and time again. “Love and prayer are the two most
powerful forces in the world.” Thank you
Paul, I get it.
Yes, I have
many regrets but there are two decisions I will never regret. Saying “yes” when you invited Dallas, Justin
and me 27 years ago and saying “no” to every suitor who invited me to pastor their
church, change denominations and other various other opportunities that came my
way. I will never forget at age 23 telling
the District Superintendent of the United Methodist Church, after he laid out
my 20 year plan of climbing the ladder from church to church that I didn't see
the Holy Spirit in that plan. I told him “If I am going to be a full time
pastor, I want to grow with one church so I can really know and love the people,
and so they can really know and love me.” He said “The likelihood of that
happening is slim to none.” But thanks
be to God and thanks be to you, here we are! Thank you!
And we are
not finished yet. I am more excited and
hopeful about our future than ever before. 2013 has been one of our best years
ever but hold on dear friends. I have said it many times before and believe it
more today than I did 27 years ago when these words came out of my mouth. “God
is not finished with us yet! The best is yet to come!” Thanks be to God and thanks be to you.
Happy
Thanksgiving!
Rick
