Reflections and Thank Yous

Well, well, well, this last weekend was really something, If you were not in worship, you missed so much. The first thing you missed is the blessing of the Means of Grace. The Lord feeds us through Word and Sacrament. That is a gift given to us weekly. Worship is that time when God says, "Come into My house. Let me take Your burden. I will take Your unrighteousness and give You my righteousness." How can we say no to that?

Another thing you missed is the remembrance of my ordination in to the Office of Public Ministry, which took place on June 21, 1987. The Board of Elders and the congregation recognized that it had been 30 years since I had been ordained. There was not one reception but 3, one after each service. I give thanks to the Lord for the love shown by so many members of the congregation who showed that they cared for me as their shepherd and wanted me to know that they appreciated the ministry of the Word that has taken place in their midst.

I received numerous gifts (not that I was looking for them). The greatest gift I received was the gift of love. So many kind words and hugs, sharing the love of Christ. That melts the heart of a pastor to know that those that he spends so much time caring for, praying for, leading and uplifting also care for him. One thing that is often said by pastors is that they do not feel supported by the members of their congregation. I can say that this weekend showed me that there are many in the congregation who do care and love me, and not only me, but also love Penny, my dear wife. It was uplifting to receive the gift of love.

I also received a special edition of the Lutheran Study Bible, ESV. It is a Reformation edition, with the woodcut of Dr. Martin Luther on the cover. It is numbered 285/625 made. Engraved on the cover is "Rev. Mitchel Schuessler." Inside the Board of Elders wrote, "Presented by St. Paul's Lutheran Church, Troy, IL; Celebrating 30 years in the Ministry; June 21, 1987-June 21, 2017." This is a gift that will continue to give each day as I use it for devotions, study, teaching, and preaching. Thank you.

The other gift the Elders gave on behalf of the congregation was a painting by Ruth Schmitt. She does lovely work. This painting was of Wrigley Field with the marquee showing that the Cubs were the 2016 World Series Champions. I know it must have been hard for Ruth, a diehard Cardinal fan, to paint this picture but she did a good job. I greatly appreciated the thoughtfulness of such a gift.

There were also many cards and kind words spoken. All Penny and I can say is "Thank You." Thank you for your love, your support and your kindness. Not only at just that moment but for your continued love and support.

I give thanks to the Lord that I have been given the opportunity to share the love of Christ and the message of the Gospel with the saints of St. Paul's and the community of Troy. Not only is this the opportunity for folks to say thank you to me for the work that is done in the name of the Lord but it is also the opportunity for me to say thank you to each of you for the Lord uses you too in the sharing of the love of Christ and the sharing of the Gospel.

I suppose you notice that the heading is "Reflections and Thank Yous." I feel that I have gone long enough for today. I will not get to any reflections on the 30 years in the ministry. Instead, I am stopping with the thank you that Penny and I give. Thank you for love. Thank you for support.

Thank you most of all to the Lord for being the One that has made it possible for me to be in the ministry for these 30 years. I pray that I will be found faithful when then days are done, faithful not to myself but faithful to the Lord and the words of the Gospel.