Dear Family of Our Redeemer’s
I am very excited and thankful that Pastor Beth Macha has accepted the Call from Our Redeemer’s Lutheran Church to serve as Pastor of the congregation as we move into the future. We were blessed by her ministry a few years ago when she served as the Interim Pastor while the congregation was in transition between “called” pastors. Our future as a congregation has just brightened with hope and anticipation as we plan for a new era of ministry with her in this community. It is an exciting time to be a member of Our Redeemer’s.
Thank you for the privilege of serving as your Interim Supply Pastor for the past two and a half years. You have been supportive, patient, forgiving, kind, accepting, loving. Your gracious spirit has given me energy and joy. As we have experienced the highs and lows of life in community through worship, fellowship, births, baptisms, confirmations, hospitalizations, weddings, life milestones, funerals, and other daily activities that are shared between a Pastor and People, I have experienced an intimacy with you that has made this time very rich for me. Thank you, again, for the honor and privilege.
It is interesting for me to look back at some of the history of these past two and a half years. On February 17, 2019 Pastor Bethany Rutten-Kampees concluded her ministry with Our Redeemer’s. I was asked to serve as Interim Supply Pastor beginning on March 3, 2019. That continued until June 16, 2019 when the Covid 19 Pandemic forced much of the world to go into quarantine, prohibiting public gatherings. After a few Sundays with no worship gatherings at Our Redeemer’s, we have used a combination of parking lot short range FM broadcasting for participants in cars and lawn chairs, live stream worship accessible worldwide on the church website, as well as in-person worship inside the church. That pattern continues with all three options available to members and friends for their blessing, comfort and safety.
Even though each of us is free to study in depth the assigned Bible readings for each Sunday (the Next Sunday ‘s Readings are always indicated near the bottom of the back page on each Sunday bulletin), my forced study of the scriptures in preparation for the Sermon is always an enriching, deepening, inspiring, blessed discipline that is a rewarding part of serving as the Interim Supply Pastor. I will miss that.
Leading a congregation in worship is also a holy privilege. To keep the worship experience from becoming an empty recitation of words, the worship leader tries to enable all participants to feel the holy encounter with God that each Sunday is meant to be for every worshipper. Of course, the Holy Spirit is the true “worship leader”. For me, leading worship at Our Redeemer’s has given me “holy communion with God”.
I am excited about having Pastor Beth as my Pastor. I did a “happy dance” when I heard that she had accepted the Call. Someone asked me if I would be willing to repeat that “happy dance” for the congregation. The answer is NO! I would not want to put anyone through that embarrassment and pain. I will continue to dance in private.
Blessings and “thank you”,
Fred Mai
