March 31st is a transitional day although my official retirement day is June 30th. It marks the end of one era, and the beginning of another. For me, it marks the end of my time as Pastor at Tulare United Methodist Church and the beginning of a new chapter in Korea, Philippines, Laos, Japan. For you, it marks the end of one Pastor's time with you, and the beginning of a process to call your next one. The Gospel of Jesus Christ doesn't end, but it is an ongoing task both for myself as a Pastor moving on, and for you as a congregation moving forward. So don't stop proclaiming that message of Gospel from God's Word.
Once I leave here, I will continue to proclaim that same message to the people I meet. Remember that God has called you to stand firm in His Word. This isn't your church. This isn't my church. This is Christ's church. Christ is the head of it, we are merely the caretakers of it for the brief time we have in this world. This is where He wants to give you the gifts of forgiveness, life, and salvation through His everlasting Word in the midst of a world that's constantly changing. So don't ever take your focus off of that. Remember that although we will be separated by geography, for those of us who believe in Jesus Christ as our Savior and the Lord, we are always united together in Christ, and we will see each other again one day; maybe not in this world, but in the splendors of heaven where we will see with our own eyes these promises fulfilled.
Paul gave the farewell speech to the leaders from the Church at Ephesus. Acts 20:32, "And now I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified." I am leaving you with this. The Scripture. This book is God's Word. It isn't a doctrinal buffet table for you to pick and choose from. This is what will build you up as Christian men, women, and children, in the faith. This is where you will hear about your inheritance of eternal life won for you by Jesus Christ! This is where you will learn what the Christian life is really all about. You won't find it in the world out there, or in your ever changing emotions and experiences, you will only find it in God's Word! It's here you learn that the Christian faith isn't about the things of the world, things that will easily break, or fade away. It's about eternity. Stay in the Word! Study it. Read it! Memorize it! Meditate it! Center your lives around it!
Thank you for your love in Christ,
Pastor Peter Suhn
