Liberty Vineyard family,
This is a special edition of “Everybody Gets to Play” to catch us all up on some Liberty Vineyard family news this week. With my fond affection for alliteration, here go three “R”s:
Retirement
This past Sunday during our worship service, I read this out to those of us who were in the room and on Zoom:
Today we have some news to share and some blessings to give. Nancy and Allen are retiring from our Pastoral Care and Leadership Team and are committed to remaining active members and participants at Liberty Vineyard Church. Nancy and Allen plan to continue to love and serve the Lord among us with different “titles” and “hats” and yet with the same hearts and gifts.
Many of Jesus’ parables named familiar things from the natural world. Our participation in the kingdom of God often makes the most sense to me in terms of gardening images. Henry Cloud’s book Necessary Endings talks about pruning being strategic: “It is directional and forward-looking. It is intentional toward a vision, desires, and objectives that have been clearly defined and are measurable. If you have that, you know what a rose is, and pruning will help you get one of true beauty.” Nancy and Allen are in the process of some strategic and Spirit-led pruning as they seek to follow the Lord’s direction in their lives in this season. All kinds of adventures and activities beckon them, including teaching and traveling.
Today we thank and honor Nancy and Allen for their 12-1/2 years of service as members of the Pastoral Care and Leadership Team of Liberty Vineyard Church, including the 18 months when we met to pray and study together during our church planting process. We thank and honor Nancy for serving as Associate Pastor for the last 2-1/2 years. Even though they are laying down these titles and hats, I know Nancy and Allen will continue to be a blessing to all at Liberty Vineyard, even as I pray that we will continue to be a blessing to them.
I cannot overemphasize the pricelessness of their commitment to remain with and among us. It is unfortunately rare for leaders in churches to gracefully bow out of leadership roles while remaining present and active in the local church family. Some of the ways in which Nancy and Allen have served will continue; some will change; some will come to an end. Changes can be hard. We can give one another room to move and grow and find new rhythms in new seasons. I am grateful that all of us here get to journey on the way of Christ together.
We then prayed a blessing over Nancy and Allen as they move into this next season of their lives. We are all truly blessed that we all can continue our journey on the way of Jesus together! Liberty Vineyard fam, y’all really are the BEST church ever (I mean that)!
Reminders
I don’t know if this past weekend struck you this way, but it seemed to me that the Lord wanted to inundate us with reminders that GOD IS WITH US AND GOD LOVES US! There was such an outpouring of joy, hope, affirmation, and encouragement, at Meadowbrook on Saturday and at church on Sunday as our Vineyard Super-regional leader, Pastor John Elmer, blessed us through being present with us in our worship service and by sharing the Scripture the Lord put on his heart for us and by praying a blessing over us! (I encourage you to listen to all that John shared and prayed – such wisdom, encouragement, and blessing – go to the 25:08 mark on Sunday’s sermon recording.)
Exodus 14:14 – “The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.” Life is hard. Know that Jesus, the Savior of the World, the all-powerful Creator God, this warrior God, this gentle and gracious God, will fight for us! We need only to be still, to trust God and to rest, and to let God do God’s business.
Refreshing
Finally, Paul and I thank you for sending us to the Vineyard SE Lead Pastor’s Retreat again! Our hearts have been truly refreshed, our bodies and minds have been truly rested, our spirits have been truly encouraged! We are grateful for precious and rich times of worship, prayer, connection, ministry, and conversation alongside our fellow pastors from all over the SE. There has been a significant emphasis on self-care and emotional and mental health in every session, with intentional space given for rest, reflection, and recreation. We were graced by the presence of several national leaders who focus on pastoral health and formation. You know this delights my heart, as these things have not been given anywhere near enough attention across the body of Christ (as we are all soberly aware), and I thank God for the good work that is now being done. Paul and I have experienced, and many others have expressed, that friendships and connections have grown much deeper this time because of these elements. I gotta tell you, I almost fell off my chair during the first session as our Vineyard National Director, Jay Pathak, called us to live together in unity, teaching from Philippians (the focus of my current seminary class)! Thank you, Holy Spirit!
In closing, I want to again pray over us my prayer from this past Sunday: May we embrace Psalm 133’s expanded vision of what it looks like to live together in unity. May the Lord give us the desire to accept and act upon God’s word: to bountifully bless one another, to wholeheartedly worship God together, to be properly present to one another, and to resolutely remain together. May God give us the grace and grit and desire and determination we need in order to live together in unity. That is where the Lord ordains and commands his blessing, life forevermore!
With you on the journey,
Pastor Karen
Liberty Vineyard Church
Karen Sculley – (404) 388-0518, karen@srsoln.com