Standing on Shoulders

Coming into ordained ministry I was warned against making a mistake many first-time pastors make.  I was told that frequently new pastors act as though there has been no wisdom or careful work done by a congregation before their arrival.  They neglect the years of faithfulness and care of previous generations and even more so the work of previous pastors. 

When examined psychologically, this may have to do with insecurities about entering ministry and seeing oneself in competition with predecessors.  Hearing about the positive aspects of previous pastors can become interpreted in our small and ego-centric minds that people are really pining for those old leaders and rejecting our ideas and efforts to do ministry now.

While I have not always been successful at fighting these temptations, I have tried in the last year and a quarter to learn about the previous pastors in our congregation and the witness they have shared.  I have tried to learn to appreciate the offerings they left, the lives they touched, the practices they instilled in the congregation.  I have hoped to remain sensitive to the ways previous ministers' legacies are tied to certain traditions in our congregation.  And at the same time I have tried not to judge myself against those who have served here before me.  We are all unique and share unique gifts with this Body of Christ.

As we celebrate Founder's Day this Sunday, I get the opportunity to actually see one of our former pastors in action, the Rev. Dr. Glenda Hollingshead.  Glenda served our congregation faithfully for years before accepting her current call in Colonial Heights, Virginia.  During that time she established a strong ministry of care.  She visited and cared for homebound members, she sought to integrate spiritual practices into the life of our community and into the life of individuals.  She established women's minsitries and the ongoing prayer shawl ministry.  She was a teacher, a confidant, and a trusted voice from the pulpit. 

I spoke with Glenda on the phone during my time of discernment for this call, and it was clear that she had a deep love and admiration for this congregation that helped form her pastoral identity.  She and I had the opportunity to meet face-to-face when I graduated with my M.Div. and she with her D.Min. from Columbia Seminary in 2011.  We spoke only briefly, but she told me that she had been in regular prayer for our congregation and for me, their future pastor.  I have felt those prayers over the last year.

I am delighted to hear her proclaim God's word to us on Sunday.  I am grateful to stand on her shoulders as the pastor of this congregation, and I hope to honor and further the ministries she founded and supported.  In a world where we are often taught to view others in our field as competitors, I am grateful to serve in a vocation where we are called to see each other as brothers and sisters of the one Lord, working in cooperation for the proclamation of the Gospel to the whole world.

Join us this Sunday, and let us celebrate the many gifts of leaders past who have shaped the witness of our community of faith!