Looking Forward–Reaching Outward
“Do not remember the former things or consider the things of old. I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth; do you not perceive it?”
I didn’t pastor during much of my career, only at two churches, two years each. It wasn’t that those pastorates didn’t go well, although in the first I was very inexperienced and immature. Rather, other opportunities came my way that drew me away.
I thought frequently that interim pastoring might be something I’d like to do in retirement. But retirement came along, and I didn’t pursue it. I got involved in voluntary work instead. Then one day Lombard Mennonite Church, a congregation in the western Chicago suburbs that we attended for 16 years, called me and asked if I’d like to be their interim pastor. It only took me a day to say yes.
It was a rewarding and challenging experience. I was only there about a month-and-a-half when an 8-month-old baby died in surgery. Several weeks after that a man with two small children took his life. I have never depended on the Spirit before like on those occasions. Several times I literally felt the Spirit was blowing me at my back, giving me a boost.
The time at Lombard jump-started my second career in retirement as an interim pastor. I’ve now been at four different congregations for nearly a total of four years. Each time I was enriched by the experience. Each time there were challenges. But the Spirit was always present.
I will look back on this period of my life as a blessed time. I don’t use the word blessed very much, because often when we use that word it is actually more one of privilege than blessing. But I can’t come up with any other or better word to testify to the fact that I was personally enriched by each of these experiences. I am grateful for this turn of events in my retirement years. They’ve given me rich “senior years” and precious memories.
I am very grateful to you, too, at First Mennonite, the way you welcomed me and accepted my leadership, flawed as it was. I love you and will continue to hold you in my heart and prayers. My one regret is that I didn’t get to know more of you personally.
Here’s my encouragement to you folks:
Live into your new congregational theme: “Looking forward—reaching outward.” We can’t, of course, forget the past. In fact, that’s unhealthy. We need to draw positive energy from it and seek healing for the things that have caused pain from the past, and then let them go.
Strive to be a “lean in” congregation rather than a “pushback one.” As I told you on one occasion, a lean in congregation is collaborative and cooperative, committed to discerning together the Spirit’s will for your congregation. A pushback congregation is more confrontative and conflictual. Sometimes pushback is needed in a group, but there is much more synergy in a lean in one.
Pray for the Search committee and their work.
Finally, love and support your pastors.
Child Dedication for Jack Girard (pictured left to right: Richard Kauffman, Jack, Maggie, Ian, Cecily, Chuck Girard)
Staff Zoom Meeting
Photo credit: Gaynel Bryan
When the sermon is about trust, the children’s story is also about trust. As you can see, Pastor Richard has to trust that the zip lock bag full of water over his head will not leak when two pencils puncture it. (Just in case of zip lock bag malfunction, he does get to put on a rain poncho as “trust insurance” )
– Donna Haines
About the Author
Richard Kauffman
Richard and his spouse Suzanne live in Goshen, IN, where they are members of College Mennonite Church. They have two adult children and three grandchildren, who also live in Goshen. Most of his life, he was an editor and a seminary administrator and theology instructor. Richard likes to read and bike in his free time.
