Pastors Past and Present

Church in the Hills was blessed this last week with the opportunity to share in worship with former pastor of the church Rev. Don Gordon and his wife Beth Gordon, who were in town celebrating their fortieth wedding anniversary. Congratulations to them both! This was an amazing time for the congregation to remember fond memories of the church while sharing the hope we have for the future.

Here we have a picture of Denali, Rachell and Andrew Pomerville with Don and Beth Gordon.

Changes

My wife is due in a little more than a month with our second child. I’d be lying if I didn’t say I was nervous about all the changes our new son will bring into our lives. This transition from a family of three to a family of four has thrown me for a loop – How will we travel? Will they both sleep through the night? Will there be enough room in our house? Will there be enough food? Will our lives look anything like they do now?

The last question is the one that’s been weighing on me the most because I know the answer.

No, our lives will never look the same as they do now.

This realization can provide either a moment of dread, fear, and confusion or a sense of anticipation, joy, and hope. I’m leaning toward the latter. I know things will be different but I have to believe they will be different in an amazingly wonderful way. Change is not a negative thing. In this case, change is related to one of the most powerful life experiences for my family.

Within our spiritual walks, we are constantly assaulted by external factors – good and bad. These outside stimuli inevitably lead to changes in our lives that force us to react, adapt, and move forward. From a faith perspective, it is comforting to be assured that our spiritual journey is not a static one. We continue to grow in our faith, knowledge, and understanding of God’s grace and love. We are not the same now as we were last week, last month, last year, or even ten years ago. However, God is constant and unchanging while we continue to see bits and pieces of the whole picture during this growth of faith that comes through the Holy Spirit.

We cannot predict how our faith will be affected by tragedy, grief, loss, and confusion. However, we do know that our God will be a constant presence and support. I’m not sure how my faith will be affected by the birth of my son, a change in my family, new questions about parenting, and what I am called to be in this community; but I do trust that God who is faithful and just will work all my self-doubts, questions, and anxiety for good.

When the body just says no...

I returned from my continuing education event at Princeton on Saturday night. It was an amazing event and inspired me to take careful stock of my leadership strengths and weaknesses while thoughtfully considering how the leadership of our church could me more effective in following the mission Christ puts before us.

So there I was after worship on Sunday preparing for a fantastic week...and then I wasn't.

No one "plans" on getting sick. I understand that. I also know that there really is no "good time" to get the flu - but why now?

After two days of pain, chicken broth, and Gatorade, I'm back at the church and ready to again resume active ministry.

Besides illness, are there other physical limitations that hold us back from doing what we truly feel called to do? I ask this in response to our recent classes on the struggles in Israel and Palestine. During the classes, we were emotionally moved by the stories of pain, death, disease, displacement, and hate. However, we were at a loss as to what we could do being in Northern Michigan. It seems impossible to make a difference.

It is.

It is if we think it is all up to us and our abilities. However, it is possible for us to be used by the Holy Spirit to do the impossible. Our God works miracles in our midst and uses us, even sinners like us, to be the hands and feet of Christ in the world.

We must not lose hope or the assurance of God's grace to overcome darkness in the world. Rather, we must turn to God in prayer confident that the Lord can work all things for God - in spite of the impossibilities and limitations around us.

Pray - love - and show God's grace in the way we seek to serve one another.

Peace,

Pastor Andrew

Happy Week After Easter!

Greetings from New Jersey!

I hope all is well back in beautiful Northern Michigan. Currently, I am preparing to worship with some good friends in a seminary classmate's church. It is fantastic returning back to Princeton and getting the opportunity to worship and fellowship with dear friends from across the country. This week's trip also includes participation in the Institute for Pastoral Leadership, an event put on by the Princeton Theological Seminary continuing education department. This week is an excellent opportunity to make connections with other pastors and colleagues throughout the country as we share experiences in ministry.

As our snowbirds return to Bellaire, we should consider doing a similar thing. Share our winter experiences with our friends who have been away. Let them know what we've done in their absence. At the same time, we can learn so much from their experiences down south in their "migration" churches south of the snow. Even though we are a divided congregation for part of the year, we are all still part of the same body of Christ throughout the world.

Take care of one another, enjoy worship together, and celebrate again our common faith in the resurrected Christ, who lives and reigns. May the Holy Spirit unite us in our time apart and prepare us to worship together again.

Take care and have a great week in Bellaire!

Pastor Andrew

Have a blessed Maundy Thursday

As we approach the end of Holy Week, I would challenge everyone to again refocus themselves on the events of the Easter week. Take this time, this year, to establish a tradition within your household that can point your thoughts and prayers upon the sacrifice, miracle, and grace offered through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Take care of yourselves and have a wonderful Easter!

Pastor Andrew

Celebrations

Why do we celebrate with one another? Think about times in your life when you gather with others to have a party and be happy about something. For me, I think of birthdays, holidays, and sporting events. Each one of these celebrations is amplified because of the community gathered.

I spent three birthdays in a row in Alaska. The first two were with family and friends and they were incredible. The third was spent alone and wasn't really marked by any significant celebration.

My birthday didn't change but the surroundings were certainly different. The third one was spent driving and wasn't really different from any other day. I needed the other people to make that day special.

This week we celebrate Palm Sunday and prepare to move into Holy Week. Jesus begins the week surrounded by friends and ends the week alone in death. Yet, our faith moves past the emptiness and death to be full of joy and community.

As we seek to love one another and demonstrate Christ's love, do so in a way that not only comforts in times of hurt, but in a way that rejoices and celebrates with our community in times of joy. Seek to be with one another, share meals with one another, and be friends with all of God's children.

Vacation

Just a reminder to everyone that I will be on vacation all week, returning on March 10. Next week we will have a guest pastor in worship. I hope everyone has a blessed week and I look forward to seeing everyone when I return. Our Tuesday morning Bible study and our Wednesday evening classes are both canceled this week and will resume the following week.

Take care!

Pastor Andrew