My final church newsletter pastoral column for St. Peter Lutheran Church, Greene, Iowa, for May, 2022. See also my letter announcing my departure from this congregation.
A Grateful Farewell
I thank my God every time I remember you, constantly praying with joy in every one of my prayers for all of you, because of your sharing in the gospel from the first day until now. I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work among you will bring it to completion by the day of Jesus Christ.
– Philippians 1:3-6
Some of my favorite passages in the Bible are the greetings and salutations of the Epistles (letters). Reading them helps me remember that much of the New Testament was originally written as letters to and from real people. Apostles like Paul, Peter, and John sent messages of encouragement and teaching early church communities in places like Philippi, Colossae, and Rome—churches made up of real human beings. Like us, those people were doing their best to faithfully follow Jesus in a confusing and occasionally hostile world.
One of my favorites is 1 Timothy 4:13, “When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, also the books, and above all the parchments.” Apparently, Paul could be a little forgetful in his travels! (Verses 14-15 are also fun–they’re basically an ancient scam warning, which is also surprisingly relatable to us today: “Alexander the coppersmith did me great harm; the Lord will pay him back for his deeds. You also must beware of him, for he strongly opposed our message.”)
Paul also ends some of his letters with verses like 1 Corinthians 16:21 “I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand.” After dictating the body of his letter to a scribe, Paul added a personal touch to his conclusion (see also Galatians 6:11 for Paul’s commentary on the quality of his penmanship!).
Perhaps the most common element of the Biblical letters are greetings and gratitude. Paul begins several letters by mentioning that he is praying for the community who will receive his letter, and he similarly asks for their prayers for him and his ministry.
So, as I end my time with you this month, I will echo Paul and say that first, I am grateful for our time together. I’m grateful to have gotten to walk with many of you through times of both joy and sorrow in your life at funerals, hospital visits, baptisms, confirmations, a few weddings, and even some parties. I’m grateful to all of you who have served in leadership roles on council, on church staff, on committees, or working quietly in the background so that the work of the church may be done. I’m grateful for your willingness to learn with me and to teach me how to be a pastor. And I’m grateful for the ways we’ve worshiped and served Jesus together. Thank you for your partnership in ministry.
Know that I will continue to pray for you as you live into the next chapter of life and ministry here as St. Peter Lutheran Church. Please pray for Christin, Micah, and me as well, and for the congregations and communities we will be serving. Peace to all of you who are in Christ. (1 Peter 5:14b)
Yours in Christ,
Pastor Daniel Flucke