I am humbled, honored and overwhelmed at all that is happening today! Who could have guessed the incredible journey ahead when God called a fat kid from Nebraska to be a preacher! I can identify with one of my favorite stories – two milk cows were standing out in the pasture when a brightly painted milk truck drove down the road. On the side of the vehicle was painted, "Grade A Milk, Homogenized, Pasteurized, Sanitized,". One cow turned to the other and said, "Makes you feel a little inadequate, doesn't it?" I know I do not deserve all the accolades that have come my way in recent days, but I confess I am enjoying them, and hope and pray that in some small way I have made a positive difference for some folks.
As I survey the crowd, there are some folks here that, if you heard me preach, it was probably at a funeral. We may have met over a cup of coffee and you never attended the church I pastored, but you became a good friend. Over the years I have told lots of stories, but I have listened to lots of them, too. We have laughed at funny stories, but I have been touched by stories about cancer, about adult children tragically killed in accidents, about unfortunate things that happened in church, about marriages in crisis, kids in trouble, dealing with aging parents and too many other mention…if I could remember them…getting old, you know.
I love the Church of the Nazarene. She provided places of ministry and places to serve at various levels. As much as I love my denomination, however, that has never been a priority for making friends. I recently heard that John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, had a dream that he died and went to heaven. When he arrived he was anxious to inquire of Saint Peter, "There aren't any Catholics up here are there?" The Saint smiled and said, "No." Wesley continued, "There aren't any Baptists up here are there?" Once again the answer was, "No." There aren't any Presbyterians here either are there?" "No." "Well, how many Methodists are here?" Saint Peter smiled and said, "None. You see, up here there are no denominations." The story goes that Wesley's dream changed and he dreamed he died and went to hell. He had the same questions he'd asked in heaven. He was told there were plenty of Catholics, Baptists, Presbyterians and even Methodists in hell. "You see, down here everyone has a denomination!" I have done my best to build the Kingdom of God, and trust He will take care of the congregations and denominations.
Several years ago I set out to review all the churches we've pastored and to record some of the significant things I thought we accomplished while we were there. When I finished, I realized that it would be better to review those churches and communities and the people who touched my life and made me better. The list would be too long to read here, but I did write some of them down. I'm sure Karen would be shocked at some of the names on that list because there are those who, intentionally or unintentionally, caused us a lot of heartache and a lot of pain, but I have learned that God wanted to use even those experiences to help us to be better.
This has been billed as MY retirement party, but there is a person who helped put this all together who stood by me for 42 years of want and in plenty. She never did, but at several points along the way Karen could have noted that when we got married Pastor Fechner said for better or worse…she could have asked, "When does it get better?" Karen graduated from high school, went to college, got married and moved into a Nazarene parsonage before her 19th birthday. She was 18 and I was 22 when we started. Truly we have grown up in the ministry! I have witnessed people who failed, not because they did not have the gifts and graces for ministry, but because their spouse was a hindrance. In my humble opinion, and I know I am prejudiced, if there was ever a perfect minister's wife, it is Karen. She would be the first to say she did not do it perfectly, but she has been genuine and been a vital part of all the good that has touched my life. I say this, not in arrogance or pride, but humbly, but the grace of God, Karen is the only woman I have ever been intimate with, because she deserved no less.
I must express appreciation for our children. Brad knew he could not be here today because of his involvement with the youth in his community in Oklahoma, but he sacrificed to make the trip to Cañon City for my last Sunday and said some very kind things that day. I was a terrible parent, but I can say I did my best, and once I got my head on straight, God gave me time, some wonderful kids and time to be reconciled.
It has been an answer to prayer to live this close to our daughter, Brigette. She and I will usually instant message several times through the week, and Karen and I get to have dinner with her and Robert regularly. I'm not sure this party is really appropriate, but she has done a lot of work to make it happen, and it will always be a day we will remember…THANKS SWEETHEART!!!
They have made my life richer than they will ever know and I am so proud of both of the kids, their spouses, children and cats. J
I'm going to tell one more story and then be done. It comes from the ministry of a pastor whose ministry spanned over 30 years at 1st Baptist Church in Dallas, TX. Dr. George Truett told of a family whose house quickly burned to the ground. The entire family perished, save a little girl of four or five summers. She had been severely burned; especially her face bore the mangled flesh of the fire that nearly took her life. Times were hard and neighbors tried to care for little Mary, but finally, they had to contact Col Buckner who ran an orphanage in south Texas. The youngster was put on a train and when it arrived the Colonel met her at the station. "Are you Mary?" he asked. "Yes, sir," she answered. "Are you Col Buckner?" Discovering he was, she then said, "Sir, you are going to have to be my mother and father, for I have no one else."
The story says the man had to travel a lot, and I presume it was to raise money to keep this home for children operating. After he had been away, his return home was always a great homecoming. The children would line up along the route where he would have to walk to make his way to the orphanage. The children would run up to him, and he would grab them up and give them a kiss and send them on their way.
On one of those days, as Mr. Buckner made his way down the street, he saw little Mary standing off, under a tree. He stopped the procession and called, "Why, Mary, don't you want to come and let me give you a kiss?" Mary burst into tears and cried, "Oh, no sir, my face is so scarred and I am so ugly that I would never expect you to kiss me, it is just enough if you love me!" The man took the mass of children with him as he made his way to the little girl, gathered up in his arms and began to kiss that gnarled, mangled face.
Dr. Truett then says, Once I was that little girl. Sinned had scarred and disfigured me and I felt so ashamed. But Jesus came, took me in His arms and began to kiss away the scars and pain in my life.
I love that story so much because I identify with what the great preacher said. My prayer is that over these past years I have done something will have pointed people to the Jesus who loves to kiss away the sins and scars of our lives.
THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR MAKING THIS A DAY KAREN AND I WILL NEVER FORGET! TRUTHFULLY, INSTEAD OF CELEBRATING OUR 42 YEARS OF MINISTRY, WE ARE CELEBRATING 42 YEARS OF RUBBING SHOULDERS WITH THE GREATEST PEOPLE IN THE WORLD. As Will Rogers (I think he was the one) prayed, "Lord, make me worthy of my friends!"
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