Say YES

Dear Easter People,

I am overwhelmed with emotion—sad, happy, and all those other ones I never learned how to name. Thank you to those who organized and those who were able to attend the Celebration Party (“Franks A Lot”) on July 31st to send Pr. Steve and I off on our next adventures.

As I was cleaning out my office to prepare it for an interim pastor, hidden behind some files in a caddy on my desk was a small slip of paper that simply says “217 Yes, 0 No.” Technically, it was 216 “Yes” and 1 “Hell Yes” and that was the result of the special congregational meeting to call me as a pastor at Easter Lutheran Church.

Thank you for saying “yes” to having me serve as your pastor. Thank you for saying “yes” to God’s work through us and alongside us throughout these 8.5 years (7.25 as a pastor, 1 as an intern, and .25 as not a pastor but no longer an intern). It has been a joy, honor, challenge, and gift to say “yes” back to you—to affirm the work God is doing in and through you.

You are an amazing congregation and you faithfully bear witness to God’s big “YES” to each one of us, to the community, and to the world. In Jesus, God says “YES” to each one of us—even though we are imperfect, unfaithful, quite needy, and often choose things other than God for life—God says “yes” over and over and over. “Yes” to loving us and yes to us sharing that love with our neighbors. “Yes” to the gifts that our neighbors have, yes to the gifts our partners have, and yes to the beloved community we are creating together.

Even though I have said “yes” to a new community, God continues to say “yes” to you, dear Easter people. Just look at all the gifts God has given you for the journey ahead. Seriously, please. It can be easy to complain about all the things we lack or wish we were. Instead, it is faithful to see all that God has done, is doing, and will do in our midst.

Here are just a few of the gifts I believe you have for the journey ahead:

·      Faithful and inspiring music and messages during worship

·      Volunteers willing to lead important ministries like justice and equity, outreach, youth ministry, children’s ministry, adult learning, care and support, small groups, worship, and so much more

·      Easter Preschool along with several other local and global partnerships

·      An amazingly talented staff and lead pastor

·      A Courageous Vision Board and Call Committee, and a faithful Finance Board

·      You. The greatest strength Easter Lutheran Church has is you—the people of Easter Lutheran Church—your deep care for one another and the community

I could continue listing hundreds of things. You are an amazing faith community. I am honestly the luckiest person in the history of clergy to have spent my first call at Easter Lutheran Church.

I believe that the next Community Care Pastor will have the strengths you need to continue growing in faith and carrying on the work of Jesus Christ and I believe you will find that pastor because the Holy Spirit has a way of working these things out. I hope you will welcome the next pastors and their families with the same energy, enthusiasm, grace, and support that welcomed my family and me.

I also hope you will continue saying “yes” to the community. I firmly believe that every person who steps foot on Easter’s campuses is an Easter person—there is no “us” and “them.” There is only the beloved community God is creating among our amazing partners at Treehouse, Reaching Up Homework Help, Loaves and Fishes, Easter Preschool, The Open Door, and so many more.

You are a gift. You have been a gift to me. Thank you, thank you, thank you. May you continue to be a gift for one another and your neighbors.

With deep gratitude, a full heart, and a few tears in my eyes~

Pr. Brandon Newton, or “PB”