Retirement?

I am responding to the many questions about my “retirement.” Please allow me to clarify, again, I am not retired. Pat and I are simply discovering a new way to give away the balance of our lives in ministry.

The challenges of change during the first two months “a new way to do ministry” are daunting. I list a few things Pat and I speak about, or I muse over.
• The rhythms of over 40 years of pastoral-church planting are being reshaped, and we are uncertain what our life’s cadence will be in the future. I still awaken very early, read, pray, and plan the day, but the appointments and phone calls are fewer and Pat’s doctor appointments are more frequent. We are looking for a new routine.
• Shuttling between two homes is disorienting. Please pray that our home in Philadelphia sells soon. Our Philadelphia home has three beds and four sofas, but our new home has none! We finally broke down and purchased another whole personal grooming kit this week so we don’t have to shlep dozens of toilet articles.
• Making new friends is fun! It always has been, and we are discovering that our newest friends are as generous and caring as those with whom we have shared life for decades. And, old friends and we are discovering new expressions in long-standing relationships.
• As each week passes, we have a greater measure of peace that we have rightly followed Jesus in this season of change. In brief, we have no regrets. Peace is priceless!
• After a few Sundays off in January, I have preached every Sunday in February and in the next few weeks we will be speaking in churches in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin.
And, there is so much to which to look forward. Pat and I are –
• Dreaming about how we might use our new home to minister to others. We will be living less than 6 miles to the Atlantic and Delaware Bay. We’d love to share the beauty of the shore and offer a change of pace from city life with others.
• The Lord has given me a dream. It is premature to share it in detail, but I have a growing conviction that we’ll be talking about a ministry with world-changing potential, and to our knowledge, nothing quite like it exists. Please pray with us – we are determined to use our time and resources wisely.
Pat’s health is fragile. Thank you for asking, thank you for praying.