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wings
Giving thanks for your prayers and support
I am sure that many of you still have old friends from your school days. I have a friend from seminary - Joseph Roberson - who remains a friend today. After seminary, Joe and I served together in the South Georgia Annual Conference.
I remember inviting Joe to preach for me, and he did an excellent job in his sermon presentation. He closed his sermon by saying that when we look back at our lives and see how good God has been, we are often moved to say, "Thank you, Jesus." He said, "If I were a person who spoke Spanish, I would say, 'Gracias, seÒor.' If I were a person who spoke German, I would say, 'Danke schoen.' If I were French, I would say, 'Merci.'If I were Portuguese, I would say, 'Obrigado.' But since I am from Georgia, I would simply say, 'Thank you, Lord!'"
Well, I want all of you in the Holston Annual Conference to know that from the bottom of my heart and the hearts of the women and men of the Appointment Cabinet, we say, "Thank y'all."
We say this for the countless times you have prayed for us as we sought God's will in this time of appointment making. We realize with all humility that our system is not perfect, but it has served the United Methodist Church and our predecessor churches well for more than 200 years. Make no mistake about this: The Appointment Cabinet and I have felt your prayers - have been strengthened and encouraged by them. It is in this spirit that we say again, "Thank you."
I am aware that the difficult work is still ahead of us - the work of growing together as pastors and congregations. So, praying time is not over. We must continue to pray that God's will be done where we live, worship and serve God.
Keep on praying and believing God for the best. Keep on praying that the women and men we send to be your pastors will serve as servant leaders, and that a true partnership in ministry might be established. In addition, I ask pastors to continue to pray that God so fix their hearts that they may be receptive to the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
Most of all, I pray that when God calls us from labor to reward, he will not only say, "Well done, good and faithful servant," but that the Father, Son and Holy Spirit will also say to us, "Thank you for a life well lived in commitment to the Kingdom, for being faithful in a few things, for telling them of my love for them."
Holston, thank you for your prayerful support in the past ... today ... and in the days, weeks, months and years to come.
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Bishop James Swanson
Resident Bishop
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