It is happening. We bought our plane tickets to Australia. That purchase has made our upcoming travels feel more real. Up to now, the trip has primarily existed in our imaginations. Now it also exists in our bank accounts! With seven weeks to go, Janet has started to make decisions about what she will pack for our travels. I always wait until the last day or two before I think about packing.

The excitement is building, but so is the dread. Flying through Dallas, we will spend seventeen hours in a plane. We talked about stopping in Hawaii to break up the trip. We decided, however, that we want to get to Australia as quickly as possible. How well or poorly will we sleep? How often will they feed us? Will people have to climb over us to get into and out of their seats, or will we have to climb over others to stretch our legs? How long will it take to recover from jet lag?

Traveling is always stressful, but it feels as if a flight this long could multiply the anxiety. We will put up with it, of course, because of the promise of connections to be made on the other side of the traveling. We get photos and videos on our phones of our grandson growing up, but it is not the same as being there! We video chat and email our son and daughter-in-law, but it is not the same as being with them!

This trip also signals the nearness of the conclusion of my ministry among all of you. My retirement is happening. I also face that with excitement and with dread. Who will I be when I no longer have a list of bulletins and sermons and newsletter articles to write, when I no longer have a list of people to visit, when I no longer have a list of meetings to attend? I meet monthly with a spiritual advisor who reminds me that my identity has always been bigger than my job. I can put up with the stress of retirement because of the promise that connections with God will not end but will grow in new ways on the other side of my professional life.

You, also, have expressed excitement and dread about the future when I am no longer your interim minister. But I know of the abundant gifts that exist among you. I know of the commitment and passion you have for the work of the church in this community. I know that the God’s promise has always been to be with you in many new and different ways beyond my participation in your life and ministry.

Peace, Pastor Tim