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“The End…The Beginning”

Writer's picture: Pastor AdamPastor Adam

Our lives revolve around cycles. Many of us think of time in a straight line.


How many shopping days until Christmas?

How many weeks until spring?

How many years until retirement?


But, in my opinion, our primary experience of time is not linear but cyclical. Fall turns to Winter to Summer to Spring and back again. The holiday season is upon us, AGAIN. Didn’t we just do all this eleven months ago? We pay taxes on or before April 15, and then we start with another round of quarterly estimates.  Thanksgiving, Christmas, and then a New Year – we start over.


Our church calendar has similar rhythms and repetition. This coming Sunday, November 24, is known as “Christ the King” Sunday. It’s the last week of the church calendar. December 1, we start into the season of Advent, anticipating the coming of Christ, the baby born in a manger. Then we do everything over again.


Some of these cycles move quickly and others seem to linger. It feels recent that my family and I moved to Rapid City to join First Pres, and yet when I look at the calendar, this is already the third Christmas season I will spend with you. During these nearly 30 months at First Pres, I have learned about our congregation and community. I have both experienced joys with you all, as well as grieved and mourned. We have planned, prepared, prayed, preached, played, and proclaimed together our mission of “seeking Christ and serving others.” We have retained quality staff, worshipped with faith and commitment, given of our time and money generously and faithfully, and partnered with other organizations on our campus and in our community. All the while, I have continued to pray, God, “What new projects/ministry/vision do You have for us? Is there something else we could be doing to demonstrate to our community what Your Kingdom is like?”


This week, our Session received and accepted an invitation from a local nonprofit, He Sapa Community Alliance, to explore and discern the feasibility of allowing He Sapa to host an emergency Warming Center on our campus. This is a big step of faith. Inviting people into our home that we don’t know, and likely don’t understand, is a daunting idea. Even so, the desire of our church Session, with God leading the way, is to show the love of God to all God’s children. The weather is getting cold. Nobody wants to see people out in the cold. If First Pres can be a place where individuals are “warm and safe,” to God be the glory!


I expect this idea/topic may raise some questions for many of you:


Aren’t there other resources in our community?

How can I help/volunteer?

How will this impact our facilities?

Are you sure this is a good idea?

When does it start?


While every details is not clear, we are moving into this discernment process and we would appreciate your prayers and support. If you have questions, feel free to contact me, Al Johnson (Chair of Admin), or other Session members.


As this year is ending, what new thing is God doing in our midst?  


Very truly,


Pastor Adam

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