Thank you. I’m writing this on my last full day in the office, staring at things still needing to be packed and basking in the glow of the celebration we had Sunday. There are some things for which I want to thank you, beyond what I said on Sunday.

Thank you to everyone who cooperated to make the best party any church could possibly have had. I wonder if anyone knows who all was involved! Decorations… food… beverage… set up… clean up… the program… the speeches… the invitations… keeping track of RSVPs… what am I missing? Right after we completed our first capital campaign together I said, “This Church has shown it can do anything it wants to do.” Mounting this huge event and pulling it off continues to prove what you are capable of doing. I hope you remember that about yourselves.

Thank you to everyone who contributed to making Sunday’s time of worship special. Many of my friends have watched it on YouTube and have remarked on it, as have those who traveled to be here with us in person. It was a blessing to have my family here with me so they could meet my church family.

Finally, after the guests had left and I was alone in the apartment on Monday evening, I poured a glass of wine and opened the cards you left me. And I want to thank you for showing I was wrong about something I said in my sermon on Sunday. I said you would probably remember our time together for the building remodeling. I was wrong. You did remark on that, but overwhelmingly your words of appreciation pointed to things that matter more: preaching, prayer, the Year of the Bible, and how well we came through these last two years of pandemic church. These matter more to me; I’m grateful that they also matter more to you.

Well, it is impossible to say enough how much I admire and appreciate you. So I will simply stop with these words of thanks and get to my packing. It is time for me to get out of the way so the future may begin.

Bob Keefer