Change

Change comes like a sudden storm

To blow our routine away

And drench our careful plans.

Today we say good-by

To a shepherd of this flock,

A shepherd who has welcomed newborns
And strangers,

Prayed with us,
Wept with us,

Offered us the bread and the wine,
And ushered some through the final door.

  My thanks

For putting me once more
On the church bound path,

For showing me kindness and understanding,

For demonstrating grace with tenderness

And the strength to start anew.

I place this change in God's hands.
This church is like a butterfly
Trapped in its chrysalis

Waiting to be reborn.
No one can free the church from without,
Freedom comes from within.
A church must spread its wings
To feel the Son's blessing.
The future of this church
Does not lie in the hands of some miracle worker

But in the toil of those who choose
To forget the past
And build anew.