Pastor's Life: Encouragement and Comfort

Epistles provide encouragement, comfort in challenging times by Rev. Greg Allen-Pickett During the Season of Lent, I preached a sermon series based on the epistles assigned in the Revised Common Lectionary. This was a bit of a Lenten discipline for me. Usually, I preach on the assigned gospel readings from the lectionary as we journey with Jesus through his earthly ministry to Jerusalem and the cross. Preaching the epistles during Lent proved to be a challenge. Still, I persevered and discovered some encouraging and hopeful words and ideas that resonated with me and gave me the energy to press on. On the first Sunday of Lent, the lectionary provided Romans 10:8b-13, which starts, "The word is near you, on your lips and in your heart." More than anything, this verse gave me reassurance that even when I'm not feeling close to God, or I'm feeling disconnected from my faith, the word is still near me and in my heart. The last two years have often created a sense of disconnect between God and me. Some of that stems from the chaos of COVID-19 precautions and the many ways that we have attempted to worship and gather as a family of faith. This assurance that the word is still near, on my lips and in my heart, brought me a sense of peace. The closing passage in this assigned epistle reminds us, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved." Sometimes my calling on the Lord has come in exasperated frustration and sometimes in silence, but even in those moments, I am reassured of my identity and salvation in Christ. On the second Sunday of Lent, we read Philippians 3:17-4:1, which opens with, "Brothers and sisters, join in imitating me, and observe those who live according to the example you have in us." This passage invited me to reflect on those who have mentored me in my faith over the years. Who have I sought to imitate and observe? This passage happened to fall on a week where I presided over two funerals, one of a local church member and one of a mentor of mine from the church where I grew up. It was incredibly cathartic to reflect on the life and witness of the people who have discipled me, and I encourage others to do the same if they are feeling drained. The communion of saints surrounds and upholds us. Stopping to reflect on those who have supported us along the way can provide us with new and renewed energy when we need it.

Rev. Greg Allen-Pickett is Pastor and Head of Staff of First Presbyterian Church in Hastings, Nebraska. He is a native of Flagstaff, Arizona, where he was an active member of Federated Community Church. Greg is a graduate of Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Washington, and he also holds a Master of Divinity degree from Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary. Greg has worked in small, medium, and large churches and also worked at the PC(USA) denominational offices in Louisville as the general manager of Presbyterian World Mission.

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