By The Rev. Dr. Anne McKee

Dear Friends, 

Wow. Here we are in June! I’m about halfway through my time with you, and I want to say again that I’m impressed with you as a church. When I arrived, I wondered what the mood would be like in the wake of losing your pastor. Any time a relationship ends prematurely – whether a romantic relationship, a work partnership, or the tenure of your favorite TV host – there are many possible responses, often quite painful. Sometimes we turn on each other, or on unseen authorities in blame; or we turn inward, feeling like failures, maybe in obvious ways, maybe in invisible ways that we can’t even identify. It’s tempting to withdraw, or to huddle with people who reinforce our point of view. The larger culture polarizes around conflict, draws caricatures of those we disagree with, and, highlighting differences, encourages folks to stay in their “camp.” 

How fortunate we are to have other models in scripture. If you read Paul’s letters, you know the early church didn’t have an easy time of it. The faith was brand new, and they were figuring it out as they went along. How much Jewish tradition would they carry with them? How much would they adapt to the customs of the Gentile converts, who were fast becoming the majority? Which leaders could they trust? The early church was a mess in many ways, and I’m sure that every day they must have been amazed that God kept using the church for his purposes. If they ever needed proof of being saved by grace, their own experience would have reminded them!

So when Paul pleads with the Philippians to, “Make my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or empty conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. Let each of you look not to your own interests but to the interests of others,” he is not being Pollyanna. He knows how hard it is to be the church, and in the very next verses, he offers Jesus’ own self-giving love as a model. “Being of the same mind” doesn’t mean walking in lock-step or mimicking each other. It means sharing the mind of Christ, which is motivated by love in all things, and in giving yourself to one another.. 

That’s the spirit I see at Fountain City. You all genuinely love Christ and are trying to follow him. That love overflows to each other. It doesn’t look the same for all of you – I have also seen in you a deep spirit of respect for each other and the different journeys you are on. All these are assets that will help you bravely walk the path before you, renew your search for a pastor, work to share the gospel with new generations, and nurture those who have been here a long time.The path won’t necessarily be clear or easy, but I’m confident you will walk it well, and the Spirit will help you on the way.