By The Rev. Dr. Carl Grosse

In case you haven’t heard, I plan to retire after my tenure as your interim pastor. As a matter of fact, the wheels are already in motion. Many of you know well that retirement income takes a while to sign up for and begin receiving. Thus, I have already given an effective date for my Social Security and Board of Pension benefits. Presbytery also needs to know planned retirement dates well in advance of their regular meetings, so I informed them a few weeks ago. Officially, my retirement begins November 1. 

Between then and my last day here (October 10, and the building is closed that day for electrical repairs), we have a trip to Boston for a visit with Denise’s brother and his family. After we return, friends from Minnesota plan to stop by on their way to a vacation at Hilton Head. Then my retirement officially kicks in and we fly to Sacramento for our daughter’s 40th birthday. I must admit, I look forward to these visits without having to negotiate the time off with Personnel and feeling guilty about neglecting my duties.

As Denise and I have chatted about plans both grand and small, just having time to adjust to the new normal has emerged as a key piece of the puzzle. Our daily routines, sense of self, cash flow, and all kinds of other things will look different in retirement. We know this objectively and we’re planning time to experience it subjectively. Hopefully, any future plans will take into account what we learn about our new normal.

The church family at Fountain City Presbyterian is in a new normal. Taking time for you and your new pastor to adjust and get your bearings is a good thing. The plans you make and the resources you devote to those plans will benefit from a healthy awareness of who you are now and what makes sense given your habitat. You have smart and caring people, a decent facility with intriguing potential, a good pile of cash, and a wonderful God. You also have at least two people who love you and will be praying for you.