My beloved Mt. Tam Church,
Time moves quickly now—as I write this, I realize that in 3 weeks, everything we have packed up to move out of the parsonage will be in a truck on its way to our new home in Santa Rosa! We are moving out early in order for some wonderful work to be done on the house to welcome the Ham family. A new roof and skylights have been installed and the kitchen flooring replaced. Upon our move-out, the painters and floor folks move in, to give the interior of the house a fresh coat of paint and to pull up the old carpets and refinish the gorgeous American golden oak floors underneath. Insulation and a good deep cleaning will finish up the job, updating the parsonage with good care and beauty. Pastor Luke, Stephanie, Caleb and Wesley move in on July 7th. Thank you to Jan O’Brien for heading up the parsonage project.
Amidst the packing, planning and getting all the office things ready for Pastor Luke, we are saying goodbye to people we love: church members, neighbors, even merchants and vendors with whom we have become friends. What a paradoxical time, with the sadness of farewells and the joy of retirement. As I constantly say, “I’m retiring because I am ready to stop working. It’s been the love and joy of serving this congregation that have kept me here so long.” So please know I will miss ministry and miss you terribly, even as I rejoice in this next chapter of our lives.
Beyond gratitude is grace—and God’s grace is enough, abundant and full and whole. For this I am grateful.
Peace,
Pastor Kim
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