From the Pastor’s Study

My last Sunday as Bob Prim’s ”sabbatical interim” is this coming Sunday, September 1. First, I want to thank many of you for helping take up the slack during Bob’s time away. Jim Crysel made sure the church’s lights were on and the “church was open for business” early every Sunday morning. Many of you hosted one of the fellowship hours each Sunday, prepared fresh flowers for the services, or served as greeters, ushers, lectors, chalice bearers, or tellers. The music has been great, as always, with the summer choir, special music and musicians, and a creative and enthusiastic special music service under Barbara Luhn’s directorship.

A special thanks to our elders who kept ministries, facilities, and administrative matters functioning well. Our deacons often went beyond the call of duty with providing meals and caring for congregational needs. Thanks, especially, to Jerry and Cindy White for being “on-call” 24/7 to attend to facilities and congregational needs. Special efforts were made on the part of many to address special summer stewardship needs. And, a big “thank you” for everyone’s gracious and encouraging spirit during this time of filling the pulpit each week.

Nacoochee Presbyterian Church has an unusual wealth of talent and an overabundance of loving hospitality under the leadership of an exceptionally gifted pastor, Bob Prim. We will welcome him back to the pulpit Sunday, September 8 — and I gladly hand over the reins for his ongoing leadership.

The late Yogi Berra has put many a smile on our faces with his clever malapropisms. Sunday, I plan to tie one of them to one of Jesus’ wisdom-comments on social etiquette at a wedding banquet —“It ain’t the heat, it’s the humility.”

Humility and civility were at the heart of Jesus’ teachings. These qualities are hard to teach because they are a byproduct of other admirable characteristics. Humility is more easily caught than taught. Let’s talk more about that this coming Sunday, September 1.