Episode Transcript
Speaker 0 00:00:00 You're listening to a live recording from Westside Church
Speaker 1 00:00:03 In Bend, Oregon. Thanks for joining us.
Speaker 2 00:00:06 I was a one of the senior pastors, and, uh, I am no longer, and we get to today, install your two senior pastors that will continue to function in the roles really that they've been functioning in, but in a new capacity. And that's why we're taking some time today, uh, to install Pastor Evan and Pastor Ben as your senior pastors because we recognize that this, uh, represents a new season in the life of this church, a significant one. Uh, and I'm so, I'm so happy that we're here. Um, I'm, I believe that not only are they ready, but the church is ready for what God is wants to do in this next season. And so I wanna invite Wendy Nolasco, Evan and Ben, would you both as well, come up, uh, the three of you together. And Wendy Nolasco is our general supervisor. Uh, she, uh, oversees all the churches, foursquare churches in our denomination in the United States. You've done this. This is not your first rodeo of installation. It is mine. Um, but Wendy, tell us a little bit, just kinda like what's the significant significance of this moment and what does God wanna share through you?
Speaker 3 00:01:04 Well, good morning, Westside. How are you? It is an exciting weekend, uh, to get to be with you and to be really honest, uh, this morning as I was driving in, I felt myself kind of giddy with excitement and I said, I think I'm more excited than you guys are. They were like, well, you know, we're pretty chill about this. And I was like, I'm not, I'm really thrilled <laugh>, as it relates to Foursquare. And as it relates to both this practical moment that we're all participating in together, there's also this spiritual experience that we're entering into. Um, and while these three have been functioning as senior pastors, uh, this is really a unique mantle of both anointing and leadership that is descending upon the two of you. And so for Four Square, this is a very spiritual moment where there is a transfer that occurs and a breadth of a mantle that expands that they are not only gonna be coming up and under, but will be growing into. And so it's exciting days for you because this becomes a marker in your faith story, a marker that you look back upon and you go, we remember when there were these pivotal moments that things shifted in the atmosphere. And as you look back over your shoulder, you begin to realize that these are the milestones that you recognize. God moved in unique ways.
Speaker 2 00:02:20 Yeah. So good. Wendy. So as we kind of get into this, I wanna, um, I was, as all of you know, uh, if you've been around West side a bit, I am a bit of a weeper <laugh> on Sunday mornings. I don't mean to be, I'm not a, I don't, I don't cry in movies. Um, okay. Lord of the Rings, that's different. But you guys all know that <laugh>. But I, but I just, there was always just like when the Holy Spirit fell, I got emotional. And to be honest, you guys have been a bunch of cry babies as well the last few weeks. I, I think we've all seen a side of you that was like, I didn't know that existed in them. Um, and so I was kind of thinking like, what can I pass on to you guys? And so what I decided to do is to give you a couple of handkerchiefs. These are not, these are not new handkerchiefs. They are clean handkerchiefs at the moment. Maybe they weren't in the past. These are two of mine. And it is. So here, Evan, I, sorry, I don't dunno what you guys are gonna do with this, but I'm giving 'em to you. So yeah, <laugh>.
Speaker 2 00:03:19 Anyway, <laugh>, I was like, what can I give to you guys that's meaningful? I couldn't figure out anything. So here they are, <laugh>. But as I was, uh, thinking about this moment, um, you guys, uh, for weeks now, obviously since um, I knew that God had called Suzanne and me to be the district supervisor, I've, I've just been, um, we've been right in the midst of all the changes and trying to figure everything out and, and, and I just, this week I was just slowing down and thinking about this moment and, um, and what God wants to say to you, to you both. I have a made a list of just the things I appreciate about the, the two of you. We've been through a lot together. Um, not just over the last two years as cos senior pastors, but even earlier than that, just the stuff that we've gone through together is significant.
Speaker 2 00:04:08 And um, and I feel like, um, I never felt like Westside was mine to entrust to anyone, cuz it's Jesus's not mine, but I feel like there's something that Jesus just, he, he just like wants me to hand to you guys of, of whatever authority, whatever, gifting, whatever spirit inspired moments that God worked through me. He, he just wants to like pour that out on you. And, um, during worship today I, in this service, I felt that just, you know, I was asking anything else, Jesus, you want me to say to the guys? And he said, yeah, tell him to run and tell him to run, not run away. You guys listen to you. Okay. I need to hurry up and give you the analogy before you all start thinking something else. <laugh> amazing. <laugh>. No, I, the vision I had was of running around the track in a relay race and just like running, not, you can't slow down you when you pass that baton.
Speaker 2 00:05:04 You gotta both be on a, on a full sprint. And, and, and I feel like we've been doing that. Um, we didn't even know we were doing that for the last two years, but that's what we were doing. We realize that now. But I wanna encourage you, don't slow down. Yeah. From this point going forward. Um, don't, don't, yeah, just run, just, that's the word. Just just run and, and go hard at this. Um, cuz God is anointing you for this moment. He's, he has anointed you for this moment and I believe that the best days of West Side Church are tomorrow, not today, and not in the past. And so I just encourage you, uh, to do that, um, to run with all your heart. And uh, I appreciate you so much. I appreciate, I mean, I appreciate your energy and passion that you bring to every single conversation that we have about Jesus, about church, about life, about marriage, about all of that stuff.
Speaker 2 00:05:51 You just bring yourself to it. And Ben, you, you, of, of all the people I know you have the most passion I've ever seen for the unchurched indeed churched in our community. And I just keep like, leaning into that. Yeah, just keep leaning into that cuz this church needs that, uh, from you. I wanna invite, um, the church council and, uh, the leadership team as well as Rebecca and Alyssa, if you guys would join us on the stage. And we're gonna take, take a moment to anoint, uh, Ben and Evan with oil for this next season of what Jesus is gonna do in the church. And um, and I didn't do this in the last service in terms of the council and the leadership team, but if there is, um, if you have a picture or a word, uh, for Ben and Evan, um, that you want to share, Wendy and I will, will, we'll do some, we'll talk a little bit more, but I want, I'm, I'm just gonna look around and if you, if that's you, if you feel like you have something from the Lord, then just get my attention and I'll give you the mic.
Speaker 2 00:06:44 But Wendy, you have a couple of things. Yeah, thanks
Speaker 3 00:06:46 Steve. So Foursquare is known by, uh, four unique things specifically. And I wanna say these to you as you step into this new positional authority that you would always recall Jesus as Savior, and that you would be focused on soul winning. This is the essence of our movement. It is why we exist. And we can never lose sight of those who do not yet know that you would be focused on Jesus as Baptizer, the one who can make all life regardless of story and history and circumstance, brand new, that you would be focused on Jesus as the healer, contending for spiritual, emotional, mental, mental and physical healings in your context of ministry in all your ways, ministering to the whole person that people would flourish in this place. And that you administer as Jesus as the soon coming king, giving yourselves to preparing people to go home for eternity.
Speaker 3 00:07:42 We are all walking one another home. And that as you make this covenant, this promise, this commitment to each other as co-pastor, but also to this community, that you would uphold the integrity of this call first and foremost as shepherds, that you would never lose sight. That these are not your people, this is not your church, this is not your place. But God entrust to us for seasons and times and appointments and places, and that every person that comes into your life and into your sphere of influence, you are holding loosely and gently and lovingly and generously and benevolently in all your ways, and that you would be good stewards of the inheritance that has been placed into your hands. Uh, last time I was here, in fact I got to tour, I don't know what you call it, but that room out here to the left where it has the story of your church and your community.
Speaker 3 00:08:29 And that story that has been laid in prayer and intercession by saints who have gone before is now being set into your hands to steward for a season. And that you would be servants, that you would always be focused on laying down your gifts and your talents and your lives for the sake of the other. And that you would take seriously the uniqueness as being a seer, that you would see your city, that you would see your community, that you would see this church not for what is, but for what is to come. That you would see every person not for who is before you, but for the Imago day that is present within them. So first Peter five says, care for the flock that God is entrusting to you, that you would watch it over it willingly, not for what you're gonna get out of it, but because you are eager to serve. Don't Lord over the people assigned to your care, but lead them by your own good example. And when the great shepherd appears, you will receive a crown of never ending glory and honor.
Speaker 2 00:09:32 Thanks Wendy. Um, I feel like Rebecca and Alyssa, I feel like I'm supposed to tell you something. I gave up all my handkerchiefs so I can't do, I can't cry. So,
Speaker 2 00:09:45 Um, God wants to to tell you that he's pleased with you both and that you don't have to be anything other than who you are from this point forward. He's not requiring anything different from you. Um, he's asking you to be who, who he's called you to be. Um, not because of this what's happening right now, but because of what he's doing in your life. And so don't allow the pressure of this moment for your, for your husband to come on onto you. I know it will. There's no way around that. But Jesus is pleased with you and he's doing a work in you that's distinct from, and I want you to lean into that. So Ben and Evan, it's apparent, uh, to us and to the Holy Spirit that he has called you both through the Holy Spirit to be the senior pastors of this church.
Speaker 2 00:10:33 Um, so do you agree to faithfully and humbly serve the people of West Side Church in the office of Pastor with Christ's help in the love of the Father, the grace of Jesus Christ and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit in accordance, uh, with your, uh, denomination, your overseers to uphold the responsibilities and duties, duties of that office. Do you commit to that in congregation? I wanna ask you, will you West Side Church faithfully support your pastors, pray for them and uphold them in the name of Jesus Christ in their office of Pastor? Will you do that? Awesome. Gonna anoint you. Let me just pause, counsel Lt, anything that you're sensing that you want to share? I just wanna take a moment. No pressure, but just, all right, Ben, we anoint you in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit as one of the senior pastors of West Side Church. Evan, we anoint you the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit as one of the pastors of West Side Church. And we pray
Speaker 2 00:11:45 That both Evan, you and Ben will be led by the power of the Holy Spirit that you will embrace even right now, the anointing of the Spirit for this next season. That he will be your guide, that he will be your leader, that you will listen to his voice, that you will hear him speak so clearly to you, that, that even in those moments of doubt, you'll have the sense of confidence that the Holy Spirit is leading and directing this church through you and through this leadership team. That Jesus, we pray that your anointing would fall upon them right now in the name of Jesus Christ, just as you fell upon Peter and the Apostles in the same way, holy Spirit, that you would come upon them, give them new wisdom, new vision, uh, uh, new passions, God as they step into this next season, Lord, that they would, that this, that the doors would open, that you'd give them favor in this community, not only at West Side Church, but in this city with other pastors and leaders in this community that you would help them to see that they would be seen as leaders.
Speaker 2 00:12:42 Yes, leading the charge of spiritual renewal in central Oregon, yes. Of a spiritual reformation of the church in Central Oregon. That you would use them Jesus for that task. We pray in the powerful name of Jesus. Thank you Lord.
Speaker 3 00:12:58 And so God, we give thanks for the saints who have gone before, faithful leaders who have sown in prayer and tears into this soil. And God, we call upon those prayers, prayers known and unknown, that in this season they would come to pass. And with every promise revealed, it would be a source of encouragement and courage and strength to both Ben and Evan. That they would look and they would say, God is providing milestones and markers for us to have an increase in our faith. And with each step forward Christ, before Christ behind Christ beside Christ through them, that they would gain strength and courage to move more boldly, more expediently into the obedience of what you were putting before them. God, we come against a spirit of fear or a sense of being overwhelmed or inadequacy. And we come against that as a community. And we say not on our watch, not over their lives and not on this day, that these two men would rise with a boldness that would surpass even their own sense of self. A boldness that is rooted not in what is seen and not in the natural, but in a sense that God, you have said and spoken, and there is nothing other than the irrefutable word of the Lord over our lives. And that they would have bold obedience to every prayer, every whisper that you deposit over them.
Speaker 3 00:14:22 And so God, as the river flows through this city and it is held in by the outer banks, may the river of your spirit flow through this house and may it be held by the outer banks, which are the promises of the milestones of when you showed up. And as we look ahead and then we look behind, and we would say God showed up then, and God showed up then. And it draws upon the faith that I call upon today for tomorrow. I have no fear about the future because God showed up for me then, and he's gonna show up for me then. And so, God, we bless these two for the holy and sacred work that you have called them into. We bless them in the name of Jesus. We bless them in the, in the presence of your spirit. We bless them and the authority of the Father, we bless them that they would go in the peace of your presence. May it be so in their lives. Amen and amen. Westside Church, would you put your hands together and welcome your new senior pastors?
Speaker 6 00:15:47 Amen. Thank you. Uh, for those of you who are like, when are they gonna get back to just like preaching <laugh>? Um, I feel the same way, actually the same way. If you're new here over the last couple weeks, good luck to you. Um, I'm grateful that we can have this time together and, uh, the so many pieces of our jobs and we've been doing for a couple years now, and not a lot of that is changing, but you do feel the weight shift. There's a, a good heaviness that both Evan and I have experienced and even the staff at large, there's a shift and it's a good shift, um, in these moments. It's tempting. I've, I've got a bit of a, a bro meathead inside of me, um, that wants to give some kind of an inspirational speech to talk about the next hills that we're gonna take. Or, uh, something like what I did with my little league team that was the guardians. You know, one of the last games that we had, I said, we are gonna swing hard. We are gonna throw hard and run hard, and we are going to show these dodgers no mercy
Speaker 6 00:17:00 For we are the guardians of the, you know, <laugh>. About four of the kids thought it was the coolest thing ever. And the other four paid attention about as much as they always do <laugh>. There's something that makes me wanna get all fired up and, uh, but I've been really inspired by this moment that Jesus has with Peter. That could be my favorite moment. Uh, if, if there was a place that I wish I could transport myself in time to one moment in the Bible, it might be this. And part of Peter's story is one of the disciples is that Jesus, at one point before his death renames Peter, he was Simon, he says, you're now Peter, which means rocking on this rock, I will build my church a big, a big deal to hear from God himself to say, you are gonna be the beginning, you're gonna be the leader of this ecclesia, this community of people that are inspired and forever changed by the gospel.
Speaker 6 00:17:56 And he has that moment. And then of course, Peter famously denies Jesus as the worst has happened. And Jesus goes to the cross and people are saying, well, you followed him and you walked with him. And Peter is saying, absolutely not. That wasn't me out of deep fear. And then he goes into hiding with the rest of the disciples as Jesus is buried and then goes and discovers that he has been resurrected. And then there's this moment in John chapter 21 where it says, Peter grabs some of the disciples and they went fishing just like they used to. They don't catch much. And then there's this huge catch. And then in verse 10, as they see this person who turns out to be Jesus away on the shore, Jesus says, bring some of the fish that you've just caught. And so Simon Peter went aboard and dragged the net to the shore and the, there were 153 large fish, and yet the net hadn't torn, says, and now come and have some breakfast. Uh, my prophetic word for you today is that sometimes Jesus just wants to sit, have breakfast with you.
Speaker 6 00:18:57 Another disciples dared to ask him, who are you? And they knew it was the Lord. And then Jesus served them the bread and the fish. And this was the third time that Jesus had appeared to the disciples since he'd been raised from the dead. And after breakfast, Jesus asked Simon, Peter Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these? Yes Lord Peter said, you know that I love you, then feed my lambs. Jesus told him. And then it says, Jesus repeated the question, Simon, son of John, do you love me? And yes, Lord Peter said, you know that I love you, then take care of my sheep. Jesus says, the third time he asked him, Simon, son of John, do you love me? And Peter was hurt this time that Jesus had asked the question for a third time. He says, Lord, do you know everything?
Speaker 6 00:19:39 And you know that I love you? And Jesus said, then feed my sheep. And Jesus would go on to ascend and the disciples would move into Pentecost and they would hide themselves in the upper room waiting on a move of the Holy Spirit. And at the arrival of the Holy Spirit, Peter led the people into the streets to preach the gospel, and 3000 were added to them that day. But I believe that this is the pivotal moment for Peter, not a hype speech by Jesus, not a let's go ahead and take the hill, but it's a sit down at breakfast, maybe an arm around him and he asks him, but do you love me?
Speaker 6 00:20:20 Now, there's a lot of strategy that goes into leading a church. There's many, many things that we talk about every single week and how to communicate the gospel well, how to get this message online, how to reach our community with outreach and the gospel. And all of these things are valuable. We talked about here today, Jesus, Jesus' Baptizer and healer is so incredibly valuable and central to who we are. But I wanna let you know that that will not happen. It certainly will not happen effectively without all of us beginning at this foundational premise, understanding that without this simple love of Jesus, it will all fall apart.
Speaker 6 00:21:05 And so in this rare opportunity where I get to speak for Evan, so say whatever I want, we wanna make a couple promises to you guys. The first of these being that we will love our families deeply. I promise you that if my family falls apart or finds me distant, my leadership will fall apart. So with that promise, uh, we promise to cancel appointments for ball games and recitals and life moments, we promise to get a real rest. There's a tendency to become addicted to what can happen in a leadership capacity at a church to find all of our purpose and value in what we say right here on this platform or how we lead this staff. And I want you to know that we have very little interest in taking part in that addiction. Instead, we would love to love Jesus with all the depth of our soul for all of our days, and believe that this is God's church. This is God's strategy, and it is God's city. Wendy even just said, we believe in Imago de the image of God in every single person in this world, every single person that we encounter. And while we will work hard with all that we have to fulfill this position as best we can, it all falls apart without a love of Jesus as the foundation of it.
Speaker 6 00:22:45 We promise to do our best to make this pretty large church feel as small as possible. We want to become a close, tight-knit community of people that can rely on each other, not just for prayer and singing worship songs, but that we can rely on each other to mourn well together. Hmm. If there's any part of the legacy that we would love to carry on with the Mickel family, it is that we often are our best form of a church. When we lovingly hold and care for those who are so broken and in mourning and in doubt, we promise to do our best to understand that. And while we don't promise to be the most famous preachers, the most popular on social media, actually Evan and I both hate social media very much
Speaker 8 00:23:45 <laugh>
Speaker 6 00:23:47 One of these guys ever post because we hate it. We do promise
Speaker 6 00:23:56 To instead of pursue some kind of idea of a celebrity Christian figure, we promise to do our best to be pastors and shepherds of people. We believe in that task to feed the sheep, to shepherd the people. But again, we believe deeply that it begins with this love of Jesus. So Lord, we surrender these promises to you today. And I pray that we would love our families deeply, that we would mourn well and celebrate well that in victory or what seems like defeat in this life, that we would continually come back to this foundational premise and understanding we love you so much. May our decisions be steeped in prayer from that heart stance. May our lives be centered around that love and that whatever people see, not just from Evan and I, but from West Side and from your presence in this part of our world, Jesus, we pray that it would just be enveloped by a love for you. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Here you go,
Speaker 8 00:25:07 <laugh>. It's Ben's microphone Now. And by the way, no, we're not gonna tag team every Sunday. So you're thinking, oh no, they're gonna both preach every single time we gather. That's not the case. Um, it was about 16 years ago that Alyssa and I newlyweds came back to Bend and visited West Side again. You know, I think the ushers placed us like right up here in the front, which I was not a fan of. Um, because about four years before that, I had been a part of an internship program here at the church, and it hadn't ended well. Um, I lasted about four or five weeks in the program and pretty much failed out of it for issues of character. Um, and the way I responded in that moment was not good. And so at the end of that season, I left band, ended up in Portland, um, in a good community, but I ended up in Portland after really feeling like I had burned so many bridges with leaders here at West Side Church.
Speaker 8 00:26:13 And 16 years ago we came back and, and uh, we came to visit, our family was still here and around. And so we came to visit and, and sat here in the church. And I had such a, such a feeling of awkwardness. I remember actually we would come back to visit for like holidays. And I remember one Christmas we came back in those years in between and, uh, went to Blockbuster as one did back then, right? By the way, not the last blockbuster. This was the one by Barnes and Nova. You know what I'm talking about, Wendy? Did you know we had the last Blockbuster in the world here in Bend? Yeah. Yeah. So stop by, get your mugs and your hats. Um, anyway, back to the story. I was, we were in Blockbuster. And I remember, uh, distinctly I remember seeing some of the pastors here from the church and feeling so awkward of how badly it had ended that I was ducking beneath the li the rows of DVDs don't, don't, ah, don't make eye contact.
Speaker 8 00:27:10 It's not that big of a store. Surely they saw us. But that was the level of internalized shame, not that they had put on me, that I put on myself and that I felt. And so we came back to visit and intended really just to visit, uh, the church on a Sunday morning. And to my surprise, what I found was a community and leaders and old friends who so expressed the acceptance of Jesus and what Ben talked about that Peter experienced on the beach, which was the open arms of a Jesus who not only forgive sins, but who also says, you are welcome into a future again. May it be so of us. May it be so that there might be not just one, not two, but but so, so many people, that the thought of being in a space like this, in a community like this, in a church like this, would make them want to hide except that they meet us, except that they encounter you.
Speaker 8 00:28:17 Except that they, they hear from, from you. And they experience what is surprising and shocking all at once. That when they expect to be rejected, they experience the open arms of Jesus in a way that looks and sounds like you. And I don't know, maybe there is a de-churched young kid who will one day stand in this place, in a place of leadership and anointing and authority and influence, because we had eyes to see that God doesn't give up on people. God doesn't writes you off. God is present. Jesus still shows up on the beach and says, we're not done yet.
Speaker 8 00:29:01 West Side Church, we're not done yet. Peter would go on from that moment on the beach with Jesus. And as we've been talking about for these last many weeks in the Book of Acts, they went to an upper room, they began to pray with the other disciples, and the Holy Spirit fell in the day of Pentecost Acts chapter two was amazing wind and fire. And, and he gets up and he stands on the rooftops and he preaches. And it says, all these devout men were in Jerusalem. They all heard the gospel in their own language. And 3000 are added to their numbers. Amazing. I want that kind of move in our church in our day. But then in Acts chapter three, there's this little quick story. It says that Peter and John went to the temple the hour of prayer, and as they were entering the temple, the gate called beautiful, they looked down and they see this lame man, and he's begging to survive.
Speaker 8 00:29:59 And Peter and John who had just experienced the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, one of the most amazing, huge, large scale miracles they'd ever experienced. And they'd walked with Jesus. So they knew a thing or two about miracles. The they, here they are at the, the gate, and they stop and they pause and they, they turn to this lame man and they say, Hey, look at us. And Luke records it in the Book of Acts, he says, and the the lame man looked at them thinking they were about to give him something. Then Peter and John say this, say silver and gold, do we not have, but what we have, we give you now and the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth get up and walk. And in a moment we see one of the most insignificant people in the city, a lame man begging by the gate, gets the full attention of the Holy Spirit, gets the whole attention of the great apostles, Peter and John. They turned to him in this great expression that God sees the little ones. And um, even as we were reading through the Book of Acts as a speaking team, we're talking about different messages. I just got stuck on that story because it comes after just this massive huge scale thing. And it's so small and this man seems so insignificant, and yet God cares.
Speaker 8 00:31:22 And so my pep talk to you guardians or whatever, is just that we would never get so caught up in the big things that God does from stages and in arenas and across the world, that we forget that there are people that are baking just to survive. And they need to know that God sees them. They need to know that, that although, yes, God moves in big ways with powerful people as we sang today, he looks upon the lowly
Speaker 8 00:31:55 And that we would again and again in a thousand different ways over the next decades of our time that we have together, we would constantly be pausing in the busyness of our world to reach down and say, I, I don't have maybe what you're asking for, but what I do have, I give you in the name of Jesus, in the name of Jesus. We're gonna take communion together. I think, um, this has become one of my favorite things that we have introduced this weekly communion. Some people say, why do we do weekly communion? It's actually, the early church said this. Every time they gathered, they would remember what Jesus had done. Every time they would gather, they would come to a table. I think often they would eat more than just these little tiny crackers. But you know, we're working up to it <laugh>. But every time they would gather, they'd remember their whole community was centered around the sacrifice and the love of Jesus poured out for them. And so we've been doing this every week, and, um, there's something about us moving together, receiving together weekly, that our faith isn't just theoretical, it's not just intellectual. It doesn't just live in our heads, but it's something that, that we move into in this moment. Lemme pray. Jesus,
Speaker 8 00:33:09 Jesus who sent his spirit to be with us, always Jesus who showed up on the shore, as you show up today
Speaker 8 00:33:21 To give us a, a second chance, a third chance, a fourth chance, a new hope, a new way to consider our place and your story, Jesus, we call upon your name today and we pray that in this place we would build upon the foundations and the structure that has been so caringly and lovingly built over generations. But in this moment, in a new season, that we would look forward, and as Pastor Steve has, has said, we would run hard after the things of God for our city, for our church, for our families, for our community. And today, even as we partake in the, the remembrance of the blood and the body of Jesus, we'd remember where our strength comes from. It is in you, the head of the church, the leader, the good shepherd, the one who guides us, the one who takes us by the hand. It's in you that we find our life and our freedom and our hope. We worship you. Jesus. Come Holy Spirit, come Holy Spirit, in Jesus' name. Amen.
