Words of Expression - Pastor's Anniversary 2015

I have a few words to express to my pastor and his family upon reaching thirteen years of leading the Mount Zion Missionary Baptist Church. My intention is to stay within seven hundred words, but my own gratitude over the three years my own family has been here pales in comparison to what many of you in the congregation have experienced since 2002. Not only are Luther and Charisse Green my pastor and his First Lady, but they are also friends and neighbors. 

Behold, I have given him for a witness to the people, a leader and commander to the people. - Isaiah 55:4 

That being said...

• Thank you for preaching God's living Word - all 66 Books of it - and teaching its relevance in an age where some men distort God's concrete message for his or her own personal agendas. 
• Thank you for pastoral visits. This one is especially personal for me:  On July 6, my daughter Caeli had hernia surgery at ACH. You stayed, prayed, and conversed with my wife, dad, and me during the procedure, and that is something I will always appreciate. 
• Forgive me - and the rest of us - for not always being 100% appreciative of you and your sacrifices made from your wife and family to be available to those inside as well as outside the church. Taking late calls that disrupt family time at unpredictable hours already increase your heavy workload as well as take time away from studying and preparing what thus saith the Lord for a sin-sick world to hear yet you do so. 
• Furthermore, thank you for strong leadership and a clear vision for not only Mount Zion, but also the Ralph Bunche community, the city of Benton, Saline County, etc. that shows we are about the Father's business when we actually put boots to the ground beyond the four walls. It's one thing to leave 1305 South East Street feeling good each Sunday, and another to carry on throughout the week until our next spiritual fill-up. Thank you for being more of the latter than the former. 

The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord; and he delighteth in his way. - Psalms 37:23

Thank you for the time, energy, and dedication you have put forth to all of us over the years.