Podcast – anti-itch meditation

My Resignation Sermon

pastor@rhinelanderbible.org (Jeff Weddle) — Tue, 07 Mar 2023 03:57:40 +0000

The other day I put a battery in an old MP3 player because my iPod I’ve been using for 20 years finally died on me. Turns out the MP3 player was the thing I used to record my sermons back in the days I was a pastor.

Four old sermons were on it, including a rehearsal of my resignation sermon.

I resigned over two years ago now. The circumstances were a little odd as my mother was dying of cancer and had a turn for the worse the week I was scheduled to give my resignation.

One of the options was for me to record it in case I had to leave for my mom’s. I was able to deliver the sermon in person so the recording was not needed. I left right after I resigned and was at my mom’s for two months. She died three weeks after my resignation.

I completely forgot I ever made the recording. So I pushed PLAY and the memories came flooding back.

I will always be appreciative of my 21 years of pastoring. I can’t even explain how much it did for me spiritually.

I can’t explain how much it hurt either though. When I delivered this sermon to the church live, I pretty much cried through the whole thing. At the church we’re attending now, this past Sunday the sermon was about being a pastor from 1 Peter5. I teared up several times.

I clearly still have some emotions about the whole thing.

Anyway, my resignation was kind of hurried and many people were not at church the Sunday I gave it. Now that I found the recording of it, I put it online for anyone who was interested.

Some of you blog folks have read me for many years, which I appreciate. Perhaps you’d be interested too. A little glimpse into my pastoral career. Broke my heart.

Unfortunately, since the resignation was a little hurried, it surprised some people. Some thought there were nefarious things going on. There weren’t. This recording is basically what I said at church live. It’s the whole story. Nothing nefarious; just painful.

You can CLICK HERE to listen to it if you desire.

Thank you.