Most precious and blessed friends in Jesus Christ our Lord:

As you may or may not know I have a second new knee replacement. As foretold by the surgeon who replaced my right knee some 6 years ago the time had come and the deed is done. I now have a matched set. These days replacement surgery and the like are no big thing. In no time you are just another “bed blocker” and hospital administration is glad to have you recovering at home. No arguments from this patient. I am glad to be on the mend and look forward to getting “back in the harness.”

The harness for a Pastor is the yoke of office represented by the stole an ordained minister of Christ wears each worship service. I know some of my brothers in the Holy Ministry who kiss the back neck of the stole as they place it over their shoulders. This serves as a reminder of the high office which they are privileged to hold. It also calls to mind the Great Shepherd of the sheep who now expects them to love and to serve His sheep. It is our awesome task and a wonderful weight that one feels with daring to handle the mysteries of God.

With this left knee replacement I was given an epidural. This means that I was some-what awake throughout the entire operation. I could hear the saw cutting away the damaged bone of my femur and tibia and was somewhat aware as the Doctor hammered the new titanium and plastic parts home. I believe I could smell the cement glue that was used. But, truth to tell, what was going on down there was all a mystery to me. Like all people who undergo surgery my trust was in the education and skill of one Dr. David Stevens who I prayed for before, during and after surgery. I have great confidence in the Great Physician who has blessed and guided his work. That is the way it is when we trust some-one. That is the way it ought to be. Dr. Stevens does his job and he does it well. We should thank God for him and all like him.

When we do what the Lord has called us to do we have an awesome responsibility to act out our calling in life and to do it well. We should carry out our tasks with enthusiasm and humour mixed in with trust and courage. This is because we are working for the One who has called us out of darkness into His marvellous light. He blesses us each day with the gift of His abiding love and empowers us in our individual callings to shine.

Each time I place the stole on my shoulders or don my backwards collar I try to remember whose man I am. I try to remember that every-thing I say, do and think should be to His glory and to the good of His people. My position in life like yours is a God granted privilege and honour.

Just a quick look around on one of these spring days astonishes us all that God condescends to even be mindful of us puny people. He crowns us with His glory to make us almost God like. It is obvious that God takes us seriously and loves us completely. Our destiny depends on Him and is only realized through Him. This is why we should honour Him in all that we do. For that which we do, big or small, we do for Him who has honoured us by becoming one of us.

When you think about yourself and what you do and what you say it is hard to imagine the Christ of heaven who took all of your inadequacies upon Himself in order to heal you completely. The pain of the surgery of the death of the Holy One was meant to be yours but the Great and Powerful Physician of body and soul handled the whole thing. It was long ago and far removed from our day and we had no idea what was going on. Now we know and now we are healed and we can thank Him for His wonderful intervention into our everything. What an honour to be His own and live under Him in His Kingdom forever. This is no artificial substitute to replace us there is only the real thing. Praise God for Jesus Christ and His all redeeming love that makes us special in His eyes.

Rejoicing in His days,
Pastor Krestick