February 2010
Dearest brothers and sisters in Christ,
I am sure you are all wondering how I am doing. It is my prayer that this letter updates you on my present condition and what appears to be God's plan for the future.
I have made very good progress and have been dismissed from physical and occupational therapy. However, I continue to struggle a bit with walking and with using my right hand for fine motor tasks. My speech has a long way to go, but it is improving weekly. I am not yet able to drive. I tire very easily and wonder if my stamina will ever return! All in God's good time is what I keep telling myself.
As we begin this new year I am planning on worshiping with you at the late service. It continues to be very difficult for me to get up and going early. It is my prayer that in February I will be able to consecrate elements at one service each week, hopefully having the strength to do the 8:00 AM service. Unfortunately, I am a long way from leading you in worship or delivering a sermon.
After much prayerful consideration and taking into account the advice of my doctors, I will need to resign as your pastor. There are two main reasons that I have come to this conclusion. First, I feel that as a thriving, vibrant, busy, growing congregation, I can no longer have you "waiting" for me to return in good health. It appears my recovery will take a year or more before I can even think of returning to full time employment, if ever I am able. You deserve a youthful, vibrant pastor, who will be able to shepherd you as continue to grow and shine God's light in this community. The Lord already knows who your next pastor will be, and it is my prayer that God will bring him to you quickly.
Secondly, the decision to resign from full-time ministry is for my own health and well-being. The psycho- neurologist said it was impossible for me to return to the demands that full-time ministry requires and to do so would jeopardize my continued recovery. My family deserves to have me whole and healthy again, and I must think of them at this time.
While this was a very difficult and emotional decision for me, I need you to know that my heart is completely at peace in making it. I truly believe that this was God's will for us, and that my time at Faith has been fulfilled according to His Divine Call. I do not know how or where the Lord will use me again in His kingdom, but I will trust that God will give me the strength when and if He calls.
I pray that the Lord will continue to bless, guide and direct our precious Faith Lutheran Church according to His gracious will. As I told the Elders on Monday night, this congregation is a "precious jewel" in the eyes of God. It was both my honor and privilege to humbly serve as your shepherd for the past, blessed 10 years and 2 months. You have become "family" to us, and you will always be in our hearts. I lived my dream of being the pastor of one of God's congregations. I thank the Lord daily that He chose to place me in your midst for this decade of my life. I will stay to help in any way that I can while you are in the call process. As I get stronger, God-willing, I will be able to do more to serve you.
I will look forward to worshiping with you and my dear family on Sunday mornings and will pray that I am strong enough to become part of the service in February.
I close this letter with the following bible verse that speaks to what is in my heart:
"I thank my God in all my rembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, "because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now." Phillipians 1:3
In His service and love,
Pastor Tafel
