Today we thank you, O God, as this year draws to a close, for the season that is also ending at my home congregation. Pastor Bruce Osterhout has faithfully cared for the people God has placed in his charge for five and a half years. He has often done so bearing the pain of the systemic challenges that, like many congregations, have been part of our story for decades. And he has always done so with a focus on the gospel as articulated in Matthew 25: Feeding the hungry, quenching thirst, welcoming the stranger, clothing the naked, caring for the sick, and visiting the imprisoned. Pastors are human, and none is perfect; but Bruce’s passion for the needs of the world has brought much to this community of faith and helped us to grow incredibly. He will be deeply missed at Zion’s. And I am glad that, as a colleague, I don’t have to miss him too much. Grant him discernment for the future, God, and confidence in work well-done. Amen.