Melodye Surgeon VanOudheusden: God can be anchor in all seasons of life

I am in our parsonage sunroom, gazing at our Christmas tree, knowing that soon it will be the last time I will see it here in this place. I am retiring on July 1, 2023, and will be moving out of this temporary home provided by St. Paul’s United Methodist Church.

So when the Christmas tree comes down, it will be packed away and eventually be opened up in a new location in Kalamazoo in December 2023.

One of the challenges of pastoral ministry in my denomination (the United Methodist Church) is that you are always “on the move.” You take a vow when you are ordained to minister wherever you are sent by your bishop (not unlike the oaths military folks take in receiving their assignments). There are a few places where United Methodist pastors are provided a housing allowance to purchase or rent a home of their own choosing. Most of us, though, live in whatever housing is provided to us, knowing that we will stay a while, but will eventually move on.

Ornaments hanging on our Christmas tree remind me of the places where I have journeyed. There are red apples and an airplane that remind me of the orchard where I grew up in southern Illinois and my flight instructor father who grew apples and taught me how to fly his Cessna. Beautiful white and blue Delft baubles remind me of my husband John’s Dutch heritage. I have a tiny Indonesian shadow puppet celebrating my daughter’s birthplace. There are Chinese cloisonne birds and bells honoring both my stay in Shenzhen, China, and my late son, Jon, who lived there too. My son Harrison is represented in childhood ornaments he created. Some of the towns and churches in which I have served are represented. I have gathered decorations from every country and state in which I have lived.

My most recent ornaments reflect the most precious new beginning in my life. My daughter, Kara, took wood circles and put on them four different ultrasound pictures of my newest grandchild who will hopefully arrive in late February 2023. I’ve been told by many folks at St. Paul’s that this transition might be the best of all.

I do despise moving. Since 2002, I have moved four times here in Michigan to four different congregations. And that doesn’t include moving before then in the previous nine years to three different countries. I should be an expert in moving – but it doesn’t get any easier.

I do have my anchor, though. That is my relationship with God through Jesus Christ. On a winter retreat many years ago at Wesley Woods Camp in Dowling, Michigan, I finally accepted God’s call to pastoral ministry. Amid life changes, both good and challenging, that connection provides my steady footing.

The first verse I ever memorized was Hebrews 11:1: “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (New American Standard Bible). However, I recently came across the translation of this same verse in The Message and find it meaningful, though even longer to memorize: “The fundamental fact of existence is that this trust in God, this faith, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living. It’s our handle on what we can’t see. “

Life is not always easy. It is often very difficult. During the holiday season, we are often reminded of that. One’s faith is not a guarantee that you might have to move – your body, your attitudes, your heart, your stuff. But in both the bitter and the sweet, I have found that my hope – my anchor – is with God. I invite you to explore that for yourself.

Melodye Surgeon VanOudheusden is the pastor of St. Paul's United Methodist Church in Monroe. She can be reached at pastormelodyevano@gmail.com.

This article originally appeared on The Monroe News: Melodye Surgeon VanOudheusden: God can be anchor in life