Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Little did I imagine back in 1983 when I moved to Ann Arbor from Valparaiso, Indiana, to serve as Pastor at Cross and Resurrection Lutheran Church that in 2016 I would still have the privilege of being in ministry but now at St. Luke Lutheran Church.
St. Luke has befriended me and my family throughout this entire time – first through Pr. Ron Zehnder, followed by Pr. David Koch, and then a series of pastors all of whom always had room for me and my family. It came as a real surprise to me on Thanksgiving Eve that it had already been 15 years since retiring from my pastorate at Cross and Resurrection that I had the privilege of serving in some capacity at St. Luke. – As they say: “Time flies when you’re having fun.”
Of course, not everything that has occurred during those years has been “fun” in some superficial sense. The fun was often hidden in the cross of various sad losses, but Jesus was always present to transform the tears of sorrow into joyfilled expressions of worship – worship of the God who joins us in Jesus to carry us through our cross to resurrection victory. This experience has enabled me the better to join with you as individually and corporately you have also walked that journey with Jesus as he led you through your experiences of “cross and resurrection.” – Thank you so much for allowing me to share these years with you and with the Apostle Paul in his
Letter to the Philippians, I pray:
“…with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in us will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 1:4-6)
Pr. Ted Jungkuntz
Pastor Ted has been serving at St Luke for 15 years and was honored at our Thanksgiving Eve Service for his years of Pastoral Care.
