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“Do not wait for leaders; do it alone, person to person.” – Mother Teresa January, 2026 My own case is a bit different because while I’m “retired,” I’m still at my old job, just part-time. That means there hasn’t been a chance for me to be “forgotten,” although some of my coworkers think of me less as a coworker than as someone who comes in and “helps out.” Folks who have retired or moved to other jobs and subsequently return for a “visit” are welcomed and greeted warmly, but are no longer part of the group. At the same time, I know there will be a time—sooner than I care to think about—when I’ll be “gone.” I’d like to think the songs I’ve written, the lay sermons I’ve preached, these blog posts, and the impact I’ve had on other people’s lives, will somehow remain. Or I might live on through our daughter, Monica, and grandson, Dorian. If nothing else, I might be remembered for some of my truly atrocious puns. I think all of us want or need some sense of permanence. Such permanence might not be what we want, though. Shakespeare wrote, “The evil that men do lives after them; The good is oft interred with their bones.” (Julius Caesar, Act 3, Scene 2). I hope that whatever remains after my time on Earth will be positive. Not everyone, though, is forgotten or remembered in negative terms. Some have an outsized impact. Today, Christians and others remember Abraham, Moses, David, and others. Christians in particular remember John the Baptist, Peter, and Paul, among other pioneers of our faith. Methodists like me remember John and Charles Wesley. We remember our spiritual ancestors and read and talk about their experiences. As long as believers read Scriptures and keep our traditions alive, their names and experiences will continue to live. On the night before Jesus was put on trial for his life, his disciples were understandably concerned. He calmed their fears by asking, “‘In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?’” (John 14:2 ESV). Then he promised, “‘. . . I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.’” (vs. 3b ESV). When Jesus was crucified, a thief on the next cross said to him, “‘Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.’” (Luke 23:42b ESV). Jesus not only promised to remember him; he promised, “‘Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.’” (vs. 43b ESV). Jesus’ promise is for us as well. Paul wrote to his young friend, Timothy, “If we have died with him, we will also live with him;” (2 Tim. 2:11b ESV). We might not all be facing retirement, but the ending of one year and the beginning of a new year is a time of transition, of leaving the old behind and facing the new. What will we remember from the old year? How will our own impact or influence be remembered? In the parable of the talents (Matt. 25:14-30), the master says to two of his three servants, “‘Well done, good and faithful servant.’” (vs. 21b, 23b ESV). I pray that each of us will have been a faithful witness (1 Pet. 3:15), that we will have sowed generously (1 Cor. 9:6-8), and that we can say with Sgt. Fuerstenberg, that we gave what we had, “And that’s enough.” And when each of us stands before God, we will hear the same comforting words: “‘Well done, good and faithful servant.’” “Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith.” (Heb. 13:7 ESV.) Copyright © 2026 by David Phelps
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