My Dear Reader,
The time has come for me to say amen to The Shepherd’s Study. On 23 January 2008, I began this blog hoping to provide a little support and encouragement for busy Lutheran shepherds like myself. I hoped to share resources and thoughts and insights I found from my own personal reading of God’s Word and other theological reading to provide some renewal amidst the busyness of ministry.
As I look back on the past three and a half years, it’s amazing to see how the Lord in his grace did more than I imagined. It’s been humbling to see how many people have actually visited this blog (over 108,000 as of this writing!) and how many have actually taken the time to read what I’ve written. It’s been fun getting to know fellow and future shepherds of God’s people and faithful laypeople who care very deeply about the true teaching of God’s Word. What I’ve loved the most, though, has been the opportunities I’ve had to encourage and support my fellow shepherds (or those who will soon be shepherds!) and provide them a little renewal amidst the busyness of ministry. If this blog has provided some of that for you, thank you for the opportunity to serve you!
Over the past three and a half years, life has also changed considerably for me and for those I serve. The time that I need for this blog just isn’t there anymore. Personally, the Lord has grown our family from three to five. Professionally, the congregation I serve is, with God’s help, about to take on one of the biggest projects in our history. After six years of mission re-start, we are now preparing for the real possibility of expanding our small 30-year-old facility. Amidst all of this, through the deliberation of three Divine calls in the past year and a half, the Lord has also made it clear that more time spent training, equipping, and mentoring God’s people and those who serve God’s people has become all the more necessary for me.
In the meantime, I am 1/3 of the way towards completing a STM (Master of Sacred Theology) in historical theology at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary. Besides the classes each year, I’m hoping to write my thesis on the life and work of Prof. John Schaller (1859-1920). That research and translation work has just begun and will take considerable time as I seek to bring his works from German into English and put together the largely untold story of a great Lutheran theologian, who truly embodied the meaning of “Pastor”.
So the time has come to say amen. I’ll still be making use of social media like Twitter and Facebook, but work on The Shepherd’s Study will come to an end for the foreseeable future. Dear Reader, thank you for taking the time to follow this blog and for giving me the opportunity to encourage you as you serve the Lord wherever and however that might be. From the bottom of my heart, thank you!
May Christ, that great Shepherd of the sheep, richly bless you and be with you always as you serve him! Amen.
Yours in Christ,
Pastor Jeremiah J. Gumm
[11/5/11 Update: I am slowly dismantling this blog as a new opportunity to resurrect a new version of The Shepherd's Study with all new contributors, but the same goals of the original Shepherd's Study, has arisen over at http://www.wlsce.net - Grow in Grace: The Institute for Continuing Education @ Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary. It hasn't launched yet, but keep an eye out for it when it does. God bless and be with you, dear Reader!]
Jeremiah – thanks for all your work on this blog, it was indeed a blessing. I understand the need for setting boundaries and focusing on the most important tasks that face you – I hope this experience was a blessing to you as it was to those who read and shared it.
God bless,
enjoy the rest of your summer,
try not to get another call this week,
don’t get overburdened with stuff at church,
take time to enjoy your family and all the blessings God has given you,
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Jeremiah, thank you for the insightful reading you have given me along with the spiritual refreshment. You have proven to be a way that Jesus has kept the promise he made in the Gospel for last Sunday. God’s blessings on your future endeavors!