| Reflections . . .
My father spent most of his pastoral
career helping established churches build new buildings. Once the
building was started or built, he was ready to move on to the
next challenge. When he was called to Denver to start a new
church, for the first time, he had no established building or
congregation. It was the ultimate challenge for him, and one that
he relished. I remember going with him when he went on calls to
visit people who had expressed interest in being part of a new
church. He had a stack of cards he had gotten from somewhere, and
we went from house to house calling on the people listed on the
cards. I was fifteen at the time, and had never before gone with
my dad on calls. I am not sure why he took me then, but it may
have been because I had had to leave behind everything familiar
and all of my friends. It was probably a way to help me adjust to
my new environment. I remember being impressed with how my father
could make strangers into friends, put them at ease, and get them
interested in joining a new church. It was really amazing to
watch, since I was a quiet and shy child, never quite comfortable
in those situations where my father would shine. It was one of
his gifts that he could make friends wherever he went, from the
grocery store to the cleaners. Everyone called him by name.
Once he had gotten a group of people interested in joining together to build this new congregation and church, we began meeting in one of the schools. I think it was the junior high I was to attend. I remember lighting the candles for the church service, and listening to my dad’s sermons on those hard metal folding chairs. It seemed like it would take a while to get where he wanted to go. But Dad was never afraid of a challenge, and in fact, couldn’t wait to meet and conquer every challenge that came down the road. It wasn’t long before the congregation was large enough to begin planning the building, and soon the building was a reality. I was continually surprised at how quickly Dad was able to meet the goals he and others had set for the new church. And once the church building was a reality, he didn’t move on to a new challenge and a new church. Instead, he stayed at Shepherd of the Hills for many years, meeting and conquering challenge after challenge. Although after finishing high school and going on to college, I have never come back to Denver to live, I have always had a soft spot in my heart for Shepherd of the Hills Church. It is a sorrow for me that I will not be there to celebrate the 40th birthday, but know that I am there in spirit, and that I know Mom and Dad are watching from the heavenly halls, celebrating with you. Remembrance by: Mary Sweet Arnold |
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