Let me begin this sermon on a personal note. This time last year I was a patient at Vanderbilt Hospital feeling much too weak to either eat or pray. Through that dark night of the soul, the looming question of my ability to continue as pastor of this great congregation weighed heavily on my heart and mind. Last fall seems like a long time ago now. As we pause to celebrate a building milestone in the history of this congregation, I want to thank God for the privilege of being able to be present. Life is a gift. And I am grateful to God and to all of you.

At last the dreaming, the planning, the capital campaign, the budgeting, the prioritizing, the change orders, and the surprises of the largest building and renovation adventure in the history of the Church is nearing completion. So it is a…