Dear First Pres,
Friday night, as the news spread about the death of our friend and Pastor-at-Large, Rev. Dr. H. Spees, it was a hard blow. H truly embodied the phrase of Pastor-at-Large. He was a shepherd to so many of us in the FPC family, and he was a shepherd to countless others throughout our city and world.
I first met H when I was still serving in Gig Harbor, Washington. It was the summer of 2012 when I had been announced as the incoming Senior Pastor for FPC Fresno but was still finishing out my time at the church in Gig Harbor. H was in nearby Tacoma for a Leadership Foundations meeting, so he initiated a lunch meeting to get acquainted. I had no idea what a blessing that would be. In the midst of my trepidation about moving to Fresno and joining my family into the life of FPC, my time with H was like a tall glass of courage, vision, and hope. Now, as I think about nearly eleven years of relationship with H, that first glass of courage, vision and hope was simply a foretaste of the constant encouragement he was to me.
H seemed to be constantly giving his life away to others in the name of Jesus. He loved really well, and in the midst of that he was deeply loved and enriched. This is the call and opportunity that each of us has in Christ. None of us is going to live it out just like H did, but all of us have the opportunity, by the power of the Holy Spirit, to give our lives away to the people around us in the name of Jesus. Loving others intentionally and generously. Pointing them to the good news of Jesus. Building them up in Christ. This is what it means to join Jesus in loving our neighbors, making disciples and pursuing shalom. Can you imagine how powerful it would be if all of us made ourselves available to the Lord the way we saw H do with his life?
I’m so grateful for H’s influence in my life and the lives of so many in our congregation. I’m grateful to his family for sharing him. I’m grateful to the Lord for drawing him to faith so many years ago at Glendale Presbyterian Church. As we grieve his death and celebrate his life in Christ, may we each be inspired to invest more deeply in the kingdom of God to be in Fresno as it is in heaven.
Blessings,
Jeremy
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