Continuing a 'great legacy of faithfulness'

The Rev. Dr. Kim L. Nelson is the new pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Cape Girardeau. A San Francisco native, Nelson attended seminary at Princeton Theological Seminary, an institution of the Presbyterian Church situated in Princeton, N.J. He previously served at Lakeside Presbyterian Church in San Francisco. Nelson is a high-school football official and enjoys scuba diving. Pastor Kim, as he likes to be called, and his wife Rebecca have been married 40 years.

In this week's Ministry Focus, Nelson shares his thoughts about the ministry and its blessings.

Q: What is your favorite Bible verse?

A: It is important to me to be open to the current work of the Holy Spirit in my life and I celebrate whatever scripture comes through my reading and studying each day. For me, if I was to have just one or a few favorite scripture passages, I believe God would be limited in His molding of me into the person He wants me to be. So I constantly try to stay open to how the scriptures might be speaking to my heart and mind each day.

Some scriptures have been thematic in my life. Here are a couple of examples:

* John 8:31-33: "Then Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, 'If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.'"

* Philippians 4:4-7: "Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

* Matthew 25:34-40: "Then the king will say to those at his right hand, 'Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.' Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?' And the king will answer them, 'Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.'"

Q: How long have you been a member of your faith?

A: I was raised in a Christian home with wonderful Christian parents who humbly exhibited their faith each day. I knew of God's love through Jesus Christ from my earliest memories.

If you are asking about my relationship with the Presbyterian denomination (one of many denominations stemming out of the Reformation), I, like my parents, (and for several generations before them) have been a Presbyterian since I was born. It was a very conscious decision to remain a Presbyterian throughout my high school and college years. My fraternal grandmother is from Aberdeen, Scotland, where Presbyterianism was the acknowledged reformed denomination.

Q: What is the greatest blessing you've experienced in the ministry?

A: I strive to acknowledge God's multitude of blessings each day. I am convinced that I am unable to see all of God's blessings that are showered upon me each day. Just being aware of that fact, encourages me to live with my 'spiritual eyes' opened wide.

Each day is a collection of sacred moments all of which are gifts from God.

* God's blessing can be at the beginning of the day when one sees the changing colors of the sky during a sunrise.

* God's blessing can be in a hospital room where I have been asked to pray for a young mother in labor and to know that the words that God gave me to share brought a sense of His eternal peace in the midst of the birth pangs of life.

* God's blessings are sensed in a conversation with a 'houseless' man who frequents our church. I say 'houseless,' since we all have a home with God but sometimes our life's situation causes us to be without a physical roof over our heads here on earth.

* God's blessing can be felt while talking on the phone with a colleague as he or she thinks about a great moment in their ministry.

* God's blessing could be a new and enlightening insight into one of God's spiritual truths as I consider the words to a familiar hymn.

* God's blessings have been experienced when befriending a local peace officer and listening to his Christian walk of faith through his career.

In reality, I most likely miss more of God's daily blessings than I am able to consciously acknowledge. My prayer for all of us is that we might be more acutely aware of the multitude of God's blessings.

I am humbled and honored to be invited into the sacred spaces of peoples' lives. As a pastor, it is sacred ground that is gently explored with those who choose to share their journey with me.

Q: What do you hope to see in the future for First Presbyterian Church?

A: I accepted the call to become the pastor through the Presbyterian process that took this congregation about three years to complete. The congregation had been well served by its previous permanent pastor, Paul Kabo, and interim pastor, Bill Vincent.

It is my hope to continue a great legacy of faithfulness. The question was raised during the interview process about what does it mean to be 'faithful.' Being faithful is the commitment to express the love of God in demonstrative ways.

The future of this congregation and for any congregation lies in its willingness to be faithful to our God who is constantly calling us beyond our comfort zones to serve the physical and spiritual needs of our community and world.

I see an extremely bright future of the congregation of First Presbyterian Church as we continue to intentionally reach out to those in need and to walk in the midst of God's love for all of humanity.

This commitment can currently be seen in the congregation's physical and financial support of our community's Safe House for Women, Habitat for Humanity, The Amen Center, Farmington Youth Center, Heifer Project International, Cameron House (Chinese immigrant ministry), Boy Scout Troops No. 4 and No. 15 and Girl Scout Troop No. 70011, Jefferson Elementary School, FISH (local food pantry), Chateau Board and Foundation and the local chapter of the Salvation Army.

It is my personal hope that this strong community support will continue and grow. One of the key indicators of a healthy and vibrant congregation is its visible engagement with one or more local concerns.

In the next few weeks and months our careful evaluation of our community will confirm our current endeavors and possibly identify that which God may be asking us to make a significant commitment.

The future of this congregation lies in its willingness to be faithful. Needless to say, this is an exciting time to affirm God's leading and to discern what opportunities should be embraced for sharing the Love of God.

Q: Tell us a little about these interests (football officiating and scuba diving) and what you enjoy most about each.

A: I was blessed with outstanding men of faith as my coaches in high school and college. There was a seamless nature to their faith that was ingrained into me that my faith should be exhibited in all aspects of my life.

My initial invitation to join the ranks of football officials came from an active elder in the church I first served in Stockton, Calif. His name is Bob Blower. For the past 36 seasons I have been blessed to be on the field with other outstanding men of faith as officials and coaches.

As I recently shared at a Rotary meeting in the San Francisco Bay Area, "It has been a privilege to officiate in an area with so many outstanding Christian coaches. For there is not a game that goes by that I don't hear about Jesus Christ from the sidelines!" Now, granted, they may not use that sacred name the same way I do but it often gives me an opportunity to have a brief conversation about our important roles as mentors, coaches, teachers and parents to the youth that God has entrusted to our care.

Scuba diving has always been a passion of mine, although I did not become certified until 1996. I was one of the many young men that faithfully followed the exploits of Mike Nelson on "Sea Hunt" played by Lloyd Bridges. Most of my creative writing exercises in school were centered upon the oceans and the myriad life-forms which God had created to fill the seas. After my original open water certification I quickly took additional classes to become an assistant Instructor for PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors).

In 1998 I became a volunteer diver for the Monterey Bay Aquarium and continued to dive with them through 2012. As one of their feeding show divers which is streamed live on the Internet each day, I was able share my love of the oceans and thankfulness to God for creating this wonderful environment.

My experience at the aquarium and having the privilege of diving around the world also has made me acutely aware of our important role of taking care of this fragile planet we call home. I am committed to reducing our environmental footprint so that future generations might be able to enjoy the diversity of life and undeveloped natural settings. How we take care of one another and how we take of this planet are integrated into my walk and practice of my faith.

lpresson@semissourian.com

388-3649

Pertinent address:

235 Broadway, Cape Girardeau, MO