Christ Lutheran

Here's the back entrance to my church. It comes complete with this beautiful fountain that's has water that's a bit too blue sometimes after they clean it. You can see the steeple in the front of the church.

This is the Spirit Hall where we have our contemporary worship. Obviously it's not set up for that right now. However, it's packed on Sunday mornings and quite the place to be.

This is that sanctuary where we have traditional worship. I think it's beautiful and really is classic colonial style decor. I will be preaching from the high podium on the left. Crazy!

Fighting the Good Fight

I've been here for a little over two weeks and I must say, it is hard to believe. In many ways, it feels like I've always been here. I'm getting into a routine, finding my way around the area, making some friends through church, and quickly learning what it is that I need to be doing around here. It's still all very new and fresh and exciting. However, I can also start calling this place and my church home. It's quite the mix but it keeps me on my toes while letting me relax a bit.

At church they also haven't hesitated giving me responsibility. Between Rally Sunday, starting a capital campaign, and all the crazyness that comes with fall programming kicking off again, it's been a whirlwind of action with me trying to help where I can. Plus, they aren't afraid to let me do random stuff for the service. I sang the kyrie on Sunday which was fun (for you fellow seminarians and hardcore Lutherans, it was setting one and incredibly easy) and was told 30 minutes before the service that I was supposed to do the prayers. But, I love the busyness, even though the busyness kind of misses me because I'm new and am not expected to really do as much. I've been impressed with how the staff at church work like a well oiled machine. The joys of being at a healthy large church.

The good news is that I'm actually finding that my seminary education hasn't been for nothing. I think that my middler year in general has instilled a fighting spirit in me. This could be fighting against the part of the system that seems to want to domesticate me or fighting on behalf of what I really believe about the potential of the Gospel, God, and the church. And this fight, this passion, is translated directly into my ministry. It's not just talk anymore, I finally get to put my money where my mouth is and put all this energy, put this fight, into a church that cares, that's passionate about the Gospel and delivering it to the people. So, though the year was hard and took so much out of me, I'm glad I had that conflict because I think that makes this experience, this chance to be a church so much more meaningful and there is no way I'm going to waste it if I can help it. I know I still am going to need all the grace I can get from God and the congregation but I know that with the help of God, I'm not going to sit and let this pass me by.

Some Pre-Inernship Thoughts

Yes, I'm living in Charlotte, but my internship doesn't officially start till Sunday. Hospitality is a word that comes to mind as I get settled in here in NC. The church community has been so gracious in welcoming me to Charlotte and even though I was expecting a warm welcome, I can't help but be blown away at how they have all been so giving already. I have a fully furnished apartment, I've been taken out for a meal every day since I've gotten here, and have been given so much more than I could have asked for or deserve. And I think that is God's grace at work through people. And I hope I can show them grace as well throughout my year here.

The other thing I am always amazed by is how God can work in the most surprising ways. I really do think he has a sense of humor. This past year at seminary I was the captain/manager of our soccer team and was part of the leadership team of a student led worship service. These were things I did because I loved them. They were great for building community in the seminary and it was fun to do something different. However, I never really thought they'd play a big role in my internship this year. In talks with my supervising pastor about a possible internship project, we've talked a lot about young adults ministry, working with people who are just out of college or grad school and are looking for some sort of connection at the church. And ideas that have been thrown around include a worship service such as The Way and activities such as a soccer team since apparently there are a lot of young adults interested in soccer.

Now this stuff is all in talks and again, I haven't even officially started my internship. But, I really see it as a lesson to never take anything that you do for granted. God will find a way to use whatever talents and experiences you have, as trivial as it may seem (such as being a captain of a rag-tag-seminary soccer team) and make good use of them. And maybe that is a part of ministry, being surprised that even the smallest or easiest thing might open a door to preach the Gospel and reach out to others. And in all of this I have to remember not to take anything for granted, because God is looking to use and work with all of me, the whole package, to get the Word out. And he's doing the same with everyone else.

New Residence = Charlotte!

I made it here safe and sound. After three pretty easy days of driving including my favorite part, WV (there were lots of hills, mountains, and trees) I arrived to my new life in Charlotte. Crazy! (I feel I'll be writing that a lot in the next few weeks) So, I am here, I'm alive, and I'm getting settled (I have a feeling I'll be making a trip to Target every night this week to get more stuff). I have a wonderful place and I'm itching to start work (my first official day is Sunday). I'm excited to see what God has planned for me. Peace out!

Ends, Beginnings, and Drives

Well, here I go. I'm on the cusp. I'm looking over the edge and preparing to jump. 3, 2, 1... It's all very crazy to think of where I am now. Getting ready to live outside of the midwest for the first time in my life. In a way, this is what I was made for. I love new experiences and meeting new people, hearing their stories, and learning from everything that happens from me. I have always thrived off of adventure and off of doing ministry. Change is something I've been able to handle with a surprising amount of grace. But, this of course does not make this any easier. And maybe that's how it's supposed to be. Ends always carry some mourning with them. Even though I will find myself back here in a year, it will be different. I certainly hope that I will grow and mature as an intern and change for the better. But I look forward in hope. Beginnings are always exciting, they carry so many possibilities and opportunities. When I was driving up to Alexandria I saw an exit for "Opportunity Drive." I kid you not! It seemed perfect and the friends I was visiting noticed the same sign and I think it meant the same to all of us especially since they are also traveling cross country.

God has blessed me and them with an opportunity to go out there and be a part of a ministry for a year that is outside the Luther Seminary bubble. And as much as I have enjoyed my time here, I think I am ready to go out to the larger community and world and do my best to share the Gospel because we are all in need of hearing some good news in the midst of all this war and conflict and pain. This is what God intended me to be doing this year, going to Charlotte and I know that it is an incredible opportunity. So, even as scary as it may be, I take heart knowing that this is ultimately God's plan for my life and that His love and grace will carry me through this year. Peace and God's blessings to all of you who are making similar journeys and may every "drive" be an opportunity.

Preach It Girl!

This past weekend I got the opportunity to preach at my home congregation, Zion Lutheran in Anoka, MN and it was quite a trip! First of all, I have been a member of my church since I came to America when I was a baby. I was baptized there and confirmed there and it's my home in every sense of the word. So, being asked to preach by the senior pastor was quite an honor. It's also kind of scary because I've known many of the members for years and you want to do a good job because I felt like I needed to prove it to myself and others that I could get up in front of all these people and get the job done.

It was quite the process writing this sermon and I'll be honest, it was hard. There was just a lot more pressure than usual (most of this pressure was from me, just so we're clear). Plus, preaching to around 1000 people at three different services in a large sanctuary is quite different than preaching before 8 friends and your prof in a small chapel. But, it got done, I got good feedback from a trusted friend, and went with what I had.

Sunday... It went really well! Better than I could have hoped for. I got a wonderful reception from the congregation, people gave me great feedback and seemed to really get something out of it, and I knew that the Holy Spirit was there in a big way. I was told content was good which was most important to me. I talked too fast (which is a bad habit of mine) and need to work a bit on delivery. So, it's been a great learning experience.

I did leave feeling incredibly blessed as well. To know that I have people at home praying for me as I venture out to NC, well, it makes a huge difference. And to have all that encouragement before I go out and do this "for real" in a congregation that will get to hear me preach once a week. I feel very heartened by this experience and will take it with me as one of the highlights of the summer.

p.s. I preached on Ephesians 3:14-21 and Christian identity. It's a great passage, you should look it up!

Comebacks

For those of you who don't know me well enough or at least haven't spent enough time around me during the summer and fall I am a Minnesota Twins fanatic. I have been a huge Twins fan ever since I was a kid and I love the return of baseball season, web gems, and everything in between. This season started out a bit rough. Though they won their home opener in convincing style they went on a slide that was difficult for us die hard fans to watch. I still watched the games, I still cheered them on, and cringed when we lost yet another game we should have won.

However, in the past month and a half they have crawled back from fourth place in the central division to earn a second place tie with the defending champion White Sox and be only a half a game out in the AL Wild Card chase. It's been a wild run and we've beat some of the best including the Red Sox and White Sox and now we're going to face the fierce Tigers in what I'm sure will be a great showdown.

And for those of you who don't care about baseball or the Twins or that might be wondering why I'm talking so much about baseball on a blog that's supposed to be mainly about ministry, here's my tie in. I take great heart in the fact that even though everyone had written them off as a lost cause, that people had given hope of having a good season, that even in the midst of losing some of their most solid players to injuries, they could make this huge run and comeback to where they are. It really shows that the human spirit is capable of in the midst of hardships and as I find myself in the midst of a difficult month with a lot of huge life transitions happening I like to believe that I am capable of bouncing back from whatever curveball life throws at me. And all of this I do with my #1 fan, God, who will love and support me no matter how many errors I commit, no matter how bad of a hitting slump I may in, or how many games I may throw away. Plus, I already know he's the perfect pinch hitter.

Am I in the middle of a comeback as big as the Twins? I don't know but I'll keep you updated as the season progresses. :)

Last Days, "Goodbyes," and Other Ends

Friday was my last day at Joe's Crab Shack. After two years of dancing on chairs, serving up good seafood and good service (at least I hope), and meeting some amazing people, my time there was done. And much like my life in general now, it was kind of hard to believe. Granted, it is nice to know I will have more free time to prep for internship I know I will miss all the people I've worked with. It has been the perfect escape from seminary and I am grateful for the great friends I have made there. And I think what made my last day a bit more difficult (other than the fact that it was surprisingly busy) was it was the first of the many "goodbyes" I will be saying in the next two weeks.

As a friend of mine told me months before he passed away, there are no "goodbyes," only "see you laters." I find myself leaning on that as I say "goodbye" to seminary friends who are in different classes than I. Being the small world that it is in the ELCA, I know I will most likely cross paths with many of them in the future. But just in case I don't, it is good to know that I can rely on the promises of God.

And as my time in MN comes to an end, as I start saying goodbye to people I love dearly such as my family and friends I remember that I am only gone for a year and that email, cell phones, and blogging are wonderful gifts. And as for what I am leaving all this for, the chance to be a pastor in training and to live out my call in a more real world setting, well, it's not too shabby. "Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end." Praise God for new beginnings!

"The One"

With so many weddings and other things going on in our lives these days, this phrase seems to come up a lot. "Is he/she the one?" And this is something that has been on my mind a great deal recently in light of current events. And turns out, I hadn't found the one yet. However, as much as this discovery can break the heart, I was reminded at the Gathering this week of a completely different meaning of this phrase that carries as much importance in my life at least.

At camp we would always talk about "the one" camper that made the day/week/summer worth it. That no matter how the rest of the summer went, you would always remember that one camper that showed you that you were supposed to be at camp, at that time, to interact with that one person and that they made it all worth it. They were the reason you were there.

Quite unexpectedly, I met "the one" at the Gathering. I wasn't expecting this at all. I highly doubted I would be able to get into a deep conversation with anyone in the chaos of the Gathering, especially since I wasn't attached to a group. But never underestimate God! It was a chance encounter and I found myself talking to this high schooler about the existence of God, atheism, life, grace, and everything inbetween, all while standing at the seminary booth. Though I do not know whether I helped him find his way or answers is beside the point. What I found was the reason I want to be in ministry. I want to be challenged by people. I want to be able to have these conversations with people. And I want people to know they can come to me in times when they are doubting the existence of God even though I'm their pastor. I will be at a church to preach the Gospel and administer the sacraments but so much of what I will be doing is relational and that is what will keep me going ultimately. I will be preaching the Gospel from not just a pulpit. And I hope I can help other people find this call as well.

So, even though I was sent to the Gathering to find youth with a potential call to seminary I instead found a reminder of why I am at seminary and a new friend who will challenge me and help me grow in my faith and my call. He was "the one" that made all the difference in my life during this fast paced, hectic, God-filled week.

The Youth Are on Fire!

This past week I had the privelage to travel to the ELCA National Youth Gathering in San Antonio as a representative for Luther Seminary. I had never been to one of these before and I was blown away. Think of camp on a bigger budget and on more steroids than Barry Bonds! There were 20,000+ Lutherans in San Antonio for this event and it was quite the experience. There was no escaping the Lutherans (what a scary thought!).

I got to help run the booth for all the ELCA seminaries and got the pleasure of meeting reps from all over the country. We handed out seminary cups, coerced people into getting their picture taken behind out little people cut outs like this:
It was fun and I got to meet a lot of people and talk to high schoolers and experience the Gathering at its best.

Among my favorite parts were the mass Gatherings for Bible Study in the morning or for the big show/speaker/band at night. It was amazing to worship with 20,000 other people and high schoolers at that! The Newsboys was the highlight in worship for me. Singing "He Reigns" and "Blessed Be Your Name" with that many other people was amazing!!! It was almost enough to bring tears to me eyes (and you know, it might have, I don't quite remember). And though not all of them might have been there to learn more about God, I think and know that a lot of seeds were planted this week and the past week and here's hoping these seeds are given the opportunities to grow and maybe one of those kids we talked to will end up where I am a few years down the line.