Catching up

I’m in the midst of such a whirlwind of activity and transition that I haven’t even posted about all the big events going on. On May 20, I graduated from Luther Seminary with a Master of Divinity degree. It was a joyous day of celebration with classmates and other family, friends, and great supporters.

Now the great exodus from campus has begun, as we all scatter for our various destinations. We’ve had some great opportunities to gather in revelry before all the moving started.

In a few days, it will be my turn, as I prepare to move. And that’s the biggest news of all…I have been called as pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Hartington, Nebraska, and Trinity Lutheran Church in Crofton, Nebraska.

Trinity in Hartington

Trinity in Crofton

So in the next three weekends, I will move to Nebraska, be ordained in Iowa, and be installed into my new congregations. As I said…a whirlwind of activity! I hope to return with more regular updates as the transition continues. There will be lots of excitement and exploring to do, after all!

Moving west

I'm headed to Nebraska! I've been assigned to the Nebraska Synod of the ELCA, so I'll begin my ministry somewhere in the Cornhusker state.

Bishop David deFreese called last night with a warm welcome to the synod. They were assigned five graduates, and we will all fly to Omaha at the end of this month to meet the each other and synod staff, and to talk more about our gifts and desires for ministry.

The synod website shows 36 open calls right now. Even though not all of them will be suitable for first-call candidates, it's a good sign. I'm optimistic that I'll be gainfully employed and launching my ministry sooner rather than later, so I look forward to this unfolding adventure!

Region 4

On Wednesday evening I was assigned to Region 4 of the ELCA, so I will start my ministry somewhere within this large area of the mid- to south-central U.S, which includes Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Arkansas, most of Texas, and Louisiana.





Given the huge geographic variations within this area, I'm eager to hear which synod I'll soon call home. It will make a big difference to the specifics of this new adventure...Nebraska is quite different from Louisiana, after all! I should get that news from one of the six bishops of this region on Thursday or Friday, so stay tuned!

Exciting week ahead

I’ve been away much longer than anticipated! Fall semester was busy and transitioning back to full-time classes after internship took some effort. Now fall semester seems ages ago, January term is in the record books, and my final semester at Luther Seminary is underway.

While I can’t promise a return to regular blogging just yet, I thought an update was in order. Early last fall, I wrote the last essay for my candidacy process. In October, I had an interview with two faculty members at the seminary, and in December, I had an interview with my candidacy committee back in the Southeastern Iowa Synod. The committee approved me for ordination in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

(If this sounds foreign, get the lowdown on the assignment and call process in this post.)

In just three days, late in the evening on Ash Wednesday, my classmates and I will learn of our regional assignments. At the same time, we will learn when we can expect to hear from a bishop with news of our synod assignment. Many regions do synodical assignments on March 1, so it will likely be around then.

The mix of emotions among seniors (including me) is out of control. Anxiety, excitement, grief, hope. It’s all the stuff that goes along with most major life transitions, and it’s amplified by the relative lack of control we have in this process that will so profoundly affect our futures.

But, perhaps the lack of control is also a blessing. I’ve expressed my preferences, tried to convey a sense of myself through a mountain of paperwork, and met individually with one of the seminary representatives attending the assignment consultation.

The outcome is now officially and completely out of my hands. There’s nothing left to do but trust that the Holy Spirit will work through the process, and remember that, wherever we’re called, we can follow with confidence as God leads the way.

So...watch for more news in the weeks ahead!