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!

Trip to Iowa

I made a very quick overnight trip to Iowa this weekend, mostly to see my sweet niece...the only chance I'm likely to have between the Fourth of July and Thanksgiving, unfortunately. But it was worth it, and she is cute as ever, of course.





Fascinated with my bling. And my painted toenails. The girl has style sense already.




So big! Nine months old and catching up from a birth weight of less than 3 pounds.




Love that smirk.




This was the first time I'd been to my hometown of Vinton, Iowa, since they were hit by a big storm in mid-July. The winds were 100-130 miles per hour, and I've heard they knocked out about three-quarters of the city's trees. Naturally, it looks very different, and there is still much clean-up to do.

The Great Minnesota Get-Together

It's a sure bet that summer's coming to an end when the Minnesota State Fair rolls around, but, despite that sad omen, it's still fabulous entertainment. I went with my friends Phil and Rachel, and their dear daughter, Annika.





It was a lovely day to go--not too hot, and manageable crowds.








We each indulged in our treats of choice: frozen key lime pie on a stick for Phil, orange-mango sorbet in a half-orange peel for Rachel, s'more on a stick for me. Plus cheese curds, obviously, since they're a main feature of the fair. Rachel has fantastic pictures of all of it on her blog, and Annika enjoyed her own snack as well.





Combined with the excitement of the evening, it was enough to knock her right out. She rode in style and got some good rest while we reveled.





Be sure to check out the wonderful pictures on Rachel's blog, including our very attractive paper fish hats from Gander Mountain. And look for more in the next few days.

Nerstrand Big Woods State Park

I finally made it to the beautiful Big Woods State Park near Nerstrand. Check out a few pictures from a hike around part of the park. I loved the variety of scenery...mostly woods, but with a stream and waterfall thrown in, and a few spots of meadow and open sky. Breathtaking all around.

More VBS

I already got to help with vacation Bible school (VBS) at Holden and Dale, and this week I was in on the festivities at Grace.

Their overall theme was "God's Safety Camp," and they had the usual supper, singing, games, and crafts. My contribution was a Bible story and short discussion that tied in with each night's topics. The first night focused on fire safety, the second first aid, and the third (and final) night on personal and community safety.

It made for some great adventures...like Firefighter Nate in full gear while Firefighter Pat explained what it was about.




The kids got to see the water spray from the truck all the way up to the water tower...




...and then they got to do their own water spraying.




First Responder Carmen taught the kids some great first aid tips, like how to stabilize a broken arm.




And she helped them put together their own first aid kits.




Rice County Sheriff's Deputy Dan talked to the kids about all kinds of safety issues, and also about his job as a deputy and DARE officer.




Then they all had a chance to try out the lights and siren in the car. (Seriously, all of them. My ears haven't yet recovered.)




The committee put together a very educational and engaging experience for these kids, and I was delighted to be a part of it.

Another women's retreat

I recently helped facilitate a retreat day for the Trinity ladies, and last weekend I had a chance to do something similar with the ladies of Gol.

We gathered for refreshments, with an emphasis on healthier options (veggie spread, fresh fruit, and dark chocolate).




We did a little exercising.




We studied scripture. A table full of open Bibles, soon to be surrounded by faithful women eager to read and discuss...it's a lovely sight.




And, finally, we packed about 20 kits full of basic toiletries and health supplies for use with AIDS and hospice patients internationally (sadly, I missed the details of where they'll be sent).




That table of stuff turned into these neat little packages, ready to bless their recipients after already blessing the women who prepared them.




It was a beautiful day of fellowship, study, and service with a wonderful group of women.

Beautiful chapel

I went on a visit this week to the Fairview Seminary Home in Red Wing. It was my first time there, and it was a great place to go. It's in a beautiful neighborhood up on a bluff overlooking the Mississippi river and full of historic homes. And, as soon as I walked in the main door, I was greeted by a lovely chapel.





These panels behind the altar, and the framed pieces below, are painted fabric. They are quite impressive.








There is also a gorgeous series of stained-glass window panels above the clear windows. They depict the six days of creation.

The hallowed funeral lunch

I have been blessedly free of funerals lately, after a pretty intense run earlier this year. There have been a couple in our parishes in recent weeks but I have sat them out due to scheduling conflicts or "extra" clergy types already participating. I'm really not short on experience at this point, so it's not quite as important to clear my calendar for funerals, at least in terms of my own learning.

But I did want to give a shout out to the faithful servants of our congregations (and many others) who add so much to the day by preparing a lunch for the mourners. There's a reason the funeral lunch is such an institution--it's an important opportunity for the bereaved to gather and support each other and share stories and start to laugh again.


All set up and ready to go at First.




Norwegian napkins for a personal touch at Grace.




Serving table coming together at Holden.




Cake. There is always much cake. This time it's at Gol.




It's a blessing that so many folks are willing to take hours out of their day to cook, prepare, serve, and clean up for a whole crowd of people. One of my pastors calls the funeral lunch a "ministry of love and mercy" and I think that's an apt description.

Beautiful bank

Check it out: the Wells Fargo Bank in Owatonna.








Originally the National Farmers' Bank, it was designed in 1908 by architect Louis Sullivan. He designed several other Midwestern banks (photos and locations here) but the one in Owatonna is the most grand.








There's a brochure with more information here (it opens as a PDF). What a fun surprise to encounter such beauty on a routine errand!

Community worship

One of the fun possibilities of summer is outdoor worship. We gathered in West Concord this weekend for the annual community celebration, called Survival Days, and it included a worship service on Sunday morning.

The band that helped lead worship was called Rise to LIFE, with LIFE standing for "Living in Faith Every day." They were a talented group of young men from the Kasson-Mantorville school district nearby.





Five churches joined together for ecumenical worship: Concord Church of Christ, Faith Community Church, West Concord United Methodist Church, Trinity, and Hegre. I was scheduled to lead worship at Hegre, so I got in on this event by default.

Unfortunately, it was my last Sunday at Hegre, so I missed out on saying a proper farewell. (The goodbye process is quite prolonged with eight churches.) One of the tricky things about juggling all these congregations is that sometimes details like this get overlooked until it's too late. Fortunately, there were some Hegre folks at community worship and it was a pleasure to see them again.





The festivities continued with food booths and entertainment. I did have coffee with some folks at the legion hall, where a breakfast was being served, then the real festivities started back up again at 1 p.m. with a parade, ice cream social, and other events.





We were lucky to have a beautiful day. I was actually a bit cool for the first time in over a week. It was a terrific change of pace from the stifling heat of late.