August 2022
Our stories are all stories of searching. We search for a good self to be and for good work to do. We search to become human in a world that tempts us always to be less than human or looks to us to be more. We search to love and to be loved. And in a world where it is often hard to believe in much of anything, we search to become something holy and beautiful and life-transcending that will give meaning and purpose to the lives we live.” Frederick Buechner
Dear Friends of First Lutheran,
You and I are not invisible people. I believe that God sees us. I believe that God believes in us. I believe that God desires for our lives to have meaning and purpose; that God wants us to craft our lives as beautiful works of art. I began my monthly article with a quote from Frederick Buechner, as I reflect on the last few years searching for my best of self and for good work to do...perhaps, my purpose in life.
On August 5th, I will have completed three years of ordained ministry here at First Lutheran church. The first seven months were filled with many well intended people telling, teaching, and sharing with me all the previous practices of worship and of previous events that went well and those that didn’t go so well. I was told I could adhere to many of the suggestions or introduce some new practices, but not to change life’s rhythm. Then, in March 2020, the rhythm of life at First Lutheran came to a halt. The church closed. For many of us, living through the pandemic has meant letting go of life’s rhythm, what we’ve known and counted on—people, places, and habits that once grounded us. The pandemic may have brought many changes to how you live your life, and with that, at times, uncertainty, altered daily routines, financial pressure, and social isolation. You may worry about getting sick, how long the pandemic will last, whether your job will be affected and what the future will bring. Information overload, rumors and misinformation that made your life feel out of control and made things unclear as we question where to go from here.
This was exactly how I felt. In time, church members would question decisions made and gradually would become inpatient and intolerant; some have left the church. I haven’t even mentioned all the growing crisis in America: the riots, shootings, protests, and division. This should have been a time for Christians to come together for prayer and support and healing. Trauma and tragedy caused some people to challenge the concept of God as all-loving and protective, so we struggled with our relationship with God and had difficulty with the contrast between behaviors and our moral and spiritual values. For many, their spiritual health suffered as much as their physical and mental health.
Pastors need to proactively guard and assess their health and well-being, taking a holistic assessment of how they are doing. More than ever, the church needs resilient leaders who are humble, agile, rooted in prayer and who are committed to being healthy as an essential aspect of effective leadership. But pastors cannot do it alone. They rely on the body of Christ to walk along with them during times of joy and in times of trouble. I ask you to reflect on your own spiritual health as we move forward. Are there ways that you can find purpose and meaning in your life through the ministries at First Lutheran? There is good work to be done that is holy, beautiful and life transcending. I invite you to join us in this work.
In Christ
Pastor Jim