A Pastor Looks at 30 (with a nod to Jimmy Buffet)
On July 14, 1996, I was installed as the pastor at GoodShepherd Evangelical Lutheran Church in Novi, Michigan. Who knew that I would serve here as a pastor
for thirty years? There are unlimited
memories from the past three decades. Trying to detail them will be impossible.
 |
| July 14, 1996 |
As you can see from the photo on the right, we arrived
with two children. While here, God
blessed us with five more, although the youngest of the five was stillborn. Isaac is interred at Glen Eden Memorial Park
in Livonia, awaiting the resurrection.
Our children were all blessed to receive a solid
Christian education at St. Peter's Lutheran School in Plymouth and at St.
Paul's Lutheran School in Livonia. Good
Shepherd members generously provided amazing assistance with tuition which made
this education possible. I had wondered
if they would grow tired of this generous gift after a year or two, but they
came through every year. Our gratitude
goes beyond words.
 |
| Easter 2026 |
We are also grateful that our children attended MichiganLutheran Seminary to further their Christian education there. (Peter has one year to go.) They have proven to remain faithful beyond
their years at MLS and have settled in to Lutheran congregations in their new
homes. I am reminded of the words of the
blessed apostle John who wrote, "I have no greater joy than to hear that my
children are walking in the truth" (3 John 4). I don't feel like I have praised my children
enough. They are a true source of pride.
I would be remiss if I did not single out my dear wife,
Laura, who has been a wonderful blessing as a wife, and particularly as a
pastor's wife. She has been an
encourager, a sounding-board, an unofficial secretary, and stress-reliever for
me. I wish I could have been helpful to
her at church as she had to manage, at one point, five children ages 7 and
under. A few times one of our children
was able to escape her grasp and ran up to me during the service. Unfortunately, I had to return the child to
his or her mother and let the juggling continue. As you can see in the photo above, she managed
them well. Their manners and integrity
are to be credited to her.
While I could name so many people who have crossed our
paths over these past thirty years, I am sure that I would regret failing to
mention someone later. Some have been
here for my entire ministry. Some for
many years. Some for only a short stay. All were dear to me. You entrusted me with your burdens, concerns,
and fears. You might have feared that I
would think less of you by confiding in me with your struggles. On the contrary, I prayed more for you out of
a deep compassion for you. You welcomed
me into your homes. You invited me to
share in some of the most joyful and sorrowful moments of your life. You willingly gave of your time, your money,
your skills, and your devotion to God's kingdom, and you were glad to work with
me in doing so. What a blessing! I prayed for each of you by name every week.
I was grateful that Good Shepherd was so receptive to
efforts which enhanced the reverence of our Divine Services. We now have holy communion every Sunday. We have a processional crucifix (a gift from John
& Amy Warner), used in the festival portion of the Church year. We employed the Gospel procession for the high
festivals (Christmas, Easter, Pentecost). We welcomed chanting the liturgy. We gained an appreciation for the Triduum in
Holy Week. We recently added a very
ornate Gospel book (a gift from Mark & Carol Casmer) and chasubles (a gift
from Pastor & Susan Gibbons) which help to hide the person of the pastor
and to accentuate the office. After all,
the pastors may change, but the vestments will not.
I could not tell you how many baptisms, marriages,
funerals, or confirmations I performed. And I would not feel bad if people did not
remember that I had performed any of these rites for them. I want them to remember the divine promises
that are everlasting. That is what
matters.
Something few people would know is that I taped a Bible
verse to the pulpit. It is intended only
for the preacher to see. It states,
"Sir, we want to see Jesus" (John 12:21). It reminds me of the duty of a pastor, and I
pray that I have been faithful to that calling. Before every sermon, I pray, "Send your
Holy Spirit with this sermon so that it might be worth something to those who
hear it." I trust God has heard my
prayer and blessed the sermons accordingly.
Thirty years have not been perfect. While Good Shepherd's members may not know or
remember my mistakes, there are many conversations or actions I wish that I
could have back. The pastor's daily
prayer includes this petition: "Fill my heart with a passion for souls and
with skillfulness to give unto each and every sheep or lamb entrusted to my
care what is due unto it at the proper time. Give me at all times sound advice
and just works; and wherever I overlook something or in the weakness of my
flesh speak or act wrongly, do Thou set it aright, and help that no one may
through me suffer harm to his soul." I rely on the Lord's mercy and forgiveness for
the wrongs I have done in making bad assumptions or in speaking or acting
rashly. I pray that God would still work
out his purposes despite my flaws and failings. And I am equally grateful that the people of
Good Shepherd have patiently borne with my weaknesses. I continue to pray to do better.
I have been overwhelmed by the attention, the gratitude,
and the generosity (although not surprised by the generosity) of the people
here as I am making my way to St. John's Lutheran Church in Lake City, MN. It has been such a joy to serve at Good
Shepherd. The people here have been
wonderful, and the people in the congregations in the area around us have been
wonderfully supportive as well.
I had told a few people, "Only a stupid person would
leave as the pastor of Good Shepherd in Novi." Well, guilty, I guess.
God bless Good Shepherd Evangelical Lutheran Church of
Novi, Michigan. And God bless St. John's Evangelical Lutheran
Church of Lake City, Minnesota. I look
forward to more joys and blessings there.
