Pastoral Pondering

by Pastor Keith Larson

Last night was a “perfect” summer evening. I went for a bike ride and riding into Rustic Park, I realized there was an elementary girls’ softball game. I stopped and visited with folks under the shade trees while parents, grandparents and friends got excited about base hits and great defensive plays on the field. When I got home, Ginger and a friend were sitting talking together on the front porch swing. Later another friend dropped off a some books for me and together the 4 of us sat in good conversation on the porch for another 90 minutes. That was an idyllic evening of picture postcards and the “good old days.”

All of this was in stark contrast to a trip I made to Iowa City on Thursday, June 12. I can only describe that day as surreal. Driving through rain, thunder and lightening, the radio station was in “emergency” mode. There was one announcement after another about evacuations and road and street closures. A short distance ahead of me, the flashing lights of an ambulance headed towards Cedar Rapids added to the direness of the day.

I met with other conference deans and the Bishop. This was our last regular meeting with Bishop Hougen. Most of the meeting was reporting about the effects of flooding on all of us. The conference dean from the Cedar Rapids area is pastor in Vinton, so talked to us by phone as the Cedar River was cresting in Vinton as he was on the streets with his members. We spent more time on the phone with our local representative with Lutheran Disaster Response. When I headed for home, they closed Highway 1, just as I approached the Cedar River and reports and rumors were that others roads were closing. So for a short while I actually wondered how I was going to get home. (And that is amazing as I pride myself in knowing more routes to Iowa City than most anyone else around knows. In another 24 hours, there literally were no routes between here and there – well there was one “short cut” on gravel roads on high ground between the Cedar and Iowa Rivers that no one talked about).

We wish all our days could be like Monday summer evenings on the front porch, instead of Thursdays in the midst of disasters. Yet we live in a world that has as many Thursday disasters as Monday evening porch times. I am reminded of our brothers and sisters on the Palestinian side of the wall in the Holy Land who live with constant road closures enforced by soldiers not because of natural disasters but because of political decisions. Losing home or business or crops to floods is indeed horrific, but millions daily live with the fear of missiles, bombs, and gunfire destroying their homes, businesses, and lives.

Many of us know people who were severely impacted by floods and tornadoes, and some in our church family have been temporarily displaced and have difficulties enough. While we do not know people in other parts of the world who suffer from disasters – natural and human-generated, each of them shares with us the same core of humanity that would prefer the comfort and joy of a relaxing evening on the front porch with friends. May God provide for us enough calm front porch time to give us strength to face the hard times when they come and to provide aid, support, and comfort to those who face the hard disaster times of life.

I have been terribly distracted for the past several weeks – I mean really distracted. The source of the distraction was the election of bishop in our synod. Our system of electing a bishop involves each of the almost 500 voting members being able to vote for any pastor in our church. In the last months, several people had asked my wife if they could nominate her. Ginger consented.

People always ask, “Did she want the job?” There is no easy answer to that question. One would hope that one would not say yes to being nominated if the person did not in some way want the job. To consent to being nominated is to also consent to serve if elected. Once a person consents to being a part of the process, that person necessarily must begin thinking about what is important, what one wants to accomplish, all the time knowing that one may not be elected, but could be elected. The person needs to be confident of his or her gifts and talents, at the same time recognizing that if God’s Spirit brings about an election, the same Spirit will also provide the other gifts needed to do the task. At the same time, one also knows the task of synod bishop is a daunting one with high demands and a very public face. I do not know if she could have been pinned down to a simple yes/no answer to that question. She agreed to be a part of the process and would have considered it a call from God to be elected.

Well when Ginger consented to be part of the process, I became part of the process. I am perhaps my wife’s biggest fan – along with her parents and our sons. I have the highest regard for her gifts and talents as a pastor and leader in the church. I have thought (and still think) she would be good bishop. But if she necessarily had to begin thinking about the possibility of being a bishop, I, also, had to imagine what that would mean for me. And I have a vivid imagination. The upshot of it was that for some weeks now it was difficult for me to think concretely beyond May 17.

The whole process exacts an enormous emotional toll on the candidates (and spouses). Retiring Bishop Hougen, in thanking everyone who allowed themselves to be considered (over 60 persons were nominated – including me; 34 persons allowed their names to be considered – not me), reflected on cost of being in the process said, “It messes with peoples’ heads.” Ginger and I both have a ways to go to get ourselves “back in the groove.” It will take me less time because I was not as personally involved – I didn’t have to address the Assembly and in 5 minutes spell out my dreams for the synod and tell them who I was – even still I still hardly slept the night before.

The synod Assembly is past. We have a new bishop. We all look forward to getting to know him. It is not particularly common for synods to elect someone they barely know. And I can begin thinking more concretely about the future.

We each get asked in many ways to serve God in the church and community – whether it is to be nominated for congregation council, to teach Sunday school or Bible school, to serve as an Women of the ELCA officer, to be an usher, to run for city council or school board. Just being asked takes an emotional toll as we weigh the costs and responsibilities. But we are grateful for all who say yes. God’s kingdom needs willing workers to perform a variety of important tasks in the church and in the world. Thanks to all who seriously consider serving when asked, and thanks especially for those who agree to serve in many ways.