First Call: The Unexpected Journey

By now, anyone who is reading this more than likely knows that I have been assigned the Eastern North Dakota synod of the ELCA for my first call. At first I was surprised that the bishops assigned me to this synod because it was not on my preference list that I had submitted! However in further conversations with Bishop Terry Brandt and his staff it soon became more than apparent that he carefully read my profile and thought that Eastern North Dakota could provide the best opportunity to grow as a pastor as well as for Emily and I to flourish as a family. As each day passes I begin to see that my story is much like that of Abraham's in Genesis 12:1-5a. It reads as follows:

Now the Lord said to Abram, "Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed. So Abram went, as the Lord had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. Abram took his wife Sarai and his brother's son Lot, and all the possessions that they had gathered...

Indeed I am headed off for a another country, well another state, but I am picking up everything I have and moving it to an unknown place. And joining me on this journey is my wife and canine companion. 

In all honesty the thought of moving is scary, the thought of finding housing is stressful, the thought of finding employment for my wife is overwhelming, and the thought of being done with school takes me aback (I've been in school in some form or another for the past 20 years of my life). All of these things matched with work and finishing up my Master's degree has left me feeling fatigued. Such has been my journey this Lenten season, that of wandering through the wilderness of anxiety and "what if's" knowing that the promised land and gift of life awaits at the end of these forty days. 

And yet I have a strange sense of courage going through this whole process. Sure there are plenty of things I cannot control and cannot foresee, but I am stepping boldly into this call. Above you read that Abraham was called by God to go to a new country because God wanted to make of him a great nation and that through that nation they might be able to bless the entire world. And what did Abraham do? He left. 

So too God is calling me to leave the comforts of my home and close proximity of my family and friends. Emily, Summit, and I will pack up all of our possessions and head for North Dakota. It is our faith that God is blessing us with this new place and new people, it is through our faith that we might be a blessing to them, and it is through our faith that together we all might bless the world. This first first call is unexpected, but it is a journey of faith that we are joyfully entering.

Peace to you all, 

Tom

Excessive Convergence

Wow it has been over a month since I last posted! My apologies to you all. Let me explain...This past month has been hectic with all of the transitioning after the senior pastor's retirement, my last semester of school at Luther Sem. started, and finally "the draft." A few weeks ago all of the candidates for ordained ministry were divided into regions of U.S. for synod assignment. I received Region 3 which includes Minnesota and both North and South Dakota. Now I await for a call from my synod bishop this week. I am a mixed bag of nervous and excited as I am sure all of us who are waiting for "the call." With that said, I have had some trouble focusing on life. And who can't relate with all of life's anxieties and joys?!

A few months ago I went to the eye doctor because I was having trouble focusing my sight during worship when I would glance down at my sermon and then to the congregation. At first I did not think it was anything, just my tired eyes in the morning. But it continued, so finally I went to see a doctor. Now I thought I was going to need a new prescription (I have one for seeing distance when in a classroom, my current prescription is from high school!), but that was not the case. The doctor informed me that I have "excessive convergence." Essentially he told me that when I look straight my eyes are straight, but when I look down they slightly cross so that they compete for dominance and take extra time to focus. And here is the thing, a prescription would just make this worse! Instead I am supposed to go to eye physical therapy to remedy the problem.

How many of us have excessive convergence? Perhaps you do not have it literally like myself, but I suspect you do have it in your life. Think about all of your worries and anxieties, your regrets and failings. Often times they plague us, haunting us wherever we go causing our eyes and lives to blur and we find ourselves lost.But the Holy Spirit redirects us from our inward, selfish, scared dazing and up into the wonderful world around us. The Holy Spirit frees us from being enslaved to our anxieties and opens us up to living into the creation God made us to be.

My prayer for you all this Lent is to live into the creation God made you to be!

Peace,
Tom