By S.A.M. Devlyn Brooks
There are a handful of moments in my life that are forever indelibly etched into my memory. The births of our sons; mine and Shelley’s wedding; the first chapel service I attended at Luther Seminary; and a few others.
The newest moment to join that select group is Sunday, Sept. 12, 2021, the day you all voted to call me to be the pastor here at Faith Lutheran Church.
After a festive kickoff Rally Sunday that included the blessing of our Sunday school teachers, the giving of Bibles to our Sunday schoolers and a baptism, I was sitting in the Pastor’s Office when I heard Paul Nelson and Shelley coming down the hall from the Sanctuary.
Paul burst into the office with that million dollar smile of his, followed by Shelley. And Shelley turned to him and said, “Well, are you going to tell him the news?”
“What news?” Paul asked!
“You know!” Shelley responded, prodding him.
“Oh yeah!” Paul shouted. “You won!”
“What did he win?” Shelley asked with a beaming smile.
“You’re our pastor now!” Paul exclaimed with more joy than I can describe in mere words.
And with that, I learned of our next chapter together.
On Saturday, Oct. 23, not only will I be ordained a minister of Word and Sacrament in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, I will be installed here at Faith Lutheran as your pastor. … I will cherish that memory as long as I live!
First off, thank you to all of you for your trust and faith in me as your pastor. I do not take this call lightly, and I am deeply honored that you would entrust your faith leadership in my hands. I vow to continue to serve to the best of my abilities and to continue to keep learning as I go!
Second, I also continue to invite all of you into lay service here at Faith Lutheran. A pastor can do many things, but it takes an entire congregation to keep a church energized and vibrant.
We are embarking on a journey that is new for all of us. While I have been serving Faith for four years now, this is a new permanent status as a half-time pastor. I think the first four years have been successful, but now we need to turn our attention to how we can continue to sustain this model of church. We truly are blazing a pioneer trail with our model.
My promise to you is that I will be focusing on pastoral care, worship services and the education of our youngsters, but there are so many other things that a vibrant church does. And to continue to remain vibrant as Faith Lutheran has for so many generations, we need everyone to participate in carrying the load.
We are blessed with many volunteers willing to serve on Church Council, or one of our various committees, or to teach our youth, or to bring and serve food during our biggest events. But there are always countless other tasks that need doing to keep a church active and buzzing.
Please consider this my invitation into service in our church. If you are not currently serving on a committee or performing some other semi-regular task in church, I invite you to reach out to see where your time and talents can be used. … Remember that faithful stewardship isn’t just about your “treasure!” We need your time and talents too to keep our mission vital!
And third, I want to stress that I want to be a pastor that is available to all. While I do love our couple of hours together on Sunday mornings, the truth is that the vast majority of the work a pastor does is never seen in public. It’s the phone calls and in-person visits to those who are sick or suffering; it’s the preparation for Sunday worship or confirmation class; it’s the time spent talking with someone who is going through a rough patch in their life. ... That is the pastoral work that never gets seen, but it’s also the pastoral work that I love!
Please know that I am here to serve. I am here to teach. I am here to perform the sacraments. But most importantly, I am here to build a relationship with each and everyone of you, young or old, someone I see every week or just once in a while, or whether you’re an official Faith Lutheran member or not. I am and will be a pastor to all who call this wonderful church home!
I pray that each of you can see the light of Christ shining through my words and deeds! And I will strive to live up to that lofty goal each and every day!
Finally, please remember that my ordination and installation will take place at 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 23, right here at Faith Lutheran! I’d be honored if you would join us that day for a grand celebration, not only for me but for our church as well!
Blessings to you Faith Family!
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