EDITOR'S NOTE: In October 2021 I began a new venture writing a newspaper column titled "Finding Faith" for the Forum Communications Co. network of newspapers and websites. I was asked to contribute to the company's ongoing conversation about faith, lending a Lutheran and fairly ecumenical approach to the discussion. The column was published in several of the company's papers and websites, including The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead. This column originally appeared as a "Finding Faith" column on Jan. 31, 2024.
By The Rev. Devlyn Brooks
There are days that this pastoring thing is more than alright, I tell ya.
Oh, there are plenty of days when one looks skyward and thinks to themself: “So, this is what you’ve called me to, eh, Big Guy?”
The long hours, the nonstop schedule, the need to be in multiple places at once, wanting to care for everyone but realizing your human finiteness, facing a world of heartbreak, and trying to be a spouse and parent too.
But then there are days like on a recent Sunday when I returned to the pastor’s office after worship to find my confirmation students’ sermon notes left on my desk.
To my surprise, one of the students had written on the back: “Dear Pr. Devlin … You are an amazing and kind pastor. You are a very fun teacher and just awesome in general. It is so cool what you are doing at Churches United. Your student, Lilliana”
Wait, who cut an onion in here?
My friends, this is why we pour time into our neighbors. Because they do notice; they know when you’re seeing and hearing them. When you aren’t just going about the motions. When you’re present.
While some of us are called to be ordained clergy, you don’t need to be to pour yourself into your neighbor. You just have to care.
Shh, don’t let this secret out, but I dumped traditional confirmation years back when I saw that it wasn’t working for my students in the post-pandemic era. There’s no memorization or grand theological discussions anymore.
What we do instead is a lot of communicating and sharing of our daily lives with each other. Students are asked to invest themselves in their classmates, and I participate fully.
On Sunday mornings, I preach to our congregation that we see God through our neighbors. So I’ve decided why should confirmation be any different.
And you know what: I think it’s working.
While we have a small confirmation class this year, everyone enjoys it. No one wants to miss. And I’ll take that as a sign we’re doing something correctly. Less obligation, more invitation. That seems to be the winning formula.
I’m not an expert, but I’ll tell you, the day that I stopped working hard at being a pastor was the day I learned that pastoring is an act, not a title.
And I really don’t think it’s all that much different for being a person of faith either. It's an act, not a state of being. Let’s just stop working so hard at it, and just be it … faithful that is.
No, not all the days of being a pastor are easy, but every now and again there’s someone like Lilliana to remind you that it’s all worthwhile. Thank you, Lilly! Amen
Devlyn Brooks is the interim CEO of Churches United in Moorhead, Minn., and an ordained pastor in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America serving Faith Lutheran Church in Wolverton, Minn. He blogs about faith at findingfaithin.com, and can be reached at devlynbrooks@gmail.com.
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