It’s amazing how time flies. This January rolled around and I realized that I have been the pastor here at Lord of Grace for 15 years. It doesn’t seem that long, but certainly much has happened.
I remember that first council meeting, coming in through the back door, and sitting down in the conference room as everyone looked at my Rostered Ministers Profile (ELCA-speak for resume), and looked up, and asked, point, blank, “Why do you want to come HERE?”
The church had been going through a lot at the time, and people had been getting down on Lord of Grace and its future. There was talk at the synod level of just closing it down, that the problems were too much, but I didn’t see that. I told the council I saw potential, and gifted people, and no reason to not give it another try. In the midst of hard times, it’s hard to see the light. So I came on as an interim, a temporary fill-in, with the option to stay, if voted in. Well, here I am 15 years later. We didn’t close, we thrived.
This is not to say we didn’t have struggles. The first couple years saw both a huge number of people leaving and joining. In the process we became younger, and less from Lutheran backgrounds. Many people here I baptized as adults, and then baptized the kids. Our Sunday school grew, but then had to close because of a lack of teachers. And we kept going. The preschool was turned around and the contemporary worship updated.
I remember so many special events, because we’ve never been good at long-term programs. But we are good at big socials. We had the Chili Cook-Off, the Fall Festival (complete with pumpkin smashing), Oktoberfests in different incarnations, and movie nights with kids. Of course, July Fourth was always fun when we could do a party for that too.
My kids have grown up at this church. Only the oldest two even remember previous congregations. The church has been the nurture of their faith, even while we’ve struggled to get an organized youth group off the ground. Here is where they came to know Jesus, and how to light candles, and play the tambourine during the last song. This church is for them a place of faith, and it warms my heart, as a pastor-dad, to see that.
We had a good run in the 20-teens: good worship attendance and giving, preschool full. Then Covid hit, and things got rough. But we were not alone. We pulled together, developed new technologies, and regrouped. We’re not as big, but no less active. Visitors still comment on the energy and warmth in the room. The room, of course, that we remodeled in 2023, and now gets ooohs and aaaahs from visitors.
There is something about being in one place for a while, so long that you become familiar with each other enough to be able to joke and know how far to take it, and know to apologize if it’s too much. There’s something to be said for growing together, to use a marriage analogy, where we aren’t the same people we were when we started, but we stayed and changed and grew at the same time.
Lord of Grace has been my life, and my family’s spiritual life, for 15 years. And I wouldn’t trade it. There’s a lot I’d do differently, but hind-sight 20/20 etc. I came here when I was 36, old enough to think I was wise, but young enough to not always see around corners. Now I’m 52, with kids graduated. It’s a different time of life.
And like every tenure for every pastor there comes a time when you have to discern whether you are still the most effective person for the call, and whether God might be needing you somewhere else. It’s not an easy conversation to have with yourself, God, your family. Tucson’s a great place. We love our house of 21 years, and the Flowing Wells school system where Kristie’s on the board. We love our back yard and the hiking and biking trails. But these things have to be balanced with the sense of call. Where does God need me now?
And after a lot of praying, I came to the conclusion that it was time for me to start looking, to see if there was somewhere else God and the church needed me. So I went back to the ELCA and filled out my forms, and, long story short, ended up accepting a call to a new church: Christ Lutheran Church in Walla Walla, Washington.
Many pastors leave feeling pushed out or bitter at something. I have no such feelings. This church has been a blessing to me, and you have all been wonderful. Yes, I have a few detractors around, but they were not the reason for my decision. I simply feel it’s time to pass the torch to somebody else, someone with new ideas, new vision, new energy, someone who can help you figure out how to reach all these new families in Marana, all the unchurched youth at Marana High, all the growth. I like to think that I set things up well for the future, with a good group of people and a newly redone building. Things are good, covid is over, everything is in a good place for the next pastor to start with all the advantages I didn’t have.
And, it should go without saying, but I will not return in two years, start a new church down the road, mail invites to all the LoG members telling them the Spirit has called me to start a new church just like Paul going back to Thessalonica, and that people need to come to my church because those people don’t believe in the Bible.
It’s been a joy and gift to be the pastor here, and there is nothing I want more than to see Lord of Grace grow and thrive in my absence. This church means too much to me, and I know it does to you too. You are the church, not me. Pastors come and go, but the community you have here is a priceless treasure. Support it and the new pastor like you did me, so I can come back for a visit in a couple decades and see it going strong.
My last Sunday will be June 15th, so we have a few weeks. During that time I will be (finally) doing the sermon series on the Minor Prophets I’ve been wanting to do for years, but never got around to. Our activities will continue as they always do in late spring-early summer, winding down the year and moving into Pentecost (June 8th), and, hopefully, get to pull out the new hanging hexagons in the sanctuary – cover them in doves or flames or something.
You also have an election coming for new council members on May 4th. Make sure to be there to vote and hear about the progress of our ministries. We also will vote on delegates to the Grand Canyon synod assembly June 12-13th in Las Vegas.
So our ministry continues, as it will. I look forward to these last 6 weeks here, and hope I can see everyone before moving.
God Bless,
Pastor Lars