From the Senior Pastor – July 2019

In my humble opinion, I think we hit the hospitality ball out of the park this year and I couldn’t be more proud of our hard-working, dedicated staff and volunteers who all did their best to host the assembly with a sense of gracious welcome.

That visit initiated for me a lengthy process of discernment. At first, I didn’t want to consider the option. Some of you may have the idea that being called to serve as bishop is a “promotion” much like it is for a vice president to be named Chief Executive Officer in a corporation. As a result, being elected bishop may seem to you to be a desirable thing, something to which one would aspire.

My experience, however, has given me a different lens through which I view that position. I recognize that it is an important position, and necessary, but there are responsibilities the bishop carries out that I, as I used to say, “wouldn’t wish on anyone.” It’s not all fame and glory and pomp and circumstance; instead it can be a fairly thankless and lonely job.

So in my discernment, I challenged God: “Why me?” Why should I open myself to such a job? I talked at length with my wife, Shelly, and we prayed about it together. I sought out former bishops to talk about their experience and seek their advice on whether or not I should allow my name to be part of the process. I spoke with a dear friend who is a former synod staff member in Iowa. I talked it over with my mom. I spent time with a trained counselor who helped me work through my self-doubt and identify the gifts God has given me that could serve me well should I be elected bishop. I sought the advice and counsel of my executive coach. And I invited all of them as well as the leadership team, the staff, my LifeGroup, and a few other trusted friends here at Our Savior’s to join me as prayer partners in this process of discernment. Through it all, I reached a point of relative peace so that when the time came to respond to the Bishop Election Committee following the Crossroads Conference Assembly, where my name was lifted up as a potential candidate, I was able to say Yes, I will allow my name to be part of the election process.

When the assembly began, the feelings I experienced ranged from excitement and anticipation to fear and foreboding. I believed God was calling me to be part of the process but I had no idea how far into the process my name would remain on the ballot. As it turned out, I was one of seven pastors chosen to speak to the assembly for five minutes each on Saturday morning. Though I was prepared with what I wanted to say, I had a hard time controlling my emotions and nerves. The scope and the gravity of what I was a part of was a heavy burden on my heart. When my turn came to speak, I was escorted into the Celebrate Center, introduced, and given five minutes on a timer conveniently displayed on the screens in the room.

So I began, my voice wavering and my heart pounding. By the second page of my notes I had relaxed enough to find a rhythm that felt a little more like what I experience when I’m preaching. When I turned the page and was about to launch into my conclusion, I decided to look at the timer. In that brief moment, I discovered I was going to run out of time. With nothing else to do, I continued until the microphone was turned off. With mixed emotions, I walked off the platform wishing I had been able to share the few lines that went unspoken.