Hello,

After receiving encouragement from one of my younger friends to get back to blogging, here it goes!  Life has been hectic over the past 60 days….  I was able to attend Seminary classes at Berkeley, CA in October to study the letters of Paul.  It has been an amazing gift to make such wonderful friends in the TEEM program.  Daily worship, supportive classmates, encouragement to follow God’s call upon our lives- amazing solidarity.

The ministry in Wolbach has been a great joy- what a good community in which to learn.  3 baptisms so far- praise God! 

November has passed quickly and I wanted to let you know of one humorous memory for me.  This past weekend I attended the first half of the Husker game vs. Colorado on Friday afternoon.  I left at halftime to ensure I could be at the visitation service and plan for the funeral for a Trinity, Wolbach member who passed away.  I forecasted to my friend Joe that I’m sure this will be the best conclusion to a Husker game in memory.  As I headed west on I-80, I stopped in York at the Starbucks to change into my clerical garb.  As I continued west to St. Paul, the game was on the line with a 57 yard field goal opportunity for the Huskers.  I’m not proud of the depth of my prayer but it went something like this; “God, I’m on your team and I left a game to minister to one of your flock; now I need you to support my team with a young kicker so he can kick the kick of his life!  Amen!”

Perhaps there were Lutheran pastors in Boulder praying for the Colorado team to block the field goal….  but in this case, the kick sailed long & true…….   May I pray with this clarity on behalf of all the people I serve, not on the outcome of a game but on the important outcomes of life……  health, salvation, forgiveness, reconciliation, faith, love, hope, life eternal…….  Peace, Lowell

The TEEM (Theological Education for Emerging Ministries) program has several components including Seminary coursework, ongoing work in your ministry context, an internship and a basic unit in Clinical Pastoral education (CPE).  Over a three year period, you are exposed to a wide range of academic and “hands-on” experience.

The course I recently took at Pacific Lutheran Theologica Seminary (PLTS) in Berkeley, CA was “The Pauline Letters” led by Dr. Ev Kalin.  In studying the 13 letters, I was struck by the clarity of Paul’s mission and the corresponding power expressed in his life.  As the ”apostle (missionary) to the Gentiles”, he set about a movement of action & theological reflection that still impacts the Church today.  With this mission-grounding, Paul made sense of the challenges that arose, whether they be religious, physical, emotional or social.  Indeed, each challenge spurred him on to deeply engage in the next chapter of his life.  In Romans, arguably his last letter, he talks of his future plans to bring the ministry to “the ends of the earth” in Spain.  No trailing off into his sunset years! 

I want to “write” these upcoming chapters of my life with such clarity and forcefulness.  May God bless each of us with a mission so clear that the passion of Christ-centered lives be spread throughout the world.

I have participated in a multitude of worship services over the years but it is distinctly different to lead the worship service.  I am gaining a sensitivity to the flow of worship and wanted to highlight the Brief Order of Confession and Forgiveness of Sins (page 56 in the LBW).  In preparation for the service, I am reflecting that I have held onto some of the sins I have committed throughout my life.   In proclaiming God’s forgiveness, I was/am jolted to truly accept God’s amazing promise. 

Psalm 103:8-14 has taken on renewed importance to me……  forgiveness includes God’s removal of our sins, “as far as the east is from the west.”  So what am I doing hanging on to the excess “baggage”?  Through Christ, I’m free to live, learn, love, serve and grow! 

So, when we engage in this aspect of the worship service, we’re going to stop and celebrate before we launch into our opening song!  In proclaiming, I’m hearing the Gospel message.  Amen!

A vital part of the internship experience at Trinity, Wolbach, NE is developing a pastoral identity.  Rev. Joseph Javorsky from St. Mark’s Lutheran Chruch, St. Paul, NE provides supervisory support and one of his first “challenges” to me was to wear a clerical collar as I went about my ministry.  This was an astute observation on his part; 15 months ago I thought I was going to be a Christian business man who occasionally preaches.  Putting on the clerical collar  for the first time is one of those moments where you do look at yourself in the mirror a little bit longer!   It’s about being in community but uniquely identifiable.

Some observations:

• People do notice the collar- it certainly is helpful in helping people know who you “represent” when you visit a nursing home or hospital.
• I am a father of 3 but I don’t think that’s what people are talking about when they call me “Father”! 
• I have had some interesting conversations on why people don’t
• Many of my middle-age pastor friends don’t wear a clerical collar and I would think that’s because they have formed an pastoral identity over the years and simply relaxed the “dress code”.   Although middle-aged myself, I am in the process of being formed/transformed into this new identity and the simple shirt and clerical tab from “Friar Tuck’s” is a part of the journey.

Thanks for joining me in my journey…….  Vicar Lowell

Hello!

I began the internship phase of my journey to ordained ministry this past weekend in Wolbach, Nebraska.  Wolbach in a great town of 280 people in Central Nebraska and the congregation I will serve over the next 4 months is Trinity Lutheran.  My schedule is to arrive in St. Paul, NE to meet with my local supervisor, Pastor Joseph Javorsky of St. Mark’s/St. Paul at 1 pm on Friday and then head to Wolbach by 3 pm to engage in pastoral ministry through Sunday afternoon.

First weekend impressions:

• I enjoyed meeting members of the church and community.  Friday night’s football game was a first for me as I watched a six-man football game with Greeley-Wolbach trouncing Arcadia, 65-0.  Former competitors, Greeley and Wolbach recently consolidated their schools and while it may be difficult for some adults to end their competitive stance, it appears the youth are working well together.  I heard that more consolidation may be needed to withstand the changing demographics of smaller families and farming/ranching economics.  The potential loss of identity through consolidation of schools is a painful challenge to this community and so many other rural communities.  This reality will challenge my western Omaha suburb view of sustained growth and a relentless “more & more”…..
• The people of the church and community are warm and inviting.  I have already found “evangelists” to team up with to share the good news.  I pray I can be helpful to Trinity to care deeply for its members and extend hospitality to the community and especially those people disonnected or not yet connected to Christ.
• I am authorized to baptize & commune at Trinity which is a new right and responsibility; I was deeply touched at Sunday’s service, with my family in attendance, to proclaim God’s Word through Preaching and through Communion.

Please let me know what you think!