Tomorrow afternoon, I will be installed as senior pastor at
Ascension Lutheran Church in Towson. I haven’t wanted to make a big deal out of
it. For one thing, this will be the seventh time that I have been installed
into a ministry position. Six of those installations have been in congregations. It
kind of feels like making a big deal out of a wedding after you’ve been married
multiple times. It's embarrassing and a tad tacky.
And then, there’s the
whole matter of being the center of attention for a day, which makes
me want to run and hide. I’m far too self-conscious to enjoy having all eyes on
me. I wish there were a way to begin serving in a ministry setting without having a formal
installation.
Well, despite my best efforts to blow it off as a low key
Sunday afternoon alternative to football, people all around me are making a big deal out of it, so I’m going to have to suck it up and enjoy it.
I can do that if I remember that this isn’t really all about me. It’s about
a new beginning for the people of Ascension. In the two months that I’ve been
with them, I’ve become increasingly aware of how blest I am to be in this
place, with these people, at this time. Pert near every single day they amaze
me, and I offer a prayer of thanksgiving for the opportunity to serve with them.
Those who know me best know that I don’t like surprises.
When I read a book, I’ll get two or three chapters into it, and I can’t stand
it, I have to know how it ends. So, I’ll flip to the end and read the
conclusion. I do the same thing when I binge watch TV shows on Netflix. I’ll
watch a few episodes, and I have to go to the finale or it makes me nuts.
Serving in a new congregation is like opening a new book
without any access to the concluding chapters. It’s stepping out in faith,
trusting that the story is going to unfold in God’s time. That’s both hard for
me and exciting. But really, it’s the way all great adventures begin.
And so, that’s how I’ve decided to look at my installation
tomorrow. It is the first chapter in a great adventure I’m embarking upon with the people
of Ascension. I don’t know how it will end, but I know God is leading us, I have high expectations for our journey
together, and I trust that getting there
will be the best part.
Yes, I suppose it's actually a pretty big deal.
Yes, I suppose it's actually a pretty big deal.
