I am Humbled

I am a vicar from Bixby, OK who values history in the practice of ministry. The professor leading our group of new students said, "Please join me in the Lord's Prayer." There I was in Sieck Hall on the campus of Concordia Seminary in St. Louis. It was in September 2009. I had finally found my way into studying for the pastoral ministry. It has been a long journey for me. It started out in the early 1970's when I attended Concordia College in Milwaukee. I found myself signing a declaration of intent to become a pastor. Now it's 2009 and things have finally dropped into place and now I am praying the Lord's Prayer at the Seminary with a bunch of new students eager to be formed into pastors. As I pray I think back to all of the pastors that I know who, down through the years, have gone through this institution and prayed the Lord's Prayer for the first time on this campus maybe even in this very room. "Our father who art in heaven hallowed be Thy name" I can imagine Pastor Schultz from California bowing his head and saying the prayer that he said as he baptized me. Then there is Pastor Stephan from Antigo, Wisconsin whose wife I had in grades 1 - 3 at the Lutheran school. Next comes another Pastor Schultz who confirmed me, privately forgave me as I confessed a grievous sin from my youth and made sure my family was taken care of after my father died. He always was there to help us when we could not see our way out of emotional, financial and spiritual stresses. I remember a time when he directed men in the congregation to come over and completely remodel our den after the ceiling had fallen in. He arranged for me to have a new suit for confirmation and sold me my first car. "Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." Over in the corner I imagine I see a young Pastor Ziegler with his famous bow tie. In reality he has just completed fifty years in the public ministry. I was asked to speak at it just last August. It's been twenty-five years since I worked with him but in many ways he still is like a father to me. "Give us this day our daily bread" And there is Doctor Spomer. I worked with him just before I left his church to plant a new church. I learn humility and proper attitude from him every time I have the honor of his presence. "And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us." I see Pastor Tabisz who is actually physically here with me serving as my Vicarage Supervisor. His congregation boldly stepped forward and agreed to be our covenant congregation. His personal story and his openness to help inspires me. "Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil" There is Pastor Ave-Lallemant. When he was a Vicar he inspired me to consider going into full time church service. I look down at my SMP materials and see that he has written some of it. "For Thine is the kingdom" The room swells with all of the other pastors from my past. Their names and faces flash before me: Wagner, Wilke, Cox, Drier, Busch, Marrs, "and the power" Hinke, Diekleman, Pasch, Truax, "and the glory" Stoltzman, Stunkel, Benke, Liersemann, "Forever and ever Amen." Where would I be if they had not stepped up to the plate and gave their lives to the ministry? "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us" (Hebrews 12: 1-2). They have been and are running the race with me. In my mind's eye they all sit with bowed heads praying with me. I am humbled.