Posted on Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Assuring the Success of a Successor

I carried the very last things out of my office at church today. There were just a few odds and ends. I left a few things on the shelves for my successor. But the one thing I don’t want to leave is the dirt and dust. I still have to wipe some of that away.

I hope that’s the way I’ve left everything for him: neat, clean, and lacking dusty old ways of doing things. I have to admit that as my days at Mt. Calvary wound down, my successor was not first and foremost on my mind. But the closer I got to my final days, the more I thought about the next occupant of my current office.

We don’t always work so that things are left in a better way for our successors. But perhaps we should. Conscientious work today means a better platform for tomorrow. Working well with co-workers, managers, and leaders enables them to do their best and be more than ready when a change is necessary.

I want my successor to succeed, because I have poured my heart and soul into the ministry at Mt. Calvary for more than fifteen years. It would be difficult for me to see it spiral downward.

So I have

Met with leaders
Shared documents and passwords with my assistant
Left the congregation with a clear sense of mission
Suggested strategies for the interim
Put full confidence in a faithful and hard-working congregation

More than that, I am praying for my successor, whomever he may be. He deserves my prayers, as do the people of the congregation I leave behind. He will face a challenging and interesting ministry. They will need a faithful and hard-working shepherd.

I hope that there isn’t too much dust left behind for my successor. He deserves a clean and fresh start as he ministers amongst a people who are loving, welcoming, and ready to be stretched in challenging directions.

How do you see to it that things are ready if and when change is necessary?

Posted on Monday, May 28, 2012

The Long Goodbye

Nancy Reagan called it “The Long Goodbye.” She was speaking of the care she provided for her husband who was a ailing with the effects of Alzheimer’s Disease. Every day was “goodbye” as she found her husband moving further and further away while the disease took its toll.

Nobody here is suffering from Alzheimer’s. But it’s been a long goodbye between me and the church I’ve served the past fifteen years.

I received a Call to Ascension Lutheran in Casselberry, Florida, the first Sunday in March.
I announced my decision to accept the Call on April 15th.
I preached my last sermon as pastor of Mt. Calvary on May 27th.
The congregation has graciously decided to do a service of thanksgiving and farewell on June 3rd.

All of that adds up to a great deal of time to let it all sink in, for people to express their emotions, for many to say farewell. Long goodbyes are not easy. Sometimes I think it might just be easier to announce a decision one week and be gone the next.

But there is something to be said for long goodbyes. This period of time has allowed the opportunity to

Prepare my assistant, boards, and other leaders for the transition.
Sort through things that I may or may not need as I move on in ministry.
Give people time to go through “the stages of grief.”
Give me the time to thank those who have been so helpful in my ministry.
Help both me and the congregation sit back and realize just how much we have appreciated each other.

As uncomfortable as it may sometimes be, there is something to be said for a long goodbye. In the end it brings closure, peace, and good will.

Farewells are really never easy. But if we must go through them, perhaps a little longer one is a little better.

When have you had the opportunity to say a long goodbye? Was it difficult, beneficial, or both?

Posted on Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Lovingly, Decently, and in Good Order

We Lutherans tend to do things decently and in good order. Always have. Always will. Maybe it’s part of our original German heritage. Maybe it’s because much of our history has been on the move and moving. When things are chaotic in other areas of life, it’s nice to have things right where they ought to be when it comes to church.

So a week after I announced my decision to accept a Call to a congregation in Florida, the church I served for the past 15 years called a meeting. They asked me to walk them through my decision process, and why it was that I accepted the Call.

I was nervous about it. But in the end it was a really positive experience both for me and for the congregation. It allowed the members of the church the opportunity to see what goes into such a process. It helped me to articulate why I felt so compelled to follow the Lord’s Call to another place.

I told them that I made lists centered around three categories:

Personal
Professional
Spiritual

Most of the “personal” items I kept between my family and me. But I shared a few. I did, however, want people to see how “professional” and “spiritual” items really made my decision quite clear. Once I wrote them down and said them out loud, it became more and more evident where the decision would go.

Although the people of my current congregation may still not “like” the decision I made, many told me they better understand how I could come to such a decision. It was, in a sense, a “watershed” moment for me and for the people of the congregation. There were tears (including my own), and there was love and respect that was shared.

But that wasn’t the end of things being done “decently and in good order.” Toward the end of the meeting, the following (decent and orderly) resolution was presented to the congregation:

Whereas the members of Mount Calvary have been blessed by the faithful service of Pastor Thomas Eggebrecht for over 15 years, and

Whereas the congregation recognizes that the health of the whole body of Christ is enriched through Pastor Eggebrecht’s Call to Ascension Lutheran, and

Whereas Mount Calvary’s body of believers seeks to provide Pastor Eggebrecht with an affirmation of our love and respect;

Be it so moved that Mount Calvary Evangelical Lutheran Church grant to Pastor Thomas Eggebrecht a peaceful release from his divine Call as pastor of this congregation, and

Be it further moved that this congregation wishes Pastor Eggebrecht all God’s blessings in his new Call as pastor of Ascension Lutheran in Casselberry, Florida.

As formal as that all sounds, it made me feel incredibly loved. You might have to be a Lutheran to feel love from a formal statement like that. And since I have proudly worn the name “Lutheran” my whole life, the people of Mount Calvary spoke a language of love that I understood. Decently and in good order. That’s the way I like it.

When and how have you had “love” spoken to you in an unusual way?

Posted on Monday, March 12, 2012

5 Steps Toward a Major Decision

For the past week-and-a-half I have been relatively radio silent. I didn’t want to make the following information public knowledge until all the proper people had been informed. My last post will bring you up to date on recent major events in my life. I had been one of the finalists on a “Call List” at Ascension Lutheran Church in Casselberry, Florida. My wife, Tammy, and I went to Florida where I stood before about 140 members of the congregation and answered the same twenty-two questions as did three other pastoral candidates on separate nights.

It was a daunting evening. But the people of Ascension Lutheran were very hospitable and gracious. Just before we got on the plane to return home I received a phone call from the president of Ascension informing me that I had been elected to receive the Call to be pastor of their church.

So I returned home in possession of two Calls: one to Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and one to Ascension Lutheran Church in Casselberry, Florida. I now have to make a decision that will not only have an impact on me and my family, but literally hundreds of people in two different places.

There are now four to six weeks for me to make a God-guided decision. This is what I plan to do:

Pray. The Lord has a plan and a place for me. First and foremost I need His guidance and direction. Not only will I be praying, I know the people of Mt. Calvary and Ascension will be praying as well. I ask for your prayers, too.
Listen. I really want to know if my ministry is still effective at Mt. Calvary. I will be listening to what Mt. Calvary members have to say about where we are and where they hope to go. It’s also important to pay attention to silence.
Visit. We plan to visit Casselberry once again to learn more about its people, its worship, and its ministry. I need to determine where best my gifts fit by learning as much as I possibly can.
Talk. As you can well imagine, my wife, Tammy, and I have already discussed this all a great deal. I also cherish and respect the thoughts and opinions of both of my children. This decision impacts not only me, but all of them. They deserve a voice.
List. I will physically write down pros and cons, positives and negatives, regarding both scenarios. It’s always helpful to see in black and white which list is longer and which is shorter, and what all of those items bring to bear on the decision.

Eventually, a decision will have to be made. It’s a decision that will have an impact on a great many people. But in the end I will have to trust that I will be led to make the best decision for all concerned.

When you have to make a major decision what one thing do you make sure to do?

Posted on Wednesday, February 29, 2012

God Working His Way Through an Odd and Unsettling Place

It’s an odd place to be. Some people change jobs when they make the conscious decision to pursue another opportunity or a different career. Others lose a job and have to write resumes, pound the pavement, and ask for interviews.

My vocation works in a different way. As a pastor in the Lutheran Church one does not seek the office or the position, it seeks him. Which has put me in an odd place.

In December I received a phone call from a member of a church in Florida. It always starts like this: “Is there any reason right now why you couldn’t consider a Call.” (I intentionally capitalize the word “Call” because we believe that the Call comes from God through His people. It’s Divine.)

“Um, no. I guess not.”

And that set it all in motion. Apparently my name was submitted by someone in the congregation. Other names were submitted, as well. A list was put together. Each person was called and asked the same question as I was. Some may have had compelling reasons why they couldn’t move forward in the process. Others had no good reason not to move forward.

So on it went like this:

An area church official called and said that after looking over paper work for all the candidates, I had made a “shorter list.” He said that he would keep me informed as to whether or not they wanted to move forward with me.
A couple of weeks later a member of the Call committee contacted me and let me know they wanted to interview me over the phone. They emailed 15 questions so that I could prepare.
Another couple of weeks later we spent about an hour on the phone doing the interview. Six people on the Call committee asked questions, and I answered.
Finally, I received a phone call telling me that I had made the list of final candidates. They told me they wanted to fly my wife, Tammy, and me to Orlando, Florida, for a congregational forum and other interviews.

Shortly after our visit, the congregation will hold a Call meeting. They will take votes until one of the candidates has a clear majority. That candidate will receive the Call, and will have the opportunity to deliberate whether or not to accept the Call and begin a new ministry.

So I am currently in an odd place. I have fifteen years of relationships with the people I currently serve. Another congregation is in need of a new pastor. At this point, I have no idea whether or not it will be me that they Call.

It’s a bit unsettling. But it’s also a time of trusting and knowing that ultimately it is God’s will that will be done. He will make the outcome clear one way or another. And there’s something sacred about that.

How do you see God’s hand working through your work and vocation right now?

Posted on Friday, February 10, 2012

Philip Yancey’s Keys to Presenting the Most Important Message Ever Spoken

Over the years Philip Yancey has been one of my favorite authors. He has written books like The Jesus I Never Knew, What’s So Amazing About Grace, and Disappointment With God. I had the privilege of hearing him speak at the Re:Create Conference in February of 2012.

His topic at the conference was sharing the Gospel in a post-Christian, media-driven, success-oriented, beauty-worshiping world. The United States is rapidly becoming more and more like France. Yancey related that it is no longer at all effective to ask people: “If you were to die today, and Jesus would ask you ‘Why should I let you into my heaven,’ what would you say?” France is so far post-Christian that the question doesn’t make any sense. Instead, the question has been changed to: “Do you believe in God?”

The response to that question, more often than not, is: “What a fascinating question! I’ve never thought about that before.”

Sooner than we think (and in some places even now), that’ll be the question we will be asking post-Christian people here in the United States. We live in a time when what matters is how beautiful, how wealthy, and how successful people are. We live in a time when Kevin Garnett, a basketball player (read: entertainer), makes more money than the entire U.S. Congress combined.

And along comes Jesus (and His disciples) who say: The first shall be last. The top will be at the bottom. It’s not the rich, it’s the poor.

So how do we get across the message of Jesus Christ, and Him crucified, to a people who treasure, value, and idolize beauty, wealth, and success? Yancey relates that the world won’t listen to the Christian message because of Christians. Unbelievers won’t listen, because, they say:

You don’t listen to me.
You judge me.
Your faith confuses me.
You tell me what’s wrong instead of making it right.

The message will never be heard by people who confront us with these statements unless we first love them. Think about how both Jesus and Paul first showed love to outcasts and then proclaimed to them the good news of the forgiveness of sins.

The message will never by heard by people who confront us with these statements unless we awaken the thirst that is present in people. Think about Jesus meeting the woman at the well in John 4. He doesn’t say to her, “Stop being thirsty.” You can’t stop desire. But Jesus says, “The water you’re drinking doesn’t satisfy, would you like to know a different kind of water?” He awakens a thirst (for forgiveness…see John 4) already in her.

The message will never be heard by people who confront us with these statements unless we live holy lives, lives that are different, lives that look less like the world and more like Jesus. We think the reason fruit is delicious is to please us. From the fruit’s perspective all it cares about is producing more fruit. When St. Paul talks about The Fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23), we are reminded that one of the side benefits of “fruit” (things like goodness, faithfulness, and gentleness) is that it attracts people and it reproduces.

What we’re really talking about here is (shhh…don’t say it too loud) evangelism. Yancey offered up an interesting definition of that word. He said it’s “conveying the good news of life as it’s meant to be.”

In the end it’s about the grace and strength of the Word of God itself. But no one will ever listen to that Word unless they are loved, have an already-present thirst awakened in them, and see a holy life in us.

What can you do today to break down barriers and share the Word of God’s love and forgiveness? If you have further ideas, leave them in the comments below.

Posted on Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Living the Lesson of a Typographical Error

Sometimes a typographical error changes everything. I was at an event the other day where we were singing a form of the Kyrie. Kyrie means “Lord, have mercy.” It’s a form of prayer that focuses on our undeserving nature and God’s abundant grace. As we sang the prayer, the words were projected so everyone could follow along.

“For the peace from above and for our slavation, let us pray to the Lord.” Yep. You read that right. Slavation. A typo.

But it got me to thinking. Isn’t that the way we far too often treat our involvement in the church? Slavation.

People get the attitude of being “slaves” to the church instead of servants of Christ and one another. A slave to the church:

Considers it drudgery to get up on Sunday mornings and get to worship
Likes to take “time off” from church
Expects the church to be there to meet his or her personal needs, but is rarely seen on Sunday mornings or serving in other ways
Thinks the “institutional church” is just a bunch of hypocrites
Brings a child to be baptized, but is never seen or heard from again
Writes nasty emails when decisions are made with which they don’t agree

Slavation. Lord, have mercy.

I recently heard that Orthodox Jews see the living out of the Torah, the fulfilling of The Law, as a gift. It’s not a burden to them. It’s a delight.

Would that those who have salvation in and through Jesus Christ find worship and service not to be slavation, but a delight. It was Jesus’ delight to be a slave who gave Himself up on the cross so that we would be saved (Philippians 2). Because of His sacrifice we are no longer slaves but heirs (Romans 8:14-17). It is our privilege to come before Him in worship, receive His gifts, and serve Him and our fellow human beings with great delight.

Instead of being burdened with slavation we are gifted with salvation. And it shows in our attitude and service in the local church.

“For the peace from above and for our salvation, let us pray to the Lord. Lord, have mercy.” Indeed.

What evidence do you see of slavation? Please leave a comment below.

Posted on Monday, January 9, 2012

How God Renews Life with Every Breath

As part of a comparative religions class that I teach, I take my students on a field trip to a Jewish synagogue. I have a friend with whom I have worked in the community who is more than happy to share the basics of his faith and provide a tour. I’ve made this visit probably eleven or twelve times over the years.

This year our tour guide said something that really struck me. He told us Jewish belief is that God renews our life with every breath. It reminds them:

that each breath is a gift;
that life is fragile;
to “live in the moment”;
to recognize from where breath comes.

Take in oxygen and release carbon dioxide. The “good” is taken in and the “bad” is expelled. Every breath is new life. Breathe in. Breathe out. Life is renewed.

God breathed into Adam’s nostrils the breath of life, and human life on this planet began. With His breath, according to the Hebrew word ruach, God breathed into Adam His very Spirit. And on the cross, Jesus breathed His last so that for those who believe in Him, life will never end.

We are only a few thousand breaths into the new year. It’s a good time to remember:

that each breath is a gift;
that life is fragile;
to “live in the moment”;
to recognize from where breath comes.

God breathes His Spirit into us, like breath, week in and week out, as He breathes out His breath in public worship. It’s a good time to remember that through the breath of God’s Word public worship:

delivers the gifts of forgiveness, hope, and peace;
takes fragile lives, adds faith, and provides strength;
provides the purpose people need to “live in the moment”;
points us to the One who gives us life, breath, and being.

Take a moment right now to notice your breath. Breathe in. Breathe out.

Now thank the One who gives you that breath. Take the time this week to receive a dose of spiritual mouth-to-mouth resuscitation in public worship. Your life will be renewed.

What does it mean to you that God renews your life with every breath?

Posted on Tuesday, January 3, 2012

An Evening Prayer for Any Time of the Day

I don’t know when you’ll read this. Perhaps you’ll read it when it hits your email inbox at 7 a.m. Maybe you’ll find this as you’re surfing around at 2 a.m. Or maybe you’re reading this as you eat your lunch.

No matter when, consider it the perfect time for prayer. There are so many changes and chances in life that we need a tether to the highest heavens. God doesn’t need our prayer. We need to pray to the God who listens, hears, and answers.

I once heard a memorable sermon on prayer. The preacher said, “Remember the bumper sticker, ‘Prayer Changes Things’? I beg to differ. Prayer doesn’t change things. God changes things.” The power of prayer comes not from the pray-er, but from the Almighty God to whom we pray. God gives us the privilege to speak, ask, rejoice, and request. He answers affirmatively, negatively, or in a way that rewards patience. But He always answers.

I challenge you to keep track of your prayers…and then see how God responds. He will.

One of my favorite prayers is one that is found in the liturgy called Evening Prayer. In the dimly lit church, after the sun has set, candles burning, hearts calm, just a short time before turning in for the night, we pray:

Lord God, You have called Your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown. Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go, but only that Your hand is leading us and Your love supporting us. Through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

It’s an incredibly appropriate prayer as the sun sets and the day is far spent. But we encounter ventures, paths, and perils throughout our earthly minutes and hours. The prayer is a request for faith and courage as we encounter life. It is reassurance that the strong right arm of God clears the way, and His blood-bought love is the foundation of our day.

Read the prayer again. I encourage you to memorize it and keep it in your pocket for the times you encounter life’s ventures, paths, and perils. Like the one you’re facing this very moment.

What’s your favorite prayer?

Tom Eggebrecht

Pursue Your Passion, Chase Your Dream

Category Archives: Ministry