The First Class

This fall marks three complete years of pastordom for me.  It was three years ago on the day after Labor Day that I started at this church, and the three-year anniversary of my ordination was four days ago.  While three years might seem like a sort of arbitrary celebration, in the ELCA three years is the length of what's called First Call; in other words, your semi-provisional, pseudo-apprenticeship status as a new pastor officially ends after three years.  After three years, it's generally acceptable to switch to a new call (church-talk for pastor position).  You also lose some of the imposed learning and mentoring requirements.  Basically, you're on your own now, kid.

I have no intention of switching calls, even though the First Call portion of my first call has passed.  While there's hardly a day that goes by where I don't wonder if congregational ministry is the right place for me, I know that right now, I love being at this church.  One reminder of that is the group of young people that will confirm their faith and affirm their baptisms in Sunday's confirmation service tomorrow morning.

Part of my job is to teach the confirmation classes, which means spending Wednesday nights trying to teach over 100 seventh, eighth, and ninth graders about who God is and why that's important.  Most of the time, I still don't know what I'm doing, and I'm generally certain I could be doing things much better.  But then, I've been learning as they've been learning, and somewhere in between good stuff is happening.  At our church, students get confirmed in the fall of their tenth grade year.  That means that the youth getting confirmed tomorrow are the first batch that I have known for the entire three years that they've been in the confirmation program.

I seriously love these kids.  It's a small class, so with a few exceptions, I've gotten to know them well - some very well.  They're smart, funny, responsible, hard-working, and sassy.  Some of them are difficult, but none of them are trouble.  They were excited to learn with me, and have really shaped the way I think about confirmation.  This morning we had rehearsal for the service tomorrow, and we encourage the kids to come dressed well because we take our pictures.  Every guy was in a tie, and every girl was in a dress.  I'm not even sure I wore a dress when I was confirmed.  I am proud of them.

This first class means a lot to me in many ways.  First, they're sort of a touchstone for my time as a pastor.  Their three-year confirmation studies lined up with my three-year First Call.  We learned together.  Next, they're sort of a sign of accomplishment for me.  Not only did I not screw them up entirely, but somehow I might have even helped them get to the point where they want to publicly affirm their faith.  Finally, they're great kids.  If I start getting frustrated that I tend to attract crazy people, or that ministry puts you right in the middle of so much brokenness, or how some people use being Christian as an excuse for being a jerk, I can remember these young men and women and how they give me hope.

While there is a sadness in knowing that I won't see these fine men and women each Wednesday night, there's a joy in knowing that I got to help them shape the faith that will guide and inspire them for the rest of their lives.  I hope they remember that faith; I will remember them.  Together, we have come through our apprenticeships, and now, it's time for real life.