My vocation (or calling in life): pastor.
My congregation: Faith Lutheran Church, Rochelle, Ill.
My favorite hymn: I love hymns and to pick one would betray all of those that I love with my heart and soul.
My favorite Bible verse: Ecclesiastes 11:3, “When clouds are full, they empty rain on the earth; whether a tree falls to the south or to the north, in the place where the tree falls, there it will lie.”
My favorite Christmas carol: “Joy to the World” because I love singing the bass part.
My favorite potluck dish: green bean casserole and I love it left over the next morning!
I like my coffee: Strong and untainted. At the (2009) Churchwide Assembly, I was drinking double depth chargers — coffee of the day with two shots of espresso added.
I prefer to sit here during worship: on the (no longer there) back steps of Pioneer Lake Lutheran Church. Dad and I loved it when the church was full in the summer and we would give up our seats to go sit outside.
What’s playing on my iPod right now: Peder Eide.
The hymn I want played at my funeral: “Going Home” played on bagpipes.
I was most proud of my congregation when: we started an after-school program a couple of years ago.
My favorite volunteer project: our after-school program, FASTbreak.
The ministry I’m most passionate about: caring for the kids in poverty in our community.
I feel most Lutheran when: the word is proclaimed and the sacraments are administered.
What “living Lutheran” means to me: seeing God in the midst of daily life and helping others to see God in their daily life as well.
Love the double depth charges, but being from a dairy farm I like them with a splash of cream. Joy to the world is also a wonderful hymn to sing as the closing song on Easter. We have been doing that for several years with a little tie-in comment during the benediction.