Mark is is a character in my musical, El Camino, who may be a little inspired by my own journey. He’s a pastor with many years of service who is wondering If he might have “lost his way along the way.” The call to be a pastor is a blessing, but it can also be confusing and frustrating. Mark admits that “I started out with confidence, everything was clear,” but “I lost my way along the way. My heart and soul have debts to pay.” Like many other pilgrims who have ventured to walk the Camino he hopes that he will encounter the spirit of St. James, one who know how to walk the way of Jesus.

God has high expectations for those who accept the call as a pastor. But God also showers abundant blessings upon them. When I was ordained a pastor by my bishop to serve Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Chicago he said, “remember Andy, you are called to be a good shepherd but Jesus is the Good Shepherd.” Sometimes the best thing a pastor can do is simply follow Jesus hoping the flock will follow. Mark asks Santiago “Will you go with me all of the way to the end? I will need your courage my good friend.” We can all take comfort from these words of The Good Shepherd:

Matthew 11: 28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Pastor Andy

Trevor is a man on the run. He’s got places to go and people to see. He’s “pushing the boulder slowly up the hill.” But he’s “starting to wonder if he has the strength or the will.” He’s a true success story on the job but in life he’s on the way to a heart attack. Forced to take vacation, he decides to “do the Camino” and add the 500 miles of the trip to his growing list of achievements. We all know the type. We may be the type. We like to blame life for our frenetic pace when the truth is, we wouldn’t know what to do if we actually slowed down and smelled the roses.

Jesus knows the type and shares this advice: Luke 12:27 Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin,[a] yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 28 But if God so clothes the grass, which is alive in the field today, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith! Trevor’s problem is that he’s running scared when he could be peacefully walking the way with his loving Savior. On the Camino, he has a powerful experience, like that of St. Paul, of the sun blinding his eyes. That turns out to be the moment he truly sees the life is not a race, its an opportunity to experience the marvels of God’s creation in the company of fellow travelers.

We should carefully watch ourselves and those “Trevor’s” around us. They may seem to be “running for fun,” when they are “just running scared.” Invite them to walk, not run, through this life we have been graciously given.

Pastor Andy

It’s so easy to plan the journey until you have to leave. Leading You

In my musical “El Camino,” we meet a young women named Penny who should be excited and optimistic about her future. Instead, she feels anxious and apprehensive and, most of all, alone.

We may joke about young people in this situation as being “failures to launch.” But most of us can recall times at that age when we wondered if we really were up to the challenge of making our way in the world. Although I had finished three years of seminary training and a year of internship, I recall feeling totally unprepared when I began leading my first congregation. What business did a 26 year old have preaching to people two or three times my age?

Penny is blessed on her Camino by a middle-aged woman named Selah. Selah does not coddle or comfort Penny’s fears. She does something greater-she believes in her. Selah has no problem making Penny get up and get on the road despite her protests. And Selah pushes the pace each day, challenging Penny to realize that “you were more than you had dreamed.” Complaining to Selah, Penny accuses her of “leaving her.” Penny replies, “ I was not leaving you, I was leading you.”

So often when we think of Jesus as the Good Shepherd, we think of him protecting us, feeding us and bringing us comfort. We forget that Psalm 23 also says “He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley…” Sometime following the Good Shepherd will take us where we must go, not always where we want to go. If we choose to follow Jesus, he will train us to go faster, further and farther than we ever imagined. Those who believe in him will discover he believes in us.

Pastor Andy

1 Corinthians 13:1–7 (ESV): If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing. 

Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love is not always saying I love you or I will pray for you. At times it means sacrifice. Many times we choose to wait for God or someone else to move the mountains in the lives of others. Instead we, like the soldier’s fiancé, need to climb into the belfry and cling to the clapper until it beats us silly in order to move the mountains for those we love. I find we are very quick in our self righteousness to point out the faults in others but much slower to be beat silly for them. For the sake of the gospel (this includes our enemies), we are to bear all their burdens, believe their statements, hope with them to the end, and endure whatever may come. As the clapper beats us against the bell, the Cromwell’s of life will take note and be moved to say, “Curfew shall not ring tonight!” A mountain will be moved and God will be glorified not in a fancy statement or prayer but in a personal act of devotion to all who we choose to love.

Pastor Aaron

Mark 11:20–25 (ESV): 20 As they passed by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered away to its roots. 21 And Peter remembered and said to him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree that you cursed has withered.” 22 And Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God. 23 Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. 24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. 25 And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.”

The day prior Jesus had cursed a fig tree for not bearing fruit and now they see the tree withered away and the disciples marvel at the event. Jesus then encourages them that they can do the same and more through prayer and faith. Yet so many times the disciples and I believe we too approach the mountains in our lives with a “Humph, just what I expected!” 

We harbor in our hearts resentment of our circumstances and anger at those who have hurt us. So when we pray, we really do not believe anything life changing is going to happen. Yet Jesus reminds us to be perfect like our Father in heaven is perfect. Begin with a heart of gratitude and forgive those who have wronged you. Believe that all things are possible with God. Then pray that God will either move the mountains that are before you or move you to overtake the mountains. Our resentment and anger are the bigger obstacles that stand in the way. Lower these mountains and others will fall before you.

Pastor Aaron

Mountains. They are the opposite of the flat coastlines of Florida. They are both beautiful and harsh in their nature. Very few humans and animals live in the higher elevations due to the weather and lack of oxygen. There have been times in my own life where I have scaled actual mountains thinking this is impossible. I once had to meet my companions at the top of Brown mountain in Wyoming. I was so tired I remember putting my foot down and my leg collapsing underneath me due to exhaustion. With the help of my companions we made it to the top but it was a challenge. Many times Scripture will refer to the challenges in our lives as mountains.

Psalm 121:1–4 (NIV): 1 I lift up my eyes to the mountains— 

         where does my help come from? 

      2 My help comes from the LORD, 

         the Maker of heaven and earth. 

      3 He will not let your foot slip— 

         he who watches over you will not slumber; 

      4 indeed, he who watches over Israel 

         will neither slumber nor sleep.

As we journey through we will face mountains in our lives. We can find we are discouraged to climb and we can feel alone in the journey. The Psalmist reminds us to take heart and to remember where our strength comes from. God does not sleep and he sees our journey and our mountains. Sometimes the help that he sends to us is in the companions that travel with us. Sometimes He gives us the strength to do what we think we cannot achieve on our own and sometimes He gives us peace that goes past any understanding. God is not asleep on your journey but near to the traveler. So look up, get up, and take another step. I see the mountain but I also see my God who will walk with me on this journey.

Pastor Aaron

In the midst of life’s trials and routines, it’s easy to lose sight of the joy that God offers. Nehemiah 8:10 reminds us that the joy of the Lord is not just a feeling but a source of profound strength. This joy is not dependent on our circumstances but is a deep, unshakeable assurance rooted in God’s love and faithfulness. When we embrace His joy, we draw from a wellspring that invigorates our spirit and empowers us to face each day with renewed vigor and hope.

Let this divine joy uplift your heart and transform your perspective. Even on the hardest days, God’s joy can break through and brighten our lives. By focusing on His goodness and the promises He’s made, we invite His joy into our hearts, which in turn fuels our strength and resilience. Celebrate the goodness of God and let His joy be a beacon of hope and energy, guiding you through each challenge and filling your life with abundant cheer. Embrace this joy today, and let it be the source of your strength and the song of your heart.

Partnering Together,

Shahna Clark 

Principal, Advent Elementary and Middle School