Previews

Ten years ago, my pastor took me out of school for a day and brought me to Luther Seminary. I was sixteen and had never considered the 'pastor factory' or how they are assembled. I spent time in the classrooms, chapel and cafeteria with my peers from all over the Twin Cities. Our pastors had seen something both familiar and unique in each of us and wanted to spark a conversation about ministry and vocation.

There were no explicit miracles. I left happy that I had missed school, but far from convinced that a clerical collar was in my future. Still, the event introduced me to the big questions and a campus I would find again.

Today this event still exists. Previews continues to invite youth leaders and pastors from all over the Midwest to visit campus and find out more about what this seminary journey is all about. These high schoolers were as diverse a group as the students enrolled here, each with his or her own skepticism, questions and interest.

I told this group the truth. I told them that everyone here has a unique story and asks questions. I told them that there are plenty of people in seminary to become pastors and plenty of people in seminary to do other cool ministries like youth, music, service, lay and community organization. I told them that there is room for them here and that, though an open heart can be scary, God has plenty of passions and ideas with which to fill it.

And I told them to ask their pastors and youth leaders why they were chosen to come here today. It's a question that leads to more questions and in many directions, but it's the best question of all.