The man standing in the picture above is Pastor Rolando Ortez Martinez. He is the President (think bishop) of the Iglesia Cristiana Luterana de Honduras, which is one of our companion synods. As our synod team met at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in San Pedro, Sula, we were introduced to the leadership of the congregation. The man on the left was a member of the congregation and the former Sunday school teacher, not only of Pastor President Rolando, but of one other former Pastor President, several pastors, and most of the other leadership gathered that evening. He shared that with us with great pride.
As it also happened to be Good Shepherd Sunday, shepherds were on my mind. Pastoring is not the only form of shepherding. As we engage in conversations about who helped to form us in the faith, I think about how often Sunday school teachers and faith formation leaders are mentioned. I still give thanks for Mrs. Goebel who encouraged us to memorize the order of the books of the Bible in 4th Grade Sunday School at St. Thomas in Cheboygan!
These stories from the Bible, the stories of our ancestors in the faith, which have been passed down to us, are such a treasure. Thanks be to God for those who help us to learn those stories and find our place in them as God’s people. A week ago, Sunday, some 2,500 miles away from home, the quiet pride of a faithful Sunday school teacher gave me pause to think about those in my own life who had loved us kids enough to pass on these stories. Thank you to all of you who have done that for others over the years!
+BJST