In October at Emmanuel, we have a tradition of sharing our “Emmanuel Stories.” These are stories of impactful ministry that our members share during the sermon time. Rob Tomalka shared this story on Sunday, October 18th:
Good morning. I have to tell you, last week’s stories were so wonderful that I called Pat and Bonnie and asked if they’d just do it again. They said no. So instead, I’d like to talk with you today about my upbringing and how it has changed over time.
I was born into a Lutheran home. My grandparents were Lutheran, my parents were Lutheran, and pretty much everybody I knew was Lutheran. We grew up in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Iowa, otherwise known as “Lutherland.” You can’t throw a rock there without hitting a Lutheran church. Growing up that way, I really wasn’t exposed to any other houses of worship until I was about thirteen.
Then we moved to Connecticut, and when we got there, we struggled to find a Lutheran church. Later we moved back to Illinois, and then to North Carolina, where, as it turns out, there aren’t many Lutheran churches either. But we managed to find one.
Since I had been Lutheran my whole life, that was simply the way things were. I never really considered what other religions were like: what they believed, how they shaped people’s lives, or how they professed their faith.
Then I went to college. In my freshman year, we had a program called Freshman Studies, and one of the books we had to read was Black Elk Speaks. It tells the story of a Native American man and his experience growing up in his community. As I read it, I realized that for him, growing up was just as much a faith journey as mine had been. It was almost as if he had his own confirmation when he became an adult.
That was very enlightening for me. I remember thinking, Wow. There are other ways people worship their Lord, whoever that may be. It intrigued me, and I began exploring some of the Eastern religions as well. What struck me most was that all of us, even those whose traditions were so different, look to a being greater than ourselves for guidance.
Before I moved here, when I was living in California, I belonged to a men’s group. We met on Saturday mornings and talked through the Bible readings for the next day’s service. When I moved here, I missed that. So I went to Pastor Ethan and told him I’d like to start something like it for the men of this congregation. He told me we don’t really do things just for the men here. That’s what I get for asking! So instead, we started Faith in Public.
What makes Faith in Public different from everything else I’ve done in my faith life is that many of the people who have been part of it come from other faith traditions. Over time I’ve learned a great deal about those traditions, and I keep discovering how much we share. It has been amazing to come together.
Fast forward to this year. I’ve only made it to two of our dinner-and-worship gatherings, because Sue and I love to travel. But at those gatherings I’ve had the chance to talk with people from other churches, Baptists and Presbyterians, traditions I hadn’t had much experience with. By the end of those two evenings, one thing was settled in my heart: even though we come to our Lord in different ways, as Christians we have far more in common than we have differences.
My hope is that our Lutheran congregation, together with our Presbyterian and Baptist friends, can build on that unity to serve our Lord even better.