By Matthew F. Leighty
Executive Director

You might know that my father was a minister, but you may not know of the unconventional route he took to his pastoral calling. It’s common for many to enter the ministry directly from Lutheran colleges and seminaries after high school. Others serve in the military or public service before answering the call. Some even embark on this path post-retirement.

My father’s journey, however, was a winding road of varied vocations. He was employed at a manufactured home factory and played in a country rock band in Watertown, S.D., where he met my mother. His career trajectory took him from being a salesclerk to insurance sales and then to a grocery store worker in Des Moines, Iowa. Later, he joined the Pittsburgh Des Moines Steel Company. After relocating to a small town outside of Des Moines, he was a road surveyor for the county road department. It was there, at the age of 36 and without a college degree, that he felt the divine call to ministry. He embarked on his academic journey at Concordia College in St. Paul, Minn., and four years later, he proceeded to Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne, Ind., to further his studies and become a pastor. But, God was working in him every step of the way in the vocation He had given him.

Ephesians 2:10 (ESV) emphasizes that vocation molds us to serve God in any situation. It reads, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”

It doesn’t have to take years of college to carry out the vocation God has in store for you.

A recent conversation with one of our Worship Anew pastors continues to remind me that God has graced us with various roles—within our work, families, and communities—to embody and share His love. When this pastor was out and about and wearing a Worship Anew jacket, people would approach him. Some recognized him and expressed their appreciation for Worship Anew, but others were curious about what the name and logo on his jacket represented. I shared how I have had the same happen on many occasions. These interactions are precious as they have allowed me to share about the ministry and our abundant life in Jesus Christ.

There are countless ways that someone can live this out in their daily lives. I often wear a cross necklace that people will comment on. Perhaps you can wear a broach, hold a cross in your hand (like the ones given out in our care packages), or keep a Bible or devotional book close by. These are great ways to spur conversation about how Christ is the center of our lives. I also find that it keeps me mindful of not just who I am but whose I am and how I can live that out in my daily life.

In this issue of the Broadcaster, we remember another inspirational man who embraced his vocational calling, Rev. John Westra, a founding visionary of this ministry. His dedication and foresight were instrumental in shaping the television program “Worship for Shut-Ins” with the goal of disseminating God’s Word far and wide.

We are grateful to God, knowing that Rev. Westra has gloriously finished his earthly mission and has been bestowed with the divine reward promised in 2 Timothy 4:7-8 (KJV): “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.”

I often carry with me the dedication exemplified by those who have walked before us. May you find inspiration through the Holy Spirit each day to live out your vocation with passion and purpose that comes with Christ as the center of our lives. Know that in every act of kindness, every word of comfort, and every gesture of love, we are manifesting the good works God has prepared for us.

It is my prayer that Worship Anew may point all people to the abundant life in Christ Jesus that He wants for us now and that awaits us all in the eternal life to come.

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Ephesians 2:10 ESV