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Pastor David Bauser came to Lord of Life while he was looking for the call that led him to become our associate pastor. He and his family were leaving a community that cared for them, but never truly felt like home. He was looking for his new call to be in a place where he and his family could build a meaningful church home – a place where they were not waiting to “go home” during the holidays. He said that he was looking for “A place my kids could be themselves, and I could be their dad while still creating sacred space for others in worship.”
More recently, as he discerned a call to serve Lord of Life as lead pastor, he realized that he was searching for something even more specific. He asked “Is Lord of Life ready to live into the mission, vision, and values that we proclaim?” Throughout the call process that answer became a clearly perceived “yes.”
Here is what he describes as his first memory of feeling like Lord of Life was his home: “In my installation as associate pastor, Bishop Mike began the installation portion of the service. He and I stood at the baptismal font, and he began reading all the very specific language that is required to be read at an installation. In the midst of this, my daughter, Sophia, who was about 18 months old, started fussing in the first pew with my wife because she wanted to come see me. Bishop Mike paused this very formal part of the service, and calmly said, “Does she want to be here with you?” and then invited me to have Sophia with me for the installation. I carried Sophia around as we continued through the installation rite, and every person I talked to later commented on how much they loved seeing her with me. In that moment, I began to realize that this community would support me and my family as much as I hoped to support them.”
Pastor David appreciates Lord of Life’s long history of supporting ministry outside our walls. He says this is something that is hard to teach, but has become a part of the cultural life in this community.
During his childhood, Pastor David watched his dad place an envelope with a check in it in the offering plate at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church every week. When the congregation went through some conflict, David remembers hearing that a lot of people “were not giving money until this or that problem was fixed.” However, week after week his dad wrote that check. It was his example, more than any book or class, that showed Pastor David what generosity towards God is intended to look like.
Pastor David supports God’s ministries at Lord of Life because he believes that God wants to do incredible things through our community. He believes we have a message that people in our area need to hear. He believes God desires us to be bold in proclaiming that message, and he wants to be a part of that process.
He continued: “Even more deeply than that, I give to God's ministries at Lord of Life because I'm not really giving it to Lord of Life at all. I'm giving back to God out of the gifts that God has given me.”
Pastor David hopes that those who call Lord of Life “home” in 15, 30, or 50 years will find that this is a community where people from all parts of our area find unity in their faith, and discover what it means to have life through the love of Christ.
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