I believe the most significant people in our lives demonstrate two crucial gifts. The first is a willingness to be there for us in both joyful and sorrowful times, demonstrating by their presence and actions that we are loved by and important to them. The second is an ability to listen openly, remain non-judgmental, and guide us as we seek truth, insight and revelation.
Pastor Elmo and Norma Anderson have been both of those things for me for 55 years. Little did I know when they moved to Maddock, ND in 1963 that they would make such a radical difference in my life.
I started confirmation classes at North Viking Lutheran Church in Maddock in 7thgrade, and found class to be rather boring, being taught by a retired pastor, as we were between called pastors. Pastor Elmo arrived just in time for my 8th grade year of class. When I last saw Pastor Elmo this past summer in Fargo, he was still talking about how much he enjoyed having three boys in confirmation—I was one of them-- who loved to ask questions. And the reason we asked questions is because Pastor Elmo always listened carefully and didn’t just give us canned answers.
The next significant thing he did was to take me to Red Willow Bible Camp, which would lead to a clear turning point in my faith journey. Through his confirmation classes and camp my faith was greatly deepened, and for the first time I experienced faith as not just giving intellectual assent to certain doctrines, but as a way of life built on a relationship with God and being a part of a loving, forgiving, caring community of Jesus’ followers. All of this was key to helping me deal with what would come next in my life.
In 1964 my dad was diagnosed with cancer. Pastor Elmo walked with him and our family through the next year of treatments, and when Dad died in August of 1965, Pastor Elmo officiated at his funeral.
Less than two years later my mother was diagnosed with cancer, and again Pastor Elmo, and Norma, walked with our family through that painful time, and, when she died in May of 1967, Pastor Elmo officiated at her funeral.
Now that my younger brother and I were orphaned, Elmo and Norma offered to take us into their family. Having four children of their own, we decided to move in with a family whose four kids had all left home. However, I was at the Anderson house so often it probably seemed as if I was a part of their family as well.
The death of both of my parents in high school evolved into a real crisis of faith for me. Starting in high school, and continuing while I was a student at Concordia College in Moorhead, Mn. (where both Elmo and Norma went to college) I struggled with my relationship to both God and the church. During that time Pastor Elmo often gave me books to read from his library, and then he and I would spend long hours discussing those books and others I was reading in school.
When I graduated from Concordia College in 1972, both Elmo and Norma attended, and the next week traveled to Bismarck for my wedding to Pauline Peterson.
On November 11, 1977, at North Viking, Pastor Elmo ordained me. He also had a part in my first call, as he is the one who suggested to Pastor Thor Rykken at Faith Lutheran in West Fargo that I might be a good candidate for their Youth Pastor position, which is exactly what came to pass.
While I was at Faith and Pastor Elmo was at Peace in Fargo, we kept in close touch and even worked together on putting together a resolution that passed our synod assembly calling for greater church action to combat world hunger.
Pastor Elmo was both a fine theologian and a wonderful preacher. He is the one who introduced me to Sojourners Magazine, a progressive, evangelical monthly giving perspective on the burning issues of the day, and throughout high school and college he nourished me through his intellectually challenging sermons.
When Pauline died in 1982, I asked Pastor Elmo to preach at her memorial service. I don’t know if it is fair to ask one pastor to preach at three of your family member funerals, but Pastor Elmo did, and he did so in a powerful and healing manner.
In 2001 I took a call to Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran in Phoenix, where Anderson’s son, Rob, and his family are members. During my years there I confirmed both of Rob’s and Bruna’s sons, Nathan and Ben. Pastor Elmo found that to be extremely meaningful, commenting that our relationship had now come full circle, with the boy he confirmed now confirming two of his grandsons. The frosting on the cake was that, for Ben’s confirmation, I asked Pastor Elmo to speak at the Confirmation Banquet in Phoenix.
Martin Luther encouraged us to live as “little christs,” bringing Jesus’ compassion, forgiveness and love into the world. Pastor Elmo and Norma have been the incarnation of that love for me all these years.
When I am asked by whom I have been blessed, and who has been my most profound mentor, Pastor Elmo has always been at the top of the list. As we say thanks for and goodbye to him at his memorial service this coming Monday, I will be carrying on my heart the words of Jesus in Matthew 25:23: “Well done, good and faithful servant!”
