My new adventure

Hello and welcome to my blog. First, I think it’s appropriate to introduce myself. My name is Russ Troester and I have a variety of vocations. When I was on vicarage (a.k.a. pastor internship), my supervisor gave me some wise advice as to how I should prioritize my various roles in life. So with that in mind, I am:

1. A man of God, specifically a Christian. I believe that I am saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ who died and rose again to forgive my sins and secure for me eternal life (Ephesians 2:8-9). I also believe that I have a responsibility as a Christian to show love to my neighbor and live a life according to God’s will (c.f. the book of James). I’m not saved by my works, but they are evidence of my faith. Bottom line is I am an imperfect person in need of redemption and I give thanks to God for working that very redemption in my life.
2. A husband to my lovely, wonderful, caring wife Kris. We have been together since February of 2002 and married since October 26, 2002. Sure, our marriage isn’t perfect – none is – but we are committed to one another and have Christ as our foundation. We love and respect one another and when we mess up – we ask each other for forgiveness and give it without condition.
3. A father to my two wonderful sons, Rome and Jack. Rome was born September 11, 2005 and Jack on March 18, 2008. Having sons is great as a dad (though I know I’d love daughters too) because I can vicariously relive my childhood through them as they grow and play. My wife and I keep learning along the way and above all, we desire for our children to know their Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, as we do.
4. A pastor – an undershepherd of THE Good Shepherd. I have been called to serve God’s people at St. Michael’s Lutheran Church (LC-MS) in Bloomington, MN and have been there since July 12, 2008. I am constantly learning and that’s one of my one of my primary reasons for starting this blog.
5. There also many other vocations which I fulfill including son, grandson, nephew, cousin, wannabe comedian…you get the idea.

Now, as for the reason(s) I’ve started this blog. As you can see from the title and subtitle of my blog, I do not consider myself to be the wisest person in the world. That’s not meant to be a statement showing a lack of confidence in myself, God, or the fine education I’ve received. It’s simply a humble recognition that there is always somethign new to learn and the older I get, the more I realize just how much I don’t know. King Solomon when told by God to ask for whatever his heart desired, responded by asking for wisdom and knowledge to lead his people (c.f. 1 Kings 3; 2 Chronicles 1). The book of Proverbs, most of which is believed to have been written by King Solomon, is full of God’s wisdom to man. In addition, it’s full of many passages (like the one I used for my subtitle) that teach us how before God especially, we need to recognize we certainly don’t know everything nor will we ever in this life. Therefore, we should continually seek knowledge and understanding. Now, let me be clear. The most important things for anyone to know are: 1) We are sinful and need a savior, without whom we are doomed to spend an eternity in hell, 2) God in his love an mercy for us, sent his son to die in our place, therefore forgiving our sins and earning eternal life for us. That being said, it’s important to know as much as we can about God’s Word because it’s all about His plan of salvation for His people. Our primary/ultimate source is God’s Word, but I believe that God also gives us wisdom, guidance, knowledge, understanding, and insight from other people who have tread before us. So, in a nutshell, I recognize that I don’t know everything about the Bible and more specifically, some of our practices as Lutherans, so I am seeking the wisdom of other wise Christians to help guide and instruct me in the wisdom of God.

Finally, I have just a few of “rules” for this blog.

1. My desire is to learn and to also help others learn who may be struggling/wrestling with the same issues I discuss. I want this site to be site that is collegial and gracious in nature. Please try to put the best construction on everything.
2. I fully recognize that I may have some things wrong, and I am more than open to being corrected for the error of my ways in love! I would assume that anyone who has a genuine concern for my spiritual well being will try to gently correct me according to God’s Word and our Confessions, not simply their own, unfounded opinions.
3. I have little tolerance for people being belligerent, condescending, and arrogant. I’ve been there myself, and admittedly still struggle with it at times. I don’t like that side of me so I really don’t want it to be a part of this blog. I’m not saying you have to agree with everything I say and again, I welcome correction based on God’s Word and our Confessions. However, that doesn’t mean you have to belittle me or anyone else who comments on this blog in the process. If you’re really that insecure about yourself that you need to put others down, or if you’re just looking for a fight, please find somewhere else on the internet to be a troll. I applaud people’s passion, but if things get out of hand – I reserve the right not to post or delete comments I feel are unhelpful or counterproductive to the discussion. Bottom line, the last thing we need as Christians, let alone Lutherans, is more division. We’ll never have perfect Christian unity this side of heaven, but that doesn’t mean we can’t try.
4. This blog is not limited to comments from pastors, rostered church workers, Lutherans, or even Christians. I welcome all to post their thoughts, concerns, other questions here. In fact, seeing as how our task as Christians is to reach out to the lost with the message of Jesus Christ, I’ll grant more charity to those who are not Christians in terms of their attitude and response.
5. This is a formatting related concern, but please try to limit the use of “ALL CAPS” in your comments. I understand the need at times to emphasize a point, but when overused, it often only makes people imagine you’re shouting at them and becomes rather counterproductive.
6. This blog, like my life of sanctification, is a work in progress. If you have any general thoughts, comments, questions, or concerns feel free to email me directly at blog@troesters.com and I’ll do my best to respond in a timely manner.
7. Despite the serious tone of this entire page/first post, I really don’t take myself too seriously and I do actually like to laugh and have a good time.

Well, talk about a manifesto. I think that about covers it. I hope and pray (mostly the latter) that you find this blog as a safe haven to air your thoughts, questions, and concerns and that all involved will find it a blessing. With that…let the blogging begin! God’s peace to you all in Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior!

In His Service and Yours,

Russ Troester

~ by The Rev Russ on September 19, 2008.