Larry Christenson 1928-2017
Pastor Larry Christenson
March 10, 1928 - December 26, 2017
When people who have been around Trinity for a while use the word “Pastor”, they are often talking about Pastor Larry Christenson. He faithfully served the people of Trinity from 1960-1982 and then again in an interim capacity from 2004-2005. I don’t think another individual has had as comprehensive an impact on my life as Pastor. I’d like to share some of the ways he has impacted me, and in so doing, I’d like to honor this father. |
| Pastor at Trinity's Narthex |
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| Nordis, Susie Nelson, Pastor Larry Christenson, Luthor Nelson |
Family Impact
Herb Hoff was stationed in San Pedro towards the end of the Vietnam War. He said he was stationed at Trinity Lutheran Church with occasional service on base. Trinity was
‘home’ for both my mom and my dad after they were married in March 1974. It wasn’t long after they were married, they were found to be with child! Those were the days of NFP (look it up, if you don’t know :). Pastor pulled Herb aside and invited him into the practice of blessing me even before I was born. He would mark unborn me with the sign of the cross and speak Aaron’s benediction or another short blessing like, “The almighty and merciful: Father, + Son, and Holy Spirit, bless and preserve you.” I don’t remember a night my parents missed blessing me until I left home to go to college in 1993. Maybe this practice, learned from Pastor, was the most significant connection with my parents and my gracious God.
My future father-in-law, Luthor Nelson was working at Trinity during those earlier days as a parish worker. He and my mother-in-law also married in '74 and were found to be with daughter in '75. Praise the Lord for Joy Susanne Nelson, who has many of her own stories with Pastor!
Pastor was the author and practitioner of the bestselling, The Christian Family. These were the days before there were loads of Christian parenting and family-oriented books and resources, so my parents, my wife’s parents, and millions of others soaked up the content of this book which aimed at a biblical reset in a culture that was experimenting with starting over on their own terms. In the anti-authoritarian blurry haze of the 1960-70’s, The Christian Family was clear, direct, and didn’t lack authority! The application of The Christian Family had mixed results, because the people applying its teaching were, well, people. I am grateful for teachers of the faith like Pastor who are courageous enough give it to us straight. In the words of Luther to the more nuanced Erasmus, “Make assertions!” That, Pastor did.
When Joy and I were to be married (August 1996), both Luthor Nelson and Herb Hoff were pastors, so we asked them both to preach at our wedding, but thought it would be best if we didn’t favor one side of the family to lead us through our vows. Pastor was the natural choice! He led out in prayer after the vows, and we think back on it frequently, and pray the same for others. He learned it in Africa. “Lord, we pray that you would be a friend to everything that is a friend of this marriage, and a fierce enemy to everything that is an enemy to this marriage.”
Catechism
The American Lutheran Church (ALC) did a study on effective catechesis that had little impact on most congregations who are typically allergic to change. It found that the most effective time to do dedicated catechesis was not during early adolescence as most practiced it, but before adolescence or toward the end of High School. Trinity was conservative and traditional in their reading and teaching of the Holy Scriptures. They were NOT allergic to change in experimenting with new forms of liturgy, worship, and pedagogy. At Trinity they cared (still do) about teaching what we have always taught, but we didn't (and still don’t) often say “we’ve never done it that way before.”Working with Sandra Hall, Pastor assembled the Trinity Bible Series which was intensive catechesis. Twice-a-week, two years in the Old Testament, and one year in the New in a narrative way based in Hurlbut’s Story of the Bible, the Trinity series was serious work for teacher, parents, and the student. Luther’s Small Catechism was memorized along the way. The trend was moving towards more entertaining and easier pedagogy, and the Trinity series bucked this trend. Trinity used this for years, and we still use a form of it based more in the English Standard Version of the Bible along with the Action Bible. It has been a strong foundation for our young people. The Trinity series also formed the strongest foundation for my family and congregation in Brooklyn Park, MN and my wife’s family in Norwalk, CA. What a gift!
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| Nordis, Larry, Bud Hahn, Roy Jones, and Bob Scott's red vest |
Conferences
The first International Lutheran Conference on the Holy Spirit I attended was as a child in the early 1980’s at the old Minneapolis Auditorium, where the Minneapolis Lakers used to play. I loved the little churches my dad served in Southern Minnesota. They were warmly and authentically pious, without much of the harshness that is often related to that word. They loved the Bible and fellowship was like an extended family. But, when I walked into the old Minneapolis Auditorium I remember thinking, “It’s like Jesus is really alive.” All these people of every age praising God, hungry to hear his word, believing that he still does what the Bible talks about. To this day, when I picture heaven, I think of that old Auditorium. When I think of Revelation’s Twenty-Four Elders, I think of all the leaders up on the stage and the “word-gift” group ready to weigh a living word from a living God. Leadership was collaborative, crossing synodical lines before the later mergers, and embracing Catholic and Pentecostal streams and input. I don’t remember yearning for the unity of the Church as a young person, because we already enjoyed it. Even though leadership was collaborative, there is no doubt God gave Pastor as a gift to this movement who had a quick and brilliant mind, an intuitive leadership style and presence, and was an insightful and witty and profoundly Biblical teacher.
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| Pioneers at the Holy Spirit Conference at North Heights: Morris Vaagness, Larry, Fred Thoni, Denise Siemens, Paul Anderson, Del Rossin |
Books
I already mentioned The Christian Family (1970) which had an indirect impact on me. Pastor wrote other books that had a direct impact on me. Ride the River (2000) gave me an appetite for a relational model of the Trinity that continues to fuel my devotion and my real life in God. Welcome, Holy Spirit (1987) was my first systematic theology and introduced me to the grammar of grace and faith and many other concepts and doctrines. Speaking in Tongues (1968) is well worn. Infant Baptism (1973) helped solidify what was shaky from time to time. Charismatic Renewal Among Lutherans (1976) has been informative, but more important practical in his chapter on Counsel for Charismatic Lutherans. First, earn the right to be heard. Second, don’t judge others spiritual maturity. Third, appreciate your heritage. Fourth, live under the cross. This practical teaching never goes out of style because it is so true!Two books stand out as the most life-changing for me. Back to Square One (1979) and The Renewed Mind (1974). I still go back frequently to the chapter after which the book is named, “Back to Square One”, “The key to the Christian life is getting back to Square 1 and continually moving out only from Square 1” (10). “When the blinders of a duty-oriented religion begin to drop away, we catch sight of the tremendous potential of the Spirit. In one sense it is restrictive because we can’t do a thing unless the Holy Spirit releases us into it. Yet at the same time, it is liberating because the Spirit releases us into things we never dreamed of” (17). I return to “The Right Way, the Wrong Way, and the Gospel Way” almost every day! “We know what the right way is. You follow the rules, you discipline yourself, you lead a good life. And we know the wrong way—slipshod, lukewarm, halfhearted, indifferent. But there is a third way too—the gospel way. The right way and the wrong way have this in common: They depend upon what man can or ought to do. The gospel way depends on what God can do” (44). “The Notre Dame Football Talk” “Private Confession” and other chapters had and continue to have a profound impact.
My copy of The Renewed Mind published in 1974 is more underlined than not. Such practical teaching on how holiness and sanctification actually work. I can’t think of anything that has been more transformational than “The Old Landlord.” I read this frequently, and have copies of this chapter ready to give away and do so frequently. What freedom came in my own life and ministry when I realized that EVERYTHING is referral. “Now this is the situation of a Christian. Once Christ has delivered you from the power of sin and the devil, you can depend on it: that old landlord will soon come back knocking at your door. And what is your defense? How do you keep him from getting the whip hand over you again? You send him to the new Landlord. You send him to Jesus” (42). “Unilateral Forgiveness” has come in handy nearly as often. In fact, today, the day Pastor went to meet Jesus face-to-face is St. Stephen the Martyr day, December 26th. He is the patron saint of Unilateral Forgiveness, and it was the first thing I thought of when I heard Pastor had died.
Preparation for Seminary
By the time I was ready to start Luther Seminary (Pastor’s alma mater), I had a painting job in Northern Minnesota with my buddy, Steve Ose. We knew Pastor and Nordis lived at that time in Northome, and called ahead to see if he was home. He was, and they invited us in for lunch, and warm hospitality. Both Steve and I graduated from Lutheran Bible Institute in Seattle. We had solid Biblical convictions and had heard that they would be at least challenged at seminary. We knew Pastor could give us some ammo (?) for our potential fight. Honestly, looking back, I went to seminary with my fists up. Pastor said, “Its not your vocation to teach your teachers. You don’t have to convince them about what you think about JEDP, or how many Isaiah’s there were, or “Q”. You are there to learn. Realize that often your professors might have different presuppositions than you. For instance, they might not believe in predictive prophecy, but you do. No problem! You still have something to learn. Get as much as you can, and leave everything that doesn’t accord with sound doctrine. Find a healthy congregation to plant yourselves in, and get ready to serve in Christ’s church.” That was just what I needed! |
| My installation day at Trinity, Oct 2005 |
Preparation at Trinity
Trinity had been through some significant trials, and was experiencing, what many remember as, an identity crisis. Pastor, who by 2004 was revered and honored like a grandfather at Trinity, was asked to come back to serve as an Interim Pastor while the Call committee did their work in providing a candidate for the congregation to Call. Pastor told me, “I thought Nordis and I were going to have some time to catch up on some television, but we were never able to even turn it on this whole year.” Prayer and careful attention to the voices of the congregation, and more importantly to the voice of God occupied that whole season. He could have lived out his year as a beloved grandfatherly figure who gloried in the days of old and the stories of gold. But he and Nordis got down on their hands and knees in prayer, and cared for this flock like they did many years before. I was Called to be Pastor at Trinity, and started in October 2005. Pastor sent me pages of preparatory material to make the transition as smooth as possible. I received it with sobriety, but probably discounted some of it as generational or personality differences. Now, we are very different kinds of people. Pastor was one of the most disciplined people I knew. |
| Shelly Mickelson, Helen Castagnola, Larry, and me |
My own experience in the pastoral office has gone something like this: In order to shepherd a flock well, a pastor needs to cultivate two “relational components” that stand somewhat in contradistinction to one another: 1) he needs to command respect and deference; 2) he needs to relate to people with warmth, empathy, intimacy. The natural human tendency is to go for #2 right off the bat because it garners a quicker response. However, it is then much more difficult for #1 to develop. People quickly fall into a pattern of easy familiarity, and often only in crisis realize that they need a pastor, not a buddy-buddy. The other approach is somewhat slower, but in my estimation builds a more enduring foundation. A pastor who begins with #1–doing a lot of listening, thinking, and praying—being not too quick either to agree or disagree as things come up—but exudes a clear impression that his priority is to seek the Lord’s mind and will, will gradually command respect and spiritual deference. And from there gradually and appropriately move toward #2; together, these two relational components spell spiritual father. It is much easier to move from #1 to #2, than the reverse.This along with may other conversations, prayers, and writing demonstrated a love for God’s flock that was so thorough and faithful.
Sandy Hall, who was principal at Trinity Lutheran School for a number of years, once told a delightful story of two teachers. Miss Peaches identified right off the bat with all the wants and needs of her pupils, surrounded them with tender loving care. By mid-them her classroom had degenerated into Bedlam. Miss NotSoFast didn’t smile until Thanksgiving, and had the students eating out of her hand by Christmas.
This, of course, is hyperbole and a broad generalization, which one must fine-tune under the leading of the Holy Spirit.”
After we celebrated Trinity’s 90th anniversary a few years ago, Pastor Christenson, Pastor Paul, and I sat and talked about and prayed for Trinity. During these last years, every time I have talked with Larry or Paul, I am reminded of 1 Corinthians 3 where the Apostle writes, “According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw—each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done.” Without a doubt, Pastor built with precious material. The times of testing have revealed this.
Many more stories are percolating, but I’ve written so much already. To end, I’d like to pray.Father, Son, and Holy Spirit! Thank you for Pastor. Thank you for giving me, and us, someone who cared about spiritual fathering. Thank you for the way he learned and the way he taught. Thank you for his openness and curiosity and desperation to pray, “Come, Holy Spirit!” Thank you for giving him to Trinity, and to the whole church. You gave us Pastor, who like a birth coach reminded us to BREATHE, and we have experienced the nourishment in the Body of Christ as our lungs were filled with the Ruach of God. Fill us again, Holy Spirit! Pastor was not the source, but bore witness to the Source of renewal. Draw near to Nordis and to the whole Christenson family as they experience the loss of Larry the faithful husband and brother, and father, and grandfather. We entrust Larry to you, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.
Comments
a great servant of Jesus.