Story of Faith by Lorraine Carlson

Every story should start:

Once upon a time, a seven year old girl came to First Lutheran Church with her family. This was the beginning and continuing story of my faith journey. Through Sunday school, confirmation, marriage, baptism of our daughters and all the events of life, my belief in God has grown.

One of the most influential events for me was during my times in Luther League (the “old” name for youth activities). There was a large group of youth from all areas of Duluth that willingly gathered for Bible Studies, camp, confirmation and just for fun. The summer of 1967, there was a nationwide Luther League convention in Seattle, WA. Two Greyhound buses filled with teens and brave chaperones left Duluth. We spent days traveling west staying in church basements and eating potluck dinners. We toured the Canadian Rockies before arriving in Seattle. The convention was held in a huge arena in downtown Seattle. As you can imagine, everyday brought new and exciting adventures. Beautiful God created the scenic views, conversations and daily Bible studies along with time for self-reflection and learning who we were becoming. Why had God given me this experience? And what was I to learn from this trip?

As  and we gathered at the arena one evening, communion was served. It consisted of pieces of a hamburger bun and small cups of Coke. As we passed the communion down each row, we gave communion to the person seated beside us. I felt an extreme connection to the meaning of communion, forgiveness, acceptance and the gift of grace. All the previous studies of the sacraments were coming alive through this hands-on experience.

On the night before we returned to Duluth, we were asked to write about what we had learned from this entire experience and how we felt. That was an easy assignment for me because I felt God’s love. Although I was just a teenager, I was able to write that God loved me, I was His child and I was loved.

God of Life, Thank you for new experiences that shape us and mold us and reveal to us that you are a loving God.  In your name, Amen.