Spiritual Connection: Snowbirds Flock to Church

My wife Julane and I just returned from a trip down memory lane to Arizona, where I spent a year of seminary internships at Shepherd of the Valley in 1972-1973.

At the time, this congregation was the largest in our denomination west of the Mississippi River, and it was a very eventful and influential year for our family and especially for my ministry. Our first child was born and baptized there. So grandparents, uncles, and even great-grandmothers showed up. All are “family” snowbirds.

As fall turned to Christmas and winter in the North, more and more church visitors came, primarily from the Midwest.

Every Sunday morning, we set up tables in the courtyard for people to put their name tags on. The Minnesota table had name tags shaped like the state of Minnesota to fill out. The same goes for Wisconsin, Iowa, and North and South Dakota. Without having to read the names on the tags from afar, smiling worshipers could grab coffee cups and chat about travel, accommodation, hometowns, and home churches. Needless to say, there are many tee times and tennis matches scheduled for next week.

Then, during my internship, I learned that snowbirds flock to the church.

Back in 2000, my denomination encouraged congregations to consider funding to start and establish new missions across the United States. This emphasized the fact that not only were foreign missions important, but new and developing communities within the United States were also an important field of mission.

So our St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church here in Eden Prairie funded the establishment of Spirit of Grace Lutheran Church in Sun City Grand, Arizona. We worshiped there again a few weeks ago in February.

The beautiful modern sanctuary was filled with gray-haired worshipers, and the 42 choir chairs were also filled with gray-haired sopranos, altos, tenors, and basses. We were inspired, and any church across the country would be thrilled to have an enthusiastic worshiping community like the one we experienced there.

So I learned again from the elders that snowbirds flock to worship.

Just a few years ago, when I remembered the memorial service for my mentor and internship supervisor, Pastor Dick Hamlin, God reminded me of the comfort of the Holy Spirit and the promise of resurrection in his final church.

So we, along with Rev. Deborah Hitterer, Bishop of the Grand Canyon Church Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, and several other robed ministers, I had the privilege of presiding, and we talked about his life and his work. The promised resurrection of God was celebrated grandly. It was a great service to a great servant of the Lord! ”

Pastor Dick was more than just my mentor. He was in the habit of writing and printing out Mentoring His Moment cards that he could distribute wherever he visited. I have saved them all and refer to them often for wise guidance and inspiration.

Another stop for inspiration… Spirit in the Desert Retreat Center brings together snowbirds and valley locals alike to renew their faith in a tranquil and beautiful setting atop a desert “rock.” They gathered to renew their faith and were full of energy. On my way from Ash Wednesday to Easter, I picked up the Retreat Center’s Lenten Journey faith booklet and studied the scriptures, faith reflections, and prayers.

In the Bible, “desert” is a kind of “code” word for “wilderness,” a place between where we have been and where we are going. This is something we snowbirds have come to understand as we flock to church, both at home and on the go.

Thank God!

Editor’s note: Eden Prairie Local News (EPLN) contributor Pastor Rod Anderson also serves on the EPLN Board of Directors. He was senior pastor of St. Andrew Lutheran Church in Eden Prairie.

Interested in contributing a faith-based column to EPLN? Email editor@eplocalnews.org.