Dear Friends Through Christ,

By fate or design, I was born into the household of a Lutheran pastor.  Therefore, the Church was the playground of my youth, from crawling over and under the pews as an infant, to an acolyte as a youngster, to singing in the choir, living at various camps in the summer, and hanging out with all my friends from church youth groups.  Yes, one could say growing up, life was good, and this life revolved around the Church—the Body of Christ, the Priesthood of Believers.

It's strange how I ended up a pastor.  Never wanted to be one.  Actually, when people asked what I wanted to be when I grew up, I’d say, “Don’t know.  But I will never be a pastor.”  My father worked all the time.  I saw and heard what he had to put up with and go through.  I knew what he got paid.  I just assumed there had to be an easier way of making a living.  

So, fresh out of the Marine Corps in 1977, through my connections in the church, I went to work for the largest scrap company in the country, Hyman Michaels, a good Jewish company.  (I tell people, I have worked for Jews all my life) Actually, what I did for the next nineteen years was quite theological. I was a professional recycler. I found homes for all the mistakes and rejects of bar products from all the major mills in the country.  Steel that was destined to be cut up and thrown back in the fire for remelt, now serves the needs of a different company, making a different product, with huge savings for the customer and great profit for Hyman Michaels. And because I learned everything there is to know about the steel bar market, and because I love getting to know people, I became quite good at being an excess/secondary steel broker. Making a living was quite easy.  But I soon found out, living life can be quite hard.    

In 1991, I was diagnosed with stage four melanoma and given a 2% chance of living past five years.  The Bible says have faith, but I said, “Have faith in what?”  So, the next five years were like a big blur or a black and white scene from the Wizard of Oz, during which time it would be hard to say what crossed my mind.  But I do know this: my life sure did changed.  Even without knowledge of the future, Sandy and I brought into the world Lindsey, Noah and Kaylee, and by-golly, six years later, I’m still kicking.  What now?   

About the same time, I was diagnosed with cancer, my father was diagnosed with            Alzheimer’s disease, and his preaching career was cut short.  I never realized how much I appreciated my father’s preaching and teaching until it was gone.  Nobody could tell the old, old story in a way that made the text come alive. 

Sandy and I tried church after church.  Catholic, Lutheran, Presbyterian, Non-Denominational.  Big churches.  Little churches.  There’s gotta be a church out there somewhere that feeds our soul?  I found myself sitting through worship wondering why the pastor didn’t say this or that.  I found myself wanting to learn everything there is to know about the Bible.  Where did that come from?

So, in the summer of 1997, at the age of 41, on the shores of Ocean Isle, NC, I asked Sandy what she thought about me, quitting the steel business and going to seminary to become a Lutheran pastor.  I figured she would look at me sort of goofy and say, “What, are you nuts?”  But as soon as those words came out of my mouth, she responded, “It’s about time.”  Totally freaked me out.  Yet a decision was made.  I would do what I promised never to do.  I would become a pastor. 

My father died on July 4th, 1998, and I started seminary on July 11th, 1998.  Twenty-eight-years later, one could say, life is good, because this life revolved around the Church—the Body of Christ, the Priesthood of Believers.  Now, I am the same age as my father when he was forced to give up preaching and teaching. Like I said, by fate or design I was born into the household of a Lutheran pastor.  I am just so glad that I have had Jesus by my side for the past 69 years, because I wouldn’t have made it without him, whether a preacher or steel broker.  

In Christian Love,

Pastor David Trexler