Hello, friends. You're about to listen to a conversation
that I think is going to turn into a bit of a
series, and it's just kind of a post from the
road. I'm loosely calling this Journeying Together
in Christ podcast, and this is a conversation
that happened between pastors just a little over
a week ago on the fourth Sunday of Advent in
2025. This conversation is with the pastors of
First Lutheran Church in Clare City, Faith Lutheran
Church in New Effington, and Our Savior's Lutheran
Church in Veblen. And if you're watching the
YouTube version of this video, then there's a
little musical interlude towards the end, which
includes photos of these congregations in their
full regalia of Christmas. sent in by their pastors.
The music that's behind that photo montage in
the YouTube version is the old Slovak hymn, ČAS RADOSTI, which is, Come Rejoicing, Praises Voicing.
And that's in the Lutheran Book of Worship, the
green hymnal, hymn number 66. Thanks for listening.
And here's the conversation... That canicle, I
liked it. Right? We've got to do that one again.
Oh, Canicle of the Turning, that was new for you all?
Yes. I love that. I know. It's lovely, lovely.
It was. Well, happy advent. Thank you. Happy
advent to you. So, this is my first time. Up
here in New Effington. And I was here for the
installation service for Pastor Pat. And so because
it's the fourth Sunday in Advent. And they just
changed out the paraments for Christmas. Because
the next service is Christmas Eve service here.
And so I figured we'd have a little conversation
among pastors. Just to ask a few questions. of
these fine pastors up here. So, deep questions.
Well, first here, let's... Yeah, okay, so let's
introduce ourselves. So I'm Joel Pakan, I'm the
Director for Rural Ministries in the South Dakota
Synod, and... I am Pastor Pat Schubert, and I
am the pastor, associate pastor, assistant pastor,
whatever you want to call it, of... The three
churches here in the northeast corner. Excellent.
And newly installed. And newly installed today.
I was ordained on November 1st. Excellent. And
it was amazing. Pastor Pat has a nice ring to
it. Yeah. It does, right? It does. Yeah, yeah,
yeah. Good. All right. And? Pastor Karie Geyer.
So I am the head pastor at these three churches,
these fine churches, so Faith Lutheran and First
Lutheran in Claire City and Our Saviors in Veblen.
All right. Excellent. So first question, hard
-hitting questions here. In this holiday season,
hot chocolate or eggnog? Oh, that's a no -brainer.
Oh. Hot chocolate. Really? Yeah. Hot chocolate.
Okay. Okay. Do you have any thinking or reasoning
for that? It's just your preference. It's just
my preference. Yeah. All right. I like that.
Do you like to do anything special with your
hot chocolate? Just some whipped cream. All right.
Okay. And maybe a little peppermint stick. All
right. There it is. Yes. Okay. Yep. I like marshmallows
with a little hot chocolate. So it's like 90
% marshmallows. Oh. Yes. Yes. So I am totally
hot chocolate. I just was thinking when you asked,
I've never tried eggnog. You haven't? What? I
know. Oh, man. Hard -hitting journalism right
here, everybody. Don't hold that against me.
Okay, so I think it's eggnog for me. Now, I'm
not anti -hot chocolate. Yeah, we're not judging.
But I think it's eggnog for me because it's seasonal.
It's not like you're going to go pick up a carton
of eggnog in February or March. Right. July,
right? Right. So, yeah, for me, I think it's,
and I like doing like, you know, like having
like the nutmeg and all those kinds of other
flavors there. Yeah. But, oh, never had eggnog.
I know my tune might change if I tried it. Yeah.
All right. Talk to us again next year. All right.
So then one of the other questions I have for
you is favorite Advent or Christmas hymn? And
you don't have to pick one because I know that's
hard. But just this morning, what comes to mind?
Well, we sang my favorite this morning. O Come,
O Come, Emmanuel. Rejoice, rejoice. I love that.
Yeah, I know. But you're right. There's a lot
of really good ones. Yeah, yeah. Good. All right.
O Come, O Come, Emmanuel. We can do that. Hark
the Herald. But also another fun fact, Pat and
I sang in the Concordia Choir together. Well,
not together, but we sang together. So you're
both graduates of Concordia. We're both Cobbers.
Okay. But one of the songs that we don't often
sing, but Lo How a Rose. And I remember singing
that in choir together with Harmony. It's so
awesome. Are you familiar with the Concordia
Christmas Concert? I am. So here's a little bit
of history for me. I actually did a tour and
got a scholarship at Concordia Moorhead. Really?
But didn't attend, partially because I visited
in February. And for this Wisconsin kid who grew
up in the trees where you had windbreakers. Yeah,
yeah, yeah.... So you both
participated in that Christmas concert? Those
holiday concerts, I mean, the college I went
to had that too. That's amazing. They're so fun.
So you were both singers? Yep. Oh, that's awesome.
Soprano, alto. Yep. Awesome. Okay. See, man,
we need to get like a clergy choir figured out. Oh,
wouldn't that be something? Oh, man. All right.
Okay. All right. So. Side note. Yeah. You know,
one of my, this is a new favorite hymn. So there's
two favorite hymns. One of them didn't make it
from the LBW to the ELW hymnal. And it comes
from my Slovak Lutheran history, so my dad's
side, they're Slovak Lutherans. And so my dad
remembers singing Come Rejoicing Praise's Voicing
in Slovak as a kid. And I remember going to Slovak
Lutheran church services around the holidays
where the whole service was still in Slovak.
So that's an old one that's no longer, it's not
in the Red Hymnal. But the one that I really
love out of the Red Hymnal, an Advent hymn, is
He Came Down. Oh, that's a great one. Isn't that
a great one? And it comes out of the Lutherans
in Cameroon, which is one of our sister denominations,
right? What do we call our... Companions is it?
Yeah, Companion Synods. Is that what it is? Yeah,
Neighbors in Solidarity. Yeah, look at that.
Sorry, Pastor Aaron Matson. We're failing. But
we know what it is. Yeah. We know what they are,
who they are. Yeah. I love singing that hymn.
So that's kind of my new favorite as far as Advent
hymns. All right. So let's see. What else did
I ask here? Oh, okay. Favorite holiday tradition.
Could be family tradition. Could be church tradition.
Do you have a favorite? Or one that comes to
mind, right? Yeah. I do. Okay. My family grew
up eating lutefisk. Really? My mom would get
like 25 pounds. For the family? Yes. There were
seven kids, and every single one of us loved
it. And some of the grandkids love it. I've tried
to incorporate it into my family, and they don't
like it. But I love it. You still get it? Oh,
yeah. I already have it in my refrigerator. My
brother, Ed, who is here today, Ed loves it.
And he's coming to my house for Christmas Eve.
So he and I have got about two pounds. We'll
each get a pound. All right, so you're hearing
this now, folks. If you have a lutefisk shortage
in your holiday season, you've got a source.
I will eat it, but I don't love it. I went to
the NeSoDak lutefisk feed.
I went to that. That was wonderful. Okay. So
did you grow up with lutefisk also? I did. Okay.
All right. So that was something that we would
eat, my grandma and [we had] lefse. And a fun fact about
me, so everybody talks about lefse, but we made
lard or milk lefse. Oh, wow. So that's different
than potato, right? So I don't know what fjord
my people came from. Yeah, no kidding. I didn't
know that was a thing until I was older. I thought
everybody had. Okay, milk or lard lefse. So how
do you make it if you don't have that potato?
If you don't have potatoes. Does it have a grain
in it? Flour. It has that. Flour, milk, and lard?
A little bit of salt in it. Yeah, of course.
It's leathery. I mean, it's good. I mean, it's
a different texture than potatoes. There's got
to be a connection there with what area that
was. Yeah, it's probably. Maybe didn't have potatoes.
Maybe. Cool. All right, so that's a family tradition.
Yeah. So do you get together and, like, have,
like, the making of the lefse? We all have jobs.
Yeah. I have not graduated yet to be most important
as far as the making. Rolling. Yeah, the roll.
I roll in, like, states. Yeah. Like, mine aren't
really round. And so I'm getting there. I'm a
flipper. There you go. That's awesome. Oh, good.
I'm a roller. See, that's a big job. All right,
so you had lefse too. Oh, yes. All right, so
lefse and lefse. Yeah, my grandma started making
it and made it until she pretty much died, until
she was old. And then my dad, and it wasn't his
side of the family, my grandma, but my dad started
making it. And then my dad lived with us after
my mom died. And so then I started making it.
And the first few times, I kind of, you know,
you've got to know what you're doing. It either
stuck to my roller or it was too thick or, yeah.
And so now I make it often. Awesome. Okay. Yeah.
Well, for me, it's interesting, right? How many
of our traditions are around food? Right. So,
again, my… mom's side, they're Germans. They
had a tradition of oysters on Christmas Eve that
she tried, but never got installed in the family.
We do that too. You do oysters too? Yes, because
I have German background too. And is the German
background, are they doing oysters? Yeah, well,
somebody, every year we do on Christmas Eve,
oysters too. Yeah, right. Okay, that's so fascinating,
right? So you can morph all the different cultures
together. Right. But then the, because my Slovak
side is new to the United States and they're
still, doing everything in Slovak, the language
of the kitchen was Slovak, there was all of these
traditional Slovak foods that were part of the
holiday meals. There's a story that at the Slovak
Lutheran Church that my grandfather helped plant
in northern Wisconsin, they kept the recipe for
the klobasa, which is kind of like a spicy kielbasa.
But the church kept the recipe in the church
safe. They would take the orders at Thanksgiving.
They would then take the full order from the
church families to the butcher in town who would
make the sausage and they would take the recipe
back. We're going to need a sample. Next time
you come, we're going to need a sample. It's
so good. Oh, man. That's crazy. Well, thank you
for sharing some of your family traditions. So
this is really the question that. Well, I'm just
fascinated because you're newly installed. Pastor
Karie, how long have you been here now as the
pastors of these congregations? Let's see. I
was ordained in 2021 and started seminary in
2016. Right. So that's been serving as a student
. Ah, you were. So these are your internship
congregations also? Internship congregations.
All right, awesome. So we morphed into that.
So yeah. That's very cool. Well, I didn't realize
that we would have so much in common because
that's when my spouse Aimee and I went to seminary.
started in 2016 too. And so we started here in
the South Dakota Synod in 2021. So we have those
connections too. It's an awesome place to be.
It is, it is. All right, so this is the question
kind of as you look forward into the next year.
And we just heard right in the liturgy for the
installation about how the congregation calls
the pastor to the work of this congregation and
in these communities. And so when you think about
the coming year, what are you looking forward
to? What's one thing? There could be lots of
things, of course, that you're looking forward
to. But what would be one thing that you're really
looking forward to now as this newly installed
pastor? Wow. I think I am looking forward to
more responsibilities. Okay. Yeah. And just the
idea of being pastor has made a huge, I don't
know, it's made kind of a difference. How I feel.
And I think, and the people are very receptive
about me being pastor. And I was a teacher for
34 years. And so then went into seminary. So
I've known a lot of the people in this area.
And so I'm just looking forward to some new things
and new responsibilities. There's some ideas.
Things I'd like to do. I have felt God calling
me to, it's not church necessarily, but I want
to host it in the church, is have an AA group.
Oh, sure. Yeah. You know, I'm seven years sober.
And that is such a need in this community because
there really isn't one. And I found that really
helpful for myself. And so for a long time now.
I know God is calling me to that. But I wanted
to get through the ordination installation and
then move forward with that. So that's one of
the things. I'm really happy to receive that.
I don't know if this plants the seed, right?
You never know where the seeds are going to get
planted. And so maybe someone hears this and
thinks, oh, I've got to reach out. You know,
I have mentioned it to a number of people. And
just in talking to our colleagues, there's a
lot of pastors. A lot who are recovering alcoholics.
Sure, sure. And I would like to carry that on,
you know, AA with alcohol, drugs, gambling, you
know, any kind of addiction, whatever it is,
you know. And get it started, and I've had a
lot of, I've talked about it. Okay, good. So
I've had some positive feedback. All right, excellent.
Wow, good. Yeah, that's one thing I'm thinking
of. What do you think, Pastor? No pressure. Well,
it could be just one thing, right? I am blowing
in having, you mentioned it today during worship,
two pastors in these congregations and that energy.
And so you being ordained, you have all the things,
installation, and just working with you. And
so that's my 2026, that's my, we just, we get
to work. We work together really well. We get
to preach, teach, and minister the sacraments
together. And to, so my thought, I was thinking
in my head, just very simply to continue to make
those connections in our congregations, as well
as in the community, whatever that may be, and
see where it goes. Like, plant the seeds. But
yeah, it just feels like, whew, we just, you
know, the marathon's over. I mean, right, I would
imagine that, has there been a history in these
congregations where they've had two pastors?
There has been a history. Okay, all right. So
they might even be primed to start moving forward
in really lovely new ways, right? Yes, yeah.
We haven't had two in a long time, two ordained
pastors. And we've had some empty pulpits, just
like a number of congregations have been in transition.
And we've gotten through that. And so it's fun
to just see where we're going to go this year.
What are we going to do? Right. I came on board
right after COVID. Okay. Because she was doing
churches every other Sunday. Okay. So you would
have church only every other Sunday. Sure. Right.
Yeah. And then I came on and. I called the fort
for a while. Yeah. No, that's great. Yeah. Well,
it's just so interesting, right? I think one
of the things, one of the reasons why I wanted
to have this conversation and to share this with
the whole synod is because sometimes we get so
myopic in, and it's important that we. stick
to the ground that we're planted in. And yet,
at the same time, there's such growth happening
in the Synod, in all kinds of places. And sometimes
it's helpful just to know, for others to know,
the growth that's happening. And that's one of
the things that I'm looking forward to this next
year, too, is how we're going to grow this world
ministry. Because we have growth happening in
all kinds of places, but we don't always know.
when our neighbors in other places are growing.
And here's an example, right, of things coming
to fruition. So much positive out there. There
is. It's really, really lovely. And we're really
active in the community, so people see us. And
if they don't know who we are, they'll be like,
who is that? Especially if we're wearing a collar.
Who's that? Where does she preach at? Yeah, that's
great. Good. Thank you. You're welcome. Thank
you for this time and for sharing your stories.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from First
Lutheran Church in Claire City, Faith Lutheran
Church in New Effington, Our Savior's Lutheran
Church in Veblen, and the South Dakota Synod.
I think that was good. Nice. Yeah. Nice try.
Good. Wow.