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New England Synod
of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
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Reflection on the 60th
Anniversary of My Ordination
Note: St.
Peter's Lutheran Church, Harwich, Mass.,
recognized its retired pastors Sunday, June 12, 2005, on the anniversaries of their
ordinations. The following remarks were
given by the Rev. Ernest A. Bergeson, a graduate of
the Augustana Theological Seminary at Rock Island,
Ill., who was ordained in 1945. He
served congregations in Iowa and Washington, before returning to New England to
serve as pastor at Bethel, Auburn, Mass., and First, Waltham, Mass.
By the Rev. Ernest A. Bergeson
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On Friday, June 10, the actual day of the anniversary, I played a tape recording of my ordination service. When Pr. Joel Lundeen, a fellow classmate, was the archivist for the Augustana Lutheran Church, he discovered that radio station WHDF in Rock Island, Illinois, had made a wire recording of the service (since present day recording devices had not yet come into being). He had copies made on regular tapes at the time of what I recall was our 30th anniversary and presented each of us in the class with a copy.
I again heard the Rev. Dr. P.O. Bersell, president of the Augustana Synod, present a sermon on the parable of the sower. He began: "IT MUST BE SPRINGTIME IN THE AUGUSTANA CHURCH." Then he talked about 62 young men in the springtime of their lives being sent forth to sow the good seed of the Word of God, and how older pastors would covet the opportunity that was ours. He alluded to how powerful men and their propagandists had for long sowed the seeds of war that had devastated the land in many places. He challenged us to go forth to heal the land by sowing the good seed of the Word.
When I reflect on his message, I am struck with the thought of how up to date his message is and that it would be just as appropriate today for an ordination as it was then.
I was also inspired to hear the voices of my seminary professors as if they were now speaking from their graves in their familiar way of speaking. They read admonitions from the Holy Scriptures calling us to faithfulness in our ministry.
My class had a global missionary uniqueness about it. Four of the men went as missionaries to Tanganyika, Africa; one went to Hunan, China; one went to Mexico; two went to Canada; six became Navy Chaplains; and the rest of us went to parishes across the United States from New England to California. Later, two became college presidents, two became synod bishops, and two became mission directors.
I had the great privilege of becoming deeply involved in the Ecumenical Movement in the Church. The year 1967 was a real high point year for me. As dean of the Western Massachusetts District, I was privileged to lead our Lutheran Vespers Liturgy in a joint Reformation and Festival of Christ the King service at the Civic Auditorium in Worcester, which brought together more than 5,000 Lutherans and Catholics. Bishop Bernard Flanagan preached. Before the event, I remember going with much trepidation to radio station WTAG to be interviewed on the event with Bishop Flanagan. We were asked about Luther and the Reformation, and the graciousness of the Bishop in that event made us close brothers in Christ from that point on. That year, as dean, I also had the opportunity to pioneer a first for Lutherans and Episcopalians in a shared Eucharist long before our churches came to that agreement. The clergy meeting of the Western Massachusetts Diocese of the Episcopal Church was to be held in Oxford, Massachusetts. Dr. E.E. Ryden lectured to us on Episcopal/Lutheran relations up to that point, and we joined in a shared Table Eucharist followed by dinner as pastors of the Western Massachusetts District of our Church.
I truly have felt the Providential Hand of God leading me all these years by His Grace and call, which I felt deeply at the time of my confirmation in 1934. This year is also the 66th anniversary of my first license to preach as a student, called a "VENIA CONCI ONANDI." It has truly been the providential hand of God that brought all this about in ways I could never have imagined. To Him be the praise and glory.
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