“I’m a Lutheran” is a monthly profile featuring ELCA members around the country. The profiles showcase ELCA members in all their diversity, connecting one another through individual faith stories as Lutherans. Sentence prompts are provided to each person featured. If you’d like to nominate someone for “I’m a Lutheran,” email megan.brandsrud@elca.org.
Congregation: Hill Avenue Grace Lutheran Church, Pasadena, Calif.
Occupation: News broadcaster
I pray that my eyes and ears are open to those whose voices are often ignored.
The thing I love most about my job is that it daily kicks me out of my comfort zone. The learning curve is daunting to research, process and produce a story on deadline. I never have a boring day.
One of the more important stories I’ve reported recently was the trial of a serial killer. Here was a man whose wife was devoutly Christian. He knew all the right words to gain the trust of his victims. It took exceeding persistence by highly devoted public servants to capture this predator, who had appeared to be a regular guy. I witnessed faith and grace among 10 victims’ family members, who had waited decades for justice.
People are surprised that I am a Mexican- American Lutheran.
My favorite church memory is looking at the pew of blue-haired ladies at Glendorado Lutheran Church, Princeton, Minn., when I was 7 years old and thinking someday I would be like them. Church is where I belong.
Having a Methodist pastor as a grandparent and a Lutheran pastor as a parent shaped my faith by showing me that a joyful spirit works wonders.
My favorite piece of Scripture is Micah 6:8: “He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”
I struggle with the slings and arrows hurled on social media posts, and choosing my battles.
I think storytelling is important because it can reveal our connection to humanity.
I share my faith by affirming the goodness that responds to evil. The news is full of crisis and calamity. Behind the headlines are people like you of many faiths who give of themselves humbly and generously.
Starting my journalism career at age 12 as a reporter for a youth page drove me nuts [because I had to] come up with a story every week, but I was so glad to get paid more than baby-sitting.
I believe that everyone has a spiritual gift.
To aspiring journalists, I’d say dig down. Don’t waste the time of the reader or viewer. Make the story worthwhile.
I’m a Lutheran for life.
