The Rev. Alix D. Pridgen, Pastor

As Southerners like to say, I'm "from" Shreveport, Louisiana, but Overland Park has been my home since July of 2006. I also lived seven years in Chicago and four in the Kansas Flint Hills, so my Louisiana accent is almost gone, but my roots still appear in my love of jazz and zydeco, well-seasoned food, impromptu celebrations, and an all-around joie de vivre.

Growing up in Shreveport, my family attended a small Lutheran congregation which, at the time, was way outside of town amid the cotton fields. The congregation was tiny and there weren't many children, but seeds were planted in my soul. I remember learning Bible stories, catching tiny rain frogs and trying to bring them into the church, feeling the vibrations of the hymns as I sat between my parents’ soaring soprano and rumbling bass, and being greeted every Sunday by Mr. Grann, who made me feel as though I were the most important person on earth.

Faith has not always come easily or without questions. Life is complicated, and over the years I have known both doubt and grace. Again and again, I have discovered joy, love, meaning, and forgiveness among God's people. When life swallows us up, God is there in the chaos, holding onto us, never letting go.

I received a Doctor of Ministry in Preaching from the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago, and preaching remains one of the great joys of my ministry. I love exploring Scripture, asking difficult questions, and discovering again the surprising ways God's grace meets us in ordinary life.

When I'm not working, I enjoy savoring simple things: sitting outside with a good cup of coffee and the entertainment of birds, the whisper of prairie grasses, uninterrupted time with a good book, listening to music, exploring nature, traveling, painting with oils, visiting museums, and spending time with family and friends.

Joy abounds! The God revealed in Jesus is all about forgiveness, love, mystery, beauty, and grace. There are moments that make me gasp, and times when God's kingdom breaks through and all I can do is worship.

There are moments every day that leave me amazed by God's presence and goodness. There are also moments when faith feels difficult and the pain of the world seems overwhelming. Yet even then, God remains faithful, meeting us in our questions, our grief, and our longing for healing and hope.

This is the God I want to share with you: the God who makes butterflies, who grows angry at injustice, who walks with us on life’s lonesome roads, who rejoices when our hearts soar, who loves us enough to become one of us in Jesus, and who dies with us so that we can rise up to new life again in Christ.