The Stages of Daring to Be Lutheran

By Alayna Brandt

Ten years ago, I was 15 and attending my first Higher Things Given conference as a junior in high school. I was nervous and excited to be at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee. I had never been away from home for longer than a few days and here I was, ready to sleep in a dorm room and eat cafeteria food. I had no idea of the impact that week would have on my future.

Seven years ago, I was 18 and standing in front of the Wartburg residence hall at Concordia University Wisconsin, unsure if the butterflies in my stomach were caused by nerves, fear, or too much Kopp’s ice cream. I was a freshman in college, ready to establish a name for myself in the real world. I was excited to make new friends, experience community bathrooms, and not have to make my bed if I didn’t want to. (Sorry, Mom!)

These two situations were similar not only because they created an excitement and fear of the unknown, but also in how God used each experience to deepen my faith and grow in my understanding of His Word. Now at the end of this year’s HT Concordia conference season, I can’t help but reflect on the similar impact attending both Higher Things conferences and Concordia University Wisconsin (CUW) has had on my life.

During my very first Higher Things conference, after realizing that just because you CAN eat five servings of ice cream at dinner doesn’t mean you SHOULD, what really amazed me was the comfort of the Gospel that was communicated in each sermon and by every presenter and plenary speaker. In a stage of life where it was easy to feel isolated and forgotten, being surrounded by hundreds of like-minded kids my age who shared my same beliefs in the Bible made me realize I was not alone. I met people from different states who are still friends of mine. My experiences attending Higher Things conferences as a high schooler made me realize that in college, I wanted to be among people who shared those same Biblical values. This led me to attend Concordia Wisconsin where I pursued an elementary education degree in 2015. Now, as a 3rd and 4th grade teacher, the same Gospel message I learned and took comfort in during my time attending Higher Things conferences and CUW, is the same message I teach the students in my own classroom.

I attended two conferences as a high school student and then became a College Conference Volunteer (or CCV) for two years. After that, I was a CCV manager for three years. Finally, this past summer I was the entertainment coordinator at Concordia Wisconsin, where I was in charge of the fun activities that students participated in at night. We featured a wide variety of events such as an escape room, a virtual reality roller coaster simulator, and a petting zoo.

At every Higher Things conference, young men and women are immersed in worship, liturgy, learning the truths of God’s Word, singing great hymns that boldly confess Christ crucified, and the joy of fellowship with other Lutherans. But then, after worship, that fellowship continues into the evening with entertainment options that create lasting memories. At CUW, some of those options included dunking your pastor in a dunk tank (he loved it, don’t let him tell you otherwise), petting a llama, and dominating the staff in sand volleyball. Not only do high schoolers grow in their knowledge of the Scriptures at HT conferences, they also grow in their relationships with other like-minded people their age.

No matter what part I’m able to play at Higher Things conferences, I have always been amazed at the excitement and energy of the high schoolers who attend these conferences. Not only are they willing and ready to learn more about God’s Word, they are excited to do so. They understand the importance of growing in their faith so they can defend it to their high school friends or college roommates and gain a deeper understanding of what it means to be Lutheran in this sin-filled world, why that matters, and what great earthly and eternal comfort this offers.

One of the greatest impacts attending Higher Things conferences has had on my life is the amazing friends it has given to me. These are people I may only see once a year, and yet we are able to pick up right where we left off. Something about staying up until 2:00 a.m. discussing infant Baptism and our favorite hymns really bonds you together! The devil, the world, and our sinful nature tempt us to feel alone and empty. But God gives us friendships to encourage and uplift one another. If you are thinking of attending a conference or applying to be a CCV, do it! You just might meet your best friends in the process.

Concordia Wisconsin further equipped me to “dare to be Lutheran” by providing many opportunities for my faith to grow. Not only did this happen in theology classes such as New Testament and Lutheran Confessions, but it was also as a result of being surrounded by a community of fellow believers. I fell in love with LSB 941, “We Praise You and Acknowledge You,” when singing it with my classmates and friends during CUW’s daily chapel services. Our hearts are united together in Christ’s death and resurrection for us. That is the Concordia difference: Being surrounded by roommates, friends, teachers, and coaches who live boldly in the redemptive grace given to us through Christ’s death on the cross, and who are reminded of His unending love for us. Our lives are shaped by the Law as we see ourselves as sinners, in desperate need of a Savior. Thankfully, our sinful souls are soothed by the Gospel as the Scriptures remind us that our sins are washed clean by Jesus’ death and resurrection. This is the message that I heard daily at every Higher Things conference and during my days as a student at CUW. Those words of life and salvation are ones I still rely on today.

So while these days I have to make my own food instead of walking down to the cafeteria for a burger, the promises of God found in Romans 8:38- 39 remain the same for me, for YOU, in every stage of life. “For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” This is our hope. This is what we learn and take comfort in as we dare to be Lutheran.

Alayna Brandt attends Our Savior Lutheran Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan where she teaches 3rd and 4th grade. When she’s not convincing her students that long division is important, she’s taste-testing chocolate cake and wishing the Detroit Tigers would make it to the World Series before she turns old and gray. She can be contacted at alaynajoy24@gmail.com.