Senior Sunday Sermons
Erick Olson / Michael Wasson / Andres Witrak 

Erick Olson

I’ve learned a lot of things during my years in Saint Paul’s Church.  Most of you have seen me mature from a little middle-schooler who didn’t know when to stop talking, or what was appropriate dinner conversation, into a young adult, soon to graduate, go out into the world, and pursue dreams and the wonders that the world has to offer.   

This summer, I will be working on an internet business for art trading and services with my friends.   

In August, I will be leaving for Landmark College, a specialty school for young adults with different learning styles.  It is a two-year course in liberal arts. 

I will always remember St. Paul’s parishioners and staff as the onles that gave me the tools for life.  Whether it be working with children, searching for a new rector, or helping out with church events, they always believed in me, but of course, still helped me along the way.

Thank you all for being there for me, and enabling me to succeed.

Michael Wasson

• I do not remember first coming to St. Paul’s.

• I was a little boy, one of the only babies at the time in the church.

• I was probably one of those babies with the “Sunday Spirit” crying in the pew before having to be carried outside.

• I stand here today 18 years older and wiser.  Along with 18 years of memories

• One of my earliest memories of Sunday school is being down in the preschool room being taught the Lord’s Prayer and hearing my
  favorite story of David and Goliath.

• I remember thinking to myself at a young age “Who do I have to go to school 6 days a week?”  Nonetheless, I went with the flow and took this new school seriously.  I even found myself practicing the Lord’s Prayer at home so I didn’t mess it up.

• When you have young siblings with zero patience and 45 minutes of being quiet, you have a recipe for disaster.  When we would come to church we used to sit as a family in the side pew to the right so we didn’t create much of a scene.

• As we got older the trust was greater and we actually got to sit in the Middle!  I actually kind of felt homesick for that side pew because at the end of the services I was unable to become mesmerized by the spinning star atop the organ pipes for the recession.  But maybe some actual singing has done me well, who knows. 

• Wes Westmoreland was the reason we came to St. Paul’s in the first place.  Dorothy and he were big advocates for the church and got my parents hitched.  If I would have been able to speak at the time, I would have agreed but that really was not going to happen.  But I am glad that my mom and dad listened to him because this was definitely the right choice.

• Wes was one of the first people I really got to know.  Every single Sunday we were here, we would run down the middle aisle to him and say hello.   We would talk about our week of school, any sporting events or concerts.  He was always so enthusiastic about our lives and he was always to positive.

• I remember when I started acolyting 1 year before everyone else and boy was I nervous.  I must have messed up at least twice, but after the service Wes told me that I had an “absolutely flawless performance”.

• One think that I think is really cool with the church are the little angels on the walls.  One Sunday in 4th grade while I was trying to listen to the sermon, I noticed angels on the walls under the sconces.  I was so happy with this discovery I ran up and told Howard after the service and I do say he w as quite interested himself. 

• Howard was always so welcoming to everyone.  When I saw him we would usually have a good chat, and at communion, he would give me a little wink before I received the bread.  But than this new guy, Aron, came in.

• I really did not know what to think about this guy who spells his name with only 1 ‘A’.  But the first time I really talked with him we talked about sports.  Many, we could have gone on for hours if it hadn’t been for the start of the service.  Afterwards he talked to me about a St. Paul’s Fantasy baseball league.  I was in from the beginning and winning, of course.  So, it has been a seasonal tradition each football and baseball season to for a league.  I usually don’t do so bad but this baseball season is definitely not going too well.  But it’s not over 'til it’s over.

• Well, my senior year is coming to a close.  I am heading off into the world beyond Duluth, to Greencastle, Indiana, in fact, attending DePauw University.  I will never forget everyone here at St. Paul’s that have made a difference in my life.  Thank you all for the encouragement and support you have given me.  I hope you continue to think of me as I will all of you.

Andres Witrak

Let me start off by saying “Wow”.  It’s fun to be up in this pulpit and I thought that I would never find myself up here. 

I remember coming to Sunday school here, excited because the teacher always brought treats, not really caring for what the lesson was.  But as I grew older, the treats became less important, and lessons became more valuable.  There was one lesson in particular that I learned in my conformation class.  It went kind of like this.  “We all have something to give, whether it’s to the community, to our friends, to our families or even to our selves.  These things were called Time, Talent, and Treasure”. 

Now seen as I was in 8^th grade, I was pretty sure that I had no treasure, which left me only two options, time or talent.  But at the time I thought that I really had neither the time to commit, nor a talent to share besides talking and that’s if you count being able to talk about anything a talent.  So as I sat in a pew, one Sunday, I thought about what I could give to someone, when I realized that I was the only one sitting as the procession came by.  I had always thought that the people, who carried the crosses and the flags in, were chosen because they were strong and much older than I. 

But I was wrong, they were chosen because they wanted to do something for the church.  So after church, I found Howard Anderson in the back and asked him if I could wear a red robe and carry something in.  He looked at me and with a twinkle in his eye he said “ I have the perfect job for you, you can carry one of the flags in”. 

I had finally found one of those three things that I could give to someone, and it happened to be talent.  It was a fairly simple task of walking a flag down the aisle, placing it in a holder and walking out of the church until the coffee hour started.  But then I grew older and became much more capable of doing bigger jobs and ever so slowly have been making my way to the top.  But I still can’t see the top.  The only thing that I can see is where I have been, not where I am going to go. 

When I look back at all the years I have spent serving St. Paul’s as a head acolyte, training the new ones and even the older one.  And picking up odd jobs like kite flying, which I never knew was possible to do indoors.  But none of these things could have happened if I did not have one thing.  That one thing is support. 

I have faced many struggles in my life, and will continue to face more.  But I have come to realize here at church that I will always be supported, no matter what I do.  This church and the people inside of it have made many things possible in my life.  You have made me realize that I can do anything that I want and still be accepted here.  I am very grateful for the help that I have received here; I will deeply miss the crying kids in the middle of prayer, the plush red seats, and the friendly faces that greet me after a service. 

As I begin to explore the path that lies before me I will always keep in mind what I have learned here.  That I must face each obstacle with a smile, know in my own heart that I can do anything, and that there will always be someone behind me to catch me when I fall.  Thank you very much for all that you have done for me.  I truly will miss you all.

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