Pastor David Irgens is a native of Minnesota and the son of the late Dr. Lawrence and Patricia Irgens. His grandparents, the late Ted and Margaret Litsheim, lived in Eau Claire, and his mother attended school here.
He received Bachelor's degrees in English and psychology from Luther College in Decorah, Iowa and his Master of Divinity degree from Luther Seminary in St. Paul. In 1998 he was inducted into the Luther College Athletic Hall of Fame for his accomplishments in swimming and contributions to the college. He holds a couple of swimming records at Luther and competed nationally.
Pastor Irgens was Associate pastor at Our Saviour's Lutheran Church in Arlington Heights, Ill., where he also was lead pastor for 1½ years while the congregation sought a new senior pastor. He previously served churches in Brookfield and South Milwaukee.
He was previously involved with small group ministries and evangelism, and will continue to focus on those areas. “I look forward to working side by side with the members of Grace to invite, inspire and involve others, to make Christ known.”
Our Associate Pastor writes:
1 The hand of the Lord came upon me, and he brought me out by the spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. 3 He said to me, 'Mortal, can these bones live?' I answered, 'O Lord God, you know.'4 Then he said to me, 'Prophesy to these bones, and say to them: O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. 5 Thus says the Lord God to these bones: I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. 6 I will lay sinews on you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live; and you shall know that I am the Lord.'7 So I prophesied as I had been commanded; and as I prophesied, suddenly there was a noise, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone. 8 I looked, and there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them; but there was no breath in them. 9 Then he said to me, 'Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, mortal, and say to the breath: Thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.' 10 I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood on their feet, a vast multitude. 27 My dwelling-place (Tabernacle) shall be with them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 28 Then the nations shall know that I the Lord sanctify Israel, when my sanctuary is among them for evermore. (Ezekiel 37:1,3-10, 27, 28)
I still remember walking home on cold winter nights when the mercury quivered around 25 below zero. The smoke from the houses went straight up into the cold, clear winter sky, like little threads reaching to heaven. All I could hear was the crunching of snow as I walked on my way home, but when I stopped it seemed as if the whole world was sleeping in silence. When I breathed out, my breath turned into little white clouds as it went straight up into the moonlit sky. Years later, I learned about the Hebrew word for breath. The Hebrew word ruach has a special place in the Hebrew Scriptures. It means spirit, breath, wind. It is the same word that is used in Genesis in 6:17 and 7:22. In Ezekiel 37 it means "The Spirit of Yahweh." "The Lord God says, "Prophesy to the breath, (which means The Spirit of Yahweh). It is the Spirit of Yahweh, alone that brings life. Without the Spirit of God there is no life. It is God who chooses to give life to his chosen people Israel, even though they have no ears to hear. It is "God that has done this, so that all should stand in awe before him." (Ecclesiastes 3:14) So it is with the church. God has called, gathered, enlightened and sanctified you in the one true faith. Whether or not we listen to the Holy Scriptures determines if God's Holy Spirit can work in our lives. It will determine the future of the church. "The Spirit is not ours to command, but is given when we are faithful. Like the wind, the Spirit blows where it wills, It is its own master and not subject to control by us." (Allen, E. L., The Interpreter's Bible, p 269) Who can say when the Holy Spirit will come upon a person that they might take God at God's word? Who can determine when Scripture, after years of searching, finally becomes clear and applicable to ones personal life? God is not some distant thought or concept which can be manipulated to our own personal agendas. He has come to make His dwelling place with His people. "The word God/Jesus became flesh and dwelt (placed His Tabernacle) among us and we have beheld His/Jesus glory full of grace and truth." (John 1:14) When it comes to faith we have no claim to it; it claims us, when it comes to the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives all we can do is be faithful, it is God that chooses you. The scene in Ezekiel 37 is that all of Israel has died. The battle has taken place and all that is left is dry bones. Yet God has called Ezekiel to prophecy to the dry bones. God brings life where there is none. He brings His presence, His love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness and hope, when it has all is lost. It is only God through our faith in Jesus Christ that can bring hope in the midst of despair. It is precisely then, that we realize we cannot accomplish anything on our own, without the Holy Spirit. It is The Spirit of Yahweh that can work miracles. So we hear the words, "My dwelling-place (Tabernacle) shall be with them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Then the nations shall know that I the Lord sanctify Israel, when my sanctuary is among them for evermore." (Ez. 37: 27, 28) The fulfillment of this promise from Ezekiel comes only to us through Jesus Christ. We hear the familiar words in Revelation 21:3, "See, the home, (Tabernacle) of God is among mortals. He will dwell with them; they will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them. This promise is the promise of a restored relationship with God. It is the Holy Spirit that has called, gathered, enlightened and sanctified us and kept us in the one true faith that we might live with God as His people and serve him for all of eternity. May Christ bless you and the Holy Spirit lead you as you submit to His will to
God's glory.
