An intern was coming, this we’ve come to depend;
But there’s always some fear not knowing how well will they blend?
For some reason Jerome always hides most of the ‘new-intern’ facts!
Or do the details we desire simply fall through the cracks?
Why every year we don’t know what to expect-
Does he do it on purpose, or is it just mindless neglect?
Jerome finally gave a few details to try to put us at ease
But what he told us … well … it seemed he was trying to tease.
A male non-Scandinavian, organ-playing, former Baptist from Chicago is the story he ran…
Doesn’t it sometimes seem humorous in what God has for a plan?

But we reflected how each of our interns have taught us so much
So we held on to our breath and tried not to act out of touch…
Cause we’ve had interns in sandals, and some wore paint on their face
some were much more like leather, some tended towards lace
Some used their voices for puppets, some sang with the choir
All somehow have managed to intrigue and inspire.
But didn’t we put up with an intern that was a fan of the Packers? <wince>
Would this new intern be some weird “Chicago Bear’s-backer”?

So we anxiously awaited Joseph’s arrival and got everything set-
Not knowing how strange this year could eventually get.
His coming was delayed because his car refused to go north;
But the wait wasn’t long and soon car-less he came forth.
I’m not exactly sure what he said on that very first day;
Did we react with broad smiles, or did we fall back and pray?
I know I heard some sighs that were definite signs of relief!
(although I’m quite certain his sermon that day wasn’t real brief.)

We’d have to teach him our ways if he was to fit in up here,
We could certainly help with his “uf da’s” – you bet’cha, dat’s one ting fur-shur?
So one cold Fall Sunday morning when he stood outside to greet…
Someone thought a Viking hat and scarf would look kinda neat.
And we taught him some stuff about lutafisk and hot-dish-
We talked hockey and wind-chill and someone brought him out to ice-fish…
Although walking on water almost made him freak out,
Until he was calmly told that’s what “faith’s” all about.
He got on all fours and peeked down the hole in the ice
Did he think it so fun he would want to go twice?

We   t h o u g h t   a year was too short to teach him all that we knew
But little we knew what we’d learn from our pew.
He wore a robe full of bells that rang when he walked-
He came half way down the aisle when from the Bible he talked
The clothes that he wore … well, the colors were bright!
(Which put us at ease that we’d never lose him at night!)
Us poor Lutherans weren’t used to seeing the pastor wear cloaks,
No one before swung things at us full of smelly thick smoke!
And we think there were times when we musta been especially bad
‘Cause he threw water at us … How’d we ever make him so mad?
He sure taught us all to follow his every spoken direction;
Even if we didn’t quite get it, or make the connection.
Once in church he told us to turn around and look towards the back
Then he started laughing so hard cause we weren’t quite on the right track.

He liked to have control of each ‘thing’ that he ran,
He researched and organized until he had it all planned.
He hosted some parties and invited us over to eat…
Now this was an intern that would be real hard to beat!
The food and the decorations let’s just say there was nothing left to desire
(And our Joseph was brave he even invited the choir!)
Joseph became a disciple on Thursday -- Friday he carried a cross
He easily switched between servant and boss.
And too early one morning we learned to answer with speed
When told “HE IS RISEN” with “HE HAS RISEN INDEED”

So did he learn lots this year? Were we all that he hoped for?
Is he leaving with enough? Was he looking for more?
Of course there were challenges we all had to work through;
And I’m sure at some times this place seemed like a zoo.
We came through every task, really, no worse for the wear-
To find someone as calm as our Joseph is indeed something rare. 
What were we feeling last August, was it something like fear?
But again some great friendships have formed within this short year.

Cats jumping through windows, weed-pulling outside
There’s just so much I left out that was a part of this ride.
But there’s no way I know to include it all in this verse,
And by this time you’re all wondering if this could get any worse.
So I’ll close this poem with just a couple more thoughts-
We won’t soon forget you, nor the lessons you taught.
But how would you ever have managed without somebody’s aid?
Someone who helped with your parties, wasn’t it the food that she made?
We’d like to express our thanks to Vivian who joined you in coming up North
And we’ll miss you both as you leave to ‘go forth’.
So now it’s with some sadness we say our good-bye…
But remember us “northern Lutherans” are so painfully shy.
So we may not say everything we’ve got on our mind,
But we think that this year you have most certainly shined!
We wish you the best, and to God we now pray-
That HE will watch over and guide you as you live day to day.

Good-bye and GOOD LUCK, Joseph.

Written by Doug Runnoe 
for the good-bye celebration on August 26th in the year 2001– 
Joseph Alsay’s last Sunday as Intern Pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church, Duluth, Minnesota