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Confessions of faith: Logan Hirsh

A former atheist finds a church home, a church mom, and salvation.

I never thought I’d ever go to church. But that’s what I did on a chilly Sunday morning in February 2016.

I couldn’t believe what I was about to do. Somehow, it just felt right.

I took a deep breath, exhaled, and walked up to the heavy, hand-built, oaken doors of Faith Evangelical Lutheran Church in Sharpsburg, Georgia. I grabbed the black iron door pull, opened the door, and poked my head inside.

I was a few minutes early for the 8:30 A.M. service. Pastor Jon Schroeder just happened to be in the lobby as I was walking in. I’m sure he could tell from my body language that I was new, nervous, and had no clue what to do or where to go.

He approached me and said warmly, “Hi. I’m Jon Schroeder. Welcome!”

I could have said, “Hi. I’m Logan. Thank you for having me” or something normal and cordial like that. Instead, in the excitement of the moment, what awkwardly spilled out of my mouth was, “Hi. I think I’ve been a Christian since Tuesday and this is where I am supposed to be.”

Pastor Schroeder didn’t skip a beat. He simply smiled and said, “Okay. Then come on in!”

Looking for peace

What I said was true. Five days earlier, on a Tuesday night, after living 20-plus years of my adult life as an atheist, the Holy Spirit had me crying, on my knees, asking Jesus to forgive my sins.

It was no spontaneous conversion. God had been nudging me closer to that climactic moment ever since I had lost my mother, Linda, to leukemia two years earlier.

My mom had a light in her eyes when she talked about God. She had tried so many times over the years to share her faith with me. I just wasn’t open to hearing it. She even gave me a leather-bound NIV Bible once as a gift. It just went on my shelf, unopened.

But then in some of her final moments of lucidity—as her organs were shutting down—she spoke to me with such confidence about heaven. She was so certain of her eternal home with Jesus. She was at peace. I remember thinking at the time how nice it must be to have that kind of assurance, that kind of hope.

After she passed, I found myself wanting the same confidence that she had. I wanted the peace and joy that only Jesus could provide.

It took 2 years of asking questions, reflecting on my 44 years on earth, talking to Christian friends, thinking about what the Bible says about heaven, and taking baby steps toward a new life in Christ. That Tuesday night, the Holy Spirit made his move. I actually prayed for the first time. I really prayed. I asked Jesus to lead me and show me the way forward. That’s exactly what he did.

Finding faith

I started exploring different denominations and thinking about attending a church service. I prayed about it. Then I did what any responsible person would do: I googled it. I found and took a “What denomination should you be?” quiz online. It said I was 86 percent aligned with conservative Lutherans.

Google then pointed me to a church just 7 miles from my home—Faith Lutheran, a WELS church. I clicked on the link, saw the picture, and then just froze. I recognized this very church!

I used to drive past Faith on my way to work when the church was being constructed almost 15 years earlier. I saw its stunning neo-Gothic stone exterior taking shape week after week. Driving by, I actually told myself once, “It will never happen . . . but if I was ever going to go to church, I’d go here.”

I had totally forgotten about that after all those years. Apparently, God remembered.

Logan Hirsh and his mom, Linda. Right: Jon Schroeder, pastor at Faith, Sharpsburg; Logan; and Linda Hicks, Logan’s church mom.
Left: Logan Hirsh and his mom, Linda. Right: Jon Schroeder, pastor at Faith, Sharpsburg, Ga.; Logan; and Linda Hicks, Logan’s church mom.

Attending worship

Now I was here for worship. In the sanctuary, I wound up sitting next to a wonderfully kind lady who was by herself. She was in her 60s and had been part of Faith’s congregation from almost the beginning. We started talking. She reminded me of my mother. She had the same light in her eyes that my mom had when she talked about the Lord. Then I found out her name was Linda too.

Linda Hicks was such a calm, welcoming soul. She saw the NIV Bible I had brought with me and asked me about it. I told her that my mom had given it to me and I wished she could see me sitting in church for the first time. Linda assured me that the angels were rejoicing in heaven and that my mom would have been rejoicing too.

I genuinely enjoyed the church service. I read the Confession of Sins out loud for the first time and said the Lord’s Prayer. I connected with Pastor Schroeder’s sermon and loved how it was based on God’s true Word and what the Bible actually says. I feel it was just what God wanted me to experience in that moment.

My initial plan was to attend services at other churches over the next few Sundays so I could find the right fit. But there was no need to do that. I sat next to Linda at Faith for the next Sunday and the Sunday after that.

She became my church mom. I looked forward to catching up with her each week and learning from her. She was so encouraging. She attended Faith Builders classes with me. She helped introduce me to other church members and sat with me at church dinners.

Before long, my wife and our two sons got to know Linda. True story: The first time Linda met my eldest son, who was a junior in high school at the time, we discovered that he was really good friends with Linda’s grandson! None of us had any idea that we were all connected. We had such a good laugh over that!

And, of course, Linda was there on July 17, 2016, for my baptism and my reception into membership. I hugged Pastor Schroeder after he cupped water over my head. I remember looking at my family, then at Linda. She had huge tears of joy in her eyes.

Faith today

Linda and I still sit together on Sundays at the 8:30 A.M. service. She is truly a gift from God and such a blessing in my family’s life.

I’m grateful to have a true relationship with Jesus. Honestly, I can’t imagine living day to day without him. He is the Way and the Truth and the Life. Through Christ, there is abundant joy waiting for me in heaven. That gives me so much peace, so much hope.

It was no accident that I came to Faith that chilly Sunday in February. I know in my heart this is where God wants me.

Faith is everything to me.

Author: Logan Hirsh
Volume 112, Number 02
Issue: February 2025

This entry is part 1 of 74 in the series confessions-of-faith

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This entry is part 1 of 74 in the series confessions-of-faith