Faces of the Pastorate: Harmon Li

Today we round out our "Faces of the Pastorate" series with a look at Harmon Li, pastor of worship and liturgy at Vox Veniae in Austin, Texas. His story illustrates a recurring theme of this series. As he says, "There is no formula for being a pastor."

Trailblazing comes naturally to Harmon Li. A longtime pianist and saxophonist, the first generation Taiwanese American often found himself turning to his instruments as a way to escape the stress of high school. But his parents had banned guitar, concerned his musical interests were keeping him from his academics.

Then Li got his diploma.

"I remember that summer before college, sitting down, learning and practicing chords over and over again for hours," said Li. He would play all night, well into the morning.

While he majored in government at the University of Texas and felt pressure from his parents to aspire to a financially secure profession, Li continued to pursue music, leading worship for campus ministry, performing solo gigs, and improvising with friends.

'Could we, as Asian Americans, birth a church that was more representative of Austin?'

During college, Li, 36, attended a church that predominantly attracted Chinese and Taiwanese immigrants. Recognizing its difficulties in connecting with the younger generation and the Austin community at large, the board reached out to Li and others about starting a church.

"Could we, as Asian Americans, birth a church that was more representative of Austin?" Li remembers thinking. "We wanted to build a bridge between our identity and the community."

Thirteen years later, Vox Veniae meets in a former night club in the rapidly gentrifying neighborhood of East Austin. About 20 percent of current attendees are Asian American. The rest are white, Hispanic, and black. Li directs volunteers responsible for serving coffee, greeting newcomers, and facilitating the liturgy. "I equate my role to planning a wedding every Sunday," said Li.

Li works to curate songs and prayers that thematically reflect the service's text. A recent service based around included works by Jon Foreman, Sufjan Stevens, and Aurelius Prudentius, a 5th century Roman poet.

"Lately, we've been exploring what it means for people when they walk in the door to our services. We want that time to be transcendent," said Li.

For Li, capturing transcendence is more than just attractive interior design or beautiful music.

"If people are simply coming to our service to be entertained, then we have failed in being a community," he said. "It's not about putting on a production. We want to build a solemn space where people have time for reflection."

During the week, the Sunday morning location turns into a community center known as Space 12. When they acquired the building in 2008, Vox leaders reached out to non-profits and neighborhood groups and encouraged them to use the space. Li is in charge of hosting the community partners that use Space 12 as a special events venue.

For Li, pastoring has been mostly about improvisation.

"There is no formula for being a pastor, just like there is no formula for being a musician. It takes a lot of time, a lot of patience, and a lot of grace."

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