Your Turn/Brett Gosteli
Published 6:15 am Thursday, April 30, 2026
When I was a kid, I wanted to be … I grew up during the height of the space shuttle program at NASA. All I ever wanted to be was an astronaut. If NASA came to me today and said, “We’d love to send a middle-aged, out-of-shape guy into space to see what would happen,” I’d sign up immediately.
What would you rather be doing right now? I love technology in all its aspects and enjoy tinkering. I’m also a pianist, vocalist and (rusty) saxophonist — and I much prefer making music with others rather than solo.
When the weather is right, I love motorcycling. About 15 years ago, a friend of mine, Ted Meyer, and I rode 2,400 miles from Peoria through Michigan, Ontario and Wisconsin back to Peoria in just over four days. I still love riding, but slightly shorter trips.
Shhhhhh! Don’t tell anyone that … I am a huge fan of the show, “The Big Bang Theory,” and have watched all 12 seasons from start to finish at least five times. “Bazinga!”
Other than your wedding day and/or the birth of your children, what was your proudest moment? This would have to be November 6, 2022, the day I was ordained into the Ministry of Word and Sacrament in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). I was 40 years old, and I finally felt like I had found my purpose, my calling.
It really stinks when … My biggest pet peeve is when people are impolite to others in public. When the waitstaff takes your order, say “please” and “thank you.” Greet the checker at the grocery store with a smile and thank them, even if you don’t feel like it. These are people — human beings — just like you and me, and they deserve kindness and respect. Your courtesy and smile just might make their day — and it’s contagious!
What word in the dictionary would your face be next to? That depends on who you ask! I would suggest “candid.” I appreciate people who are open and honest, who “are who they are,” and I pride myself on being that way as well. Frankly, I can’t help it.
I always laugh when … someone cracks a really good joke. I have great appreciation for people with a sense of humor and people who can make others laugh — not with something that’s crude or corny, but something genuinely clever and smart.
Invite any three people, living or dead, to dinner. Who are they? Jesus (duh), comedian George Carlin and my wife. I know — it’s quite an odd trio. The conversation would be astounding because as different as Jesus and George are, they valued and advocated for some of the same things. I could just sit back and listen (and I’d love to share the experience with Kari, too).
At the end of a really long day at work, I like to … depending on the day, it would be either snuggling up on the couch with my wife and kids and watching a silly movie or having a good, cold beer with a friend and playing some old videogames — or both. I wish I preferred exercise or reading, or something constructive, but that’s just not how I’m wired.
People who knew me in high school thought I was … a complete and total dork who was overconfident, completely clueless to how he came off to other people and thought he was funny when he was just, at best, a dork.
My most unforgettable brush with greatness was … about a decade ago, I took my wife to an Elton John concert at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas. We had seats somewhere around the eighth to tenth row, and as the last song was wrapping up, I cajoled my wife out of her seat and up the aisle to the stage as others were doing the same, and she got to shake Elton’s hand. She’s a huge fan, and she beamed for days.
I would drop all my plans tonight if I had the chance to … do I have to pick one? My life is not that exciting. Great seats for a concert or performance that didn’t break the bank and wasn’t too far away would be a great start!
If someone gave me a million dollars … it wouldn’t change my life much. I’d pay off my debt, set my kids up and give the rest away. There’s plenty of need.
America should be more concerned about … We should all be more concerned about how we treat one another. At the end of the day, we’re all far more alike than we are different. We are all God’s children; we’re all in this together.
I’m OK if there ‘s ever a national shortage of … old computer parts. I have a room (I call it an “office”) that is overflowing with old computers, monitors, parts, cables. I can’t bring myself to get rid of it.
When I’m on the Internet, I always go to … Netflix. I’m a bit of a movie and TV junkie.
What is the most useful piece of advice you have ever received? I’m not sure where I heard it, but I think the best advice I have heard is “Don’t take life too seriously. None of us make it out alive.” I interpret this to mean to stop letting things that really are not important in the grand scheme of things from taking up space in your mind and heart. Rather, focus on the things that really matter, because we’re all only here for a short while. It’s great advice, and as much as I try to follow it, I struggle.
When I’m cruising down the road, I’m likely listening to … classic rock. I love music from the late ‘60s, ‘70s and early ‘80s. I like a lot of other music, too, but I’m a sucker for some good rock music.
I always get sentimental when … I see old photos and videos of my family — immediate and extended. Not only do I miss those times together, I lament so many missed opportunities.
The older I get, the more I realize … so many things. But to keep it simple I realize just how much I don’t know – about anything. It helps keep me humble and my mind open to new ideas.
If I had one “do-over,” I would … not let self-doubt keep me from going “big.” When I was younger, I had grand ideas and dreams that I did not pursue because they weren’t “practical.” I went for more “realistic” goals, and I’ve always wondered “what if …?”
My favorite item of clothing is … The first one that comes to mind is an Aerosmith concert T-shirt from 1996. It was the first concert I saw by choice and my favorite band at the time. I wore it a few times, and now it has a special place in my closet.
If I’ve learned anything at all … It’s a cliche, but “life is a miracle.” I look at the vastness of the cosmos — the billions of galaxies with billions of stars each, all so far away we’ll never see them up close. I see depictions of subatomic particles like quarks and muons, infinitesimally small. No matter how far out we look or how deep inward we look, we never get to the “end.” And then there’s us, somewhere in the middle. If you stop thinking about your day-to-day life and ponder it for a while, it will make your head spin. It’s wonderful and beautiful, and it’s a miracle of our Creator that we are here to witness it and be a part of it.
Brett Gosteli, 44 years young, is the pastor at Luther Memorial Church in Quincy. Gosteli is happily married to Kari, his wife of nearly 22 years, and the proud father of four children — Addie, Isaac, Evan and Abigail. He grew up in Flanagan, a small farming community in Central Illinois. Before coming to Luther, Gosteli was in the information technology sector for more than 20 years.
