Nathan reads a book online. He is totally engaged.

Christmas Concert

Last night, Lori and I went with friends to the Steven Curtis Chapman and the Mercy Me Christmas concert. It was a nice night. The music was great...SCC in particular was "on his game". And the Excel Energy Center is a great venue for these kind of events.

It was interesting though...Christmas is as much as anything about a sense or a feeling of anticipation. I really enjoyed the music, but for me the vibe wasn't there. I'm not sure why that was. Other years I have walked out of events feeling a stronger emotional connection to the Spirit of the holiday. Not so much last night. Perhaps it's just where I am at emotionally.

Peder Eide is doing his Christmas gig next Sunday night here at Lord of Life. Maybe that will do it for me.

Watch, Wait and Wonder

“Watch, Wait and Wonder”
Mark 13:24-37
Todd Buegler
November 26 & 27, 2005
Lord of Life


Grace and peace to you from God our Creator, and from Jesus the Messiah, who comes to each of us. Amen.

Since my ordination as a pastor at the end of September, I really haven’t had a public opportunity to say “thank you” for calling me as your pastor of youth and family ministries. Having been at Lord of Life as the Director of Youth and Family Ministries for over 18 years has been a privilege and an honor. To receive this call to now serve as a pastor is something for which I am very grateful. Over the years, you have been a blessing to me and my family. God is doing amazing things in our community; Thank you for allowing me to continue to be a part of it. My ordination affirmed my call to this congregation and to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. As an added side-benefit, it made my Mom really, really happy.

I have a belief that there are three words in the English language that are among the most difficult for us to say. In a society that expects quick, instant answers, being forced to say these words can put fear into the heart of presidents and kings, generals and business leaders, pastors and parents. What are these three simple words? I don’t know. No…I don’t mean that I don’t know what the words are…I mean that those three words are “I don’t know.”

Saying I don’t know can be an admission of our frailty, or our ignorance, or our ability. And in our hyper competitive culture, those are things we just don’t want to admit, and people will go to almost any lengths to avoid having to say them.

At one large university, it was the last day before the football team was to play its biggest game of the season. Unfortunately, the head football coach had just received the horrible news that his star quarterback had been disqualified by the dean for academic reasons. The coach went running to the dean’s office to protest. The dean said, “We caught him cheating on a major exam this week.” The coach demanded to know how they knew the quarterback had cheated. The dean said, “Well, he sat right next to an ‘A’ student, the best student in the class, and on the first nine questions, his answers were identical, word-for-word to the answers of the ‘A’ student.” Not satisfied, the coach replied, “That doesn’t prove he was cheating. Maybe he really studied this time. Or maybe the ‘A’ student copied from him.” The dean answered, “Actually it was the tenth question that really did it. The ‘A’ student had written, ‘I don’t know’, and the quarterback wrote, ‘I don’t know either.’”

Sometimes we’d just rather make something up, or cheat, or go to other drastic action to avoid finally admitting that we don’t know something. Heaven forbid, someone might see our flaws.

But we often confuse “not knowing” with failing. Not knowing all the answers, not finding the right solution among the choices laid out before you, doesn’t mean you’re a failure. A political pollster asked one person on election day whether he believed our political system was characterized by ignorance or by apathy. The respondent answered, “I don’t know and I don’t care.”

But just because you don’t know, doesn’t mean that you don’t care.

Not knowing things can keep you on your toes, keep your eyes open and your ear to the ground. And is there anything more annoying than a know it all? A know it all may think they have all of life’s answers, but they’ll never get any of life’s surprises.

This weekend is the first in the season of Advent. It is the beginning of the season where we prepare for Christmas. Advent is loaded with family traditions. Tonight, Lori, Nathan, Samuel and I will light our Advent wreath. We’ll open the daily advent calendar. In the next week or so we’ll get and decorate our tree. We’ll send and receive Christmas cards. These traditions are important to us. You probably have your own traditions, important to you.

Advent is a wonderful season because it is traditional and familiar. We know what to expect. One of the most popular Christmas songs ever is “I’m dreaming of a White Christmas…just like the ones I used to know.” This little phrase, “Just like the ones I used to know” is the essence of many of our Christmas celebrations. The risk in this is that we tend to view Jesus in the past tense, and forget about the Jesus of the present tense. We become know-it-alls about Advent, about Christmas, about Jesus.

Our Gospel lesson for today rattles our “know it all” cage a bit. Jesus has just identified himself as the “Son of God” for the only time in Mark’s Gospel. And His answer to the question of when He will return is: “No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son. Only the Father.” Jesus is the Son of God, and his answer is “I don’t know.”? What is that about?

If ever there was someone who knew the answers to all the hard questions, it was Jesus. But his “I don’t know” changed the focus of these Messiah conversations from what may or may not happen, or when these events may occur, to who is always and ever in charge: The Father.

Knowing is over-rated. After all:
Scholars knew that the world was flat.
Astronomers knew that the sun revolved around the earth.
Engineers knew that the Titanic was unsinkable.
Fans and pundits knew that the Vikings would dominate this year.

Our “knowing” is over-rated. And Jesus is showing us that our faith is not about our “knowing” more. It is about “believing” more. It is about believing in the grace of God, even though we do not deserve it. There are things in our world that cannot be known…they can only be believed. The first step in believing is to admit that there are things we just cannot know.

It is only when we approach life from the posture of not knowing that we are stretched, in love, in trust and in faith.

This Advent season, let’s take seriously Jesus pronouncement that no one knows the day, the hour or the place of the Lord’s coming into the world. Advent is a season of heightened watchfulness, of wide-awake expectations, of wide-eyed wonder at what God is doing in our lives, in our church, and in our world.

You see, Jesus has this habit of “showing up” in our world and in our lives. And it’s usually at times and in ways that we don’t expect and that we can’t anticipate. In my life and my ministry I have experienced the presence of God in countless ways that I never would have expected. I was with our church’s disaster relief team to Biloxi a few weeks ago. 30 of us drove down, expecting to work and to serve; and we did. But Jesus showed up for us in ways we weren’t expecting. Jesus was in the face of the people at the local stores, who worked to figure out ways to get the most in basic living supplies with the donation money you sent us down there with. Jesus was in the faces of the pastor and the members of Bethel Lutheran. Though they had suffered damage in their own homes, they took time to welcome us into their community and to serve us.

Jesus was in the face of Eddie, a worker on an off-shore oil rig which was destroyed by Katrina. He asked if he could sleep in a tent outdoors that stored some of the donations and supplies. He stayed to serve at the distribution point. Our team went to Biloxi with the intent to serve; and we were served. We intended to give hope; and we received faith. We intended to love, and we were loved. Jesus showed up in ways I never expected.

And Jesus continues to bewilder me. I don’t know when he’s going to “show up”. I don’t know where he’s going to show up. I don’t know how he’s going to show up. But there is one thing that I do know: Jesus is going to show up. He is going to come to me when I least expect it. He is going to love me when I least deserve it. And he’s going to do the same thing for you. He promises. We don’t know what the future holds, but we do know who holds the future.

The Advent story is about Jesus Christ, being found in utterly surprising, unexpected circumstances.

Christ is born in the world. Christ is born in a nowhere town called Bethlehem. Christ is born in a smelly, dirty, manger. Christ is born a tiny, helpless, poor, powerless baby.

This is the last place we would expect to find the Son of God being born. Know-it-alls never found him in that stable, in the dark, in the manger. It was the shepherds and the wise men who just believed, who made their way to him. All who think they know where they will find the Christ-child will surely miss him. Christians are people not afraid to proclaim with their Lord, “I don’t know.”

Where will I find Christ this Christmas?
I don’t know.
Where will you find Christ this Christmas?
You don’t know.

But we do know that Jesus comes for each of us. With the gift of grace, of love, of eternal life. It is for you. So keep your heart, your spirit and your mind ready. Watch: Jesus Christ is going to “show up” for you, bearing the gift of love and grace.

Amen.

Good

Last night was a good night. We had the third of our Sunday night gatherings for Jr. Highers in the confirmation program. It was a great night. Nate Burleson did the music. Happy Fun Time did improv comedy, Erik Steen did a great job with the videos, Pastor Peter did the talk, along with Tom Tipton... The whole thing flowed. It was what we wanted it to be.

I came home last night with the sense of "this is why I do what I do." It is a program. Programs are not a magic panacea that answers all problems or issues. Far from it. But when it does work, they are tools. And really, if we are going to do programs, and we should, shouldn't we do them well?

The theme was "God Creates." The primary focus was on how God continues to create...to be active in our world... Externally and internally. It is a matter of being able to name God in the midst of that process.

My hope is that God continues to create within our process.

Old Vision

"If you're going to do things like you've always done them, you're going to get what you've always gotten."

I'm at at conference sponsored by the ELCA this weekend. The conference is a gathering of 250 people who are either synod evangelism specialists, or are a part of the Christian Educator's Network. It's been an interesting event. There are big parts of it that have been driving me crazy.

I can't seem to get anyone to understand what I mean when I talk ab out "language" as being a key to evangelism. Unfortunately, this event isn't about that.

I've heard mostly stuff that is repackaged from the past:

• Hospitality needs to be a priority.
• We need to live the story.
• The story has power.

None of these things are wrong. But every time that they were spoken, I cringed just a little. They are the same things that we have been saying for what...10? 20? 30 years? And how well has that worked for us so far?

The ELCA has shrunk in membership. 10% of ELCA congregations have grown by an average of 1 member per year over the last 10 years. (Yes, I typed 1 member.) That means the other 90% have been stable or shrunk.

Evangelism hasn't worked for us.

Is it our culture?
Is it our methodology?
Yes.

It is not our theology and it is not our message. They are a constant and they are life-giving.

But we need a new language. Or maybe new languages. We need to speak to a culture who doesn't "get" us. We need change. I don't know what that change is yet, but we need to figure it out. It is a problem that needs to be solved.

I'm not sure that the people who are here are capable of figuring it out. I'm not sure that our church, institutaionally, has the courage it takes to make the kinds of changes, or to think in creative ways necessary to institute change.

More on the event later...

At the Smithville Methodist Church

At the Smithville Methodist Church
by Stephen Dunn

It was supposed to be Arts & Crafts for a week,
but when she came home with the "Jesus Saves" button,
we knew what art was up, what ancient craft.

She liked her little friends.
She liked the songs they sang
when they weren't twisting and folding paper into dolls.
What could be so bad?

Jesus had been a good man,
and putting faith in good men was
what we had to do to stay this side of cynicism,
that other sadness. OK, we said, One week.

But when she came home singing
"Jesus loves me, the Bible tells me so," it was time to talk. Could we say Jesus doesn't love you? Could I tell her the Bible is a great book certain people use to make you feel bad?
We sent her back without a word.

It had been so long since we believed,
so long since we needed Jesus as our nemesis and friend,
that we thought he was sufficiently dead,
that our children would think of him like Lincoln or Thomas Jefferson.

Soon it became clear to us: you can't teach disbelief to a child,
only wonderful stories, and we hadn't a story nearly as good.
On parents' night there were the Arts & Crafts all spread out like appetizers.
Then we took our seats in the church and the children sang a song about the Ark, and Hallelujah and one in which they had to jump up and down for Jesus.

I can't remember ever feeling so uncertain about what's comic, what's serious.
Evolution is magical but devoid of heroes.
You can't say to your child "Evolution loves you."
The story stinks of extinction and nothing exciting happens for centuries.

I didn't have a wonderful story for my child and she was beaming.
All the way home in the car she sang the songs, occasionally standing up for Jesus.
There was nothing to do but drive, ride it out,
sing along in silence.

APOD: 2005 November 7 - NGC 7635: The Bubble Nebula

APOD: 2005 November 7 - NGC 7635: The Bubble Nebula

An amazing photo from space

Bethel Lutheran of Biloxi Katrina Volunteers

Bethel Lutheran of Biloxi Katrina Volunteers

What is Honest

A friend of mine made a comment last weekend that I have been wrestling with. He said that in his prayer life, it was becoming more important to him to "just be honest."

Intersting.

Why would you not be honest in prayer? What good would it do to not be honest, if God is indeed all-knowing.

It's not about God, is it? It is about our own need to put ourselves in the best possible light, for God's sake and even more for our own. We are always trying to justify ourselves...to rationalize to ourselves, to make ourselves right.

It can't be done.

So how to be honest in prayer? I suppose I need to just start out figuring out how to be honest in life.

That's a different topic.

Academy

I'm in San Antonio for a planning meeting for the adult "Academy" at the ELCA Youth Gathering next summer.

I love the creative planning and dreaming process. The opportunity to dream about what kind of training the people who bring young people to the Gathering need, is really going to be fun. This is especially true when working on an project with the Gathering, which really has resources to throw around.

Saying What You Mean

This weekend 185 of our 10th graders affirmed their baptismal promises in the service of confirmation. It was a great weekend...a good celebration of faith...

It was interesting. There were many of the young people who were completely into the celebration. They were there because they "wanted" to make these promises their own and to enter into the life of the mystery of faith.

I also know that there were some young people who were completely going through the motions.

I love the young people who have strong faiths, who yearn to be challenged.
I love the young people who have doubts. Who wonder.
What drives me crazy are the young people (or any people) who are apathetic.

What do we do? How do we handle it? Do we "not" confirm? No, I don't think so. People are people and as God accepts them where they are at, we must also. Not everyone would agree with that. But it's where I'm at with it. So we confirm those who don't "deserve" it.

God's grace is not for those who deserve it.

God's grace is for me.

Confirmation is for them.

Time...

I've been too tired to write. Deep down tired.

We returned from our 8 days in Biloxi on Saturday night. There's not words to describe the experience. We blogged the trip on our web site.

Overall though, it was a powerful experience. 300 people a day...300 stories of pain. It sucks the energy right out of you. I have very rarely felt as useful and as needed as I did down there.

A Photo Share

The boys at Barnes and Noble

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Home Today

I Drove today from Hattiesburg back up to Jackson. I visited Ascension Lutheran Church in Jackson. These are amazing people. They are working an unbelievable pace, putting in unbelievable hours to distribute goods and to "warehouse" donations heading for the coast.

It's an amazing process, and the are doing this important work with grace. Theyh are not warehouse managers...they are not logixtics specialists...

The Pastor hung up the phone, looked at me and grinned and said "I just got another forklift!"

These people are tired and in need of relief, support and prayer too. They are doing the "grind it out" work that just needs to happen. Thanks to God for their work.

Seeing is believing

There are not words to describe what I'm seeing in Biloxi.

It's surreal:

• A McDonald's open for business like nothing is wrong, standing next to a Burger King which has been destroyed.
• Heavy traffic.
• RV and tent cities set up in the parking lots of K-Marts, Wal Marts and Save A Centers.
• Lines of cars to get free ice.
• Huge lines in the Wal Mart.

It's as if the destruction along Pass Road is "hit and miss." As if someone pointed at buildings one at a time and arbitrarily said "survive...survive...destroy...survive...destroy..."

Giant trees down everywhere.

The people are the most amazing though. The resiliancy awes me. The people at Bethel Lutheran are simply, quietly, going about the business of the Gospel. They are distributing food. They are distributing goods. 200-250 families a day. Amazing. They are not reflecting God's grace. They ARE God's grace.

The team gutting houses is working at a frantic pace. They are under a time limit before the mold becomes too significant. "Thank God for the Lutherans" a homeowner told me. "No one else is here in this neighborhood. Not FEMA, not the Red Cross, not even my own church...Thank God for the Lutherans."

The destruction along Hwy 90, the Beach highway, is a whole different story. I've never seen anything so complete. I've seen homes destroyed before, but they were always framed within the context of other homes that were fine, or several homes, but still within a neighborhood.

On 90, the destruction doesn't end. The only scene I can equate it to is the landscapes in the movie "Saving Private Ryan." The destruction, and rubble of burned out buildings goes on and on and on. But even the movie is in 2 dimensions. In 3 dimensions, Hwy 90 rocked my world. The power to destroy this way...I can't imagine it. And the people working in this area have a whole different demeanor. It's as if they are unaware of the rest of Biloxi...of the people in line in Wal Mart. These people are still, somehow, in rescue mode.

We will be back here in Mid October with a team. There is much to be done.

Our Habitat House!

The Habitat home our youth participated in building this past summer. It survived the storm.

Distribution of goods at Bethel Lutheran

The Fellowship Hall where our group ate its meals last summer, converted into a distribution center.

Supply Distribution at Bethel Lutheran

In the Narthex, outside of the Sanctuary.

Arrived

I arrived safely. Yes, I have a place to stay. I was able to get into a Fairfield Inn in Hattiesburg, which is halfway between Jackson and Biloxi, so it will reduce my drive tomorrow, which is nice. They don’t have a room for tomorrow night though. I’m going to try to extend it in the morning. Otherwise I’ll have to figure something else out. It will all work out.

Interesting though, Hattiesburg is still 70 miles from the gulf coast. The hotel parking lots are filled with Electrical company trucks from all over the south (North Carolina…Missouri…Georgia…). It is the crews staying in the hotels, not necessarily refugees, though there are probably some of them too.

On the drive down, at 120 miles from the coast, I began to see trees down. From 90 miles out to Hattiesburg (70 miles out) the trees were down on the side of the road almost continuously. At the 90 mile mark I began to see roofs off of buildlings and signs blown out by wind. Here in Hattiesburg, 50% of the road signs were bent down or blown over. Made finding the right exit a challenge.

I saw several power poles knocked over too.

The town here seems crowded. Lots of cars. I suppose because people are away from the coast.

Tomorrow I’ll be up and on the road by 7 or 7:30am and on the road. I'll try to update with photos as I am able.

A Long Drive

I drove today from Jackson, Mississippi to Hattieburg, Mississipi. I was fairly stressed by the drive, mostly because the majority of it was spent on the phone trying to make sure I would have a hotel room. (I'm still not sure if it was Expedia.com or Super 8 who screwed my reservation up...doesn't matter...I'm done with both of them.)

Still, I found myself in a quandry...I'm uptight because I may or may not have a motel room. The people I am going to see may not have homes at all.

100 miles from the Gulf Coast and I began to see evidence of trees down...at 90 miles, portions of roofs were missing. In Hattiesburg, whole freeway signs are bent in half.

I can't imagine what I'll see tomorrow. Tonight is going to be an anxious night.

A Picture Share...

Haircut with Uncle Paul

Connected

Today I got through to Pastor Jerry Bultman, of Bethel Lutheran Church in Biloxi. For those of you who might have joined our show late, Bethel was the site where we stayed while we were down there working with Habitat for Humanity in june.

I've been in contact with the Habitat national office, Lutheran Disaster Relief and the Southeast Synod of the ELCA, offering our group to assist. We've received no response. Today they increased the capacity of the phone service and I was able to get through to Pastor Bultman.

He and his wife are living in the church until his home is repaired. His church is serving as a distribution site for assistance. He sounded tired. He should.

So Monday I leave for Biloxi. Actually, for Jackson. Then I'll drive to Biloxi.

I've traveled all over, most of it by road. Interestingly, I'm kind of nervous about this trip. Unknown. Crisis. Disaster. These are all words that can (and should) raise my blood pressure. It is going to be a vital trip. Our hope is to bring a group down 3 weeks later.

The only to really know what we'll need...what we'll do...how we'll do it...is to see it. To sit down with Pastor Bultman and to talk.

This is going to occupy much of my mind and heart in the next few weeks.

Please pray for these people.

I find it interesting that New Orleans is getting all of the attention, when the sheer destruction seems to be much more complete in the Mississippi area. Not that it's a competition. But I worry that those stories are not being told.

Pray.

My mind is full

I haven't blogged lately very much besides posting up some links for things I've found and I don't want to learn. To be honest, I've felt a little overwhelmed:

• Hurricane Katrina and how concerned I've been for the Habitat Biloxi people we've encountered.
• The beginning of the programming year.
• The funeral of the spouse of a good friend.
• The funeral of the father of a good friend.
• My approaching ordination.

Not sure what to say...not sure what to do...to say...to write...

Poynter Online - Hurricane Katrina coverage

Poynter Online - Hurricane Katrina coverage

Michael Spencer: Outing Joel Osteen: A Challenge to the Evangelical Blogosphere

Michael Spencer: Outing Joel Osteen: A Challenge to the Evangelical Blogosphere: "1. Write a post about Osteen.
2. Encourage other bloggers to do the same. (Forward this link if you wish.)
3. Send it out. Raise the questions, speak the truth. Nail something on the door of the world."

Planet Vids - Funny Videos - Reporter In Iraq

Planet Vids - Funny Videos - Reporter In Iraq

Pirate Monkeys Inc. -- Fan Stuff -- Harry Potter

Pirate Monkeys Inc. -- Fan Stuff -- Harry Potter

No Going Back

I mailed out my ordination invitations this morning. No going back now...

I had my first "walk in" person last week...an adult who came to talk with me about some issues. I think they just came in looking for a pastor to talk with. Interesting...kind of rocked me back on my heels a bit. But empowering as well.

Feminary: Music music music

Feminary: Music music music A nice listing of contemporary music that connects with Wisdom literature.

Pilgrim Preaching: Letter to a Canaanite Woman

Pilgrim Preaching: Letter to a Canaanite Woman: "You go girl! I've never seen anyone talk to Jesus like that. And this from someone who so clearly does not belong. No one has called anyone a Canaanite for centuries. You are a foreigner�or you would be a foreigner if it were not your home turf that Jesus had wandered into. What's more, you are a Canaanite woman in the middle of a group of Jewish men. You are so out of place and so out of time and so exactly where your daughter needs you to be. "

Recently Finished Book

I just finished reading "Winning" by Jack Welch. Jack is the recently retired CEO of GE. The book is his second, and is intended to be a business memoir.

Some interesting stuff. Not nearly as "new" or "insightful" as a book like "Good to Great" or "The Tipping Point." But at the same time, there are some interesting thoughts and observations in there.

One interesting observation: Jack is opposed to spending a great deal of time on mission. He asserts that it is obvious. He writes that:

"a good mission statement and a good set of values are so real they smack you in the face with their concreteness. The mission announces exactly where you are going, and the values describe the behaviors that will get you there. Speaking of that, I prefer abandoning the term values altogether in favor of just behaviors. But for the sake of tradition, let's stick with the common terminology.

In my experience, an effective mission statement basically answers one question: How do we intend to win in this business?" - Jack Welch; "Winning"; p. 14.

Now, there are all sorts of problems with the basic premise of "winning" when it translates to what we do in ministry. But the focus on the focus is the part that interests me. Mission is simple. Mission is plain. Mission is direct and achievable.

There is some interesting stuff in this book. When you read it with filters that translate the business orientation into ministry, there is some wisdom that can certainly be applied and can be helpful.

Article from The Christian Century on Homosexuality Issue

The Christian Century

The Caring Bridge Site around the Frambach family journey to Columbia and the adoption of Andres

CaringBridge - Be There ~ Helping friends and family stay in touch and informed

An amazing journey of love and faith by friends.

Ordination Invitation

Where faith meets imagination

I spent the weekend at Wittenberg University in Springfield, Ohio, doing workshops for the Region 6 youthworker's network gathering. It was a fun event...about 30 people gathered together for learninig and support.

The Bishop of the Southern Ohio Synod came and spoke with the grou and had some interesting things to say. One of the things I really liked was really just a passing comment. He said something about youth and family ministry creating a space where faith meets imagination.

My mind took off on this:
What it would be like if the church reclaimed imagination?
What if we could imagine a world with no poverty?
What if we could imagine a world with peace?
What if we could imagine a world where the value of each young person was lifted up?
What if we could imagine who God calls us to be, and what God's vision of our lives is?
What if those of us in ministry could help young people imagine God's dream for their life?

Faith and imagination.
Faith and imagination.

Hmmm...

Lunch!

Chick FilA is so good...

March of the Penguins Warner Independent Pictures -- Official Site

March of the Penguins Warner Independent Pictures -- Official Site


A wonderful movie

A Wedding Sermon

Grace and peace to you from God, our creator and from Jesus, who is the Christ, Amen!

Jennifer and Mike…we are all so happy and proud of you. Please allow me to be the first to say congratulations! This is a wonderful day, and a blessed day, and we are all honored to be here to share in it with you.

Having said that, I have a word of warning for each of you:
Mike, you need to know that there are an awful lot of people back in Maple Grove who love and care about Jennifer. You take very good care of her…we’ll be watching…

And Jennifer, there are people here in Baxter who will be doing the same. Mike, if she gives you a hard time at all, I have entire photo albums of embarrassing photos of Jennifer going back to 5th grade. I’ll be happy to send some up to you if you’re looking for material to embarrass her with. As a matter of fact, I brought up a “starter kit” with me today…nah…we’ll worry about that later…

A marriage is a sacred, and holy thing. We are taught from an early age that a marriage is like a fairy tale. It should begin with “once upon a time” and end with “and they lived happily ever after.” In the middle is the time of the man and the woman, often a prince and princess, finding each other, falling into an incredibly passionate love, honoring and worshipping each other, caring for each other, never arguing…with a fairy god mother always watching over them, dispensing assistance and advice

This is a beautiful image. We all grew up with it. Each of us hoped to someday find our prince or our princess.

However, I’ve come to realize that the image of a fairy tale isn’t necessarily an accurate depiction of marriage. For that matter, it isn’t even a very helpful image.

For one thing: the fairy tales never told us what happened when Prince charming would leave the toilet seat up. The fairy tales never took into account how busy and over committed people get, and how it always tends to make the princess late, driving the prince nuts.

Let’s look at your own life together so far: I never heard of a fairy tale that began with “competitive flirting” …with disagreements over whether the princess won the air hockey game or if the prince “let” her win. A fairy tale romance never began with the phrase “How would you feel about a relationship?” Fairy tales never took into account graduate school…medical school…in-laws…goofy friends…long distance in relationships…

No; as fun as they are to dream about, modern marriage is not like a fairy tale. Modern day marriage is much more like a reality TV show.

Now, you know the kind of shows I’m talking about. They are the shows where people’s strengths and weaknesses, their foibles and quirks are on display for the other. We are all imperfect people. We live in an imperfect, sinful world, in imperfect, sinful homes.

In the midst of the imperfection that is our reality, we have to learn how we can live together as married couples.

Jennifer and Mike, There are three things I’d like you to remember about your marriage:

The first is this: You must let go of yourselves. I remember a conversation I had with a friend once about a year after his marriage. I asked him how it was going, and he said “great, But it’s really hard”. I asked him what was hard and he said “I feel like I don’t get to be myself anymore. I feel like my freedom and my independence has died.” I thought back to all of my pastoral counseling courses, rallied all the wisdom I could muster and gave my best pastoral answer: “Well Duh.”
You see, God is busy at work today. In this place, at this time, God is creating something brand new. God is making a new creation in you. You are no longer Mike, the independent…you are no longer Jennifer the free. You are a new being, fused together. Not individuals, but together in a way you have never experienced before. You are bound by God’s Holy Spirit into something brand new. You are literally a new creation.

It is amazing. You will know each other’s thoughts, finish each other’s sentences, be able to know the other’s feelings with a glance…or sometimes a glare…

It is the letting go of some of the individuality you had before. In John 12:24, it is written that “unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.” At one level, to enter into this new covenant we must “die to ourselves” and embrace being a part of this new creation.

The second thing to remember is that you are not alone in this. The scripture you chose for your wedding today is especially meaningful for me. It is the same one that Lori and I chose for our wedding service. What makes this new creation that we all witness today happen at all is the infusion of God’s Holy Spirit into this marriage. God is present in this relationship in a way that you haven’t experienced before.

Now, because we have spoken, I know that you know this. Mike, when you proposed, Jennifer’s first question to you was “have you prayed about this?” You nodded, just wishing she would get on to saying “yes.”

An old couple was driving in their pickup truck one day when they pulled up behind a young couple in a convertible. The young couple was sitting close, with his arm around her. The romance was obvious. The old wife looked at her old husband, sitting behind the steering wheel across the cab of the truck from her and said “remember when we were young, and we used to sit like that?” The husband looked back at her and said “well, I haven’t moved.”

The focus the two of you have on your faith is wonderful. God is present, fused in your marriage with you. God promises that He will not move. Together, continue to draw near to Him.

Finally, no matter what, you need to forgive. You can argue and fight all you want. But at the end of the day, you must forgive. Ephesians 4:26 reminds us to not let the sun go down on our anger. You are forgiven. So forgive each other.

Every night talk with each other. Talk about your day. Talk about your joys. Talk about your frustrations. Talk about what you did to make each other angry, or hurt. And then pray. And forgive. Forgiveness is a lost art. Reclaim it.

Jennifer and Mike, you have been gifts to all of us. Now God is calling you into this marriage. Let go of yourselves…draw near to the God who draws near to you, and love and forgive over and over and over and over…

And in this new reality, this new creation, may you live happily ever after.

Amen.

A friend in pain

A friend of mine is in vocational pain right now. It is an unjust situation. He is paying for the mistakes of his boss, who is now covering the whole situation up as a "personnel issue" rather than either an issue of vision (which it is), or an issue of personality conflict (which it is).

His life. His future. His vocation. His security. And those of his family are threatened.

Please pray for David.

Telegraph | News | Harry Potter distorts the soul, says Pope

You've got to be kidding...

Telegraph | News | Harry Potter distorts the soul, says Pope

Good Book

An interesting book on "why" young people participate in faith communities.

Interesting because it's ethnographic research.

Interesting because it draws insightful conclusions.

Interesting because I think it's more right than wrong.

The power of Symbols

I saw an interesting interview with a Catholic priest on cable the other day. The interviewer was asking him about his vocation. The priest said "it's a little like your wedding ring." "Huh?" replied the intrepid interviewer. "Take your ring off...are you still married? Of course you are." You are always married whether or not you are wearing your ring. It's the same way with the priesthood. Whether or not you are wearing your clerical collar, you are always a priest. It's not something you put on and take off. It's who you are."

Interesting. Especially as I've been beginning to purchase clerical garb, preparing for my transition in vocation.

But it also makes me wonder about what we do with the laity. We talk a good game in regard to the priesthood of all believers. But we still do a pretty good job of creating a heirarchical system. I wonder if one of the reasons is that the laity, in particular the professional laity, lacks symbols to draw themselves into community, and to create signs of who they are.

What would it be like if there were ways of people identifying for themselves their own sense of call? How would we as a church do that? Is it necessary? It is wise?

I am processing...

Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly . COVER STORY . The Emerging Church, Part One . July 8, 2005 | PBS

Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly . COVER STORY . The Emerging Church, Part One . July 8, 2005 | PBS
An interesting story on the emerging church movement.

Process

Focusing on what's going on in a group, and in how a group works is often at least as important as focusing on what the group produces. Not to get wrapped up in process, or to let it completely distract from a group mission (nothing is worse than a group spending its time in relational navel-gazing). But what a group can accomplish is magnified when they are corporately self-aware.

The task of the leader of a group is to ask the questions, sometimes difficult, of the group that triggers the questions, and to do the "naming", sometimes more difficult, of the observed behavior from which a group can grow.

This naming is vital to the willingness of a group to grow in community and in spirit. Particularly in the Spirit of God.

The Spirit of God is not dependent on the members of the group for her presence. Rather the Spirit is a constant (wherever 2 or 3 are gathered...). However, the Spirit of God's ability to become manifest in real ways are dependent on the willingess of the group to allow the Spirit to work in a corporate way.

I'll let you know how it goes.

A Sad Day

When our alarm went off this morning I did the normal routine...stumble...drink coffee...brush teeth...drink coffee... Finally we flipped on the radio and heard something about London. We killed the radio and flipped on CNN to see about the bombings in London.

The same, "sick to my stomach" feeling began to twist my insides. "Again...not again..."

It was a sad day.

Sad because of what happened, and sad because of what it means.

It reminds us again that we are all vulnerable. Things and places that we counted on as "safe" are not. We used to know we were safe. Now that knowledge is recategorized as an item of faith. We can't know that we're safe.

We knew this four years ago. Today we were reminded again.

It is too much a cliche to say "I don't understand how someone could do this." I do understand. I understand that this is the only way some people feel that they can fight back. It is not justified or justifiable. It just is what it is.

The "War on Terrorism" is not a normal war. There are no rules. There is no "civility." It even goes a step beyond guerilla war. It attacks non-combatants. It is unconventional.

It must be defeated unconventionally.

So far, conventional methods, them military, seems ineffective. It reminds me of the image of grabbing a handful of sand and squeezing. The tighter we squeeze, the more seeps through our fingers.

I don't know how to defeat this unconventionally. But I don't think we're searching for the answer yet.

In the meantime, I'll pray.

the deep end w/ dave fleming

the deep end w/ dave fleming

Some interesting wisdome here

Sam and his buddy, Darth

At Como Zoo, Sam eating a Darth Vader ice cream bar.

Memo to self: Never let a child eat ice cream that's been dyed blue.

Nick Coleman: Faith can unite us to fight poverty

Nick Coleman: Faith can unite us to fight poverty

An awesome column on the work of the church in the realm of fighting poverty.

4th of July

Tomorrow is the 4th of July. I have to admit to having some mixed feelings about this. Yes, I am grateful and thankful for the nation in which we live, and for the freedoms we enjoy. Yes, I am completly supportive of those who serve our nation.

But I can't help but wonder if we are really furthering the cause of independence in Iraq, and other nations. Are we at war for the people of those nations, or for our own self-interests? Are we really bringing freedom, or just extending the pain and suffering?

Again, to be clear, I don't wonder these things because of any concern over the work of our troops, who are following orders.

But I wonder about the wisdom of being there. There is no clear exit strategy, and apparently no real hope of being out of there any time soon. And while we're there, there is no real hope of peace.

I also have significant concerns still about "why" we are there. There were no weapons of mass destruction. Sudein was no real threat to us, or to anyone.

And to hear the President continue to refer to linkages between our troops in Iraq, and the 9/11 attacks when quite simply there is no clear linkage. None.

As Christians, we are called to work for peace. How to do this when the path is so unclear and so difficult?

It all makes me uneasy this fourth of July.

A day at the ballpark

Twins versus Devil Rays. The boys first game.

What we're doing when we blog

A day at...

I'm leaving in a few minutes to take a group down to Valleyfair for a day of rollercoasters, rides, etc... This is an annual gig. Every year we do this as a summer kick off. Every year I say to myself "why are we doing this right now?" We leave in 3 days on a 12 day mission trip. Couldn't this be timed out better?

Oh well...it is what it is...

And I love rollercoasters!

Onto another topic for just a moment...is anyone else just absolutely amazed and somewhat dismayed by what qualifies as news today? The Michael Jackson story is another sign of the decline of our civilization. Not that it happened. But in how it is being covered and in how people care. It blows me away... We live in a world with really significant issues, and the amount of resources being spent on watching this event is incredible. It actually makes me a little bit sad. Actually, anything on the over of People Magazine does the same thing.

A sigh of relief

The process is complete. Yesterday, after a 2-hour interview I was unanimously approved by my candidacy committee.

It was an interesting conversation. It was a reminder to me that much of theolgoy is about semantics. Language is everything.

The committee was made up of:

• 1 urban pastor.
• 1 suburban pastor.
• 1 elementary school principal.
• 1 hospital chaplain/cpe supervisor.

Each person had their own agenda and their own language to describe it.

Yes, I know that the end result of the suffering is the resurrection, both for Christ and for the people of God.

Yes, I know that grace always comes first in the equation of God's forgiveness, and that the action of suffering, death and resurrection are not necessarily linear events in God's timeline.

But it's more about how the question is asked than anything else. At moments I wanted to shout "what answers do you want from me?"

But overall it went very well. The difficult questions were minor in the scheme of things.

I am thankful

Musings of an Emergent Postmodern Negro: Emergent and the issue of Race

Musings of an Emergent Postmodern Negro: Emergent and the issue of Race

Interesting stuff...these are important contributions to the conversation.

T-79 minutes and counting

My final "approval" interview for ordination begins at 10:30am down at the synod office in downtown Minneapolis. I'm sitting at Panera right now. My plan is to be reading everything I've written in the past 6 months in the process so that I can discuss and answer questions.

I'm stalling.

Once I get past today, assuming I am approved, the process is basically complete. How weird is that? One year ago the idea of ordination was just a question I was keeping comfortably in the back of my mind. Now, it's moved beyond a possibility to a probability.

God's Spirit works in strange ways.

Having Fun

Spending the day at the Childrens Museum.

Candidacy Approval Essay

I. Scripture

A. Sermon

1. Scriptural Exegesis (3 pages)

Luke 10:1-11 and 16-20 are many things: they are a narrative of a series of events that happened. They are a set of teachings of Christ. They are a description of how Christ sent his followers out to evangelize. Dr. David Tiede states that “this entire passage may well have been read as a handbook on evangelization. As such, it is remarkable for its vision of simplicity, clarity on the message of peace and refusal to allow the messengers to use force or exercise judgment.”[1]

It is important to realize that the author of the Book of Luke was writing largely for a non-Jewish audience. With this in mind, the word “proclamation” takes a whole different meaning. It is different to proclaim the authority and love of God to an audience that comes from outside of the Jewish, and now Christian, tradition than it is to proclaim to those with whom you share a common cultural understanding. Keeping this in mind, we must recognize that the author is interested in asserting both the authority of those who are among Jesus’ disciples, and of the presence of the Kingdom of God, as established in the personhood of Christ and in the church.

This being the case then, these 70 (or 72, depending on the interpretation) would be trained to travel light, to use proper social protocol, such as the traditional greeting of “Peace be to this house!”, which references the greeting King David’s servants used. As Dr. Tiede states in his commentary, this form of greeting is “…an official declaration of the presence of the kingdom, and it confronts the people of the house with God’s salvation and authority. It is a word of blessing”.[2] If this Word and declaration was rejected, the disciples were commanded to separate themselves quickly and cleanly from the place.

The focus, though, needs to be more on the proclamation of the Kingdom of God rather than the actions and anxieties of the disciples. The proclamation of the Kingdom is itself a blessing and a transformational act. Jesus states in verse 18-19 that “I watched Satan fall from heaven like a flash of lightning. See, I have given you authority to treat on snakes and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy; and nothing will hurt you.”

Here, Jesus is affirming that he saw Satan fall as a result of the missionary work of the 70. Their work itself, the proclamation of the Kingdom of God, played a role in changing the balance and the relationship between God and Satan. But Jesus goes on to warn the disciples not to get too overconfident or cocky. He states in verse 20 that “Nevertheless, do not rejoice at this, that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” It is not the act of bringing the spirit of evil down that should cause celebration. That credit belongs with God’s Holy Spirit, working through the disciples. Rather, celebration lies in their place in the Kingdom of God, the Kingdom which they proclaim.

2. Reflective Piece (1 page)

This sermon is prepared for Lord of Life Lutheran Church in Maple Grove, Minnesota. Lord of Life is a congregation of approximately 7,400 baptized members. Maple Grove is an affluent northwest suburb of Minneapolis. Lord of Life is a rapidly growing congregation. The congregation is currently growing faster than its capacity to create meaningful connections for people in terms of ministry. It is an easy congregation to be “anonymous” within.

Politically and socially, Lord of Life is reflective of the community. Its membership is largely “middle of the road” to conservative.

I would mention the Fourth of July holiday for two different reasons: First, quite simply, the day is a national holiday and while it can be argued that Christians are called to a deeper level of loyalty to God than to national interests, it would also be silly not to acknowledge that we are Christians who live in a particular national context. To not mention the holiday would itself be awkward. The second reason is that I believe we are called to live as Christians within the world. God calls us to be Christians within our context (in this case, national) and to affect the system within which we live. We live in a system that celebrates our independence via a national holiday. To ignore that would be ignoring an opportunity to witness of the love, grace and freedom that only God can provide, by placing that holiday in the context of our faith.

3. Hermeneutical Issues (1 page)

This was a difficult text on which to write a sermon. To borrow a phrase from a colleague, this is a “well packed” text. There are numerous different ways that this scripture could speak to the congregation. Possible themes might be the selection and the expansion of the disciples; Jesus’ phrase that “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few”; The charge of the disciples on how to travel and to share faith in Christ with people, or the charge to the disciples to serve.

I chose in this sermon to focus on the return of the seventy people being the declaration of a transformational event in the lives of the participants, and presumably, those with whom they shared their faith. I did so because I believe that in the community in which I serve, the predominant sense regarding sharing our faith with others is one of haplessness. Quite simply, the people with whom I work do not think themselves capable of sharing their faith. My goal then is to use the story of this group of 70 whom Jesus sent as role models. I want the people at Lord of Life to realize that the story of these followers is also their own story. Jesus calls, teaches, sends and celebrates with us in our lives today in the same manner he did with the disciples in Biblical times.

I chose to interpret this scripture (this time) as a challenge to share and a promise that we are not alone and that Christ celebrates with us the ministry. As Dr. Tiede states, “Jesus is rejoicing in the dynamic power of God’s presence and dominion which have been revealed.”[3]

4. Sermon Manuscript (2-3 pages)


Dear friends,
Grace and peace to you from God our Creator, and from Jesus Christ, His Son and our Lord. Amen

And Happy Independence Day! This day of celebration is one of great importance for those of us who live in this nation. Our freedom is a gift and it is right to celebrate it. Our hope is that throughout the day, you and your loved ones can spend time together as a family. Have fun! Picnic! Spend time together! Watch fireworks! And remember the gifts that God gives our nation and be thankful! Our hope is that today is a day of celebration for you.

Celebration is something of a lost art in our culture today. In the midst of the high-speed, intense and stressful society in which we live, it is more and more difficult for us to loosen up and to celebrate the significant moments of our lives.

Case in point: It was my birthday last month. It was, as my wife would describe it, a significant birthday. I’ll just leave it at “it wasn’t my 30th birthday, and it wasn’t my 50th birthday.” You can figure it out from there.

For the several weeks prior to the day, Lori would ask me semi-regularly “have you thought about what you want to do for your birthday?” “No,” I replied, “I haven’t given it much thought yet.” Over and over she asked…over and over I expressed my denial. Finally, when the day came, we settled on a simple dinner with another couple; friends we had not seen in a long time. Our friends didn’t even know it was my birthday. Of course, at the restaurant, my wife let the word slip. While I gave in to the free dessert, I worked pretty hard to convince the restaurant’s serving person to not have the entire wait staff come to sing to me. Ok, I’ll admit it: I begged.

To be completely honest: I’m not very good at celebrating. I really don’t think that any of us are. I’m not sure if it’s that we don’t really know how, or that we don’t want to draw undue attention to ourselves, or if the very value of celebrating itself is diminishing.

An NFL team could be losing a game by 42 points. And then when a receiver catches an ordinary pass for a touchdown, he launches into an end zone dance that is such a production; you’d think he might have just cured cancer; and he was just doing what he gets paid to do! Can you imagine a CPA, strutting, breakdancing and spinning on their head after completing a successful audit? No, of course not. We don’t celebrate the ordinary. When the ordinary things in life become the cause of huge celebration, it diminishes those special moments that are worthy of celebration. But my fear is that because of the mixed messages we receive, we don’t celebrate at all. We don’t celebrate the ordinary, and we don’t often complete the extraordinary…so why celebrate?

I know I’m not alone in this. It is becoming more and more difficult for us to experience real joy in our culture. I’m not just talking about happiness. Happiness might be what we experience when we buy something we really wanted, or we receive a gift, or a raise. I’m talking about joy. Joy: the emotion that lives in our soul because something deep and exciting is at work. Joy changes us. Joy is rare. Joy is profound. Joy is a gift. Joy is rarely experienced, and even harder to express.

This is true in our faith lives as well as elsewhere. We live in a faith community where we gather on Saturday nights or Sunday mornings for worship. Whenever we worship, we remember Easter, the ultimate victory, the ultimate reason for celebration. Our worship itself is an expression of the joy that comes from knowing that “Jesus Christ is risen today!”

But we don’t say ALLELUIA! We say alleluia. There is a difference. Erma Bombeck described Christians as people who “sing ‘Make a Joyful Noise Unto the Lord’ while our faces reflect the sadness of one who has just buried a rich aunt who left everything to her pregnant hamster.” In the world in which we live, it is difficult to be people of joy. Our sense of joy gets beaten down day after day. Don’t get me wrong: My message for you today is not: “Don’t worry…be happy…” Life doesn’t work that way. It’s not that simple. You know it…I know it. Life is full of challenge. Our Gospel lesson for today gives us a concrete example:

The disciple’s story is one of challenge and celebration: Here, Jesus gives one of his most difficult and intimidating instructions to the disciples. He has grown his group of dedicated followers to over 70. And now Jesus is sending them out. These 70 frightened people stood before Jesus. They were being commissioned to spread out to the surrounding towns and to minister to people in Christ’s name.

Jesus must not have expected it to go particularly well. He gave very specific instructions about what his followers should do when they are rejected. The welcome mat would not always be out for them. The anxiety of his followers must have been extreme.

When have we felt like our faith is a challenge? When have we known that our faith might cost us something? Perhaps it is when someone at work asks a question about, or presents a challenge to your faith. It might be when you have to make a choice between a wrong you’re a drawn to, and a right that God calls you to. There might be a person at your work who would really benefit from an invitation to our faith community, but you might be worried about “pushing your beliefs on them.” Or perhaps you don’t feel particularly close to God. Maybe you question, and doubt. Maybe you’ve been hurt. Maybe you wonder how God could possibly love someone like you. For you, feeling joy may seem very far away.

There is a tension inherent in being a Christian. It is rooted in questions: “Do I experience the love that Christ gives?” “Do I understand that if God’s grace is real, it is real for me?” “Are we living as God would want us to live?”

The gifts God offers do not depend on our answers to these questions. But our lives of faithfulness; our response to God’s gifts, our sense of joy in what God does in our lives does.

Like those 70, we stand before Jesus who says, “it might not be easy. But it’s what I want for you. And I am with you regardless. I am sending you.”

Luckily for us, the story does not end at the point of Jesus sending them out. When the 70 returned home, the scripture describes them as being full of joy. They said “Lord, in your name, even the demons submit to us.” They celebrated. Their fear was turned into joy. They celebrated not because they did something wonderful and amazing. Rather, they celebrated because they had discovered the power of truth; the truth that only Jesus Christ can provide. It was real! It changed the lives of others! It changed their lives! God’s truth transforms!

I wish I could have seen the look on Jesus face. Did he say “I told you so!” Probably not. But he celebrated. In verse 21 he says “At that same hour Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit.” But first he reminds them that it is not their work, but the work of God’s Spirit that made their service possible.

Jesus sent those insecure, unsure, nervous followers out to share about their experiences. When they returned, they did so amazed and joyful at how God worked through them. God turned their fear into joy.

Jesus sends us out; insecure, unsure, and nervous followers, to share about our faith experiences. It is not easy. But when we return to this place, we will do so amazed and joyful at how God works through us. Just as with the disciples, God has given us the gift of Truth. God’s grace, love and forgiveness are for you. God knows you. God loves you and nothing will take that away. You are given the gift of grace. You are forgiven. It is real! It changes the lives of others! It changes our lives! God’s truth transforms!

God’s message to you is to share with others, despite the challenges. This place, this sanctuary, is not intended to be a somber or quiet place. There are those moments, but God intends this room, this gathering to be a place of joy, where the stories of what God is doing are told and celebrated. To witness what God does is exciting. To share it is natural. God turns our fear, our apprehension, our unworthiness into joy. Outside of this building, let us do God’s will, living, serving and telling others. Let us look for God’s work in the world and then name it for others. Inside this building, let us celebrate that work, with love, and with joy.

Amen.
II. Theological Reflection
A. Factors shaping my understanding of Christ’s suffering and death. (1 page)

There are a number of factors which shape my understanding of Christ’s suffering and death. However, it is important to point out that my understanding of this act on our (my) behalf is, at a fundamental level, ineffable. Speaking first as a recipient of that amazing grace, and secondly as a parent who would literally die on behalf of my child, I cannot grasp this act of sacrifice on my behalf.

The first factor that has shaped my understanding, (first not because of its impact or importance, but because it is most recent on my mind) is my CPE experience at Unity and Mercy Hospitals. I have been present in a hospital room with a patient and often family during a time of obvious suffering. I have been able to witness that suffering in many different forms. To have people open these windows into their lives to me has been an amazing experience. I have been present when people gasped their final breaths. I have prayed with families as life-support has been removed. I have held the hands of new widows who wailed over the bodies of their spouses.

These experiences have helped me to understand what Christ might have experienced on the cross, and what the disciples must have experienced.

Likewise, I have experienced the death of my own father. This experience, and the journey of grief that I experienced over the next 3 years took me into places of despair that I did not know existed. It was the love and grace of God, manifest in my wife, in my community and the subsequent births of my two sons that lifted me out of these depths. It was only God that could lift me out of this.

Another significant experience, that I do not yet completely understand, is the baptism of my sons. Standing at the font, and experiencing the water being poured over our children and experiencing them being joined to the death and resurrection of Christ was a very powerful and tangible experience. Though this was a theology I had taught for years, it became real to me at that moment. I had the moment of recognition that these two boys, who I loved completely, did not “belong” to me. They belong to the God who claims them.

Finally, the book, The Ragamuffin Gospel by Brennan Manning, a Catholic spiritual director, has stimulated my thinking about Christ’s suffering, especially as it relates to the grace of God. Manning writes that “One night a dear friend of Roslyn’s named Joe McGill was praying over this passage in John: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God…The Word was made flesh, he lived among us…” (John 1:1, 14) In the bright darkness of faith, he heard Jesus say: “Yes, the Word was made flesh. I chose to enter your broken world and limp through life with you.”[4] Manning’s description of “The Victorious Limp” (the chapter title) and his writing had a profound impact on my understanding of the interconnectedness between Christ’s suffering, God’s love and our lives.

B. How would I approach Scripture to deepen my understanding of Christ’s suffering and death? (11/2 – 2 pages)

The first observation that needs to be made is that in no way can I ever understanding Christ’s suffering and death, nor the sacrifice that God made in that terrible, wonderful act. As a father of two boys, I could not begin to understand how God could allow this act to happen. In all honesty, if ever put in a situation of choosing between Nathan or Samuel and the rest of creation, I would choose Nathan or Samuel. They are my life.

So for God to choose a fallen humanity over his own Son is difficult for me to grasp at an emotional or cognitive level. As the recipient of that act of grace, however, I am grateful.

To understand this senseless act of love, I would first have to turn to the story itself. I would read the story of the crucifixion, probably in the “New International Version”, that with which I am most comfortable. Then I would read it again, this time in the Revised or New Revised Standard Version. In these two versions I would seek out the subtle differences in language that might lead me into thought and reflection.

Second, I would read commentaries to see what scholars have said about these scriptures and to see what new insights might come from their thoughts. I normally, at this point, just take some time to reflect and to think. I’ve found that giving myself “space” for the scriptures to speak to me is important. I try to reflect on the emotions of the primary characters of the story and try to connect them to my own story. How might I feel if I were the parent of Jesus watching him suffer and die? What might I be willing to give up to prevent that from happening?

What if I were one of the other criminals on the cross? What might I be witnessing and how might I process that into my own experience? What if I were a guard, either keeping the crowds at bay or assisting with the actual resurrection? What if I were Pontius Pilate, or Barabbas? How might I perceive the suffering and death of Jesus through their lens?

Then I might turn to other sections of scripture, including the stories of the crucifixion from other Gospels. I’d also seek out and examine Old Testament prophesies that talked about the death and sacrifice, including Isaiah 51, Psalm 11 and Psalm 75. I’d probably pay special attention to Isaiah 53. I would also look at epistle writings that focus on sacrifice. Most prominent would be Romans 3:25 and Ephesians 5:2.

My goal in looking at these scriptures would be to gather as complete a picture of what was happening as possible, including the prophesy of the act and the interpretation of the act. The point of these different texts is not to “prove” or “corroborate”, but rather to bring about understanding and growth.

I would seek out the wisdom of my community. I have discovered great wisdom among my colleagues, friends and family. I would ask them how they have experienced suffering and how they connect spiritually to the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Finally, I would pray for understanding.

Then, I begin the process again. I believe that there is a living quality to scripture that speaks to me in different ways at different times. As I am growing spiritually, and as our culture changes, scripture speaks differently. It is not that the meaning of scripture changes, but rather the heart of the person hearing it. So one could hear the same story every year and it would affect them differently each time that they do.

My understanding of Christ’s death, suffering and resurrection is fresh for me each time that I hear it. It is vital that I continue to explore it as it is the core of all that is of value to me.

C. Two or three theological resources (1 page)

Besides the scripture story, there are several other theological resources that I would want to make use of in theological reflection. I would want to make use of the writings in the Book of Concord on the second article of the Creed. I would also make use of Luther’s meaning to the second article in the Small Catechism. I would use these two resources to get at the theological implications through the lens of our own tradition. While I don’t want to be myopic in reflection, I think that this would be a wise place to begin.

Another theological resource that I would consult is Brennan Manning’s The Signature of Jesus on the Pages of my Heart. (I realize that this is the second Brennan Manning book I’ve mentioned. I do read other authors as well, but Manning has been very influential for me and these pieces fit the questions in this essay.) Manning’s observation that we have “mineralized” the cross, by taking an ugly symbol of death and turning it into jewelry, has had a profound impact in my understanding of the Theology of the Cross.

I would also consult Douglas John Hall’s God and Human Suffering; An Exercise in the Theology of the Cross. Hall’s concept of creation and suffering as “becoming” is one that has fascinated me since I first read the book. I have to admit that I don’t think I completely understand it, and that my understanding grows and changes in time.

Lastly, I would consult a cultural resource. I would probably watch Mel Gibson’s movie, “The Passion of the Christ.” While I realize that this movie is controversial in its depiction, and that it is not intended as a theological resource, the fact that it is a descriptive piece of the relationship between Christ and those for whom he brought salvation makes it a theological resource. The reason I would want to watch it would be for the “heart” side of the equation. This movie brings an emotional dimension to the story of the passion. I believe that the story of Christ’s suffering and death can not be dealt with on a purely cognitive level (nor, for that matter on a purely emotional level) but must include both dynamics.

D. Summary of critical issues which a theological exposition should take into account. (2 pages)

Since the suffering and death of Jesus Christ is a vital part of our understanding of faith (it is the “first half” of the equation, the outcome of which is grace and forgiveness), it is crucial that this portion of our faith be explored. Delving into issues around the “Theology of the Cross” and its relation to salvation are crucial to a full understanding of the gifts of God. If they are not taken fully into account, we risk falling into a pure “Theology of Glory” which ignores or sets aside the human experience, including human suffering.

There are three primary and fundamental questions that one might use as a starting point to reflect theologically on these issues.

The first question is simply “why is it necessary to recognize that the acts of salvation toward a sinful humanity must be purely understood as acts of God, not as a result of the striving of humanity.” While to those of us embedded in the Lutheran tradition, this question might look like a “no-brainer”, in ecumenical dialogue, this is not a simple question, and as members of the Christian church, we walk in ecumenical circles. Our grace-filled understanding of God’s work on earth is closely connected to our identity as Lutherans. But because the answers to this question are not as apparent in other circles, and because the people with whom we do ministry need to be aware of these fundamental identity issues and questions, the questions must be addressed.

The second question that would need to be addressed in a theological exposition of Christ’s suffering and death is simply “why was it necessary for Christ to suffer and die, and tangentally, why must humans undergo suffering in their lives?” Dr. Tony Campolo, of Eastern University in Philadelphia, made an intriguing observation in his talk at the ELCA Youth Gathering in New Orleans in 1997 that impacted my understanding of Christ’s sacrifice. Campolo stated that “Someone once asked me who the most sinful person in history was. They expected an answer like ‘Hitler, or Stalin.’ But they were shocked by my answer. The most sinful person who ever lived was Jesus Christ on the cross. Because at that moment, like a sponge, he absorbed in the sin of all people who had ever lived, were living, or who would ever live. The man who was the incarnation of God, became for 3 days the incarnation of sin, before he became the incarnation of grace.”[5]

This unfathomable act begs the question: Why was it necessary? Why did this have to happen? Just as easily as God caused the world to be created, or to be flooded and re-created, could not an all-powerful God have willed the restoration of our relationship into being?

This question is important because not only does it address issues of sacrifice, suffering and forgiveness, but it also moves into important issues of the will of, and the power and/or limitations of God.

And despite this act of taking on suffering on our behalf, humans are still subjected to suffering. Some of it is caused by the rest of a fallen humanity (i.e. hunger) and some by natural disaster. But the corrolary to the question of the necessity of Christ’s suffering is the question of human suffering. And for a humanity that suffers, this is often the first question of theology the people ask.
Finally, the issue that must be addressed is “What is the effect of Christ’s suffering on a fallen humanity?” This question might be paraphrased as “so what?” and “now what?” How do people experience Christ’s suffering, death, resurrection and forgiveness, and what are the implications for how we are to live our lives?

Like all good theological questions, these ones will not provide easy answers. Indeed, answering them is more like “peeling layers of an onion.” The more you peel, the more layers become apparent and more questions surface. But asking these questions and addressing them is crucial to growing in our understanding of the most important act in human history.

E. How does theological reflection facilitate more effective witness? (1/2 – 1 page)

I have discovered the value of theological reflection because of my work in the d.min program. Within that program, theological reflection was an expectation in all of the different seminar sessions. In that program, we were required to do theological reflection based on three categories: 1) Scriptural references; 2) Books (everything from John Hassler novels to theological texts by Martin Luther); and 3) Significant cultural events of experiences (i.e. the presidential election of 2000 and the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack).

While I admit to a certain amount of skepticism early in the process, (I have always been a fairly practical person more interested in product than in “process.” While I didn’t dislike process, I always wanted to move to the “what can we get done”, or “what will come of this” stage.) I discovered that I really enjoyed the theological reflection portion of the seminars. So much so that I made as one of the goals in my learning covenant for CPE that I wanted to have an opportunity to reflect theologically on my patient interactions.

What I have discovered is that theological reflection allows me to connect the material I have been examining to my own life in a way that is not possible without intentional introspection. For me, theological reflection creates a space for me to think, to pray and to wonder in a way that is unique in my experience. Coming out a largely cognitive, didactic Lutheran tradition, the idea of theological reflection was both challenging and life-giving for myself.

Theological reflection facilitates more effective witness because if done within the context of ministry, it invites the “other” into this space that I (and God’s Spirit) have created and draws them into the dialogue. This gives a glimpse into my life and faith. This is a new and hopefully more powerful understanding of “incarnational theology”, which I had always perceived as focusing on “role modeling” prior to my d.min work and my experiences with theological reflection. Hopefully this happens in such a way that invites that “other” to create their own space in which to explore their life and their faith.

For a time then, our two “spaces” intersect and cross. Hopefully over time, the other is able to differentiate their own space and then open it to share with others. Theological reflection is vital for effective witness, and it happens very organically.
III. Practice of Ministry (3-4 pages)

My response to the young person who asked if the class could watch The Passion of the Christ by Mel Gibson would be “Of course. Let’s do it.” I recognize that this might not be the answer that people in other congregations or ministry settings might give, but I think there are three reasons for doing this:

1. Young people are going to watch the movie. Especially given the controversial nature of the film, young people will be drawn to see it. A significant percentage of young people with whom I come into contact have, in fact, seen The Passion of the Christ. This being the case, I can think of no better place to see, process, reflect upon and integrate the contents of this movie than within the congregation. Watching it together, and creating a safe place to talk about these issues (including the areas of the film that may not be accurate, or which might have emphasized violence at the expense of Christ’s story) would be a healthy approach.

2. Because if a young person asks for and seeks out the opportunity to watch and discuss a piece of media that presents a portion of the story of Christ, we had better take that opportunity. They do not come along every day. This is especially the case if they ask to watch it with the pastor.

3. Much of the controversy surrounding the move is based on the level of violence in the film. This is a legitimate concern. The movie is rated “R”. I certainly would not want to do ministry within a vacuum that does not take seriously the role and presence of the parents. We would need to notify the parents of the opportunity to watch the movie and discuss it as a group and have them sign a permission form. We would also give them, and honor, the right to pull their young person from that activity.

But what I would really hope might happen would be to invite the parents of the young people to come to church and to watch the film alongside them. The discussion we might have would involve either the whole group, with the parents, and/or might integrate an opportunity for the family unit to sit down together to discuss what they had seen.

Turning this opportunity of a young person asking permission, into an event for family ministry, would have the potential to be very meaningful.

There is, of course, a broader rationale for watching the movie. As Christians, we are called to live “in” the world, but not to be “transformed by” the world. That means that while God calls us to be His people, and to not be “changed” by the world into something else, we are still called to live fully immersed in the world that God created. We do this both because it is where God called us to be, and because we can use our influence to bring the world closer to the vision of what God has for it. (I would suspect that this is part of Mel Gibson’s motivation in making the movie in the first place.)

H. Richard Neibuhr had this sense in mind when he wrote his book Christ and Culture. He defined different ways that humans interacted in the relationship between God and culture. These ways included Christ against culture, Christ of culture, Christ above culture, Christ and culture in paradox and Chrsit, the transformer of culture. While each of these perspectives can be considered “accurate” and “right” at different times for different perspectives, and while even in Lutheran circles we might land in different categories, it is clear that for Lutherans, we generally tend to fall into areas where we find Christ engaging culture. We cannot help ourselves but be immersed in culture, but trying not to be affected by it. We use what speaks to our faith and try to reject what does not, without turning our back to it, but trying to remain present to serve as witness.

This is a difficult balance. Certainly it might be easier for us to go the route of some other denominations and to “deny” culture, or to “reject” it out of hand. They preach against it, argue with it, isolate themselves from it and in many cases, isolate themselves from others who live within the culture. Their witness is one of “come and be like us, and then you will be worthy of God’s love.” As Lutherans, we worship a God who realized that “you can never be like me, I’ll have to enter into your culture to be present with you.” Christ sat with the tax collectors and prostitutes.

My hope with the confirmation students (and hopefully their parents) would to be watch the film with them, and then to read the story of the passion and to compare and contrast the two. I would ask them what they think Mel Gibson’s “agenda” was in creating the movie. I would remind them that as a Hollywood production, profit was a significant part of the motivation.

We would then enter into a conversation about times they have felt the presence of God. When were those times? What caused them to feel near to God? Then we would talk about God’s desire to be close to them and how the incarnation intended to make that a reality, as much for them as for the early Christians who walked alongside Jesus. The fundamental reality of the passion of the Christ was to be in a sacramental relationship with God’s creation. As a result, we are called to live in a sacramental lifestyle.

IV. Person in Ministry (3-4 pages)

One of my core beliefs is that there are two factors that are critical in a person’s effectiveness in long-term ministry. These two factors are 1) continuing their educational process, and 2) finding an effective network of support outside of their congregation.

In my time at Lord of Life I have witnessed these two elements being vital. Those colleagues of mine in youth and family ministry in other congregations who did not continue to stretch themselves and grow theologically, or in the practice of ministry, did not last. Likewise, if individuals did not connect to a peer group for support and networking, they soon felt the isolation of their ministry and left for other calls, or left ministry altogether.

I have a commitment to these two elements. In the almost 18 years that I have served as an Associate in Ministry, I have spent 11 of those as a student in some capacity at Luther Seminary. From spring of 1988, until spring of 1995 I was a part-time student in the MA-Youth and Family program. In 2001 I returned to Luther Seminary in the D.Min program-Youth and Family Ministry. In 2004 I took a leave from the D.Min program to “step back” and complete my M.Div equivalency requirements for the purpose of ordination. The “clock” will begin ticking again on the D.Min program on August 1, 2005.

I anticipate being involved in the work of the D.Min program for another three years before finishing that program. Education is one of my priorities; I am a life-long learner.

In addition, I have a strong commitment to education and networking through the work of the ELCA Youth Ministry Network. This organization focuses on providing opportunities for people to gather for learning, networking and support on a national scale annually, and supports smaller, local networks as well. I have personally experienced this form of networking through our local group of youth ministers who meet monthly.

In terms of cognitive learning and education, I have also grown greatly through the part-time adjunct teaching that I have done at Luther Seminary. Working both in the “Youth and Family Ministry Department”, and the “Educational Leadership Department[6]”, I have been able to continue my reading and learning. To teach in these areas, I must keep current with research and new thinking in the field.

On a personal, spiritual level, maintaining a course of growth has been more of a challenge for me. I have friends who have a daily routine of morning prayer, or evening devotions. They are able to schedule their day in such a way that this is possible. I have attempted to create such a discipline, but it has never worked out for me. I make attempts, and am able to maintain a spiritual routine for awhile, but gradually the other things in my life begin to chip away at the time. As an “abstract-random” personality, this kind of spiritual discipline has never been particularly effective for me.

For me, I have found my growing edge to be in being able to identify “God moments” in day to day life. The value is in naming the moments where I can identify the hand of God at work in people’s lives.

I do read scripture daily. I do pray regularly. I read books that are not only academic, but books that are intended for personal growth. It just happens at different times, in different ways for me.

The key has been to be able to carve this time out, in whatever form and length it takes, and to maintain doing it as a discipline, regardless of when, where or how it happens. While this approach may appear to be “undisciplined” or “unplanned”, it has worked for me. For 18 years of full-time ministry I have been on a spiritual journey that has drawn me closer (and sometimes farther) from the God who remains constant. I continue to seek out new experiences and new ways to pray and to understand scripture. I have friends who hold me accountable, and I them. They ask the sometimes difficult questions that challenge me. My wife and I have been partners in the faith journey. Together we work to strengthen our relationship with God.

Most recently, and largely because of my experience with CPE, I have been focusing on “doing” less with my own personal faith, and “being” more. I have been trying to create space just to be in God’s presence. I have been trying to clear my mind and open myself to what God is doing in my life. I have been thinking of prayer more as a spiritual and emotional “place” than a “thing to do.”[7]

Within my community then, I work to assist others in creating the same kind of space. I work to help them identify their gifts and their styles, so that they can recognize that however they practice their Christian spirituality, works for them.

My hope is that we would create together community experiences in which participants know together the presence of Christ. My responsibility is to encourage, inspire and passionate faith, authentic community and significant service so that God’s transforming grace is experienced.

As a pastor I hope to do this by drawing alongside people, entering into their lives and walking with them for awhile. I hope to ask questions. I hope to challenge. I hope to explore faith with people. I hope to experience God’s grace with people.

Dr. Roland Martinson, my seminary advisor and one of my mentors, likes to say that God “fusses” in people’s lives. An important part of ministry, I believe, is helping people to name that “fussing” in their lives, to realize the dependence we have on God, and to be with them as they realize the implications, asking themselves, to borrow a phrase, “what does this mean for us?”

[1] Tiede, Dr. David, Luke; Augsburg Commentary on the New Testament. Augsburg Publishing House, Minneapolis, Mn; 1988. p. 201.
[2] Ibid., p. 202.
[3] ibid., p. 204.
[4] Manning, Brennan; The Ragamuffin Gospel; Good News for the Bedraggled, Beat-Up, and Burnt Out; Multinomah Press; Portland, Oregon, 1990; pp. 194-195.
[5] Dr. Anthony Campolo, speaking at the ELCA Youth Gathering, July, 1997, New Orleans, Louisiana, speaking in a general assembly in the Superdome before an audience of 45,000 high school students and their adult leaders.
[6] These departments will be merging, effective Sept. 1, 2005, into the new “Children’s Youth and Family Ministries Department.”
[7] In this, I have had a wonderful mentor in Rev. Bill Kees, of the ELCA Youth Ministries and Gathering Team. I have learned much from his wisdom and experience.

Boy Like Me, Man Like you

You was a baby like I was once
Crying in the early morning Y
ou was born in a manger Lord
Reid Memorial is where I was born T
hey wrapped You in swaddling clothes
Me they dressed in baby blue

Well I was twelve years old in the meeting house
I was listening the the old men pray
I was trying hard to figure out
What it was that they was trying to say
And there You were in the temple
They said You weren't old enough To know the things You knew

Did You grow up hungry Did You grow up fast
Did the little girls giggle when You walked past
Did You wonder what it was that made them laugh A
nd did they tell You stories about the saints of old
Stories about their faith
They say stories like that make a boy grow bold
Stories like that make a man walk straight

You was a boy like I was once
Was You a boy like me
I grew up around Indiana
You grew up around Galilee
If I really do grow up Well I want to grow up and be just like You

Did You wrestle with a dog
Did You lick his nose
Did You play beneath the spray of a water hose
Did You ever make angels in the winter snow

And did they tell You stories about the saints of old
Stories about their faith
They say stories like that make a boy grow bold
Stories like that make a man walk straight
Did You ever get scared playing hide and seek
Did You try not to cry when You scraped Your knee
Did You ever skip rocks across a quiet creek

And did they tell You stories about the saints of old
Stories about their faith
They say stories like that make a boy grow bold
Stories like that make a man walk straight

And I really may just grow up and be like You
some day

- Geoff Moore