Congregational Needs and Needs In God's World Converge

I continue to process last week's congregational annual meeting. It takes a long time to rehash 150 minutes of statements, speeches, questions, resolutions and ideas. Though I connect the raised levels of anxiety with a lack of focus, I do believe that people approached the meeting in good faith--I attribute this to faithful leadership and a desire for good. I do not believe malice reared its ugly head at the meeting.

A few observations:

+ Several observations and questions surfaced about daily expenditures and the current financial state of First Lutheran Community Church. Some questions that were asked were answered in previous annual meetings or available in current or previous annual report. Questions can also be posed to the Business Adminstrator, Dave Lester. I do not believe there was financial mismanagement at FLCC. Any organization can improve levels of efficiency and evaluate expenditures. The fact of the matter is that congregational giving is related worship attendance. Since Pastor Allen's departure, worship attendance is down between 12 and 13 percent. Giving receipts are down around 15 percent and pledges are down about 20 percent. In order to keep 2010 wages/salaries at 2009 levels, a significant amount of extra giving was needed to meet that congregational desire, which was articulated and affirmed at the congregational meeting. Those voting at the Annual Meeting made a commitment to follow through on that raised giving for remaining congregational members. That giving is not complete, and the congregation will be informed about progress toward keeping staff wages/salaries at 2009 levels. The responses to Pastor Orv's letter and in the call to the congregation were powerful and impressive.

+ I noticed that in general that the people of FLCC did not sacrifice a calling to serve the needs of God's world (Haiti, for example) in order to meet the financial needs of the congregation and its staff. I learned from Kris Corteau that FLCC put together a gift of approximately $7000 dollars after the call to give on January 17th. Approximately $4000 was collected on and around the 17th, $2000 was collected from the fund that collect funds for building homes in Haiti, and $1000 was given in matching funds from Thrivent Financial For Lutherans. Some people wonder if special appeals take away from general giving to the congregation. Though I don't have current data to back this up, my experience has been that if the appeal is made clear that gifts are above and beyond household pledges that special appeals do not hurt general pledge giving. Even if a congregation does not make special appeals, that doesn't mean that household would take that money and raise their giving to the congregation. The important thing is that we give people an opportunity to give on multiple levels.

+ I made a statement at the Annual Meeting that in an anxious financial time, it is tempting to talk about small expenditures like lighting and supplies. These are small expenditures. If the congregation continues to bicker over these expenditures, you will do it to your own demise. I truly believe FLCC's major challenge to meet the congregational desire to maintain wage/salary level for its current staff is to make up for the loss of income from decrease worship attendance and the struggling economy. On the flip side, I am working with the leadership to broaden the scope of stewardship during my remaining time as your interim pastor through classes like Financial Peace University and opportunities to increase legacy giving and large gifts for long term congregational growth and mission/vision support and general health of the congregation.

I am pleased with the response of dedicated givers of time, talent and treasure to meet the needs of the congregational transition. The Transition Team is making significant progress toward the assembly of a Ministry Site Profile which will be the foundation for a Call Committee. The current use of congregational surveys is an indicator of their progress. Your continued prayers are appreciated.

Sermon for January 24, 2010: "Does God Change?"

Theme: God is passionate about fulfilling promises made out of love to the children of God. Our own anxiety about change does not alter (what Walter Brueggemann calls) God's "resolve" in fulfilling those promises.

I have been wrestling with the question, "does God change?" for years. I identified Bible passages connecting God and change that appear to fall into two types.

Text group #1 God DOESN'T change, because mere mortals change. And God is not like a mortal.

Numbers 23
1 Samuel 15: 24-31
Malachi 3

Text Group #2 God changes in order to address present realities.

Genesis 18: 16-33
Exodus 32: 9-14
Jeremiah 18
Jeremiah 26
Jonah 3

I don't know about your thoughts, but I have grown weary of party politics. One of my maddening experiences: Republicans, Democrats, and many political analysts like to call out a "flip-flopper" to be publicly ridiculed. A politician makes a statement at some point in their life or career about a particular subject or issue. Then, at a later date makes another statement or acts in a way that depicts a change in perspective or opinion. One might say that reveals a character flaw in that politician. One might also say that the leader who "flip-flopped" gained new information or perspective and is taking appropriate corresponding action. Why the negative connotation to changing perspective?

I think people like their leaders to be predictable. To be a "flip-flopper" tends to make people feel uncertain about their futures. Uncertainty often leads to peril in our society. Markets tend to go down in the midst of uncertainty. The stock market took quite a tumble as votes were counted in Florida for Al Gore and George W. Bush in 2000 as people waited months after election day to learn who won the election. People tend to hold on to what they have and seem less willing to let go of their time, resources, talents and energy if they're not feeling sure about the future. This kind of anxiety development has a way of snowballing and be a sort of self-fulfilling prophecy. Increasing anxiety increases the demand for certainty.

This relationship between anxiety and demand for certainty is not only related to politics and economics, but also relationships. It's easy for one person to cling to a relationship or group in the midst of uncertainty. A person who has taken a hit to their self-confidence because of a life change might over-cling to a friend or significant other as a means to gain some certainty about their value when the life-change might call into question one's personal value. There is nothing wrong with looking for assurance from our loved ones and friends--but if we stay in that place of clinging, it can damage the relationship and become unhealthy.

The human demand for certainty in the midst of anxiety has carried significant consequences in the life of the Church. Pat Keifert of Luther Seminary often speaks about how the history of Lutheranism in the United States comes from hearty groups of immigrants from Northern Europe who were often literally starving. Coming to the United States represented an opportunity for survival and even prosperity. These immigrants faced all kinds of challenges and changes in their new life. They persevered, learning a new language, customs and ways of life. The one place where life didn't change was in the life of the Church and locally, in the life of a congregation. Well over 100 years sometimes passed before the language of the mother country was put aside for worship in English--and many Lutheran congregations still live (and die) as ethnic enclaves that change little, if any since the charter was established for that congregation. The Church for many Lutheran immigrants became a refuge from all the change going on in daily life--and that refuge from change became ascribed to God--for good or for ill. The Lutheran Church all over the Western world became a Church that was often more interested in how God didn't change than how God was changing in order to reveal the resolve necessary to fulfill God's promises.

Looking at the theme from the group of Bible passages from group #1, these passages state that God doesn't change as a mere mortal changes. Humans change in a variety of ways, but we change in contrast to God by how we struggle to keep our promises and often break them. We also often change our allegiances. We're often worse "flip-floppers" than the politicians whom we criticize. These ways that humans change are ways that God does not change. God goes literally goes through hell and high water to keep a covenant with Israel, and also to extend love to those who draw near to God who may be outside the nation of Israel--which would include us. Jesus literally goes through hell so that we may know that nothing will separate us from the love of God. We do not like this expansive love of God, especially when it applies to others, because we cannot predict God's action or affirm our own prejudices by the way that God does change. Walter Brueggemann states that God changes (particularly in 1 Samuel 15) to address the demands and realities of history. This dislike for God changing for present realities is the story of Jonah. Jonah does not like that God has spared the hated Ninevites, and spends a the last portion of the story pouting over the fact that God had changed. God becomes but another example of a leader who doesn't give us certainty. I tend to want change associated with God on my own terms, as does Jonah.

It is possible and even understandable to be shaken by the idea that God in some ways does change. For some, any notion that change can be linked to God shakes the foundation of faith. Considering what First Lutheran Community Church faces today in it's discussions about how to address resource struggles and their consequences might lead one to demand certainty on many fronts. Many heated debates in the Church and society reflect a demand for certainty and a demand for a statement that God does not change. These stories of the Bible about the relationship between God and change tell of a God who shows great resolve in fulfilling the promises of God to reach the world with God's mercy and love. God's faithfulness to God's promises does not change. God's resolve to keep those promises do not change. We are part of that resolve, and we are part of that change--Jesus changed the history of the world, and continues to change it. We can waste our energy demanding certainty and that others fall in line with the certainty we demand, or we can be a part of the resolve to serve God and bring the mercy and love of God to the world.

Call for sermon preparation feedback "Does God Change?"

At First Lutheran Community Church we are in the middle of a sermon series addressing the topic of "change" in the Bible. Our texts and themes related to change thus far:

January 10 "What's The Status Quo?" Matthew 18: 2-5 How do we navigate our status-seeking culture? Jesus calls followers to change and become like children.
January 17 "Listen. Do You Want To Know A Secret?" Matthew 21: 23-32 Reflecting on the human need to be heard. Listening (especially to God) is a key human action in living faithfully in change.
January 24 "Does God Change?" Several readings to consider including:

Numbers 23
1 Samuel 15: 24-31
Malachi 3

Exodus 32: 9-14
Jeremiah 18
Jeremiah 26
Jonah 3

January 31 "What Is Universal Health Care?" The relationship between healing and change. Isaiah 54:14-15, 18-19; Revelation 7: 16-17; Mark 10: 41-52
February 7 "Following A Lord of Discipline?" The relationship between change and discipline.
February 14 Pastor Orv Jacobson preaches a sermon related to the series theme
February 21 Sunday Lenten Series begins: "Tough Texts of the Old Testament"

My question to you as I prepare for this Sunday's sermon: does God change? To what do you attribute your response? Why is this belief important to you? If you read the aforementioned texts associated with change and God from the Old Testament, how do these Bible texts affect your thinking and understanding of God? I look forward to your responses.

My relationship with paper and the printed word is slipping away

How is your relationship with paper these days?

Recently my aunt revealed a family artifact from the 1940's. It was a large volume of The Daily (newspaper) from the University of Washington. My Granddad in his college days worked for The Daily in various capacities. The paper itself was heavy, almost like parchment, and the ink had an emerging neon like-quality outlining the black of the nostalgic typeface. The ads depicted products and services likely departed from institutional memory.

"What do we do with it?" First things first, I had to put it down. It was heavy. I thought it might be able to be a coffee table book, assuming the table was the size of a standard door. I wondered if the U Dub would want this archival piece, but I'm sure they have their fair share of archives. "Let's keep it in the family." I appreciated the sentiment, because I will examine the volume one day. In some ways I wasn't sure it was wise to keep. This volume is big, bulky, and a lot of paper. I wondered about the value and usefulness of this paper.

Last night at a meeting, a member of the congregational Transition Team handed me a piece of paper with an article about our work together for the church newsletter. I didn't want the piece of paper. I'm less likely to read the piece if the writing is on paper. I asked her if she could email it to me. I was a little surprised by my request. I immediately started thinking about how I ended my newspaper subscription at the end of November. I like some of the tactile activity of reading the newspaper, but I don't miss it like I thought I would. My cycle of actions is beginning to disengage my life from the printed word. About the only reading I look forward to reading is a letter or card from a family member or friend, or a book I'm looking forward to reading, or for most of my Bible study. I imagine that will change soon, I can't quite get myself to direct 300 dollars toward a Kindle at this time. The iPhone I purchased in October has expedited the shift from paper to electronic communication and reading.

I know others have gone through this transition without much thought, pain or reflection. I can't say what I'm feeling with disengaging from paper is pain. I think that paper is a medium for relationships. My understanding of news and writing came through my relationship with my Granddad and paper. I still like writing and receiving cards from the people I love--especially handwritten cards. The Bible carries a bit more meaning when I turn pages and use my hands with the gentle motion of page turning and using my finger. This is my relationship with God we are talking about.

I can now imagine a day where I am not reading a printed word on paper for hours at a time. Last night I caught a glimpse of that life and the transition I am making. I'm not sure my life will be hurt by this change. That life is definitely different.

Sermon for January 17, 2010: "Listen. Do you want to know a secret?"

Matthew 21: 23-32

Brett Favre, starting quarterback of the Minnesota Vikings, may play in his last game for what seems to be the 50th time in his career today. He can't seem to retire in the literal sense of the word. Any news related to the National Football League over the past 3 years has expelled a significant portion of its wind to whether Brett Favre will retire. It is for moments such as these like today's game that a football player lives. On the biggest sporting stage that American sports can offer, Favre will have the attention of his coaches, his teammates, tens of thousands of screaming fans in the Metrodome in Minneapolis, numerous analysts sitting in multimillion dollar sets in television and radio studios hanging on his words and actions, and fans all over the world will be paying attention to what Brett Favre does on the field and what he says to accompany those actions. You don't even have to like Brett Favre--even the people who hate Favre and spit on his image will be listening and watching what Favre says and does. People may end up talking about Favre's words and actions for decades to come.

No wonder he doesn't want to retire. Being heard and watched to the degree Favre is examined would be challenging to relinquish. Many athletes struggle to retire for that reason. No one really listens anymore once the jersey is removed. I'm sure Favre will struggle with retirement once again after the end of his season.

I enjoy being heard. For all of the terror associated with weekly public speaking on the matters of life, death, grace, forgiveness, love, God and the cosmos, there is a feeling of exhilaration in preaching. People are actually listening. My thoughts, prayers and reflections actually matter to people, and then in some ways, I am better understood. I think preachers also struggle to retire. There is an allure to being heard--and losing that state of living, where one is heard on a weekly basis for so many years, becomes a threat to one's own existence. Though the desire for status is universal and a great roadblock to change in life--one thing I notice about social networking sites, blogs, public figures and in any social interaction is that though status-seeking drives the success of these sites or in simple human interaction, the underlying human need behind the social posturing is to be heard.

To be heard is a matter of survival. For some it is literal. A baby needs to be heard and people must respond for that child to live. People who survived the initial stages of the earthquake catastrophe in Haiti, but buried in rubble, their survival hinged upon being heard by a rescuer. It is hard to take human focus off of being heard, when so much is at stake. Being heard is part of our social well being as well as physical. People who are not heard can end up suffering isolation, depression and sometimes be driven to suicide, hoping that in their final act, they will be heard.

This essential part of our humanity--to be heard--and once we are heard--can be quite intoxicating. The problem ends up being that the ONLY goal in life is to be heard--and our society looks quite intoxicated right now. It appears that the only relevant state of being is to be heard. The problem with so many people working hard to be heard, one thinks that the only way to be heard in the crowd is to speak as often or as loudly as possible. Talk radio and talk TV lineups feature screamer after yeller after screamer after yeller. Preachers have followed the same logic over the years. In order to be heard--there has to be some yelling (so the logic goes). Parenting has become a similar enterprise with the quest to be heard. I recently read a New York Times article that faced with limited methods (at least related to old-fashioned parenting techniques), parents have turned to shouting as a leading method to be heard. One thing that I have learned is that the more I shout, the less my children eventually listen.

Jesus in his wisdom knew about the human desire to be heard. I think the desire to be heard is a cousin to a desire for status. The interesting thing about Jesus' critique of both leaders and followers in Matthew 21 is that he doesn't give people public speaking techniques. Jesus doesn't tell his followers to get louder. He doesn't teach them rhetoric. He doesn't teach them marketing or public relations. Jesus uses this story in Matthew 21 to let his followers know that what it means to live in connection with God requires listening. Listening to God means obedience. According to Jesus, listening to God means change, especially when people are generally focused more on being heard than listening.

Listening can change the world. While I have placed countless hours of energy trying to be heard, Jesus says that truly listening to God is linked to change. Listening to God models listening to others. This is a leap, because I catch myself being intoxicated by being heard on a macro level, but also on the micro level. I've caught myself worrying more about what I am going to say next than listening to the person with whom I am having a conversation. The intense desire to be heard juxtaposed with the dearth of listening can even be seen in public discourse related to relief efforts in Haiti. There's plenty of energy surrounding what is being said by President Obama, Pat Robertson and Rush Limbaugh, but I suppose it is a lot easier to concern myself with what is said by those folks and by me, rather than listening to those who are suffering.

In anxious times, what often comes to the forefront is not listening, but more people trying to be heard because they are anxious. The world can be changed by listening. God changed the world for Moses and his people by first hearing their suffering and letting Israel and Egypt know that God's people were heard.

On a practical level, as First Lutheran Community Church faces significant budget challenges and concerns over future pastoral leadership. It is certainly more alluring to offer theories as to why things are the way they are. The world we live in can be changed by listening. How do we listen to God? One of my favorite professors from Luther Seminary, Dr. Pat Keifert, says that we tend to think that prayer is the time that we get God to listen to us. Actually, prayer is the time God gets us to listen to God.

Bertel Thorvaldsen was a famous Danish sculptor known for his massive depiction of Jesus, the original appearing at Vor Frue's Kirke (Church of Our Lady) in Copenhagen, and with copies all over the world. The story attached to this sculpture notes the forward tilted head of Jesus, which was not the original intent of Thorvaldsen. Apparently, as the carving of the head took place, Thorvaldsen and his assistant miscalculated the carving and drying of the sculpture--a massive undertaking considering that sculpture was more than twice the size of an average human. The sculptors returned to their work the next morning to find that Jesus' head had tilted downward. The assistant thought this was a major failure of the piece and that months and months of work had been for naught. Thorvaldsen reassured his assistant that this was actually how Jesus should be depicted. The only way one could see the eyes of Jesus in this sculpture is to be on one's knees in prayer. It is true--the only way to get a clear glimpse of Jesus' face at Vor Frue's Kirke is to be kneeling at the altar rail.

For the world to change, the people of God need to be changed. The people of God cannot be changed as we make our way serving our God on this earth through placing all of our energy on what we say and attempt to be heard and asserting our own authority. If we seek for the situation in Haiti to change, we need to pray. If we seek the situation with the church's budget and congregational resources to change, we need to pray. It's not necessarily that we are taking to God our Christmas list and hoping to receive gifts, but that in listening, we are changed by the Jesus who changed our lives because he was obedient to the point of death on a cross. We are changed in our words, changed in our attitudes, and changed in our actions. In that change, we become the face of Jesus in a world where that face is needed among the suffering.

Learning mission outreach in South Kitsap: Celebrating Faces

I struggled to post this week for a good reason. I had a grant deadline hanging over my head--I developed pangs of guilt when I sat down with the intent to post. Every time I sat down, I knew I should be finishing a letter of intent for a grant. Grant writing and blogging are different creative processes, but this week I've had limited energy for writing.

The organic, Holy Spirit-filled nature of this project for which First Lutheran Community Church is seeking grant money has been thrilling at times, puzzling at other times. I was inspired by many people to offer my gifts to this project. Thanks to my wife, Melanie, for always being encouraging about outreach ideas and projects. Thanks to Mim Krabler for being positive about ideas and opportunities for outreach at FLCC. Thanks to Kris Corteau for listening to the idea and employing an army of thoughtful and encouraging volunteers to get this idea running in three months. Thanks to Pastor Sue Lang in Pennsylvania for the tweet that directed me toward this grant opportunity. Though I have worked many hours on this project so far, the passion and gifts of many others have given this opportunity wings.

You will find a draft below of the Letter Of Intent I am sending to the Deaconess Community of the ELCA/ELCIC about our outreach project. Please feel free to post your comments and questions.

January 15, 2010

Rev. Joseph BW Smith
Interim Senior Pastor, First Lutheran Community Church
2483 Mitchell Road SE
Port Orchard, WA 98366
360-876-3901

Mission Support Committee
Deaconess Community of the ELCA
8765 West Higgins Road, Suite 405
Chicago, IL 60631-4171

Dear Mission Support Committee:

Thanks be to God for an opportunity to share with you a dream of expanding mission outreach to the South Kitsap region of Washington. Our shared outreach is called “Celebrating Faces,” a vocation-based outreach--offering affirmation, encouragement, hospitality and connection to people serving in specific areas of vocation in the area. This dream has in part become a reality. FLCC will host its first “Celebrating Friends” worship service and meal January 31, 2010. We have some seed money to learn more about our neighbors and their work and invite them to worship and fellowship. We need more funds to be able to expand the scope of the outreach and get the word out through advertising and public relations.

Our purpose in this mission outreach:
+ Make public proclamation that God gives gifts for vocation to all people and that the application of these gifts are valued in the community.
+ Offer encouragement, grace, and thanks to specific vocational tracks through preaching, prayer, music, food and fellowship.
+ Offer opportunities to connect with people in their field of work.
+ Extend invitations to the unemployed and those discerning their next vocational season.

We plan to serve specific groups on the last Sunday of each month in 2010--
January 31, health care; February 28, education, March 28, law enforcement. As we learn more about our neighbors and the impact of this outreach, we will plan other target groups for the remainder of the year. Through the vocational nature of this project, we also seek to connect and serve the unemployed, those in vocational discernment, and the hearing impaired.

To fund this new project for two years, First Lutheran Community Church is requesting $20,000 over a two-year period. As we gauge the effectiveness of this ministry, we will seek partnerships related to our outreach targets for any given month. We currently have a small gift of seed money from Thrivent Financial for Lutherans for hospitality in the first months of outreach.

We at First Lutheran Community Church are open to ideas, support and prayer from the Deaconess Community. We have a gifted and committed group of volunteers excited to welcome and connect with our neighbors. We are thankful that for the support that you offer to many ministries in North America. God will continue to bless your work.

Sharing thanks and peace,

Pastor Joseph BW Smith

Dreams for a new ELCA congregation in Kingston, Washington

Dreaming has a way of pulling people out of dwelling on what appears to be the dead ends of their lives. Mission and vision plugs the people of God into what is possible with God. Dreaming and vision is a way of filling up our eyes with light (Matthew 5:22-23).

Today I met with some ELCA congregational leaders in Kitsap County to talk about the possibility of a new congregation in Kingston, Washington. We are putting together a "Dream Team" of ELCA Lutherans from around Kitsap County to pray, discern and put together a mission profile in preparation for a mission developer to serve with others to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ in Kingston. First Lutheran Community Church may not have financial resources to give at this time to a new congregation, but we have many leadership resources available. One of the things I have learned in my four months here is that FLCC has had some interest in offering its mission ideas and leadership resources to other congregations, but those resources have not been shared for one reason or another. Maybe the platform was not right. A new congregation is a great opportunity for the leadership and mission resources of FLCC to be shared in a meaningful and concrete way. The end result is a new congregation.

What does this new church opportunity mean for readers of this blog and First Lutheran Community Church? What can you do?

1. Pray. Pray for the people in Kitsap County and the Southwestern Washington Synod who are involved in discernment and planning for this project in Kingston.

2. Discern. Is there a way you can be an asset or resource for this project? If you are in Kitsap County, do you have:

+ Ideas
+ Abilties--do you have task-oriented gifts, or are you gifted for visionary thinking?
+ Access to a building or land
+ Knowledgeable about or connection with the Kingston community
+ Passion for evangelism

If you live outside of the area as a reader of this blog can you share experience regarding planting churches? Your prayers for a new congregation are also appreciated.

3. Pray more.

4. Volunteer. I am looking for 1-2 people to work with other church folks in Kitsap County to put together a "Dream Team" for prayer, discernment and planning for a new ELCA congregation in Kingston. Please let me know if you are interested (leave a comment on this blog or call the office at 360-876-3901. We are targeting a group to get together toward the middle/end of February, to meet 1-2 times per month, with the end result being calling a mission developer.

The ELCA no longer uses a strategy of parachuting in a church planter to a particular area. The ELCA now relies on the gifts and resources of the surrounding congregations to help build up a new community, while also empowering people in congregations to grow in evangelism. Financial support still comes from the ELCA, but new congregations represent a broader community effort.

I am thankful to offer my gifts and passions toward this project of starting a new Christian community. This is my second opportunity to support this kind of venture. It's an exciting blessing to see an empowered people of God. Thank you for your prayers.

Follow up on Klosterman's "Eating The Dinosaur"

A few days ago I reviewed Chuck Klosterman's new book, "Eating The Dinosaur." The quality of his writing from my perspective has increased over the years because his writing continues to make me think, and I've looked for ways to continue reflection on the book's theme of reality construction.

I've been curious about his media presence. I don't think Klosterman keeps a Facebook page, and he doesn't use Twitter or blog. Some have criticized him for not being public enough with his thoughts and work. However, Klosterman does do speaking engagements and appears regularly enough on ESPN's Bill Simmons' podcast "The B.S. Report (see December 21)" for me to say that he's not a recluse, but choosy or even strategic about how he presents himself to the public. I think it would be impossible for Klosterman to be a recluse, considering his analysis of public interaction and reality construction. He is choosing to construct reality in a different way. I'm reading Douglas Coupland's new book (to be reviewed soon) "Generation A" and I have pondered why Coupland uses Twitter, but not Facebook. I think for us introverts, we are a little more thoughtful about how we construct reality, as opposed to those who prefer extroversion who get out there and make the contact, using whatever means possible. I don't want to diagnose Klosterman or Coupland, but when I think about social media and communication, I find it interesting the combination of communication employed.

I lift up the aforementioned podcast to further affirm Klosterman's implicit theological and philosophical thinking. He briefly discusses nihilism and more deeply the idiom of rock and roll. I think nihilism is an important topic for Christians to consider as we engage in conversations with agnostics and atheists in our world. My favorite contemporary nihilist is Dr. Gregory House on Fox Monday night television lineup. I still think he needs a better theological challenge from a storyline or character in the show, but I find House's atheism far more interesting than what is offered by the neo-atheist authors of the day like Harris or Hitchens. Klosterman briefly touches on the idea of a public perception of nihilism. He didn't expand upon the thought with depth, but the offering was sufficiently provocative.

The other interesting topic on the podcast interview is the discussion of what Klosterman calls "The Rock and Roll idiom." I think this is an important argument between Klosterman and Simmons with an application toward the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (RRHF), because Simmons argues for much more distinct genres of music, whereas Klosterman is much more comfortable with "the Rock and Roll idiom" reflected in the RRHF. I think this kind of discussion is pertinent to worship and music, especially in my experience with Mainline Protestant congregations--because we continue to have an oversimplified public discourse depicting a false dichotomy of "traditional" and "contemporary" music. If there is more creative discussion about worship and music somewhere, I would enjoy reading your comments, input, suggestions and leads.

If you don't have the time to read Klosterman and want an introduction to his thought processes, take a listen to the podcast and see if reading his book will be worth an investment in your time.

The liturgical season changes and lives as a trusted friend

Happy 12th day of Christmas (or blessed Epiphany, depending on when you read this).

I am not a card-carrying member of the liturgical police. I once took heed to some wisdom from one of my professors, Pat Keifert, that tradition is more of a trusted friend than a lord. I tend to look at the liturgical calendar that way. That cuts me off from some discussion in some of the circles in which I travel, but I'm not going to lose much sleep over it.

However, I do keep Christmas until the 12th day in one form or another, whether it be in my prayers or reflections, in music, in family traditions, or through a little gift that I share with Melanie. I cherish the lights a little bit more, savor a song about the Incarnation. The end of the 12th day is a bit melancholy for me--because winter seems a little less bright when the celebration is gone. I still love the cold darkness of the season, because the lights in the sky appear that much brighter. My oldest daughter and I used to say goodbye to Christmas time as we took the tree to a recycling point. We would say goodbye to Christmas, thank Jesus for being in our lives, and say we will celebrate again Jesus' birthday next year. That is okay with us, but we were still a little bit sad.

Epiphany for me is a time to encourage my fellow Christians to live out and be a piece of the Incarnation and be the light of Christ in the world when it is tempting to forget about serving the neighbor in January and February, when public discourse has gorged itself on end of the year giving and other generosity projects. Noble gifts, but they easily lose steam. We cannot lose heart. So the evening of the 12th day of Christmas is a little sad, but also a time to remember to not lose heart, the joy of living the Incarnation has only begun.

Book #1 for 2010: Eating The Dinosaur by Chuck Klosterman

I have very high expectations for Chuck Klosterman. I read Sex, Drugs and Cocoa Puffs a few years ago after reading his thought provoking pieces in ESPN The Magazine. What I appreciated was how he intelligently analyzed popular culture without making it sound like he was above it. Maybe I'm not well-read enough to know other authors who pull this off. Klosterman offers rare cultural critique. Often I have no idea what he's talking about, however, his writing still affirms my own intellectual abilities, all the while taking me to subjects I want to explore in depth. In the meantime, I laugh a lot when I read Klosterman.

Though I'm not quite sure about this yet, I think Klosterman's methodology for cultural critique is part of who I want to be as a preacher--a balance of challenge and affirmation. In the midst of my imagination and the imaginations of people in the congregation--all that we see and all that we experience during the week--God is speaking. If you're not a Klosterman reader, very rarely does he address explicitly theological themes, but I love how his mind works, and even more so, how he writes.

With that in mind, I want to tell you about his Fall 2009 release: Eating The Dinosaur. I was initially disappointed with this book, and limped through the first 50 pages wondering when I was going to enjoy his analysis again. Granted, my expectations may be too high, because Klosterman usually hits the ground running. Not so with "Eating The Dinosaur." He's setting the stage in almost a Pauline fashion, digging himself a hole that might have stopped me from reading the book if it was my first Klosterman read. While in the short term he may be lumbering in obscurity, he is setting the stage for something powerful.

Klosterman also adeptly traverses between "high" and "low" cultures without missing a beat. His chapter on ABBA was a breakthrough in the book for me because it addresses what lacks in any discussion about worship and music in most ELCA congregations I have served. What is the place of music in how we look at the world? What makes music endure and transcend? The amusing yet painful distinction about worship and music discussions in the ELCA over the years is the stance of superiority from most people who choose to make arguments. Klosterman moves beyond these type of arguments in his cultural critique and finds different angles to observe culture. Out of nowhere in the chapter comes a statement about Vladimir Putin and his relationship with the ABBA tribute band, Bjorn Again (I admit, this statement piqued my interest because my wife and I bought tickets for my parents for a double date to see Bjorn Again). In the end, Klosterman makes intriguing moves to point to a general thesis about the paths humanity takes to construct reality. I think reality construction is important to consider for the Church, especially considering what different people consider to be important tenets of theology. Christians of different stripes construct realities based on the theological idea that we are all part of a fallen, sinful humanity, or the idea that the Bible is "inerrant." In Klosterman, everyone can participate in the philosophical discussion, whether you enjoy reading Martin Heidegger or Eric Alterman, or listening to Nirvana, ABBA, AC/DC, or any combination thereof.  Even viewers of the most popular sport in the United States, football, can participate in philosophical work.

Sometimes Klosterman maneuvers through various topics at dizzying speed. Have no fear--Klosterman's non-fiction titles contain indexes. If you don't remember where you read about Martin Heidegger, you can find him on page 215. If you don't remember where you read about Uncle Tom's Cabin, it can be found on page 202. Gene Simmons, page 109; FDR, page 35; barefoot punting, page 143.