When I work with leadership groups in congregations, I am often in awe of their individual stories. I learn about all kinds of vocation. Mothers with an artistic flair, health care workers who help cure disease and play saxophone, soldiers who give their passion and leadership in between deployments, dead-eye shot farmers, trucker theologians, ice-water veined CEOs, insightful entrepreneurs. God gives them the gifts to do these amazing things. They love God. They love their church. They do whatever they can to help the church to do good ministry.
At least 90% of them cannot state why they are serving in their particular position in church.
It's hard for me to imagine how such talented people with such a strong sense of purpose in other areas of their lives settle for such meandering when it comes to the direction of the church.
Maybe it's because making a decision cuts off other possibilities, possibilities that may hurt another human being, and that's not Christian. Maybe.
Congregations often can't decide what their board should be--a representative group or a leadership group. For the life of me, I can't figure out a good reason why a church board needs more people present (this doesn't mean I am against public meetings, only meetings where so many are required to attend). As if more people in the bureaucracy means more frequent and faithful ministry. I believe a church board is best served with five people (seven at the most), with energy directed toward being transparent about ideas and decisions, rather than creating more structure. Yet, time after time, I find boards with 13, 15, 17, 20+ people on them (probably related to a representation understanding). The meetings are frequent, long and arduous. People serve them out of a sense of duty (which is not a bad thing), but it is misplaced energy. People are busy. Regular, frequent meetings might have been a way to bring people together in the past, but that train already departed. If the goal is fellowship and contact, don't facilitate the gathering under the guise of a business meeting, go for fellowship.
I remember in my early years of ministry, there was a movement to make church boards into small spiritual communities. In some ways, that trend was like putting pearls on a pig. The idea did not address the underlying problem. The structure of the church was not serving joyful ministry. The members ended up serving the structure of the church. Joy departed. Fatigue and discouragement spread. I remember an alert about the pitfalls of building up church boards as opposed to congregational ministry and discipleship, which began my search to convert the countless hours I spent attending time wasting meetings and missing opportunities to spend evening time with my family.
Jesus once said that Sabbath was made for humankind, not the other way around (Mark 2: 23-28). Congregations place too much energy in serving their structures. Serving structures makes the congregation more susceptible to power plays. Congregations may find more joy if they find their joy in ministry as opposed to bureaucratic wrangling. Once congregations can claim where they find joy in ministry, then they can determine what kind of structure their congregation needs.
I find new light when I find a congregation with the courage to find their joy in serving God and release themselves from serving a structure. Jesus did not say that Sabbath was bad, and that is was good when it served abundant life, rather than as a weapon for the powerful. Structure for a church is not bad, but it easily become an idol, and a despised one at that.
What do you see in your congregational boards?
Showing posts with label Sabbath. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sabbath. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Friday, February 4, 2011
Unplanned sabbaticals
In interim ministry, I often look at the calendar in anticipation of the next pastor's arrival. I usually exhale, much like the congregation. Sometimes my exhale lasts a few months after I say my thank yous and good byes to my partners in ministry. This will be my last unplanned sabbatical.
I always have a few projects and goals. Envelop myself as a house husband for a few months. Clip more coupons, find where I can buy the cheapest fresh spinach, work toward a deeper sense of household feng shui. Write more. Exercise more. Read more Bible. Facilitate more peace for wife and daughters through order, sleep better, and purge the stuff that creeps into the house, multiplying like termites. Too much plastic, too much paper, too many unused tools. They all sounded good at first glance, but they all clog my life as my pores clogged as a teenager. Sabbatical is more than rest. Sabbatical works like astringent.
I have a project that continues to provoke my soul, and it feels like make or break time. I don't need money. I only need time. I haven't given up on the dream of another degree. The formal path does not work for my family and me. If I am truly passionate about religion in the Salish Sea region, the research and information gathering beckons. It matters not whether others find it interesting, because it is the story of my life to be learned and told. My sabbatical is one month away. Intentional rest, intentional work. Outside of visiting my brother in Edmonton, I will avoid driving, for that has been my part-time job during my current interim ministry. Commuting alone (or with my daughters) by car kills me.
During my longer tenure as a house husband, I embodied a few lessons taught to me by monks in the District of Columbia and my spiritual director in Sioux Falls.
1. Raising young children is similar to a monastic life.
2. Manual labor is a form of prayer.
Though networking will be on my sabbatical agenda (the next ministry awaits on the other side). I hope the wisdom of God and my prayers and the prayers of those who love me will shape my next season of life and ministry. God saw that the creation was good in sabbatical, and I am visualizing the most fulfilling unplanned sabbatical yet. I know it won't completely go in the rudimentary plans I formulate today, but I know the Holy Spirit will move in those days.
I always have a few projects and goals. Envelop myself as a house husband for a few months. Clip more coupons, find where I can buy the cheapest fresh spinach, work toward a deeper sense of household feng shui. Write more. Exercise more. Read more Bible. Facilitate more peace for wife and daughters through order, sleep better, and purge the stuff that creeps into the house, multiplying like termites. Too much plastic, too much paper, too many unused tools. They all sounded good at first glance, but they all clog my life as my pores clogged as a teenager. Sabbatical is more than rest. Sabbatical works like astringent.
I have a project that continues to provoke my soul, and it feels like make or break time. I don't need money. I only need time. I haven't given up on the dream of another degree. The formal path does not work for my family and me. If I am truly passionate about religion in the Salish Sea region, the research and information gathering beckons. It matters not whether others find it interesting, because it is the story of my life to be learned and told. My sabbatical is one month away. Intentional rest, intentional work. Outside of visiting my brother in Edmonton, I will avoid driving, for that has been my part-time job during my current interim ministry. Commuting alone (or with my daughters) by car kills me.
During my longer tenure as a house husband, I embodied a few lessons taught to me by monks in the District of Columbia and my spiritual director in Sioux Falls.
1. Raising young children is similar to a monastic life.
2. Manual labor is a form of prayer.
Though networking will be on my sabbatical agenda (the next ministry awaits on the other side). I hope the wisdom of God and my prayers and the prayers of those who love me will shape my next season of life and ministry. God saw that the creation was good in sabbatical, and I am visualizing the most fulfilling unplanned sabbatical yet. I know it won't completely go in the rudimentary plans I formulate today, but I know the Holy Spirit will move in those days.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Book Review: "Tribal Church: Minstering to the Missing Generation" by Carol Howard Merritt
I know I am late to the party reviewing this book (I have an excuse); Carol Howard Merritt (a Presbyterian Church-USA pastor) is about to publish another book--soon. Maybe people who are checking out her new book will want to know more about the older book.
Many reviewers of Tribal Church stated there are good ideas in Carol's book for inter generational ministry, but I'm not so sure this is an idea book as a conversation for leaders (and anyone else interested) about their congregational culture. If you're looking for specific ideas to replicate, you might find something, but you might look to another resource. Tribal Church likely fits better for small to mid-sized (up to 250 in worship) "Mainline [or what I call 20th Century-Brand] Protestants." Carol happens to name the plight of missing Gen Xers and Millennials and what it means for the life of the Church, but Carol's content and style inspires any congregation to better use the assets it already has to reach people in the margins of the community. I believe this is the book's greatest gift. The book's final chapter magnificently states in affirmation "The mainline denominational church has everything it needs to minister to younger generations." This is a powerful statement, I find that most of the congregations I serve in one capacity or another focus on what they do not have, rather than what they have.
When reviewing a ministry book, I answer the question, "how would I use this book in my congregation?" I have served in interim ministry for 9 years, covering 9 congregations. I believe the congregational transition between pastors is a great time to use this book. Here is why I would have used it in most (but not all) of my interim congregations:
1. Most small to mid-sized congregations, for a variety of reasons, will be calling a younger clergy person in their future. Carol names and broadly discusses the numerous challenging variables for young clergy (it should be noted that most variables could apply to early career clergy, but particularly young clergy). Some congregations may not be aware of the challenges and the lack of awareness could be the source of previous pastor-congregation discord. Awareness and action to address certain issues named in the book could produce a healthier relationship with the next pastor.
2. Pastoral transitions provide a great opportunity to evaluate congregational ministries. Howard Merritt astutely raises points around many contentious situations in the target congregational group:
I have a hard time not liking this book. Having recently exited the sub-group of "young clergy," I share a great deal of solidarity with Carol Howard Merritt and the advocacy she offers for Gen X and Millennial generations, as well as the small to mid-sized mainline Protestant congregations. I've served a majority of my ordination working with congregations in that classification, and shared in her advocacy work. The book could easily be shared in a coffee house or a church basement over a series covered dish/potluck/hotdish supper (depending on your area of the country), or in a church board room. You don't have to agree with every issue Carol Howard Merritt raises, but she will introduce you to an important evaluation of your congregational culture and practices worthy of a personal and graceful discussion, especially if you notice that Gen X and Millennial generations are missing from your congregational life.
Many reviewers of Tribal Church stated there are good ideas in Carol's book for inter generational ministry, but I'm not so sure this is an idea book as a conversation for leaders (and anyone else interested) about their congregational culture. If you're looking for specific ideas to replicate, you might find something, but you might look to another resource. Tribal Church likely fits better for small to mid-sized (up to 250 in worship) "Mainline [or what I call 20th Century-Brand] Protestants." Carol happens to name the plight of missing Gen Xers and Millennials and what it means for the life of the Church, but Carol's content and style inspires any congregation to better use the assets it already has to reach people in the margins of the community. I believe this is the book's greatest gift. The book's final chapter magnificently states in affirmation "The mainline denominational church has everything it needs to minister to younger generations." This is a powerful statement, I find that most of the congregations I serve in one capacity or another focus on what they do not have, rather than what they have.
When reviewing a ministry book, I answer the question, "how would I use this book in my congregation?" I have served in interim ministry for 9 years, covering 9 congregations. I believe the congregational transition between pastors is a great time to use this book. Here is why I would have used it in most (but not all) of my interim congregations:
1. Most small to mid-sized congregations, for a variety of reasons, will be calling a younger clergy person in their future. Carol names and broadly discusses the numerous challenging variables for young clergy (it should be noted that most variables could apply to early career clergy, but particularly young clergy). Some congregations may not be aware of the challenges and the lack of awareness could be the source of previous pastor-congregation discord. Awareness and action to address certain issues named in the book could produce a healthier relationship with the next pastor.
2. Pastoral transitions provide a great opportunity to evaluate congregational ministries. Howard Merritt astutely raises points around many contentious situations in the target congregational group:
- "The _____________ (fund-raiser, cultural event) supper [for Scandinavian Lutherans, insert lutefisk]."
- Committee service
- Leadership development
- Declining participation in a small group that appealed to people decades ago
- Demographic and sociological realities
- Generational divides
- Clergy critique
I have a hard time not liking this book. Having recently exited the sub-group of "young clergy," I share a great deal of solidarity with Carol Howard Merritt and the advocacy she offers for Gen X and Millennial generations, as well as the small to mid-sized mainline Protestant congregations. I've served a majority of my ordination working with congregations in that classification, and shared in her advocacy work. The book could easily be shared in a coffee house or a church basement over a series covered dish/potluck/hotdish supper (depending on your area of the country), or in a church board room. You don't have to agree with every issue Carol Howard Merritt raises, but she will introduce you to an important evaluation of your congregational culture and practices worthy of a personal and graceful discussion, especially if you notice that Gen X and Millennial generations are missing from your congregational life.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Ten Commandments Mnemonic Used During Kid Sermon
Last Sunday, I had the highest adult participation during a kid sermon in my experience. People commenting to me wished they had a good memory device for the Ten Commandments back in Confirmation--and I gave them such a device. Their enthusiasm simultaneously reflected jubilation, relief and angst.
I can't take credit for the creation of the study help, only the delivery. I received the device in 1999 from my colleague in South Dakota, Nate Hanson, who served (still serving?) Moe Parish near Hudson, SD. I've used the device ever since. Maybe its origins are deeper, but I have no knowledge of its use outside of South Dakota. Since sharing the memory device, I've received several requests for a typed copy. A You Tube video seems most appropriate, but until I put that together, a blog post will have to suffice.
A Ten Commandments Mnemonic:
1. Hold up one finger. Point to your eye. "First Commandment: I am the Lord your God. You shall have no other gods."
2. Hold up two fingers. Reach the two fingers to touch the VEINS on your wrist. "Second Commandment: you shall not take the Lord's name in vain."
3. Hold up three fingers. Emphasize the HOLE made when holding up three fingers. Look through the hole. "Third Commandment: remember the Sabbath day. Keep it Hole-y."
4. Hold up four fingers. Hold the four fingers in preparation to salute. "Fourth Commandment: honor your father and mother." Salute.
5. Hold up five fingers. Point the thumb downward as to indicate a medieval death sentence. "You shall not kill."
6. Hold up six fingers (five fingers on one hand and the thumb on the other). Take the single thumb and stab yourself in the heart to depict the pain of adultery. "Sixth Commandment: you shall not commit adultery."
7. Hold up seven fingers (five fingers on one hand and the thumb and index finger on the other, as if pointing a gun and committing a robbery). "Seventh Commandment: you shall not steal."
8. Hold up eight fingers (four fingers on each hand, thumbs folded in). Make a downward scratching motion in the air in front of you. "Eighth Commandment: you shall not BEAR false witness against your neighbor."
9. Hold up nine fingers. Then hold out the nine fingers in front of you, palms up. Show the ring finger, a remembrance of marriage. "Ninth Commandment: you shall not covet your neighbor's wife."
10. Hold up ten fingers. Next, put the tips of fingers up to form a triangle above your head--to look like you are putting a roof over your head. "Tenth Commandment: you shall not cover your neighbor's HOUSE." Lay out one hand to one side and say, "man servant." Lay the other hand out to the other side and say, "maid servant." Take your two index fingers and put them on the side of your head to look like horns and say, "cattle." Lay both palms out and say, "or ANYTHING else that is your neighbor's."
With this mnemonic device, you have Ten Commandments spelled out. Obviously the commandments are not explained, but the device can be used as a base for teaching. In my experience, the commandment itself is memorized after only a few times through--and subsequent quick reviews help. The device works at Confirmation retreats or lessons, serves a quick review for adults, youth group, and keeps kids moving and thinking during a kid sermon or preschool chapel time. If you try it, let me know how it works for you. I can also take questions and would love to help any way I can.
I can't take credit for the creation of the study help, only the delivery. I received the device in 1999 from my colleague in South Dakota, Nate Hanson, who served (still serving?) Moe Parish near Hudson, SD. I've used the device ever since. Maybe its origins are deeper, but I have no knowledge of its use outside of South Dakota. Since sharing the memory device, I've received several requests for a typed copy. A You Tube video seems most appropriate, but until I put that together, a blog post will have to suffice.
A Ten Commandments Mnemonic:
1. Hold up one finger. Point to your eye. "First Commandment: I am the Lord your God. You shall have no other gods."
2. Hold up two fingers. Reach the two fingers to touch the VEINS on your wrist. "Second Commandment: you shall not take the Lord's name in vain."
3. Hold up three fingers. Emphasize the HOLE made when holding up three fingers. Look through the hole. "Third Commandment: remember the Sabbath day. Keep it Hole-y."
4. Hold up four fingers. Hold the four fingers in preparation to salute. "Fourth Commandment: honor your father and mother." Salute.
5. Hold up five fingers. Point the thumb downward as to indicate a medieval death sentence. "You shall not kill."
6. Hold up six fingers (five fingers on one hand and the thumb on the other). Take the single thumb and stab yourself in the heart to depict the pain of adultery. "Sixth Commandment: you shall not commit adultery."
7. Hold up seven fingers (five fingers on one hand and the thumb and index finger on the other, as if pointing a gun and committing a robbery). "Seventh Commandment: you shall not steal."
8. Hold up eight fingers (four fingers on each hand, thumbs folded in). Make a downward scratching motion in the air in front of you. "Eighth Commandment: you shall not BEAR false witness against your neighbor."
9. Hold up nine fingers. Then hold out the nine fingers in front of you, palms up. Show the ring finger, a remembrance of marriage. "Ninth Commandment: you shall not covet your neighbor's wife."
10. Hold up ten fingers. Next, put the tips of fingers up to form a triangle above your head--to look like you are putting a roof over your head. "Tenth Commandment: you shall not cover your neighbor's HOUSE." Lay out one hand to one side and say, "man servant." Lay the other hand out to the other side and say, "maid servant." Take your two index fingers and put them on the side of your head to look like horns and say, "cattle." Lay both palms out and say, "or ANYTHING else that is your neighbor's."
With this mnemonic device, you have Ten Commandments spelled out. Obviously the commandments are not explained, but the device can be used as a base for teaching. In my experience, the commandment itself is memorized after only a few times through--and subsequent quick reviews help. The device works at Confirmation retreats or lessons, serves a quick review for adults, youth group, and keeps kids moving and thinking during a kid sermon or preschool chapel time. If you try it, let me know how it works for you. I can also take questions and would love to help any way I can.
Friday, February 26, 2010
40 day journey with Martin Luther: Day 8 What is Sabbath?
"We are to fear and love God, so that we do not despise preaching or God's Word, but instead keep that Word holy and gladly hear and learn it." --Martin Luther
It was hard to reconcile Luther's words on the Third Commandment with what I had learned. I must admit that I have spent much more of my theology study time with Walter Brueggemann than with Luther. Brueggemann says that church people expel too much energy about what Sabbath means for the life of the Church and what the church is doing. That is not what Sabbath is about at all. Sabbath is means simply this, "stop working."
Luther is not afraid to interpret, so I don't fault him for making a statement about preaching and listening/reading God's Word (on the Sabbath or other times). However, I'm not persuaded by Luther's statement connecting Sabbath and God's Word. I think he writes out of a Christendom perspective and raises Christendom to the level of a commandment. I would think that Luther's interpretation of the Third Commandment might go better with the First Commandment. I'm not sure.
"Stop working" is actually one of the harder commandments to follow for me, because I believe my work is so important to the family, the congregation, and the world, that the world might fall apart if I stop working. I think God's Word works in tandem with stop working, because if I actually stop working, then the Word of God bubbles up in my consciousness.
I'm sticking with Brueggemann that Sabbath is not about church, but work stoppage. But I do think that God's Word can work in tandem with Sabbath, though not its intent. How's that for sitting on the fence? I think Brueggemann would go so far as to say Luther is wrong. Egad, a Lutheran even entertaining that idea on the Commandments??? Call me a false teacher...
Journal Reflection:
Reflect on the Sundays of your childhood.
Once my family actually started going to church when I was 9, it was definitely a discipline. I couldn't really get out of church. We attended, we sat in the front. We went to Sunday School or Confirmation. We stopped by the grocery store afterward, bought milk and a newspaper. Sometimes we would go to my Gram's house for dinner, and occasionally hop on a ferry to visit my Grandma on Whidbey Island. It was a day to visit with family. There were days I had soccer games or baseball games on Sundays, and I wore my uniform to church, but I was not going to miss a worship service. My parents were strict about that.
It was hard to reconcile Luther's words on the Third Commandment with what I had learned. I must admit that I have spent much more of my theology study time with Walter Brueggemann than with Luther. Brueggemann says that church people expel too much energy about what Sabbath means for the life of the Church and what the church is doing. That is not what Sabbath is about at all. Sabbath is means simply this, "stop working."
Luther is not afraid to interpret, so I don't fault him for making a statement about preaching and listening/reading God's Word (on the Sabbath or other times). However, I'm not persuaded by Luther's statement connecting Sabbath and God's Word. I think he writes out of a Christendom perspective and raises Christendom to the level of a commandment. I would think that Luther's interpretation of the Third Commandment might go better with the First Commandment. I'm not sure.
"Stop working" is actually one of the harder commandments to follow for me, because I believe my work is so important to the family, the congregation, and the world, that the world might fall apart if I stop working. I think God's Word works in tandem with stop working, because if I actually stop working, then the Word of God bubbles up in my consciousness.
I'm sticking with Brueggemann that Sabbath is not about church, but work stoppage. But I do think that God's Word can work in tandem with Sabbath, though not its intent. How's that for sitting on the fence? I think Brueggemann would go so far as to say Luther is wrong. Egad, a Lutheran even entertaining that idea on the Commandments??? Call me a false teacher...
Journal Reflection:
Reflect on the Sundays of your childhood.
Once my family actually started going to church when I was 9, it was definitely a discipline. I couldn't really get out of church. We attended, we sat in the front. We went to Sunday School or Confirmation. We stopped by the grocery store afterward, bought milk and a newspaper. Sometimes we would go to my Gram's house for dinner, and occasionally hop on a ferry to visit my Grandma on Whidbey Island. It was a day to visit with family. There were days I had soccer games or baseball games on Sundays, and I wore my uniform to church, but I was not going to miss a worship service. My parents were strict about that.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Living Sabbath is miserably failing
For most of the 11 years of ordained ministry, taking a day off was an easy thing to do. The day apart was carved into the week and a good habit. These days, Sabbath is consumed, not so much by working too much, but commuting--I've been doing 3-4 hours in the car per day. I'm not sure how to address this new issue. I'm spending a lot of time traversing the Puget Sound, not completing all the tasks I wish to complete. Maybe I'm imagining a lack of productivity. When I spend all that time in the car, the work still has to get done, and some of that work ends up falling on a Friday. My designated Sabbath is a failure at this point.
Even though I loathe the inefficient committee structure, these regular meetings were dependable in that I was reliably present to groups of people in the congregation. I still don't want to go back to that life of committees, but making the best out of my time is a new dynamic. I've always worked toward being a good time steward--I just need to find new ways to do it. For First Lutheran Community Church, the sermon and music matter greatly. The sermon remains a high-investment activity, and the Transition Team will take a significant effort.
I appreciate all of the feedback about the tweets and blogposts--many folks come through the worship and gathering space and thank me for the writing. This writing-feedback cycle is a new paradigm for me in congregational communication--I'm still getting used to it.
Friday is devoted to getting my home in order while intermittently preparing for the Council/Staff Retreat in Silverdale on Saturday. I'll let you know how that goes, because I'm considering widening the circle for what I teach Saturday to the congregation, possibly in a Wednesday evening class.
Even though I loathe the inefficient committee structure, these regular meetings were dependable in that I was reliably present to groups of people in the congregation. I still don't want to go back to that life of committees, but making the best out of my time is a new dynamic. I've always worked toward being a good time steward--I just need to find new ways to do it. For First Lutheran Community Church, the sermon and music matter greatly. The sermon remains a high-investment activity, and the Transition Team will take a significant effort.
I appreciate all of the feedback about the tweets and blogposts--many folks come through the worship and gathering space and thank me for the writing. This writing-feedback cycle is a new paradigm for me in congregational communication--I'm still getting used to it.
Friday is devoted to getting my home in order while intermittently preparing for the Council/Staff Retreat in Silverdale on Saturday. I'll let you know how that goes, because I'm considering widening the circle for what I teach Saturday to the congregation, possibly in a Wednesday evening class.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Networking hiatus (aka "vacation") and Sabbath
I can't say that I've earned a vacation after only six weeks of work, but the event for which I am traveling is several years in the making. My dear wife, Melanie and I will be traveling with our brood (geriatric doggy included) to Melanie's 15th college class reunion at Augustana College in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. One of the best ways I can support Melanie is help provide space and honor to her cherished friendships and vocational development history at her alma mater. It doesn't hurt that I enjoy long road trips with the bonus fall colors on the horizon. So off we go.
Some have given me puzzled looks about driving 1500 miles each way with two children--it's really six of one and half-dozen of the other in terms of transport. Will it be the intense and immediate pain of flying or the drawn out water torture of driving? Driving seems to work better at this point in our lives--we can control more of the variables, which is a key point in any adventure with children. We won't have to worry about car rentals or flying or security--too many uncontrolled variables with flying.
Some days it feels like we just left Sioux Falls. Some days it feels like we've been in Washington for years. I suppose I have the benefit of familiarity. It's all pretty new for Melanie, and she's still adjusting to the sudden detachment from day-to-day congregational life now that she serves in the SW Washington Synod office. But the drive will offer that blessed time of extended reflection that flying can almost never deliver (at least in my experience).
A big question for me is whether I continue to tweet or post on this blog. I now have a phone with connectivity capabilities that would allow me uninterrupted connection (though I'm not really sure about the passage through Montana). I'm leaning toward no posting--so if you see this post as the only post for a week, the decision was made to take a networking hiatus. I have always struggled maintaining a consistent flow of writing, so I have a fear of stopping and not being able to start again. I have been blogging consistently for almost a year--and I don't want to lose that momentum. The bigger specter of my writing life is that I become shrouded in self-importance that the world can't go on without my perspective (Twitter and Blogger are thus sinfully alluring at times). The deception of self-importance (not to be confused with destructive self-flagellation) can be healed through Sabbath--a time away--a time not to (mistakenly seen) as a time to go to church, but a time that my favorite OT scholar Walter Brueggemann says is intended (commanded!) to "STOP WORKING."
So, I shall stop working, enjoy may family and friends, reflect, and come back ready for a vacation after my vacation...
Tweets will continue through today. I will be glad to write again, and will return either Tuesday the 20th or Wednesday the 21st.
May the good Sabbath be yours as well, whenever that may be.
Some have given me puzzled looks about driving 1500 miles each way with two children--it's really six of one and half-dozen of the other in terms of transport. Will it be the intense and immediate pain of flying or the drawn out water torture of driving? Driving seems to work better at this point in our lives--we can control more of the variables, which is a key point in any adventure with children. We won't have to worry about car rentals or flying or security--too many uncontrolled variables with flying.
Some days it feels like we just left Sioux Falls. Some days it feels like we've been in Washington for years. I suppose I have the benefit of familiarity. It's all pretty new for Melanie, and she's still adjusting to the sudden detachment from day-to-day congregational life now that she serves in the SW Washington Synod office. But the drive will offer that blessed time of extended reflection that flying can almost never deliver (at least in my experience).
A big question for me is whether I continue to tweet or post on this blog. I now have a phone with connectivity capabilities that would allow me uninterrupted connection (though I'm not really sure about the passage through Montana). I'm leaning toward no posting--so if you see this post as the only post for a week, the decision was made to take a networking hiatus. I have always struggled maintaining a consistent flow of writing, so I have a fear of stopping and not being able to start again. I have been blogging consistently for almost a year--and I don't want to lose that momentum. The bigger specter of my writing life is that I become shrouded in self-importance that the world can't go on without my perspective (Twitter and Blogger are thus sinfully alluring at times). The deception of self-importance (not to be confused with destructive self-flagellation) can be healed through Sabbath--a time away--a time not to (mistakenly seen) as a time to go to church, but a time that my favorite OT scholar Walter Brueggemann says is intended (commanded!) to "STOP WORKING."
So, I shall stop working, enjoy may family and friends, reflect, and come back ready for a vacation after my vacation...
Tweets will continue through today. I will be glad to write again, and will return either Tuesday the 20th or Wednesday the 21st.
May the good Sabbath be yours as well, whenever that may be.
Saturday, September 26, 2009
A Ministry Saturday
My Sabbath configuration last week afforded me the opportunity to attend both the Seattle Mariners' Friday night thriller and the Washington Huskies' upset for the ages. I was blessed to have that opportunity for some fun and connection with family and friends--it was also about one of the best sports weekends in my life.
This weekend offers a different kind of connection--one that involves more work, yet still blessed. To offer encouragement to a new ministry at FLCC is part of why I serve. People at FLCC have tapped into their interests and passions and used their gifts to reach others in the Animal Fair and Blessing this morning at FLCC (930 am-1230pm). I appreciate that the ministry of this congregation still moves forward without a long standing senior pastor. FLCC will be a congregation looking for a partner in ministry, not merely a starter of ministry.
This weekend offers a different kind of connection--one that involves more work, yet still blessed. To offer encouragement to a new ministry at FLCC is part of why I serve. People at FLCC have tapped into their interests and passions and used their gifts to reach others in the Animal Fair and Blessing this morning at FLCC (930 am-1230pm). I appreciate that the ministry of this congregation still moves forward without a long standing senior pastor. FLCC will be a congregation looking for a partner in ministry, not merely a starter of ministry.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Figuring out Mondays
The offices of FLCC are closed on Mondays, but Mondays are a work day for me. Anecdotally, I have observed that about 2/3 of pastors take Mondays off because they like that day for recovery after the intensity of Sunday. I always find myself too tired on a Monday to enjoy a day off from work, so I slog through Mondays and in the past have devoted most Mondays to activities that require a little less brain power, such as filling out forms, organizing my office, organizing committee work, etc. I love taking Friday off because if I don't have to work on a Saturday, I feel like I have a real weekend once in awhile.
Because FLCC is a different kind of congregation and the staff is essentially not around on Monday, I've pondered a few ideas.
1. Hang out at a local coffee house with some reading and writing and have conversations with locals.
2. Focus on reading for about half the day and basic administrative work the rest of the day.
3. Begin work on future sermon series while getting a running start on Sunday's sermon.
4. Find local high school activities to attend in the afternoon.
I arrived at thinking about what tasks I should address and the big picture of my actions from a recent post from Seth Godin's blog. Godin believe that lists are a good thing for real productivity--and I would tend to agree with him, but David Allen has a smarter methodology for lists in his book Getting Things Done. I'm not a huge disciple of Allen, but I've stuck with some basic Allen principles for over 4 years--the in and out boxes, and asking the question "What's the next action?" This kind of processing and thinking helped me survive my first multi-staff senior pastor position and allowed me to take purging unneeded stuff and activities out of my life.
I'm also open to suggestions about where I should park myself on a Monday. I will take most ideas into consideration.
Because FLCC is a different kind of congregation and the staff is essentially not around on Monday, I've pondered a few ideas.
1. Hang out at a local coffee house with some reading and writing and have conversations with locals.
2. Focus on reading for about half the day and basic administrative work the rest of the day.
3. Begin work on future sermon series while getting a running start on Sunday's sermon.
4. Find local high school activities to attend in the afternoon.
I arrived at thinking about what tasks I should address and the big picture of my actions from a recent post from Seth Godin's blog. Godin believe that lists are a good thing for real productivity--and I would tend to agree with him, but David Allen has a smarter methodology for lists in his book Getting Things Done. I'm not a huge disciple of Allen, but I've stuck with some basic Allen principles for over 4 years--the in and out boxes, and asking the question "What's the next action?" This kind of processing and thinking helped me survive my first multi-staff senior pastor position and allowed me to take purging unneeded stuff and activities out of my life.
I'm also open to suggestions about where I should park myself on a Monday. I will take most ideas into consideration.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Fridays off
One challenging point for any person who works inside or outside the home is finding time apart for rest and recreation. Sabbath is a dying practice where the people of God stop working in remembrance of God taking a day off after 6 days of creation. Sabbath does not mean going to church, sabbath means ceasing work for approximately 24 hours. Friday is my day of Sabbath, as I happen to work most Sundays.
Sabbath is an important practice for Israel, though in an age of 24-hour news cycles and hyperactive commerce, rest is lost and thought of as weak. For all of the public and Church discourse about what the Bible says, Sabbath is an antique--quaint and not actually practiced. But with the frequency it is mentioned in both Old and New Testaments, I think Christians have some misplaced priorities.
I have to admit, it's fun for me to write, especially on a blog, but I will do my best to keep my Fridays Your Average Pastor (YAP) blog free.
Enjoy your Friday, and thanks for reading.
Sabbath is an important practice for Israel, though in an age of 24-hour news cycles and hyperactive commerce, rest is lost and thought of as weak. For all of the public and Church discourse about what the Bible says, Sabbath is an antique--quaint and not actually practiced. But with the frequency it is mentioned in both Old and New Testaments, I think Christians have some misplaced priorities.
I have to admit, it's fun for me to write, especially on a blog, but I will do my best to keep my Fridays Your Average Pastor (YAP) blog free.
Enjoy your Friday, and thanks for reading.
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