Author, Photographer, Storyteller
The Website of James Hazelwood author of Everyday Spirituality. Lutheran minister and Spiritual Director
Today, I was able to join the campers and staff of the RCDC. Resurrection Connection Day Camp. This is part of Camp Calumet's summer ministry of Urban Day Camps. Today the camp was at the beach, which is where I found some wonderful ministry - and a chance to cool off from this heat wave. Thank you Camp Calumet for helping making these urban day camps possible.
I continually find Richard Rohr to be so helpful. Here he describes a new/old way of understanding prayer.
What do you miss about congregational life, now that you are a bishop?
I have been asked this question only two or three times over the past year, but each time, it has stumped me. I haven't known how to answer the question - and yet, it has gnawed at my soul over time. Today, in the midst of this sweltering heat, on the way back from Immanuel Lutheran Church, in Meriden, CT, I had time to think through this question. So, what do I miss about being a parish pastor?
# 1 - Baptisms - I realized how much I enjoy conducting a baptism. Today, Pr. Chris McKinstry and his wife, invited me to baptize their son Liam. Chris wanted to be Dad for the baptism, as opposed to trying to merge pastor role and parent role. First, hats off to Chris for seeing through the clarity of role definition in his family. That's a sign of maturity, I admire. Second, thank you, thank you, thank you. What a joy to baptize your son! It brought me back into congregational life, and the ritual of being with people and communities of faith as they celebrate together. I have missed this aspect of my work now, and I thank you again for rekindling that joy in me.
# 2 - The Rhythm - There is a rhythm to the life of a parish pastor. It's more than the annual cycle of the church year, it's more than the week to week routine - in other words, I'm not referring to the tasks of ministry. No, I think what I miss is that sense that you are walking on a road of God's Grace, and that above all your calling is to be the wholly person in the community. Yes, I intentionally spelled it wholly, not holy. In the Anglican tradition, the priest was called the Parson. Somewhere in the origins of that word is a root that is related to being the Person. I've thought of this as the Parson is called to be a whole Person in the community.
Walking, driving, living, eating, playing in a community as the person charged to be the one who is called to be whole, to be the one whose job it is to be working on Self. Yes, I'm thinking both psychologically and spiritually here. I do not mean spending time naval gazing. Rather, I’m referring to the hard word of being a mature, whole, responsible child of God. I’m thinking of the calling to be faithful, trusting and hope filled, even while you are in the midst of the junk of life. Living a wholly calling while in the midst of complicated family dynamics, challenging demands of ministry, not to mention the unavoidable sin-disease that afflicts us all. I miss being that person/parson, both the burden and the opportunity for growth, as I walked in and out of people's lives.
While I'm continuing this work now as a bishop, it's different.
# 3 - The music at St. Andrew - I wasn't going to include this in my list, for fear it would be taken wrong. But, I promised myself when I started this blog that I’d be honest in my writings. I am not saying that there isn’t fine music in other congregations. What I am saying is that I miss what happens musically in my former parish during worship, coffee house concerts and youth and children events. For nearly twenty years, we invested in music more than any other single aspect of the congregations’ ministry. Over those years, the music had various expressions, ranging from praise music to gospel to Americana to blues to just plain rock and roll. (Remember, I grew up on Led Zeppelin, Neil Young, The Clash & Bruce Springsteen) Although I am not a musician, I’ve learned that music feeds my soul.
# 4 – The chance to connect with people who have not been a part of the faith, and walk with them as they discover what God means for them. I cannot tell you the joy it has given me to be with guys from AA, who are discovering that Jesus can be a part of their recovery. I also think of the unchurched families with young children who are struggling to figure out a way forward in a complex world. As they discover that being a part of a faith community can actually be a helpful resource- that makes my heart sing. Whether it was in congregations I served in Brooklyn, NY or in Charlestown, RI, connecting with people, call them ‘nones’ or ‘outsiders’ or ‘seekers’, was one of the most satisfying experiences of being a parish pastor.
Carey Nieuwhof has a fine blog post called 9 signs your church is ready to welcome. Good stuff, check it out. Click the link or the photo on the left to read the article.
Clarification: I am thoroughly enjoying my new calling as Bishop of the New England Synod. Please don't read into this any regrets. This article is simply some honest reflections on what I miss. Hey, can't you miss something, but still like where you are? Do you miss your kids when they move out, but still like your home.
My friend, Bishop Jeff Barrow of the Milwaukee Synod, recently said, “If you don’t miss parish ministry as a bishop, then you’ve got no business being a bishop.” I think he’s right. The ultimate, the highest calling is to be a parish pastor. The rest of us should be your servants, and your cheerleaders – that’s my new role. I admire what the pastor of the local church does, and a part of me is a little jealous of what you get to do each week.
Sarah Huber, Associate in Ministry at Sanctuary in Marshfield, MA, and Hannah got together and wrote a song for their summer VBS under the theme "A Faith that Grows" Watch out, it's a catchy tune, and you might have a hard time getting it out of your head.
What Lutherans have to offer - A Space of Grace
“Human beings are meaning seeking creatures.” Karen Armstrong opens her 2007, biography of the Bible with this sentence. Can I get an Amen?
I’ve spent the better part of my adult life as one of those meaning seeking creatures. I suppose, I also spent time as a child engaged in the same activity, but that search seems so distant now. The pilgrimage has yielded a few answers, and a whole lot of questions. In fact, the older I get, it seems the clearer my questions, and the fuzzier my answers. It seems I am destined to a life of wonder, and now consider my life task to be the one who wonders out loud – in print, from the pulpit, online or around the dinner table.
I have often said that my two favorite stories from scripture are Jacob wrestling with an Angel (Genesis), and the gospel narrative of Doubting Thomas (John). These narratives have aided my exploration, largely because they are ancient reminders that the quest is as old as humanity. Plus, hey, they are stories, and frankly, I am a sucker for a good story. The story can be found in scripture, in the cinema or listening to a neighbor describe his week at work. But I love Thomas and Jacob most, because they are both wrestling with questions that involve faith and doubt, and if you read Luther’s commentaries, wrestling with Christ himself. Wow!
For me, faith and doubt are two sides of the same coin. One needs both, in my view, to have the whole picture. Try putting a sliced quarter into the parking meter in Newport, Rhode Island next time you want a Venti Half-Caf Skim Latte at the local Starbucks. See how that works for ya. How can one coin be two things? It’s a paradox, and I love paradox, perhaps that is ultimately what attracted me to Lutheran theology. For it is in the Lutheran expression of the faith of Jesus that we find less either/or thinking, and more both/and concepts. We are simultaneously saint and sinner, the Eucharist is both earthly elements and heavenly promise, Jesus is both human and divine – and all of it at the same time. We are not asked to choose one or the other. Rather, we are invited to live in the tension.
In our time, there is a deep desire for surety and definition. “Why don’t you stand for something?” comes the shout from the gallery. A conviction of faith seems to credential one as a real Christian. I am sympathetic to that desire. We live in chaotic times, and clear answers, or repetitive ‘ways we’ve always done this before’ provide a sense of stability. And yet, there is another hunger. It is a desire to enter into the questions of life, faith and meaning. Entering into these questions is rooted in our Lutheran heritage. I believe our greatest gift in these turbulent times is to offer a space of grace. By offering a space for people to explore what they question, wonder and doubt – we allow for, even encourage, a precious and grace-filled discovery to occur. For I believe that is where Christ can meet people, and walk with them, just as he did with Thomas. In a culture that is hungry for meaning, for community, for peace – that’s a true gift. This is our uniquely Lutheran gift to the people in this region of New England, and indeed around the world.
Here is part two of our conversation with six people who have not religious affiliation, or almost don't. It runs about 30 minutes.
I'm currently at Camp Calumet, our Lutheran Camp and Conference center in New Hampshire, for their staff training week. In addition to preaching this sunday and leading the installation worship for the staff, Jim Doyle asked me to lead the staff in a discussion of faith and doubt. I leaped at the opportunity.
As the Christian narrative moves into it's 3rd millenium, I confess to being one of those advocates of exploring how our faith is being reshaped. That sentence alone will flood my email inbox. I believe it was Phylis Tickle who most recently articulated a need for Christianity to become more Jewish. What she means, and I agree with, is the need for a more conversational approach to our tradition. This is a hard move, especially for protestants, because we have been so propositional in our approach, i.e. we like to preach, and tell others the answer. What we need is dialgoue with people to explore the faith. That's a fundamentally radical new approach that impacts everything from worship and preaching to education and evangelism. (More on that another day)
Having spent more and more time with people outside of the church, I'm convinced that conversation or dialogue is the direction for us. The younger generations are also seeking a conversation. This has been evident during my time here at Calumet. I seemed to have opened the flood gates with a simple statement. "Our topic tonight is Faith and Doubt, and the most important word is the one in the middle." My intent was to affirm the value and importance of questions, of wonder, of curiosity. What happened next was not entirely unexpected, but still quite stunning. As over a hundred 17 to 23 year olds broke into small groups, and made lists of their questions and/or doubts, I realized there was a hunger in the room for honest conversation.
The lists they generated covered a range of topics from the humorous "What about the Lake Ossippee Sea Monster" to serious questions about "Is it true that people who commit suicide go to hell?" (No, I answered and described some history & psychology behind the origins of that idea)
A significant percentage of the questions resulted from a mispercetion of the Bible. Many people, not just these camp counselors, have a literalist view of the scripture. In other words, they read the Bible as if it was a newspaper report of events or a constitutional legal document.
The doubts or "I wonder about.." lists that were generated included questions about the 7 days of creation, Jonah in the belly of the whale, Noah's Ark, some of the miracles in the Bible. These young adults were questioning the literal historicity of these events, and by implication they were doubting or wondering about the rest of the Christian narrative.
I spent Saturday morning describing the Bible not as a single book, but as a library that contained different kinds of literature - biography, novel, instruction manual, maps, advice column, song lyrics, poetry,children's book (Jonah falls in that category for me, and like the best of this kind of literature it contains profound truth). My attempt was to help broaden their view of scripture as a collection of books. Therefore, we read poetry in the bible as poetry. The mistake we often make is reading a book like Revelation as history or newspaper account, when infact that book is more like The Lord of the RIngs - a fantastic epic that's suggesting deeper meaning.
The challenge here is simultaneosuly asking the questions, and yet still maintaining or honoring our understanding of scripture as the inspired word of God. But, that's a good challenge and a contemporary challenge. If we in the Christian faith are to recover our Jewish roots, we will recover conversation and dialogue about scripture as something to be embraced not feared. The rabbis called this work the Midrash, which was the attempt to engage the stories of the hebrew Bible with not just legal or moral commentary, but narrative engagement. In other words, they told more stories about the stories.
In an odd sort of way, I was attempting to start a Lutheran Midrash at Camp Calumet. I was using the topic of Faith and Doubt to open up scripture to conversation and dialogue. As is true with all first attempts, there were mistakes and a haziness to the process. It will be better next time, but it won't be perfect then either. It's a process, that, maybe the next generation will get right. But, I'm convinced this is where we need to go.
People want to talk about Faith and Doubt, because it leads us to understanding and engagement with sacred stories, whether those stories are in the Bible or the stories of our lives.
If this topic interests you, I have found the John Ortberg book titled "Know Doubt" (originally titled Faith and Doubt) to be tremendously helpful. It is a fairly accessible read for most people. I used this book years ago as the basis for a sermon series called "Faith and Doubt: Two Sides of the Same Coin."
I’m working with our communications director, Andy Merritt, on a project that involves our panel discussion with 6 religiously unaffiliated people at the New England Synod Assembly. “Nones” as they are sometimes called, because they check the box ‘none’ when asked in surveys: What religion are you? The project is to create a two session curriculum piece for congregations. Each session features a 30 minute video of the synod assembly conversation. Then we have some discussion questions, with suggested action items. Hey, look at that I've planned two weeks of your sunday adult coffee and conversation for the fall. And who says, the synod never does anything for us. We plan to have that ready to distribute later this summer to congregations of the synod, for the cost of postage and handling. More information to come.
Here is part one, it runs about 30 minutes in length. We're working on part two.
In the meantime, I wanted to follow-up on something that Professor John Hoffmeyer wrote in his response. (See below)
He notes that what he did not hear our panelists articulate was any hint of failure or disconnect that may drive them to faith. His words: . In short, none of them articulated for their own lives the problems to which Lutherans have traditionally addressed the promise of the gospel. In the language of the beginnings of Lutheranism in the 16th century, none of them talked about having a “terrified conscience.” In more contemporary terms, none of them expressed a sense of needing to be delivered or healed from the things that Lutherans have traditionally highlighted as the problems for which the gospel offers deliverance and healing.
This statement has peaked my interest significantly. I’m now wondering if we are offering an answer to a question that is no longer being asked. Is that possible? Let me be clear, I am not questioning our theological structure, nor am I doubting our core understanding of Justification by Grace through Faith. Rather, I’m raising the possibility, that in the 16th century people did experience, feel, think about and have a “terrified conscience”, and therefore Luther’s re-forming of the faith resonated culturally as well as theologically. Our panelists may suggest that in the 21st century people are not experiencing, thinking or feeling a strong sense of having a “terrified conscience.” If this is the case, we may be providing answers to a question few are asking.
If this is true, what are the questions people are asking? As I watch these videos, I’m hearing a desire for:
1) Safe, non-judgemental places for people to explore the deeper questions of life, faith, God.
2) The great suspicion of rules, yet the hunger for relationships raises the possibility that people are seeking an authentic community.
3) I also sense a desire for people to clarify their purpose in life. What gives life meaning? How is God connected to that question?
These are all questions and ponderings that have theological implications that need some serious work in my opinion. Brian McLaren has attempted to get at some of these theological questions in his book “A New Kind of Christianity” and Phylis Tickle has posed her own belief that an emerging Christianity must become more conversational and interactive as opposed to propositional. She has also hinted that Christianity has to reclaim its 1st century Jewish connections, as well as some of the theologies lost in the Great Schism of 1054. This means our pastors should think about reading Greek Orthodox theology as well as rabbinical texts.
I’m not sure where it’s all going, but it’s moving. We’re on a wave, and I’d advise learning how to surf, cause standing in front of a wave doesn’t yield positive results.
You know how sometimes, events cluster together. This has happened to me recently with Dietrich Bonhoeffer. First, I read the relatively new biography by Eric Metaxas. Here's the two minute promo video.
Then I met a young man several weeks ago while worshipping at Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Kennebunk, Maine. He has been attending the congregation for less than a year, and initially started coming after he heard an interview with Metaxas on television. The young man and his wife were so taken with Bonhoeffer's story and writings that they sought out a Lutheran Church. Hmmm, Bonhoeffer as evangelist.
Then I picked up Cost of Discipleship and started reading it yesterday. It's been 30 years. Ask my wife Lisa and she'll say this was the most important book she read in college.
Now today, I get this wonderful follow up to our synod assembly panel of non-affiliated guests from Professor John Hoffmeyer from our Lutheran Seminary in Philadelphia. I had asked him to write a response to the evening discussion. Why ask John? Cause I think John is one of those hidden secrets we have in the Lutheran community. His response is below, and includes this discussion of Bonhoeffer.
Hmmmm, I'm thinkin' someone might be steering me toward more Bonhoeffer. If you are not familiar with Dietrich Bonhoeffer, I suggest starting with his biography or the movie, Agent of Change. That should prepare you for his writings.
Here is Professor Hoffmeyer's letter: In a few days, I'll post my thoughts on his letter, particularly his insights into what was not said by our panelists (see below paragraph two). I think this may suggest a significant opportunity for us in the christian community, and I'll explain what I mean.
Dear Bishop Hazelwood,
You asked me for reflections on the stimulating conversation with the group of invited guests on Friday evening of the recent Synod Assembly. Two things struck me most. One is the extent to which the guests saw the church as being in the rules business. In their experience, the church told them what to believe, how to act, and how to think. They objected to this.
The fact that our guests had experienced the church as being about rules made me sad. The Christmas angel who appeared to the shepherds outside Bethlehem to announce Jesus’ birth did not say, “I bring you a set of rules that will tell you the right way to think and the right way to act.” The angel said, “Do not be afraid, because I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people.” How sad it is that we in the church have acted in such a way that people associate the church with rules more than with joy and freedom from fear. How sad it is that our guests perceived the church in this way, but it did not surprise me.
The other thing that struck me was not what our guests said, but what they did not say. None of them, as far as I can remember, said anything about a sense of failure, a sense of tensions and contradictions in life that undermined their own efforts to live a good life and make the world a better place. None of them said anything about a sense of guilt, a sense of being complicit, even against their own desire, in structures and practices that hurt other people or damage the non-human world. In short, none of them articulated for their own lives the problems to which Lutherans have traditionally addressed the promise of the gospel. In the language of the beginnings of Lutheranism in the 16th century, none of them talked about having a “terrified conscience.” In more contemporary terms, none of them expressed a sense of needing to be delivered or healed from the things that Lutherans have traditionally highlighted as the problems for which the gospel offers deliverance and healing.
I think that it is important to listen and not to rush to “fix” things, but I do have one suggestion for something that might help us in thinking about “so what does this mean for the church?” We could read (or re-read) Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s exploration of a “religionless Christianity” or a “non-religious interpretation of biblical concepts” in his letters from a Nazi prison cell beginning in April 1944. Bonhoeffer came to mind for two reasons. First, he was thinking precisely about what the gospel is for people who do not feel a need for God or religion to fill in something missing in their lives. Second, he was very clear that the gospel and religion are two quite different things. That is an insight that we should explore and expand in a time and place where so many persons identify as “spiritual, but not religious.”
Thank you for asking for my thoughts.
Peace,
John
As many of you may already know, the Boston Globe wrote a fine piece on my visit to Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Laconia, NH. The visit coincided with "Bike Week" and Rev. Laura Everett tipped off the Globe's religion beat reporter. You can read that article here. The article picks up on the language of outsiders to the faith, which is another way of describing those who are not connected with a community of faith. This follows nicely on our Synod Assembly conversation with six "nones." Below is a short teaser video of what we are working on to present in video format for more to view and learn.
I believe in leadership.
I believe that every single human being is a leader. If you are a parent, a school teacher, a baby sitter, a CEO, a pastor, a grand parent, a musician, a student.... You are leading someone, and if no one else, you are leading yourself.
We understand that God is the ultimate leader, but how we turn that around and exercise responsible leadership in our congregations, and our communities is critical.
Lisa and I have attended the leadership summit every year in recent years. Because they offer sites throughout the country, even when we have been on vacation, we have found a site to attend. Every year we get practical ideas plus frameworks in growing our leadership skills.
This year I want to invite you to join us in attending the Leadership Summit. There are several locations throughout New England, but if you want to take advantage of a significant discount in the pricing, I'll invite you to join me at the Rehoboth, MA site. When you register, use the discount code 13DAS. You can register by clicking here.
There are other locations that may be closer to you, but I'm not sure if the discount code works on those locations. Check out this video for some more information.
Now some of you might wonder, 'is this a Lutheran event?' The answer is no it is not. It is produced by the Willow Creek Association, which is the church resourcing ministry of an independent christian congregation in suburban Chicago. We are not going to this event to learn theology, we are going to learn about leadership.
As I said in a blog post last summer, I've learned from many different traditions over the course of my life, I've been able to filter through the lens of my context and culture and tribe. So why wouldn't I want to learn from people who offer this rich resource.
This is not a pastor only event, this is for anyone, and I encourage you to consider bringing a team of people from your congregation. Let me know if you plan on attending, as some of us are discussing having a BBQ on Thursday night at the home of one of our church members.
Hope to see you at the summit.
Why double the work, when someone else has done it for you?
Laura Everitt, my chief competitor in the "How many miles can you put on your car" arena, has beat me to the punch composing a serious blog post about last friday evening's panel of nones.
"What are you talking about?" you ask.
Last friday evening, I invited seven people who have no religious affiliation, to be my guests on stage at our New England Synod Assembly. Six of the seven made it through pouring rain and traffic back-ups on the Mass Turnpike. The only one who did not make it had the joy of being with his wife, as she gave birth to their first child. I've been mulling over the almost two hour conversation that we had last friday, and trying to come up with a nice summary. But, Rev. Laura Everett, Exec Dir of the Mass Council of Churches beat me to the punch. Read her reflections, on her blog.
Below is a short TV news story that appeared Saturday night, while we were in Springfield for our Assembly.
Click the small triangle in the lowerleft corner to play.
It’s Monday, and I’m lying on the couch with a bottle of Nyquil. I’m in recovery mode from a ponding head cold that decided to invade my body on the first morning of our Synod Assembly last Friday. I’m bouncing back from an exhausting and exhilarating assembly. I had wanted to write a blog post as a follow up, but a head cold limits one’s brain power. So, I’m editing an article I found online that relates to our Friday conversation at the assembly with six people who are not affiliated with any church. The conversation was incredibly fruitful, and I've been contemplating thoughts on how we as Lutheran christians could respond. In the meantime, I offer these thoughts from Carey Nieuwhof - whoa, try pronouncing that one early in the morning. The original of this article can be found here. I think there is some real wisdom here, that challenge is how to get there from where most of our congregations currently sit. But, that saves me time to think of a response, and something to write about after the sinuses clear.
Carey Nieuwhof writes:
Almost every leader I talk to acknowledges that our culture is shifting.
To reach a changing culture, the church needs to change. Rapidly.
Don’t get me wrong, we don’t need to change the message. Just the method. One is sacred. The other is not.
What isn’t as clear is what the future church will look like, and what kind of characteristics will mark those churches.
However, I think a few trends are becoming clear. Not all of these might be correct, but I think the following traits describe the kind of churches that will have a significant impact a decade from now.
The wise leader is taking steps today to position their church to respond to these things.
Here’s what I see as hallmarks of the churches that will make an impact in the next decade:
1. The ability to say no. One of the reasons churches don’t change is because leaders are unwilling to say no to current members who prefer things the way they were. When you learn to say no to the preferences of some current members, you learn to say yes to a community that is ready to be reached.
2. Outsider focus. Churches that become passionate about people outside their walls will be far more effective than churches that are passionate about keeping the few people they have inside their walls. Better still, you will have a healthier church. We call individuals who are fixated on their wants and needs selfish and immature. Selfless and mature churches will have an impact because of their passion for people God cares about.
3. Quick decision making. Can your church or organizations make quick decisions? If not, amend your constitution so you can. If the congregation needs to vote on everything, just realize this is going to be your achilles heel when it comes to making the changes you need to make.
4. Flexibility. You don’t need to change your mission (for the most part), but you do need to change your methods. Flexible and adaptable churches that can innovate around strategy and different initiatives will have the freedom to make the changes they need to make an impact moving forward.
5. A willingness to embrace smaller to become bigger. Mega-churches will continue to grow, but most of us won’t lead mega-churches. When small churches stop trying to be mega-churches, good things can happen. In fact, more and more larger churches will start embracing smaller venues, locations and partnerships to keep growing. A greater number of smaller venues might be a hallmark of future churches making an impact.
6. A quicker, lighter footprint. Churches need a quicker, lighter footprint to grow. If you’re waiting for millions to build your building, you might wait forever. Get innovative and start looking at portable and non-traditional ways of growing your ministry. Quicker, lighter footprints will be necessary (see this Leadership Network article for more on innovate, inexpensive building alternatives).
7. Valuing online relationships as real relationships. Churches that aren’t online beyond a website are going to miss the boat. Real interaction with real people online is…well…real. Sure, face to face is deeper, but people will tell you things online they can’t muster the courage to tell you face to face. Whether you get them to a ‘real’ church is increasingly debatable. I would love that. But we’ll have to see. As much as you might hate it, virtual relationships are becoming real relationships.
8. An openness to questions. Most unchurched people today come in with questions that seem weird to those of us who spent a life time in church. Don’t try to answer them right away. Churches that understand that embracing questions is as important as providing immediate answers will make an impact in the future. We’re discovering that if you embrace questions, the answers eventually find their way into people’s lives. The Holy Spirit actually does move in people’s lives.
9. A high value on experimentation. The more traditional you are, the less you will value experimentation. The more successful you are, the less you will value experimentation. If you start to raise the value of experimentation, you will accelerate change and flexibility. The churches that connect with their community will be the churches willing enough to try a variety of things, and who also have the courage to kill them as soon as they stop producing results.
10. Prioritizing a for you not from you culture. Andy Stanley often talks about what he wants for people, not just what he wants from them. Churches in decline often think in terms of what they can get from people – money, time, growth etc. Churches that will make an impact on the future will be passionate about what they want for people – financial balance, generosity, the joy of serving, better families, and of course, Christ at the center of everyone’s life.
11. A tailored experience, not a tailored message. You don’t have to tailor the message to unchurched people but churches that have an impact will tailor the experience. Churches that decide they will hold the message sacred but tailor the experience to an ever shifting culture will be more effective.
Right now, this is about how I'm feeling.
Yes, indeed, a slight panic has begun to set in, largely around some of the tools that are not in my wheelhouse. Robert's Rules of Order, yikes! I am in final exam panic mode. Fortunately, Pr. Tim Oslovich sat down with me today, and walked through the basics. OK, slight relief, but I feel the need to channel former Senator Robert Byrd, master of the US Senate.
The good news, is I held a preview session with our "nones"
We launched into a great discussion on the prevalent question of "I'm spiritual but not religious." If the conversation goes as well this friday, as it did last week, we'll be in good shape.
I'm told the workshops are all lined up and most people are excited to be attending.
Saturday evening's entertainment should be wonderful, but I'm a little biased. Looking forward to our special guest singer:
See ya'll there.
I just completed an online video-conference call with our panel of "Nones." (Those 75% of New Englanders who claim no religious affiliation) The purpose of the conversation was to prep for our Synod Assembly Keynote event on Friday night. I am very up on this event. If the conversation on Firday goes anything like the one we just had online, I will be thrilled.
I've gathered 7 people ranging in age from 20 to 60. What they all have in common is, they are not going to church. They are a part of the 75%. They are also smart, sincere and friendly people. They are eager to talk about their views, and not in a hostile manner. Engaging the nones is probably the most important ministry of our faith in this day and age.
Guess what? You can do this too, in your community. Friday night, I'll show you how.
Last Sunday, I had the joy of celebrating the commissioning of Sarah Huber as an Associate in Ministry. Together with the people of Sanctuary in Marshfield, MA, along with members of Harborside United Methodist Church, and a number of clergy and supporters from around the New England Synod, we prayed, sang and communed our way into another chapter for this new mission start.
The worship was an example of how a four fold approach to the liturgy can manifest itself in a new way. Gathering music, Proclaimed Word, Sacramental Meal and musical Sending formed the framework of the worship. But creative use of new songs and rearranged hymns lead by a full band gave this casual yet sacred worship a unique character.
Pastor Mark Huber (below) explains the time of confession and forgiveness, where participants are invited to come forward and pick up a stone leaving it at the altar, as a sign of confession, and light a small votive candle, as a rememberance of Christ's forgiveness.
Pastor Rachel Tune of Wittenberg University presides at Holy Communion
I preached and presided at the laying on of hands for the commissioning
Sarah receives a symbol of her unique gifts of music ministry.
Sanctuary is an example of a new congregation, and a glimpse of the NeXt Church 2.0. We can see here some of the new ways God is shaping ministry for a new generation. Music, yes, but more than that, the space and the design is simple, flexible and creative. (see a few photos below) But, even more than that, it is being built on a highly relational framework. This is not church as organized non-profit with committees and heavy structure. THis is church as network, partnership and relationship building. Here is the key thing: It's not rocket science. Contact Mark and Sarah, and ask them what they are doing. THe answer will not be some fancy schmancy new program, my guess is that it will be an answer that involves connecting with people, understanding the unique culture in their neighborhood and building a relational web of pilgrimage exploration on the modern road to Emmaus.
An old piano that died, is resurrected with keys and other parts for a creative design.
Old discarded silverware helps with signage around the building.
Cranes decorate a wall space.
The inside mosaic wall decorated for the Easter and Pentecost season (above)
(below) The building from the outside, a 1960's protestant style church building, once the home of a United Methodist congregation, now the home of Sanctuary and Pudding Hill Preschool. Evidence that you can do amazing things in an old space on a limited budget.
"The problems of the world, are the problems of the human spirit, and that is where songs come from" 47:45
Just a few pics for ya. As well as the Map of the whole tour, 1101 miles of it. All nine congregations of the conference, a stop at our mission project on immigration in northern Vermont plus an overnight at Camp Calumet at the beginning for our Dean's retreat.
The Vermont dairy industry is increasingly dependent on immigration, particularly from mexico.
Pastor Kim Erno works with farmers, migrant workers, area churches and other organizations in this new ministry that is a cooperative between the ELCA, Episcopal and Methodist churches. He will have a workshop at synod assembly exploring more on this subject.
Beautiful scenary in the Adirondack Mountains near Saranac lake following my visit to Redeemer in Plattsburgh, NY.
