What I've learned after 144

No, this is not my age.

As I prepare to hop on a plane to Pittsburgh for the ELCA Churchwide Assembly, followed by two weeks of vacation on Marthas Vineyard with the President, I thought I'd stop in with a brief report of my time as nearly a year as Bishop of the New England Synod.  144 is the number of congregations I was able to visit in my first full year. There are 184 congregations of the New England Synod, and it is my intent to get to the rest of those congregations in the coming year.

These visits have allowed me to connect with the vast majority of our churches and people, as well as clergy along with rostered leaders. I tell people that it is the best part of my work in this first year.  And that is true, therefore, it is my intent to continue visiting, preaching and being a mobile bishop.

In addition, my staff of Associates all live throughout the New England region, and they will also be on the road making connections in the regions they serve.

What have I learned in these 144 visits to congregations, plus Camp Calumet, Hospitals, University campuses, etc?

I could make a list, and come up with a David Letterman top 10, but today, I'm less interested in a series of bullet points.  No, I'm looking for a common thread.  The one overarching Hegelian theme that ties it all together. I thought I had it, but then a series of conversations last week, made me realize, nope that's not it either.  Then last night, a Baptist preacher brought it all home to me.  My translation of his delving into greek origins of words, history of Tyndale's english translation, and Biblical epic narrative of first century christianity:  

People don't want church anymore, they want authentic community.

Church is a bad word for most people, but authentic community represents our deepest human desire.  

While a few of you may be disturbed by that statement, most of you who read this blog know what I'm talking about.  Many of us are tired of what the word 'church' represents - crumbling buildings, people arguing about finance and membership, food fights about non-essentials, idolatry, performance anxiety (as in putting on the happy face, clothes, etc in order to measure up).  

Yet, in the words of Brene Brown, "everywhere I go in my consulting with churches people talk about how all these people are leaving the church, but everywhere I go in my research work all I meet are people who all they want to do is talk about spirituality."

Authentic community, a modern phrase that seeks to capture the original intent of the greek word Ekklesia, is what people long for in their lives.  Opportunities to grow in faith, in connection with others, in a sense of being recognized and honored for the flawed and imperfect people that we are - that my friends is what Jesus Christ is all about.  (I'm starting to engage my preacher voice in my head)  So people want church, but not church.  They want ekklesia (gathering, assembly, authentic community) but not church (small mindedness, cheap grace, etc)

What I've learned after a 144 church visits is that people don't want church as a place to go and do things, they desire a church that is a gathering of people who will be with them on the journey of life.  That's our goal, and that is Jesus goal. 

It will not be easy to get there. Why?  because, as much as we desire it two things stand in our way.  One is external.  We have structures that actually impede movement toward this goal.  The other is more challenging, because it is internal. As much as we desire this authentic jesus community, we also are so frightened by it that we sabbaotage any effort.  It will not be easy, but it is where God is calling us. But if we are willing to risk, be vulnerable and laugh along the way, I believe we can move toward being ekklesia - a gathering of disciples living in authentic community for the good of the world.

 

 

 

How I'd change seminary education - Part 1

This is the beginning of a series of blog posts, that will eventually end up as a paper or article on the subject.  I'm laying these thoughts out here in bits and pieces, kinda like post it notes on the dining room table.  Later I'll rearrange the order and edit and such.

While enjoying a mocha frappucino (did I spell that right?) at Starbucks, after my doctor called and said my cholesterol numbers were good, I engaged in conversation with one of our pastors.  We were discussing the state of the Christian faith, the ELCA, frustrations with parish ministry.  Then he said, "I love the church, but seminary didn't really prepare me to lead the church.  I was told if I preached the gospel, loved the people and was faithful, I would succeed as a pastor. But that's not enough"  

I graduated from seminary 25 years ago, and said the same thing.  I have colleagues who graduated 35 years ago and said the same thing.  Now I'm hearing the same thing from pastors who graduated five or ten years ago.  What's going on here?

First off, the broad consensus of pastors I talk to is that seminary education is an excellent education in the areas of biblical studies, church history and theology/ethics.  I've not heard a single criticism of those fields of study, and many pastors have said to me, "that is my most treasured learning from seminary."   So, I want to begin with a strong heart, head and soul affirmation of that aspect of seminary.  Later I'll detail more on the positives, with ideas on how to take that strength and leverage it.

But, leading a congregation requires other gifts that need addressing.  Today, I'll speak to one area by way of a book review.

John Kotter's Buy In,  is the latest from the author in his Leading Change series of books.  Kotter taught at the Harvard Business School for years, and then discovered his research was in such demand he could run his own little institute, and probably make a ton of money consulting with corporations.  

While the whole Leading Change series is worth digesting, Buy In, represents a key component of leading a congregation.  This book describes the process whereby people come to hear of a new idea and move from suspicion to not only acceptance, but complete 'buy in' and ownership of the idea.

Kotter's method is soundly and honorable consistent with a Christ like approach to leadership.  It's not manipulative, and it honors the other with respect and dignity.

Much of what a parish pastor is called to do in this new emerging world of mission is to secure buy in from people for some new way of doing ministry.  That is not an easy thing to do.  It is also not an exclusively church related challenge, which is why Kotter is in demand by major corporations all over the world.  Almost every industry that I know is under going turmoil, and needs to move in new directions.  

Teaching the process for leading change in congregations should be the number two priority in a seminary education, right after the theological foundation.  Pastors are entering congregations that at best are aware of a need to practice ministry in a new way, or at worst are in complete denial about the reality of the situation around them.  There is a clear spectrum from one degree to another.  The major task of a pastor in today's congregations is to define reality, gather a group of motivated persons, collectively work with that group to seek a God infused next chapter, and then work to get as many as possible (you don't need everyone) to buy in and move toward that new chapter.

I'll be honest. This is extremely difficult work.  As I point out in the sermon below, parish ministry is one of the toughest jobs in America today.  But, we owe it to the next and maybe even the current generation of leaders to give them the tools to have a better shot at it.  Leading change can be taught.  Yes, it must also be learned while doing, but laying a foundation in seminary will provide resources for our congregations.

I should end this post with some clarifying points. 1) Seminary education is vital to our church, and I am an avid supporter.  2) The love of learning and exploring theology and faith is a gift from my own seminary education that I will forever treasure.  3) I want a robust seminary education to be a part of our pastors preparation for ministry.

I'll write more on this subject as the post it notes in my brain get going.

 

The Role of a Pastor - A Sermon Preached in Kingston, RI

Below is a link to an audio recording of my sermon preached this past week at Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd in Kingston, RI.  The congregation is currently in the call process.  I was invited to lead worship, preach and answer questions about the process for seeking a new pastor.  I recorded the sermon with the intention of making it available to everyone, especially congregations in call process.

Here is the link ---> Click here

A new window in your browser will open, and it should start to play automatically.  If not, click on the play button, a little triangle on the left side.  The sermon runs 19 minutes in length.

Our Own Little Universe

I am working on another post, "Toward a Mature Spirituality", based on my weekend retreat with Dr. James Hollis, but that's still maturing.  Instead, you get this...

Tonight, I realized how myopic I've gotten with this whole conversation about worship and church, see my post below in response to Racel Evans.  I suddenly found myself convicted as I sat before the magic screen today and watched this interview with David Carr on Charlie Rose.  I've been a David Carr follower ever sense that amazing PBS special on the radical changes in the newspaper industry, Page One.  Since I'm a former journalism major/video hack/photographer/drama queen college guy, I still have a fantasy of being the Guy Noire of some newspaper. (OK, that fantasy has now dissappeared, mostly)

The interview runs 25 minutes, but I encourage you to set aside the time to digest it.  Around the 18 minute mark, David says, "we are going to be able to program our own little universe."

Program our own little universe?  I heard that line and thought, HOLY MOLY BATMAN, what's this mean for the faith, all faiths?  I've long maintained that our greatest competition in post-modern society has been Hollywood. No, I'm not one of those, Hollywood is destroying the family values that made this country great, kinda preachers.  Rather, I'm thinking about the power of narrative as the driving force in human consciousness, from those cave drawings on the wall 10,000 plus years ago, through all the great literature, both sacred and profane, to the modern era.  Narrative is what shapes us and molds us as a species.

The Bible contains amazing narrative and Moses, Ruth, David & Bathsheeba, Job, Jesus.  We kill the Bible when we turn it into a constitutional document.  Those stories have power, because the narratives sink deep into our souls and do work over the long haul.  As a Christian, I am partial to the stories of biblical literature.  But, that doesn't mean I'm also not fond of the narratives of Homer, the Buddha, Native American mythologies, Shakespeare, Zora Neale Hurston and Flannery O'Connor.  

The new narratives are being written by Hollywood. George Lucas did more to interpret Zen Buddhism and The Hero with a Thousand Faces to North America through his Star Wars movies, than any great lecture series. Francis Ford Coppola did more to interpret the Vietnam War and Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness in his epic Apocalypse Now than any Time magazine article. Juno was a wonderful movie that balanced out the vapid portrayal of teenagers, with a reminder that the youngest among us can rise to a level of maturity, despite our best efforts to reduce teenagers to the lowest common denominator.

If David Carr is right, and I suspect he is, we will, and maybe already are, programming our own little universe, what is the implication for faith, public civil discourse, human community?  Is part of our increasingly divided politics a result of the fact that many of us are only talking to like minded people?  Are traditional forms of religion and faith being squeezed out of our lives because we now get our life shaping narrative from the box? Are the stories being told in "House of Cards", "Lillyhammer" and "The Sopranos" more interesting, more entertaining than Jacob & Isaac? Where does the equal need for human community come into play in this era of home movie watching?

I want to suggest that the church, and churches consider diving into this realm.  No, we cannot produce Hollywood style films, nor should we attempt to produce some of those vapid sugar-coated Christian tv shows. I'm thinking of embracing "Breaking Bad" and connecting the narrative to some of the equally "Breaking Bad with Cane and Abel" scriptures.  In the interview above, Carr describes a series of interesting protagonists in modern Netflix films.  Can we engage these characters with some of the darker sides of those scripture characters.  

I wonder if the church has sugar coated the shadow side of our biblical characters, and thus washed them clean of their, well, humanity.  We embrace a theology of saint and sinner in each person, so let's explore that theme with Don Draper, Francis Underwood and Nurse Jackie.

My thought upon beginning this blog post, was holy cow Batman, we are debating worship styles, when the rest of the culture is programming their own universe and we are not even a part of the conversation.  So bag that Bible Study you just bought from the church publishing house, and get a stinkin' $8 per month Netflix subscription, invite people over for some theological brewing on the narratives glowing in everyone's living room. There's a lifetime of material, and I suspect that over time, the conversation will mature and people in your little group will open up, and the narratives of their own lives will come forth.  Then you'll be on to something as film, scripture and life dramas collide.

* If this post has a higher than normal punctuation, spelling and grammar error quotient, it's cause I was typing so fact, cause I wanna head downstairs form the next showing of "Orange is the New Black,"

 

Is Rachel Held Evans right?

One of the more articulate spokespersons for a new generation of Christians is Rachel Held Evans.  She is a 30 something, 32 to be exact but my mommma told me never to give away a woman’s age. She's an evangelical christian, sorta kinda, drop out and drop in on the church type.  Hey, I got no problem with that, as I myself was an outsider for 21 years, and have wondered for the last 33 if I really do belong here.  This morning I did, but this afternoon, well, I just wanted as much distance as possible.  She is smart, savy, funny and has her pulse on the latest and greatest.  She’s written two books, and blogs frequently here.

 

Today’s article on CNN.com “Why millenials are leaving the church” is getting a lot of thumbs up on social media.  It is definitely worth a read, and besides CNN will appreciate the fact that you clicked through to it, as the metrics will mean more advertising revenue.  I enjoyed it so much I read it three times.

 

But then I started seeing some of the responses on Facebook and Twitter.  While most were harmless or bold “likes”, every once and a while I saw a post that made me realize the profound truth of the author Anais Nin.  She said, “We don’t see things as they are, we see things as we are.”

I saw this most clearly in this post on Facebook. “Evans is so right.  I’ve been saying for 30 years that keeping liturgy the same is what will bring people back to church.”   Hmmmm, really?  Is that what she is saying?  Yes, she does indicate a preference in her generation for liturgical forms of worship.  The exact quote is:  “Many of us, myself included, are finding ourselves increasingly drawn to high church traditions – Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, the Episcopal Church, etc. – precisely because the ancient forms of liturgy seem so unpretentious, so unconcerned with being “cool,” and we find that refreshingly authentic” 

But, my guess is that Held would also agree that there is no one size fits all for millenials or any generation.  I fear that my friend who posted on Facebook might be suggesting that a return to a certain form of liturgy is the key answer, the magic clue, the easy way forward.  I would argue that what this generation or anyone outside or on the margins of the church is really attracted to can be summed up in this statement by Evans:  “We’re not leaving the church because we don’t find the cool factor there; we’re leaving the church because we don’t find Jesus there.”

I’ve been to lots of different churches, both recently as a newly elected bishop, but also over many years as a curious Christian seeking out an authentic way to worship in this empire context called North America.  I’ve been in amazing worship settings in Pentecostal charismatic settings with hands held high, as well as Lutheran and Greek Orthodox settings that were truly magnificent magnificat. I’ve also been in the most vapid and pretentious worship services in those same or similar traditions. I’ve connected with God while worshipping at Willow Creek, and been equally repelled in the same setting a few years later. 

As a pastor, when I lived in New York City I embraced the high liturgy of Lutheran worship, because the context was culturally and spiritually appropriate.  But, I also worked to add a more relaxed worship service with musical rhythms of rock n roll music, because there were those in our neighborhood in Brooklyn who connected with God in that style.  In Rhode island, we did what some people call contemporary worship, but I like to refer to as culturally appropriate worship. Yes, I wore blue jeans once for a drama, but most of the time I dressed like I was right off the pages of Land's End, not because I wanted to be cool, but because that's the way I like to dress.

In our New England Synod, I’ve witnessed authentic and powerful worship with jazz music at Zion Lutheran in Pittsfield, MA, formal liturgy and beautiful organ music at Trinity Lutheran in Worcester, MA, and a more relaxed guitar and drum driven worship at Sanctuary, Marshfield, MA. I've danced with the Puerto Rican rhythms of spanish language worship at Iglesia Luterana and Gloria Dei in Providence.  I cannot believe that God wants me to pick one of these as the 'right way.'  The common theme was an authenticity, a hard to describe connection with the numinous, and well, a hard to describe match between the people in worship and the leadership.

I’m going to invert Evan’s statement from above and rephrase what I see. “People are returning to churches because they find Jesus there.”  And, I don’t mean that statement in some prefab everybody’s saying “Jesus loves you” kinda way.  What I see is congregations that are seriously attempting to engage their communities are being Jesus communities.  To quote Bonhoeffer: “The Church is the Church only when it exists for others...not dominating, but helping and serving. It must tell men of every calling what it means to live for Christ, to exist for others.” 

These churches are making a difference in the lives of people who don’t frequent the door of a church building.  They are serving meals, raising funds to keep swimming pools open in the city in summer when municipalities are fiscally constrained, they start AIDS ministry, they are starting medical clinics, they are providing pro bono legal services, they are reading to children in first grade. AND THEN  They are connecting worship to that Jesus servant lifestyle in a way that speaks to the pain and suffering of human life.  They are not providing sermons on 6 points to raise your stock portfolio, but they might do a series on 12 steps of AA and Christianity.  They are telling biblical stories of Job, and Hosea, and Peter, and connecting them to the suffering of life, and the peculiar way inwhich God enters into that pain, not to fix it, but to somehow be present. In that presence, there is a redemption.  After all who hasn’t wondered why is God punishing me like Job, or why has my spouse run off with another (Hosea), or denied the very existence of God/Jesus (Peter).  These are not old stories, these are living stories that are alive today, its just the names are changed.

My point, if there is only one here, is to encourage us to look, not for easy answers.  (Fix the worship, fix the Sunday school, fix the way we receive the offering)  No, the answer is to embrace the challenge, and realize that authenticity is really really hard work.  It is marathon work, not sprinters work.  In a person it takes a lifetime of community, honesty and vulnerability.  In a church, it’s, well, it’s even harder, cause you are working with people.  Some people want to grow, some people think they wanna grow, some people think they’re done, and most people are doing the best they can.

Here’s to the journey, and the reminder that most of all of us are doing the best we can.  Somehow, that's an attempt at Grace.

My Day at RCDC

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.

A Baptism makes me miss the Parish

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.

A Space of Grace

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.

 

 

Midrash: A new generation seeks questions, not answers.

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."

 

 

 

 

A 16th century answer for a 21st century question?

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.

 

 

What about Bonhoeffer?

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

Talking to those on the Outside

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.

 

Why I go to the Leadership Summit...every year.

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.

 

On Listening to the "Nones"

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.

Click here

 

Monday morning on the couch

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.