Not A Shouting Church

2011-06-07T13:00:00.000-07:00

Justice

2011-03-08T11:36:00.001-08:00

Justice has been on my mind a lot lately. As a society we succumb to injustice, we are apathetic to the consequences of injustice, and we fail to do anything about it. More to the point I have succumb to injustice, I am apathetic to the consequences of injustice, and I fail to do anything about it.

A New Day!

2011-03-05T10:07:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow marks a new chapter in the story of Amazing Grace Lutheran Church. Pastor Arden Dorn begins his ministry with us. We are so excited to have him and I know he is excited to be here!

Sometimes it is easy to think of a new Pastor as superman. The reality is though that a new pastor does not instantly make a church grow, heal old wounds, or even magically make things perfect. AGLC has its share of problems and they will not be solved over night. Of course, it also has its share of strengths. In this time of transition, it is important for us to name and claim those. Claiming our strengths and weaknesses will help us create a vision for our congregation going forward. As you can probably guess naming and claiming them is just a first step. We also have to do something about it. We have to create a vision for ourselves. So what is your vision for Amazing Grace? Let’s get talking!

Roommate Switch

2011-02-24T22:11:00.000-08:00

This is my first foray into blogging. I want to start with one of my favorite subjects: Seinfeld. Anyone that truly knows me will know that I have two obsessions, one being Whoopi Goldberg, and the second being the 1990's hit TV show Seinfeld. Recently I was watching an episode where Jerry attempts “the roommate switch”. Jerry and George concoct an elaborate plan hoping that Jerry’s current girlfriend will allow Jerry to date "the roommate" without being upset. I suggest you watch the episode if you are curious. Sometimes I feel like the church as a whole is trying to perform “the roommate switch” we will give you our older members in exchange for any youth.

The urge is, let us do something for the youth at the expense of something for “old” people. Example lets ditch the liturgy-based service in exchange for a contemporary service that will attract youth.

As a youth director, I love the idea of more youth participating in our church. I must say though I hate this idea of trading old people for youth. I would posit that the only way to grow a HEALTHY congregation is to grow equally in all age categories.

Maybe a better way to go about this is to more intentionally get everyone involved in youth ministry. People in their 50s-80s are amazing youth ministers. Lets spread the grace of God too all people!

-John Parsons

Farewell and Godspeed

2011-02-22T17:41:00.000-08:00

As I finish my ministry at Amazing Grace, I also finish my time blogging here at Not A Shouting Church. This blog, however, is not over. It will continue to be a communications tool of Amazing Grace Lutheran Church.

In this next chapter of my pastoral vocation, I will share thoughts and reflections at my new personal blog, http://borderpastor.wordpress.com.

God's peace,
Pastor Paul

Pastor Paul's last Sunday

2011-02-13T12:45:00.001-08:00

Today was my last Sunday at Amazing Grace. With exuberant hospitality, Amazing Grace marked the day with a potluck at noon. We also marked it liturgically during worship. With both sadness and deep gratitude, we had special prayer of thanksgiving for ministry, which included the congregation and I blessing each other. I would not have picked the lectionary text about adultery, lust and divorce, but the image from 1 Corinthians 3 was helpful for realizing that many people are involved in the work of ministry, but God is the actor. “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.”

I realize that all ministry is interim ministry, because there is something before and something after. I had not planned to be at Amazing Grace so short of a time; in some ways, I’m an “unintentional interim,” but I leave trusting in God’s grace. It is hard for a congregation to say goodbye to a pastor, but it is also hard for a pastor to say goodbye to a congregation.

As I leave Amazing Grace, I won’t see what happens next. I won’t see babies I baptized come to Sunday school. I won’t be the one visiting in the nursing home. I will no longer be pastor here, but will continue as your co-worker in the Gospel as a colleague in the conference and synod. Seeds planted for me here will come to fruition somewhere else. I have learned so much. We have learned so much together at Amazing Grace.

My last wordle

2011-02-13T12:40:00.000-08:00

Here is a worlde of today's sermon manuscript.

A Salty Wordle

2011-02-09T08:50:00.000-08:00

Here is what I preached on Sunday. It's the salt and light passage from Matthew 5. As salty Christians, we can fuction as a healing, preserving, and melting presence in the world. There was an episode of Seinfeld a few years back where Kramer has a part in a Woody Allen film. His only line: "These pretzels are making me thirsty!"

My prayer is that our neighbors, our co-workers, the other kids in school, and all the world see us living out our faith and say, "These Christians are making me thirsty!" Thirsty for God's justice and love, that is. Just a few verses before that salt and light stuff, Jesus says, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness..."

Transitions

2011-02-09T08:25:00.000-08:00

It’s getting to be time to say goodbye. This coming Sunday is my last at Amazing Grace before I take another call at a Spanish-speaking congregation near the border. I realize it’s relatively premature to leave Amazing Grace after only two years, and I greatly struggled with whether I should make this big transition or not.

In the long run, I feel this is a good move for me and for the wider Church. It’s good stewardship to have bilingual clergy in settings where those gifts are greatly needed. In the short run, however, it seems difficult for Amazing Grace. We have had quite a bit of transition and change in the recent years: a new pastor, new musician, building repairs, dwindling attendance, financial uncertainty, turnover with lay leadership. Just as the congregation is getting used to me and just as we’re in the slow process of gaining momentum and renewing focus, I leave. It’s tough because I was looking forward to working with some newer leaders on Council, and I’m enjoying cooperating with two other congregations for Confirmation. We’re just at the point where we need to do some visioning and planning for the future.

Yet, I am hopeful for Amazing Grace. As sad as it is to leave, I realize that I am opening up an opportunity for another pastor. All ministry is interim ministry. I've planted seeds that someone else will harvest. This is an opportune time for Amazing Grace to do some careful discerning and planning. Amazing Grace is a pretty resilient people. Strengths I see: Amazing Grace is a pretty friendly place; there is a welcoming spirit. Amazing Grace likes to have fun. Amazing Grace has the grace to live with disagreement well. Whereas a few families have transferred membership and chosen not to worship due to disagreement with ELCA policies, Amazing Grace has not had the major conflict and division that other congregations in our synod have had. This is a good sign!

What’s next at Amazing Grace? We’re in the process of saying goodbye. Last night, I had an exit interview with our executive committee and the conference dean. It was a helpful time to name what went right and what to try to do better in the future. I’m spending these last days doing some final visits, packing up stuff, and getting the office in order. We’re finishing up some paperwork (ELCA parochial report, membership records), and I’m writing a “turnover book” with some instructions for the new pastor. Council is meeting this week to interview a possible interim pastor. Liturgically, we will say goodbye on Sunday with a litany of thanksgiving for ministry that will include mutual benediction: I bless the congregation and the congregation blesses me. Also, in good Amazing Grace style, we have food—there’s a potluck Sunday at 12 noon.

Prayer

2011-02-02T12:34:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago, I heard somebody say, “Prayer is advocacy.” I found that phrase to be helpful and reassuring. Oftentimes, I don’t feel that I do enough of “speaking for justice in behalf of the poor and oppressed,” which is part of my Letter of Call as a pastor of the ELCA.

When we pray, God is listening, but so are the others in the assembly. We make our concerns collective concerns. I’ve made it my discipline to compile the prayers for worship each week. I try to be mindful of events in our congregation and world. Sometimes the prayers from the hymnal or the liturgy websites are nice, but they don’t always speak to our present situations.

I frequently repeat petitions from week to week. Here are a few that I use almost every Sunday:

Healing and sustaining God, you hold in your comforting hands all those who long
for healing and wholeness. Bring your reassuring presence and loving strength.
We especially lift up in prayer those we name either aloud or in the silence of
our hearts…

Welcoming God, help us embrace a spirit of hospitality.
Give us the courage to visit strangers. Be with those who do not always feel
welcomed in this world.

God of Time and Eternity, you enter our
world and journey with us, even to death on the cross. Your story becomes our
story. Be with us as we tell stories of our lives and listen to one another.

Holy God, we pray for peace. Be with people affected by violence
and disaster. Be with those affected by war and terrorism. Be with those who are
considered terrorists. We pray for our enemies. We pray for those who disagree
with us. Stir up in us the spirit of peace.

I love Wordles because they help us see what words we use frequently in our writing. Here is a Wordle of about thirty weeks of prayers I have written at Amazing Grace. I had expected the words “hospitality,” “peace,” and “lament” to show up bigger than they did. I’m relieved that “God” ended up being pretty big, because it is God to whom we direct our prayers.

Prepositions

2011-01-17T18:29:00.000-08:00

When reading my seminary’s alumni magazine, where people can send in updates about what they’re doing now, I noticed wide diversity in the prepositions pastors use to describe their calls. Thinking about these little two- and three- letter words might seem nit-picky, but they have major implications for how we think about the relationship between pastor and people. Am I pastor at, to, with, or from Amazing Grace, or all of these? I don’t think that there is necessarily a wrong answer, but it’s worth thinking about.

At: This is what I probably use most often in everyday speech, but boggles my theological sensibilities. I frequently introduce myself, “I am Paul Bailie, pastor at Amazing Grace Lutheran Church.” This seems to be the most natural to me, but it also presents an ecclesiology that is somewhat limited. “At” makes the church seem like a location or a place, when as Lutherans we understand the Church to be more than a building or an address, but the assembly of the saints. This goes along with my quixotic practice of avoiding the word “church” when talking about an individual congregation. The Church is the Body of Christ across time and space—something hard to pinpoint in a specific locus.

To: “To” seems a bit patronizing to me, like the pastor has all the answers and the people don’t. A large congregation I know describes one of their pastors as “pastor to the international community.” It’s like the immigrants need to be ministered to, instead of being active co-participants in the life of the ministry. Grammatically, I guess it’s ok, but it feels more condescending than I would like.

With: Maybe “with” seems more like the partnership that I’d aim for. I’m pastor with Amazing Grace. It sounds clumsy when you say it, but implies that the people of the congregation are ministers along with me. We are laborers in the vineyard together.

From: I don’t use “from” enough, as in “I am pastor from Amazing Grace.” This implies that I’m functioning as a representative of the congregation, doing ministry in the community. Our Lutheran church structure seems like it encourages the pastor to serve as a big deal in their own dukedom or bailiwick, instead of being an ambassador to the world.

A sneak peak of tomorrow's sermon

2011-01-15T16:34:00.000-08:00

Last Sunday's Wordle

2011-01-15T15:46:00.000-08:00

For Baptism of Our Lord:

Talking about sex

2011-01-07T15:48:00.000-08:00

When I was in sixth grade, while we were standing in line at the drug store, waiting for a prescription to be filled, my dad nervously pulled me aside and pointed at a display rack of little square boxes. Standing there in his green surplus-store parka and Elmer Fudd-style hat with ear flaps, he quietly instructed, in an avuncular whisper, "Son, these are prophylactic devices, used to prevent conception during sexual intercourse. Do you understand?"

"Yeah, Dad," I said matter-of-factly, "They're condoms."

Sometimes parents are uncomfortable talking to their children about sex. For the last couple years, Amazing Grace has tried to be a place for our middle schoolers to learn about sexuality in a frank and honest, yet loving and Christian, atmosphere. A wonderful woman in the congregation with a social work background and a few decades experience working with young people in all sorts of settings begins a ten-week series with our confirmation youth this Sunday. She uses Big Decisions, an abstinence-plus curriculum that many Texas school districts use, as well as Free in Christ to Care for the Neighbor: Lutheran Youth Talk about Human Sexuality, an ELCA resource that invites youth into having conversations about issues of sexuality.

When I first interviewed at Amazing Grace, this teacher was worried that I would try to squelch this class. On the contrary, I think that this is a very good thing. I am thankful that we have a skilled and loving teacher who is willing to equip our youth to live in our diverse and often difficult world, always reminding them that they are beloved Children of God.

A few years ago at a workshop for religious and medical professionals on HIV/AIDS, I heard Rev. Jeremiah Wright say that the reason church folk are so uncomfortable talking about homosexuality is that they are uncomfortable talking about sexuality of any sort. He is absolutely right. Let's start talking.

Funeral planning

2011-01-05T09:18:00.000-08:00

It might sound a bit morbid, but one of my favorite parts of being a pastor is officiating at funerals. It is a sad time, but funerals are among the times the Church is best the Church. We proclaim Christ crucified and risen. Now is the time we comfort each other in our grief, to mourn, to sing, to pray, to hope. There are hugs and food, and tears and prayers. We bring casseroles and condolences. We encounter the God who loves our loved one and who loves us.

Over two years ago, Amazing Grace had a series of adult forums about death and dying. A hospice chaplain, a geriatric physician, and I led discussion about end-of-life issues. I focused on the liturgical aspects of a funeral. From that discussion arose a desire to have some sort of worksheet that people could fill out now to think about what their funeral should be like, rather than waiting until their family members are sitting in some mortuary office wondering, “What was Grandma’s favorite hymn?” or “Where was that passage from Habakkuk that always gave Uncle Jack hope?” After two years of procrastination, I have finally put it together. It has been posted online (http://aglcsa.org/resouces/Funeral%20Planning%20Worksheet.pdf).

As Christian people, we trust in God’s promises of resurrection hope. Planning a funeral is a chance to reflect on how your life proclaims what God is doing.

Last Sunday's Wordle

2010-12-31T11:16:00.000-08:00

Here is a Wordle of my Sermon from last Sunday. It was that text from Matthew 2 about the slaughter of the innocents and the flight to Egypt. I mentioned how Jesus is a refugee, and through this, God Incarnate comes to live in solidarity with all of our human suffering. I also reminded the congregation that our Synod is a Cherish our Children synod, meaning that we have voted to intentionally raise awareness about childhood sexual exploitation. It's a topic we don't talk about very often, because it is so uncomfortable. Yet God enters this broken world and encounters all our pain. In Christian worship, there is just as much room for lament as there is for praise. Rachel's song, weeping for her children because they are no more, is just as much a song of Christmas as Mary's Magnificat or the angel's Gloria. God can handle all of our prayers.

Prayer at the Close of the Year

2010-12-31T10:47:00.001-08:00

Our congregation, Amazing Grace, has a longtime tradition of worshipping together on New Year's Eve. Since coming here, I've used the service as a chance to pray Compline. Instead of Prayer at the Close of the Day, we think of it as Prayer at the Close of the Year.

Compline is a quite, meditative service, originating from as early as the fourth century. It doesn't usually have a sermon or fancy processionals. Rather, the silence, the psalms, and the prayers are the main foci.

Tonight’s liturgy, prayers, and readings are full of images of day and night, of time changing, of the Earth moving.

From the opening dialog, "Almighty God, grant us a quiet night and peace at the last."
From Thomas Tallis' lovely hymn, "All praise to thee, my God, this night for all the blessings of the light...."

Every night, the earth will finish one more spin, one more revolution. The sun will set again, just has it has for years before humans can even remember. Tomorrow we will be awakened and welcomed to a new day.

The night of December 31’s spinning of the Earth is the same as all the others, but it is also different. We go from one year in our human markings of time to another. From 2010 to 2011.

We remember the year past: Haitian earthquakes. Health care. Lady Gaga.

Here at Amazing Grace: Construction projects. Trunk or Treat. VBS. Angel Food. Baptisms. Saints departed. New friends. New adventures. Epiphany. Lent. Easter. Pentecost. Advent. Christmas.

A lot has happened in a year. And a lot can happen in the next.

The Earth keeps spinning. Every day is a blessing from God, as is every year. God’s time is not always the same as our time. I love the words from Isaac Watts’ hymn:

A thousand ages in God’s sight
are like an evening gone,
Short as the watch that ends the night
before the rising sun (LBW # 320).

We do not know what will happen once the sun rises tomorrow. We do not know what 2011 will bring in our lives, in our neighborhood, in our congregation, in our country, in our world. Yet, we live with promises of God’s love, with hope for a God who does not forsake us, with peace as God’s parting gift for us.

A Christmas Eve Wordle

2010-12-24T11:26:00.001-08:00

An Advent Wordle

2010-12-09T15:51:00.000-08:00

Here is a Wordle of last Sunday's sermon. I had hauled a big tree branch into the front of the chancel area and invited the assembly to choose how they see the tree--as a sign of repentance with shades of John the Baptist, or as a sign of what God is sprouting up, like the righteous branch of which Isaiah speaks.

Cross lights

2010-12-08T11:46:00.000-08:00

We just lit up the cross. It’s a string of lights around it. There’s precedence for this: I have a 1992 church directory with a photo of a lit cross on the cover. We might keep them up for just Advent. Then again, it is a nice touch and perhaps worth keeping up all year.

I have mixed feelings on lighting up a cross. On the one hand, we Christians have domesticated crosses. We wear crosses as jewelry and put them on our walls. It’s easy to forget that a cross is a tool of execution. People died on crosses. Imagine if you wore a necklace with a noose, an electric chair, or a vial of potassium chloride. It would be shocking and scandalous.

On the other hand, a cross tells people that we are Christians. At Amazing Grace, I think lighting the cross is a good sign. Our buildings are set back quite a distance from the road, and sometimes it’s hard to tell that we are a church. I’ve heard people think that we are a big house, a school, a convent, or some sort of cult compound. Lighting the cross is one way that we can be clearer about our mission. When somebody sees the cross, then they will know who we are.

2010 Slideshow

2010-12-05T13:20:00.000-08:00

Today was our annual congregational meeting. Besides electing leaders and approving a budget, we celebrated life together this year at Amazing Grace. Enjoy the show!

Scripture genres

2010-11-28T14:15:00.000-08:00

Our adult Sunday school class has been studying Making Sense of Scripture by David Lose. One of the exercises focused on think of scripture in terms of genre. A text has a different meaning whether it is poetry, letter, etc. The class broke into smaller groups to retell Luke 15:11-32 in different genres—supermarket tabloid and fairy tale. Here are the fun results (my best attempt at transcribing the handwritten poster sheets):

YOUNGER SON COMES BACK FROM VISITING PROSTITUTES IN HELL
Squandered his money on lurid living and loose women.
Dad is ecstatic at return of wayward ways and throws a block party with finest food.
Older son refuses to attend party for jackass brother.
Father tries to sooth ruffled feathers with love, apparently to no avail.
Is younger son’s conversion true, or was he just hungry and returning to Daddy with his tail between his legs? More of the story continues at www dot the bible revealed dot com.

Decide which is the Good Son
Once upon a time, Father had two sons. The young son got bored with chores and wanted his money now. The younger son thought life wasn’t entertaining, and told his father he wanted out. Father tried to dissuade the son, but eventually gave in.

He was feeding hogs, and one turned to a witch and said, “Get yourself together or I will turn you into a pig and send you over a cliff.” The son was defeated and said, “I must apologize and make amend before my father will accept me.” He got home and Father was so glad to see him; he accepted him back and gave him a part and fine clothes. The older son was PO’d, saying, “I stay here and sweat and get nothing; he is a jerk, leaves, spends all and now wants back and now gets more.”

Father is the Good Fairy and welcomes all together and tries to convince older son that this was OK. The Older son does not hear any of it. He becomes estranged from his his brother and very distant from Father. But Good Fairy came and waved a wand and the brothers started working out their differences before the brother died. And they lived happily ever after. The end.

An Advent video

2010-11-27T15:38:00.000-08:00

Here is my newest experiment in video creation. The brown bear with the white eye patch seems to be a wise liturgical theologian. Enjoy!

Thanksgiving 2010

2010-11-24T16:43:00.000-08:00

Tonight I’m wearing my great-grandfather’s cufflinks. I think I inherited them by default. My aunt said I was the only one of the male cousins who would ever wear a shirt that would use cufflinks. His name was Parelius, and came from Norway by way of Philadelphia, and lived in South Dakota before settling and farming the prairies of western Minnesota. He died in the 1940s, when my mom was just a small girl. I don’t know much about him, but I have his cufflinks. A wandering Norwegian was my ancestor.

That’s on my mom’s side. On my dad’s side, we’ve traced the genealogy back to Colonel Morgan Morgan (creative name, right?) He came from Wales and is thought to be the first white settler in what is now West Virginia. A wandering Welshman was my ancestor. When curious about family history in high school, I looked him up in the big ol’ encyclopedia in the basement, and it said that is cabin had special slots in the walls, convenient for shooting at Indians.

We all have stories—our personal stories, family stories, national stories, church stories. Some parts of our story we want to remember and cling to, like my cufflinks. Others we might be embarrassed or ashamed of, and would rather forget, like my ancestor’s marksmanship skills. For better or worse, they are a part of who we are.

The ancient Israelites remembered. “A wandering Aramean was my ancestor.”
They remember Abraham packing up and heading to a new land.
They remembered their ancestors being led out of slavery in Egypt traveling in the wilderness, going into unknown territory, trusting God.
They respond to God’s goodness with offering—first fruits.
They gave as offering not next-day leftovers, but the best of what they had.
They recognized that their possessions did not belong to them, but to God.

Today we also remember another group of people traveling in the wilderness, going into unknown territory, trusting God. Our American Thanksgiving Day is framed through the perspective of a certain 17th-century religious sect. The Pilgrims were Separatists who disagreed with the Church of England and traveled across the ocean to a place they called Plymouth. 1621, they celebrated what came to be known as Thanksgiving, to which they invited the Wampanoags, a Native American tribe, who had helped them settle and plant new crops in the new land.

When doing a small group Bible study this year on the book of Judges, I have started to realize that the nation-forming narrative of the people of Israel entering into the land of Canaan seems very similar to the nation-forming narrative of European settlement into the United States.

Both groups fervently believed that God had led them into a new land.
Both created rites, rituals, ceremonies, and traditions to commemorate their entry.
Both discovered that there were already people there: distinct and unique groups with their own vibrant cultures.
Israelites met Canaanites, Amorites, Philistines.
Europeans met Wampanoags, Iroquois, and Mohawk.

This week, I came across an article by Rev. Robert Two Bulls, an Episcopal priest in California who is a member of the Oglala Lakota tribe. He writes: “Every year when Thanksgiving Day approaches, I feel without fail a growing consternation inside me. I attribute this feeling to the inevitable emergence of the whitewashed historical record of this day and to the sudden attention that America directs toward the Native American Indians. It is an awareness that wakes up every year after Halloween and then will go back to sleep when the last scrap of turkey is devoured.”

Like with most narratives, there are parts of the Thanksgiving story that I wish weren’t there:
The Wampanoag town had been wiped out by smallpox.
Squanto, the man who helped the Pilgrims, only knew English because he had been previously captured and sold into slavery in England.

On the other hand, there are parts of the Thanksgiving story I really like and want to lift up:
The Pilgrims trusted in God throughout a time of difficulty and hardship.
They gathered together in fellowship around food and community.

If we really believe that God is Lord of the Universe, Sovereign, and Eternal, like we just proclaimed on Christ the King Sunday, then we realize that God is with us, in the midst of our human suffering, as well as our human joys.

Just as God hears the shouts of Thanksgiving from the Pilgrims, so too does God hear the cries of lament from the Wampanoags.
Just as God hears the thankful prayers of the Israelites, so too does God hears the sorrowful songs of the Canaanites.

I believe that often our times of feeling the most thankful are those times where we’ve experienced the deepest tragedy.

Martin Rinkart was a Lutheran pastor in Germany during the Thirty Years’ War. His town had many refugees entering the gates. The Swedish army surrounded the city, and famine and plague were rampant. Eight hundred homes were destroyed, and the people began to perish. Eventually Rinkart was the only pastor left—doing 50 funerals a day. Rinkart left the safety of the walls to plead with the Swedes for mercy. The Swedish commander, impressed by his faith and courage, lowered his demands. Soon afterward, the Thirty Years’ War ended, and Rinkart wrote the hymn we’ll sing later tonight. One funeral is hard enough. I can’t imagine fifty.
After seeing all the terror of war, he was still able to pray:
Now thank we all our God, with hearts and hands and voices.
Who wondrous things has done, in whom this world rejoices.

I acknowledge that on holidays like Thanksgiving, it can be difficult to have ever-joyous hearts when there are people who aren’t at the table. The Thanksgiving after my dad died, my mom decided not to cook a turkey. My sister was back overseas, so it was just Mom and me. Instead we went with “Dorothy,” a woman from my mom’s circle from church. Her husband had died decades before, and her kids were far away. Mom didn’t want her to be alone. The three of us went to Buffet King and had Chinese food.

Thanksgiving really isn’t about the food. My memories of turkey and stuffing also include memories of kung-pao shrimp and Mongolian beef. It’s not about having the perfect sweet potato pie or cranberry soufflé, but about togetherness, memory, and the presence of God.

Tonight our Thanksgiving meal is not mashed potatoes or crab Rangoons, but bread and wine.

We celebrate Thanksgiving not because we want to glorify and romanticize the Pilgrims, but because this national holiday gives us an opportunity to do once more what we as Christians do week after week—give thanks to God. We eat. We pray. We remember.

I realize that our American Thanksgiving Day is not traditionally a Church holiday, though giving thanks is certainly part of what we do as Christians.

Christians have many names for this meal of Christ’s Body and Blood (Holy Communion, The Lord’s Supper, Divine Office, Mass, and Eucharist)
The word Eucharist literally means Thanksgiving. When we receive Christ’s body and blood, we take and eat with a spirit of thanksgiving for all that God has done for us.
Every time we take Communion, it is a Thanksgiving Dinner. Thank you, God.
Every time we take Communion, it is a act of memory.
“Do this in remembrance of me.”

We remember.

I have a story. You have a story. Each of us has a story. Some parts we want to cling to, others we long to forget. But tonight we remember. We remember that our story is not just our story. God is a part of it.

Amen.

Thanksgiving Wordle

2010-11-24T16:18:00.000-08:00

A Wordle of tonight's sermon:

Thanksgiving

2010-11-24T10:29:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving Day is not a Church holiday. It’s actually a national holiday, but the idea of giving thanks to God is a very Christian one. It’s part of who we are as people of God. I sat and counted that in a typical setting of Holy Communion, we mention giving thanks quite a few times in each service. For example:
“The word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.”
“We offer with joy and thanksgiving what you have first given us—our selves, our time, and our
possessions, signs of your gracious love.
“Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. It is right to give our thanks and praise…”

In fact, another name for Holy Communion, Eucharist, actually means “thanksgiving.” In reality, every Sunday is a thanksgiving day. Tonight we will be having a Eucharist service at Amazing Grace at 7 p.m. to celebrate Thanksgiving. Sing hymns of thanks to God, and then stay for some fellowship time together eating some pie.

I realize that I am not always as intentional as I should be in being thankful. I take so much for granted. Here is a start of my list of things I am thankful for as pastor at Amazing Grace Lutheran Church:

Faithful people gathered around God’s word
A congregation that can disagree with one another with grace and civility
Resilience in the midst of lots of change and transition
Health insurance
A secretary who takes care of the details
A musician who approaches the piano with creativity and energy
A council president who I don’t thank enough
Confirmation students who ask me tough questions
The chance to collaborate with neighboring congregations for confirmation
Children who play on our swings
A presiding bishop in the ELCA who is willing to take risks
Angel Food Ministry
A Life after Loss group that has strengthened people experiencing grief
The list could go on and on…
Thanks be to God!

(Adapted from my column in the November 2010 newsletter of Amazing Grace Lutheran Church).

A cutesy stewardship bear

2010-11-19T20:33:00.000-08:00

My preaching in October had a strong stewardship emphasis. This Sunday, we have a budget forum to get us ready for our December 5 congregational meeting. This little guy pretty much sumarizes what I've been saying about stewardship in four weeks of sermons. We don't give in order to gain favor from God, but we give in response to God's love.

Who are Lutherans?

2010-11-19T20:29:00.000-08:00

I have been experimenting with videos, and put together a clip about what Lutherans believe. Much of the text is from the church website and brochure, but it's fun to see it in a different form.

Christ as king?

2010-11-18T21:04:00.000-08:00

This Sunday is Christ the King Sunday. We crown the end of the church year by thinking about Jesus as the true authority in the world.

I often struggle with the image of Christ as King. In the United States, we don’t have a king. However, I don’t know if I like the image of Jesus as president, either.

Yes, Jesus is powerful, mighty, and worthy of praise. Crown him with many crowns—potentate of time, ineffably sublime. His name is wonderful. But our human language is so limited in ways to describe who God is and what God does.

Jesus is a different sort of authority.
Jesus is not a king in the Disney-movie-castle-and-moat sort of way.
Jesus is also not a dictator yielding oppression and injustice.
Rather, the power of Jesus is the power of the cross—the power of Love.

Imagine what it would look like every Christian in America put loyalty to Jesus above all other things, even country and family.

In the spirit of eating with tax collectors and sinners, our residential zoning laws might do less separating us into rich neighborhoods and poor neighborhoods.
In the spirit of sharing with our neighbor, the poverty and hunger situation in our country might be different.
In the spirit of turning the other cheek, we probably might not even need a military.

You can the see how transformative and counter-cultural it is for us to pray week after week:
“Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, ON EARTH as it is in Heaven.”
The Kingdom of God is not pie-in-the-sky-when-you-die-by-and-by.
The Kingdom of God is Jesus’ vision of how we live here and now!
Yes, we trust God’s promises of the resurrection of the dead and eternal life, but we also trust that God is transforming our world as we speak.
We fervently pray that God’s Kingdom come—on earth as it is in heaven. What a radical act it is to pray for the fruition of God’s reign!

Even though the United States fought a Revolutionary War to not have a king, we do have a king.
We have a Christ who is the King.
He is not king in a materialistic way or in a power-hungry way.
His garments are not ermine robes or sequined jumpsuits, but a purple cloak.
His crown is not of jewels, but of thorns.
He is not born with a silver spoon, but in a lowly manger.
Jesus is not a god of preemptive strikes, but of preemptive love.
When people say, “King,” we expect castles and moats and other regal things.
But we don’t get what we expect.
We get something better. We get King Jesus, meeting us at the cross.

Bless these stones...

2010-11-17T12:28:00.000-08:00

On Sunday, we blessed and dedicated our remodeled space. We processed outside during the last hymn so we could have a view of our new roofs, ramp, and siding. The logistics of signing while walking was a bit tricky, however. We used a modified version of the General Order of Blessing from the ELW Occasional Services book, including the 1 Corinthians text that was used when one of our original buildings was dedicated in 1984. Of course, we happened to do this on the Sunday when the assigned Gospel reading talked about the destruction of the Jerusalem temple, when not one stone is left upon another.

Here’s the text of our rite:

P Friends in Christ: Today we give thanks to God and we seek God's blessing as we gather to dedicate the results of this building remodel project to the praise and glory of God:

C C New roofs shelter us with grace.
Rock siding is a sign of beauty.
A new ramp and refurbished restrooms help us be more welcoming and accessible.
A remodeled youth building is a recommitment to Christian education and youth ministry.
Thanks be to God!

A A reading from 1 Corinthians:
For we are God’s servants, working together; you are God’s field, God’s building. According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building on it. Each builder must choose with care how to build on it. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one that has been laid; that foundation is Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 3:9-11).

P Let us pray. We give you thanks, O God, creator of the universe, for your abundant gifts. By your holy wisdom all things have been made to reflect your glory, for the sustenance of life, and for the use and delight of your living creatures. Send your blessing upon us and upon this remodeled space, which we set apart today to your praise and honor. May warmth and welcome fill this place. May it be a home for the community and a haven for the stranger; a safe place for laughter, for tears, and for wonder; and a center for acts of service and deeds of love; through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

P Almighty God bless us, and direct our days and our deeds in peace. Amen.

A Go in peace. The Lord is near. C Thanks be to God.

This Sunday's Wordle

2010-11-14T12:21:00.001-08:00

Text: Luke 21:5-19

Preaching on Social Issues

2010-11-13T11:32:00.000-08:00

This month, an essay I wrote got published in the Journal of Lutheran Ethics. You can read it online here: http://www.elca.org/What-We-Believe/Social-Issues/Journal-of-Lutheran-Ethics/Issues/Novermber-2010/Swords-Plowshares-and-Guns-in-Church.aspx

It's part of a series called Preaching on Social Issues. When I preach, I often prayerfully wonder how to address issues in the world around me. The question is not if, but how. I think of Linus of Peanuts fame, "There are three things we don't talk about in public--religion, politics, and the Great Pumpkin." As a preacher, I need to walk a fine balance between talking about politics too much and not being relevant.

I realize that the Gospel itself is very political. The teachings of Jesus confront the powers of the world. My job as a pastor is not to tell you how to vote, but to put the context of our world into dialogue with the Biblical reality as I proclaim how God's Spirit is at work.

Here's a Wordle of my article:

Scripture by heart

2010-11-13T11:19:00.000-08:00

I've been spending this week working on memorizing the Gospel. I know that God is still speaking even if I read the text on Sunday, but I feel more in touch with scripture when I can speak the words from my mind. I've found that when I know the scripture, my sermon is more engaged with the text. I've found that when I practice Biblical storytelling, the congregation hears rather than simply listens. The problem is that it is a lot of work. I need to be more intentional in thinking about the text by heart.

Here's the process I used this week:
Read the text.
Print it out onto hand-held strips of paper, in three-verse segments.
Keep reading the little parts, slowly putting them together.
Walking outside while speaking the text, eventually without the paper.
Typing the text without having it in front of me.

This is a discipline that I love, but it's easy to let it slip away (sort of like blogging). Eventually, I'd love to do this every week, but I'm not quite there yet.

Getting ready for building remodel dedication

2010-11-13T11:07:00.000-08:00

It's been a while since I've posted here...

Back in May, we as a congregation voted to do some construction. "Pardon our dust; we're remodeling" was the sign on our marquee most of the summer.

A refurbished youth building provides a comfy place for Sunday school.
New roofs prepare us for a rainy day--literally.
Remodeled restrooms and a less-sloped ramp are steps toward being more welcoming and accessible.

In response to our financial generosity and thanksgiving to God, it makes sense to do some sort of blessing service and prayer of dedication during regular Sunday worship. The challenge was finding a date. I would rather not do it on Reformation or All Saints, but it would be good to do it before Thanksgivng and Advent. So, November 14 was chosen and put on the calendar.

Sometimes the assigned lectionary can be surprisingly ironic. Talk about juxtaposition:
After we have just spent lots of money from our building fund on construction that includes rock siding, in Luke 21, we meet Jesus near the Jerusalem temple, adorned with beautiful stones and gifts dedicated to God. He fortells destruction: "As for these things that you see, the days will come when not one stone will be left upon another. All will be thrown down."

Sometimes the Bible challenges us. Sometimes we are confronted by words of Jesus that push us and make us wonder. As a preacher, I know that my job is to proclaim Gospel--good news. I'm supposed to say what God is doing, not what we need to do.

As I prepare to preach for tomorrow, the phrases that strike me the most are:
"This will give you an opportunity to testify."
"The end will not follow immediately."
"I will give you words and a wisdom that your opponents will not be able to withstand or contradict."

We live in uncertain times, as did the early Jesus followers. I don't know what the future holds. Instead, I trust God to give words and wisdom.

Draft financial guidelines

2010-09-30T10:04:00.000-07:00

At Amazing Grace, we've been thinking about stewardship and fundraising. Our Executive Committee came up with this draft of financial guidelines, which have been tweaked by Council. Council will be voting on these on October 5. Members of the congregation who have thoughts about this draft are invited and encouraged to share their thoughts with me or any member of Council. This is still a draft.

Financial Guidelines
Whereas all that we have is entrusted to us from God, Amazing Grace will seek to meet all financial obligations of its mission and ministry through a yearly budget built upon pledged gifts and offerings from the members of the Congregation.

Gifts and Offerings
All gifts and offerings will be directed to the general fund, memorial fund or building fund at the
donor’s discretion. Undesignated offerings will be applied to the general fund.
Any gifts or in kind donations in excess of $300 for purposes other than contribution to the general fund, memorial fund or building fund will be reported to and reviewed by the Congregation Council.
All appeals for special offerings must be approved by the Congregation Council.

Fundraisers
All fundraisers will require approval by the Congregation Council. To aid in Council’s decision making, the following criteria will be considered.
Fundraising events should primarily be opportunities for evangelism and Christian togetherness.
A portion of the proceeds from each fundraiser will be directed to ministries external to Amazing Grace.
Fundraisers to benefit Amazing Grace should be for an identified, specific need, other than the general fund.
Games of chance are strongly discouraged.
In keeping with the Sabbath, fundraisers on Sunday mornings are strongly discouraged.

These guidelines have been informed by the ELCA document “Considerations Regarding Commercialism in the Church” (http://www.elca.org/What-We-Believe/New-or-Returning-to--
Church/Dig-Deeper/Commercialism.aspx).

Blessing of the Animals!

2010-09-23T08:48:00.001-07:00

Islamic hospitality

2010-08-19T08:25:00.000-07:00

In these times where so much strife seems to be in the air between people of differing faiths, yesterday I got an email that brings some hope. Our congregation was invited by a local Muslim group to attend a Ramadan iftar meal.

This past spring, we had invited a Muslim speaker to come to our adult Sunday school class after a unit on interfaith issues. We had watched some videos about Islam and compared passages from the Qur’an and the Bible, but it was helpful and eye-opening to hear another person’s firsthand experience. He told us we had an open invitation to share an iftar meal to break the fast with them come Ramadan. The invitation has come.

I talk a lot about “radical hospitality,” often in the context of Jesus eating with all sorts of people in order for us as Christians to think about what it means to welcome others. This invitation from our Muslim friends is a beautiful example of radical hospitality. This particular Muslim group is very far theologically from what is usually labeled “Radical Islam,” but in this lovingly welcoming act of inviting Christians to dinner, they are radical in the same way that we are radical when we practice the very counter-cultural Christian practices of forgiveness and love. They are taking a holy risk to invite us to feast with them. It crosses boundaries of religion, culture, and language. I know I will be outside of my comfort zone, and I’m sure our hosts will be as well.

However, as much as I value the ministry of providing hospitality, I also recognize the equally important ministry of receiving hospitality. I pray that accepting this invitation of interfaith learning and eating is a chance for such a ministry of being welcomed.

Avon evangelism

2010-08-18T11:07:00.000-07:00

Right now, I'm sitting at a Starbucks, ostensibly doing some sermon preparation. I say "ostensibly" becasue I'm actually eavesdropping on the women at the next table. I like writing at places like Starbucks because I get to observe humanity in all its wonder. As I overhear their conversation, I start thinking about evangelism.

The three ladies are talking about Avon. The one woman has a big box of catalogues and samples. They appear to be getting the third woman started as an Avon representative. Apparently Avon reps get credit for sales made by people they recruit, and the people they in turn recruit. It's about building your team. I wonder--isn't this how evangelism should work? You have a meaningful experience with God, you tell your friends, they tell their friends. Instead of recruiting people to sell Avon, we tell others about God.

I realize that Christianity isn't a product to be sold. In fact, I often cringe at the commercialization of religious devotion. But I think we can learn something about evangelism from Avon. It's about relationships. It's a matter of building connections between individuals.

Imagine--what would happen if everybody invited one extra friend to worship? Our attendance would double in size.

I don't always think bigger is always better. I've heard repeatedly that people have been attracted to Amazing Grace because of our size--they don't want to feel overwhelmed. But I also realize that behind the numbers are people. Avon's model works because people want to tell their friends what a good product it is. As Christian people, we have an amazing story to tell. Why wouldn't we want to share it with our friends?

Clergy burnout

2010-08-02T20:41:00.000-07:00

There's a chunk of time this summer where I'm only preaching one Sunday out of four: two weeks of vacation and a special visit from our synod bishop.

In some ways, I feel like I'm missing something when I don't preach. Preaching is one of my greatest passions. I love reflecting on what the Bible says for our community on any given week. I also think of preaching as a spiritual discipline.

On the other hand, I know that life goes on without me. I know I need to breathe and take some time away. An article in Sunday's New York Times about clergy burnout was a helpful reminder of this:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/02/nyregion/02burnout.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1

According to the article, pastors have higher rates of obesity, hypertension, and depression than the rest of the population. In our ELCA, 69 per cent of pastors report being overweight. In my first year at Amazing Grace, I didn't take all my vacation time. I enjoy what I do so much, I want to put all my energy into being pastor. However, I know that I need to stay focused. I now that I need to practice self-care. I am not Jesus. Sometimes I need reminders of that. This NY Times article is one of those.

Regarding supply pastors filling in for preaching, there are two schools of thought: First, have the best possible preacher be the guest so that the congregation can experience faithful proclamation of the Gospel. Second, have the worst possible preacher so that the congregation is utterly thankful the regular pastor is back. I try to do the former. The pastors I've invited to preach in my stead are wise, experienced pastors that I have firm confidence in. I almost wish I could hear them preach.

But then, that defeats the purpose of vacation, doesn't it?

Multicultural ministry

2010-07-30T21:23:00.000-07:00

This weekend marks Amazing Grace's first bilingual worship service. It's Saturday at 5:30. Favor de trajer un amigo. Bring a friend!

Here is a link to a guest column I wrote about it for the San Antonio Express-News. I had sent the religion reporter an email blurb about it, and he invited me to write this:

http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/religion/lutherans_past_due_in_embrace_of_hispanic_community_99663334.html?showFullArticle=y

Construction update

2010-07-20T19:05:00.000-07:00

The construction at Amazing Grace is making some progress. The rock siding is looking good. "On Christ the solid rock I stand; all other ground is sinking sand."

Sunday's sermon as a Wordle--Luke 10:38-42

2010-07-18T08:01:00.000-07:00

I must have said "something."

Lutherans working together?

2010-07-15T19:40:00.000-07:00

http://www.elca.org/Who-We-Are/Our-Three-Expressions/Churchwide-Organization/Communication-Services/News/Releases.aspx?a=4582

At its national convention today in Houston, the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS) voted overwhelmingly (961-175) to continue to work together with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). Cooperative efforts between these two largest Lutheran church bodies have included social service, disaster, and hunger efforts. This is exciting news!

As an ELCA Lutheran, I know there are differences between us Lutherans, and they are not minor. In the ELCA, we practice open communion. I've borrowed a phrase from one of my colleagues: "As pastor, I am the waiter at the table, not the bouncer at the bar." I also appreciate that we have female clergy in the ELCA. In the course of my training, my supervisors for field education, clinical pastoral education, and internship have all been women. I did not seek out female mentors, but I know that my leadership has been influenced by talented faithful people, both male and female. I am also unashamedly proud to count people of all sexual orientations as my clergy colleagues.

However, I am also tired of the Missouri-bashing I all too often see in the ELCA. I envy the Biblical literacy that my friends who grew up in the LCMS have. I think the LCMS's commitment to education is amazing. Even though we don't always see eye-to-eye, I know that God is at work in the Missouri Synod, too.

A few years ago, I met a small handful of LCMS clergy at a conference about ecumenism. There were many dozen ELCA folks there, and I commented to one of the LCMS gentlemen that there were so few of them. "We don't get invited," they calmly told me.

I firmly believe that we in the ELCA do not have a monopoly on God's grace. I hope many and various people of faith may continue to find ways to work together, for the sake of the Gospel.

Who does suburban community organizing well?

2010-07-14T19:23:00.000-07:00

With last Sunday’s Good Samaritan story and this coming week’s hospitality focus with the Abraham and Mary/Martha stories fresh on my mind, I’ve been thinking about the role a congregation could play in its neighborhood. Working together with other institutions, a congregation could host and participate in all sorts of ways to address issues of concern in the community. After-school tutoring, senior day care, public informational forums, and job-training programs are just quick examples of the possibilities.

However, many of the examples of congregations undertaking this sort of community involvement are urban parishes not in suburban or exurban settings like ours. Several leaders in my congregation have read Doing Justice: Congregations and Community Organizing and Compassion, Justice and the Christian Life: Rethinking Ministry to the Poor. The authors of both books, for example, have extensive experience in inner-city Milwaukee and Atlanta, respectively.

My own training has been biased toward urban contexts. I interned at a bilingual congregation in Manhattan with a center for immigrants and a shelter for homeless LGBTQ youth. I’ve taken a seminary course from the founding president of one of Chicago’s leading faith-based community development programs. I attended a workshop led by the ELCA Director for Congregation-based Organizing. I get emails from the Christian Community Development Association. I’ve read a history of Industrial Areas Foundation organizing in San Antonio, and have even had a few conversations with an organizer.

With all of these resources and experiences, I have struggled (along with the congregation) to translate this into a clear and coherent way for us at Amazing Grace to connect with our congregation and community. On the far western edge of Bexar County, Amazing Grace had, up until a few years ago, been a rural congregation out in the country. Now newer houses surround us on three sides; construction is happening on the fourth. A vast majority of our families live at least three miles from church; many live ten or more miles away. We have Angel Food ministry and are starting a bilingual worship service. Amazing Grace has a long history of collecting food, clothing, blankets, toiletries, and other items for people in need. We have done charity well, but could work on justice.

I do believe that Amazing Grace Lutheran Church has the potential to be a national leader in suburban congregational-based organizing and community justice work. That could be our niche. We have some potentially helpful assets: five acres of land, new neighborhoods growing around us, passionate people who want to love their neighbors. Imagine visitors checking out our worship service because they want to see liturgy that speaks with integrity. Imagine folks all over the country passing on our web address, telling their pastor, “This is a church that does it right.” Imagine students coming to Amazing Grace for transformative life-changing internships—not just seminarians, but students in social work, public health, or counseling. This could be Amazing Grace, but we have to start somewhere.

Dear readers, I have two questions for you:
1). If you know Amazing Grace and its San Antonio context, what could be next steps for us in this journey to reach out to our neighborhood? I’m not thinking of ways to get more buns in the pews, but for ways that our congregation might work with others to help our neighbors.

2). Who can we learn from? What congregations do community development and social justice work well in a suburban or exurban setting? I’m not thinking of big churches with high worship attendance and sparkly Sunday school programs. I’m thinking about suburban congregations that intentionally connect with their neighborhoods for the sake of justice.

July 11th's sermon as a Wordle

2010-07-13T15:43:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday's Gospel passage was the story that Jesus tells when the lawyer asks him about neighbors. I used this "Good Samaritan" story as an opportunity for us to think about our own exurban neighborhood context. We're not in a rural area where people share vegetables and help with harvest. We're not in a walkable urban neighborhood with mixed-use development. It's harder to get to know your neighbors when there are eight-foot privacy fences. I also used the sermon as a chance to think about God's compassion.

Here is what my sermon looks like as a Wordle (the bigger the word, the more often it was used):

Blog as a Wordle

2010-07-13T15:37:00.000-07:00

Wordle is a web tool that allows words to be put into a sort of picture cloud. The words that get used the most become the biggest. Here is a wordle for this blog:

Worship why: Occasional services

2010-06-29T11:41:00.000-07:00

I’ve seen Pastor Paul carry around a little red or green book. What is it?

It’s one of two editions of Occasional Services, a book of rites, prayers, and readings for times in the life of both individuals and congregations that don’t happen often enough to need to be in the pew edition of the hymnal. One hospital chaplain I worked with said she could always tell a Lutheran pastor by their green book. It can be powerful and meaningful to find times in our lives for some of these worship and pastoral care opportunities, including: blessing of a home, renewing marriage vows, remembering the anniversary of a death, removing a loved one’s life-sustaining care, marking a sobriety milestone, commissioning people going on a service trip, dedicating a stained-glass window, or saying farewell and Godspeed to someone moving far away.

Worship why: Patriotism

2010-06-29T11:30:00.000-07:00

The 4th of July falls on a Sunday this year. How will we recognize this in church?

The 6th Sunday after Pentecost happens to be on the same day as Independence Day. Whereas we are certainly thankful to God for our country and the freedoms we have, the object of our worship is always God. Our identity as baptized children of God comes before any human allegiances. We let the church year be the church year, so our readings will be the ones normally assigned for the 6th Sunday after Pentecost. The time to acknowledge secular holidays is in our prayers of intercession. We will have specific petitions, giving thanks for our freedom and praying for our country, leaders, and military. Some of our hymns will be a brief nod toward patriotism. We’ll sing Lift Every Voice and Sing (LBW 562), which includes the line, “true to our God; true to our native land.” Francis Scott Key, who wrote the national anthem, also wrote hymns. We’ll sing his hymn, Lord, with Glowing Heart (LBW 243, which uses the tune PLEADING SAVIOR). After the 11:00 service, we’ll also have a potluck picnic.

Worship why: Bilingual service

2010-06-29T11:28:00.000-07:00

We have a new bilingual worship service coming up. What will it be like?

The reasons for starting such a service are twofold. First, after discontinuing Saturday evening worship last December, it meets some needs for people looking for worship opportunities on a Saturday. Second, it is a way to reach out to others who might not otherwise feel welcome in a Lutheran congregation. It’s an asset-based approach, recognizing that we have bilingual people at Amazing Grace. Let’s use these gifts. It’s also a chance for us to be cutting-edge. Right now, San Antonio is the largest city in the United States without an ELCA congregation that worships regularly in a language other than English. Frankly, it would be much easer to have worship in one language or another instead of both. Bilingual worship is an intentional step toward living together in the midst of differences.

It is be one Saturday evening a month, with Communion. Music will be guitar-led, with some hand percussion players, too. We will use a bilingual setting of the liturgy, singing things in both English and Spanish. The blue With One Voice hymnal has quite a few bilingual hymns that we have sung in worship before. The bulletin will have parts in both languages. The sermon would be in both languages. I find that worshiping bilingually is a creative way to experience the wonder of God and get to know neighbors in new ways. We’re aiming toward the last Saturday of the month at 5:30. Our first bilingual service is July 31. Bring a friend!

Read some of Amazing Grace's website in Spanish: http://www.aglcsa.org/espanol.

A changing voice

2010-06-29T11:21:00.000-07:00

For most of my growing up years, I sang in my congregation’s church choir. It was a formative time of learning about music and becoming comfortable having a leadership role in worship. After a few years in the youth choir, I was comfortable, had lots of friends, and knew what I was doing there.

However, one night before choir practice in seventh grade, the director came up to me and said, “Paul, we need to talk. I think your voice has changed on us.” Wearing high-water pants that I had quickly outgrown and desperately needing to borrow my dad’s razor, I was one of the only boys still in the choir, and had been squeakily trying to sing in a high falsetto (like Frankie Valli or Tiny Tim) for the past few months in order to have my voice blend in with the other treble-voiced singers. It was time for me to switch into the high school choir, even though I was not yet in high school.

In the high school choir, I felt weird being the only middle schooler, but I quickly made new friends and started to feel welcome. I no longer had to struggle to make my voice fit. I did have to learn how to read a different set of musical notation in order to follow the musical score and sing the lower parts written in bass clef. It took some time of embarrassing awkwardness, but I eventually become much more comfortable with my changed voice.

At Amazing Grace, our voice is changing. We are in the midst of development and transformation. We are less rural and more suburban. There are new roofs and handicap ramps. We’ve had intentional conversations about hospitality, sexuality, and human genetics. We just finished a Vacation Bible School with a civil rights theme, and are starting a bilingual worship service. With some shifts in leadership and worship styles, we’ve been amazingly resilient. We’ve had more visitors in recent weeks, and I feel a sort of momentum is growing. We’re getting to meet new people and learn to work with each other. Like me shifting into a new choir, we are shifting into new surroundings and a new time in our development.

Getting used to a new voice takes time. Change can be awkward and embarrassing. Once in a while, there are squeaks and breaks. The old voice wasn’t a bad voice, it was just different. From sixth to eight grade, I went from a skinny, high-voiced sixth-grader to a deeper-voiced young man. A lot can happen in two years.

A lot has happened the two years since I first came to Texas for “meet the pastoral candidate” weekend. As a pastor, I’ve learned so much about being in Christian community. As a congregation, we’re still getting used to different voices. I don’t know exactly what our voice will sound like in future years, but that’s part of the excitement as we grow and change together.

(Also appears as my July newsletter column).

My favorite hymns

2010-06-25T08:00:00.000-07:00

I’ve made a list of just ten of my favorite hymns. It’s a list of church music that has been important to me in some way. I’ve been intentional that this list is congregational song, not organ preludes or choral anthems. It’s stuff that God’s people can sing together. I surprised myself with how many are from the green Lutheran Book of Worship (LBW)—eight. One is from the blue With One Voice (WOV), and one is from the red Libro (LLC), a Spanish-language Lutheran resource. I realize most of these are in the cranberry Evangelical Lutheran Worship, but my congregation hasn’t switched to ELW, so I’m not as familiar with the page number.

What I look for in a hymn are texts that faithfully proclaim the Gospel without being trite and tunes that are conducive for congregational singing without being maudlin or annoying. I prefer hymns that speak to God, rather than pretending that we are God speaking in the first person. (Another Lutheran pastor, who writes a wonderful column on worship and liturgy, argues much better than me for congregational singing being the primary choir in worship).

At Amazing Grace, we usually have been selecting hymns a few months at a time. I make a list of six or seven hymns that I think would be appropriate for each Sunday and send that list to our pianist and worship chair. We then get together and winnow down the list to four for each week. More often than not, my list is just a starting point; sometimes we come up with something new. My primary criteria at Amazing Grace has been singability. I would rather have us sing a good (or even OK) hymn well as a congregation than to sing a beautiful and theologically perfect hymn poorly.

When it comes down to it, sometimes it is just hard to explain why one hymn works, and another doesn’t.

Well, here’s the list (in no particular order):

Lift Every Voice and Sing (LBW 562). Though sometimes I’ve heard it argued that white people shouldn’t be singing this hymn that speaks so strongly of African American experience, I think it so beautifully address human experience—“weary years,” “silent tears,” “stormy the road we trod.” I try to have the congregation sing this when the lectionary has stories of Israel in exile.

Earth and All Stars (LBW 558). With my geography background, I’ve always liked the nature imagery in this hymn. Can you imagine boiling test tubes and limestone singing to God?

Lord, Whose Love in Humble Service (LBW 423). The line, “Still your children wander homeless; still the hungry cry for bread” always haunts me. This American Sacred Harp tune also reminds me of my time singing shape note music.

For All the Saints (LBW 174). We feebly struggle. They in glory shine. Yes.

I Love to Tell the Story (LBW 390). This was the closing hymn at my ordination. What we do as Christians is storytelling as we share Good News with our neighbors.

All Praise to Thee, My God, this Night (LBW 278). I first learned this as a camp counselor in Montana. We would actually chant Compline from the LBW with middle schoolers, singing this hymn in canon. Yes, young people can do traditional liturgy.

Let us Break Bread Together (LBW 212). This was the default overflow Communion hymn when I was growing up. If the assigned hymns finished before everyone was communed, this hymn would often be played.

You Have Come Down to the Lakeshore (WOV 784). I love singing this hymn in Spanish, but I haven’t really found a good English translation for it yet.

Built on a Rock the Church Shall Stand (LBW 365). When there was scaffolding around the steeple of my internship congregation, I joked that “built on a rock, the church shall stand, even when steeples are falling.” This hymn became even more meaningful for me as I reflect on the 2009 ELCA Churchwide Assembly in Minneapolis, where a tornado knocked down the steeple of Central Lutheran Church. See my posting from last September. I was a bit surprised to see that this was a very unfamiliar hymn at Amazing Grace. I have tried to introduce it.

What a Friend we Have in Jesus (LBW 439). Many of the hymns on this list I first heard with flawless and beautiful performances. This is not the case here. I grew up hearing this hymn sung out of tune and with no rhythm, but it was sung with love. When I was really little, my mom would sing this as a lullaby.

Did your favorites make the list?

Guess my favorite hymns!

2010-06-23T19:54:00.000-07:00

In a few days, I’m going to do a post about my favorite hymns. I’ve already made my list, but I thought it would be fun for my friends and readers to guess what some of my favorite hymns are. I could make a list of favorite Advent hymns, favorite Scandinavian hymns about death, favorite hymns by female composers, but I’m not. I just have a general list of ten hymns (in no particular order) that resonate with my faith experience that are found in Lutheran hymnals (Lutheran Book of Worship, With one Voice, Evangelical Lutheran Worship, This Far By Faith, or Libro de Liturgia y Cantico). I will post my list on Friday.

Can you guess?

Children's sermons

2010-06-15T11:10:00.001-07:00

At the Christian Century’s blog, William Willimon recently wrote about children’s sermons. As a pastor, I’m not a fan of children’s sermons for many of the same reasons that Willimon mentions—they’re not usually for children and they’re not usually sermons.

I love the idea of making worship meaningful for children. I often get annoyed when I hear people say, “children are the future of the Church.” That is totally not true; children are part of the church today. 21st century North American Christians don’t always do a good job demonstrating that sentiment. Too often, kids get ghettoized into children’s church or Sunday school during the worship time.

Though nearly twenty year later, I still remember attending a service where the preacher stopped his sermon to sternly invite a woman to stop her child from crying. Now as a pastor, I don't want to be like that guy.

At Amazing Grace, our bulletin usually includes the line: “We find the sight and sound of squirming children in worship to be a beautiful and welcome sign of God’s new life. For the convenience of families who prefer it, however, we do have a cry room near the back.”

I prefer that children worship with their families. That said, I know I don’t do the best job of making children welcome. We have a few second and third graders that regularly acolyte and hold the chalice during Communion. It’s great to have kids at worship (and in leadership roles), but I find children’s sermons to be a difficult task.

I think I’ve done about three children’s sermons since coming to Amazing Grace, and none in recent months. We barely have a quorum of kids. There are fewer things more awkward than giving a children’s sermon to one or two young people. It puts them on the spot, and is uncomfortable for the pastor, too. Far too often, children’s sermons become a chance for kids to become the center of attention when they say funny things to entertain the adults. That’s not a sermon. The purpose of Lutheran preaching is to proclaim Good News. It’s about what God does, not what we do. Moralistic fables that command us to be nice to people are not sermons.

With this in mind, I attempt to have “adult” sermons have some children’s sermon elements. For me, this means that I try to appeal to a variety of senses. This also recognizes that people of all ages learn in different ways. Last summer, when lots of bread imagery was in the lectionary, we had fresh bread baking in the sanctuary as people entered, so the aroma of bread would be a sign of welcome. In January, I stood in a kid’s swimming pool on Baptism of our Lord as I preached about living in God’s baptismal grace. I don’t do things like that every week, but often enough to keep me creative.

I’d love to hear your thoughts about how worship can be more welcoming to children.

I don't really want to talk about this, but...

2010-06-09T13:35:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to travel to Chicago. I used some of my continuing education time to take a preaching and pastoral class back at my seminary.

Besides learning a lot about wedding and funeral sermons, I also got to visit with some dear friends and walk around my old neighborhood—the Hyde Park community around the University of Chicago. I walked near 58th and Ellis—near the medical school—and I saw him. As I had done several times a week during the three years I lived there, I crossed the street early so I would not have to talk to him, or risk making eye contact or getting handed one of his pamphlets.

With his white hair and white beard, this jolly middle-aged man could pass for Santa Claus. But he’s not. In my mind, I think of him as the Circumcision Guy. For at least five years, he has been on that corner in front of the hospital almost every day with his picket signs protesting circumcision. He describes it as genital mutilation. Apparently the U of C Hospitals circumcise about 80 percent of newborn boys, when the national average in about half.

You might be wondering, “Why is Paul blogging about this?”

This weekend, the assigned 2nd Lesson is from Galatians 2:15-21 and is part of a larger controversy about circumcision. It’s actually not about circumcision, but is about whether one must follow the Jewish Torah in order to be Christian. Circumcision is just the most visible sign of the law. I love this passage from Galatians because it so clearly talks about grace and the idea that Christ lives in us, but it’s difficult to have a complete exegetical discussion about Galatians without talking about circumcision. I don’t feel comfortable doing that in a sermon, lest a little kid asks their parent after church, “Mommy, what’s circumcision?” I figure the blog is a better forum for this conversation. I’ll likely focus on the Gospel text from Luke for this Sunday.

Just before Sunday’s lesson begins, in verse 11 Paul describes a conflict with Cephas, where Cephas kept himself separate for fear of the circumcision faction. In Chicago, I crossed the street early to avoid talking to a representative of a very different, but equally fervent circumcision faction.

These pro-circumcision folks (sometimes called Judaizers, but I think that term seems a bit politically charged these days) have infiltrated the community of Galatian Jesus-followers. The argue that one has to follow Jewish law in order to become Christian. Paul does not tolerate this preaching at all. “You foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you?” he asks in 3:1.

What we learn from this Galatian situation is that there is only one message that can be tolerated—God’s grace. We don’t need to be circumcised, avoid pork, or do anything to receive God’s grace. This is very good news. I pray that I could be as ardent and passionate in sharing this message as the Circumcision Guy is about his.

A white guy in a kufi?

2010-06-09T08:32:00.000-07:00

I’m wearing the kufi and the kente fabric in my role as the griot in our civil rights-themed Vacation Bible School, On the Move: God’s Grace from Place to Place. A griot is a traditional storyteller, and in our curriculum, he introduces the day during the opening gathering time and tells the Bible story. The curriculum suggested that the griot wear traditional African garb.

Our education committee thought that would be fun; I was a bit uncomfortable. As a non-African, it feels weird to be wearing ethnic attire from a culture that isn’t mine. I feel like I would be usurping somebody else’s heritage. My thoughts took me back to a conversation on blogger PeaceBang’s site from a few years ago about white pastors wearing multicultural stoles. I felt uneasy, but thought it might be a good opportunity for my congregation to learn about other cultures.

When I was in Chicago last month, I stopped by an African store, wanting to see if there might be anything appropriate for me to wear at VBS. I nervously explained my situation to the woman at the store: “I’m a white pastor of a mostly white congregation, and we’re doing a Vacation Bible School with a civil rights theme. I know that seems odd, but I think it’s really important for us to learn some of these stories. Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. Our curriculum suggests that I wear African garb, and I feel uncomfortable doing it because I’m not African. What do you think?”

She said, “Oh, Pastor, don’t worry. You know Father Pfleger, right? Father Pfleger wears kente all the time. As long you’re trying to stop racism, it’s all right. Go ahead, and try on this one.” I tried on the kufi that I’m wearing in the picture. I do know who Michael Pfleger is, but I am definitely not Father Pfleger. Though I’ve never met him nor attended Mass at his parish, he is a well-known figure in Chicago. As the white pastor of a mostly African American Roman Catholic parish, he has been an outspoken leader about justice issues in Chicago and beyond. With over forty years of ministry in African American communities, he has the credibility to pull it off. I don’t.

Nevertheless, I’m wearing it anyway. I realize that I am pushing the boundary toward taking another’s culture, but I also see it as an opportunity for learning and conversation. I know a mostly white congregation learning about civil rights seems unusual, but it shouldn’t be. African American history is American history. I love that our children are learning about heroes of faith and justice that they might not learn about in school (we do live in Texas). I love that we're combining faith and justice. We’re also starting to learn that justice is not just a race issue. I long for the day when there is no injustice for us to learn about.

It's VBS time!

2010-06-06T20:52:00.001-07:00

Tonight was our first night of Family Vacation Bible School, with around fifty people attending. It’s meant to be intergenerational—with kids and adults. After some technical difficulties with the sound on our video, we heard some stories about people working for racial justice in the 1960s. Our theme is On the Move: God’s Grace from Place to Place. Every week, we’re in a different place across America, learning stories about civil rights as well as stories from the Bible.

Tonight our theme was justice. We learned about Deborah working for justice against the Canaanites. The people of Israel came to her for justice. We also learned about Gloria Richardson, who worked for civil rights in Cambridge, Maryland. For our meal together, we had Maryland crab cakes. Here are pictures of our intergenerational art project—the freedom bus—and the tree that our kindergarten class sat around when they learned about Deborah sitting under the palm tree giving judgment (Judges 4:5). We’re off to a great start. Thanks to all the people who are making this a great opportunity!

A work in progress...

2010-06-04T12:02:00.000-07:00

Here are a few pics of construction at Amazing Grace. The youth building is looking fantastic; we're starting to be more accesible, and the bathrooms are getting remodeled. We also have a new roof. Come to church on Sunday to see more.

Sailing the Steward Ship

2010-06-01T13:49:00.000-07:00

In thinking about budgets and stewardship, I have been very vocal about my discomfort with lots of fundraisers and raffles. Here is an ELCA document with similar notions:

http://www.elca.org/What-We-Believe/New-or-Returning-to-Church/Dig-Deeper/Commercialism.aspx

Where is the cross?

2010-05-28T13:06:00.000-07:00

On Pentecost Sunday in May, three Amazing Grace eighth graders affirmed their faith in the rite of Confirmation. The Saturday before, I attended breakfast with their families. It was a time of togetherness and conversation as we reflected on our time together. When my waffles, eggs, and bacon came, I looked at my meal, and apologized, saying, “I’m sorry. I can’t help myself. I need to take a picture of this!”

Yes, I took a picture of breakfast. I was struck by the shape my bacon made—a cross. Even something that the Old Testament describes as unclean can remind me of God. I was also reminded of the television advertisements that our denomination, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, has produced. The ads show everyday objects, like pencils or breadsticks making a cross shape, using the tagline God’s Work. Our Hands. Some of these ads have recently aired locally on KSAT 12.

At Amazing Grace, we have made our own television ads that will piggyback off what the synod is doing. They will appear on KSAT some time in June. Several San Antonio area congregations have ads. In ours, I briefly talk about who Lutherans are. I say that we celebrate God’s presence with all our hurting world.

This is where I find the Lutheran emphasis on the cross helpful. Jesus meets us in our human suffering. As Lutheran Christians, we don’t have good answers about why bad stuff happens, but we affirm that God is right there suffering with us.

As Lutherans, we also believe that God is present with us. I was reminded of God’s presence when I saw bacon at a restaurant. How are you reminded of God in your everyday life? Maybe you see cross-shaped tiles on your bathroom floor. Maybe the spoons in your silverware drawer get in the shape of a cross.

But we don’t actually have to have cross-shaped things to remember the cross. Maybe we can be cross-shaped ourselves. That doesn’t mean we have to do strange contortionist gymnastics. It means we live as Jesus—loving people, welcoming people, giving of ourselves.

Look around you carefully. You might just see Jesus.

(Originally published in the June 2010 newsletter of Amazing Grace Lutheran Church).

Holy Trinity

2010-05-28T08:10:00.001-07:00

This upcoming holiday weekend also includes Trinity Sunday. It is the only day in the church calendar dedicated to a doctrine. We have days in the church calendar for remembering people—All Saint’s Day, John the Baptist, St. Luke, even more modern people like Martin Luther King or Oscar Romero. We have days in the church calendar for events—Christmas, Easter, Pentecost (last Sunday), the Baptism of Our Lord, Reformation Day. But today is the only day that remembers a doctrine. The Trinity is a teaching of the church instead of a teaching of the Bible. Search as much as you want, and you will never find the word “trinity” in the Bible. Though not in the Bible, we see God functioning throughout the Bible as a parent/creator, as Jesus, and as a spirit.

Yet the doctrine of the Trinity has also been labeled too old-fashioned, too masculine, and too hard to understand. It is indeed a difficult concept to understand. Do we have one God or three? Is Jesus God or is God Jesus? What about the Holy Spirit? Is the Trinity just two men and a bird?

Over the years Christians have tried very hard to answer these questions by explaining this concept of the Trinity. In some ways, it could be like water—sometimes a liquid, sometimes a solid, and sometimes a gas. Or it could be like an apple—a core, a peel, and the inside part.

As much as we might try, explaining the Trinity in rational terms is difficult. We cannot ever fully understand the mystery that God is. As human beings, we so often want full, complete answers to all our questions. This is, in part, how the understanding of the Trinity came to be. Early followers of Jesus were trying to understand who Jesus is, and how that relates to God.

We have one God, but God plays many roles interacting in the world. God creates, God is like a parent, God is like a rock, or a wind, or a word, or a breath. God is fully present in creating the world, in walking with our suffering, and in bringing us from death to new life. Jesus is with us.

By the fourth century, some Christians thought that Jesus was fully God. Others thought that he couldn’t be the same as God. These questions were addressed at the Council of Nicea. Christianity was starting to be a religion of power, and Christianity would start to bring even more power for the people in power if all the Christians agreed about who God is. The Nicene Creed was a result of the debates in Nicea. The Council of Nicea was organized by the Roman Emperor, and the Creed organized there could be taken as another symbol of Christianity being an oppressive and patriarchal religion.

Yet, the image of the Trinity can also be taken as a symbol of equality and communality. The three parts of the Trinity all share in being God. One is not more important than the other. Where one is, the others are also present. The Trinity is who God is—community. It is relationships between the three parts that makes God God.

If we are created in the image of God, then we are created in the image of community. What would that look like if we took seriously the image of being created in the image of God as community?

Perhaps it would look like what our congregation does every Sunday before Communion—pass the peace. As we shuffle around the sanctuary, we greet one another, look each other in the eye, shake each other’s hand, and show the other that they are important. We remember that God is with us.

It's been a while...

2010-05-28T07:36:00.000-07:00

It's been a few weeks since I've shared anything here. I spent a week in Chicago learning about baptisms, weddings and funerals. At church, we had Confirmation and a congregational meeting. Now, we're gearing up for Vacation Bible School and living in the midst of construction.

Up, up, and away!

2010-05-13T06:13:00.000-07:00

Today is the day we celebrate the Ascension of our Lord. Jesus is lifted into heaven, leaving instructions for his disciples to await the coming of the Holy Spirit, as he is blessing them.

We are now forty days after Easter and ten days before Pentecost, reminding us of the forty days Jesus appeared on Earth after his resurrection. It’s the day we remember Jesus, after appearing to his disciples, is no longer with them on Earth. The disciples do not get Left Behind. Rather, he is present with them and with us in a new way, through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Now I think that with the Ascension it’s tempting to get caught up in issues of levitation rather than the theological meaning Christ’s Ascension has for us. In the modern quest for the Historical Jesus, one could ask what the disciples actually saw, or what the Ascension would look like on 35mm film. Curious minds also could wonder how exactly Jesus ascended into heaven. Did he have a beautiful balloon? Did he have a George Jetson rocket pack or one of those personal hover devices powered by a vacuum cleaner that used to be advertised in comic books? Were the clouds cirrus or cumulus? If gravity were suspended for Jesus, why didn’t the disciples standing right next to him float away, too?

These questions are fun to think about and imagine, but they are really missing the point. Ascension is less about flying away and skyward journeys than it is about Jesus and his divine role. It’s not a science fiction tale, but rather a story of faith.

“Lifting up his hands he blessed them. While he was blessing them, he withdrew from them and was carried up into heaven” (Luke 24:51). Notice that this happened while he was blessing them, as opposed to after he blessed them. It seems that Jesus hasn’t finished blessing his people. He is still doing it. This is the gift of the ascension—Christ’s blessing on us forever. Amen.

Trash talk

2010-05-13T05:29:00.000-07:00

At last week's council meeting, our congregation voted to get a dumpster. This is very good news. Over the past years, church members have taken turns taking church trash home with them. Now we have an easy place to deposit it. I know that I have had days of stinkiness linger in my car after my spin as a garbage courier.

I wonder what this means theologically. I think of biblical images about repentance and being washed clean: “Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin” (Psalm 51:1-2). Having a dumpster makes it easier to get rid of our church trash.

That phrase, “church trash” intrigues me. Of course we have garbage at church—paper cups, napkins, and things like that. But we also have our trashy feelings. I’ve noticed that some of the worst and mean-spirited grudges can come from people at church. I guess Luther was right in describing us as simul justus et peccator. We are both saint and sinner.

In that sense, we’ve always had a sort of dumpster at church. It’s called a baptismal font. Perhaps having a physical garbage container on our campus will help us get rid of actual garbage and remind us that we are daily washed in the waters of baptism.

SWOT

2010-05-04T15:20:00.000-07:00

On April 18, our congregation had a forum to help us think about who we are as a parish. Participants were assigned to small groups and asked to discuss strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) at Amazing Grace. These were then shared with the large group and compiled into this listing. It is shared here to continue conversation.

Strengths
Friendliness
Large property/5 acres
Location
Members
Talents & spiritual gifts
Young new pastor
Youth program
Message of grace
History/long term memory
Programs in general
Great council
Worship opportunities
Visionaries
Fellowship
Well order worship/Bible based

Weaknesses
Communication/internal & external
Lack of volunteers
Finances
Status quo
Aging congregation
Long term memory
Lack of maintenance
Nothing for children during service/no cradle roll
Space/small facilities
Curb appeal/visibility
Lack of shared vision
Not many young people
Difficult to retain young families
Lack of fellowship after service
Lost members

Opportunities
Neighborhood garden
Space for organizations to meet
Young neighborhood
More signage
Opportunity to be witness to neighborhood
Visiting and supporting fellow parishioners
Resurrecting amphitheater
Spanish speaking service
Areal of large growth
Expanded youth program
50’s+ program
Learning how to invite others/reach out
Neighborhood youth program
Using holidays as way to include community

Threats
Lack of tithes/money
Miscommunication
No shared vision, strategic plan of common goal
Apathy
Other growing churches have more to offer
Members unwilling to change
Slowing economy
Not making church a priority
No financial cushion
Not looking at own strengths/assessing strengths
Unwilling to change/my way or the highway
Lack of unity
Homosexuality controversy/ELCA decisions
Instant gratification/desire to be entertained
No active participation by some in congregation
Tagging in neighborhood

Suggestions for what to do with this information
Awareness
Action plan/strategic plan
Set goals with timelines
Put on blog, newsletter, bulletin insert
Prioritize issues we want to deal with
Timeframe when to look at these again
Have congregation prioritize one area a month
Talk to small groups/cottage meetings

Synod Assembly

2010-05-02T18:33:00.000-07:00

I spent the weekend at our synod’s assembly in New Braunfels. Here is the Synod’s report of what officially happened. I’ll try to have some of my own commentary here in the next days.

http://images.acswebnetworks.com/1/498/2010SynodAssembly.pdf

Baptismal citizenship

2010-04-28T11:52:00.000-07:00

As I write this in my office, I hear the sound of U.S. Census worker training taking place upstairs. It’s the rustling of tables, moving of chairs. It is the sound of good stewardship. I love that our space can be used by the community. When Cub Scouts or a homeowner’s association uses Amazing Grace property as a meeting place, it shows our neighbors that something is going on here. It also provides an evangelism opportunity. The more people who have some sort of contact with Amazing Grace, the better.

Having census people at Amazing Grace reminds me that I need to fill out a census form and get counted. I am amazed at the effort and work that it takes to count everyone in the United States. If the government can collect that information about us, imagine how well God knows the billions and billions of people who have ever lived. A psalmist writes:

O Lord, you have searched me and known me. You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from far away. You search out my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways (Psalm 139:1-3).

With the U.S. Census going on, and with recent legislation in Arizona about immigration, there is a lot of talk in our cultural and political milieu about who has what papers when and who is a citizen where. I’m reminded of what Paul tells the congregation at Phillipi: “But our citizenship is in heaven, and it is from there that we are expecting a Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Phil 3:20).

When it comes down to it, our citizenship in heaven is what matters. We are all children of God, but I wonder how might we prove this citizenship if we got pulled over? By our love? By how we treat our neighbor? By a baptismal certificate?

My own baptismal certificate is on my office wall. It’s a white piece of paper with blue ballpoint pen writing. It’s not beautifully illustrated with handsome calligraphy like some of those I’ve seen from a generation or so back. I know people who have lost their baptismal certificates, but they are still loved by God.

On May 9, we will welcome another person into the Body of Christ. When I pour water on that baby boy’s head, we will witness again God’s love being poured out.

Our citizenship in the Kingdom is sealed by the cleansing waters of baptism and by what God does for us.
Papers—we don't need no stinking papers.
We're all documented by God, even without a baptismal certificate.
We're all a part of the reign of God.
We're sealed by the Holy Spirit and marked with the cross of Christ forever.

Radical hospitality radio

2010-04-27T15:49:00.000-07:00

I know that I talk about welcome and hospitality very frequently. Apparently, some people are hearing what I’ve been saying. Jackie, a long-time member of Amazing Grace and regular reader of this blog, functions as a guest blogger and shares a story about radical hospitality from this past weekend:

Ever since Pastor Paul arrived here (18 months now) he has talked and written about "radical hospitality"—about our church becoming a more welcoming and inviting church, and for us old timers (of which I am one) to see where just maybe others don't see us as we see ourselves. Likewise, he told us this story: his uncle was visiting him here in SA, came to our church and we were happy to meet him, and then they visited another larger church in our area and he said no one came up to offer assistance, or even acknowledge their presence in any way. Get the picture?

WEELLLLLLL This Sunday morning on my way to church between 7:30 and 8 o'clock a.m., I had WOAI 1200 on my car radio, and I believe it was a Baptist church broadcasting at that time, when I heard the Preacher say, "Radical hospitality. You are going to be hearing that phrase a lot in the near future: "radical hospitality." I just about drove off the road! Then he went on to say that some visitors had recently been to their campus, and no one offered any assistance or even made eye contact (sound familiar?) AND the Preacher was sure there would be those in the congregation that had been there longer than he who would disagree and say, “Oh but we are a friendly and welcoming church,” and maybe needed to take another look at things (maybe?) WEEEEELLLLLL by this time I had pulled over to the side of the road, listened carefully to see that this was not my pastor's voice and message coming through my car radio!!!! I just KNEW that God was channeling him just for me and about then the preacher gave an altar call to close the program and I KNEW then Pastor Paul was NOT being channeled thru my car radio. I, and I mean I, got the picture!!!!. AMEN.

“Welcome” or “Go Home”

2010-04-20T09:26:00.000-07:00

At Amazing Grace, we often have kids from the neighborhood wander on to church property, often to use our playground. I struggle with issues of liability and supervision, but I think it is a great opportunity for young people to feel welcome. I pass on this wonderful story about congregational hospitality from a member of Amazing Grace:

Sitting on the Amazing Grace patio is always a spiritual adventure. The other day, as I was talking with someone ordering Angel Food, I noticed a small head peeking around the side of the building. It would peek and duck, peek and duck. I walked over to see to whom it belonged and was asked, “Are you a go home person or a welcome person?” When I answered that I am a welcome person, he said, “Good” and went running across the lawn. I hope I will always be a welcome person.

A week of weeks

2010-04-07T18:23:00.001-07:00

Here we are in the season of Easter. It’s more than just a day of jelly beans, lilies, and fancy hats. It is a whole season from Easter to Pentecost. At 50 days, it’s a week of weeks. During these weeks, I plan on focusing my preaching on the book Acts and lessons from the early church. To help us keep celebrating Easter, here are some photos from this past weekend:

In my white chasuble, I light the new fire for the Vigil of Easter. It was a bit windy, so our individual candles didn't work as well when we processed with them. The fire was made from past Advent and Christmas greenery, reminding us of the cycle of Jesus' birth, death, and resurrection.

The pulpit with our new gold parament for Easter.

A banner with "alleluia" and handprints created at the Fast Night Lenten kick-off in February.

This is the night! What is the Easter Vigil, anyway?

2010-04-03T07:13:00.000-07:00

This is the night!

This is the night we remember what God has done. This is the night we will light the Pascal candle. This is the night we will again hear about what God has done. This is the night that we sing Alleluia once more. At Amazing Grace, we will hang up a banner with handprints and alleluias that was made at a church event before Lent started. This is the night that Christ has triumphed over the tomb.

Some of you might be wondering, “Why are we singing Alleluia now? Is this too early? Didn’t Jesus rise on Easter Sunday? Why Saturday night?”

In the ancient Jewish and early Christian calendar systems, the day begins not at sunrise or at midnight, but at sundown the night before. That’s why Sabbath-keeping Orthodox Jews start their Sabbath on Friday nights. So, for us, in this ancient calendar system, we are entering into Easter.

The service we celebrate tonight might be unfamiliar to some Lutherans. There has been a strong movement in recent years by Lutherans in the United States to reclaim the Easter Vigil from the inner bowels of liturgy and theology books. For example, it was only in the minister’s edition of the 1978 Lutheran Book of Worship, but is in the pew edition of the 2006 Evangelical Lutheran Worship.

But in the early centuries of Christianity, this was the night. This was the one time for new Christians to be welcomed into the life of the community through the waters of Baptism. So tonight, we get wet. We will remember our baptism and get sprinkled with water dripping from an evergreen bough. Still soaking from the sacramental rite, those early Christians would then share the feast of Holy Communion. We, too, share this sacred meal tonight.

While practicing for last year’s Vigil, some of the children noticed that we left out a verse from Rise and Shine—the “floodie, floodie” song about Noah and the flood. We did not sing:
This is the end of our story, story. Everything is hunky-dory-dory.

We left it out because it is not the end of the story. God’s story of promise and love does not end when the animals come onto the landy-landy. It is a new beginning—a fresh start.

God’s story does not end when the children of Israel trod with unmoistened foot across the Red Sea waters. It is a new beginning—a fresh start.

God’s story does not end when Jonah gets puked onto the shores on Ninevah. It is a new beginning—a fresh start.

God’s story does not end when Jesus shares the meal and washes his disciple’s feet.
God’s story does not end when Jesus gets betrayed and arrested.
God’s story does not end when Jesus hangs on the cross.
God’s story does not even end when Jesus says “It is finished.”
God’s story does not end when the women find that Jesus has risen.

It is a new beginning—a fresh start.
God’s story keeps on keeping on.
God’s story is the Resurrection.
God’s story is new life.
God’s story becomes our story.

As Christians we gather on Easter because we know that in a broken world, we need the promise of a God who breakes into our story.
Christ is Risen. Alleluia.
Amen. Amen.

Spring at Amazing Grace

2010-03-31T10:50:00.000-07:00

Now in the midst of Holy Week, here are signs of God's new life:

Political street theater

2010-03-30T11:57:00.000-07:00

On Friday, a few of us from Amazing Grace experienced some political street theater near the campus of Our Lady of the Lake University where Westboro Baptist Church was scheduled to protest a theater production of The Laramie Project, a play about Matthew Shepard, the Wyoming man so violently beaten a decade ago. We went to see the play, but to also prayerfully and nonviolently counterprotest this group that regularly protests military funerals, college graduations, and other events. Fred Phelps, their leader, is the example of so much of what I don’t want to be as a Christian.

The evening was a bit anticlimactic. We didn’t see Fred Phelps. We didn’t hear hate-filled shouts. We did however, encounter more of the crowd gathered with signs promoting love. There was some shouting and horn-honking, but for us from Amazing Grace, it was more a night at the theater than a night of political street theater.

Though I love the idea of being vocal about our faith and being a witness of God’s love in the world, marching is certainly not in my comfort zone. I’ve done a few MLK marches, but I always feel a bit anxious and uneasy. Will I get arrested? Is somebody going to get hurt? Am I willing to take risks for what I believe?

The play itself was very powerful. It retells the experience of Laramie residents before and after the attack. After the play, I felt emotionally drained. It’s hard to imagine that such violence exits, and that people can be so hateful.

As I watched the play, I was very aware that religion was playing a major role in how people understood the tragedy. Characters included a Unitarian Universalist minister, some sort of Christian Evangelical preacher, a Roman Catholic priest, and Fred Phelps. I noticed an absence of Lutherans. I know that there is a Lutheran congregation in Laramie, and have been there, but wonder now what their response was.

And I wonder what my response would be. If something like that happened here in San Antonio, would I speak out? How would I address it? I pray that I would have courage to remain loving and faithful.

And so, here we are in Holy Week, after the political street theater of Palm Sunday.

Romero

2010-03-24T12:04:00.000-07:00

Today marks the thirtieth anniversary of the death of Archbishop Oscar Romero, the Salvadoran church leader who was assassinated while presiding at Communion in 1980. He courageously spoke out on behalf of those who are oppressed.

Here is the trailer for the 1989 biopic:

I first learned about Oscar Romero in 2001 when I worked at Sky Ranch Lutheran Camp. All the camp’s cabins are named after people who have lived out lives of Christian social justice—including Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Mother Theresa, Desmond Tutu, and Oscar Romero.

For a college class on Old Testament prophets, my assignment was to write a paper comparing a modern figure to people from the Bible. I wrote about Romero and how his actions as bishop in El Salvador were like the calls to social justice found in the teachings of Jesus and the work of Old Testament prophets. Like Amos, Romero called out those who might sell the poor for a pair of sandals (Amos 2:6).

Romero and Jesus spoke out for poor people in extractive economies. In first-century Palestine, then a Roman colony, the people were paying taxes to the Romans, thus making the tax collectors rich. In Romero’s El Salvador, while no longer a Spanish colony, the campesinos were working on plantations they did not own, providing income for the elite land owners. Many of the crops, including bananas, coffee, and sugar, were later sold to markets overseas, including the United States. In a 1980 speech at Louvain, Romero said, “The poor are the body of Christ today. Through them, he lives on in history.”

When I preside at Eucharist and lift up the loaf and chalice, I often think about Oscar Romero. I’ve never felt in danger of being assassinated because of my ministry, but maybe I should be. Maybe I need to start taking a more confident stance in loving my neighbor. When we eat this Body of Christ, we are standing in solidarity with all God’s people.

A prayer for today:

O God,
You have shown us your love in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. We remember and thanks for all those who have striven for this peace, especially Oscar Romero. Continue to be with the people of El Salvador and all who live in the midst of oppression. Stir up in us a spirit of justice and help us courageously follow you. Amen.

Who parks where?

2010-03-11T10:13:00.001-08:00

We just put up a few new signs at Amazing Grace:

It’s a step toward being intentional about welcoming people who are new. On Sundays, I deliberately park on the far end of the parking lot to leave closer spots for others. Having a few visitor spots calls us be more aware of visitors in our midst.

Here is a picture I snapped in the parking lot of a certain local megachurch:

Here’s an example from a church in Iowa:

Both signs give special treatment to people in positions of power and prestige—CEOs and pastor’s wives. I even wonder if the church has any business using such power-filled business phrases like CEO, when Jesus is such an example of humility and servanthood—qualities not always associated with CEOs.

In welcoming visitors, we give power and prestige to those who don’t have lots of power or social capital—strangers and newcomers. Jesus said, "I was a stranger and you welcomed me" (Matthew 25:35).

Sandals and social justice

2010-03-09T06:44:00.000-08:00

In the past weeks, I’ve been wondering if my pastoral preaching and teaching has been as justice-focused as it should be. Am I able to “go and do likewise,” as Jesus describes in telling the story of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37)? Am I a sheep or a goat? Do I actually welcome strangers, clothe naked people, or visit those who are sick or in prison (Matthew 25:31-45)?

The prophet Micah talks about doing justice, loving kindness, and walking humbly with your God (Micah 6:8). I wonder if I’m walking humbly with my God if I’m listening to an iPod while I walk, or if I’m wearing expensive designer walking shoes. How humble is that?

Elsewhere in the Hebrew Bible, Amos decries those who “sell the righteous for silver, and the needy for a pair of sandals” (Amos 2:6).

I have a pair of Teva sandals that, even on clearance, still cost the equivalent of several hours of work for a minimum wage worker. At full price, they would be over one hundred dollars. I feel like I have literaly sold the needy for a pair of sandals. (Full disclosure: I actually own two pairs of Teva sandals).

Justice texts like these function as law for me. They point out the brokenness of the world, and my own participation in it. I lament the world as it is, and long for the world as it should be. I keep on fervently praying, “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”

Social justice is a theme throughout the Bible, and I pray that the Church may continue to figure out how to respond to the injustice in the world. Thus, I am a bit confused when I hear that Glenn Beck is encouraging Christians to leave churches that preach social justice.

Here’s a link:
http://www.politicsdaily.com/2010/03/08/glenn-beck-urges-listeners-to-leave-churches-that-preach-social/

I would be concerned if a church were not preaching love of neighbor and care for those who are oppressed. That doesn’t sound like Communism or Nazism to me. It sounds…umm…well, Christian.

Worship why

2010-03-03T13:02:00.000-08:00

From time to time, I like to answer questions arising in my congregation about liturgy and worship.

It looks like we are not having a sunrise service on Easter morning this year. Why not?
This year, Amazing Grace will have worship on Easter Sunday at 8:30 and 11:00. This change comes for two reasons. 1) Low attendance at 6:30 a.m. in the past. 2) An effort to encourage people to attend the Easter Vigil on Saturday night. Sunrise services are a relatively recent worship phenomenon, likely developed as a shorter alternative to the longer, but more traditional Great Vigil of Easter.

In the early centuries of Christianity, baptisms were only performed at one time in the church year—Easter Vigil. Followers of Jesus gathered all night and into Easter Morning, remembering and retelling stories from the Bible of God’s saving deeds. Persons new to Christianity—called catechumens—were baptized at the Easter Vigil and welcomed into the faith. In preparation for baptism, the catechumens would have a period of preparation, usually involving prayer, fasting, and acts of charity. This time became Lent.

The Vigil includes lighting the Paschal candle from a new fire, hearing stories of God’s saving deeds, remembering Baptism, and celebrating Holy Communion. If you come to our Vigil, expect a service lasting a bit longer than a regular worship service. It might be about an hour and a half long.

It also looks like we aren’t having a separate Children’s Service on Easter.
That is correct. Jesus welcomed children in his arms. Young people belong in worship, rather than being ghettoized into a nursery or cry room. Crunchy cheerios in the carpet are good signs! Ideally every worship service should have elements that appeal to children. A properly executed Easter Vigil can be a powerful experience for people of any age. There are more visual and tactile elements—holding lit candles, being sprinkled with water to remember baptism, eating bread and wine. It’s a very multisensory experience for children and adults alike.

Why doesn’t Pastor Paul put his sermons online?
While I might summarize or occasionally share excerpts of sermons on my blog, as a general rule, I don’t regularly post sermons. First, the sermon is a live, spoken event. What we read is simply a manuscript. There are all kinds of oral and visual elements that just don’t show up in the text. Second, I want to encourage worship attendance. Being together in Christian community is important. You need more than just reading a web page. Third, I want to avoid plagiarism. It’s too easy and tempting for pastors to just go online and get somebody else’s fresh sermon.

Welcome time

2010-03-03T12:56:00.000-08:00

The Gospel text for March 14th—the Fourth Sunday in Lent—is from Luke 15. It’s the story Jesus tells about a young man who leaves home, squanders his inheritance, becomes excessively hungry, and then comes home to the arms of a welcoming father. You might know it as “The Parable of the Prodigal Son.”

However, upon further thought, we see that there’s more to the story than just the prodigal son. We could also call it “The Parable of the Grumpy Brother.” This brother is upset that the other brother has returned home. He gets irritated that things aren’t going to be done like they were back in the good ol’ days when he was large and in charge. He becomes uncomfortable with his father’s radical hospitality.

Then again, we could also read the story as “The Parable of the Welcoming Father.” The father welcomes his child back, with open arms. He runs out to meet him, and kills the fatted calf—a sign of abundance and hospitality. This reminds me of God’s welcome for all of us. No matter what we’ve done, no matter our past, God loves us and welcomes us home. This is a story about forgiveness, welcome, and hospitality.

As church people, it’s easy to fall into being Grumpy Brother, especially when newcomers
challenge our deeply held understandings of what it means to be church. As Christian people, we are called to be Christlike. Jesus ate with tax collectors and sinners. He touched people with leprosy. He crossed all kinds of social, cultural, and religious boundaries.

It’s easy to say “All are welcome,” but that phrase raises questions. Some people have not felt welcomed at places that say “All are welcome.” What does that mean? To what are we welcoming and inviting?

At Amazing Grace, we are at an opportune time for thinking about welcome. We have suburban development growing around us. We have a church denomination that has been struggling with various issues of welcome. We have a beautiful and diverse spectrum of thoughts, opinions, beliefs, and lifestyles among our members at Amazing Grace. It would be helpful for us to think about adopting a congregational welcome statement.

This welcome statement would explicitly name and invite people to be part of life together with us. It could be printed on our bulletins, newsletter, and website. I would love to see it on wooden Burma Shave-style signs leading up our driveway. Whether we adopt such a statement or not, the process of discussing and thinking about it would be a formative set of conversations.

We will start come conversations about welcome during the next Pizza with Pastor Paul on
Friday, March 12 at 6:30 p.m. I invite and welcome you into the conversation.

Peace,
Pastor Paul

This is my pastor's column from Amazing Grace's March newsletter.

A sad day in San Antonio

2010-03-02T10:18:00.001-08:00

One of our fellow San Antonio congregations closed this week. The Express-News article about Zion closing is available online:

http://www.faithinsa.com/Churchs_closure_marks_the_end_of_an_era.html

This is sad event. The Lutheran Church is losing a strong urban presence in San Antonio. I pray for those touched by Zion’s ministry that they might continue to be fed by ministry of word and sacrament. I also pray for the neighborhood surrounding Zion.

Rather than simply lament the loss of a “Golden Age of Lutheran Worship,” I also pray that Zion’s closing can be a wakeup call for other congregations in how we think about evangelism, culture, and location.

Zion’s closing did not happen overnight. It was a process that began decades ago. One of the many factors was the vast suburbanization that has occurred in countless American cities over the past fifty years. Middle class white people have been moving away from the center of cities, and toward the suburban fringe. The difficult challenge is in adapting to this changing demographic.

I say this as a pastor of a congregation that began as a mission start in the early 1980s. We were a very rural congregation, but now the exurban sprawl is developing around us. Many of the founding families of my congregation transferred here from urban congregations like Zion.

The vast majority of new members my congregation has received in the past year have been people transferring from other Lutheran congregations. We’ve been doing more flip-flopping Lutherans and less reaching out to new people. I don’t have easy answers to any of this.

It’s also high time to address and acknowledge our own continual institutional racism in the ELCA. We need to remember that what makes us Lutheran is a theology of grace, not what type of casserole we bring to a potluck or what color hymnal we use (if we even use hymnals).

I admit that one of the reasons I wanted to come to Texas was that I was passionate about bilingual, urban, and multicultural ministry. It still saddens me that San Antonio does not have a vibrant Hispanic ELCA presence. To illustrate, at a recent theological conference here in San Antonio, the theme was Hispanic spirituality, and the worship opportunities included the bilingual setting from the Evangelical Lutheran Worship hymnal. You would think that San Antonio would have some wonderful musicians who could lead this music in salsa, plena, and norteño styles. No! Instead, an ensemble was flown here from Madison, Wisconsin. They were indeed talented and creative, and from a congregation with whom I am very familiar, but it just doesn’t make sense that Lutherans in Texas would need to fly in people from Wisconsin to lead multicultural worship.

I think of the hymn “Marching to Zion.” As Zion Lutheran Church closes, God’s people still march to Zion, not the church building, but the metaphorical Zion. The work of God still continues. The ELW services for closing a congregation includes this prayer:

May the witness of the people who have ministered in the name of Jesus Christ through Zion be undiminished and continue as they leave this place. Amen.

I saw the sign, and it opened up my eyes…

2010-02-25T08:46:00.000-08:00

I remember that song, “The Sign” by the Swedish band Ace of Base. It got almost incessant radio play when I was in seventh grade. I remember annoying my friends and family by singing it whenever I saw any type of sign—billboard, traffic, you name it. “I saw the sign, and it opened up my eyes. I saw the sign!”

At church, we recently put up a sign. It had been a few years in the making, but now it help clarify where to go on our church property. It’s another step in being more intentionally welcoming. Our congregation is blessed with wonderful property, but the buildings are set back a bit from the road. I’ve heard of people wondering if the church were a convent or some sort of David Koresh-like compound. Also, with multiple buildings, it’s sometimes unclear as to which building to go to. We’ve had deliveries come to the worship space, and worship visitors become confused on Sunday mornings.

We can now follow the arrows and know where to go. “I saw the sign, and it opened up my eyes. I saw the sign!”

The church and gay youth

2010-02-22T16:44:00.000-08:00

The congregation where I served my seminary internship was featured this past weekend on Religion and Ethics NewsWeekly, a show on PBS. It was part of a story on churches and gay youth, focusing on a gay seminarian, a congregation with a shelter for homeless LGBT youth, and the leader of an ex-gay ministry.

You can watch online or read a transcript of the segment here: http://www.pbs.org/wnet/religionandethics/episodes/february-19-2010/churches-and-gay-youth/5722/

Watching Lucky Severson’s report, I was a bit homesick for my time on internship, which was so formative in shaping my pastoral identity. It was refreshing to be reminded of Trinity’s beautiful witness of what I really think church should be—God’s people proclaiming welcome and love for all people.

I found it helpful to include footage from the afterschool program, reminding me that Trinity isn’t a “one issue” congregation. While very passionate about issues of sexuality, Trinity also has very strong ministry with immigrants and young children. There is a wide understanding of “loving your neighbor.”

I must admit that throughout college and even into seminary, I didn’t pay that much attention to homosexuality. I didn’t think that it was my issue. I knew that organizations like Lutherans Concerned were working for the rights of gay people in the church, (I didn’t even think about lesbian, bisexual or transgender then) and that some congregations had voted to be called Reconciling in Christ, meaning they welcome people of all sexual orientations.

But I didn’t think I needed to worry about it. I’m the straight, white guy from Iowa. I’m not gay, so all this controversy in the Church doesn’t concern me.

How wrong I was.

The first time I visited the shelter for homeless LGBT youth, someone asked me, “Are you trans?” Shocked, I responded, “Um, no.” “Well, you must be gay.” “Um, I’m not gay, either.” “Then why are you here?” The young person couldn’t believe that I, as a straight person, would care about the needs of LGBT youth.

Dr. King has famously said that injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.

I am so thankful that I grew up in a non-shouting church. As an ELCA Lutheran, I have been loved and welcomed, nurtured and fed, by faithful people full of God’s love. I want everyone to be able to feel welcomed like that, regardless of our human labels.

Too many people have been shunned and excluded by church folk for far too long. Churches have been much of the problem. It is time for churches to be part of the solution. Thanks be to God for Trinity!

It's Lent

2010-02-17T07:21:00.000-08:00

“No cattle past this point” was the sign at the San Antonio Rodeo and Stock Show.

This sign reminds me of the start of Lent, as many Christians use Ash Wednesday as a time to start giving up something, like meat, to remember Christ’s sacrifices. Mardi Gras, or “Fat Tuesday,” functioned as a time to celebrate and party before beginning the more penitential season of Lent. As a grace-oriented Lutheran Christian, I know I don’t have to give anything up for Lent, but can use Lent as a time for being more intentional about my Christian identity.

The season of Lent started as a time of preparation for Baptism. From the earliest centuries of Christianity, people were welcomed into the Church through baptism. Usually baptisms were only performed at one time in the church year—Easter. At the service of the Easter Vigil, followers of Jesus gathered around a fire all night and into the morning, remembering and retelling stories from the Bible of God’s saving deeds. Persons new to Christianity—called catechumens—were baptized at the Easter Vigil and welcomed into the faith. In preparation for Baptism, the catechumens would have a period of preparation, usually involving prayer, fasting, and acts of charity. Other Christians in solidarity with those new to the faith, would join in these preparatory activities. This time of prayer and reflection evolved into the season of Lent.

Lent should not become another chance to fall back into “shouting church” mentality where we strictly force you to do something. Rather, it is an invitation to be intentional. Maybe you will give something up, but maybe you’ll take something on, like prayer, scripture reading, or giving to the needy. Like a sign at the rodeo, Lent is a boundary for us. It tells us we are coming into something new and different.

Coffee evangelism?

2010-02-11T11:58:00.000-08:00

This video has been floating around the internet for a while, and it's food for thought. As somebody who regularly "starbucks" his sermons by writing at the coffee place, this video resonates with me. As someone who tries to be intentional about welcome and hospitality, it makes me cringe at less than welcoming church practices.

I know that as church, we have lots of insider language. I’ve tried to be intentional about eliminating some, being sensitive to visitors who may not know every liturgical nuance. I try to say “green hymnal” instead of “LBW,” and “dip the bread into the cup” instead of “intinction.”

Practicing hospitality is a fine balance. What might feel loving and welcoming for some might be overwhelming or aloof for others. I remember the time I visited a congregation, and during the announcements, the pastor said, “It looks like we have a visitor in the house! Stand up and introduce yourself.” As I was talking, the entire choir processed towards me, singing, “Greet someone in the name of Jesus. Greet someone in the name of Jesus. Greet someone today!” At that instant, I was surrounded in a group hug by the entire choir. Yes, I was a bit overwhelmed.

I know that some congregations have made formal statements of welcome. At Amazing Grace, we haven’t officially done that, but it might be something to think about in the future. I especially like this one, this one, and this one.

How do you feel welcomed? What makes you feel like church is home? How might a non-shouting church practice hospitality?

Youth ministry

2010-02-04T14:04:00.000-08:00

I came across an article from the Christian Century's blog about youth ministry. Kate Murphy writes: Theolog: Is youth ministry killing the church?

She poses a good question. Murphy argues that small congregations that involve youth heavily in parish life might, in the long run, be better than congregations with lots of "programs."

In their book, The Godbearing Life, Kenda Creassy Dean and Ron Foster describe “the one-eared Mickey Mouse” as a common model for congregational youth ministry. The youth is something associated with, but not totally a part of the congregation. We sequester youth’s involvement in church to “Youth Sunday” once a year.

We could extrapolate this model to make an extreme—what I would call the “Vincent Van Gogh.” The youth group becomes completely cut off from the rest, wounded and bloody on the floor. I don't mean to be morbid, but I hope no congregation ever becomes like this.

What Kate Murphy describes, and what I hope for, is something more integrated. Youth are not the future of the church, but a vital part of it today.

By popular demand...

2010-01-31T18:05:00.001-08:00

I’ve been asked to share the book I mentioned in today’s sermon.

This morning, to describe what a congregation might look like living out agape love, I told a story from the novel Leaving North Haven, by Michael Lindvall. “The Organist” is about a pastor in rural Minnesota who preaches at a small congregation whose organist has only played three hymns for the past thirty years. Nevertheless, they include her in their life together, and welcome a young man who is HIV positive. This story is a fabulous example of radical hospitality.

Jack Bauer is a Judge?

2010-01-21T20:44:00.000-08:00

In the Old Testament book of Judges, the judges aren’t judicial law-deciders like Judge Judy or John Paul Stevens. Rather, they are more like charismatic grassroots leaders, bringers of justice, or tribal chieftains. Some commentators have referred to them as being like tricksters or social bandits—figures like Robin Hood or Anansi the Spider.

In her commentary of Judges, Susan Niditch draws heavily on studies in folklore and storytelling. She describes judges as social bandits: “They are often marginal figures in their own societies, sometimes victims of injustice, and are characteristically rebels. They kill in just vengeance or self-deception” (4).

It seems like this describes Jack Bauer from 24.

On the show, Jack Bauer, played by Kiefer Sutherland, is an adventurous operative who gets information, but often uses violence and deception. He plays by his own rules. He reminds me of many of the Judges. For example, Ehud solved the problem of Moabite rule by assassinating King Eglon, but he did it in a tricky and creative way by using a sword with his left hand and hiding the body in the bathroom so the guards would think the odor were just regular nasty bathroom stench.

Judges is a pretty violent book, just like 24 is a pretty violent television show. In Judges, a king’s toes and fingers get cut off in the first chapter, just before a woman is given as a battle trophy. Six hundred Phillistines get slaughtered with an oxgoad. Somebody gets stabbed in the temple with a tent stake.

All this is in the Bible. Why? I don’t know. Maybe it gets middle school boys to read the Bible. It also reminds us of the world as it is and our way to keep messing things up. Violence in the Bible, like violence on television, also calls us to be more aware of the very real violence in our world. We remember our need for grace.

Marching and dreaming...

2010-01-19T09:31:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, a contingent of Amazing Grace folks participated in San Antonio’s march in memory of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

As the pastor of a predominately white, middle class suburban congregation, I sometimes feel a bit out of my comfort zone addressing issues of race and injustice. It’s a challenge to make such a public sign of solidarity like marching, but it is the right thing to do. I’m reminded of Dr. Kings words, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” Next Sunday our lectionary readings include imagery about the Body of Christ from Paul’s letter to the Corinthians. We are all connected. We all live together.

In this past week’s sermon, I shared that I don’t know what it’s like to be African American. I don’t know what it’s like to be Haitian. I’ve never lost my home. I don’t know what it’s like to be gay, give birth, or go through menopause.

Every person’s human experience is unique, special, and sacred. Comparing sorrows is a futile task. It’s not helpful to say “my hurt is worse than yours.” Pain is pain. Grief is grief. Joy is joy.

We share in life together with people we love, with people we might not like, with people different from us, and with people across the globe. As we sang on Sunday:

"In Christ there is no east or west, In him no south or north,
But one great fellowship of love, throughout the whole wide earth."

I remember a time I was working with first graders in an afterschool program. It was MLK Day, and we were showing the class a video about Dr. King. My co-leader started with some pre-questions, just to see what the class already knew. Some of the answers were predictable. “He was a preacher.” “He had a dream.” One response, however, was a bit different: “Martin Luther King was the first person to read both the black and the white Bible.”

My co-leader responded, “Um, Paul, you’re in seminary. Why don’t you answer this question?”

I said, “Well, there’s not a white Bible and a black Bible. There’s just one Bible that anyone can read.”

One rather erudite boy responded, “But at synagogue we read the Hebrew Bible.”

The truth is, we read lots of bibles even if we read from the same Bible. If there are ten of us in the room, we might have seventeen ways of interpreting Scripture. I know that Pat Robertson and I interpret scripture in very different ways, but we both profess to be Christians. I know that faithful people in the ELCA have come to very different conclusions on the same issue.

The biggest debates in the Church aren’t over sexuality or politics. When you get down to it, it’s how you look at Scripture. That’s why I really like the ELCA’s Book of Faith Initiative, especially the four ways of looking at scripture: through lenses of devotion, history, literature, and Lutheran theology.

When I have different layers of looking at a text, it makes my reading of it richer. I’m learning how to take the Bible seriously without always taking it literally. At church, we’re doing a home Bible study on Judges. We have the horribly gross story of Ehud assassinating King Eglon (Judges 3:12-30) and the equally violent story of Shamgar slaying 600 Philistines with an oxgoad (Judges 3:31). Taking that story seriously doesn’t mean I should go around stabbing people in the belly with a sword or killing people. It does mean, however, that I should reflect on the violence in my own world.

Let us follow the examples of Jesus and Martin (and countless others…) we keep on striving for peace.

Responding to disaster...

2010-01-15T06:15:00.001-08:00

These days, we certainly keep in prayer all those impacted by the earthquake in Haiti.

Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord.
Lord, hear my voice!
Let your ears be attentive
to the voice of my supplications! (Psalm 130:1-2)

As we try to find ways to respond, I encourage you to look into the ELCA's response (www.elca.org/disaster).

This ELCA video with beloved characters Davey and Goliath responds to disaster in a loving, grace-filled (non-shouting) way.

A wet life...

2010-01-10T19:12:00.000-08:00

Today I preached while standing in a kid’s swimming pool for Baptism of our Lord. I had originally planned to take off my shoes and Huck Finn-up my trouser legs to stand in ankle-deep water (complete with alb and chasuble), but cold weather and close proximity to live electrical outlets prevailed. Nevertheless, the pool was a good visual aid in getting us to think about living wet.

When I was a kid playing in the yard with a hose, or in a pool not unlike this one, my mom had a rule—“Mom does not get wet.” Now that my sister has kids of her own, she has the same rule, “Mom does not get wet.”

When Jesus gets baptized, he gets wet. He’s human enough to have Jordan River mud between his toes and droplets of water on his forehead.

Our bodies contain much water; some estimates suggest upwards of 80 percent. We need water to stay hydrated and healthy. We need to be wet.

The earth contains a finite amount of water molecules. No new ones are created; they just get recycled in the water cycle—evaporation, condensation, precipitation, etc. It’s fun to imagine the adventures that our water could have had.

However, as Christian people, our waters are storied waters (to borrow a phrase from Daniel Erlander). God enters our human story (incarnation; word made flesh; Christmas) and our human story becomes part of God’s story. We remember water stories: The ruach of God over the waters at creation. The cleansing waters of the flood. God leads the people to freedom from oppression as the waters of the Exodus part. Hagar drinks from the well. Naaman washes leprosy. On the cross, Jesus says “I thirst.”

Martin Luther suggested that when you wash, you remember your baptism. As we remember our baptism, we remember what God has done in our life. “Child of God, you are sealed with the Holy Spirit and marked with the cross of Christ forever.” Our story changes; we are named and claimed as God’s beloved child. We are connected with a much greater story. We live a wet life.

Baptism is more than a one-time-deal. “Let’s take the kid to the pastor and get it done.” Baptism is a process. It’s a public recognition of what God has already been doing. God has loved you since before you were conceived and will keep loving you until long after you die. Baptism is a sign of God’s love.

Living a wet life is more than keeping your kidneys hydrated. It’s more than standing in a kiddie pool or taking a shower. It’s living a life shaped by God’s love. It’s being God’s child. It’s remembering your baptism. Stay wet.

My 2010 Reading List

2010-01-08T18:20:00.000-08:00

I’m borrowing an idea from Clint Schnekloth at Lutheran Confessions, and sharing my reading list for 2010. It’s mostly books that I’ve had on my shelf for awhile, but haven’t yet read. Some were gifts (yet to be assets); others were cited in other stuff I’ve read—especially the theologically relevant fiction. It’s a diverse mix, indeed. This doesn’t include the commentaries on Judges and resources on Christian/Muslim relations I’m reading in preparation for classes I’m leading at church. What on this list should be a top priority? What else should I add?

And They All Sang: Adventures of an Eclectic Disc Jockey (Studs Terkel)
The Chosen (Chaim Potok)
Complete Stories (Flannery O'Connor)
Death by Suburb: How to Keep the Suburbs from Killing Your Soul (David Goetz)
East of Eden (John Steinbeck)
Getting Ready for the New Life: Facing Illness or Death with the Word and Prayers (Richard Bansemer)
The Hammer of God (Bo Giertz)
Joy Unspeakable: Contemplative Practices of the Black Church (Barbara Homes)
The Last Lecture (Randy Pausch)
On the Border: An Environmental History of San Antonio (Char Miller, ed.)
The People's Work: A Social History of the Liturgy (Frank Senn)
Shaking the Gates of Hell: Faith-Led Resistance to Corporate Globalization (Sharon Delgado)

Happy reading!

Back from Nicaragua

2010-01-05T09:18:00.001-08:00

I spent some time right after Christmas visiting family in Nicaragua. It was a wonderful time in the Land of Lakes and Volcanoes. I admit that I often get bored looking at other people’s vacation pictures, so I feel a bit guilty sharing my own. But we can make this fun.

In confirmation class, I’m gearing up to start a long unit on the Ten Commandments. I love discussing the Ten Commandments because we discover a framework for living lives shaped by God’s law. We also, however, remember that we are sinners, living in that Lutheran paradox of captive/free, saint/sinner, both/and. Sometimes, living according to God’s law, we need to break other parts of God’s law. Loving your neighbor gets tricky. To use fancy philosophical language, we have to decide if we will use consequentialist or deontological reasoning.

Anyway, let’s play “What Commandment(s) are Relevant Here?” with my Nicaragua travel photos.

This is outside the Cathedral in León. They’re selling many things including religious artwork: Angels, Mary, the Jonas Brothers…

Idolatry? Lord’s name in vain?

All around Nicaragua, there are lots of opportunities to purchase bootleg DVDs.

Thou shall not steal?

This photo was snapped from a Nicaraguan newspaper. Roughly translated into English: "Reign of God on earth with Santa's SAM-7."The caption: "Victor, a 12 year old Nicaraguan boy, tries out an earth-to-air SAM missle that's being exhibited during "Happy Park."

In these days after Christmas, I think about the reign of God. I think of Mary singing about the hungry being filled with good things. I remember the good news of great joy that the angels declared. I don't think of children trying out missles before Christmas. I remember that our world does need a savior.

Christmas Dinner

2009-12-24T09:55:00.000-08:00

When I was growing up, Christmas dinner was one of the three times in the year, along with Easter and Thanksgiving, when our family all sat together at the dinner table, instead of at our own individual avocado-green TV trays at the couch. We used the fancy silverware that had a monogrammed initial on each piece. Sometimes it was turkey, some years it was ham. Sometimes pumpkin pie, other times apple.

I imagine you have your own memories and traditions of Christmas dinner. Maybe it’s cooked lamb or duck, or even a turducken. Maybe it’s something Scandinavian like lutefisk and lefse or perhaps tamales with pico de gallo. Maybe it’s Chinese food, like Ralphie’s family has in the classic holiday movie, A Christmas Story.

I’ve been trying to think about what food most reminds us of Christmas. Frosted sugar cookies shaped like bells and trees with red and green frosting? Fruitcake or sweet potato pie? Maybe candy canes. A detailed story about the symbolism and meaning of the candy cane has been circulating on the Internet. Perhaps something more gourmet—roasted partridge with pear sauce?

How about bread and wine? Body and blood?

There are bumper stickers and signs out admonishing us to keep the Christ in Christmas. This is most certainly true.

Yet I haven’t seen very many stickers and signs saying, “Keep the Mass in Christmas.” What better way to celebrate God’s entry into the world than to share the meal where God is truly present.

I realize that there might be some apprehension among Lutherans toward calling the sacrament Mass, but that is what it is—a celebration of the Holy Eucharist. We eat and remember what God has already done, but we also eat with hope of the great heavenly banquet, in this foretaste of the feast to come.

The story we remember this Christmas Eve, and keep telling—this old, old story, of the birth of Jesus brings us to Bethlehem. Luke’s Gospel takes great effort to bring the plot to this little village, because it makes a connection between Jesus and King David. Jesus shall rule over the people.

The word “Bethlehem” literally means, in Hebrew, “House of Bread.” I’ve heard it suggested that Bethlehem could be translated to be “grain elevator.” It evidently was an agricultural place, a place for storing food supplies.

Tonight you might go home and eat chips and salsa as a midnight snack. You might grab an breakfast taco in the morning. Tomorrow, you might have that roasted turducken with gravy and stuffing. You might even go to a Chinese buffet.

But tonight, we share this Christmas dinner—this bread and this wine—this body and this blood. As we eat, we remember. We remember what God can do. We remember the grain for the impoverished widow. We remember the child born in Bethlehem. We remember the good news the angels sang. We remember what the shepherds found when they went to Bethlehem. We remember the Bread of Life in that House of Bread.

So tonight, as we eat our Christmas Dinner at that table, we eat with hope of what God has promised. We live in a world where we don’t always know what happens next. We live in a world that knows all too well fear and anticipation. We long for that peace. We pray for the coming of Christ. We celebrate, knowing that God has come to us. We remember the Bread. We eat the Bread. We live the Bread. Amen.

A Pastor's Call

2009-12-24T09:23:00.000-08:00

A few months ago, one of the children in our congregation asked me, “Pastor Paul, what is your job?” I responded, “Umm, I’m a pastor.” I fumbled with some answer about leading worship, teaching about the Bible, and visiting people who are sick, but I discover who hard it is to actually articulate what I do. My job (or more accurately, vocation) is very multifaceted.

There’s an old joke about pastors only working on Sunday. Of course, I work more than that. I love the variety of what I do. I think it is helpful for us to revisit the Letter of Call. This is the document that a congregation of the ELCA gives a pastor at the start of ministry together. The “we” is Amazing Grace, not a bishop, seminary, or committee. Mine is hanging on my office wall:

We call you to exercise among us the ministry of Word and Sacrament which God has established and which the Holy Spirit empowers: To preach and teach the Word of God in accordance with the Holy Scriptures and the Lutheran Confessions; to administer Holy Baptism and Holy Communion; to lead us in worship; to proclaim the forgiveness of sins; to provide pastoral care; to speak for justice in behalf of the poor and oppressed; to encourage persons to prepare for the ministry of the Gospel; to impart knowledge of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and its wider ministry; to endeavor to increase support given by our congregation to the work of our whole church; to equip us for witness and service; and guide us in proclaiming God’s love through word and deed.

What a privilege it is for me get to do all of this with you here in San Antonio. Thank you for allowing me to be your pastor.

Happy New Year!

(From my January newsletter article).

Soy guadalupano luterano.

2009-12-11T17:32:00.000-08:00

Why I am a guadalupano luterano

2009-12-11T16:55:00.000-08:00

As a straight, white, male Lutheran pastor, I admit that I really like the story of the Virgin of Guadalupe. I first got to learn about her in detail while on internship at Trinity, a congregation that was very intentional about the cultural heritage of all its members. Much of my appreciation of the Guadalupe traditions was shaped by the preaching and teaching of my supervisor, Pastor Heidi Neumark. (To the left is a fantastic mural at Trinity, showing Martin Luther, the Virgin of Guadalupe, and Frederick Douglass standing together--a sign of so much beautiful unity).

The Guadalupe story has a reputation for being a significant part of the spiritual lives of many Roman Catholic people, but when you start to think about it, it is a very Lutheran story. Martin Luther pushed to have the Bible written in German—the language of the people—instead of the Latin that only highly educated folks could begin to understand. The Virgin appears to Juan Diego speaking his native language, not the Spanish of the conquistadors. It’s a sign of divine presence not just with the wealthy and the elite, but even among the poorest of the poor.

Juan Diego becomes an unlikely messenger when he brings a message to the bishop. The cleric dismisses Juan Diego as uneducated peasant until he returns with a tilma full of roses, and an image of the Virgin. He is as unlikely a messenger as the shepherds running to Bethlehem.

The Virgin that Juan Diego sees is pregnant—a sign of hope and expectation. It’s an Advent sign for us as we keep watching for Jesus.

X-ing out Jesus?

2009-12-10T08:37:00.000-08:00

This time of the year, we often see the abbreviation Xmas. Is this part of some vast conspiracy to take Christ out of Christmas? Is it a sign of disrespect?

No, because it is not actually an X. Rather, it is the Greek letter chi (χ), the first letter in the Greek word Christos, meaning “anointed,” from where we get our word, Christ. Jesus is the anointed messiah. My seminary notebooks are filled with phrases like “Xian worship” and “Xianity.” The word for the holiday on December 25 originally meant Christ’s Mass. We can keep the mass in Christmas by gathering for Holy Communion as we celebrate Jesus’ coming.

At Amazing Grace, Christmas Eve worship with Holy Communion will be at 7 and 11 p.m. on December 24.

Future vision

2009-12-03T18:00:00.000-08:00

Advent is a time of hope and expectation. We wait, watch, and hope as we prepare for the coming of Christ. It is a time of vision. In the parish pastor's role as theological guide, I’d like to share some of my vision for our own congregation; areas in which I want to push and challenge us as a communinity of faith in the coming year:

Justice: How can we become more glocal—globally mindful and locally engaged? I’d love to seen an intentional focus on addressing issues of poverty and injustice both across the globe and right here in San Antonio. How about a service trip? Marching together on Martin Luther King Day?

Using our Assets: An asset-based approach uses what we have instead of lamenting what we don’t. We have a closet full of hymnals we never sing from. We have a building that could more efficiently used by both the congregation and groups in the community. Space-use conflicts are good conflicts to be having. We also have fabulously talented members who rarely, if ever, get asked to show leadership. This means that the Council and I need to be better at actually using the Time and Talent forms we ask you to fill out.

Loving our Neighbors: On any given afternoon, there are often children from the neighborhood using swings, skating in the driveway, or running in the field. We need to reach out, but how? Afterschool programs? Skateboard ministry? Teen coffee house?

Welcome! ¡Bienvenidos! It’s easy to say “All are welcome here,” but it’s harder to put it into practice. Let’s have more intentional conversation on hospitality and welcome and ask ourselves the hard questions about who is really welcome here. Young families? Folks in wheelchairs? Transgender people? Aggie Fans? Longhorn Fans? Republicans?

Who are we? Whatever our identity is as a congregation is, it needs to be unapologetically Lutheran—rooted in Word and Sacrament. We are transformed by encountering the Gospel (through Bible reading, preaching, conversation) and gathering around God’s presence in the waters of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper.

What's your vision? Let's talk!

(Adapted from the December 2009 newsletter of Amazing Grace Lutheran Church).

Advent video

2009-12-01T11:34:00.000-08:00

Back by popular demand, here is another video posting. The adult Sunday school class on Advent traditions went well on Sunday. I enjoy talking about how and why we worship. Advent is one of my favorite times in the year. The waiting and watching seems so contrary to the "instant everything" drive-thru culture in which we live.

Sailing the Steward Ship

2009-11-13T09:03:00.000-08:00

Offering baskets

2009-11-13T08:10:00.000-08:00

Week after week in our Lutheran liturgy we pray with our offerings, “We offer with joy and thanksgiving what you have first given us, our selves, our time, and our possessions: signs of your gracious love.”

At Amazing Grace, we’re trying something new. We’ve long collected canned food items, clothes donations, eyeglasses, cell phones, and other items for people in need. Instead of putting them in boxes in the back of the worship space, we now have wicker baskets up front by the altar.

Brining these items is an act of worship. By having the collection point closer to the altar, we make a stronger connection between our social concerns and our worship. It also helps us remember that stewardship is about more than money. Stewardship issues are justice issues.

Widows, budgets, and murder

2009-11-07T11:47:00.000-08:00

Three websites that are referenced in this week’s sermon:

A church that gives away money:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-talk-church-cashnov02,0,5901781.story

A church body that says not to give away money:
http://archive.elca.org/questions/Results.asp?recid=7

A horrible and tragic situation:
http://www.npr.org/blogs/tellmemore/2009/11/bodies_of_11_women_found_at_cl.html