Mark Mayer's Chicken Soup Recipe

For the second year in a row, Mark Mayer (with the help of Frank Strakonsky and Cliff
Meyer) made his awesome chicken soup for the tour of churches, at Calvary's open house. Folks
are always asking for the recipe. So, without further ado, here it is:

 

 Ingredients:

-       1 (5lb) chicken

-       1/3 Cup Parsley (Fresh) Chopped

-       1/2 Onion Diced

-       1 Stick of butter

-       8 Eggs - Hard Boiled

-       2.5 lbs Red Potatoes (washed diced unpeeled)

-       1 lb Frozen Sweet White Corn

-       2 Cans Cream of Corn

-       3 Cans Whole Kernel Golden Corn

-       1/3 Cup of Chicken Base

-       Salt (to taste)

-       Pepper (to taste)


Directions:


In large stockpot add chicken, chopped parsley,  diced onion, butter and salt. Fill with water above chicken. Bring to boil and simmer 45 minutes (partially covered).

 
Hard boil eggs in separate pot.
 
Remove chicken from stockpot to let cool. Add diced potatoes to stockpot and continue to simmer. While simmering add chicken base, pulled meat from chicken, cream of corn, whole kernel corn, frozen white corn and diced hard-boiled eggs. Salt and Pepper

 

Bring to easy boil and let simmer 10-15 minutes or until potatoes are done.

On Ordinary and Extraordinary Things (and People)

So it's been a few weeks since my last posting...though I am sure (well, hopeful at least) that everyone understands since about a week after my last post, I gave birth to our little girl Anna. I'm toying with a second blog to post more about motherhood-related topics, so if you're interested in that, you can check out my other blog (should be linked off my profile now, and I'll post the link later when I've got more posted there).

The past two Sundays, as we've begun Advent at Calvary, Ken as been preaching on the ordinary men and women of the Christmas story, through then lens of the genealogy of Jesus. The main point, of course, for both the men and the women, is that God takes the ordinary (and really, the less than ordinary, the not-worthy) and God makes them part of an extraordinary story--of what God has done and is doing. The men of Jesus' lineage are not always all the fine and upstanding--in fact as Ken pointed out, in at least several generations, God passes Jesus' lineage through the seemingly less respectable (i.e. more crafty or apparently unethical) brother. And many of the women of the genealogy are certainly not who you'd choose. Several are not themselves Jewish, but married into the people of Israel (odd since the Old Testament is often quite harsh in God's commands to the men of Israel not to marry women outside the community) and sometimes, like with Rahab, they're darn shady (she was a prostitute).

All of this gives us hope, doesn't it? That God can and does work through us as well. In fact, it is often precisely when we think are are not worthy to be part of God's great work in the world that we are best able to be used for God's purposes. It's when we empty ourselves of our plans, our ambitions and our need for recognition that God can best shine through us.

This is true not only of people but also of our ability to appreciate God's blessing in our lives. It is in the plain, ordinary moments that we are often most surprised by God's power and presence. I am constantly reminded of this now as a new mom. It's the mornings I wake up, after Anna has had a particularly fitful night of sleep and I have even perhaps been awake more than asleep, and yet quite beyond myself I somehow find the energy (usually it takes a least a shower to get there though!) to quash my tired-grumpiness and just be a mom, recognizing that is what babies do, and Anna simply doesn't know anything different. It's in the moments seemingly small as Chris and I see her becoming more aware of the world, able to see more, being awake more to start to get to know this new world she's a part of, that I am even more amazed at how this whole life thing works.

And it's in the gentle reassurance and encouragement of so many, from family to friends on Facebook, people at church, and even women on some of the online discussion boards (as they encourage one another) that I am reminded that one of the greatest ordinary yet extraordinary parts of our lives is that we are not alone. Not only do we have a God who is always faithful and always with us, but we are connected to so many people who like us, lead ordinary lives, but through whose love and care, we find ourselves doing extraordinary things.

This Advent and Christmas, I hope you have a chance to see the extraordinary in the ordinary around you--especially all the ways that the simplest relationships in your life give evidence of the amazing presence of God all around us and the truth that we are never on our own.

On Patience

Here I sit, just a couple days shy of marking week 39 of this, my first pregnancy. My husband can attest that I have been, thus far, a reasonably sane pregnant lady. Really, I have! But that is all beginning to change.

Early in my pregnancy, I swore I would not be one of those women who starts each day, beginning at week 36, posting on Facebook "Waiting for little one to arrive." I had so determined because (1) that only invites others to comment on your progress (which is nearly always unwelcome) and (2) the last thing my natural impatience needs is a forum! Little one, I determined, would come when she was ready. And well, if she was too long in coming, well, we'd cross that bridge when we came to it.

I had marked the end of my pregnancy with dates and tasks. First, I had hoped to have most projects wrapped up by November 1. Then I preached three Sundays in a row ending with Nov. 7. There were meetings yesterday, and a meeting tomorrow, and other scattered scheduled tasks. But really, I now find myself in the limbo of "If I can do it, that's great, if she comes now and I can't get to it right away, we'll all survive." So I wait. And try to trudge along with tasks. And wait.

My husband says he knew this day would come, though I suspect even he wasn't prepared for the melancholic response he got to his question this morning (as I prepared for my regular work-from-home-day) of "So what are you up to today?" "Ohh....I...don't....know. I don't know what to do. I don't know where to start. I just don't know. What if she comes today? What if she comes three weeks from today? I just don't know." I think he thought he had asked a simple question. Little did he know!

It's really not that bad, you see. I'm fortunate to have options at this point in the game--no bedrest, no limitations, just the general reminders from my midwives that I'm way pregnant and I can act like it. My job gives me enough to stay busy with that I'm not at all concerned I won't get my hours in--there always seems to be something that pops up even on weeks I might otherwise think will be slow. But things are slower these days, and thus far I've managed to at least be okay with that pace. Because goodness knows that "slower" may not be a word I use again anytime soon to describe my schedule.

We still get those folks who comment, "Oh, you know, having a child will change EVERYTHING." Well, yeah, thank you. I hadn't expected that. Seriously, though, we're pretty sure it will, and also pretty sure that no one can actually make us comprehend how much that change will be.

My husband says I'm bad with transitions, and that's true. I'm not good at waiting for a change to happen once it has been decided. I was the one who, once we were engaged, quickly suggested a date a few months off. He wisely suggested at least waiting till the end of the summer. Other dates I just can't change anyway. Like now, 10 days away from our due date, for whatever that is worth, we wait. I keep busy, sometimes burying myself in work, other times catching up on past episodes of those shows that seem always to be on somewhere (Law and Order, City Confidential, etc.). Aside from improving my skills should I ever decide to become a police detective (because, yes, I'm SURE watching TV cops shows is the major component of any good police academy) they occupy my time. Which, sometimes at least these days, is all I really need.

Election Day

This morning, as I woke early (to vote--Chris and I both had busy days and it would be our only chance) I checked Facebook, etc. as usual (yes, I generally check Facebook before I get out of bed--my little reassurance that nothing totally insane has begun before my eyes are fully open).

As I did, I saw postings from Facebook friends--past classmates, current colleagues and church members, family, etc., and I was struck by several things as this Election Day got underway. First of all, I think it's pretty awesome that I have such a variety of Facebook friends that I've accumulated over the years. This morning, my Facebook friends (and some last night) were posting support for a whole range of candidates (indeed, many of my friends are all around the country), and some were even out early on the campaign trail. I've got friends on staff of Republican and Democratic officials, and no doubt some who don't care either way (understandably, that last group hasn't actually posted much on the occasion of Election Day). So it was kind of cool--my own little political commentary right there on my Facebook iPhone app.

The other thing was I struck by this morning was imagining how my life would be different on a day like today if I had stayed on my first path--politics. I remember how involved I was in politics in high school (heck, even in elementary school I remember being somewhat politically aware--which was interesting since my parents often disagreed with each other politically, and when I agreed with one I obviously disagreed with the other--and I don't remember EVER getting slack for that from either of them). Indeed, though my politics today probably line up pretty well with both parents (their views are more similar now even to each other than they used to be--maybe a consequence of their divorce) at least at annual conference Dad and I still tease each other about canceling out each others' votes--not always but sometimes. It's a family tradition--he did it to his father, so now it's my turn, right?

You know what, though, it's pretty awesome, I think, that I got to grow up with an understanding of the importance of the political process (to some degree at least) cached within the understanding that we each get to make our own decisions. I certainly disagreed with my parents (and heck, at least they knew I was too young to vote anyway) but I don't ever recall being belittled or disrespected for whatever position I took--though I'm sure some were just plain silly. Come to think of it, though my parents often disagreed with each other, I don't really ever remember either belittling each other for their political views. I knew they disagreed at times, but that always seemed to me an appropriate thing.

So today as I saw many of my friends so actively engaged in the political process, beyond voting, I know I was right there with them until I heard my call to ministry late in high school. I felt God was calling me to help people in a different way, and I have never regretted that choice. There is something of a letdown amidst all the excitement of a day like today that I'm not out on the streets with them, but then again, come Easter, I'll be the one up early preparing for the "big day."

It's also strange, having grown up so politically-interested, to be now in a profession where, at least by my approach to it, I am not at liberty to actively advocate for any candidate or party. Now, some pastors choose to be more active outside the pulpit, but I choose not to--my life is about sharing Christ with people, and while that doesn't mean I can't care or advocate for issues, I also don't need to alienate members by choosing one candidate or another. Certainly IRS rules prevent me from doing so in the pulpit. I do not, however, think a pastor's work is limited to the pulpit, so I choose to be very cautious in any public forum--including Facebook.

Pastors today do not have the treasured status they once had, but I still think we ought to take our positions seriously. Some pastors, for this reason, advocate for particular parties or candidates. I choose not to...because I don't think it ultimately helps anyone for a pastor to be campaigning.

So here I am, on this day of days, which a few years ago I might have expected would be my biggest day all year, and I have done my part in the day. I have voted. I have even encouraged others to vote. But I have not advocated for any candidate and I won't. No yard signs for me. No Facebook endorsements. No snarky comments (though I'm really good at those, I just keep them limited to immediate family-sharing). Because ultimately, there are a lot of really good people whose life didn't change course as mine did. And I choose to believe they're trying their best to do a good job. They might have some very different ideas--some which I may disagree with passionately. But I believe in our nation's democratic principles, and that means I get to find a way to "make it work" no matter what today's outcome is.

Goals and Priorities

This is the time of year when many organizations are evaluating how things have been going this year and looking ahead to next year and the coming year. Those organizations with a good practice on this are probably actual reviewing goals for next year they're already set, and looking further ahead. At Calvary, our program ministries this year have been working to set goals, with the hope that we can truly begin to get our work in line with our mission.

The thing is this (and it is true for any organization): there are a myriad of things that could be done...but not all can be done at once. Therefore, best practices invite us to be discerning as we choose WHAT to do. Indeed, even if we could do something REALLY WELL, if it doesn't feed our vision, it ought to be laid aside.

I thought of this recently as I heard that our annual conference's communications folks won an award for an immersion series they developed. Now, we have awesome communications folks. I've had opportunity to work with them on a couple difference things, and they work hard and know what they're doing. But I am troubled about our conference's allotment of energy and resources when making disciples (or, measured more objectively, growth in membership and worship attendance) is one of the key goals and metrics we use. Can we develop great resources? Sure. Is that what we ought to be spending our time doing? I have severe reservations about that.

Walk into any Christian bookstore, and you will see a TON of resources. On pretty much anything. Are they exactly what we think churches should use? Maybe not always, but you know what, a lot of the time, they're pretty darn good. Why not spend less time developing resources that only a small portion of churches use, and more time developing a focus around a key area (hey, I'll even give it to the conference that churches need help finding these resources, even though I think it's really not that hard for pastors to do). Instead of using our conference staff to essentially rewrite materials that exist, why not invite them to be resources for churches who are using an already developed resource--like coming as a speaker to worship or a study group during that unit?

It is easy--and a dangerous trap--to get really good at doing something that at best only peripherally achieves your key goals. In fact, I think this is essentially the thing experts would say hold businesses and groups back...back from what someone like Jim Collins would call going from good to great.  We have got to stop being so dang impressed with ourselves or set on doing something unique that we don't really DO much of anything all that important.

This same principle--of allotting resources to actually accomplish those things most important to you--is also something we all have to face in our personal lives. How do we decide how much money to give to our church? To other groups? How do we budget our time and resources, and what does that say about us? Do our actual lived-out priorities actually line up with the ones we tell ourselves and others we have?

Chris and I have been really thinking about this recently as we've been preparing for the arrival of our first child in a few weeks. (You can lay aside the, "you really don't know what you're getting into" speech...we've heard it, and while we are prepared for expectations to be blasted a bit, some people are just mean and try to scare new parents.) At any rate, we've looked at our plans (breastfeeding; cloth diapers--yes, I do actually have a plan, we're not just winging this, and yes, we understand this involves more laundry; and changing our schedules a bit so we can DO as much of our daughter's childcare as possible). We are fortunate to have options in these and other areas because of our jobs, and I certainly understand and appreciate that many (perhaps most people) don't have the options we have. That itself poses challenges--we have options, but it means we really have some very valid options from which to choose. Deciding how to allot resources of money, time and energy feels like some chess game (in which we expect the pieces to move a lot once she's here and to keep moving!)

But all of this really comes down to what do you want to be and do, and are you actually willing to focus on DOING those things you say are your priorities, even if you can do other things well, even really well. Chris and I were both raised by (at the time) stay at home moms. We both like the idea of our child having a parent at home with them, but we are both very committed to our ministries (both our own and each others') and we believe our vocations are an important part of who we are as a family. Balancing these priorities will not be easy, and will force us to make changes to our routine to try to find some balance (like working from home some, taking our daughter to work some, and maybe seeing each other a bit less). But it does leave room for maintaining even some of those--for example, we've decided it's important to keep taking the same day off together (during retreat season that's Monday, generally) and we'd rather pay for childcare on another day so we can do that.

Setting goals and examining priorities is not complicated stuff...the challenge is actually living them out. And that is something we all continue to struggle with as individuals, businesses, churches and organizations.

My Call to Ministry

So for some reason I think I've actually blogged about this at some point, but since a quick glance at my blog titles doesn't indicate to me when I might have done so, below is my response to an oft-asked question...how did you hear a call to ministry? In fact, the account below is what I wrote today when asked by someone entering the lay speaker process...apparently there are several questions they have to ask a pastor or two, and this is one of them (I've been asked the same by lay-speakers-in-training before).

Let me first say that as a firm believer in the priesthood of all believers, I think we are all called to ministry. So really, this is my answer to the question, "What on earth gave you the idea to be a United Methodist pastor?" I've had to relate this many different times, and I tell it in somewhat different ways each time, but here is basically the story...

I received my call to ministry while a junior and senior in high school. Prior to that, and really, even at the time, I had been very active in student government and local government. I served as a student member on the Baltimore City School Board, and an officer in the Baltimore City Student Government association, as well as a legislative coordinator for the MD state student government (following and testifying at state hearings related to public education). I was one of two finalists elected as nominee to the Governor for student member on the state school board—that this happened at a time when there was great discord between the state schools folks and the Baltimore City Schools folks didn’t help my chances, and at any rate, the other candidate was chosen. I was also involved in various local campaigns.

About this time, not only was I experiencing some challenges in my roles in government (I also served as student body president at my high school) but I was realizing that politics did not bring out the best in me. I don’t mean that it is that way for everyone, but the whole system of it can just take you over, and I did not like who it was making me be, and the more I thought about it, and the more politicians I was around, the more disillusioned I became. About this time, I started asking myself if this was really what I wanted to spend my life doing—knowing that if I do anything I do it full bore, at the end of my life, would this be (and would it make me) something I was content with, even proud of. The more I thought of it, the more I had to admit that my answer was no.

Meanwhile, I was continuing to serve in leadership at my church. My father served as pastor at Brooklyn United Methodist Church (South Baltimore), and I, by that time, was the teacher for the 3-5 Sunday School class (much to my sister’s frustration!). I was involved in many different ways at church, and had always been a student of my father’s ministry, from which I had originally taken cues for my political leadership opportunities. I would also, from time to time, serve as the teacher for the older adults Sunday School class—they had a rotating schedule of teachers. One day, after teaching that class (God only knows what possessed them to invite a high school junior to teach them! What a gift!) one of the older women of the church, knowing my political involvement, said, “It’s such a shame you’re not going to be a pastor like your father.”

Such an option had honestly never occurred to me. Not for any good reason, mind you, other than that since my father had always been my pastor (and the one time he’d served on a church staff his senior pastor was a man) I had never actually SEEN a female pastor. I knew female pastors, I just hadn’t ever experienced one as a pastor. This is not at all due to any prejudices on my family’s part, indeed, my father and grandfather have long been (long before I ever heard a call to ministry) ardent supporters of women in ministry. Having come out of the United Brethren Church, my grandfather is very proud of that church’s ordination of women having begun in 1889 (it stopped a bit later after their merge with the Evangelical Assn, but they always were a old fashioned bunch—which is saying something coming from an UB!). In fact, I have heard from several older clergywomen in our annual conference who not only appreciated having my grandfather as DS, having found him supportive, but at least one clergywoman who actually transferred TO THIS CONFERENCE because of my grandfather’s support and encouragement. My father likewise has long been supportive of women in ministry. I have thus been quite blessed that though I had never thought of being a pastor, there was no gender-bias in my family nor in my church at that time. It was only later that I came to realize how  remarkable it was to receive such words of support from that elderly woman—she too had never experienced a woman as pastor, but I truly believe it was through her that God called me.

After that comment from that women, I began to think and pray about the call. I shared it with my parents. My father took to giving me opportunities to “try out” ministry, including the gift of being able to preach (pastors are often very stingy with their pulpits, but Dad let me preach a couple times a year at least, and the congregation was gracious and constructive in their reception and feedback). My mother, meanwhile, was concerned that I not simply choose to do something my father was doing (for various reasons more complicated than can be described briefly, and owing in large part to the dynamics of our family at that time) and she asked that I wait a year before beginning the candidacy process. I did so, and then officially began the process my senior year in high school. In the end, that year wait was a very good thing, because it not only allowed me to reflect more, but also allowed me to gain more input from others (like my high school principal) and the constant positive responses I received were vital, I think, to keeping me going in the years ahead.

So, I would say I heard my call my junior year in high school, began to embrace it my senior year, then in college, under the wonderful tutelage of Dr. Charles (Buz) Myers and his ability to help me think through the Biblical passages about women in church leadership (it was important to me that I wasn’t disregarding parts of scripture I didn’t like, but he was able to help me place those passages in context and help me understand God’s call to ministry in women’s lives) I was able, I think, to finally fully embrace my call. I graduated from Gettysburg College with a double-major in history and religion (I may have had some minors, I don’t remember) and then went straight to Duke Divinity School (the seminary my father attended, which was nice, but moreso they offered me a full scholarship which made it an easy call!). Duke was a perfect fit for me, though seminary is, I think, always quite a growing experienced and I certainly experienced some growing pains. I was a certified candidate for ministry by the time I graduated from college, and was commissioned the year I graduated from Duke, and ordained after the requisite three year probationary period (required by our conference at the time).

People often ask me if I was called to ministry because my father, grandfather and great-grandfather were (plus I’ve got a great-great-great grandfather who was a licensed Methodist preacher—my great-great grandfather was a founding member of Grace UB (now UMC) in Hagerstown). In a lot of ways, as I mentioned, that actually was a hindrance at first. But getting past that, it certainly was a blessing to have such a legacy. At a time when many young people can’t really imagine what life as a pastor would be like, I never had illusions about what lie ahead, and the option of being a pastor was always quite real (as in I could imagine what it would be like, it wasn’t very distant). I was also able to learn a great deal from my father and grandfather that allowed me to start the candidacy process ahead of the game than others in terms of my understanding of it and my comfort level with the people and pastors I can in contact with during the process. Along with that, however, comes not only the good but also the bad. Being the child of someone in the same industry (because I suspect this is the same in a lot of venues) also means you bear the hard feelings and tensions of your forbearers. So it can never be assumed to be a universally good thing, but I have been very blessed by the legacy of my father, grandfather and great-grandfather.

Church Leadership

You can't turn on the news lately without seeing some latest story on Christian leadership--whether specifically in a church (Bishop Eddie Long) or beyond (the Roman Catholic Church's handling of something, or the Pope's recent visit to England). As a pastor, I'm also deep into the topic of Christian leadership as I live out my own call, and when I interact with my colleagues in ministry.

In the wake of the Eddie Long allegations, I returned to a book I'd read many years ago, Overcoming the Dark Side of Leadership. A short trip to Amazon.com revealed a revised edition has since come out, and thanks to the fact that I can order things a bit too easily on Amazon with an iPhone now, a copy of it now sits on my coffee table (in my defense, I'm not sure where my old copy is, so it's not like I have two now...though I wouldn't be opposed to that...) :-)

On of the major premises of the book is that the same qualities that raise a person to success are the same ones which, left unchecked, which can spell their downfall. And often in equal proportions. This premise isn't new to us, if only because popular discourse has zeroed in of this concept in the years since the book was first published. And yet, our church leaders remain remarkably unaffected by the lessons we have learned along these lines.

I was fortunate in my own ministry to have worked with two pastors during seminary (each during my two required field education placements) whose own lives and examples taught me a great deal about how I wanted to live my life--not just be a pastor, but be a person. On of those pastors is about as different personality-wise from me as is possible. Laid-back, a fount of soothing words and pastoral presence, he routinely cared for himself in the same way he so deftly cared for others. When he was working, he poured himself into it. When he had time off, he did so with the same commitment and ease. All of that, I say, as it seemed to me, of course.

My other supervising pastor had, it seemed to both of us, a quite similar personality to me. Driven, prone to keep at a project till completion, he however had learned through some challenging experiences of his own that you can only drive yourself at a break-neck pace for so long before you crash. His insight and experience he freely shared, and it helped me understand that I needed to reign in my own first-child tendencies before they did me in.

Both men graciously taught me that while it is important to be who God has created me to be, and while I cannot change my personality (and why would I want to, especially the very things that are the basis for any success?), I must manage those same qualities to try to keep them from overgrowing my life--like the kudzu that has overtaken much of the North Carolina roadsides.

That said, I am nowhere near where I'd like to be. My own best habits still don't all come naturally to me, and I struggle (like most people) to balance the various demands upon my time (including my own expectations). As my pregnancy has progressed, it's been interesting to find ways to lighten up on my own expectations for what I will be getting done, since my midwife basically tells me I need to start acting like the 8-month pregnant woman that I am! Now lest you think I'm working myself into an early grave, I am not. Nor am I putting my child at risk. Those aren't the stakes we're talking about. Trust me, if things were bad, I wouldn't blog about them. And nothing frustrates me more than someone simply saying, "Oh, you need to take it easy." Such a line simply denies that each of us are different and the ways we balance our lives are also different.And changing our habits is not easy.

So I am still learning. I am certain I am doing better, and there's nothing like awaiting a baby (and knowing that the chance to slow down will be gone after that!) to actually make you slow down.

We all have our dark sides. They are, indeed, often the same things that make us who we are at our best moments. At our worst moments, they are the strongest qualities of us unchecked. For some it make be the desire to work hard and long (at its worst this destroys other areas of our lives). For others, it may be the ability to take time off (which can devolve into laziness if unchecked). For some it is the ability to offer advice (which in its worst incarnation becomes a patronizing commitment to tell others how to live their lives). For others still, it may be their charisma (which can turn into a self-serving hunger that is fed in unhealthy ways). On and on the list goes.

As Christian leaders, indeed, as Christians, our first focus ought always to be on ourselves, always recognizing our own strengths and weaknesses, and particularly how our dark sides are likely to develop. We must also admit that we are not always (sometimes even usually) the best set of eyes looking at ourselves, and find people we trust to hold us accountable--NOTE: don't ever offer yourself as someone else's source of accountability. Such condescension will nearly always be unwelcome. But when we find those people in our lives who truly know us, not the snippets we share with the world, we can indeed find deep friendships that can help us grow in our strengths without letting those same strengths be the weights that eventually drag us down.

Advice for those going to Board of Ordained Ministry Retreats

So yesterday I began my time on the Frederick District's District Committee on Ordained Ministry. Having had a father who has served on district committees and BOOM (the conference's Board of Ordained Ministry) for something like a decade--and who, in my understanding at least, has loved it, and according to others, has done a dang good job of it, it is a great privilege to be asked to serve in such a role.

For those who don't know, the DCOMs and BOOM serve to examine candidates for ministry. This ministry takes different form, ranging from Local Pastor and Certified Lay Ministers to deacons and elders. The ordination process in particular (the only process I was involved in prior to this, and thus the process I know best) is quite involved. In addition to educational requirements (for *all but a few* elders, this means the graduate degree of Master of Divinity--comparable to a law degree really, rather than a regular masters), candidates must undergo and share results from physical and psychological exams, undergo criminal and financial background checks, progress through a series of interviews and mentoring relationships, all to get to the point of attending the commissioning retreat, which then requires pages of written responses (think 30-50 pages), recorded sermon, recommendations, etc. all of which you are questioned about when you appear for a series of intense interviews. Once you pass the commissioning retreat/exam, you are then "on probation" (the language is changing, but that's still probably a good understanding) for three years--at least. At this point it is very similar to the university tenure process. You get tried out, and after three years, you go back for another retreat/exam, and if you pass this and are voted in, you are, at least at present in the UMC, guaranteed a job for the rest of your career barring removal.

BOOM also further has oversight for clergy once commissioned and ordained, but at least as I understand it, the DCOMs primarily deal with candidates.

For more information about the candidacy process, etc., CLICK HERE for our denomination's resources.

All that said, it is both a great challenge and joy to be part of this process as an elder in the church (I was ordained in 2008). I have a great sense of the responsibility we in the orders of elder and deacon have to one another, and indeed, that all United Methodists have to one another as we lift up, train and empower our leaders. I am fortunate to be part of an annual conference that I believe strives to do a good job, not just to make things difficult, but to make things challenging so that we can truly discern who is called to and prepared for different forms of ministry. All annual conferences deal with this process a bit differently--though the Book of Discipline outlines the basic process, the way it is implemented differs, and some conference require more than the minimum requirements of the BOD.

Like any such endeavor, there are times when things are not handled perfectly by the committees, but also times when candidates have neglected their own responsibilities within the process. Also, at times, a candidate may not be ready for, or, even, perhaps, appropriate for a particular form of ministry. These are difficult points, because as United Methodists, at least, we understand the community's discernment to be at least as important as the individual's own discernment. For that reason, there will inevitably be times when people disagree. We believe and hope that God is at work in and through each person involved.

That said, much of the workings of DCOMs and BOOMs are not great spiritual mysteries. In the United Methodist Church, we certify and ordain people to different forms of ministry based on their skills and calling. We also understand that a certain degree of personal health (emotional, spiritual, physical, etc.), leadership skill (tact, assertiveness, self-control, etc.) and theological understanding are vital. In addition, since we are not ordaining people to just any Christian group, but rather within the United Methodist Church, we have certain expectations for a person's ability to function within our system. For example, ordained elders in the UMC are part of the appointment process and ought to expect to itinerate a number of times in their ministry. Anyone not prepared to do so would not be an appropriate candidate for ministry in the UMC. That doesn't mean God hasn't called them, just that serving as an elder in the UMC isn't for them. Another example would be the hierarchical structure of our denomination. Someone who completely bristles under others' authority would not be an appropriate match for the UMC (I would personally suggest that such an extreme rejection of being subject to another is downright unChristian, but for polity's sake, there are certainly less hierarchical denominations).

All that said, both from my own personal experiences, and after gleaning from the wisdom, guidance and experiences of others, and without any official justification or backing, here are my helpful tidbits for persons in the candidacy process in the UMC, especially as they prepare for BOOM exams:

1. Be yourself and give your own answers. This includes: (a) being able to explain your process for arriving at your response, (b) using your own words--if you don't, it's pretty obvious and (c) don't try to give the answer you think the board wants to here. Point c is very important, and is the sole reason for the one question I royally bombed at my own ordination exam. You fall prey to c when you let yours and others' anxiety go to your head. It's ugly. Because once you give your answer, when asked how you arrive at it, you can't really say, "Well, I though that's what you wanted to hear." And so it all goes downhill from there. Show you can process the question, give justification for it (i.e. don't just make stuff up), and trust that if God is indeed calling you, it will be enough. 
2. Take a deep breath and don't let people stress you out. You may think it's most likely to be the board who stresses you out, but in my experience, that is not the case. Other candidates are far more effective at this, so just be careful how much you get drawn into it all. The year of my retreat, there was a rumor swirling around the local seminary (I was studying at another and so hadn't heard the rumor till I arrived for the retreat) that a hard quota had been set and only a certain proportion would pass the exam. Like we were all embarking upon some crazy reality show competition. I was fortunate that because my dad was on BOOM I could ask him and got his response of "Of course not." Here's the thing. Don't trust the crazy rumors. Even if they were true (which they almost never are) believe them and getting caught up in them will almost certainly doom you since it will affect your attitude and anxiety.
3. Act like you care. Well, how about this, actually CARE. Put good time and work into your written responses. Attend all required meetings. Meet all deadlines. Everyone on BOOM and DCOMs are busy--many probably busier than you, though that may be hard to believe. No one will feel bad for you in you couldn't do a good job on a required piece. Remember that as intense as the process is, it is certainly no less intense than the schedule and demands of ministry at times. Just think of it as Advent come early. Have people proofread your answers, both for content and grammar. If you don't show in your materials that you care, please do not expect the boards to go out of their way to cut you a break.
4. Know your own materials. In all seriousness I know this can be difficult. I well remember late nights trying to finish up questions, and that sometimes I had to choose between one of three ways to answer a question. But under no circumstances should you show up at the retreat without a very detailed knowledge of your own responses. In fact, if you're really on top of things, have someone read your answers and note for you any questions they would have or anticipate you getting asked based on your answers. This will not only make you more prepared and comfortable when questioned, but will evidence a high degree of self-awareness.
5. Don't try to answer questions you honestly don't know the answer to. It's a very uncomfortable position to be in, I know, but at least evidence an understanding of how you would find or discern the answer. Don't take this approach to all questions, but once or twice this is far better than digging a whole you can't get out of later.
6. Be engaged. Even if another candidate is responding to a question, don't zone off. It appears disrespectful to the board, and will just turn them off. That said, I don't really know how you're supposed to look at someone who is six inches from you and not feel awkward, so find your own way, just make sure you are engaged, or at least learn to act engaged well.
7. Remember that there are a wide range of views represented on the boards. This doesn't mean they can't all agree that an answer was bombed or rocked, but it does mean that most of the time, some people will agree with you more than others. But keep in mind that most board members aren't just judging how well you agree with them, but rather, how well you can process and answer important questions.
8. In regards to your written materials, please keep in mind several things (this is by no means an exhaustive list):

• I’m glad you like UM theology and/or polity, but we didn’t ask you if you liked it, but rather if you can explain it. Spend more time doing that and less time sucking up. The Book of Discipline doesn’t really “get” flattery.
• Please cite things like this is an actual writing, not like you are tossing in a title or something. If you didn’t learn proper citation in college or seminary, learn very quickly.
• There ARE some right and wrong answers. Please use “connectionalism” in some part of your response to the question about primary characteristics of the UMC. It would be a good idea to talk about Holy Conferencing as well. Please use “prevenient grace” as often as possible in your answers. If you don’t understand why these are important words to use, go back to seminary until you do.
• Please do not abbreviate or use initials (even, and perhaps especially “UMC”). This is a real grown up writing, so please take a moment and spell out the words. If you want to be lazy, simply type “UMC” then when you’re done writing, use replace all to replace it with “United Methodist Church.”
• When asked about your personal experience of God, please do, indeed, actually give us a personal experience. Not just a theological discourse. In a more general sense, answer the actual question asked of you. A good answer to a different question doesn't help you.
• It’s the United Methodist Church, not the Methodist Church. Get it straight. And unless you mean “United Methodist theology” (in which case, still, use “United”) then you should probably use “Wesleyan theology.”
• The Golden Rule is not actually in the Bible. It’s one thing for lay people to think it is. It makes you look silly to write it into your answers for ordination.
• And most of all, taking the point of accurate citation one step further, UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES should you fail to cite the material of someone else--even the Book of Discipline. It is dishonest, and will almost certainly disqualify you from the exam. Remember that the board has read a lot of answers. Not only can they catch a quote from the BOD from a mile away, they are catch writing that does not sound like yours. I know working with others to write answers can be tempting, but be very careful (personally, I totally avoided this). You simply should not underestimate the problems you will cause if your response sounds too much like someone else. Not sure a phrase you're using is someone else? Good news. Google can help. Not sure if you have quoted enough of the Book of Discipline to justify quoting it (does "making disciples of Jesus Christ" need to be cited?)? QUOTE IT. You do not want to be the person the board has to split plagiarism hairs over. You just don't.

Keep in mind that clergy board members are looking for someone they would like to have as their colleague, even maybe their parents' pastor. Lay members are looking for someone they would like to have as their pastors. So be nice to them. They do, you know, really try to be nice to you. Just remember it's actually their jobs to learn as much about you as possible. It's what we in the denomination expect of them.

That's about it for now...I'm sure there are other helpful hints, but that's what I've learned so far, for what it's worth.

Take a Look Back...and Forward

About a year ago this time, a group of Calvary UMC folks gathered at Manidokan for its first leadership retreat in as long as anyone could remember. We had one of our conference staff people come, and there we developed our new vision statement (though after months of debate, I think we're kind of also calling it our mission statement): Calvary UMC seeks and invites all to become disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of our community and our world.

We also view the results of a congregational assessment that key leaders had taken. I think we've done a lot in the past year. We've even managed, I think, to address a few of the issues that we noted at that retreat. But much remains to be done. I was reminded of this as I finalized plans for this year's retreat--tomorrow (Friday) through Saturday. I looked back at the assessment results and notes of our discussions and once made once again aware of where we have yet to go.

I'm really looking forward to this year's retreat then, not only for the chance to fellowship, but also for the opportunity to look back--on last year, and indeed the path of Calvary to this point--and to look forward, at how we can continue to focus our energies on where God is calling us.

I'll share discussion points from this weekend after the retreat, but for now, here are the (totally unfiltered or footnoted) results from last year's assessment. (Note that there was much discussion last year about whether the questions on the assessment where even the ones we were all that concerned about...perhaps a good question for this year is what measures should we use in the future to gauge how we're doing, and the sampling is probably far from enough to be "scientific.") Where do you think we are now?

Q1: The youth members of our church are increasing and are actively involved.                   
Strongly Agree    9.3%               
Agree    38.9%               
Not Sure    48.1%               
Disagree    3.7%               
Strongly Disagree    0.0%               
                   
Q2: People are passionate about experiencing the presence of God in worship.                   
Strongly Agree    3.7%               
Agree    50.0%               
Not Sure    29.6%               
Disagree    16.7%               
Strongly Disagree    0.0%               
                   
Q3: Calvary UMC shows exceptional hospitality to visitors by visiting or calling them within 24 hours of their visit.                   
Strongly Agree    11.1%               
Agree    35.2%               
Not Sure    44.4%               
Disagree    5.6%               
Strongly Disagree    3.7%               
                   
Q4: Ministry volunteers perform 80% of the church's operations each week.                   
Strongly Agree    7.5%               
Agree    32.1%               
Not Sure    49.1%               
Disagree    11.3%               
Strongly Disagree    0.0%               
                   
Q5: Worship, music and the arts are a primary way that Calvary reaches out to the unchurched community.                   
Strongly Agree    5.7%               
Agree    52.8%               
Not Sure    26.4%               
Disagree    15.1%               
Strongly Disagree    0.0%               
                   
Q6: 80% of the members of Calvary UMC tithe 10% of their income.                   
Strongly Agree    0.0%               
Agree    3.8%               
Not Sure    50.9%               
Disagree    30.2%               
Strongly Disagree    15.1%               
                   
Q7: Calvary UMC functions based on a team approach to ministry.                   
Strongly Agree    13.2%               
Agree    52.8%               
Not Sure    24.5%               
Disagree    9.4%               
Strongly Disagree    0.0%               
                   
Q8: 80% of the worshiping congregation is involved in Bible Study, a small group, or Sunday School                   
Strongly Agree    0.0%               
Agree    5.7%               
Not Sure    37.7%               
Disagree    50.9%               
Strongly Disagree    5.7%               
                   
Q9: Calvary UMC has a core message that everyone can articulate.                   
Strongly Agree    5.7%               
Agree    32.1%               
Not Sure    28.3%               
Disagree    30.2%               
Strongly Disagree    3.8%               
                   
Q10: 30% of the congregation is comprised of visitors each week.                   
Strongly Agree    0.0%               
Agree    1.9%               
Not Sure    36.5%               
Disagree    50.0%               
Strongly Disagree    11.5%               
                   
Q11: Calvary UMC has a clear plan of discipleship that is regularly articulated and easily accessible to members.                   
Strongly Agree    4.0%               
Agree    36.0%               
Not Sure    30.0%               
Disagree    30.0%               
Strongly Disagree    0.0%               
                   
Q12: New ministries emerge and thrive at Calvary UMC regularly.                   
Strongly Agree    0.0%               
Agree    24.0%               
Not Sure    42.0%               
Disagree    34.0%               
Strongly Disagree    0.0%               
                   
Q13: Calvary UMC has multiple effective outreach and evangelistic ministries to the community.                   
Strongly Agree    8.0%               
Agree    40.0%               
Not Sure    28.0%               
Disagree    24.0%               
Strongly Disagree    0.0%               
                   
Q14: Worship is designed to attract seekers and nurture disciples.                   
Strongly Agree    12.0%               
Agree    46.0%               
Not Sure    18.0%               
Disagree    20.0%               
Strongly Disagree    4.0%               
                   
Q15: The Calvary UMC leaders and members often pray together to hear God's plan for the church's future.                   
Strongly Agree    2.0%               
Agree    42.0%               
Not Sure    40.0%               
Disagree    8.0%               
Strongly Disagree    8.0%               
                   
Q16: There are regular opportunities to evangelize and invite visitors each month.                   
Strongly Agree    4.0%               
Agree    36.0%               
Not Sure    38.0%               
Disagree    20.0%               
Strongly Disagree    2.0%               
                   
Q17: 80% of the members are in a small group Bible study.                   
Strongly Agree    0.0%               
Agree    4.0%               
Not Sure    42.0%               
Disagree    36.0%               
Strongly Disagree    18.0%               
                   
Q18: Leadership development is a priority at Calvary UMC.                   
Strongly Agree    0.0%               
Agree    38.0%               
Not Sure    30.0%               
Disagree    30.0%               
Strongly Disagree    2.0%               
                   
Q19: Calvary UMC is relevant to the emerging communities in Frederick, MD                   
Strongly Agree    4.0%               
Agree    36.0%               
Not Sure    32.0%               
Disagree    26.0%               
Strongly Disagree    2.0%               
                   
Q20: The entire church membership is clear about Calvary UMC's purpose and core values.                   
Strongly Agree    0.0%               
Agree    16.3%               
Not Sure    36.7%               
Disagree    44.9%               
Strongly Disagree    2.0%               

You Are What You Read

You've heard that oft-repeated line, "You are what you eat," right? Well, I suspect that's true about most things. We are a product of our environments, and what we devote our lives to becomes, well, our lives. I'm not one that thinks that playing violent video games necessarily makes a kid a school shooter (the rates simply don't support that) but as I see it, what we see, eat, and read does shape us--I'm pretty sure that major corporations wouldn't spend such obscene amounts of money on advertising if they weren't convinced that is true.

So the same is also true for what we read. Now, this is probably apparent during school--after all, my seminary experience was vastly shaped by the fact that at Duke we read, almost exclusively, the early church fathers in our theology courses. Barth? Who's that? Gregory of Nazianzus? What a stud.

But the same is also true of reading in our "real" lives (seminary always seemed a liminal phase to me).

I've faithfully followed the major Christian mags., evolving from Christianity Today to Christian Century and Alban's Congregations. Meanwhile though, strategist that I am, I found myself delving into the works of Malcolm Gladwell and business leadership writers. And I learned something. Many of the Christian leadership resources are simply business leadership stuff regurgitated (and in "churchy" language) two years later.

I finally put my foot down this year. I courageously stood firm in the face of an onslaught of e-mails from Alban inviting me to renew my subscription, and instead subscribed to the Harvard Business Review. Yes, I do have to do my own "translating" now, but I took a business class in college, so I can find myself around phrases like "emerging markets," thank you very much. No, the leadership wisdom isn't couched in Bible passages, but then, hey, I went to seminary, I can work that out. And yes, I do think that churches would be well served to adopt some (though admittedly not all) of the business world's best practices.



For example, it's not hard to see how you can apply the following guidelines from HBR to church life.

From the article this month "Making Social Ventures Work," we have these five rules:

1. What are you trying to do and what constitutes success?
2. How will you mobilize support and neutralize opponents?
3. What will eperging data teach you about your proposed business model?
4. How can you exit without leaving a large footprint?
5. What kinds of second-order effects, both negative and positive, is your venture creating?

Or, check out the list of Sever Deadly Sins of Setting Demands--from an earlier article but quoted in this month's article "Four Mistakes Leaders Keep Making":

1. Establishing too many goals.
2. Not requiring a plan for how and when goals will be acheived.
3. Failing to push for significant improvement for fear that people are already overwhelmed.
4. Not assigning clear one-person accountability for each key goal.
5. Signaling an unspoken "if you possibly can" at the end of a statement of expectation.
6. Accepting reverse assignments ("Sure, boss, I can get it done if you will see to it that...")
7. Stating goals in ways that may not be definable or measurable.

As you can see, this isn't rocket science, but honestly, I like the clarity of purpose of these articles. They don't try to give leadership guidance AND deep theological exegesis. They make me think, and they challenge me to provide good reasons why this good advice is often so widely rejected in churches. Churches have often become bastions of mediocrity, and that needs to stop. If only we could get more pastors reading HBR...

Un-Piling

Okay, so the title of this blog could also be something about the black hole of  my e-mail inbox.

You know what I mean, don't you? Well, you do if you're a pile-er like myself. As I sit in my office here at church, I'm surrounded by at least four piles of papers. Technically, one of those might actually be two that have simply coalesced into one. I wish I could say I'm one of those people who has stacks but each stack is its own file of sorts. Nope. They're just piles. Some items I know are in here somewhere--and the best I can do is judge by the paper(s) on top how old the stack is and thus surmise the first pile to start checking for a particular item.

Often, though, these piles bide their time until they become so incredibly intrusive (or I become so incredibly bored) so as to require their dismantling. And then the hard work begins--the work I've been avoiding till that point. Un-piling requires such a slew of decisions and additions to my to-do list that it can make my head spin.

If I'm lucky, a good portion of the piles will be remnants of some now-finished project (I'm pretty sure somewhere in here are the first two drafts of the photo directory activity pages...the final draft has already been mailed). In my unlucky moments, I come face to face with some item I had happily forgotten (or ignored). When I un-pile, if I'm honest with myself (and don't content myself to simply end up with one smaller pile), then I have to deal with everything that's here. Deal with it and move on.

You know what, it's all quite daunting, but I always feel better afterward. And that wonderful feeling does last for a while (the older I get, the better I get at keeping the piles at bay to begin with).

Life is a lot like that, I think. We all get that "stuff" that pile up, much of which gets relegated to ignored or forgotten places in our mind, even our heart, until we simply cannot continue to function with all that "stuff" lying around. And then begins the un-piling. Now, it must be admitted that some of us never bother to un-pile, but those are the folks, much like the hoarders whose homes become shrines to their piling, whose very unwillingness to un-pile is evidence of deep disorders. For the emotionally healthy, the un-piling is inevitable. How quickly we do it, and how honestly we can un-pile, is up to us.

So...as both guidance to cleaning up one's office, and perhaps also with some help for all of us in our lives, here are my tried and true tips for un-piling (I'm a good pile-er, so I've got lots of experience):

1. Get a good look at all the piles. Take stock, and plan a reasonable amount of time/resources (as best you can predict) to finish the task. It's never good to leave the task half-done, because such situations always seem to re-pile with incredibly speed.
2. If there is any question about your ability to swiftly and easily get it all un-piled, get help. As a child, my best friend and I often ended up cleaning each other's room because our mothers realized it was much more fun for each of us to get to sort through the others' stuff. Instead of requiring us to clean the rooms before we had a sleep over, that was often the first task of the sleep-over. Find someone you're comfortable seeing into your piles (and whose sorting advice you trust) and get them to lend a hand.
3. Decide what will be done with items once sorted. Options might include trash, DO, and file. Avoid option three as much as possible. Only file items for informational purposes. If there's anything to be done, resolve to DO it. If you can't forsee needing that info any time soon, trash it. Chances are it has sat in that pile for a long time and you never needed it anyway.
4. If you've got something in your piles that really should be someone else's task to accomplish, pass it off. If they pile it, that's up to them. But certainly don't let other people's "stuff" add to your piles.
5. Do not, under any circumstances, create a "sort later" pile. This is then death knell of all un-piling attempts. It is capitulation to the "stuff". Do not let the "stuff" win! You are in charge, handle it! It may take a bit more time, but trust me, not nearly as much effort as the trouble that may be caused in further ignoring the "stuff," and of course, it's always difficult to forcec yourself to un-pile, so who knows how long it will be till you get back to it. I know that's the attractiveness of re-piling, but DON'T DO IT!

Those are just a few tips. Got any to share?

Why Doing Good things Doesn't Cut It

It seems that half the time I venture to Walmart, some organization is set up by the entrance asking for donations. I think there's a really good chance they all do really good things. So why don't I give money to all of them? Simply doing good things doesn't mean I will necessarily support an effort. Here's why.

There are an infinite (okay, not actually, but SEEMINGLY infinite) number of ways a person can help those in need. I mean, first, we have to decide WHO is in need and how we think they need help. This is a personal thing, and one can't fault someone else for having different priorities. You may not agree with them, but isn't it their prerogative? We are all finite creatures, and our resources are all finite. Can we all agree on that? Our finiteness?

Therefore, we each must make choices based on the resources we have, what our priorities are, and what groups use the resources they receive to best meet those needs we care about. Some people do this more intentionally than others, but most of us do this in some way.

So here's what I don't get--the assumption that we are out of line to ask for information that would help us evaluate different programs or ministries as a congregation. Does it not make sense that since our congregations are also finite entities, we also have to make judgments about how best to use our resources.

Just in our local community, there are a myriad of causes our congregation could support. We cannot meaningfully support all. We could, I guess, just decide to give each organization a set amount of money--albeit small. But that would be a bit lazy, wouldn't it? And it would fail to account for different levels of need. Some organizations receive all their support from churches, while for others church giving is simply icing on the cake. And even the groups who rely upon church money have different goals and use our funds in different ways. Is it not fair for congregations to make these choices?

All of this came to a head for me at a recent meeting I attended of a ministry that needs the financial support of congregations. It is one that reaches a particular population in our community--one that is certainly in need of assistance. But here's the thing...is it not fair for us to ask what the goals of this ministry are? After all, it is not the only ministry that reaches this population. On what basis should our congregation choose to fund this ministry and not another that helps this population?

I finally tired to getting looked at crossways when I asked for specific goals of the ministry. I agree that some ministries cannot, by their nature, have as concrete of goals as other ministries, but surely it is best practices for all ministries (as all congregations) to have some goals by which to measure success (and, necessarily, failure, or not quite succeeding, if that sounds better).

At this recent meeting, when I once again pressed for a clearer definition as to what the ministry saw itself creating, I heard, "People's lives are being changed." Okay. That's good. But changed into what? And as anathema as it is to us often in church work, yes, I do have questions about how many lives are being changed. I know this sounds to some like discounting the effect a ministry has on a few lives, but after all, you're asking our church to fund this instead of one of the many other ministries that also changes lives. If "People's lives are being changed" was the only criteria for giving, few groups would receive adequate funding because giving would be spread so thin.

The truth is, non-profit giving is, indeed, somewhat of a competition. Churches themselves have to compete for funds in a world where people can now be very selective in their giving (the specificity of causes is mind-boggling). The groups who will survive in this setting are those who tell a better story, cast a more powerful vision, and display responsible fiscal management. There have been and will be groups who do awesome things, but are not able to get people tied into their work. This is not because people are necessarily against their work, but because given the choice, people will invest in what works and what offers them clarity and a real sense of their giving making a difference.

I wish we lived in a world where no one needed to strive to meet people's basic needs. Sadly, however, we live in a world that is not yet perfect, and since I cannot do all things, I will strive to make the very best decisions and the most responsible choices I can make. And I hope our congregations do the same. Those choices will not be perfect, and all congregations, like all people, will make those choices in slightly different ways. But to deny our givers the basic respect of providing information about what a ministry does and why people should support THAT ministry and necessarily ignore others is to court financial disaster for a ministry. Just as it also spells financial downfall for congregations.

On Transitions and Appointments

As we move through our summer sermon series, "Questions Every Pastor Fears" (check out Ten Questions Every Pastor Fears by Belton Joyner, our inspiration for the series) we come this Sunday to "Why are you leaving us for another church? Don't you like us?"

Honestly, we in the UMC often do a pretty poor job explaining the appointment process, and just generally, well, our understanding of pastoral leadership and the relationship between a pastor and congregation. Any discussion of this central issue is usually relegated to the Sunday a pastor announces they are being reappointed (and subsequent Sundays when either the pastor or the beleaguered members of the SPRC have to calm the congregation who may have never, or rarely, been made to understand our system).

Such "emergency" discussions of the appointment process and the UMC's long-established itineracy system necessarily carry a heavy hand, as they are often packed with the required reminders to the congregation about breaking their relationship with the pastor (admittedly this is more difficult in some situations than other). In the Baltimore-Washington Conference, the following paragraphs (from paragraph 2412 in the conference policy manual) becomes the pastor and SPRC's mantra (both in print and in person):

i.    As of the effective date of a new appointment, a pastor shall immediately cease all pastoral counseling and pastoral visitation with members or member families in the previous appointment. Since appointments are generally announced several weeks in advance, each pastor has adequate time in which to affect closure and make appropriate referral to another for the pastoral care of members.
ii.    Pastors shall have a clear understanding with former congregations that they will not return to officiate at baptisms, weddings, and funerals, or do pastoral counseling or pastoral visitation in that parish. Pastors, active or retired, shall respectfully decline to participate in such duties when invited by members of a former congregation. Declining all such invitations is the responsibility of the previous pastor. The present pastor, at his or her discretion, may invite the previous pastor to return for pastoral functions. However, the present pastor should never be under any pressure to invite the previous pastor.

 When I announced my reappointment at my previous, and first, appointment, I was so focused on doing things the correct way, that I had nearly memorized these paragraphs.  I believe strongly in the wisdom of these instructions, while I also admit that there are different situations in which these are appropriately applied with some flexibility. However, I am also convinced (as I am sure any pastor is who has followed a pastor who hasn't really committed to moving on) that the departing pastor must, for the good of everyone, be pretty staunch in following these policies.

That said, our discussions, then, about appointments, often, I imagine, can sound harsh, sudden, and perhaps even cold to our congregation. This sermon is an opportunity, I hope, to change that a bit.

Here are some of my thoughts, then, on appointments, beyond the same old discussion...

Our system of itineracy is grounded in the very earliest Methodist practices. For many reasons (the reasons alone could be their own blog) John Wesley found it important to move his pastors frequently. The frequency at that time, and even for several generations, would shock us today (even as pastors and congregations alike still complain about short appointments). You have to keep in mind that the Methodist movement was largely lay-led, and at a time with many charismatic traveling preachers, this system allowed for Wesley to enforce cohesiveness and preclude any one, or a few, pastor from building their own kingdom. The wisdom of this cannot be lost on us today, even as we balance this against the knowledge that still, longER appointments promote greater growth.

Admittedly, while the early church had many traveling evangelists, many of the earliest leaders seem to have been local boys. This posed as many challenges as it did benefits. It is, one must admit, difficult for people to see that annoying kid they knew as a middle schooler as their pastor, and existing family dynamics can wreak havoc on a church. Local churches necessarily developed insulated theology and practice, which Wesley specifically wanted to avoid.

Today, appointments are made for many different reasons, the primary being a matching of the skills and personality of the pastor and the missional opportunity and personality of the pastor. One can easily imagine, then, too, that as any of these factors change or evolve, a previously splendid appointment may change also, and may given cause for a new appointment. For United Methodists, generally three voices are at play in the appointment process: the cabinet and bishop (I list as one voice because in our conference at least, whatever the behind the scenes dynamics, they speak with one voice), the pastor, and the congregation. Any (or all) of these three can indicate desire for a move, which can be requested for a variety of reasons, including:

1. retirement (obviously at the request of the pastor)
2. leave for any other reason (medical, study, etc., that otherwise requires the pastor to be removed)
3. life change (including family leave, need to move with spouse's job, or to care for parent, etc.; sometimes a major event in the pastor's life, like divorce, can also lead to a reappointment depending on the situation)
4. major conflict between congregation and pastor
5.  those already mentioned (personality, skill, missional opportunity); in truth this is the murkiest category...because much is often in the eye of the beholder (and sometimes the line between this and major conflict can be quite thin...other times not)
6. time (Yes, indeed, sometimes the mere passage of time can be a factor.  We are well aware of the dangers of leaving a pastor for TOO long in a congregation, so sometimes a pastor gets moved for that, among other reasons. At other times, there are watershed moments in a pastor's ministry that may be expected times for a move, like when a pastor moves from the probationary period to full orders after ordination. I would propose that a church ought to expect to have a new pastor only until that period ends, or for a year or so longer). As much harm as has been done by moving pastors too soon, I am convinced much harm as also been done by leaving pastors too long.

Often, there is some combination of the above factors, and of course there may be other reasons, but I think most fit under these basics.

The most interesting of these is, of course, number 5. Number 6 is perhaps interesting, but not terribly complicated. Number 6 can be best understood by listening to songs like The Lion King's "Circle of Life." That's perhaps a bit flippant, but not far from the truth.

Okay, number 5. I will touch on these broadly, as they are, in addition to reasons for reappointment, also the same criteria used for making appointments. Here goes:

PERSONALITY
For me, this covers a range of personal traits and behaviors. It also includes the pastor and congregation's theological approach and leadership expectations. You may be surprised to learn that there is actually a form that includes a lot of this "personality" information that the cabinet uses for each pastor and congregation that is "on the table."

Perfect appointments cannot always be made, and it must be admitted that appointments are a lot like arranged marriages--some inherently better or worse than others, but all what the parties make of them. But these factors are considered, weighed (for example, a pastor's view on homosexuality may be a more intense issue for one pastor than another, and the same for a congregation; it would be foolish to put a conservative pastor in an activist liberal congregation, but the same pastor might do well in a range of churches other than activist conservative ones--so there is a range). In addition, as far as it is possible (and this depends on how much the cabinet knows pastors and churches) there is effort made to match styles in an effort for growth. A large, corporate-structure church probably shouldn't receive a casual, anti-hierarchical senior pastor (would be less of an issue for an associate, perhaps, but still an issue).

There are a lot of other personality factors, but I think you get the idea.

SKILL
Ideally, the pastor's greatest skills match with the congregation's greatest needs. Now, that is not always possible, and we do expect:

• pastors to have basic competency in the range of pastoral responsbilities, including but not limited to: administration, preaching, teaching, pastoral care, etc.
• congregations to support their pastors in their talents, sometimes including introducing new programs (though a wise pastor does so carefully)

Here, you see, skill is also related to personality, especially in as much as you consider leadership style both a skill and a factor of personality.

Also, there may be very specific needs a congregation has for a pastor, whether a senior or an associate. Perhaps the associate is responsible for leading the youth. Not all pastors have that skill. Perhaps the senior pastor serves essentially as the executive director for a specific outreach ministry of the church (ex. a shelter)...not all pastors have those skills.

MISSIONAL OPPORTUNITY
The basic questions here are "Where is God calling this congregation to go?" and "Where is God calling this pastor?" Maybe a pastor and congregation have had a fruitful relationship, but the next steps for the congregation are ones that pastor is not well suited for. Wise pastors are often the first to see this and then share their insight with their denominational leaders and their congregation. Congregations have life cycles (as of course do pastors) and it is now a well-established fact (though still disliked by some) that most pastors do not have the personality or skills to guide a congregation through all life cycles. Some pastors can start new things well. Oh to have more of these pastors! Others are good at nurturing early seeds. Others are talented at maintaining growth. Still others can help a congregation break through to a new plateau. Others are gifted at guiding a congregation into a new form of life (merger, closure, etc.).

Sometimes the congregation's vision and the pastor's vision are just different. This can be something that changes over time, so that a previously well-aligned appointment becomes in need to change.

Those are just some of the factors. I think this blog is long enough as it is! But you get the idea. The same principles that guide pastoral appointments guide other human relationships, and so are not entirely foreign to us.

Process and Systems

Okay, so I get that systems aren't very exciting. In fact, systems are difficult to set up (at least good, thought-out ones are). But I am a firm believer in the importance of good systems.

Now, let's get this truth out on the table: systems can be evil. But I am convinced that this is not an inherent trait of having a system, but rather how it is used. Systems can keep people oppressed, hide laziness in bureaucracy, on and on. BUT it is always the people involved that make a system that way. One can only conclude that having a good system only allows them to do those things more consistently and efficiently.

SO...if systems can be bad because of their consistency and efficiency, then I am also sure they can be both consistently and efficiently (and effectively) good. And I think it is worth it to think not just about what we intend to end up doing, but indeed how we plan to do it.

So, my work this summer has largely involved what I call my "summer projects." Summer doesn't exactly slow down, but the pace is different, and for me, it provides an opportunity to work on systems--work that is much more difficult when our church schedule is running at full tilt.

So this summer my summer projects involve working (or continuing work) on many different systems at Calvary, including congregational care, weddings, young adults, worship, communication, confirmation and training.

The trouble with systems work is that it rarely bears immediate fruit, and only a very few initially see the value of creating or reworking the system. A good system, though, saves time, allows for more to be done, provides for consistency and structure that empowers people to be involved. A good system is a glorious thing to behold.

It is pretty easy to spot a situation or process that needs a better system. Conversations usually expose some function that people have this nagging sense just isn't working as well as it should. The absence of a good system (as opposed to the presence of a good system that isn't being followed, which, in reality, is the same as not having a good system--as in, it doesn't matter if no one does it) is usually indicated by people involved not really understanding how decisions are made, whose responsibility different steps are (and thus an absence of accountability) and often a general feeling like things are not handled fairly (when people don't understand the process and see things handled inconsistently, they will naturally feel it to be unfair, no matter the intentions).

For those of us who work on systems, our life's dream is to leave things better than we found them, with systems that outlast our presence in a situation, and to make everyone's lives a bit easier, clearer, and just, well, better.

So off I go...with my flow charts and analyses and meetings, hoping to get a few good systems rolling...

Thoughts on Pregnancy

So I'm now in my 21st week of pregnancy, and I haven't really blogged about it. I guess I should, seeing as how many people have entire blogs about their pregnancy--I come across many of these when I google pregnancy questions I have.

But still, I'm not sure what to blog...I doubt anyone wants a running account of my doctor's visits (our parents get that, and they are perhaps the only ones remotely interested), and at any rate, I don't think everyone needs to know every detail. I've Facebooked a picture of the curtains I'm making for the nursery, but that hardly seems in keeping with the tone of this blog, and to be honest, I don't have the time or energy to keep up a purely-pregnancy blog (heck, I don't think I do a great job keeping this one updated!).

So at any rate, here are a few thoughts, mostly random ones, as an interruption to the normal business of this blog...to which we shall return after this, with minimal pregnancy interruption...

1. There is a seemingly infinite number of ways to stress out a pregnant woman. These include, but are not limited to: the midwife/doctor ordered a follow up test, the hint of possible problems which leads the pregnancy woman to google the complication (this never ends well), someone making ANY comment related to the pregnant woman's weight, etc.
2. I'm not trying to eat like a rabbit (I have increased my eating) but I don't need to be reminded that I'm eating for two. Afterall, both of us are not full-grown adults.
3. I've been reading through childbirth, breastfeeding, baby care books, and have learned a lot. I've also ordered DVDs on those topics for my husband, because at this rate, that's all he'll have time for!
4. Best book so far? Baby Bargains. We used their wedding book for our wedding, and we've found this book, combined with a Consumer Reports subscription (a necessity for new fathers in my husband's opinion) to be an awesome resource. It has saved us a lot of money by helping us figure out what to spend money on and what not too. Biggest surprise? For cribs, it doesn't get much safer or better quality and value than Ikea's Leksvik crib. Now we just have to find time to put it together...
5. It IS possible to convince your husband to use cloth diapers. Now we'll see how things goes once the rubber hits the road, but chinese prefolds and snappis in hand, we're ready to go...Well, after I sew a few more diaper covers, that is...
6. If you buy your husband a few prospective father books, he'll eventually read one of them, especially if it has a cool title that calls to his desire to be a cool dad. Many thanks, Mack Daddy.
7. My sister apparently thinks she needs to single-handedly cloth our child (which she is quite excited about since it means buying little girls' clothes). I have tried to dissuade her. My husband sees no problem with it.
8. Having to buy maternity pants was not nearly disturbing as when, just recently, even my regular t-shirts didn't fit right.
9. Finding out and letting people know the gender of the baby has not, as I had hoped, stopped my mother from asking what we are going to name the baby, even though we have said we aren't going to tell. I think she thinks she will outsmart me if she keeps asking, like one day I'll forget I meant not to tell her. She may have a good strategy there, but I am on to her...
10. Each time I am sitting in the midwife/doctor's office waiting room, always with my husband in tow, I am reminded what an awesome guy I've got!
11. Having a sick dog (all better now) is somewhat good training for having a baby. Lesson I learned? My husband wakes up much easier than I do. I think this bodes well for my post-birth sleep, but perhaps not as well for his...
12. Anticipating maternity leave over Advent and Christmas makes me very productive. Two of four worship services for Christmas Eve? Nearly at final drafts.

So, those are just a few random thoughts...onto other things now. Like that monstrous to-do list...

On Racism and Church Leadership Today

Okay, I'm still kind of worked up about a Facebook posting by one of my (now former) Facebook friends this morning. If any of you are also friends with her, you know who I mean, but many if not post of you are not, so this will sound vague, but it raises some issues I want to address here (I've already posted a comment on the status them removed her from my friends list).

The woman is question is someone I came to know through conference activities. She has a local and regional leadership position with youth, in a different town. As it turns out, she was baptized by my great-grandfather, Elmer Andrews. We have had a decent working relationship till now, I felt. She has posted a lot of very political things on her Facebook, which I personally find unfitting for someone in pastoral leadership (she is not a pastor but has a ministry position) but as she is not a professional clergy, I simply "hid" her from my news feed so I didn't have to read it (I don't mind political postings, it's ones filled with invectives that I block--don't worry, I haven't blocked people just for political reasons!).

Today, however, the tone of her status made it impossible for me to ignore--though in fact I would not have seen the post if my husband had not pointed it out to me.

In her post, she described her frustration with the Hispanics at a local state park. Now, I understand frustration, but I do not condone the mean and ethnic-directed tone of her remarks. I am certain (for I have seen it) that any ethnic group is capable of poor manners, whites absolutely not to be excepted. She berated the behavior of the Hispanic visitors to the park, repeatedly reminding her Facebook audience of their ethnicity. She also made the remark I have, unfortunately, heard before, about being upset at hearing so much Spanish.

Okay, let me just say this now. Saying this to me is a sure way to make me question your decency and intelligence. And, honestly, to personally offend me. Now I get that not understanding someone's language is difficult. I lived in Greece for four months. I have often (including till today) hosted people from Korea. It is very difficult to not know the language. But you know what? We've all been (or our families have been, if we've not been fortunate enough to travel or live internationally) in that situation.

I noted in my reply to her status that I was personally offended because my own ancestors spoke German and were shunned for that. In fact, our church, the United Brethren, was kept out of the Methodist Church for YEARS because at first we did not speak English fully. Another commented remarked it is about ASSIMILATION (her caps). Bull$6!#. My ancestors did not speak English at first, but after several generations they did. The same will likely be true for current Hispanic immigrants (even if we assume the goal should be such uniformity that exists hardly anywhere else in the world--are we less capable of navigating these challenges than many third world countries?). We have the privilege of hosting a program at Manidokan put on by a non-profit that promotes cultural awareness and positive life choices for Hispanic youth. Some do not speak English well, but as I have learned, many of those are newly arrived in the US. Many first generation youths, not to mention second generation (as was the case for my German ancestors) speak both English and Spanish quite well.

I don't want to address the political issues here, of which I know there are many. I do not feel that basic hospitality and accepting that the world does not revolve around us, is a political issue. It is an issue of graciousness and love. Interacting between cultures is not easy, but there are many issues that affect our interactions--economic status and age are also major issues, amongst a whole litany of others.

The truth is that things are never simple, and that is why I quickly lose respect for people who try to make them so. Yes it is easier to vilify or insult an entire ethnic group. But that only displays laziness and ignorance.


All that said, we will all disagree. But those of us in leadership in the church are particularly called to be cautious of expressing our own views in a way so as to offend our brothers or sisters. That an opinion can be shared without being offensive is certain. This same woman could have expressed frustration in such a way that no one took her comments as racist. Unfortunately, she chose not to do so. And that shows not only her unfortunate views, but also, and perhaps more glaringly, her poor judgment in posting them given her position. Some will respond, "Shouldn't she be able to say whatever she wants?" Well, yes, if she wants to be perceived in that way, but I disagree with the assumption that we ought all to share every thought we have in the very way we first have it. Navigating that challenge of self-editing is a skill that comes with maturity. Unfortunately, maturity is not an inevitable by-product of the passing of time.