I've taken, lately, to using the Upper Room's online devotional resource at http://www.upperroom.org/daily/. I like this resource, honestly, because it's brief and usually has just one verse of scripture. I'm less a fan of the regular Upper Room daily devotional, because though it often has a key verse, sometimes that verse is not from the larger assigned scripture section. What can I say? Stuff like that bothers me. I need sometime simple. I also like that the additional material comes from books, or is a nice prayer or poem...the personal reflections of the regular resource usually distract me more than they help me connect to the text.
That said, though I've often used my journal to reflect on the verse, I thought I'd try blogging...see how I like it...so we'll see...
Today's verse is:
[Jesus] presented his message to [the people], fitting the stories to their experience and maturity. He was never without a story when he spoke.
- Mark 4:33-34, THE MESSAGE
I'm not surprised anymore when the devotional I use hits upon a verse that really speaks to me that day. It's not coincidence. It's God.
So imagine my (non-existent) surprise to see this verse today--the day I decided to finally start reading the new New Interpreter's Handbook of Preaching.
One of the things that has been both incredibly rewarding and challenging about my first (and current) appointment has been preaching week in and week out. For the majority of pastors, this is what they face. It's the job. I must admit, though, that my best preaching disciplines (developed in seminary when preaching twice in a semester-long preaching class was really something) have faltered a bit. The life of a preacher is woven into the life of a pastor, and sometimes decisions (i.e. prioritizing) has to be done. I confess that in the light of others' expectations and my own fatigue, sometimes Sunday's sermon has been less than...er...well prepared.
That said, I'm looking forward to the opportunity of my new position to step back and think a bit more about how I develop my sermons. It's not that I've preached by the seat of my pants for the past 4 years--far from it. But I'm interested to see how a bit slower pacing of sermon prep allows me to fine tune things. I don't want to miss the opportunity, and just fall into the same patterns.
I think the best sermons, messages, speeches I've heard, as well as those I've given which have been best received, have been ones with strong stories. I don't mean cute jokes or stories meant just to tug at the heart strings. I mean well-used, and tied to scripture stories. Heck, often the scripture itself supplies sufficient story-ness.
I love stories. Perhaps that's why history is one of my favorite subjects. I love the connections in stories. The people and characters, personalities. Conflicts and failures; relationships and successes. And Jesus knew that for most people (dare I say ALL people) stories have power. I don't think any of us function well in the abstract. I mean we can do it, but at some point, abstract has to become tangible for us to grasp it.
Jesus used parables most often to describe the most complicated things. He talked again and again in parables about the kingdom of God. Notice that he doesn't give a straight description, but always uses metaphor. The kingdom of God is like...
Speaking in stories is, honestly, my favorite part of being a pastor. I love finding ways to express things to people in ways that help them better understand the world, God and themselves. I tell stories in preaching, pastoral care situations, and business meetings. I compare Christian discipleship and study to fairy tales (the story of the Emperor's New Clothes is my standard tool for explaining the need for more adult Christian education and why we have so little now).
I think it's pretty awesome, actually, that Jesus spoke in stories. I'm so glad that he did. Gives me permission to do the same. Even when it means using Dana Carvey's church lady sketch as a key illustration in talking about evangelism (or rather the opposite of it) or comparing a pastoral dilemma to a recent...or famous...TV episode. Stories are pretty powerful things...
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Humor
So I was looking to inject a bit of humor into this Sunday's sermon, and thought I'd share some funny tidbits here...
Why Men Shouldn't be Ordained
http://www.gbgm-umc.org/rainierumc/rumc_humor.htm#Men
A Classic: The Joyful Noiseletter
http://www.joyfulnoiseletter.com/
Oldy But a Goody: Why God Never Received Tenture at Any University
http://www.gbgm-umc.org/rainierumc/rumc_humor2.htm#Tenure
Why Men Shouldn't be Ordained
http://www.gbgm-umc.org/rainierumc/rumc_humor.htm#Men
A Classic: The Joyful Noiseletter
http://www.joyfulnoiseletter.com/
Oldy But a Goody: Why God Never Received Tenture at Any University
http://www.gbgm-umc.org/rainierumc/rumc_humor2.htm#Tenure
Final Weeks
Okay, I admit it. I fell prey to the rumor. It thought they were right. But no, in fact, things don't slow down in your last weeks in an appointment. Well, let me footnote that by saying that things could certainly be busier, but I've had seldom a down moment. So slower, perhaps...lots of time on my hands? Definitely not.
This week, meetings, women's study and a funeral fill my time, and in between those is the bulletins (now done through my last Sunday and the following week's guest preacher), the pastoral care, the e-mails and the paperwork.
I've made it a point, though, to take time to do some reading, and just finished "Mad Church Disease" yesterday by Anne Jackson. It's a great book (and an easy read) about burnout in the church--whether paid ministry staff, volunteer leaders, or the people who care about them. I definitely recommend this. Whether or not you're currently feeling burned out, Jackson gives some great advice to get healthy and stay that way.
I wanted to share the best story to come out of Annual Conference--well, from those of us buried in the worship room at least. Jenny Smith had brought along a lay woman from her church to help, someone who could work on things even if the rest of us needed to be in session. Deidre was a great person to have--always looking to help, incredibly upbeat, just a great presence. And Deidre had never been to conference before, so as far as she knew, all the fun was in the worship room! Well, most of it is...
So early on, as we're setting up, and there's people coming and going, Deidre was taping down some of the piece on the altar decorations. We'd done bits and pieces as we set up, since we realized the stage was so bouncy that even walking across the stage things shook. As she was focused on this, she noticed a man on stage getting his bearing of where things was. As she continued what she was doing, the man came up and asked her what she was doing, and why. She said she was taping things down so that bishop wouldn't knock things over. The man replied, "I hear he does things like that." And he went on about his business then wandered off. Snap to a bit later, as the procession for opening worship was entering. Who does she happen to see? That same man. Wearing a robe and stole, and carrying the bishop's staff.
Yes, indeed, the man she had spoke with earlier was Bishop Schol.
:-) I just think that's a great story! Always makes me smile.
It does remind me though, of what a shock it will be to go from a place where people know me (today I was in a doctor's office with my cousin who needed stitches and a woman from the UCC church in my town recognized me and we started talking) to a place where many do not. There's both a humility and an isolation in being somewhere people don't know me. For example, spending a college semester in Athens, Greece was one of the best things I think I could ever have done. It forced me to appreciate other cultures more, to be moe humble about my own cultural assumptions, and helped expose me to many new things. New places are like that. But I also remember who terrifying it was to arrive in a town where I didn't speak the native language, and was quite obviously not one of "them". (Freckled skin and reddish hair is not native to Greece...)
I remember too how much I prayed then. I knew I couldn't change the place (even if I wanted too, which would have made it pretty boring) but I prayed and prayed for God to help me adjust. And in accepting the differences, finding ways to be myself there (like finding that cute little Anglican church I attended), I began to feel at home.
I know the same will be true at Calvary. Settling in is more about adjusting to their culture (while staying true to myself and God's call on my life) than it is about changing them to suit me. And anyone whose made that adjustment knows how scary and exhausting it is.
For me, though, I know God has been with me in so many new things, and even out of fear and anxiety, has brought forth great growth and amazing experiences. I'm counting on God to do the same now, as I make this transition.
And really, anywhere that doesn't require a passport to reach (and even many that do) won't be all that foreign. Different. Perhaps greatly so. But all will be well.
This week, meetings, women's study and a funeral fill my time, and in between those is the bulletins (now done through my last Sunday and the following week's guest preacher), the pastoral care, the e-mails and the paperwork.
I've made it a point, though, to take time to do some reading, and just finished "Mad Church Disease" yesterday by Anne Jackson. It's a great book (and an easy read) about burnout in the church--whether paid ministry staff, volunteer leaders, or the people who care about them. I definitely recommend this. Whether or not you're currently feeling burned out, Jackson gives some great advice to get healthy and stay that way.
I wanted to share the best story to come out of Annual Conference--well, from those of us buried in the worship room at least. Jenny Smith had brought along a lay woman from her church to help, someone who could work on things even if the rest of us needed to be in session. Deidre was a great person to have--always looking to help, incredibly upbeat, just a great presence. And Deidre had never been to conference before, so as far as she knew, all the fun was in the worship room! Well, most of it is...
So early on, as we're setting up, and there's people coming and going, Deidre was taping down some of the piece on the altar decorations. We'd done bits and pieces as we set up, since we realized the stage was so bouncy that even walking across the stage things shook. As she was focused on this, she noticed a man on stage getting his bearing of where things was. As she continued what she was doing, the man came up and asked her what she was doing, and why. She said she was taping things down so that bishop wouldn't knock things over. The man replied, "I hear he does things like that." And he went on about his business then wandered off. Snap to a bit later, as the procession for opening worship was entering. Who does she happen to see? That same man. Wearing a robe and stole, and carrying the bishop's staff.
Yes, indeed, the man she had spoke with earlier was Bishop Schol.
:-) I just think that's a great story! Always makes me smile.
It does remind me though, of what a shock it will be to go from a place where people know me (today I was in a doctor's office with my cousin who needed stitches and a woman from the UCC church in my town recognized me and we started talking) to a place where many do not. There's both a humility and an isolation in being somewhere people don't know me. For example, spending a college semester in Athens, Greece was one of the best things I think I could ever have done. It forced me to appreciate other cultures more, to be moe humble about my own cultural assumptions, and helped expose me to many new things. New places are like that. But I also remember who terrifying it was to arrive in a town where I didn't speak the native language, and was quite obviously not one of "them". (Freckled skin and reddish hair is not native to Greece...)
I remember too how much I prayed then. I knew I couldn't change the place (even if I wanted too, which would have made it pretty boring) but I prayed and prayed for God to help me adjust. And in accepting the differences, finding ways to be myself there (like finding that cute little Anglican church I attended), I began to feel at home.
I know the same will be true at Calvary. Settling in is more about adjusting to their culture (while staying true to myself and God's call on my life) than it is about changing them to suit me. And anyone whose made that adjustment knows how scary and exhausting it is.
For me, though, I know God has been with me in so many new things, and even out of fear and anxiety, has brought forth great growth and amazing experiences. I'm counting on God to do the same now, as I make this transition.
And really, anywhere that doesn't require a passport to reach (and even many that do) won't be all that foreign. Different. Perhaps greatly so. But all will be well.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
In a Daze
So this week is going at a breakneck pace! After dropping off our Korean guests on Sunday, it was back to camp to welcome the staff arriving for the lifeguard training. My husband, then, has been leading the lifeguard training since early Monday, and had a late night (11:30 p.m. before he got home). He'll have long days today and tomorrow, and Iv'e been busy getting bulletins done for church, and tackling the seemingly endless stack of tasks to be accomplished before Annual Conference. I'll head out tomorrow morning, hit church for our morning women's study, do a pastoral visit, then head to Baltimore, to the hotel where Annual Conf. will be, for an arrangements committee meeting, then the rest of the afternoon and evening will be busy with worship set up. It really is pretty insane what remains to be done. I'm taking the "slow and steady wins the race"...except without the "slow" part. Just keep going, and it will get done...or it won't...but at least I'd have given it my best shot!
That said, off to tackle seat labels...you wouldn't think these would be such a task would you? If you'd ever had to figure out where to seat people at Conference your would!
That said, off to tackle seat labels...you wouldn't think these would be such a task would you? If you'd ever had to figure out where to seat people at Conference your would!
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Connectionalism
Last night my husband and I picked up our guests for the next few days, a Korean Methodist pastor and his wife. YoungKwan and WonSuk will be with us till Sunday afternoon, when they'll go to a second host family until Annual Conference. They're part of a 9-person delegation from the South conference visiting this year.
I hosted two years ago when a delegation came from the same conference, and it was a challenging but great experience. My only hesitation this year was that I'd done it before and thought others should have the chance (sadly, they didn't have the problem of too many people offering to host).
Our day has started slowly so far...owing in large part to the fact that after 27 hours of travel, the jet lag has understandably hit them hard. We did venture to Panera this morning for breakfast and a meeting, then I showed them both my current church and the one I'll be at July 1 (so Jefferson and Calvary, respectively). But then we headed home, and they're resting now. We're off with my husband and brothers tonight to the Orioles game, though, so that should be fun. Tomorrow we're off to DC, and Saturday will mostly be a day around camp.
It's always so interesting to hear about how church "works" in other places, even when it's basically the same denomination/order. YoungKwan and WonSuk and their two children live in an apartment the floor below their rented church space. They have 20 or so children, and about as many adults. They started the church ten years ago. When we visited Calvary, and I explained it was built in the 1930s, and wasn't a terribly old church by US standards (Jefferson was built in 1828) they said it would be a very old church in Korea.
Having hosted before, I'm slightly better prepared, but each person is different, and it's also different hosting now with a husband to help (though he's busy with camp) rather than as a single woman (which the couple two years ago just couldn't get over! (in a humorous way)
But all of this is a cool reminder about how people on (literally mostly) opposite sides of the world can share in the same ministry, and even when there are major differences in how they do things and in their cultures, have a lot to learn from and share with each other.
I hear them waking up, so it's off to baseball soon...and a lot more learning...
I hosted two years ago when a delegation came from the same conference, and it was a challenging but great experience. My only hesitation this year was that I'd done it before and thought others should have the chance (sadly, they didn't have the problem of too many people offering to host).
Our day has started slowly so far...owing in large part to the fact that after 27 hours of travel, the jet lag has understandably hit them hard. We did venture to Panera this morning for breakfast and a meeting, then I showed them both my current church and the one I'll be at July 1 (so Jefferson and Calvary, respectively). But then we headed home, and they're resting now. We're off with my husband and brothers tonight to the Orioles game, though, so that should be fun. Tomorrow we're off to DC, and Saturday will mostly be a day around camp.
It's always so interesting to hear about how church "works" in other places, even when it's basically the same denomination/order. YoungKwan and WonSuk and their two children live in an apartment the floor below their rented church space. They have 20 or so children, and about as many adults. They started the church ten years ago. When we visited Calvary, and I explained it was built in the 1930s, and wasn't a terribly old church by US standards (Jefferson was built in 1828) they said it would be a very old church in Korea.
Having hosted before, I'm slightly better prepared, but each person is different, and it's also different hosting now with a husband to help (though he's busy with camp) rather than as a single woman (which the couple two years ago just couldn't get over! (in a humorous way)
But all of this is a cool reminder about how people on (literally mostly) opposite sides of the world can share in the same ministry, and even when there are major differences in how they do things and in their cultures, have a lot to learn from and share with each other.
I hear them waking up, so it's off to baseball soon...and a lot more learning...
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Finishing Well
Everyone talks about "finishing well" when you are leaving an appointment. The problem is, no one seems to agree on what that means. And we'll all allow for the fact that each setting has a difference need in that "finishing" period.
I'm a planner. Now, I'm not crazed about it...I hope. I realize that you can't plan everything. I just figure that if I can plan what I can, then when the unexpected happens, at least you've got fewer moving pieces. After struggling when I started in ministry to get into a routine that worked for me, I found that planning out sermon series and programming months out really kept me motivated and driving forward.
So imagine my difficulty with this whole "finishing well." Trying to stay as focused when I've got only weeks left as I can when I've got a whole year ahead, is particularly difficult for me. Part of the problem, I think, is that I over-planned this transition time weeks ago. There were major issues that needed to be addressed which too far less to resolve than I'd feared. So what I thought would end up being weeks of meetings capped with a charge conference resolved itself in a week of meetings. Two weeks ago.
If I wasn't moving this summer, I'd be looking at fall programming and preparing for adult studies, special events, etc. But that would be my appointment, and at any rate, in the four years I've been here people have come to leadership in the congregation who have the children's ministry, at least, running well. I'd like there to be more for youth, but I don't want to start a new pattern for their program now...only to have it changed in a month.
I've got visitation to do before I go, but I've got a plan for doing that, so there's no reason to panic there.
I do well when I'm driving hard. So this waiting and easing out is difficult for me. I think I am finishing well, but when you're used to going non-stop, it's hard to equate "easing out" with "finishing well". I think I just don't function very efficiently at all though, when I'm not go, go, go.
The good news is, I'm totally swamped with stuff for Annual Conference--between contacting retirees and the families of deceased, trying to tie together details for special meals. With any luck I'll dig myself out from most of that today.
My husband Chris knew I'd have a hard time with this period. He knows how impatient I am. Once I've made a decision or a decision has been made, I want to move on. But it's good to be forced to slow down and make sure you're ready sometimes. I'll survive. And with any luck, I'll not just survive, but maybe also make a respectable attempt at finishing well.
I'm a planner. Now, I'm not crazed about it...I hope. I realize that you can't plan everything. I just figure that if I can plan what I can, then when the unexpected happens, at least you've got fewer moving pieces. After struggling when I started in ministry to get into a routine that worked for me, I found that planning out sermon series and programming months out really kept me motivated and driving forward.
So imagine my difficulty with this whole "finishing well." Trying to stay as focused when I've got only weeks left as I can when I've got a whole year ahead, is particularly difficult for me. Part of the problem, I think, is that I over-planned this transition time weeks ago. There were major issues that needed to be addressed which too far less to resolve than I'd feared. So what I thought would end up being weeks of meetings capped with a charge conference resolved itself in a week of meetings. Two weeks ago.
If I wasn't moving this summer, I'd be looking at fall programming and preparing for adult studies, special events, etc. But that would be my appointment, and at any rate, in the four years I've been here people have come to leadership in the congregation who have the children's ministry, at least, running well. I'd like there to be more for youth, but I don't want to start a new pattern for their program now...only to have it changed in a month.
I've got visitation to do before I go, but I've got a plan for doing that, so there's no reason to panic there.
I do well when I'm driving hard. So this waiting and easing out is difficult for me. I think I am finishing well, but when you're used to going non-stop, it's hard to equate "easing out" with "finishing well". I think I just don't function very efficiently at all though, when I'm not go, go, go.
The good news is, I'm totally swamped with stuff for Annual Conference--between contacting retirees and the families of deceased, trying to tie together details for special meals. With any luck I'll dig myself out from most of that today.
My husband Chris knew I'd have a hard time with this period. He knows how impatient I am. Once I've made a decision or a decision has been made, I want to move on. But it's good to be forced to slow down and make sure you're ready sometimes. I'll survive. And with any luck, I'll not just survive, but maybe also make a respectable attempt at finishing well.
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Graduation Parties
So my brother Dan is an RA in upperclass housing at Drew. And I don't know why I hadn't even thought of it when we (my other two sibs and mom) decided to just stay at his place for the night before graduation, but it was rocking here last night! There are, I have to admit, days that I miss my own time working in Res Life. Last night was one of those time I remembered why I'm glad to be out!
I mean, these seniors had a rocking time, including an inflatable pool (complete with inflatable dolphin and palm tree), an apparently endless amount of alcohol, and of course that one guy who yelled (we could hear even with the windows closed), "OKAY, NOW LET'S STREAK!" Ah, college kids.
This morning, it will be the same as it is on graduation mornings around the country...those same partiers will drag themselves from bed (some maybe never even made it there...) put on a robe, walk across a stage, and be thrown out into the world that actually has very little patience (certainly less than campus security seems to have) for graduation-eve-type partiers. What was fun in college becomes, eventually, a liability. The guy who always had a beer in hand may end up the guy going to AA meetings. But maybe he ends up the guy who marries young, has a bunch of kids with his high school sweetheart, lives happy and healthy for a long life.
The truth is, you never really know. And you can never go back. Even returning for reunion weekends isn't the same. Visiting professors never feels quite the same as it was to be their student. And even without bemoaning the pains of adulthood (it really can be pretty awesome even allowing for, you know, the grown-up worries of it all) you can never recapture the college life. Well, except perhaps if you go to grad school...but then it's only for a little while...
But perhaps last night partiers are indeed very wise young men and women. Maybe they understand all of this...and that's precisely why they stayed up so late having fun with each other. What's a little nodding off during the graduation speech if it means you got a few mroe minutes to be a college students.
Whatever they intended...it's pretty hard for me to resist the urge to run through the halls with a fog horn. I mean, they DO have to walk that stage. And you know, having kept us up, it seems only fair!
I won't though. I'm a grown up after all. :-)
I mean, these seniors had a rocking time, including an inflatable pool (complete with inflatable dolphin and palm tree), an apparently endless amount of alcohol, and of course that one guy who yelled (we could hear even with the windows closed), "OKAY, NOW LET'S STREAK!" Ah, college kids.
This morning, it will be the same as it is on graduation mornings around the country...those same partiers will drag themselves from bed (some maybe never even made it there...) put on a robe, walk across a stage, and be thrown out into the world that actually has very little patience (certainly less than campus security seems to have) for graduation-eve-type partiers. What was fun in college becomes, eventually, a liability. The guy who always had a beer in hand may end up the guy going to AA meetings. But maybe he ends up the guy who marries young, has a bunch of kids with his high school sweetheart, lives happy and healthy for a long life.
The truth is, you never really know. And you can never go back. Even returning for reunion weekends isn't the same. Visiting professors never feels quite the same as it was to be their student. And even without bemoaning the pains of adulthood (it really can be pretty awesome even allowing for, you know, the grown-up worries of it all) you can never recapture the college life. Well, except perhaps if you go to grad school...but then it's only for a little while...
But perhaps last night partiers are indeed very wise young men and women. Maybe they understand all of this...and that's precisely why they stayed up so late having fun with each other. What's a little nodding off during the graduation speech if it means you got a few mroe minutes to be a college students.
Whatever they intended...it's pretty hard for me to resist the urge to run through the halls with a fog horn. I mean, they DO have to walk that stage. And you know, having kept us up, it seems only fair!
I won't though. I'm a grown up after all. :-)
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