I am reading Rise To Rebellion by Jeff Shaara. It is a novel about the 1770s in Boston. The introduction states that all of the events happened they way they are portrayed, but the author created the dialogue between Sam and John Adams as well as the thoughts and the feelings of General Gage and his fellow officers. Last night I read about the horror felt in the stomaches of the British army caused by their defeated at Concord.
I am also watching the HBO series on John Adams and his career. Again the events are actual and the dialogue is created by the author of the movie script. I am caught by the dialogue that goes on between John and Abigail, his wife. Some of that dialogue was copied from conversations that often occur between me and Joyce.
As I am reading and watching these two “true fictions” (I know true fiction is an oxymoron), I am amazed how putting history into story form makes a compelling read or pleasurable watching. I know that most Americans lack a good sense of history so I wonder what would happen if history courses were taught in school through good true fiction novels and movies. I think we would certainly have a much better retension of history.
The same principle holds true for teaching the Christian faith. At Good Shepherd, they taped my sermons for distribution. I listened to the tapes as a way to improve my preaching. One thing that I learned was that when I told a story about myself or someone else, the sanctuary became very quiet. Babies even stopped fussing. But when I talked about John 3:16, or Romans 8:38-39, the noise level grew. Babies fussed, teenagers dropped their bulletins, and adults looked at their watches. I concluded that it is the power of the story that holds a congregation’s attention.
Children learn who their parents are by the stories of their parent’s youth. Little children want to know what it was like when their parents were their age. The plea is repeated almost on a daily basis to have mom or dad tell a story.
On an organizational level, we learn the culture of a congregation by the stories that are told. “When pastor so and so was here, we did this and this and this.” The this, and this, and this reveal what the congregation values. That is especially true if similar stories are told about the successor of pastor so and so.
So let me ask, What are the stories that you tell about yourself to your family and friends? If you stopped and analyzed those stories, what do they reveal about your values and perspective on life? What are the stories that you tell about the place where you work? What do they reveal about the culture and values of your work environment? Finally, what are the stories that you tell about Epiphany? These stories reveal how you feel about the ministry of our congregation and those who lead it. It this the message you want to send?
To go back to the beginning of this blog, people do not remember dates concerning the Stamp Act, or the Boston Tea Party, or America’s victory at Concord but they do remember the stories told about those events. People will not always remember your birthday or anniversary but they will remember the stories you tell about your friendships and/or marriage. And, people will not remember the founding date of Epiphany but they will remember the stories you tell about its ministries. Stop and think for a moment about the stories you tell and ask, do they convey the message you want remembered?
Pastor Pete
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Nap Theology
Yesterday, I got into a great discussion about naps. At lunch, we talked about how a new person emerges when the nap has come to an end. There were idyllic descriptions of the chair that allowed one to just sit and within minutes be asleep. My addition to the conversation is that I begin my naps by reading a book through my eyelids. It was a fun conversation filled with memories.
On just a little bit of the serious side, naps are a great statement of faith for pastors. When a pastor naps, the pastor entrusts the church and its members to God. While the pastor sleeps, God must watch over the pastor’s flock. God must make sure there are no crises that cannot be handled with the pastor wakes up. And most important, God must not interfere with decisions that have already been made. Be assured it is no small feat turning everything over to God while reading through your eyelids.
There are other behaviors besides naps that are similar acts of faith. For me, my yard is such a place. I am anxiously looking forward to the day I can prepare the flower beds. When May finally arrives, it will be time to plant the annuals. Throughout the summer, the weeds which stubbornly grow between the flowers will be dug out. I can spend several hours in such activity while God is running the church and the world.
I could go on and on justifying naps. If I wanted more justification than theology has to offer, there is always Stephen Covey’s book The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. The seventh habit is sharpening the saw. Naps and working in the yard are Covey’s sharpening the saw for me. But who needs justification for that which is healthy and good?
As I write this blog, I wonder what are your great acts of faith? Is it a nap? Is it reading a book? Is it getting out of the office to hit a bucket of golf balls? Is it a walk through a public park? Is it the daily walking the dog? It is a great act of faith not having to be in control of everything that is happening. This act of faith doesn’t have to be long. A half-hour to an hour once a week can create a whole new person. So, have a nap on me.
Pastor Pete
On just a little bit of the serious side, naps are a great statement of faith for pastors. When a pastor naps, the pastor entrusts the church and its members to God. While the pastor sleeps, God must watch over the pastor’s flock. God must make sure there are no crises that cannot be handled with the pastor wakes up. And most important, God must not interfere with decisions that have already been made. Be assured it is no small feat turning everything over to God while reading through your eyelids.
There are other behaviors besides naps that are similar acts of faith. For me, my yard is such a place. I am anxiously looking forward to the day I can prepare the flower beds. When May finally arrives, it will be time to plant the annuals. Throughout the summer, the weeds which stubbornly grow between the flowers will be dug out. I can spend several hours in such activity while God is running the church and the world.
I could go on and on justifying naps. If I wanted more justification than theology has to offer, there is always Stephen Covey’s book The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. The seventh habit is sharpening the saw. Naps and working in the yard are Covey’s sharpening the saw for me. But who needs justification for that which is healthy and good?
As I write this blog, I wonder what are your great acts of faith? Is it a nap? Is it reading a book? Is it getting out of the office to hit a bucket of golf balls? Is it a walk through a public park? Is it the daily walking the dog? It is a great act of faith not having to be in control of everything that is happening. This act of faith doesn’t have to be long. A half-hour to an hour once a week can create a whole new person. So, have a nap on me.
Pastor Pete
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Paraphrasing Scripture
During my prayer time, I am often moved to paraphrase scripture. The great benefit of paraphrasing scripture is that scripture addresses exactly what is happening in my life. In a previous blog, I shared with you my paraphrasing of Psalm 8 and how I see that Psalm relating to the church. About 3:00 this morning I woke paraphrasing Romans 8:38-39 word for word. By the way, Romans 8:38-39 is my favorite scripture passage.
Romans 8 reads as follows. For I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
This morning, I substituted for neither death, nor live .... the following. I am sure that neither the daily commute from Cincinnati to Centerville, nor creating a strategy to deal with Epiphany’s debt (mortgage) obligation, nor worries about being relevant in this week’s sermon, nor questions about the future of Epiphany, nor wondering what I will write in this week’s blog, nor getting so caught up in daily routine that I lose sight of God’s hand holding and guiding me as well as Epiphany, nor questions and fears about where God is going to call me to service in the future will ever be able to separate me from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
If you were to paraphrase Romans 8 after you read this blog, what would be its content? Here are some possible forces that we contend with at Epiphany. I am sure that the anger over the split that occurred in 2011, nor the lack of response by others to participate in a ministry for which I have a tremendous passion, nor the long wait for a new senior pastor, nor the pain in having to make difficult financial decisions, nor tight budgets will ever be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
On a personal level, a paraphrase of Romans 8 might read: I am sure that a crammed schedule, nor the feeling of being pulled in multiple directions at the same time, nor the lack of time to restore my spirit, nor the constant feeling of being tired, nor the failure to live up to my and others expectations of me will ever be able to separate me from the love of God in Christ Jesus my Lord.
Paul wrote his words to a congregation living in the midst of the world’s mightiest power. The Jews had be expelled from Rome. There was distrust of Christians. But Paul is sure that the might of Rome is not powerful enough to destroy the church or him. Paraphrasing Romans 8 specifically names the powers that would pull us away from God and Jesus. Spend the next 10 minutes naming the powers in your life that pull you away from God who loves you. Then remind yourself that God is more powerful than all these forces.
Pastor Pete
Romans 8 reads as follows. For I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
This morning, I substituted for neither death, nor live .... the following. I am sure that neither the daily commute from Cincinnati to Centerville, nor creating a strategy to deal with Epiphany’s debt (mortgage) obligation, nor worries about being relevant in this week’s sermon, nor questions about the future of Epiphany, nor wondering what I will write in this week’s blog, nor getting so caught up in daily routine that I lose sight of God’s hand holding and guiding me as well as Epiphany, nor questions and fears about where God is going to call me to service in the future will ever be able to separate me from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
If you were to paraphrase Romans 8 after you read this blog, what would be its content? Here are some possible forces that we contend with at Epiphany. I am sure that the anger over the split that occurred in 2011, nor the lack of response by others to participate in a ministry for which I have a tremendous passion, nor the long wait for a new senior pastor, nor the pain in having to make difficult financial decisions, nor tight budgets will ever be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
On a personal level, a paraphrase of Romans 8 might read: I am sure that a crammed schedule, nor the feeling of being pulled in multiple directions at the same time, nor the lack of time to restore my spirit, nor the constant feeling of being tired, nor the failure to live up to my and others expectations of me will ever be able to separate me from the love of God in Christ Jesus my Lord.
Paul wrote his words to a congregation living in the midst of the world’s mightiest power. The Jews had be expelled from Rome. There was distrust of Christians. But Paul is sure that the might of Rome is not powerful enough to destroy the church or him. Paraphrasing Romans 8 specifically names the powers that would pull us away from God and Jesus. Spend the next 10 minutes naming the powers in your life that pull you away from God who loves you. Then remind yourself that God is more powerful than all these forces.
Pastor Pete
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
New Language At Epiphany
I have written two blogs on the use of language. Both Blogs referred to the tense of the verb in a sentence. Both Blogs maintained that when a person says “I should have done ...” that person is living in the past. The hurt, anger, and frustration of a past experience dominates a person’s emotions. When the verb tense become future, “Next time I will do ...” that person is now moving on and leaving the negative emotions of the past behind. Language and verb tenses reveal a lot about what is happening in our individual lives and in the life of Epiphany.
The language of Epiphany is changing once more. The new year is a mere 10 days old and a new language is emerging. More and more comments are coming to me either directly or are being relayed from other conversations about my tenure at Epiphany. Examples of these comments are: “We are going to miss you.” “Pete has been good for us but it is time to move on.” “We are glad you were here but we are looking forward to the new senior pastor.”
In response to these comments, I want to say, What a complement they are and I thank you for them. I have always believed that good leadership prepares people to function effectively and efficiently. When it is time for the leader to leave, the congregation continues on without missing a beat. The role of leadership is to establish appropriate boundaries and then turn people loose to use their skills and abilities to achieve the purpose and strategic plan of their congregation. In my opinion, many good disciples have been turned loose to serve Jesus by serving the members of Epiphany and those outside the walls of our congregation. The role of leadership is to give permission to be people to be all that they can be.
I believe the comments about the end of my tenure are an indication of the current health of Epiphany. These comments reveal an anticipation of a bright and fruitful ministry in the months and years ahead. They affirm a belief that God has not abandoned Epiphany; rather, God provides the leadership to guide Epiphany to love Jesus by serving others. I rejoice in your anticipation and your enthusiasm.
I should add that I still have some work to do over the next month or two. My remaining time at Epiphany will be spent removing barriers so that the new senior pastor can begin his ministry without major challenges demanding immediate answers. I am working with a team of four to reduce Epiphany’s debt obligation. I will be working with the Ministry Lane leaders to add clarification and detail to the new administration system implemented this year. I also plan to share with the staff some ideas on evangelism. Of course, there are the pastoral duties of worship and chaplaincy care for members.
I believe that my work over the next month(s) will match perfectly with anticipation of the arrival of a new senior pastor. What an exciting time to be here and watch the work of the Holy Spirit among us!
Pastor Pete
The language of Epiphany is changing once more. The new year is a mere 10 days old and a new language is emerging. More and more comments are coming to me either directly or are being relayed from other conversations about my tenure at Epiphany. Examples of these comments are: “We are going to miss you.” “Pete has been good for us but it is time to move on.” “We are glad you were here but we are looking forward to the new senior pastor.”
In response to these comments, I want to say, What a complement they are and I thank you for them. I have always believed that good leadership prepares people to function effectively and efficiently. When it is time for the leader to leave, the congregation continues on without missing a beat. The role of leadership is to establish appropriate boundaries and then turn people loose to use their skills and abilities to achieve the purpose and strategic plan of their congregation. In my opinion, many good disciples have been turned loose to serve Jesus by serving the members of Epiphany and those outside the walls of our congregation. The role of leadership is to give permission to be people to be all that they can be.
I believe the comments about the end of my tenure are an indication of the current health of Epiphany. These comments reveal an anticipation of a bright and fruitful ministry in the months and years ahead. They affirm a belief that God has not abandoned Epiphany; rather, God provides the leadership to guide Epiphany to love Jesus by serving others. I rejoice in your anticipation and your enthusiasm.
I should add that I still have some work to do over the next month or two. My remaining time at Epiphany will be spent removing barriers so that the new senior pastor can begin his ministry without major challenges demanding immediate answers. I am working with a team of four to reduce Epiphany’s debt obligation. I will be working with the Ministry Lane leaders to add clarification and detail to the new administration system implemented this year. I also plan to share with the staff some ideas on evangelism. Of course, there are the pastoral duties of worship and chaplaincy care for members.
I believe that my work over the next month(s) will match perfectly with anticipation of the arrival of a new senior pastor. What an exciting time to be here and watch the work of the Holy Spirit among us!
Pastor Pete
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Christmas in Bethlehem
I have been asked many times about our trip to Israel and especially what was it like to be in Bethlehem to worship on Christmas Eve. I am a process person which means my answer will probably change over the next few weeks as I process my Bethlehem and Israel experiences. With my preference for process in mind, this is where I am today in my answer.
I am 100% a word person. In matters of faith, it is the quality of the biblical interpretations and the depth of theology that form the basis for evaluating the quality of an experience. I am not a visual person but I do know gaudy when I see it. I am not normally an emotional person but I can be moved by experiences. Recognizing my preference for the spoken and written word, I traveled to Israel and Bethlehem wondering how the churches and merchants would use visual aids to highlight Jesus’ birth and to get tourists to buy their merchandise? I did not expect to see a lot of Christmas trees, Advent wreaths, or banners, but I did expect to see visual Christmas symbols reflecting mid-eastern culture. What struck me most was how few visual Christmas symbols were in churches and on the street. I could use most of the photos I took on previous trips and say this is what Christmas looks like in the Holy Land. Of course, there were the exceptions. There was a large Christmas tree in Madaba (Jordan) decorated with Santa hats. There was one vender’s stand with Santa balloons in Nazareth. There were small Christmas trees with blinking lights in Christmas Lutheran Church in Bethlehem and the Crusader Chapel in Jerusalem. But by and large, Christmas symbols were absent.
I will be the first to tell you that we don’t need Christmas trees, Advent wreaths, banners, or nativity scenes to celebrate the birth of Christ. It is the theology behind the story that makes Christmas what it is. But, there is something special about hearing the Christmas story according to St. Luke read in Bethlehem. There is something special about singing “O little town of Bethlehem” when Jesus was born a ten minute walk away from where you are singing. There is something special about candles being lit accompanied by the singing of “Silent Night.” Even a word process person can be moved in such a setting.
We got home safely - obviously. On Saturday I arrived at Epiphany about 4:30 for the 5:30 service. I planned to follow my normal Saturday routine; i.e., check the sound system, mark the Bible passages to be read, etc. As I entered the sanctuary, my eyes were overwhelmed by the poinsettias in front of the altar and the three Christmas trees full of lights and beauty. What marvelous symbols to help celebrate the First Sunday After Christmas. As a word person, I was struck by how meaningful the symbols in the sanctuary were. I concluded God was playing with my preferences in evaluating experiences.
Since Saturday night I have wondered what are the other symbols that are so much a part of my life that I do not notice them until they are not there? These symbols are not the center of my beliefs. In fact, they are on the periphery of my beliefs. But their mere presence creates the atmosphere encouraging me to rejoice in what God has so freely given. Since Saturday, I have also wondered about the symbols of Epiphany, or the church year, or of faith that raise your anticipation and delight in your faith and belief in God the Father and in his Son, Jesus, who was born in Bethlehem.
Pastor Pete
I am 100% a word person. In matters of faith, it is the quality of the biblical interpretations and the depth of theology that form the basis for evaluating the quality of an experience. I am not a visual person but I do know gaudy when I see it. I am not normally an emotional person but I can be moved by experiences. Recognizing my preference for the spoken and written word, I traveled to Israel and Bethlehem wondering how the churches and merchants would use visual aids to highlight Jesus’ birth and to get tourists to buy their merchandise? I did not expect to see a lot of Christmas trees, Advent wreaths, or banners, but I did expect to see visual Christmas symbols reflecting mid-eastern culture. What struck me most was how few visual Christmas symbols were in churches and on the street. I could use most of the photos I took on previous trips and say this is what Christmas looks like in the Holy Land. Of course, there were the exceptions. There was a large Christmas tree in Madaba (Jordan) decorated with Santa hats. There was one vender’s stand with Santa balloons in Nazareth. There were small Christmas trees with blinking lights in Christmas Lutheran Church in Bethlehem and the Crusader Chapel in Jerusalem. But by and large, Christmas symbols were absent.
I will be the first to tell you that we don’t need Christmas trees, Advent wreaths, banners, or nativity scenes to celebrate the birth of Christ. It is the theology behind the story that makes Christmas what it is. But, there is something special about hearing the Christmas story according to St. Luke read in Bethlehem. There is something special about singing “O little town of Bethlehem” when Jesus was born a ten minute walk away from where you are singing. There is something special about candles being lit accompanied by the singing of “Silent Night.” Even a word process person can be moved in such a setting.
We got home safely - obviously. On Saturday I arrived at Epiphany about 4:30 for the 5:30 service. I planned to follow my normal Saturday routine; i.e., check the sound system, mark the Bible passages to be read, etc. As I entered the sanctuary, my eyes were overwhelmed by the poinsettias in front of the altar and the three Christmas trees full of lights and beauty. What marvelous symbols to help celebrate the First Sunday After Christmas. As a word person, I was struck by how meaningful the symbols in the sanctuary were. I concluded God was playing with my preferences in evaluating experiences.
Since Saturday night I have wondered what are the other symbols that are so much a part of my life that I do not notice them until they are not there? These symbols are not the center of my beliefs. In fact, they are on the periphery of my beliefs. But their mere presence creates the atmosphere encouraging me to rejoice in what God has so freely given. Since Saturday, I have also wondered about the symbols of Epiphany, or the church year, or of faith that raise your anticipation and delight in your faith and belief in God the Father and in his Son, Jesus, who was born in Bethlehem.
Pastor Pete
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