I am thinking about the calendars that govern the life of a congregation. There is the world calendar that begins on January 1 and ends December 31. This calendar is used in budgeting, receipts, and expenditures.
There is the liturgical calendar which begins Advent 1 and ends on Christ the King Sunday. In the first half of the liturgical year, we experience Jesus’ life: we prepare for Jesus’ second coming as well as his birth in Bethlehem, the spread of his message throughout the world, evaluate our lives in Lent, and celebrate Jesus’ resurrection at Easter. This Sunday we enter the second half of the liturgical calendar which is reserved for Jesus’ teachings and how they apply to our lives.
Then there is the program calendar which follows the school calendar. The question is, When does the program calendar begin and end? Does the program calendar end in June when the Sunday School, choir, and many other ministries take the summer off? If this is the case, then evaluation of the year begins now. We ask, 1. What went well and how can we make that even better? What are the things that did not go as well as expected? What were the surprises? I think some of our best learnings come from the positive surprises that we experience! For example, we planned for 10 people to come and were really surprised that 30 showed up. What did we do to attract 20 extra people?
If June is the end of the program year, that makes July 1 the beginning of a new year. While many talk about the summer lull in the office, the beginning of the new year is a time for planning what will happen over the next 12 months. For Lane Leaders there is planning around worship. We might even begin to talk about what the Lenten program will be in 2013 or plan a sermon series. There is the planning for the fall Stewardship Campaign. A key issue in stewardship is how to increase the number of disciples who pledge. There is the planning for VBS in August and the opening of Sunday School in September. Also, we ask what kind of adult education do we want to have next year? There is planning for the youth of our church. For the next three months, we will do a lot thinking about the future and planning.
One of the major issues facing Epiphany is planning around the Austin Campus. In June or July, the Council will meet to look at our financial position and a growth plan for the Austin Campus. The Council will look at all options concerning the Austin Campus. These options include planning ministries at Austin that will attract those who live close to the campus, or selling the campus to another organization. There is a committee working on this project. The committee is collecting demographic data, talking to community leaders, defining community needs that the Austin Campus can address, etc.
Finally, a similar committee is meeting to look at the ministries of the Far Hills Campus so that this campus can be proactive in meeting the needs of those who live in close proximity to the campus.
Right now, my mind is centered in the planning calender. I am continually asking, What can Epiphany do to make a good congregation even better?
Pastor Pete
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Instant Gratification
When I arrived at home yesterday afternoon, I stood on my deck to look over the two flats of zinnias and the four drift rose bushes I planted last week. All had survived the Sunday’s rain and were doing well. I also looked over the lawn that still showed evidence of being mowed although it was plain that another mowing was going to be needed soon. As I marveled at what was before me, I wondered why is it that I spend as much time as I do planting, pruning, mulching, weeding, and mowing? Of course one could argue there is the beauty of it all but I think there is an additional reason.
In my life, I do a lot of things. I like to think that the things that I do are good but I seldom see a finished product. For example, sermons have the purpose of teaching, in practical terms, the way the Gospel is applied in everyday life. Sermons answer the question, “What does God want me to do?” On occasion, I have been told that I am a good preacher but I seldom see the results of a sermon. I thoroughly enjoy teaching. Bible study looks at the social, economic, political, and military realities of the times the biblical book or text was written. The purpose of Bible study is to make sense of a text so that a dialogue can be created between the Bible and today. I enjoy teaching, but I seldom see the end results of my teaching. I think hospital calling is important and can be a comfort to those who are ill but I don’t see what happens when I leave the hospital room. The same can be said for pastoral counseling. The list could go on and on but you get the point.
As I stood on my deck, I could say, “It is finished and it is good.” I could see the results in the budding roses. I could see the results as the zinnias were all in their places. I can see the results when the lawn is newly mowed and I think to myself, You have a pretty nice yard. As I stood on my deck, I realized one of the reasons I plant, prune, mulch, weed, etc. is because I can see the end product of my work. I need that kind of instant gratification occasionally and it is good.
I suspect that all of us are in the same boat. The tasks that we have in life are good and we embrace those tasks to live. But the end results of faithful labor are more often than not some place in the future. For example, we have good friendships but how those friendships will work out is someplace in the future. We raise our children using the best knowledge that we have at the time but seeing how the kids turn out is some place in the future. Many of the projects that we assume responsibility for seem never ending. So let me ask, What is it that brings you instant gratification? What in your weekly schedule do you do that allows you to say, It is finished and it is good? What, figuratively, are your roses, zinnias, and lawn mowing? When you finish your planting, pruning, etc. stop and admire your work. It is God’s gift to you and it is good.
Pastor Pete
In my life, I do a lot of things. I like to think that the things that I do are good but I seldom see a finished product. For example, sermons have the purpose of teaching, in practical terms, the way the Gospel is applied in everyday life. Sermons answer the question, “What does God want me to do?” On occasion, I have been told that I am a good preacher but I seldom see the results of a sermon. I thoroughly enjoy teaching. Bible study looks at the social, economic, political, and military realities of the times the biblical book or text was written. The purpose of Bible study is to make sense of a text so that a dialogue can be created between the Bible and today. I enjoy teaching, but I seldom see the end results of my teaching. I think hospital calling is important and can be a comfort to those who are ill but I don’t see what happens when I leave the hospital room. The same can be said for pastoral counseling. The list could go on and on but you get the point.
As I stood on my deck, I could say, “It is finished and it is good.” I could see the results in the budding roses. I could see the results as the zinnias were all in their places. I can see the results when the lawn is newly mowed and I think to myself, You have a pretty nice yard. As I stood on my deck, I realized one of the reasons I plant, prune, mulch, weed, etc. is because I can see the end product of my work. I need that kind of instant gratification occasionally and it is good.
I suspect that all of us are in the same boat. The tasks that we have in life are good and we embrace those tasks to live. But the end results of faithful labor are more often than not some place in the future. For example, we have good friendships but how those friendships will work out is someplace in the future. We raise our children using the best knowledge that we have at the time but seeing how the kids turn out is some place in the future. Many of the projects that we assume responsibility for seem never ending. So let me ask, What is it that brings you instant gratification? What in your weekly schedule do you do that allows you to say, It is finished and it is good? What, figuratively, are your roses, zinnias, and lawn mowing? When you finish your planting, pruning, etc. stop and admire your work. It is God’s gift to you and it is good.
Pastor Pete
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
When has this happened to me?
“When has this ever happened to me?” is a key question in reading scripture as a dialogue between God and ourselves. For example, at Christmas, when was the Christ child born in my life? Was it when my parents taught me to pray, brought me to Sunday School for the first time, when I was Mary, Joseph, a shepherd, or the inn keeper in the Sunday Shool Christmas Pageant, or was it when I was an adult sharing with a Christian friend that I needed something more in my life?
The same question, “When has this happened to me?” is asked for all of the other major festivals of the Church year. When was it that I realized that Jesus was not just for those already in the church but for the whole world (Epiphany)? When was it that I realized that Jesus died and rose from the dead so that my sins are really forgiven (Easter)? When was it that I realized that Jesus rules over my life from heaven (Ascension)? When was it that God gave me the Holy Spirit to strengthen me to do God’s will (Pentecost)? And, when was it that I was willing to accept the teaching of the Trinity even though that teaching cannot be explained adequately (Trinity)?
The point is this, when I ask, “When did this happen to me?” I am creating a dialogue with God. I am not merely learning facts about a biblical person or event for a trivial pursuit game. I am not detached from the text as if it was written for then but I am living in the now. “When did this happen to me?” makes me look for the places that God has touched my life in very meaningful ways. The fact is the more I can identify the places that God has touched my life, the deeper my faith will be!
On Sunday, I will probably be preaching about the baptism of Cornelius (Acts 10). For me, this story is one of the pivotal stories of the scriptures and the Christian faith. In my world, it is the seventh major church festival in the liturgical calendar. In this story, Peter (and later the whole church in chapter 11) radically changes his understanding of who should be welcome into the church, receive its sacraments, and enjoy its fellowship. On one level the answer is simple; everyone is to be invited into the church and treated as a child of God. But the question, “When has this happened to me?” makes me also look for the times when I changed my understanding about God, about Jesus, about the church, about my purpose in life from this time forward. Was it something said in a sermon? Was it a particular Sunday School class discussion? Was it an author’s description of a main character in the Bible or a novel? Was it an ah-ah gained from a comment made by a little child? Was it a time of free association when something just clicked even though it had nothing to do with the current conversation?
Let me close with this comment. If you want to get more out of your Bible reading or if you want to deepen your faith, read your Bible regularly with the question in mind, “When has this happened to me?” When this question is asked and answered, Bible reading no longer is a monologue but a dialogue between you and the father in heaven who loves you and sent a son to die for you. Bible reading becomes one way to identify the places God has touched your life and in that recognition as way to deepen faith.
Pastor Pete
The same question, “When has this happened to me?” is asked for all of the other major festivals of the Church year. When was it that I realized that Jesus was not just for those already in the church but for the whole world (Epiphany)? When was it that I realized that Jesus died and rose from the dead so that my sins are really forgiven (Easter)? When was it that I realized that Jesus rules over my life from heaven (Ascension)? When was it that God gave me the Holy Spirit to strengthen me to do God’s will (Pentecost)? And, when was it that I was willing to accept the teaching of the Trinity even though that teaching cannot be explained adequately (Trinity)?
The point is this, when I ask, “When did this happen to me?” I am creating a dialogue with God. I am not merely learning facts about a biblical person or event for a trivial pursuit game. I am not detached from the text as if it was written for then but I am living in the now. “When did this happen to me?” makes me look for the places that God has touched my life in very meaningful ways. The fact is the more I can identify the places that God has touched my life, the deeper my faith will be!
On Sunday, I will probably be preaching about the baptism of Cornelius (Acts 10). For me, this story is one of the pivotal stories of the scriptures and the Christian faith. In my world, it is the seventh major church festival in the liturgical calendar. In this story, Peter (and later the whole church in chapter 11) radically changes his understanding of who should be welcome into the church, receive its sacraments, and enjoy its fellowship. On one level the answer is simple; everyone is to be invited into the church and treated as a child of God. But the question, “When has this happened to me?” makes me also look for the times when I changed my understanding about God, about Jesus, about the church, about my purpose in life from this time forward. Was it something said in a sermon? Was it a particular Sunday School class discussion? Was it an author’s description of a main character in the Bible or a novel? Was it an ah-ah gained from a comment made by a little child? Was it a time of free association when something just clicked even though it had nothing to do with the current conversation?
Let me close with this comment. If you want to get more out of your Bible reading or if you want to deepen your faith, read your Bible regularly with the question in mind, “When has this happened to me?” When this question is asked and answered, Bible reading no longer is a monologue but a dialogue between you and the father in heaven who loves you and sent a son to die for you. Bible reading becomes one way to identify the places God has touched your life and in that recognition as way to deepen faith.
Pastor Pete
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Being Comfortable
The 11:15 service usually is over by 12:15. This is not mandatory. There is no rule that the service must be one hour in length. But, I usually try to keep a worship service to about an hour. That means the sermon is about 20 minutes long. This past Sunday I looked at my watch as we were beginning to sing the last song. It was 12:25. After the service, I asked the sound technicians, “What happened? Was the sermon longer than normal? Did we have more verses to the songs we sang?” One of the technicians, who shall remain nameless, replied, “You just got comfortable with the sermon. When you preached it at 8:00, it was nice and tight. By 11:15 you embellished.” Not wanting to hurt my feelings, the technician added, “But the embellishment was really good.”
I have thought a lot about the comment, “You got comfortable so you embellished.” I thought about that comment in terms of how we share our faith with others.
Lutheran clergy joke a lot about how the Lutheran Church and its members share their faith with others. Often the last verse in the Gospel According To Mark is used by the clergy to describe Lutheran evangelism, “They went and said nothing.” Why is that? The Lutherans I know are good Christians. They believe. They have a faith that sustains them in time of celebration and when they are in deep valleys. But Lutherans go and tell no one. Why?
I suspect that part of the answer is that we are not comfortable with hearing the words of faith coming from our mouths. Somehow, hearing words that talk about God and God’s good gifts just don’t sound right when we say them. The sound technician would say, “We just are not comfortable with those words.”
So how do we become comfortable with the words of faith? How do we become comfortable talking about faith with family members, friends, and colleagues?
One way that we can become comfortable talking about faith is to become comfortable with the sound of faith words coming from our mouths. This can be accomplished through our daily Bible reading and prayers. For example, when we read the Bible for our daily devotions, read the text out loud instead of silently. Listen to the words that are coming from our mouths. When we pray, pray out loud. Listen to the words coming out of our mouths. When we hear the words of faith, we eventually become comfortable with them. When we become comfortable with them, it doesn’t sound strange when we share our faith with our fellow disciples at Epiphany. When we hear the words spoken to fellow disciples, we become comfortable with those words when they are spoken to other Christians who are not members of Epiphany. Eventually, we become comfortable sharing our faith with those who do not believe. In the words of the sound technician, We might even embellish the ways that God has deeply blessed us.
I appreciated the insight of the sound technician this past Sunday. I also appreciated the care in which the insight was shared. And, I am having fun thinking about the connection with being comfortable and embellishing (in a positive way) the good gifts that God gives to Epiphany and all of the disciples at Epiphany.
Pastor Pete
I have thought a lot about the comment, “You got comfortable so you embellished.” I thought about that comment in terms of how we share our faith with others.
Lutheran clergy joke a lot about how the Lutheran Church and its members share their faith with others. Often the last verse in the Gospel According To Mark is used by the clergy to describe Lutheran evangelism, “They went and said nothing.” Why is that? The Lutherans I know are good Christians. They believe. They have a faith that sustains them in time of celebration and when they are in deep valleys. But Lutherans go and tell no one. Why?
I suspect that part of the answer is that we are not comfortable with hearing the words of faith coming from our mouths. Somehow, hearing words that talk about God and God’s good gifts just don’t sound right when we say them. The sound technician would say, “We just are not comfortable with those words.”
So how do we become comfortable with the words of faith? How do we become comfortable talking about faith with family members, friends, and colleagues?
One way that we can become comfortable talking about faith is to become comfortable with the sound of faith words coming from our mouths. This can be accomplished through our daily Bible reading and prayers. For example, when we read the Bible for our daily devotions, read the text out loud instead of silently. Listen to the words that are coming from our mouths. When we pray, pray out loud. Listen to the words coming out of our mouths. When we hear the words of faith, we eventually become comfortable with them. When we become comfortable with them, it doesn’t sound strange when we share our faith with our fellow disciples at Epiphany. When we hear the words spoken to fellow disciples, we become comfortable with those words when they are spoken to other Christians who are not members of Epiphany. Eventually, we become comfortable sharing our faith with those who do not believe. In the words of the sound technician, We might even embellish the ways that God has deeply blessed us.
I appreciated the insight of the sound technician this past Sunday. I also appreciated the care in which the insight was shared. And, I am having fun thinking about the connection with being comfortable and embellishing (in a positive way) the good gifts that God gives to Epiphany and all of the disciples at Epiphany.
Pastor Pete
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