About three months before what would have been his 90th birthday, my grandfather warned me that I had best be paying attention to life because the years pass ever more swiftly as you get older. I knew his statement to be true then and I am even more keenly aware of its veracity today. Suddenly, it seems, we face a new year, 2014, a new year filled with hope and promise for the optimistic, a new year filled with peril and fear for the less optimistic among us. No doubt it will be a year that passes all too quickly and one year from now we will be scratching our heads wondering where the 365 days have gone.
This past November, we marked the 50th anniversary of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. With everyone else who can remember 50 years ago, I recalled where I was when I heard the tragic news. The images of that day and the solemn days that followed came back to my mind easily and perhaps more horrifyingly due to the enhancements of digital technology. I briefly immersed myself in his words and wondered how many of those words he himself had written and how many had been offered by his speechwriters, especially wordsmith Ted Sorensen.
Among the speeches that I read last month was John F. Kennedy's acceptance speech from July 15, 1960, as he accepted his party's nomination for the presidency of the United States. In it he said something that I feel is appropriate for us as we close out one year and enter another. He said,
We are not here to curse the darkness, but to light the candle that can guide us through the darkness to a safe and sane future. As Winston Churchill said on taking office some twenty years ago: if we open a quarrel between the present and the past, we shall be in danger of losing the future. Today our concern must be with that future. For the world is changing. The old era is ending. The old ways will not do.
The old ways will not do. In the church, that is, in our ELCA, in our synod and in our congregations, let us make 2014 a year of innovation, creativity, hope, celebration and joy. Yes, of course, there will be days and circumstances that frighten us. There will be perilous days. But, let's not be paralyzed by them. Let us proclaim Christ in new ways so that we do not lose the future.
Go ahead, light a candle for 2014! Happy new year! The peace of Christ be with you all!
Comments? Go to the blog site or comment on Facebook. --JC
Tuesday, December 31, 2013
Tuesday, December 24, 2013
On This Holy Night
I will readily admit that I am better at preaching sermons than I am at listening to them, so I may not quote the words exactly as Pastor Andy spoke them. He told the story of another pastor's five year old daughter, who was able to put Christmas into bleak but accurate perspective. She said, as heard by her mother, preached by Pastor Andy and heard then later recalled by me, "Why so much fun at Christmas when he's just going to die?"
Yes, sometimes a PK's (preacher's kid's) theology develops early in life. Pastor Andy said this is not the message he would choose to share on Christmas Eve. Neither would I, at least not this blatantly. But, when you stop to give it a moment's thought, this child is onto something.
What was the news that the shepherds received? "Don't be afraid! Look! I bring good news to you--wonderful, joyous news for all people. Your savior is born today in David's city. He is Christ the Lord."
A savior. Our savior. And yes, as we are reminded by a five year old, to be our savior, Jesus had to die. But, on this holy night we celebrate, with joy and gusto. We celebrate a birth. We celebrate our savior. We celebrate good news. Good Friday can wait.
My prayer is that no matter where you find yourself tonight, no matter what your circumstances in life are, you will hear the news of the Savior's birth and receive the news with joy. The magnitude of God's gift must not be underestimated. God's love for us knew no limit.
Merry Christmas! --JC
Thursday, October 31, 2013
Let's Talk
I’m
serious. Let’s talk.
I have
the great privilege of traveling all around this synod and I have the
opportunity to listen to rostered leaders and congregation members on a daily
basis. This is one of the blessings of
my current call to synod work.
What I
am hearing right now is a lot of fear.
This isn’t new. What is different
is the level of that fear and the heightened anxiety that accompanies it. As a result, rostered leaders and
congregations are experiencing a lot of pain.
There are
common themes. Congregations are
projecting their futures and what they see is decline and death. Numbers have been sliding for quite some time
and the outcome appears to be inevitable.
As a generation of generous and faithful givers fades away, finances
become tighter and the focus turns inward.
More money is spent on operating expenses and less on outreach and
mission. Young people are largely absent
from the life of the church. But, truth
be told, it was my generation that began to drift away. Many of my generation’s children have never
been part of a church community, yet we expect them to “come back” to a place
they have never been.
Worse
yet, the church has lost its voice. No
one really seems to care about what we have to say. The Christian voice is fractured and noisy,
so it is lost in the blurriness of background noise. Rostered leaders, especially our pastors,
fear that they are becoming irrelevant or already are.
These
are huge issues, but they are symptoms of a massive cultural shift that is much
bigger than the church. Have you
noticed? Everything is changing. Everything.
During
this past August, I marked my 30th ordination anniversary. I had thought that it might be fun to reflect
on those 30 years for this blog. But, I
never found the motivation I needed to do so.
Of course, it was fun for my wife and me to look back for a few
minutes. But, as I searched for words to
write, the more I looked back, the more I was drawn to look forward. While looking back is informative (we really
have to know our history), I think we need to concentrate our efforts more on
today and tomorrow.
Recently
I had a conversation with one of the synod’s younger pastors. We were talking about the current conditions
in the church. I told her that my seminary
education certainly did not prepare me for what we as pastors are facing
today. I then told her that my consolation is
that her very recent education did not prepare her any better for it. None of us, clergy or lay, is truly
prepared.
I
recently attended a continuing education event at which I heard Phyllis Tickle,
Brian McLaren, Tom Long and David Lose speak.
The theme was “Preaching at the Crossroads.” I attended specifically to hear what these
voices had to say because they seem to have a handle on some of what we are
encountering in the church today. Let me
tell you what I heard in just a few sentences.
The world is changing. We had
better get used to that fact because there is no going back and there is no
stopping it. Things are changing fast
and it is going to continue. In the
midst of this change, the church must ask itself if it is going to accommodate
the change or help lead the change in a way that will benefit the world in the
name of Jesus Christ. This is a time for
courage and innovation. All of the
speakers agreed that we do not yet know where all of this is leading, which is
stressful. But, in these stressful
times, the church, you and I, are called to remain faithful.
The
problem I see is that we are not talking.
Congregations are not talking about what is happening and putting it
into a larger context. I see
congregations grasping at straws in attempts to accommodate rather than
lead. Congregations are not talking to
their neighboring congregations to see how they are doing. I see pastors and lay rostered leaders
becoming frustrated and depressed and contemplating just calling it quits. They feel isolated and alone. Pastors become the focus of misdirected
anxiety in many congregations. But,
pastors are not talking to each other, sharing their own joys and sorrows.
So,
let’s talk. I’m serious. If you asked me, I couldn’t begin to guess
how many unproductive, unmotivated, useless meetings I have attended over the
course of 30 years. Let’s not waste our
time with any more meetings that have the goal of just meeting. Let us ground ourselves in the Word of God
and start talking about things that matter.
Let’s start talking to each other for the purpose of mutual support and
discovering new ways to share the good news of Christ.
Thanks
for reading. Comments? Go to the blog website or comment on
Facebook. --JC
Friday, September 27, 2013
Guest Blogger: Deaconess Cheryl Erdmann
The Road
After I came
home from the incredible Professional Leader’s Conference, I, true to what I
had learned about Digital Pluralism, sat down at my computer to sync my Digital
Devices with my computer. There were
pictures taken since the last “sync,” some podcasts and new apps, some new
downloaded books – all things that I am told by my children I should
periodically sync to my computer, or, preferably they tell me, to the “Cloud”
(is that where Jesus or St. Michael are sitting?), so my precious, and not so
precious, stuff can be maintained for eternity. Whatever…
As I read my
options and decided to download my recent pictures to my computer, the first
new ones were pictures that I had taken while walking in a Forest Preserve
District park near my home. I often take pictures when I walk, as I have a
hobby of drawing nature scenes as a tool of my spiritual practice. Over a year
ago, I attended a contemplative art retreat at Ghost Ranch in Abiqiu, New
Mexico. I’ve found drawing to be a meaningful way to connect to God since that
time.
Back to the
photos. I had taken a couple of pictures
as I was walking, of a road that curved so I could not see what would be coming
in just a few minutes. I had taken that picture, because the view seemed to be
a metaphor for me of what was going on in my life – I was on the “road,” but
didn’t know what was coming.
About a week
later, I learned that an Assistant to the Bishop position would be opening up
with the just-announced retirement of Sandra Musch. I let Bishop Wollersheim
know that I would be willing to be considered for that position. After
interviewing with the Bishop, I met with Synod Council and was extended the
call, which I joyfully accepted. Wow. Talk about not seeing what might be
around that curve in the road.
What was
especially interesting to me was that the two pictures that I took of that
stretch of the walking trail at Busse Woods Preserve were followed by pictures
that my friend Sarah Wilson had taken on my phone during the portion of the
Tuesday PLC worship service where I was privileged to promise to serve Christ
Jesus in that position as Assistant to Bishop Wollersheim. Although when I took those two pictures of
the road, I really had no idea of what was beyond my sight. And it seemed to me
more than coincidental that the photos that followed the trail pictures showed
not only what was around that curve, but also how God was both walking with me
that day and waiting around the curve.
God can do that, be with me in God’s Kairos time, in two places at once.
I have
to draw that scene now. It’s just too good a story to not make it my own in
that way. And I tend to take my drawings and make them into note cards, to send
to others as a visual reminder of some part of God’s incredible action in my
life. It’s one way I tell the story of God’s incredible love for me and for all
God’s people. It is how I can let others know how Jesus the Christ has been
especially visible to me at times of joy and sorrow. It is how I can show that
the Holy Spirit touches me and fills me, guides and helps me to live out the
incredible promise made in my baptism: that I would receive new life in that
baptism and be an inheritor of God’s glorious kingdom.
Wow, again.
Lord God, you have called your
servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet
untrodden, through perils unknown. Give us the faith to go out with good
courage, not knowing where we go, but only that your hand is leading us and
your love supporting us; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Comments are welcome at the blog site or on Facebook.
Sunday, September 1, 2013
How Was Pittsburgh?
In the
past two weeks, the question I have been most frequently asked is, “How was
Pittsburgh?” As glad as I would have
been to give a favorable review of the city itself, pastors and friends were
asking for my impressions of the Churchwide Assembly.
I have
had trouble finding the right words to describe this assembly. It felt different to me than others I have
attended. The mood was subdued as the
assembly began. Even the opening worship
lacked energy. Of course, this is my
opinion. Others who had never previously
attended an assembly did not perceive this.
I think the gravity of electing a presiding bishop and a secretary was
weighing upon the voting members.
The
ecclesiastical balloting process, which we use to elect the presiding bishop
and secretary, is fascinating and can lead to unexpected results. It is a process that leaves little room for
campaigning and a lot of room for the Holy Spirit. And, as odd as it sounds to say this, the
ecclesiastical ballot minimizes the normal “winner vs. losers.” I believe that we saw the Spirit at work in both
of this year’s elections.
It was
exciting to see the Rev. Elizabeth Eaton elected as our presiding bishop. The media has made much of her being the
ELCA’s first female presiding bishop, but I did not hear much made of that at
the assembly. I know it was a deeply
moving moment for many of our female clergy.
To see a woman elected to the ELCA’s most prominent position was
gratifying to many women who grew up without female clergy role models, who have
suffered discrimination in finding calls and who at times have endured abuse by
congregation members who do not believe women should be pastors. And yes, you can find those pockets of
prejudice even today.
Bishop
Mark Hanson was very gracious in all of his remarks both before and after the
election. The process must have been
exhausting for him, but his mood seemed to lighten a bit following the
elections. In fact, his own report to
the assembly, which came after the election, was filled with his hopes, dreams
and passion for the life of this church.
So,
with sufficient time for reflection, I would describe this assembly as hopeful
for the future of the church, realistic about the difficulties the church faces
today, and grateful for the opportunity to speak publicly for the sake of Jesus
Christ.
It was
a good assembly despite my inability to describe it well. We are part of an amazing church!
Monday, August 5, 2013
Churchwide Assembly 2013
Bishop Wollersheim describing the election process |
The
Churchwide Assembly is now just a week away!
Soon, 952 voting members from 65 synods and 9,638 congregations serve on
behalf of the 4,059,785 baptized members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in
America. Seventeen of those voting
members have been elected to serve from the Northern Illinois Synod.
This
past Saturday, Bishop Wollersheim met for the second time with our voting
members to brief them on what to expect as they gather in Pittsburgh. This will be a significant Churchwide
Assembly as the church will be electing a presiding bishop and secretary to
guide us for the next six years. Bishop
Mark Hanson has indicated that he is willing to continue in his office, but
David Swartling has stated that he will not stand again for the office of secretary. There is also a social statement on criminal
justice that will be considered.
This
year’s assembly will be largely paperless.
All voting members will be using iPads for the assembly materials. Any voting member who does not have a
personal iPad will be provided with one for the duration of the assembly.
Technology
also will allow those at home to watch all of the assembly’s plenary sessions
and, for the first time, all of the worship experiences as well. These will be streamed in real time, so it
will be just like being there in the convention center, although you may have a
better view. To follow along, simple go
to www.elca.org/assembly and
follow the instructions.
I am
looking forward to seeing some of my synod staff colleagues from across the
country. Travel budgets are very tight,
so there may not be many of us in attendance this year.
Please
remember to pray for the assembly as it meets and takes care of the business of
the church. Important decisions will be
made. The days are long and may be
stressful. Pray for our voting
members. Safe travel and good health are
always concerns. And, pray that the Holy
Spirit will guide the church that all we do be for the upbuilding of the body
of Christ.
Comments? Click here
to go the blog website or comment on Facebook.
--JC
Sunday, June 2, 2013
The Monmouth - Rock Island Connection
First Lutheran Church, Monmouth |
In
anticipation of my visit to First Lutheran Church in Monmouth, I asked Pastor
Keith Killinger if he could share a history of the congregation with me. I had been invited to be with the people of
First on the occasion of their 145th anniversary and I wanted to
know a bit more about the congregation.
Pastor Killinger obliged and sent me a bound copy in the mail.
Like
every history, First’s included the story of its founders, descriptions of the
pastors who have served the congregation and their tenures, and the story of
the construction of its buildings and the debt that was incurred. In addition to these standard items, there
were three other sections, related to 1918, 1932 and 1954, that caught my
attention.
In
world history, 1918 was a tough year. It is estimated that 50 million people
worldwide died during an influenza epidemic.
First Lutheran Church, then in its 50th year, was forced to
close its doors, as were many public venues, for a period during November and
December, to protect public health.
The
Great Depression was taking a hard toll on First Lutheran Church in 1932. During that year, its history reports, “208
persons did not contribute anything, 95 pledged and paid a part of the amount,
and 112 pledged, but paid nothing.” By
the time of the annual meeting in 1933, the congregation was $13,800 in
debt. “Hard work and sacrifice”
eliminated that debt by 1935. Today’s
economic woes, as difficult as they have been, just don’t compare.
Most
congregations in 1918 and 1932 would have faced similar challenges. But, 1954 brought a courageous decision.
First
Lutheran Church held a special congregational meeting in May of 1954 and
decided “to ‘mother’ a new mission within the Illinois Conference” by
mortgaging its own property in an amount not to exceed $25,000. The congregation that benefitted from First’s
risk was St. James Lutheran Church in Rock Island. According to First’s history, St. James’ cornerstone
was laid in November of 1955 and by May of 1959, St. James had assumed the
mortgage.
I
don’t know how common a story such as this is, but it seems extraordinary to
me. Congregations have often given birth
to other congregations and continue to do so in a variety of ways. But, to go into debt for the sake of a new
congregation is a model that would be tough to sell today. I think.
I don’t really know because I don’t know of any congregation that has
been challenged to do it.
I
called Pastor Janet Lepp to see what St. James’ own history had to say. She wasn’t able to quickly locate a written
history, but she did tell me that St. James had major fund-raising campaigns in
2002 and 2009. In each case, a tithe of
the amounts raised was given to the synod. In 2002 the gift was designated for
a new mission and in 2009 for our synodically authorized worshiping communities. Pastor Lepp said, “the rationale is that
someone took the risk to get St. James started and we should ‘pay it forward.’”
Two
great stories! Now that you’ve read your
congregation’s constitution (see previous blog post), dig out your congregation’s
history. Do you have a story to tell?
Comments? Go to the blog website or comment on
Facebook. --JC
Friday, May 24, 2013
Constitutionally Speaking
I
recently read that Sandra Day O’Connor, retired associate justice of the
Supreme Court, carries a copy of the Constitution of the United States of
America and a copy of the Declaration of Independence with her at all
times. Whenever and wherever she can,
she teaches about just how important these documents are to our life together
in this country. She appended the
Constitution and Declaration to her book, Out
of Order. Since I had reached the
end of the book and had nothing else in front of me on the treadmill, I read
completely through these documents for, perhaps, the first time since eighth
grade. I recommend it!
Reading
constitutions may not sound like the most fun way to spend an evening. In the synod office, we spend a lot of time
reading constitutions. We are constantly
updating the synod constitution so that it is in line with the ELCA model
constitution. We also read
congregations’ constitutions as they come before the Synod Council for
approval. Did you know that we have a
small committee that works with congregations on constitutional changes?
David
Swartling, the current secretary of the ELCA, has for his entire tenure,
referred to the constitutions of the church as missional documents. Too often congregation councils only refer to
the constitution when a crisis is reached or conflict is encountered. Take a look at your congregation’s
constitution. You will find some
fascinating stuff.
I
was recently speaking with a pastor whose congregation does not have a
particularly good sense of shared ministry.
The congregation seems to believe that ministry is the pastor’s
“job.” Take a look at what the Model
Constitution for Congregations says about the pastor:
*C9.03. Consistent
with the faith and practice of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America,
a. Every
ordained minister shall:
1) preach the Word;
2) administer the sacraments;
3) conduct public worship;
4) provide pastoral care; and
5) speak publicly to the world in solidarity
with the poor and oppressed,
calling for justice
and proclaiming God’s love for the world.
b. Each
ordained minister with a congregational call shall, within the congregation:
1) offer instruction, confirm, marry,
visit the sick and distressed, and bury the dead;
2) supervise all schools and organizations
of this congregation;
3) install regularly elected members of
the Congregation Council; and
4) with the council, administer
discipline.
c. Every
pastor shall:
1) strive to extend the Kingdom of God in
the community, in the nation, and abroad;
2) seek out and encourage qualified
persons to prepare for the ministry of the Gospel;
3) impart knowledge of this church and its
wider ministry through distribution of its periodicals and other publications;
and
4) endeavor to increase the support given by
the congregation to the work of the churchwide organization of the Evangelical
Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and of the Northern Illinois Synod of the
ELCA.
*C9.04. The
specific duties of the pastor, compensation, and other matters pertaining to
the service of the pastor shall be included in a letter of call, which shall be
attested by the bishop of the synod.
*C9.12. The pastor of this congregation:
a. shall keep accurate parochial records
of all baptisms, confirmations, marriages, burials, communicants, members
received, members dismissed, or members excluded from the congregation;
b. shall
submit a summary of such statistics annually to the synod; and
c. shall
become a member of this congregation upon receipt and acceptance of the
letter of call.
In a parish of multiple congregations, the pastor shall hold membership in one
of the congregations.
*C9.13. The
pastor(s) shall submit a report of his or her ministry to the bishop of the
synod at least 90 days prior to each regular meeting of the Synod Assembly.
*C9.14. The
parochial records of this congregation shall be maintained by the pastor and shall
remain the property of the congregation.
The secretary of this congregation
shall attest in
writing to the bishop of this synod that such records have been placed in his
or her hands in good order by a departing pastor before the installation of
that pastor in another field of labor or the granting by the synod of retired
status to the pastor.
Are
you surprised by anything you read here?
Are you surprised by anything that is left out? You may not need to carry a copy of your
congregation’s constitution around with you all the time, but it is worth
taking a look at once in a while.
Comments? Go to http://niselca.blogspot.com
or comment on Facebook. --JC
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Grace Place Induction
The drama of the moment could have been easily lost from
where I was sitting in the back of the room.
The pastor was kneeling on the floor in front of the altar. No kneeler.
No cushion. My knees would have
been complaining if not screaming.
The installation of the Rev. Amy Fallon as pastor of Grace
Place Campus Ministry at Northern Illinois University was last Wednesday
evening. As an accommodation to the
“older” people who might attend, the service time was set for 7:00 p.m. The normal worship time for Grace Place is
Wednesday at 9:00 p.m. In spite of it
being Lent, there was a good attendance, although few clergy could be present.
Grace Place is a joint ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran
Church in America and the Episcopal Church.
The Rt. Rev. Jeffrey Lee, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Chicago was
the officiant for the installation, or induction in Episcopal terminology. Our bishop, the Rev. Dr. Gary Wollersheim,
presided over the Eucharist. The Rev.
David Hedges, rector of St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Sycamore and chair of
the Grace Place board, preached the sermon.
Following the renewal of baptism and Bishop Lee’s
questioning of Amy, symbols and tools of the office were presented to her by
representatives of the community. She
received a Bible, water, her stole, a book of prayers, anointing oil, the keys
to the building, a charter, the Canons of the Diocese, and bread and wine.
It was then that the pastor knelt down on the floor to
pray. I am guessing that this prayer is a
prescribed part of the induction rite which is copyrighted so I will not
reprint it here in its entirety. From my
seat in the back, purposely chosen since I had volunteered to distribute
bulletins prior to the service, I could not see Amy, but I could hear her
words. The image was powerful. The pastor, on her knees in a posture of
humility and pleading, in the presence of her congregation and peers, prayed, “O
Lord my God…to you and to your service I devote myself, body, soul, and
spirit.” “Make me an instrument of your
salvation for the people entrusted to my care….” “In prayer, quicken my
devotion; in praises, heighten my love and gratitude; in preaching, give me
readiness of thought and expression; and grant that, by the clearness and
brightness of your holy Word, all the world may be drawn in your blessed
kingdom.”
As Pastor Amy begins her ministry, let us join her in
prayer. Pray for her work among the
young people at NIU. Check out the Grace
Place website, www.graceplaceniu.com. Grace Place can also be found on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GracePlaceNIU.
Comments are always welcome.
Go to the blog website or
comment on Facebook.
Hedges, Lee, Fallon, Wollersheim (left to right) |
Thursday, February 7, 2013
Mission Strategy Table
Bishop Wollersheim, Bill Bartlett & Bishop McCoid |
Our Synod Council meets just four times a year so each
meeting’s agenda is rather full. Even
so, business was kept to a minimum at our council’s January meeting to allow
for a full discussion of an idea Bishop Gary Wollersheim and synod vice
president Bill Bartlett proposed. Since
each congregation of the synod (in fact, each congregation of the ELCA) has
been asked to take a look at its own mission plan, the proposal was for the
synod to do the same.
The Synod Council approved the idea and got to work right
away. Joining us for the meeting was the
Rev. Don McCoid. Bishop Wollersheim had
invited him to facilitate our conversation.
Pastor McCoid currently serves as the Executive for Ecumenical and
Inter-Religious Relations in the Churchwide expression of our church. We, however, were drawing upon his deep
understanding of synodical work from his twenty years as bishop of the
Southwestern Pennsylvania Synod.
As a result of this guided conversation, the Synod Council
approved the formation of a task force, or Mission Strategy Planning Table, which
will be under the leadership of Pastor Gary Erickson, our new Director of
Evangelical Mission, and Pastor Kurt Nordby, who just finished his work as our
DEM. Any mission strategy process helps
a congregation or synod to take a look at what it is doing, how it is doing it,
whether it should continue doing what it is doing, and what it will do in the
future. Folks from across the synod will
be invited into the process.
A mission statement provides a measure against which to
evaluate what you do. “Making Christ
Known” has been the short version of our mission statement for a long time. Here’s the complete statement as it exists
today:
The Northern Illinois Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran
Church in America (ELCA) is a gathering of people created by God in Christ,
empowered by the Holy Spirit, called and sent to bear witness to God’s creative,
redeeming, and sanctifying activity in the world. Our mission is simple:
Make Christ Known.
What do you think? Comments? Go to the blog website or comment on
Facebook. --JC
Friday, February 1, 2013
An Invitation for Youth Leaders
What are you doing next January 31 through February 3? If you are an adult youth leader in any of
our congregations, I would like you to consider this invitation. Join youth leaders from across the country at
the ELCA Youth Ministry Network Extravaganza in St. Louis.
The Extravaganza is an event filled with worship, plenary speakers,
workshops, music and displays. It is
intended for professionals and volunteers, young and old, urban and rural. If you are engaged in youth ministry in any
way, Extravaganza is for you. I would
hope that pastors would consider attending too.
I have long believed that every pastor is a youth pastor. How about using the Extravaganza for some
continuing ed?
This past weekend I attended the 2013 Extravaganza in Orange County,
California. There were a handful of us
from the Northern Illinois Synod including Audrey Adams, our LYO Event
Coordinator and part of the Lutheran Outdoor Ministries Center staff and
Rosemary Sibley, one of our synod LYO advisors.
Rosemary and I have attended Extravaganzas in the past. This was a first time experience for Audrey. All three of us agreed that it was a great
event.
Next year’s St. Louis location should make it easier and more cost
effective for people from Northern Illinois to attend. Extravaganza is sure to be a shot in the arm
for you and your work with youth. You
will come home energized. You will make
new friends, hear new ideas, and learn about current trends and resources.
If you are a volunteer youth leader with a limited youth budget, I
suggest that you speak to your pastor and congregation council about the
possibility of helping pay your way to Extravaganza. It will be a good investment.
You will find more information about the ELCA Youth Ministry Network
and Extravaganza on its website. Comments?
Go to the blog website or
comment on Facebook. --JC
Rosemary and Audrey waiting for the first session to begin |
Monday, January 14, 2013
The Best Day of My Life
I
suppose that when I declare a day to be the best day of my life, or, the worst
day of my life, I should qualify it by adding the phrase, “so far.”
A week
and a half ago, I surprised myself a bit, when I heard myself say to my uncle,
“Today was the worst day of my life.”
It
was. My brother and I moved Mom into
assisted living. We did it with her
permission but against her will. Such is
the torture of Alzheimer’s.
The
facility is really quite beautiful. The
staff is caring. But, Mom didn’t
understand. She was confused. She was scared. She was somewhat angry, but mostly just very,
very sad. And, the look in her eyes said
to me and my brother, “This is your fault.”
Every
life has lots of bad days. This was the
worst day of my life. So far. The very real possibility of a day in my life
far worse than last Wednesday exists.
What
has been the worst day of your life, so far?
It can be pretty painful to recall.
Tears can come quickly to your eyes just thinking about that day.
In
the life of every individual there will be worst days. But, let’s consider something more
cheerful. What has been the best day of
your life, so far?
Can
you recall the date? I can. I’ve had some really good ones!
The
day I got my driver’s license. The day I
graduated from college. Of course, it
was a really good day on a Saturday in June of 1981. Perhaps the best day of my life was the
Sunday I was ordained. No, it must have
been the day my son was born.
Well,
these were all very fine days in my life. What was the best day of your life,
so far? A smile can come quickly to your
lips as you think back on that day.
I
have had many wonderful days in my life, but the best day of my life was
Sunday, July 10, 1955. There has not
been a better day since. And I don’t
have to add, “so far,” because no day will ever be better.
That
day was the day that I was baptized the waters of the font of Mt. Zion Lutheran
Church in Detroit. The best day of my
life and I have no memory of it! I was only eight weeks old.
But
it was on my baptismal day when God called me by name in the pastor’s voice as
he said, “I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the
Holy Spirit.” It was the day that I was
proclaimed to be then and forever more beloved and worthy.
This
past week, the pastors of our Central Conference gathered for their monthly
meeting. As part of the meeting, they
gather in the sanctuary and share Holy Communion. There is always a brief homily but this week
it was briefer than most. It was my
brother’s turn to preach.
The
sermon went something like this. Jesus
was baptized. God’s voice said, “You are
my beloved child. With you I am well
pleased.”
My
brother then asked his colleagues, “Is God pleased with you?” There was a long pause.
He
ended the silence saying, “As a baptized child of God, for the sake of Jesus
Christ, God loves you, and God is pleased with you.”
That
was it. A statement of fact. A statement of our faith. There will never be a better day in your life
than the day you were baptized.
Our
church, the ELCA is now 25 years old.
The anniversary year theme is this:
We are a church that is deeply
rooted—and always being made new. It
is based upon a passage from 2 Corinthians which begins, “So if anyone is in
Christ, there is a new creation; everything old has passed away; see, everything
has become new!”
I
really like how this new creation has been described by the ELCA: We are
being made new every day. In Jesus
Christ we are not unchanged. What God
does in Christ is as radical as the death and resurrection of baptism, where
new creatures in Christ rise to live “no longer for themselves, but for him who
died and was raised for them.” God is
bringing that new creation to life among us in the ministry of reconciliation. In that service we no longer see each other
as we did before. We are no longer
strangers, competitors, or enemies to each other. We are beloved companions in one body,
restored to a communion where the rich diversity of our experiences, wisdom and
abilities serve the common good in Christ.
The new creation in Christ rises to life among us every day.
I
was changed on the day that I was baptized.
It was the best day of my life.
In your baptism you were not left unchanged either. You were forgiven, redeemed, and given
salvation. God called you, named you,
and declared you to be beloved. In
Christ you were made new and marked as one with whom God is well pleased. --JC
Monday, December 24, 2012
Christmas Blessing
7Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you
good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a
Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will
find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a
multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the
highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors! Luke 2:10-14
For lo!
The days are hast’ning on, by prophets seen of old, when with the ever-circling
years shall come the time foretold, when peace shall over all the earth its
ancient splendors fling, and all the world give back the song which now the
angels sing. ELW 282, st. 4
May the
peace of Christmas be yours and may the peace of Christ spread anew throughout
the world. Amen. --JC
Thursday, December 20, 2012
Thank You
A few
drops of rain were falling as I hastily made my way up the walk of Wethersfield
School in Kewanee. In contrast to the
weather, I was cheerfully greeted by Russ, the former president of the
congregation, as he approached from another direction. The mood inside Moss Gymnasium was likewise
upbeat and positive. Energy filled the
gym as many were busy making last minutes preparations for worship.
The
last time I was with the people of Zion Lutheran Church was the day after the
fire that had done major damage to their building. That evening, with the congregation gathered
in a circle on the church lawn, I promised the prayers of the synod in the face
of uncertain days.
It was
great to return and be with the people of Zion on Sunday, December 9. The school gym was alive with worship—prayer,
Scripture, preaching and song. It
reminded me of the energy of a mission congregation. Santa Lucia even made her appearance on cue!
On
behalf of our bishop and the synod, I was able to present a modest check to the
congregation. It is because of your
generosity that this gift was possible.
Following the service, a number of people spoke to me. The treasurer of the congregation thanked me
for bringing the check. I want to pass
that thanks along to you.
I suppose
I was a bit surprised when almost everyone else who spoke to me thanked me for just
being there and for all of the prayers.
I want to thank you all for that too.
Your willingness to care about your sister congregations is what helps
make this a fine synod.
I think
it would be great if every congregation prayed for the other congregations in
their conference on a rotating basis.
Many already do. I also think it
would be beneficial if each congregation would send visitors to other
congregations just to say “hello.”
Monday, December 17, 2012
Prayers for Palestine and Israel
In the midst of the hustle and bustle of this season, I want to extend
an invitation to you. This coming
Saturday, December 22 a group of us will gather at St. Mark Lutheran Church,
675 N. Mulford Road, Rockford at 9:00 a.m. for a simulcast of a live worship
service from Bethlehem and Washington.
Christians from around the world are being invited to pray for the
peace of Palestine and Israel. Prayers,
hymns and readings will alternate between the two locations. Come a bit early to enjoy some hospitality
provided by local supporters of Bright Stars of Bethlehem and to claim your
seat for the 9:00 a.m. start. Among the
Lutherans participating in the service are the Rev. Mitri Raheb, pastor of
Christmas Lutheran Church in Bethlehem, the Right Rev. Munib Younan, bishop of
the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land, and the Rev.
Richard Graham, bishop of the Metropolitan Washington, D.C. Synod, ELCA.
I came to a much deeper and more accurate understanding of life in both
Palestine and Israel when I traveled there a couple of years ago. The situation there is complex. The very least we can do is pray. This is an opportunity for you to do just
that.
For more information, please contact me directly or check the Bright
Stars website at www.brightstarsbethlehem.org. –JC
Sunday, December 16, 2012
Come, Emmanuel
“You are not going to follow that bus!”
These were the emphatic words that my wife spoke to me some 23 years ago
on our son’s first day of school. I had
thought that it would be a good idea.
There had been no practice run. The school bus would be transporting
kindergartners through sixth graders. I just wanted to make sure that he would get
off the bus, enter the proper door of the school and make it to his
kindergarten classroom. He was so
little, so innocent, so very precious.
One of the local funeral directors, a parishioner (and now an ELCA
pastor), had a daughter who was starting kindergarten on the same day. I told him about my overly protective plan to
follow the school bus. We had a good
laugh when he told me that he actually had followed her bus!
Not long ago, my son discovered that I still have protective instincts. He was in the passenger seat of the car when
I had to make a quick stop. As my seat
belt locked up, my right hand reached across and flattened on his chest to hold
him in place as if he were 10 years old.
I was a little embarrassed at my treating him like a child.
If I were sending a child back to school tomorrow, I think I would be
tempted to start Christmas break early. The
horrific events of Friday in Newtown, Connecticut are still too fresh and our
children seem so vulnerable. I would
have a hard time letting go of a hug and sending a child off to the bus stop. Of course, common sense would eventually
prevail and I would realize that I would have to let go sooner or later. However, I would make no promises about not
following the bus.
As much as we would like, we cannot protect our children or even
ourselves from every danger. We can and
must work to make the world as safe a place as it can be.
With much, if not all, of this country, I grieve the loss of those
precious children and their teachers and administrators in Newtown. I hope that grieving parents are surrounded
by caring people who know how to speak helpful words when words are necessary
and know how to simply be present when silence is better.
In this season of Advent, we sing, “O come, O come Emmanuel.” Emmanuel.
God with us. It is wonderful and comforting
to know that God truly is with us. But,
for a person who is in the depths of despair, it is a difficult, perhaps
impossible, message to comprehend. “God
loves you,” are words that could ring hollow in the ears of someone in pain. However, we can all bring Christ to another’s
brokenness by simply being present with them.
We can be the presence of Christ in the emptiness.
May God be with you as you bear Christ to your neighbor. --JC
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Autumn Update
A friend in Minnesota recently sent an email asking, “Is everything ok
down there, or are you just incredibly busy? There hasn't even been a blog post
lately.”
I answered immediately to let her know that everything was fine. I also promised that I would send an update
soon, which I did the next day. Finding
a moment or two to work on the blog has been more difficult. It has indeed been busy.
Final "Coffee" at First Lutheran Church, Rock Island |
The bishop has just finished up his eight “Coffees with the Bishop.” Bishop Wollersheim began each coffee with
devotions. With Karin Graddy’s help, he
then showed the synod’s 25th anniversary video. This is the same video that was shown at this
year’s Synod Assembly. Each congregation
received a copy and it has been well received.
It was a great look back at our history together and a fitting prelude
for what comes next. Following the
video, Bishop Wollersheim answered any questions that attendees cared to
ask. Each conference asked different
questions, though we did hear that there is a lot of concern over the future of
the church. Generally speaking,
congregations are doing well, but declining numbers appear to be common. Some of our congregations are fairly fragile
financially.
This autumn we have also experienced four Discipleship Gatherings. Pastor Kurt Nordby, our Director for
Evangelical Mission, did a fine job talking about the importance of a mission
plan to the life of a congregation. Each
congregation is being encouraged to take a look at their mission and articulate
a plan. I have found that there are
congregations that do not have a good handle on why they are doing what they
are doing. With Pastor Nordby, our
communication director Karin Graddy has developed a set of resources and placed
it in a virtual toolbox. Take a look. You’ll find it at www.nisynod.org/toolbox.
Bishop Wollersheim has announced that the Synod Council will soon be
working on a new mission plan for the synod.
He said that it is only fair that if congregations are being asked to
work on a mission plan that the synod should as well. We will be working with the Rev. Don McCoid
of the Churchwide staff and he will join us at the January council meeting.
These are stressful days in the life of the church, but they are days
filled with hope and promise, much like this season of Advent.
Comments are welcome. Go to http://niselca.blogspot.com. --JC
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Temporarily Homeless
We
teach our children to sing, “The church is not a building.” But a church building is home for a
congregation. Home is more than a
building. It is a place of considerable
emotional significance. It is
heartbreaking when your home is damaged, destroyed, or otherwise violated. At times, we are left with only our memories.
Zion
Lutheran Church in Kewanee suffered a fire this past Sunday evening. Smoke was noticed by a neighbor. The fire department responded quickly. Had just a few additional minutes passed,
there would be nothing left. The fire
fighters were on the scene for five hours.
The
cause of the fire has not been determined.
Both the fire marshal and Zion’s insurance carrier are
investigating. Early guesses lean toward
something electrical in the attic.
The
people of Zion gathered Monday evening for their first look inside the
building. They walked in the front door
just as they have countless times. This
time it was passing under yellow caution tape and through a boarded up door. The statue of Jesus was in its place above
the entry, but now it was darkened with soot.
Folks gathered in front before entering |
As Zion
members entered the building, the smell of smoke forced some to cover their
mouths and noses. The nave was spared
any fire damage, but the carpet underfoot is soggy, the pew cushions are now a
darker shade, and the floor tiles are wet.
Water poured from the pastor’s guitar as he lifted it from its case. The floor of the dining room below is covered
with wet debris. The contents of the
offices are destroyed. Historical Swedish
language records are gone. As people
carefully watched their steps, the shock and heartbreak was evident on their
faces.
Dining room |
Following
the walk through, Pastor David Schweppe led a discussion. A place for worship next Sunday was
determined and plans for Sunday school were made. The pastor prayed giving thanks to God and
asking for God’s guidance. The congregation
council met standing in a small circle in the beauty of a late summer evening. Decisions were made regarding the office and
phone. Plans for outreach were
affirmed. Being “homeless” would not
deter the evangelism plan. Before the
closing prayer, a car drove up and a man walked up but did not enter the
circle. He was the pastor of a local
congregation offering the United Church of Christ building for weddings and
funerals and whatever else Zion should need.
The
next couple of months will be challenging for the people of Zion. But, their spirit is good and their trust in
God’s grace is strong. I have promised
the people of Zion that we, as a synod, will walk with them in the coming months
as repairs are made and the building is cleaned. I have promised that we will pray for their
pastor and for them.
Looking toward the offices |
Comments? Go to http://niselca.blogspot.com
or comment on Facebook. --JC
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