When I first arrived at good ole L. R. Baptist I had all kinds of
ideas for ministry. I wanted to get started right away, build a youth
group, build a labyrinth, begin a contemplative prayer group, start an
outreach program to folk 40 and under, incorporate some new music,
blah, blah, blah...
But I came to the sad realization that if I wanted all of the above I had to do them all myself. This Fall after four years at LRBC
things are finally starting to come together. With the prospect of
Sunday School in dire straits people flocked to help and rescued it,
they have called people to invite their kids and just started their own
children's church (here in the northeast it is quite common to havesunday school during worship, we used to but now we have a kids church then sunday school after that).
Last night the Pastoral Relations Committee met to discuss my income package, MMBB recommended a 4.3% CPI raise. (I was thrilled to find compensation guidelines for the Lutherans, UCC, Episcopal, Methodist and Presbyterians in RI via the internet - forget about the ABC-USA every getting something like that together).
The income discussion took about all of five minutes. We spent the
remaining 55 minutes discussing evangelism, outreach, advertising, etc.
It was anexhilarating discussion that I wanted to hold four years ago.
But there we were having the conversation we needed to had - timing is
everything. Our discussion has the potential to be a real church-wide
event and one that could produce significant results.
The NYTimes this week ran a piece about a rabbi who entered a 30 year contract with the congregation, I'm not ready to enter into that type of relationship but it would be an interesting idea to say to yourself this is where I'm gonna be for the next 30 years - a bloom where your platned idea.
13 October 2006
12 October 2006
Preaching Harder than It Looks
Preaching Harder than It Looks
Bine Pluff, Arkansas
10.12.2006
Published by Theobilly
Last night during revival at the Pleasant View Baptist Church the Rev. Frederick Sparks had to call on Deacon Don Gunoe for relief for a full four minutes until his "preaching cramps" subsided. This was not the first time Deacon Gunoe had to fill in for the injury proned Rev. Sparks, just last month Deacon Gunoe completed communion and delivered three benedictions.
Rev. Sparks, a great preacher when he is healthy, blames his cramps on the lack of proper air circulation in the sanctuary and brackish water in his drinking cup in the pulpit. But congregants have other opinions. Sister Marybeth Wiley thinks his cramps have to do with "all of that pork fat he chews on Sunday morning." While Brother James Wilbur surmises, "if he would just go in the pulpit with more than index cards and finish the sermon on Thursday I bet those cramps would miracously disappear." Whatever the root cause, Rev. Sparks has hired Susan Becklewith of Enhancement Sporting to be present during his preaching engagements over the next two months.
"It is often assumed that the pastoral life is nothing more than sitting on your rump, eating pie and gabbing with parishioners. There is a lot of truth to that," confessed Rev. Sparks. But, he added, "you try preaching with to all those sleepy and empty faces and see if that doesnt cause some kind of psychological cramping."
Bine Pluff, Arkansas
10.12.2006
Published by Theobilly
Last night during revival at the Pleasant View Baptist Church the Rev. Frederick Sparks had to call on Deacon Don Gunoe for relief for a full four minutes until his "preaching cramps" subsided. This was not the first time Deacon Gunoe had to fill in for the injury proned Rev. Sparks, just last month Deacon Gunoe completed communion and delivered three benedictions.
Rev. Sparks, a great preacher when he is healthy, blames his cramps on the lack of proper air circulation in the sanctuary and brackish water in his drinking cup in the pulpit. But congregants have other opinions. Sister Marybeth Wiley thinks his cramps have to do with "all of that pork fat he chews on Sunday morning." While Brother James Wilbur surmises, "if he would just go in the pulpit with more than index cards and finish the sermon on Thursday I bet those cramps would miracously disappear." Whatever the root cause, Rev. Sparks has hired Susan Becklewith of Enhancement Sporting to be present during his preaching engagements over the next two months.
"It is often assumed that the pastoral life is nothing more than sitting on your rump, eating pie and gabbing with parishioners. There is a lot of truth to that," confessed Rev. Sparks. But, he added, "you try preaching with to all those sleepy and empty faces and see if that doesnt cause some kind of psychological cramping."
Creation Care
Last night's Moyers on America program on PBS asked the question Is
God Green? I watched the show with some trepidation because I
read that part of the show would focus onMTR (Mountain Top Removal) in
West Virginia. It was with great delight to hear the enthusiasm
expressed by the evangelical community'snew found commitment for the
environment. I have always thought they would make better stewards of
the earth than most liberals. Why? Simple, a goal of evangelical
religion is the conversion of souls, people whodont have to worry about
the air they breathe, the water they drink and the earth their food
comes from are in a better spot to consider conversion, thus the an
imperative for environmental stewardship. Also, if the earth is a
better place to live and will be secure for future generations then
there will be future Christians. Simple logic if you ask me.
Moyers, when he produced NOW did a wonderful piece on MTR in WV. Click here to read the transcript.
Links worth exploring:
West Virginia Highlands Conservancy
Christians for the Mountains
Ohio Valley Environmental Council
Any of these organizations have great links and resources to inform you on the current mountain tragedy.
God Green? I watched the show with some trepidation because I
read that part of the show would focus onMTR (Mountain Top Removal) in
West Virginia. It was with great delight to hear the enthusiasm
expressed by the evangelical community'snew found commitment for the
environment. I have always thought they would make better stewards of
the earth than most liberals. Why? Simple, a goal of evangelical
religion is the conversion of souls, people whodont have to worry about
the air they breathe, the water they drink and the earth their food
comes from are in a better spot to consider conversion, thus the an
imperative for environmental stewardship. Also, if the earth is a
better place to live and will be secure for future generations then
there will be future Christians. Simple logic if you ask me.
Moyers, when he produced NOW did a wonderful piece on MTR in WV. Click here to read the transcript.
Links worth exploring:
West Virginia Highlands Conservancy
Christians for the Mountains
Ohio Valley Environmental Council
Any of these organizations have great links and resources to inform you on the current mountain tragedy.
11 October 2006
Surprising Resources
This Fall I began a sermon series based on the Apostles' Creed. So far it has gone well. I try to spend a day or two a month up at the ANTS Library, they grant Ministers in Vicinity free access to their books (up to 10 books at one time). I generally keep the books several days after they are due and rationalize my fee payments as contributions to the life of the library (I should get a tax record for this) By the way, the NYTimes produced a great piece on clergy housing this morning.
I found two surprisingly useful books for preaching on the creed. Credo by Karl Barth and The School of Charity by Evelyn Underhill. I am finding these resources as genuine gold mines for thoughts and ideas.
My impetus for this series was a break from the lectionary and a time for some more forthright theological reflection in preaching. It has been a challenge seeing the good news in the statements, but very rewarding. This sermon series has given me the chance to preach on the Christian Year without the trappings of the season; meaning I can talk about Christ's birth in a manner free from the hoopla of Christmas, I will preach on resurrection this week without the pressure and oddness of Easter morning.
The series has also been a good method for teaching basic Christian beliefs to the congregation. I feel a teaching ministry is a good avenue for the living of these days.
I found two surprisingly useful books for preaching on the creed. Credo by Karl Barth and The School of Charity by Evelyn Underhill. I am finding these resources as genuine gold mines for thoughts and ideas.
My impetus for this series was a break from the lectionary and a time for some more forthright theological reflection in preaching. It has been a challenge seeing the good news in the statements, but very rewarding. This sermon series has given me the chance to preach on the Christian Year without the trappings of the season; meaning I can talk about Christ's birth in a manner free from the hoopla of Christmas, I will preach on resurrection this week without the pressure and oddness of Easter morning.
The series has also been a good method for teaching basic Christian beliefs to the congregation. I feel a teaching ministry is a good avenue for the living of these days.
10 October 2006
A Joyful Hike
This time of year arouses the need
to be in the woods. I used to use this time for adventuresome armed
hikes, aka hunting. But I'm not ready to take #1 and #2 on an armed
hike for some time. So we headed in the van and drove about 20 minutes
northward to Purgatory Chasm, the remains of the destruction caused by
a glacier melt around 30,000 years ago. The kids had a blast climbing
on the rocks, peeking in the holes and just being outdoors.
But the weekend wasn't finished, we needed a pumpkin.
We love going to the pick-your-own farms but this article in Slate I found a good corrective to this phenomena.
05 October 2006
Perhaps Games are Legit
I have always thought that most football games, from high school to
pro, have predetermined winners. Take the 1991 lost to Milton. We had a
10-7 lead with less than a minute to go and Milton was moving toward
the end zone. As the clock ran out and the whistled blew declaring an end to the game the Milton team snapped the ball, the quarterback
took the snap and handed it off to the fullback, the fullback ran
toward the line of scrimmage and was picked up by the halfback and the
tumbled into the end zone , scored the winning touchdown. The loss gave
us a 7-3 record and a dismal ranking for the playoffs. As the refs ran
off the field, a now medical doctor in South Carolina, ran parallel to
them with two middle fingers shouting expeltives to them. (That
doctor is now an outstanding member of his church, father of two girls
and I can imagine a fine doctor.)
But the events of last night when Marshall lost to UCF 22-23 made me reconsider the legitimacy of the sport. This was Marshall's first CUSA game of the year, nationally televised on ESPN2, Matthew McConaughey
on the sidelines, special viewing of the movie, We Are Marshall, at
halftime and the Budweiser Clydesdales you cant lose a game with all of that going on. But they did!
pro, have predetermined winners. Take the 1991 lost to Milton. We had a
10-7 lead with less than a minute to go and Milton was moving toward
the end zone. As the clock ran out and the whistled blew declaring an end to the game the Milton team snapped the ball, the quarterback
took the snap and handed it off to the fullback, the fullback ran
toward the line of scrimmage and was picked up by the halfback and the
tumbled into the end zone , scored the winning touchdown. The loss gave
us a 7-3 record and a dismal ranking for the playoffs. As the refs ran
off the field, a now medical doctor in South Carolina, ran parallel to
them with two middle fingers shouting expeltives to them. (That
doctor is now an outstanding member of his church, father of two girls
and I can imagine a fine doctor.)
But the events of last night when Marshall lost to UCF 22-23 made me reconsider the legitimacy of the sport. This was Marshall's first CUSA game of the year, nationally televised on ESPN2, Matthew McConaughey
on the sidelines, special viewing of the movie, We Are Marshall, at
halftime and the Budweiser Clydesdales you cant lose a game with all of that going on. But they did!
04 October 2006
Lincoln Residents Prepare for Serious Compunction
Lincoln Residents Prepare for Serious Compunction
by Theobilly
Published October 4, 2006
Lincoln, RI
The residents of Lincoln, RI, the small idyllic New England village, finally came down from a two week high when the members of the Ecumenical Ministers Union agreed to the aribitration proposal offered by Congregational Management. "I made more in the last two weeks than I did in all of last year." The comment from bartender/owner Richard Tucker of the Cold Mug pretty much summed up the senitments from the entertainment business community: "I made more in the last two weeks than I did in all of last year."
The two weeks of licentousness, debauchery, drunkeness, carousing, and dissensions all began when negociations between the two sides came to a stand still. The Union wouldn't accept the mandatory 35 hour work week and Management wouldn't grant a renewal of country club memberships for clergy. The stand-still brought a general strike on the evening of Saturday, September 23.
Parishoners woke up the following Sunday morning only to find churches closed and the Eucharist firmly locked in their respective sacristies. "We thought the absence of worship of word and sacrament on Sunday morning would really make them cave. I guess we grossly underestimated our people." said Rev. Eugene Moderatelyboring.
Upon finding the doors to the church locked and the absence of Confessions of Prayer the congregants of Lincoln, RI went on a sinning rampage. Everyone from the Town Administrator to the paperboy whopped it up for two weeks of, well...extreme fun, until the agreement was signed late last night. The E.M.U. agreed to a 32 hour week and C.M. agreed to pay for memberships but will not cover alcohol.
Reaction in the town was noticably depressed at the announcement. Right when it appeared the E.M.U. had lost the upper hand they gained with the promise of an all-town joint service of compunction this Sunday at 10:00am on the grounds of Chase Farm. Each minister but his/her hands on the Good Book vowing sermons of constancy.
In closing a comment from Rene Hall, "Vegas here I come."
by Theobilly
Published October 4, 2006
Lincoln, RI
The residents of Lincoln, RI, the small idyllic New England village, finally came down from a two week high when the members of the Ecumenical Ministers Union agreed to the aribitration proposal offered by Congregational Management. "I made more in the last two weeks than I did in all of last year." The comment from bartender/owner Richard Tucker of the Cold Mug pretty much summed up the senitments from the entertainment business community: "I made more in the last two weeks than I did in all of last year."
The two weeks of licentousness, debauchery, drunkeness, carousing, and dissensions all began when negociations between the two sides came to a stand still. The Union wouldn't accept the mandatory 35 hour work week and Management wouldn't grant a renewal of country club memberships for clergy. The stand-still brought a general strike on the evening of Saturday, September 23.
Parishoners woke up the following Sunday morning only to find churches closed and the Eucharist firmly locked in their respective sacristies. "We thought the absence of worship of word and sacrament on Sunday morning would really make them cave. I guess we grossly underestimated our people." said Rev. Eugene Moderatelyboring.
Upon finding the doors to the church locked and the absence of Confessions of Prayer the congregants of Lincoln, RI went on a sinning rampage. Everyone from the Town Administrator to the paperboy whopped it up for two weeks of, well...extreme fun, until the agreement was signed late last night. The E.M.U. agreed to a 32 hour week and C.M. agreed to pay for memberships but will not cover alcohol.
Reaction in the town was noticably depressed at the announcement. Right when it appeared the E.M.U. had lost the upper hand they gained with the promise of an all-town joint service of compunction this Sunday at 10:00am on the grounds of Chase Farm. Each minister but his/her hands on the Good Book vowing sermons of constancy.
In closing a comment from Rene Hall, "Vegas here I come."
Happy 145th Sir Walter
Today is the 145th Birthday of Walter Rauschenbusch.
I first heard of Rauschenbusch as an undergrad at Marshall in an American Intellectual History course taught by David Duke (not the lunatic Louisana politician). I stored the name away then heard about him again in a Philosophy of Religion course at BTSR. The class whetted my appetite so I checked out The Rauschebusch Reader, with an introductory essay by Fosdick. That wasn't enough. So I went to my theology prof. and asked to do an independent study but she wasnt all that interested/didnt think I was ready. So Chad and I went to Dr. Doug Ottati at UTS-PSCE across the street and asked if he would be interested, indeed he was. So for a semester we read all of Rauschenbusch's main works and discussed them at lunch and once over dinner. That was a great experience that changed my life.
But that class still didnt satisfy me. I wanted more. So I transferred to Colgate Rochester Divinity School (now Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School). There I went around town and found the home he grew up in, the home he lived in as an adult, I walked down East Ave (like he did) from his home to the original spot of Rochester Theological School, I worked in the American Baptist Historical Archives so I could browse his notebooks, sermons, articles, letters, pictures and all the other Rauschenbusch artifacts (all of this material will be moving to Mercer University). I also read for another independent study, more broadly on the Social Gospel movement with Dr. Chris Evans (the author of the latest and best Rauschenbusch biography).
Rauschenbusch for me at first was a saving grace, a reason to stay baptist. He was a bonafide theologian from the baptist tradition. He also fueled the desire for social justice.
Odd that now I not quite sure what to make of him. I still admire him and am thankful for his life and work. Now I admire him for his synthesis of thought and his ability to forge an indigenous American theology. That seems to be missing in today's stuff.
If you decided to pick up some Rauschenbusch's work you will find the clarity and relative ease it is to read. He wrote theology for a broad auidence and wanted folk to be able to read it.
His major works are:
The Righteousness of the Kingdom
Christianity and the Social Order
Christianizing the Social Order
A Theology for the Social Gospel
Prayers of the Social Awakening
Unto Me
Dare We Be Christians?
The Social Principles of Jesus
Why I am a Baptist (instructions for a $1 reprint)
Excellent Secondary Sources
The Kingdom Is Always but Coming: A Life of Walter Rauschenbusch by Chris Evans
A Gospel for the Social Awakening ed by Benjamin Mays
Walter Rauschenbusch: Selected Writings ed. by Winthrop Hudson
There are more but that is a good start.
Thank you brother Walter.
Interesting familial ties: WR is the grandfather of Richard Rorty. WR's ggrandson is Paul Rauschenbusch, chaplain at Princeton University.
Couple of Church Related Links:
Rauschenbusch Center
Rauschenbusch Metro Ministries
Even Brian McLaren loves him
I first heard of Rauschenbusch as an undergrad at Marshall in an American Intellectual History course taught by David Duke (not the lunatic Louisana politician). I stored the name away then heard about him again in a Philosophy of Religion course at BTSR. The class whetted my appetite so I checked out The Rauschebusch Reader, with an introductory essay by Fosdick. That wasn't enough. So I went to my theology prof. and asked to do an independent study but she wasnt all that interested/didnt think I was ready. So Chad and I went to Dr. Doug Ottati at UTS-PSCE across the street and asked if he would be interested, indeed he was. So for a semester we read all of Rauschenbusch's main works and discussed them at lunch and once over dinner. That was a great experience that changed my life.
But that class still didnt satisfy me. I wanted more. So I transferred to Colgate Rochester Divinity School (now Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School). There I went around town and found the home he grew up in, the home he lived in as an adult, I walked down East Ave (like he did) from his home to the original spot of Rochester Theological School, I worked in the American Baptist Historical Archives so I could browse his notebooks, sermons, articles, letters, pictures and all the other Rauschenbusch artifacts (all of this material will be moving to Mercer University). I also read for another independent study, more broadly on the Social Gospel movement with Dr. Chris Evans (the author of the latest and best Rauschenbusch biography).
Rauschenbusch for me at first was a saving grace, a reason to stay baptist. He was a bonafide theologian from the baptist tradition. He also fueled the desire for social justice.
Odd that now I not quite sure what to make of him. I still admire him and am thankful for his life and work. Now I admire him for his synthesis of thought and his ability to forge an indigenous American theology. That seems to be missing in today's stuff.
If you decided to pick up some Rauschenbusch's work you will find the clarity and relative ease it is to read. He wrote theology for a broad auidence and wanted folk to be able to read it.
His major works are:
The Righteousness of the Kingdom
Christianity and the Social Order
Christianizing the Social Order
A Theology for the Social Gospel
Prayers of the Social Awakening
Unto Me
Dare We Be Christians?
The Social Principles of Jesus
Why I am a Baptist (instructions for a $1 reprint)
Excellent Secondary Sources
The Kingdom Is Always but Coming: A Life of Walter Rauschenbusch by Chris Evans
A Gospel for the Social Awakening ed by Benjamin Mays
Walter Rauschenbusch: Selected Writings ed. by Winthrop Hudson
There are more but that is a good start.
Thank you brother Walter.
Interesting familial ties: WR is the grandfather of Richard Rorty. WR's ggrandson is Paul Rauschenbusch, chaplain at Princeton University.
Couple of Church Related Links:
Rauschenbusch Center
Rauschenbusch Metro Ministries
Even Brian McLaren loves him
03 October 2006
Changes
The sun is haning around less this time of year, there is a chill in the air and the leaves are changing, thus nature announces time for changes. So I switch from cereal to oats, pilsner to oktoberfest, thin to flannel sheets and more meat than vegetables.
02 October 2006
In Need of a Worship Class
As my second and final year at BTSR came to a close in 1998 those who were graduating held a special chapel service. Those leading the service asked that those attending were to find someone who was special to them and go up and serve each other communion. Two by two folk went up and received communion. As the crowd wound down my best friend and I looked at each other, and without words said oh yeah. We went forward took communion, then with our backs to the "congregation" gave each other a hey Ace, then found our seat. (A hey Ace, recall the SNL cartoon Ace and Gary the Ambigiously Gay Duo, after the two did a good deed Ace would grab Gary's behind and say nice hey Ace, Ace would do the same to Gary.) Some found our action quite hilarious, upon finding our seat the preaching professor (now the dean at Gardner-Webb Divinity School) laughingly suggested that we get into a worship class.
In some ways I agreed with him. I love the give and take of liturgy and order of worship. I collect hymnals, special service plans and worship bulletins like churches collect coffee mugs. This Sunday was World Communion Sunday.
We have experimented with different forms of communion, the regular sit down and be served, intinction, and the form from yesterday: folk come up, tear a piece of bread, then take a cup from the tray, sit down and then we all take together. It was okay. Some liked it, some didnt.
My problem concerns the very act of communion, that it be a communal event and not strictly a private act. I am not sure any of the methods, either the ones here or elsewhere commuincate that. I feel the only way would be to have an actual meal, communal and festive. Need for a Worship class indeed.
In some ways I agreed with him. I love the give and take of liturgy and order of worship. I collect hymnals, special service plans and worship bulletins like churches collect coffee mugs. This Sunday was World Communion Sunday.
We have experimented with different forms of communion, the regular sit down and be served, intinction, and the form from yesterday: folk come up, tear a piece of bread, then take a cup from the tray, sit down and then we all take together. It was okay. Some liked it, some didnt.
My problem concerns the very act of communion, that it be a communal event and not strictly a private act. I am not sure any of the methods, either the ones here or elsewhere commuincate that. I feel the only way would be to have an actual meal, communal and festive. Need for a Worship class indeed.
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