The Youngest and the Oldest

Here is some fun for Sunday's Gospel.

It is a true blessing when you can catch part of the vision God has for a community. What I mean is the fact that through prayer, conversations and time I think it doesn't take long to discern where the future strength of a congregation lies. I feel like I have been given a glimpse this past week into the future of this congregation.

The interesting things is that this has shown itself to me in the form of caring for the children of the congregations. At one church there is only one or two kids. This will take nothing less than a miracle for this congregation to rebound...I have hope...At the other congregation there were 70 or so in worship, but there were 20 kids at the children's message. And as much as they get critiqued this is what I have going for me. So what will it take to create a cultural change with these 20+ kids the next years so that when they are in High School there are actually at church.

Well, the fall has been speedy to say the least. I suppose each pastor has started confirmation already. It shows some fun potential--Here We Stand! There is a sad tradition that most of the kids families and parents are not in worship on Sunday. I actually look at it as a great opportunity.

Starting a Bible study--which is not a tradition--at the parsonage on Thursday evenings. We are looking forward to hosting a small group of people and focusing on spiritual maturity and vision with the select folks who are interested.

Have around 20 visits per month to make to those who can't make it to worship regularily. I have forgotten how much time and energy output it takes to do this. The Youngest and the Oldest--my very own soap opera.

There is a great text study group in the area that I have really enjoyed. There is a great group of pastors. AND I will be meeting my predecessor in the morning as she will be participating in the text studies weekly. I look it as she being Paul(a) and me being Apollos.

Preaching is still a balance act in which I have often felt just a bit off balance. I don't think that I am trying too hard, but rather that I am not able to focus in enough and carry a contigious thought. Well...by the grace of God there is a word of it...

What I am absolutely excited about in the upcoming month is first call theological. I started thinking about all the cats I would see and I feel very encouraged that it will be a great time of fellowship. Have a blessed week. Paz.

The Pad!

I thought I would share a few pictures of our nice place. The front porch is very uncommon these days...but we are going for some front porch evangelism as we hang out. I am soon to order a log desk to be made for the office with my ordination $. I thought it would be a good way to keep those moments with me. It will also be nice to have a place to work outside of boxes. Paz.

This past week was void of council meetings, but was a week of two WELCA meetings of which I was able to attend. Oh, the faithful women in the church...I feel the church would not exist without such great faith. My goal...to bring down the average age a bit and hear some stories of their lives in the church. Confirmation also started and so I found myself uncomfortable treading those waves again of teaching. The adults think I will be great because I am young, and I say I will take all I can get. It is a great opportunity for outreach and evangelism for me as very few of the families are regular worshippers at the church. How to 'convert' 13 years of training in the world, I do not know, but I think it will take some praying, some boldness, and Lord help us if parents won't get involved. Give 'er.

Paz.

The Double-Edge :)

a great day

I have never been so conscious about anything before in my life before as my preaching the past month. It is as though I have not hit on any cylinders with my congregations. I realize that part of the issue is a cross-cultural difference. One of my favorite words (along with others) is the word solidarity. My wife told me two weeks ago that I probably shouldn't use the word because it was not in the vocabulary here...now i know I could do a sermon about that alone but that is not my point.

Praying, sweating, all that stuff has accompanied me. I admit that part of the problem is that I often don't have a lot of deep thoughts and am pretty much an introvert but there has to be a middle ground for me.

Well I got sick of all of this and decided to take a chance on Sunday. I decided to tell 25% of the book of Genesis in 20 minutes. The OT reading of course was about Joseph and his band of brothers. I decided to start at Genesis 37 and go all the way to 50 telling Joseph's complete story without any notes or the like. AND...for the first time being here I received more than one comment about the sermon. The HUGE void ended and I realized that the story is important in this setting. Especially about a family where all there is around here are families! It is a great feeling to be telling a story while two kids are screaming (in a very small church) and you still have all the adults attention.

OK, so don't get me wrong I am still very humbled by all this job calls me to, but it is nice to start a week on the uphill with some energy. Go team open-country parish...

But what happened to my other team?????

Here's to a fresh breath...even if it isn't from a Rocky Mountain High!

Paz

council...

We have had our first council meetings since I have been around the Bethlehem-Eidsvold Parish. The thing is that with two congregation there are two council meetings and then a third joint council meeting to boot. So...tomorrow night is the last meeting. So far there is no resistance to what I have proposed (Good News), but I also received very little feed back (Indifferent News). I suppose I should be cautiously optimistic with that as I would freak out if I were challenged too much right now. But I am praying for some excitement and sense of where the energy is.

Now I have learned some cool things. At one congregation their giving to mission (synod, missionary, etc...) is at about 35%. I am totally stoked about that, and they are way in the black for the year. The average attendance is about 30 at that church right now. I have a lot to learn from them.

On the two visits I did today both asked me if the world was coming to an end. What is going on. Then I started thinking...what do you do if you can't go to your church on Sunday? You watch TV and then you listen to the radio for a couple more hours on Sunday morning. Dispensationalism (or however you spell it) is rampant. One woman told me that they were going to start using thumb prints at the local grocery and that it was going to replace money, one of the last prophecies to be fulfilled. The mark of the beast, etc...AND THEN, gulp, she asked me what I thought after she talked for 5 minutes (me carefully listening). With all respect for this 90+ year old woman I said that our Lord Jesus has said that we would neither know the time or the place of his coming. I said I thought finger ID'ing was a good idea with all of the fraud out there and that I didn't think it would replace money. I told her that I believed in prophecy, but we need to be careful what we are saying God is saying, etc...and it was very quiet for a while! (gulp). I then asked her if she would join me in Holy Communion. She said yes, and then asked me several questions about communion. Told me that more pastors need to be bold and understand prophecies. I told her that God is present with us and that she is united to the Body of Christ that is our congregation and beyond through the meal.

Yeah, the good Lord will have to be the Great Translator if we are to end up on the same page.

Both visits today told me about a past pastor who was gay.

I am trying to take life a little less seriously these days, despite the immediate joys.

Paz.

death

It seems that much of 'life' that surrounds me reaks of death. It has been a week of constant sorrow over one situation after another. They haven't hit close to home for us directly but the force of it all has me paralyzed and humbled and at a loss. It seems that several hours out of each day this week has surrounded around hearing tragic stories from hurricane victims. If we have such a problem with getting water to people in a disaster area in the wealthiest countries in the world, what must the situation still be like for Tsunami victims. All I can think about is the 3.5 million in Niger and those in Iraq suffering without electricity (in many areas), without water... When visiting with two 90+ year old women this week each asked me if I thought the end was coming soon. I of course answered correctly!

It brings great perspective to life when the world that surrounds you teeters on life and death in every moment. Each hour has with it its own balance.

I have picked up some preaching books that deal with preparing with a new imagination. It is an interesting time to try to connect with people in the midst of so many disasters.

Life in the parish has been for me trying to put my ear to the ground and listen. The hard part for me is to stop being 'busy' every once in a while and listen. It seems that there is always something to meddle with. In a positive light, the congregations are very healthy. I know it will rub off on me. We have also had visitors every weekend and it brings such joy to welcome friends and family into our new space. It is also good to feel supported and loved by those who know you best.

Paz