Sunday Morning @ The Improv

Let me explain the title of this post.

For the last couple of weeks, my congregation has experimented with an early service on Sunday morning beginning at 8:00. We decided that there would be no early service today a few weeks ago, since we had a congregational meeting after our normal 10:30 service. So, I took advantage of this morning's surplus of time to do a couple of things around the house as well as prepare some notes for the meeting. Before I had a chance to jump in the shower, there was a member at my back door asking if there was an early service. I said there wasn't. I was then informed that a family of four was outside, waiting to be let into the church for the early service.

I quickly let them in, set up communion, and put on my vestments. We did the service a cappella. I then informed the Bible study class that I would be a little late this morning. Actually, it only ended up being a few minutes late.

For once I was glad the cat woke me up early! Just wanted to put this story out there.

Another New Blog? Yes!

I just created a new blog. I'd been tossing the idea around in my head for the last couple of days. Finally, tonight, on the way home, it hit me. I felt I needed to do a new blog.

Fear not, dear readers! "Habakkuk's Complaint" is not going anywhere. It will still be here to stave off your boredom for a few seconds at a time.

My new blog will be totally dedicated to pastoral ministry. As such, it will be much deeper than this blog. It also represents a break from my usual routine. By this, I mean that I will run (are you ready for this?) a purely theological blog.

We'll just have to see what happens.

Here's the new blog: http://pastoralaesthetic.blogspot.com/

Kurt Warner: PDF

The above clip is nothing unique. It's Arizona cardinals QB Kurt Warner being interviewed by Terry Bradshaw after the NFC Championship game. It's interesting how Kurt answers Bradshaw's question. He starts off by saying that we are tired of hearing about Christian faith. But, he also said that he never gets tried of talking about it. So are Warner and society at an impasse?

This, as I aid, is nothing new. When Warner was the QB of my beloved St. Louis Rams, he was just as open about his faith there. And this, I think, kind of grated on people after a while. I always wondered about that. Even I had issues with his theology at times.

But here's the rub. We, as Americans, and as Westerners, have been conditioned to believe, teach, and confess that religion and faith are private matters, best kept out of the spotlight of our lives. Or worse, relegated only to the house of worship we choose to attend. As a result, society has taught us to be uncomfortable with PDFs. That is, Public Displays of Faith.

Many people engage in PDFs. It's just that most are understated and easy to do. Examples of this would be wearing a religious symbol on your neck or lapel, certain types of clothing or attire, a bumper sticker. Stuff like that. It's easy, and predictable. In my job as a Pastor, my PDFs fit into this description. No one bats an eye when they see me in my clergy collar or my vestments on Sunday morning. Even when I tell someone that Jesus loves them, or we'd love to have them join us at church, they expect it. Some might even say, "Well, you're paid to say that." And yet, when we see Kurt Warner (or other high-profile people) so blatantly on fire with their faith, it produces all sorts of reactions in us.

It's easy to be cynical in this case too. It's easy to say, "Yeah, I'd probably be that happy about faith too if I was playing in the Super Bowl." But God is with us whether we are pro athletes or not. Whether our experiences and daily lives are going well or it seems like we are at the end of our ropes.

What do you think?

Happy Birthday Jesus!

Yesterday, after church, the Sunday School hosted a birthday party for Jesus. We had cupcakes, punch and sang "Happy Birthday". I was pleased at the turnout despite the worsening weather. Here's a few pics from that event. Enjoy!

Random Chapel Pics

I volunteered to lead worship for the chapel service at Trinity Lutheran Church in West Seneca, NY. It was a real joy. I love doing that! Anyway, I took a few pics. Enjoy!

Inauguration Invocation

So, I see that president-elect Obama has selected Rick Warren to be one of the speakers at his inauguration. This has upset many Americans in the gay and lesbian community. Obama defended is choice, saying he is simply respecting the diversity of American viewpoints.

My question is, why are people surprised at this? After all, Obama is a Christian. He's made that perfectly clear. People are upset that Obama has invited a member of a Christian church who has a fundamental disagreement with a certain segment of the population.

Again we have to ask why people are surprised? Here again, Mr. Obama is not being dishonest or traitorous. He said in his acceptance speech and other places that it's OK to have an America where people disagree.

Were people so unrealistic that they thought the end of George W. Bush's tenure would bring about an end to religion in the public square?

Where was this public furor and outrage when Bill Clinton tapped Billy Graham for the same service?

See the story: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081218/ap_on_go_pr_wh/inauguration_minister

Props to St. Alban's

So, last night we had evening prayer in Silver Creek. It happens every Advent. Trinity, Zion, and St. Alban's take turns hosting it. This year, St. Alban's was the host for the first week.

Anyway, I had a great experience there. Not only do they have nice people who attend church there, one particular incident sticks out. One of their members was kind enough to sit next to me and help me out with an unfamiliar liturgy. Kudos, St. Albans!

I couldn't help but wonder how many LCMSers would do that. Not many in my experience.

A New Worship Service?

I had an interesting idea last night. We had about 12 people in our Thanksgiving Eve worship service. Which is fine. It's not about the numbers. Anyway, here's my idea.

Technically, Thanksgiving is not on the Church's calendar. It is a government holiday. But, the idea of it makes good theological and Biblical sense. So, why not have a church service?

I grew up having the service on Thanksgiving Day. But, my fieldwork church and the church I pastor hold it on the night before. And I know plenty of other churches that hold this tradition. The theory is that by holding it the night before, people aren't as pressed for time the next day. Which also makes a theological statement.

I know the day after Thanksgiving, called Black Friday is a big deal to many people across the nation, including many Christians. This is somewhat problematic. Many good Christians decry the commercialization of Christmas but participate in the opening kickoff of that commercialization. So, what to do?

I came up with the idea of having a church service on Black Friday about 3 or 4 in the morning before the stores open. The idea here is, "Come, worship the true God, before worshipping a false one." Or maybe have the same service around noon or so, to give shoppers a spiritual respite and a time for confession and absolution.

Thoughts?

Monks Fighting

This is just freakin' sad. The Orthodox monks were engaging in some fisticuffs in Jerusalem. There's always somebody that comes along and ruins it for the rest of us.
The video from CNN shows the perp walks after Israeli police intervened.

Pioneer Golf Benefit

Yesterday was a pretty amazing day for me. It did not start out well, as you can see in my previous post (see Bathroom Issues). But the day certainly got way better.

I always enjoy hitting the golf course, even though I'm not really a good player. But yesterday's outing was for a good cause. It was a golf benefit for Camp Pioneer in Angola, NY. It's a Lutheran camp up here that serves all people. I was a chaplain there over the summer. That was really rewarding. I've referenced it in a couple of earlier posts. I should do a whole post on the place. It's that much of a blessing to the Christian Church and to western NY.

I didn't golf particularly well, but I had a great time. How could I not? I was playing golf, it was a beautiful day, I was among friends, and I had The Boss with me. The Boss is my vicarage supervisor. We got to be pretty tight.

Anyway, I got a huge surprise on one of the holes. Each hole was sponsored by some entity, like a business or a church, or individuals. Anyway, imagine my surprise and joy when I discovered that one of the holes was sponsored by my parents. Each hole was marked as to who sponsored it. You can see it in one of the photos up top.

Like I said, an amazing day.

The Pastoral Reading List (2008-2009)

I know the title of this post can be somewhat misleading. So, let me clarify.

Part of my (or just about any pastor's) job is reading. Some read the newest stuff. Some stick to the classics. But you cannot avoid reading in ministry. So, I incorporate it into my normal workday. But, I have a method to it. I pick 12 subjects that I want to read about in the coming year. Then,I assign each month a topic. I read my books (plus magazine and journal articles) on that topic for the whole month. It may not work for everybody, but it does the job for me.

Here's this year's list. By the way, the year, for me starts in September. That's when I started this last year. Enjoy!

SEP: Pastoral Ministry
OCT: Reformation History
NOV: Preaching
DEC: Christian Literature Classics
JAN: Old Testament
FEB: Other Religions
MAR: The Gospel of John
APR: Christianity and Pop Culture
MAY: Christology
JUN: The Sacraments
JUL: Youth Ministry
AUG: Worship

Like I said, this system doesn't work for me. I also read every night before I go to bed. The rule there is anything is up for grabs, except it cannot be theological. That rule is in place to protect my personal time. Some might have an issue with that. But that's just me.

Prayer Study

Despite the fact that I serve as a parish pastor in western NY, you've probably noticed, dear readers, that my blog isn't really very theological at all. There's a couple reasons for this. One, I'm not the greatest theologian out there. Next, other people do theological blogging way better than I ever could. For proof of this, check out the links to the other blogs that I have on this page. Even though My Sweetheart's Blog is not specifically theological, there's enough about the Bible and Christianity to qualify it as such.

Anyway, I've decided to undertake a personal study of prayer. I'm not sure how much of it is going to be posted here. Prayer is a central component of the Christian faith and life. What's interesting about it is that not only is it communication between us and God, it is both intensely communal and deeply personal at the same time.

I've wanted to to this personal study for a little while now. What really got me going on it, though, is my experience last night. Couple that with some recent discussions I've had, and there really was no other choice. I had to study the issue for myself in a really personal way. Thus, you, dear readers, get an explicitly theological post.

The study will consist of actual prayer, reading secondary sources, and immersing myself in the Psalms. I'm essentially looking for answers to the following questions:

1. How does God answer prayer?
2. How can I deepen and edify my prayer life?
3. What can I apply to the congregation?
4. What does it mean to "pray the Psalms"?
5. How does one listen to God's answers?

Other questions may come up. Please pray for me and with me as I begin this journey.

One thing I should probably mention. The purpose of this exercise is not to call into question my core beliefs or Scriptural truths. In other words, if you are expecting heresy at the conclusion of my study, look elsewhere. You will be disappointed. I am Lutheran and I fully intend to stay that way.

Celeb Jesus

I could not pass this up. I found this in the Fall 2008 catalog for Concordia Publishing House, on page 2. I'll also post the link at the bottom. It's an art print called "The Seeker." But doesn't the face of Christ look a heck of a lot like Gene Wilder? Or possibly Nicholas Cage.

I about fell out of my chair. Have fun, dear readers!

http://www.cph.org/cphstore/product.asp?category=&part%5Fno=900002&find%5Fcategory=&find%5Fdescription=&find%5Fpart%5Fdesc=the+seeker

New Undertaking-CPE

Today, dear readers, is a big step for me. I am enrolled in a section of congregation-based CPE (Clinical Pastoral Education). I'm not really sure what to expect with it, since I'm not familiar with CPE outside the context of a nursing home or hospital.

Here's what I hope to accomplish with the program:

1. Really explore my strengths and weaknesses. I especially want to find a away to use my shortcomings for Christ's kingdom. What I mean by that is I want to find ways to use my whole being in service to Jesus.

2. To acquire a better understanding of systems and church/congregational dynamics.

3. To better my skills in general pastoral ministry. Some areas I'd like to improve through CPE are counseling, teaching, and preaching.

I know that last one sounds kind of generic, but it really is true. The main part of that lst one is the counseling aspect. I've only been in ministry for a year or so. Thus, not too many people come to see me. But when they do, I'd like to be a little more preapred than I am now.

So please keep me in your prayer, dear readers. Pray that I will grow through the experience.

One final note: I am not sure how much posting I can do regarding what I am learning. Confidentiality is a HUGE deal inministry. I'll try to keep you updated, but please know that these updates will be very generalized.

More Lutherans in the News

This was from the Buffalo News dated July 30, 2008. It's a piece about Camp Pioneer's involvement in the Operation Purple Camp. It's for kids whose parents are deployed in the military.

Camp Pioneer is such a wonderful place! I've been doing some volunteer chaplaincy work with the staff this summer. It has really been quite rewarding for me. Maybe I'll get some pix and post them in a future post.

2 members of my congregation are quoted. That's exciting!

Check out the story: http://www.buffalonews.com/cityregion/story/403001.html

1 Year!

Perhaps this post may strike you as completely self-indulgent. And it probably is. But today marks a special day in my life. One year ago on July 22, 2007, I was ordained.

I figured I had to mark the occasion with a blog post. Enjoy the pics!

Lutherans in the News

This was in yesterday's local paper. It's an article about my congregation's upcoming anniversary celebration:
http://observertoday.com/page/content.detail/id/506025.html?nav=5070