The next two editions of this newsletter won’t include a letter from me. You know by now I’ll be on sabbatical, traveling in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Turkey. I’ll miss the weekly rhythm of sermon, visiting, writing, worship, but am grateful for this gift of extended rest and study.
I hope Plymouth Creek is too. It’s not just my sabbatical, after all. All of us can use this time for renewal, rededication and prayer. Some churches even hire a sabbatical minister. We chose a different route. Four separate pastors will lead worship the eight weeks I’m gone. You’ll love their ministry, I’m certain!
And the Servant Leaders will take on pastoral responsibility. Please contact them with any concerns, or members of the Board. Still, I asked the SL Team what questions they wanted me to ponder while I’m gone, that they (and you!) could also explore. Predictably, their thoughts were interesting. Here’s what they said.
Again, part of my travel will include visiting churches and mosques from faith traditions quite different, and often older, than ours. With that background, one Servant Leader wondered, “What can we learn from these communities about hospitality?” That notion has been a focus of our ministry together these past years. We’ve changed the furniture, adapted our worship practices, added components to our ministry in hope that all visitors and guests will feel welcome. Nevertheless, building a fully robust culture of hospitality is always a work in progress. New people arrive. Old concerns endure. We still need to figure out an effective way to include more families with children. Plus, great hospitality takes more than being kind when someone comes to church. It demands pro-active initiative, constant hospitality innovation, bringing the values and love we cultivate within our walls to people beyond them in need of community. The places I visit this summer may have fresh ideas and creative solutions. So will you, I believe, when you put minds and spirits to the task.
Another question offered was, “How can Plymouth Creek engage the community around us more effectively?” That’s related to the previous question, of course, with greater emphasis on service and mission. We already do much for our neighborhoods and local residents in need, about which we should be proud. Yet a critical component of our church’s vision includes becoming a beacon, a leader, a model to all of the astounding power of Christian service through love. In other words, we should never be content to do enough, or even a little more. You have generous hearts, creative minds, and could tackle bigger problems than we do now. What issues aren’t being addressed around us that Plymouth Creek could take on? Might we provide local leadership in overcoming, say, suburban homelessness or environmental destruction? The countries I’ll visit wrestle with many problems, thankfully some dangerous ones we don’t face. Still, I’ll be looking for their wisdom, and excited to hear yours.
The last question posed was quite insightful; I suspect it’ll yield good fruit. Someone said, “In some of those older churches or mosques, immediately when you walk in, the power and glory of God’s majesty feels so present. Could we capture more of that in our church?” Smart observation, right?! And to my mind, we’re already on the way. I love our sanctuary’s high ceiling, large windows, open structure, intimate feel. It teaches one of Christianity’s most enduring and lovely paradoxes: God is always bigger than we imagine, yet closer than our next breath. What would it take to enhance that feeling? Not just with our facilities, but what we do. Are there certain worship forms or prayers, weekly activities or public statements that signal to virtually anyone who encounters our church that, truly, God is in this place, waiting with grace?
So that’s the project. I’ve been charged and commissioned, and now I hope you are too! Thank you, in advance, for the profound learning you’ll uncover and share. In the meantime, enjoy your summer. Stay cool, and rest up! There’s a Kingdom of God yet to come…and it’s ours to help build.
Grace and Peace,
Shane
Read more!
Monday, July 1, 2013
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
New ideas…
I don’t recall how the conversation arose, but one comment struck me. It happened several weeks ago during my annual turn as Director of Equestrian Camp. This adventure involves a small group of middle and high schoolers sleeping in the woods, singing goofy songs, riding horses. Most summer camps our Region sponsors lack an equine component; sad for them. Ours is a great time!
It’s not all horsey games, though. We spend many hours in worship or spiritual conversation. Such was happening this year, when, for whatever reason, heresy was mentioned. One camper asked, “What’s heresy?” I tried to explain; said that, in the Christian history, churches have described several important ideas or doctrines as, basically, “true.” God is the world’s Creator; Jesus is Lord. I’m sure you have favorites. When people dissented from these established teachings, I offered, the “Church” labeled them heretics. Thus, heresy is the act of teaching a teaching that the “Church’s” approved teachers believe is wrong.
To which, one of my precocious campers responded with a gem. “You mean,” He said, “Heresy is having new ideas?” I reacted with as loud and joyful a laugh as any I’d produce that week. I think he hit upon a critical dynamic of Christian faith with eloquent ease and perceptive wit. Of course, I have a healthy tolerance for what others call “unorthodox.” It’d be a rare day for me to call another’s belief system “heresy,” and so judge them for it.
Not that I distrust every long-settled ‘teaching’ of the ‘Church,’ or disrespect religious tradition. A major reason I spend much leisure time reading large history books my wife finds boring is I’m enamored by our past, cultural and religious. It’s exciting, I feel, full of wisdom. Plus, I think way too many people in contemporary society cling to a persistent and stunningly dangerous conceit: new = good, old = dumb (or naïve, or oppressive, or worthless…).
Take the doctrine of resurrection. Modern science strongly argues against thinking people believing this. Thus, many good and faithful Christians say, “Jesus was a great teacher, but couldn’t have ‘risen again.’” They’ll talk of resurrection as metaphor, or as something spiritually but not physically accomplished. “We don’t need to believe in magic to put the Golden Rule into practice.” That’s not bad theology. It’s an interesting new idea. Some of you, I’m sure, think it’s right. Still, I worry about modern people dismissing the faithful convictions of billions of people over thousands of years. Pre-modern believers weren’t stupid, after all. They thought in different categories, believed different “rules.” But they experienced doubt, admitted confusion, as much as we do, sometimes more. To my mind, then, I think it worth our time to take them seriously, receive their gifts. Not acquiesce uncritically, but engage in conversation.
Yet many historic “defenders of the faith,” i.e. those people who loved charging others with heresy, forget that argument, newness and creativity were just as important to the development of Christianity as teaching “settled” doctrine. The Trinity, for instance, didn’t arise in Biblical times. It took three plus centuries of praying, fighting, bad ideas, good ideas that were rejected because it offended someone in power. Only then, and with a none-too-subtle nudge from a biased Emperor with a big army, did our current formulation of God’s Three-in-Oneness become “settled,” and still some held out. We wouldn’t have lit upon this beautifully mysterious notion without multiple people fervently seeking the truth of God independently. Some called those who didn’t win the argument “heretics.” I think they did us favors by constantly pushing new ideas. Well, many of them, at least…
The question for me, then, is one of salvation. Does God “save” only those who believe “the truth”? Or is God’s saving grace experienced in the free pursuit of God’s loving presence, wherever that leads? Surprise: I think the latter. No one knows the whole truth, so help us God. Modern or ancient, orthodox or heretic, we’d all do well to nurture humility. And maybe, while we’re at it, nurture respect for new ideas. Not all will be good. But some will. And we’ll be better for it.
Grace and Peace,
Shane Read more!
It’s not all horsey games, though. We spend many hours in worship or spiritual conversation. Such was happening this year, when, for whatever reason, heresy was mentioned. One camper asked, “What’s heresy?” I tried to explain; said that, in the Christian history, churches have described several important ideas or doctrines as, basically, “true.” God is the world’s Creator; Jesus is Lord. I’m sure you have favorites. When people dissented from these established teachings, I offered, the “Church” labeled them heretics. Thus, heresy is the act of teaching a teaching that the “Church’s” approved teachers believe is wrong.
To which, one of my precocious campers responded with a gem. “You mean,” He said, “Heresy is having new ideas?” I reacted with as loud and joyful a laugh as any I’d produce that week. I think he hit upon a critical dynamic of Christian faith with eloquent ease and perceptive wit. Of course, I have a healthy tolerance for what others call “unorthodox.” It’d be a rare day for me to call another’s belief system “heresy,” and so judge them for it.
Not that I distrust every long-settled ‘teaching’ of the ‘Church,’ or disrespect religious tradition. A major reason I spend much leisure time reading large history books my wife finds boring is I’m enamored by our past, cultural and religious. It’s exciting, I feel, full of wisdom. Plus, I think way too many people in contemporary society cling to a persistent and stunningly dangerous conceit: new = good, old = dumb (or naïve, or oppressive, or worthless…).
Take the doctrine of resurrection. Modern science strongly argues against thinking people believing this. Thus, many good and faithful Christians say, “Jesus was a great teacher, but couldn’t have ‘risen again.’” They’ll talk of resurrection as metaphor, or as something spiritually but not physically accomplished. “We don’t need to believe in magic to put the Golden Rule into practice.” That’s not bad theology. It’s an interesting new idea. Some of you, I’m sure, think it’s right. Still, I worry about modern people dismissing the faithful convictions of billions of people over thousands of years. Pre-modern believers weren’t stupid, after all. They thought in different categories, believed different “rules.” But they experienced doubt, admitted confusion, as much as we do, sometimes more. To my mind, then, I think it worth our time to take them seriously, receive their gifts. Not acquiesce uncritically, but engage in conversation.
Yet many historic “defenders of the faith,” i.e. those people who loved charging others with heresy, forget that argument, newness and creativity were just as important to the development of Christianity as teaching “settled” doctrine. The Trinity, for instance, didn’t arise in Biblical times. It took three plus centuries of praying, fighting, bad ideas, good ideas that were rejected because it offended someone in power. Only then, and with a none-too-subtle nudge from a biased Emperor with a big army, did our current formulation of God’s Three-in-Oneness become “settled,” and still some held out. We wouldn’t have lit upon this beautifully mysterious notion without multiple people fervently seeking the truth of God independently. Some called those who didn’t win the argument “heretics.” I think they did us favors by constantly pushing new ideas. Well, many of them, at least…
The question for me, then, is one of salvation. Does God “save” only those who believe “the truth”? Or is God’s saving grace experienced in the free pursuit of God’s loving presence, wherever that leads? Surprise: I think the latter. No one knows the whole truth, so help us God. Modern or ancient, orthodox or heretic, we’d all do well to nurture humility. And maybe, while we’re at it, nurture respect for new ideas. Not all will be good. But some will. And we’ll be better for it.
Grace and Peace,
Shane Read more!
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
Annual Report…
This week’s letter doubles as my annual Pastor’s Report to the Congregation, written for our June Congregational Meeting. Here goes.
First, some numbers. We passed our last budget, June 2012-May 2013, with an expected 4% deficit. John’s Treasurer’s Report will tell you, however, we ended the year with an 11% surplus. That’s due to lower costs, several unexpected receipts and increased giving. Here are two appropriate responses: Wahoo, and Thank you, Lord! This allows us to repay fully our Memorial Fund and enter next year in stronger financial position. You should also know that the Board will tithe from our surplus, because that’s what good Christians do.
During that time, we ran a Capital Campaign for much-needed deferred maintenance. You pledged roughly $84,000, payable over three years. Around 60% has come in already. Well done! Also, please keep paying your pledges… We signed contracts for repaving the parking lot and wait just for loan paperwork to finalize. Then, we’ll schedule the work and proceed to next steps. Slow going, but still going. Another number- 5%. That represents our increased worship attendance. It continues a trajectory we’ve witnessed over the past several years, revealing heath in hospitality and worship. Still, it would behoove us to work harder on reaching out to new people next year.
Behind those numbers, of course, is actual ministry performed. This Spring, we welcomed a wonderful college student as a pastoral intern. He helped open our community garden; it’s our third year in operation, second consecutive at full capacity. He brainstormed with me new additions to worship, and worked with Becky Bell on a more useful church directory. FYI, we also agreed to host another intern from United Seminary, starting in September.
Our Sunday morning Bus Ministry continued, ably adapting to fresh needs. It also helped seniors (whose bimonthly Lunch Bunch remains strong due to Nola’s capable leadership!) drive recently to the Jensen’s Wisconsin cabin for a lovely outing. It transported a group to the Hindu Temple of Maple Grove for an interfaith learning experience.
And speaking of learning and new ideas, last year included many. The Life of Pi Book Group was fun, as was the Lenten Study of a devotional I helped write. Kimberly created a Fitness Challenge for our March food drive, which further included turning donations into a sanctuary Food Sculpture. In April, we hosted a Unity Service with Churches of Christ and independent Christian Churches. The place was packed! You may also recall an Interfaith Thanksgiving Service we helped organize at St. Ed’s Episcopal. A couple after-church events of note- talking Prison Ministry after my March Immersion experience, and learning about Pam and Ben’s mission trip to the Philippines. Worship music remained strong as new things were tried (well done Jeremae and choir!). We had conversations about Islam with our Muslim neighbors and hosted three pastors from local churches during a year-long pulpit exchange. Christmas services welcomed more people than any previous year I’ve been here; Easter was lovely too. Thanks to Barb for stepping in after Jeremae’s injury and LeAnn for another year of quality handbells. A joint Youth Group with Plymouth Presbyterian was attempted, put on hold but remains a future possibility. We undertook several outreach campaigns (Sleep Out with a clergy fashion show, Week of Compassion, MN Foodshare, another joyful CROP Walk-thanks Weavers!), and pulled off a garage sale fundraiser at the gracious Brown’s under Donna Jarvi’s wonderful supervision. We welcomed into our pulpit denominational leader Robert Welsh of the Council on Christian Unity. A redesigned Sunday School became all ages with breakfast for youth, as adults chatted at Dunn Brothers Coffee. Another fellowship picnic occurred during July’s Music in Plymouth (thanks Steve!), and I could mention more.
The point is, several years ago we committed to a vision- To become a beacon of Christian openness and service to the Northwestern Service. Through creative efforts, committed stewardship, exciting outreach and love of God, we made progress toward that vision this year and laid foundation for further growth. Thank you, Plymouth Creek, for delighting in God’s presence and God’s work, and for continuing to welcome all to the table. Onto next year. Keep shining!
Grace and Peace,
Shane
Read more!
First, some numbers. We passed our last budget, June 2012-May 2013, with an expected 4% deficit. John’s Treasurer’s Report will tell you, however, we ended the year with an 11% surplus. That’s due to lower costs, several unexpected receipts and increased giving. Here are two appropriate responses: Wahoo, and Thank you, Lord! This allows us to repay fully our Memorial Fund and enter next year in stronger financial position. You should also know that the Board will tithe from our surplus, because that’s what good Christians do.
During that time, we ran a Capital Campaign for much-needed deferred maintenance. You pledged roughly $84,000, payable over three years. Around 60% has come in already. Well done! Also, please keep paying your pledges… We signed contracts for repaving the parking lot and wait just for loan paperwork to finalize. Then, we’ll schedule the work and proceed to next steps. Slow going, but still going. Another number- 5%. That represents our increased worship attendance. It continues a trajectory we’ve witnessed over the past several years, revealing heath in hospitality and worship. Still, it would behoove us to work harder on reaching out to new people next year.
Behind those numbers, of course, is actual ministry performed. This Spring, we welcomed a wonderful college student as a pastoral intern. He helped open our community garden; it’s our third year in operation, second consecutive at full capacity. He brainstormed with me new additions to worship, and worked with Becky Bell on a more useful church directory. FYI, we also agreed to host another intern from United Seminary, starting in September.
Our Sunday morning Bus Ministry continued, ably adapting to fresh needs. It also helped seniors (whose bimonthly Lunch Bunch remains strong due to Nola’s capable leadership!) drive recently to the Jensen’s Wisconsin cabin for a lovely outing. It transported a group to the Hindu Temple of Maple Grove for an interfaith learning experience.
And speaking of learning and new ideas, last year included many. The Life of Pi Book Group was fun, as was the Lenten Study of a devotional I helped write. Kimberly created a Fitness Challenge for our March food drive, which further included turning donations into a sanctuary Food Sculpture. In April, we hosted a Unity Service with Churches of Christ and independent Christian Churches. The place was packed! You may also recall an Interfaith Thanksgiving Service we helped organize at St. Ed’s Episcopal. A couple after-church events of note- talking Prison Ministry after my March Immersion experience, and learning about Pam and Ben’s mission trip to the Philippines. Worship music remained strong as new things were tried (well done Jeremae and choir!). We had conversations about Islam with our Muslim neighbors and hosted three pastors from local churches during a year-long pulpit exchange. Christmas services welcomed more people than any previous year I’ve been here; Easter was lovely too. Thanks to Barb for stepping in after Jeremae’s injury and LeAnn for another year of quality handbells. A joint Youth Group with Plymouth Presbyterian was attempted, put on hold but remains a future possibility. We undertook several outreach campaigns (Sleep Out with a clergy fashion show, Week of Compassion, MN Foodshare, another joyful CROP Walk-thanks Weavers!), and pulled off a garage sale fundraiser at the gracious Brown’s under Donna Jarvi’s wonderful supervision. We welcomed into our pulpit denominational leader Robert Welsh of the Council on Christian Unity. A redesigned Sunday School became all ages with breakfast for youth, as adults chatted at Dunn Brothers Coffee. Another fellowship picnic occurred during July’s Music in Plymouth (thanks Steve!), and I could mention more.
The point is, several years ago we committed to a vision- To become a beacon of Christian openness and service to the Northwestern Service. Through creative efforts, committed stewardship, exciting outreach and love of God, we made progress toward that vision this year and laid foundation for further growth. Thank you, Plymouth Creek, for delighting in God’s presence and God’s work, and for continuing to welcome all to the table. Onto next year. Keep shining!
Grace and Peace,
Shane
Read more!
Tuesday, June 11, 2013
Which story…
I found it striking, even troubling, that on the weekend I wrote to Ply about my upcoming sabbatical plans- General Assembly, a month in Bosnia-Herzegovina, ten days in and around Istanbul- the latter of those locales ignited international news. I’m sure by now you’ve seen or read about ongoing protests in Turkey’s largest metropolis. I’m scheduled to fly into that city in just over a month. The timing, I’m sure, is coincidence!
Still, it’s concerning, right? Haven’t we seen massive protest movements destabilize multiple Muslim majority countries in recent years? The differences, of course, should be stated. Syria, Libya, Tunisia, Egypt, each is ethnically Arab. Turkey? Not so much. Besides, and to me this is critical, those earlier movements challenged decades of autocratic rule. The Turkish government would win no model democracy medals, but it allows greater political freedoms than nearly every neighbor.
And yet…my trip’s suddenly awash in questions. If this continues, will we be safe? Is it prudent to still go? On the flip side, part of me wonders whether the timing’s truly fortuitous. Should something historical take place in that county, I’d possibly see the action first hand. I mean, I wouldn’t throw caution into the Black Sea, rush into the center of upheaval and take pictures! If Gezim Square- where the protests began- remains a flashpoint when I arrive, I’d give the park a wide birth. Take in whatever’s happening via TV. Such have been the myriad of thoughts crowding my brain space these past weeks.
Here’s my prediction- and realize I’m in no way an Istanbul expert. Heck, I’m barely even an amateur; insert massive grain of salt now! Still, from what little I know, I’m guessing that Turkey won’t devolve into another Syria. Civil war against a dictator is a far cry from protesting elected officials. The Turkish Prime Minister has garnered for over a decade unprecedented popular support. He hasn’t dealt with this “crisis” very deftly. But he’s not bombing his people or torturing dissidents.
So I’m hoping that within the month Istanbul won’t suddenly be closed to tourists. The US State Department might produce some “warnings,” but they do that for myriads of countries. When Tabitha lived in Honduras for several months, State claimed it had a reputation for murder and kidnapping. I’m sure that happened, and mourn for the victims, but many visited safely, Tabitha included. As with all things foreign travel, tourists should exercise caution. Guard your passport. Check your sources. Avoid conspicuous behavior and proven hotbeds. But unless the situation devolves dramatically, I’m not ready to throw in the towel. Perhaps that’s rationalizing, given the plane ticket costs. Still, this opportunity arises only so often.
I heard a novelist from Liberia on the radio today counsel people against “single narratives.” What she meant was that it’s often our nature to hear one thing about others, and believe just that. For instance, Western folk long had a “single narrative” about Africans. They were poor, tribal, backward, violent, and that, basically, was that. When she moved to America for college, her roommate was stunned she spoke good English. “It’s Liberia’s national language,” she said. The roommate had no answer. It’s not just Africans we do that to, of course. Immigrants, gays, southerners, shall I go on? And it’s not just Westerners. Many Pakistanis believe a conspiratorial “single narrative” about Americans.
Life, however, is always messier, more complex, richer than one story. It’s true in your life, in mine, for communities, ethnicities, nations. News reports of Turkish protests naturally latch onto the wild and violent. However, what’s also true is YouTube videos of dancing youth, making light of their serious demands, inflecting humor into the narrative. Satire has strong political force, but only if we’re open to listening. So that’s my aim these next weeks- seek as full a picture of what’s happening as possible. And if the multiple narratives, on balance, suggest more danger for me than safety, then I’ll find some other way to use my time, enjoy my rest, pursue my goals. I’m guessing, though, it’ll be alright. The story of peace remains powerful. Pray for me. Pray for Turkey. Pray for love.
Grace and Peace,
Shane Read more!
Still, it’s concerning, right? Haven’t we seen massive protest movements destabilize multiple Muslim majority countries in recent years? The differences, of course, should be stated. Syria, Libya, Tunisia, Egypt, each is ethnically Arab. Turkey? Not so much. Besides, and to me this is critical, those earlier movements challenged decades of autocratic rule. The Turkish government would win no model democracy medals, but it allows greater political freedoms than nearly every neighbor.
And yet…my trip’s suddenly awash in questions. If this continues, will we be safe? Is it prudent to still go? On the flip side, part of me wonders whether the timing’s truly fortuitous. Should something historical take place in that county, I’d possibly see the action first hand. I mean, I wouldn’t throw caution into the Black Sea, rush into the center of upheaval and take pictures! If Gezim Square- where the protests began- remains a flashpoint when I arrive, I’d give the park a wide birth. Take in whatever’s happening via TV. Such have been the myriad of thoughts crowding my brain space these past weeks.
Here’s my prediction- and realize I’m in no way an Istanbul expert. Heck, I’m barely even an amateur; insert massive grain of salt now! Still, from what little I know, I’m guessing that Turkey won’t devolve into another Syria. Civil war against a dictator is a far cry from protesting elected officials. The Turkish Prime Minister has garnered for over a decade unprecedented popular support. He hasn’t dealt with this “crisis” very deftly. But he’s not bombing his people or torturing dissidents.
So I’m hoping that within the month Istanbul won’t suddenly be closed to tourists. The US State Department might produce some “warnings,” but they do that for myriads of countries. When Tabitha lived in Honduras for several months, State claimed it had a reputation for murder and kidnapping. I’m sure that happened, and mourn for the victims, but many visited safely, Tabitha included. As with all things foreign travel, tourists should exercise caution. Guard your passport. Check your sources. Avoid conspicuous behavior and proven hotbeds. But unless the situation devolves dramatically, I’m not ready to throw in the towel. Perhaps that’s rationalizing, given the plane ticket costs. Still, this opportunity arises only so often.
I heard a novelist from Liberia on the radio today counsel people against “single narratives.” What she meant was that it’s often our nature to hear one thing about others, and believe just that. For instance, Western folk long had a “single narrative” about Africans. They were poor, tribal, backward, violent, and that, basically, was that. When she moved to America for college, her roommate was stunned she spoke good English. “It’s Liberia’s national language,” she said. The roommate had no answer. It’s not just Africans we do that to, of course. Immigrants, gays, southerners, shall I go on? And it’s not just Westerners. Many Pakistanis believe a conspiratorial “single narrative” about Americans.
Life, however, is always messier, more complex, richer than one story. It’s true in your life, in mine, for communities, ethnicities, nations. News reports of Turkish protests naturally latch onto the wild and violent. However, what’s also true is YouTube videos of dancing youth, making light of their serious demands, inflecting humor into the narrative. Satire has strong political force, but only if we’re open to listening. So that’s my aim these next weeks- seek as full a picture of what’s happening as possible. And if the multiple narratives, on balance, suggest more danger for me than safety, then I’ll find some other way to use my time, enjoy my rest, pursue my goals. I’m guessing, though, it’ll be alright. The story of peace remains powerful. Pray for me. Pray for Turkey. Pray for love.
Grace and Peace,
Shane Read more!
Wednesday, June 5, 2013
Priestly time…
Responding to the sudden discovery that Minnesota might finally experience Spring, gluttonous aromas wafted into my backyard last weekend. In other words, grilling season arrived! Backyard hamburgers were cooking, bratwursts roasting and bursting and spreading wondrous scents across the neighborhood. Hallelujah! Perhaps you got in on the action. My grill has, sadly, stayed dormant. Not for long, though. I fully intend to participate soon in this most ancient of civilized pursuits.
Recently, I finished a wonderful book, which I’m recommending heartily. It’s called “Cooked: A Natural History of Transformation” by foodie demigod Michael Pollan. Essentially, it describes his multiyear process of learning to cook. Which surprised me, since I assumed he already did this well, since he’s written several bestsellers about food. Apparently not. He’d only done basic stuff previously, but now wanted deeper knowledge, leading Pollan, among other pursuits, to learn the secrets of Barbeque.
And by Barbeque, I mean cooking much more involved than Hebrew Nationals on your Webber grill. Pollan studied under Southern masters who use that term exclusively for whole hogs. You read that right. Whole Hog Barbeque, slow-roasted overnight with fanatical attention. No charcoal employed. No sauce allowed. Real wood fires, vinegar, salt, time. I’ve roasted a whole hog once. It was good, but nowhere near the production he described. Still, in doing so, Pollan informs me, I paid homage to the earliest of religious practice.
Think back to Hebrew Bible times or Greek myths of pre-modern peoples pleasing the gods. Animal sacrifice, you’ll recall, was the go-to, trustworthy method. Some stories tell of whole herds of cattle butchered and burnt, entreating Yaweh to send rain. More typically, a family, village or tribe slaughtered and offered one or two beasts, believing that this sacrificing precious resources satisfied fickle deities.
Of course, a natural question to ask is, “What did they do with all that meat?” One obvious answer: people ate it. Sometimes, perhaps in earlier days, the flames would render all sacrifices into crispy char. But eventually, people proposed that “spiritual” gods don’t care about flesh. What mattered were those scrumptious smells billowing heavenward with delicious appeal. So the gods wouldn’t mind, this thinking goes, if we feasted on what remained. In fact, some temple or priestly authorities relied on this sacrifice economy to feed religious specialists, who’d utter and mumble, chant and excite on-looking common folk with elaborate rituals. All while attending spits of roasting hogs- or in Israel’s case, non-pork meats!- slowly transforming dead flesh into spectacular food for God and humanity.
Imagine that the next time you watch some guy hover over a grill with sacred intensity. He (and it’s usually men, right? Like religious professionals almost always were until recent decades, alas) is simply modernizing the ancient priestly vocation of intermediating between us and the divine realm, evoking ancestors who thought this open-flame performance art would enhance God’s pleasure and bless God’s people. The immediate proof of that desired blessing, of course, would be plates piled high with tasty glory. I’m unsure how often the “common” folk shared in this bounty during biblical times, but nowadays we frequently invite many to the outdoor table.
Which is as it should be. Good religious ritual ought inspire and create community. The bread and cup of Holy Communion, after all, are certainly not intended for solo consumption. At least in our church, they function to bring God’s people together. And we need that. For we live separate lives mostly, sometime argue, debate and quibble. Yet around the loaf of love and wine of resurrection, we’re reminded over and over that we’re always one. Bound together through grace, inspired with hope, nourished by sacramental transformation for faithful action. That’s the intention, goal and often the outcome of why we celebrate Christ’s sacrifice. Memorial Day cookouts, typically, don’t presume such lofty pretentions! But if undertaken with careful attention, quality foods and good company, they just may remind us that from eons past we’ve found holiness in feeding each other. Especially when we invite neighbors. By God, I’m suddenly hungry…
Grace and Peace,
Shane
Read more!
Recently, I finished a wonderful book, which I’m recommending heartily. It’s called “Cooked: A Natural History of Transformation” by foodie demigod Michael Pollan. Essentially, it describes his multiyear process of learning to cook. Which surprised me, since I assumed he already did this well, since he’s written several bestsellers about food. Apparently not. He’d only done basic stuff previously, but now wanted deeper knowledge, leading Pollan, among other pursuits, to learn the secrets of Barbeque.
And by Barbeque, I mean cooking much more involved than Hebrew Nationals on your Webber grill. Pollan studied under Southern masters who use that term exclusively for whole hogs. You read that right. Whole Hog Barbeque, slow-roasted overnight with fanatical attention. No charcoal employed. No sauce allowed. Real wood fires, vinegar, salt, time. I’ve roasted a whole hog once. It was good, but nowhere near the production he described. Still, in doing so, Pollan informs me, I paid homage to the earliest of religious practice.
Think back to Hebrew Bible times or Greek myths of pre-modern peoples pleasing the gods. Animal sacrifice, you’ll recall, was the go-to, trustworthy method. Some stories tell of whole herds of cattle butchered and burnt, entreating Yaweh to send rain. More typically, a family, village or tribe slaughtered and offered one or two beasts, believing that this sacrificing precious resources satisfied fickle deities.
Of course, a natural question to ask is, “What did they do with all that meat?” One obvious answer: people ate it. Sometimes, perhaps in earlier days, the flames would render all sacrifices into crispy char. But eventually, people proposed that “spiritual” gods don’t care about flesh. What mattered were those scrumptious smells billowing heavenward with delicious appeal. So the gods wouldn’t mind, this thinking goes, if we feasted on what remained. In fact, some temple or priestly authorities relied on this sacrifice economy to feed religious specialists, who’d utter and mumble, chant and excite on-looking common folk with elaborate rituals. All while attending spits of roasting hogs- or in Israel’s case, non-pork meats!- slowly transforming dead flesh into spectacular food for God and humanity.
Imagine that the next time you watch some guy hover over a grill with sacred intensity. He (and it’s usually men, right? Like religious professionals almost always were until recent decades, alas) is simply modernizing the ancient priestly vocation of intermediating between us and the divine realm, evoking ancestors who thought this open-flame performance art would enhance God’s pleasure and bless God’s people. The immediate proof of that desired blessing, of course, would be plates piled high with tasty glory. I’m unsure how often the “common” folk shared in this bounty during biblical times, but nowadays we frequently invite many to the outdoor table.
Which is as it should be. Good religious ritual ought inspire and create community. The bread and cup of Holy Communion, after all, are certainly not intended for solo consumption. At least in our church, they function to bring God’s people together. And we need that. For we live separate lives mostly, sometime argue, debate and quibble. Yet around the loaf of love and wine of resurrection, we’re reminded over and over that we’re always one. Bound together through grace, inspired with hope, nourished by sacramental transformation for faithful action. That’s the intention, goal and often the outcome of why we celebrate Christ’s sacrifice. Memorial Day cookouts, typically, don’t presume such lofty pretentions! But if undertaken with careful attention, quality foods and good company, they just may remind us that from eons past we’ve found holiness in feeding each other. Especially when we invite neighbors. By God, I’m suddenly hungry…
Grace and Peace,
Shane
Read more!
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
Sabbath…
In March, I presented a sabbatical plan to the church Board. My call agreement (or, in non-church speak, “contract”) allows for a two-month sabbatical every five years. To all our shock, I’ve actually been here that long, or will have been this August 3. But I thought it best to go before fall. They agreed, and approved the plan.
Since then, some of you have asked about it, so here’s the scoop. First, the primary goals of sabbaticals in general are rest, reconnection and time away. Every week, in fact, God hopes we’ll do some of that in our own lives- take a Sabbath. Because we’re created for more than work. Our spirits need rest. And in the larger rhythm of my job as pastor, I’m afforded an occasional, longer-lasting Sabbath/sabbatical period. I wish, in fact, every working person could do this; get away and recharge. I think society would see increased productivity, happiness, job satisfaction. Modern America has a dysfunctional relationship with work, after all. Rest isn’t weakness; it’s power.
Anyway, pastoral sabbaticals usually include more than rest, particularly for younger ministers like me. It’s hoped we’d use this opportunity for some unique project. In the weekly rush from sermon to sermon, I don’t always have time to discover and fully develop new ideas. On Sabbatical, though, I won’t check emails, answer calls or visit hospitals. Instead, I’ll pull forward thoughts I’ve put on the back burner, but still consider valuable for our church and its ministry.
So what are those thoughts, that project, and how will I pursue it? Well, to be specific, I’ll be gone for eight weeks- July 14 through September 7. For the first week, I’ll be in Orlando with Tabitha attending our denomination’s bi-annual General Assembly. A colleague, Rebecca Garner, will preach for you that day, along with once more in August. Hayden Kvamme, our Spring Intern, will preach twice over that time, Tabitha three times. I’m still looking for one more- August 11- send me any suggestions. So we’ll be covered while I’m gone. It’ll be an exciting break for you too!
Once I return from Florida, I leave again, almost immediately, by myself this time. I’ll fly to Istanbul, Turkey then onto Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina, where I’ll live for four weeks. I hope to explore the city, wander the countryside, visit religious sites and meet new people. I’ll run, and write, and learn as best I can to cook Bosnian food. You see, for many centuries, the lands that now make up this country have been home to multiple religious traditions. Currently, the country’s majority Muslim, but there are strong influences of Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Christianity. In fact, I can’t think of another part of the world who’s dealt with such an interfaith society as long as Bosnia and the surrounding Balkans. Some of that history is bloody, some is wonderful, but it’s deep and old and vast.
And as a pastor who believes the American church needs to change- dramatically- in order to meet the increasingly interfaith reality of our future, I think it’s wise for us to learn from places like Bosnia. We need to know what to avoid, what to encourage, how to work and eat together. Only four weeks of touring and absorbing won’t make me an expert, but it will help me encounter these questions more deeply. Once that’s over, I’ll fly back to Istanbul (another great city with deep interfaith roots) where Tabitha will meet me for nine days of exploring and reuniting. We’ll fly home. I’ll hug Fawkes, work on a couple things, then welcome my parents for a visit. And I’ll be back with you September 8, recharged and rearing to go!
I’ve left several things out in this retelling, so feel free to ask more questions. Still, that’s sufficient as an overview, I think, to help you imagine where I’ll be and why. Remember, this time apart is as much for the church- you!- as it is for me. So, together, may we pause and breathe, wherever in the world we’ll be, reconnecting with our deepest hopes, accepting God’s loving leadership in new ways.
Grace and Peace,
Shane Read more!
Since then, some of you have asked about it, so here’s the scoop. First, the primary goals of sabbaticals in general are rest, reconnection and time away. Every week, in fact, God hopes we’ll do some of that in our own lives- take a Sabbath. Because we’re created for more than work. Our spirits need rest. And in the larger rhythm of my job as pastor, I’m afforded an occasional, longer-lasting Sabbath/sabbatical period. I wish, in fact, every working person could do this; get away and recharge. I think society would see increased productivity, happiness, job satisfaction. Modern America has a dysfunctional relationship with work, after all. Rest isn’t weakness; it’s power.
Anyway, pastoral sabbaticals usually include more than rest, particularly for younger ministers like me. It’s hoped we’d use this opportunity for some unique project. In the weekly rush from sermon to sermon, I don’t always have time to discover and fully develop new ideas. On Sabbatical, though, I won’t check emails, answer calls or visit hospitals. Instead, I’ll pull forward thoughts I’ve put on the back burner, but still consider valuable for our church and its ministry.
So what are those thoughts, that project, and how will I pursue it? Well, to be specific, I’ll be gone for eight weeks- July 14 through September 7. For the first week, I’ll be in Orlando with Tabitha attending our denomination’s bi-annual General Assembly. A colleague, Rebecca Garner, will preach for you that day, along with once more in August. Hayden Kvamme, our Spring Intern, will preach twice over that time, Tabitha three times. I’m still looking for one more- August 11- send me any suggestions. So we’ll be covered while I’m gone. It’ll be an exciting break for you too!
Once I return from Florida, I leave again, almost immediately, by myself this time. I’ll fly to Istanbul, Turkey then onto Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina, where I’ll live for four weeks. I hope to explore the city, wander the countryside, visit religious sites and meet new people. I’ll run, and write, and learn as best I can to cook Bosnian food. You see, for many centuries, the lands that now make up this country have been home to multiple religious traditions. Currently, the country’s majority Muslim, but there are strong influences of Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Christianity. In fact, I can’t think of another part of the world who’s dealt with such an interfaith society as long as Bosnia and the surrounding Balkans. Some of that history is bloody, some is wonderful, but it’s deep and old and vast.
And as a pastor who believes the American church needs to change- dramatically- in order to meet the increasingly interfaith reality of our future, I think it’s wise for us to learn from places like Bosnia. We need to know what to avoid, what to encourage, how to work and eat together. Only four weeks of touring and absorbing won’t make me an expert, but it will help me encounter these questions more deeply. Once that’s over, I’ll fly back to Istanbul (another great city with deep interfaith roots) where Tabitha will meet me for nine days of exploring and reuniting. We’ll fly home. I’ll hug Fawkes, work on a couple things, then welcome my parents for a visit. And I’ll be back with you September 8, recharged and rearing to go!
I’ve left several things out in this retelling, so feel free to ask more questions. Still, that’s sufficient as an overview, I think, to help you imagine where I’ll be and why. Remember, this time apart is as much for the church- you!- as it is for me. So, together, may we pause and breathe, wherever in the world we’ll be, reconnecting with our deepest hopes, accepting God’s loving leadership in new ways.
Grace and Peace,
Shane Read more!
Thursday, May 23, 2013
What Have I learned about PCCC?
Hospitable, agile, curious, and fun.
Plymouth Creekers,
These are some of the more quirky ways I would describe Plymouth Creek Christian Church and its members, and characteristics I have come to appreciate as important for a church to have during my time here. Of course, they are not traits that apply to everyone all of the time, but they are nevertheless present and, in my opinion, worth continuing to aspire to.
I find them especially significant because of the little bit that I have discovered along the way about this church’s past. Based on the conversations I have had with a few of you, it would be easy for you all to focus on the time between the initial break some of you made with First Christian Church in Minneapolis and the construction of the building you all now call home. I could understand this focus on the past. A number of charter members of PCCC are still in attendance. And yet it seems that this focus on the past at this time, for most, would lead either to sadness and weariness or to too quick a sense of accomplishment and completion. So I admire that you all have chosen instead to “let your gaze be straight before you,” as Proverbs would advise. For otherwise it would be easy to be stiff in your ways, hostile to more change, and therefore skeptical of new things and people as well as altogether too serious. But instead through Shane’s and others’ leadership, a mutual faithfulness towards one another, and a willingness to be honest and vulnerable before God and each other, I have seen what appears to me to be the fruit of your ongoing decision to be agile rather than stiff, curious rather than hostile, hospitable rather than skeptical, and fun rather than altogether too serious.
I have seen this, for instance, on Holy Hilarity Sunday. We laughed and celebrated with joy even through hard times of uncertainty in, for instance, Pat Farr’s condition (praise God for her return home). I have seen this having coffee with a number of you. You asked me questions about my life and chose to invest in my short time here. I have seen this from the pulpit as I began my sermon. I received not harsh, blank stares but smiling, interested faces. And I have seen this at Servant Leader and Board meetings, where people have been honest and unafraid about trying new things and caring deeply for one another.
None of this is to say that there are not still wounds from the past and present waiting to be healed, voids of hurt or even resentment that haven’t experienced full reconciliation, and questions about where you all are going and how you are going to get there. But I think it is to say that there is reason to celebrate. There is reason to celebrate the community that exists here and the values that community (you all) are going after together. Bravo. I, for one, am excited to be a part of it. Thanks for letting me. May God continue to guide you this week and for a long time after.
Your grateful intern,
Hayden Read more!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)