koinonia

Show Choir Devotional

2009-11-07T22:07:00.004-06:00

Show Choir season is upon us, which means I will likely bid farewell to a group of kids that had been regularly participating in weekend church events. The next few months are filled with extra rehearsals, choreographing sessions, concerts, and competitions for the students who are involved in these groups. The Des Moines area schools are largely successful Show Choir factories that place high expectations on student participation. I'm grateful that these kids have an opportunity to use their gifts in this way, even as I lament their temporary absence from church events.

As I was ranting against the "evils" of Show Choir a while back, my friend Angie had an idea of creating a devotional booklet that our young showstoppers could take on their weekend road trips. We put together a group of 10 one-page devotions that we thought would speak to people in the performing arts. Our friend Megan designed a funky cover as well. I've posted Word and PDF versions of "LISTEN", the Show Choir Devotional.

Please share and distribute this free resource to people who might find it useful.

Honor Flight

2009-11-06T08:50:00.003-06:00

On Tuesday, my grandfather took a flight with about 350 World War II veterans to the WWII Memorial in Washington D.C. They arrived at the airport around 2:00 a.m. and returned home later that night around 11:00 p.m. I drove my grandparents to the check-in site and had a chance to listen to a few stories.

I was most fascinated to hear them speak about "the war to end all wars". For them - and for many in their generation - there seemed to be an altruistic mentality surrounding WWII. This was a war that needed to be fought because it would ultimately result in peace for their children, grandchildren, and so on. Call it naive...call it wishful thinking...call it 1940s USA propaganda -- I think they really believed that their efforts in this war would bring about the end to all future wars.

I'm not a fan of war. I oppose the two wars I've been alive to see. I think Jesus is clear that violence and aggression are not the way to resolve conflict. I also believe that the Honor Flights have been a beautiful gift to the men and women who are seeking closure and respect. I can't imagine what it would be like to fight in a war. I pray I never have to.

Internet Matters

2009-11-03T21:46:00.007-06:00

People on Twitter and Facebook have seen me complain lately about the glacial speed of my church's Internet connection. I realize that such gripes make me sound petty and spoiled. Obviously, there are lots of other injustices in the world greater than my inability to download videos or music at my workplace. My point is not that functional Internet is the most important issue in the world...instead, I wish to proclaim that churches should no longer consider Internet to be a luxury.

This gap in understanding can best be summed up in something I read at Harris Interactive the other day. A recent poll indicated that the average U.S. teen spends 10 hours a week on the Internet. (This wasn't terribly surprising.) However, U.S. parents thought teens spent about 4 hours a week on the Internet. There is a 24-hour-a-month discrepancy between how much teens are on-line and how much their parents think they are on-line.

If adults don't have a realistic understanding of how much their children use the Internet, it shouldn't surprise me that adults at church (most of whom don't have teens in their house) don't perceive a need for a church to be technologically adept. It's also not entirely their fault -- many of us in youth ministry haven't demonstrated exactly WHY it's so important for us to have quality Internet access at church. It's much easier for us to use wi-fi at a coffee shop or our home than to plead our case at council meetings for the necessity of Internet.

(Of course, this establishes all kinds of bad work boundaries and passes on a financial burden on the church worker, either in the form of $2-3 cups of coffee or $30+ in monthly Internet charges.)

So why is it so important for a church to have sufficiently fast and strong Internet? Here are a few reasons:

1. Inexpensive resources. When I started working at a church in 2001, the best $200 you could spend was on curriculum and leader guides from Group, Youth Specialties, Youth & Family Institute, etc. Fast-forward 8+ years, and you can make a case that youth workers shouldn't need to spend a dime on materials. A person just needs the technology resources and know-how to unearth the wealth of useful information at their fingertips.

2. Communication. Most teens spend 1-2 hours on-line every day. A majority of parents and adult leaders work in an office where they are constantly connected via email and other networking sites. Name another "place" where a critical mass of parishioners are hanging out on a regular basis. Why not make it as easy as possible for people to engage church members where they are?

3. Efficiency. It's a waste of the church's time and money resources to have staff people waiting for web pages, attachments, messages, video and music files to load.

4. Outreach. A friend of mine recently told me that a church web site is "the first set of doors a visitor walks through." If a church has empowered staff people with leadership in the congregation, why not give them the tools to be as welcoming as possible? The presence of functional Internet allows churches to be more nimble, better communicators, and...

...I could go on, but the coffee shop with wi-fi is closing...

Reggie's Sleepout

2009-10-26T11:45:00.001-05:00

Saturday night I participated in the 4th annual Reggie's Sleepout...but it was the third time I had done something like it. When I first moved to Des Moines in 2003, the first youth minister to befriend me was Brent. One day, while sharing a cup of coffee, he shared an idea for a joint ministry event called a "Lock Out". This was a counter to the classic youth lock-in, where kids stay up all night playing ridiculous games and drinking too much Mountain Dew. It sounded like a cool idea, so I hopped on board.

On a chilly October night, our group hung out at the homeless youth outreach center, did a simulation of what it's like to buy food on a limited budget, and had a midnight prayer service underneath an interstate overpass where many homeless people sleep in the winter. We slept under the stars or in cardboard boxes in the yard at Brent's church and enjoyed some gloopy pancakes cooked over a propane stove.

Reggie's Sleepout was quite a different experience, but an equally powerful one. Our group experienced the struggles of unpredictable weather, long lines for food, and having to work together in cramped environment with limited resources. We had a good post-Sleepout conversation at the Drake Diner, where I posed the question: "What do we do with the 3,000+ homeless youth in Polk County?" We found no easy answers, but lots of faithful discussion. The awareness raised by our participation in the Sleepout lit a fire within some of our young people.

Here is some more information about this unique event:

Reggie's Sleepout recap
An opinion piece featuring local homeless youth, Kaitlin Nelson
An extended article on Howard Croweagle who works for Youth Shelter Services
The Reggie's Sleepout Twitter feed
Official website

UPDATE:

Pretty Good Lutherans did a great piece on Reggie's Sleepout

Here are a few pictures I took of the "construction" process.

The Birth of Holistic Youth Ministry

2009-10-21T11:22:00.003-05:00

This post is a response to yesterday's article, The Death of Luther League.

The challenge with all ministry is to find the sweet spot of being counter-cultural while embracing the cultural realities that people face outside of church. Abandoning the old Luther League model of ministry is only helpful if a different model emerges. My belief is that youth ministry requires a more holistic approach to youth, church, and spirituality. Here are some ways to give life to this new approach:

1. Encourage kids to use their gifts at church. Make sure young people fill out a time-and-talent list or spiritual gifts inventory. Encourage their involvement in the entire church's ministry, as their gifts and interests dictate. Avoid the temptation to exclusively plug kids in to youth activities. Integrating youth in the life of the congregation will help everyone to move from "us vs. them" to "we".

2. Forge connections. Joining a new small group, class, or ministry group can be intimidating for anyone, regardless of age. Help young people connect with someone in their new group that will look out for them. You might need to contact this prospective mentor in advance and ask them to help assimilate the young person.

3. Encourage kids to use their gifts outside of church. Christians are a sent people. Churches should help young people find ways to live faithfully in the midst of their seemingly mundane routine. Educate yourself about civic, academic, or social justice groups that provide a natural avenue for them to live out their faith. Check in with young people throughout the week to inform them of these opportunities.

4. Offer several age-specific entry points at church. Just because Luther League died doesn't mean there is no longer value in bringing teens together. Consider balancing occasional large group activities with a variety of small group opportunities. For example, the church where I work offers a Wednesday evening Bible study, Sunday morning breakfast club, and Sunday evening service / fellowship events. None of these are times that even half of the total active youth are present. While there are times that I lament that "only" a handful of people are present in any one time, I know that more people are connected with a peer group because there are multiple options each week.

These are just a few ideas of how to move from a Luther League model to a more holistic model of youth ministry. None of these are truly new (there are no new ideas) - but perhaps we have reached a point where we need to bid farewell to an old definition of success and embrace a different approach to guiding young people along their journey of faith.

The Death of Luther League

2009-10-20T17:10:00.003-05:00

For over 90 years, youth ministry in Lutheran congregations was united under one name -- Luther League. The primary function of Luther Leagues was to gather at church each week. These gatherings incorporated fun activities, service projects, and planning for future events. In most churches, this was the important time and place for youth to gather; often trumping attendance in worship. (For a more thorough account of the history of Luther Leagues, check out this video.)

There are three major why I believe this model of ministry is dead:

1. Full inclusion is key. If teenage youth are to be considered full members of a church, they should have full participation in all of the church's ministry. If the most important aspect of a young person's church involvement is a weekly peer group, they are merely a prosthetic appendage to the body of Christ. By shifting the focus away from weekly youth group, young people are freed and encouraged to use their gifts in more edifying ways. Their church experience looks less like an extension of high school classroom and more like a genuinely diverse religious community.

2. Kids are busy. I'm willing to believe that there was a time that Sunday night was considered sacred by schools, clubs, families, and churches. It's time that we accept the present reality that this is no longer true. What message are we sending young people if they can't participate in the life of a congregation because they have another commitment on Sunday nights? The Luther League model dictates that the weekly youth group is the one-stop-shop for all your Christian needs. Why eliminate the one way they can connect with a faith community because of a schedule conflict?

3. It's not about numbers. Because kids are busy, it's unrealistic to gauge the number of "active youth" by finding out who attends youth group. However, the expectation remains for most youth ministry leaders to provide a regular event that all youth will attend. This leads to the dreaded question - "how many kids do you have at youth group?" Why do we do this to ourselves? Is a young person's presence at youth group more valid than singing in the choir, reading the lessons, serving on a committee, or teaching Sunday School? Furthermore, isn't worship attendance a better barometer of an active, faithful Christian than youth group attendance? When determining the number of adults in a congregation, we ask for worship attendance numbers...but when determining the number of youth in a congregation, we ask for youth group attendance numbers. Is this an accurate reflection of our priorities?

I have some ideas of how to shift from Luther League to a new kind of youth ministry...I'll share them tomorrow.

Why I'm Luthermergent

2009-10-06T12:30:00.003-05:00

It was my first wedding anniversary and I was stuck in the worst place imaginable -- a seminary classroom. I was wrapping up my final week of Youth Ministry Certification School at Wartburg Seminary, listening to Dr. Nathan Frambach talk about “post-modernism”. I didn’t care about the topic and I didn’t want to be there. For some reason, however, my frustration turned to curiosity. “If this post-modernism thing is real,” I thought, “it should be a no-brainer for Lutherans.”

* * * * *

In the past few years, the emerging church has become the unofficial branch of post-modern Christians. The lack of organizational structure or defining documents makes the emerging church movement undoubtedly post-modern, and also extremely difficult to talk about. My quest to find a singular definition of emerging church has yielded zero results. The best explanation I’ve seen is in the Eddie Gibbs and Ryan Bolger manifesto Emerging Churches: Creating Christian Community in Postmodern Cultures (Baker Academic, 2005):

Emerging churches are communities that practice the way of Jesus within postmodern cultures. This definition encompasses nine practices. Emerging churches (1) identify with the life of Jesus, (2) transform the secular realm, and (3) live highly communal lives. Because of these three activities, they (4) welcome the stranger, (5) serve with generosity, (6) participate as producers, (7) create as created beings, (8) lead as a body, and (9) take part in spiritual activities.

To which I reply – “Sounds like a bunch of Lutherans!” As a group of Christians who are willing to acknowledge the complexity of faith, we are wired to thrive in a post-modern world. Lutherans live in the tension between sinner and saint; between the shared absolutes of Word-alone, grace-alone, and Christ-alone. We rely on the redemptive power of God’s grace and use it as fuel for a life of selfless giving in response to this gift. Our reliance on ancient, sacred practices helps us embrace the importance of mystery and history, while simultaneously being compelled by the power of the Gospel to act in the here-and-now.

* * * * *

If my eight years as a youth minister and six years as a father have taught me anything, it’s that religion must be focused on commonalities. No two Christians agree on everything; but every Christian agrees on most things. We have been on a 500-year detour since the Reformation that has brought far more division than union to the church. We see disagreements as the end of a conversation and not the beginning of a new layer of discourse. There are thousands of denominations worldwide, each offering their own niche of Christianity, but none of them fully whole because they are defined by distinctions with “those other” Christians.

This is why I think that our future as a denomination depends on our ability to engage the emerging church conversation. Consider the emerging church conversation to be the next wave of the ecumenical movement. Over the course of the last decade, the ELCA has entered into full-communion agreements with six other denominations. These agreements have given post-modern Lutherans a strong foundation with which to build other partnerships. Emerging groups from every major protestant tribe -- Baptists, Anglicans, Roman Catholics, Presbyterians -- have found ways to be the body of Christ that honor the uniqueness of each other’s traditions while celebrating a shared passion for the Great Commission. These faith communities are not creating watered-down versions of their proud churches. They are, instead, teaching each other the beauty of religious diversity that is both gospel-centric and mission-focused. They are doing God’s work together, as a response to the gift of God’s grace.

Sounds like a bunch of Lutherans.

Feautor

2009-09-22T21:32:00.002-05:00

The ELCA portion of feautor.org is easily the coolest thing I've seen in a while. Andy Arnold (the ELCA Youth Ministry Network "Tech Geek") pointed me to this amazingly simple and powerful resource.

There are currently over 900 contributions in the ELCA section of this site. This could be a great resource for those who write their own curriculum and wish to share it and those who need a push in their own planning. I know that we, as a church, have lots of great programming ideas and there are many ways where others can help fill in our own growth areas.

The ceiling for this kind of open-source file sharing site is virtually unlimited. Imagine how we could change how we "do church" differently if we could tap into each other's creative gifts...for free!

In the spirit of koinonia, I encourage everyone to think of at least one concept, program, file, or resource that you could share with other church leaders at feautor.org...and take some time to see what shared items you might benefit from.

Images of Greatness

2009-09-15T13:54:00.004-05:00

When I was in 7th grade, one of my class projects was "Images of Greatness". The purpose was to do extended research on a person we considered to be great. Then, near the end of the year, we would dress up like our person and offer clues to the audience who had gathered (mostly parents). We would end our speech with a standard question: "Who Am I?" The audience would call out the famous person's name after the question was asked. Almost every person was easily identifiable, if not by their costume than by the descriptive clues offered by the 12-year olds. (It's not difficult to find distinguishing costumes for Abraham Lincoln, Michael Jordan, Ben Franklin, or Betsy Ross.)

However, there was one obscure "famous" person that stumped the entire crowd. My friend Matt chose his great uncle as his image of greatness. Matt spoke of how his great uncle had won the Nobel Peace Prize and was credited with saving over 1 billion people from certain death due to starvation and famine. He gave clues about how this man grew up the small town of Cresco, IA and eventually became a world-renown leader in agronomy and would be called the "Grandfather of the Green Revolution." He had recently started the World Food Prize to recognize other people who were finding ways to improve food security in developing nations. The list went on and on. The biographical clues were thorough. Matt's attire - denim and flannel with a straw hat on his head and a stalk of wheat in his mouth - was spot-on.

And yet when he asked "Who Am I?"...the crowd was silent.

The audience members looked around with confused looks on their faces. Certainly someone in the crowd had heard of this man's heroic feats. Finally, Matt's parents both exclaimed, "NORMAN BORLAUG" as the audience nodded with equal parts embarrassment and awe.

I received similar responses yesterday when I told some of my friends that Dr. Borlaug had passed away on Sunday night at the age of 95. In one sense, it's a shame that more people don't know about this life-saving miracle worker who worked tirelessly to end world hunger. On the other hand, it's rare to find genuine humility in a truly great man.

Dr. Borlaug's life (along with the lectionary text from Mark 9:30-37) is the subject of a Faith Lens study that I wrote for the ELCA. You can read it here. The New York Times ran his obituary on Monday. Borlaug will be honored with a memorial service at Texas A&M University on October 6. Let's give God thanks for the life and ministry of this true image of greatness.

Time and Place

2009-09-11T09:59:00.004-05:00

I didn't know what to do. I was in my first job, just a few months removed from the cocoon of a private college. Some maniacs had just flown planes into the WTC towers. I was the youth minister on a two-person church staff. The pastor was in the hospital recovering from surgery.

So I decided to hold a prayer service that night, as so many other churches were doing. The purpose was to sing hymns of lament and trust, offer silent and spoken prayers, and be in the presence of God and one another. This was way out of my league...but it seemed like the right thing to do at the time.

The sanctuary was packed. Allison (my wife) played piano. I read some prayers. A few people sang. Everyone cried. After about 45 minutes, I offered a benediction and encouraged people to linger in the narthex if they want to talk, shared, and reflect. As I was about to have everyone "go in peace", Mike stood up and started talking...

* * *

Mike was a son of the congregation who had recently discerned a call to ordained ministry. He lived with his wife and two daughters across the street from the church. Mike had enrolled in a local community college to get the necessary undergraduate credits before heading to seminary. Though some in the church had their reservations about Mike's prospects as a pastor, everyone was supportive of him.

* * *

Mike was speaking to those assembled at the prayer service about his own anger, confusion, and doubt surrounding the events that took place earlier in the day. He went on for more than 10 minutes. A few people started leaving. Others were becoming noticeably agitated by his impromptu sermon. I interjected by thanking Mike for his reflections and encouraged him to continue the conversation in the narthex. But he kept talking. And talking. 15 minutes...18...20...25...30. More people left. Most stayed. I sensed it was out of courtesy.

Finally, an old man stood up. His white hair and large glasses covered most of his face, looking like Santa's disheveled brother. He stood hunched over, but spoke with a resonance.

"I believe it's time for us to go home, Mike."

These words seemed to offend our prodigal pastor-in-waiting. Mike rebuked the old man, who didn't back down either. They gently barked back and forth at each other a couple of times. The mood was tense. At this point, most people were grabbing their personal items and heading for the door. I interjected a word of thanks and then left the sanctuary. It was an unfortunate end to the prayer service, but, in many ways, it captured the raw emotion that everyone was feeling at the time. Nobody really knew what to do. Everyone was scared...confused...angry. I, for one, was grateful for the old man who helped Mike to see that there was a better time and place for such a rant.

A few weeks later, Mike drove out to a local park and shot himself in the head. The end of his cryptic 9/11-themed suicide note simply said, "The Devil wins again".

My heart immediately ached for Mike's wife and children...but it didn't take long before I thought of the old man who had the courage to say to Mike what everyone else was thinking. I worried that he might blame himself for contributing to Mike's emotional unraveling. Worse yet, I feared that this small town would look for someone to blame for Mike's suicide, and would make this old man - who kept to himself and lived out in the country - the scape goat.

I came to find out that the old man was an ELCA pastor who did interim work in another synod. He had wrestled with the way he handled Mike ever since the prayer service, and had become even harder on himself after Mike died. He found refuge in the local auto body shop; a one-man operation run by a born-again Lutheran. They shared many conversations and cans of Pepsi in the weeks ahead. Eventually, I'm told, the old pastor was able to forgive himself for doing nothing other than speaking the truth in love.

I had forgotten about the old pastor until this past summer when he was recognized at synod assembly for celebrating an ordination anniversary. I was happy to know that he had stayed in ministry and even came to the assembly. He received our applause with solemn appreciation. I wonder if he was thinking of Mike.

I was...and I am today, too.

Ramblings

2009-09-08T09:38:00.005-05:00

Today is one of those days that I have a ton of strange thoughts in my head...for example:

The separation between church and state is juxtaposed when the voting for public officials takes place in churches...like today at the church where I work
Nothing encapsulates the current Lutheran drama more than the existence of two distinct Lutheran Study Bibles.
The people in the Midwest towns of Milan, Tripoli, Guttenberg, New Prague, Madrid, and Orion must have difficulty learning phonetics
If your computer crashes in the midst of typing something, is that God trying to tell you not to write it?
Can we please limit the number of special edition / director's cut / extended footage versions of movies on DVD? I don't want to buy a movie and then find out 2 years later that it's not the complete version.
My 1st grader is already asking for an iPod
I'm starting to think that it's harder to understand the formula for credit scores than the BCS college football rankings
I could easily do 85% of my job away from my office
Adults are usually worse at handling inter-personal conflict than kids
4 children died of hunger in the time it took you to read this...and over 100 died in the time it took me to write this random crap
When someone says, "you look just like _____" I always feel bad for the other person

What's on your mind today?

WE ARE sparkhouse

2009-09-03T10:48:00.003-05:00

As someone who is unapologetically Lutheran, and as one who is excited about renewal movements within the church, I'm really stoked about sparkhouse.

Click here to see what they're all about. I'm taking my two young boys to visit sparkhouse on Friday. I'll let you know what we find out.

Team Thomas - 2 Months Later

2009-08-26T00:11:00.003-05:00

ESPN reporter Steve Cyphers did a masterful job of telling the story of Parkersburg, IA and Coach Ed Thomas. I think you'll find it's worth the thirteen-minute investment to watch this video.

Elizabeth Merrill also logged an excellent article about the A-P football team, which includes links to additional Coach Thomas video footage.

Aplington-Parkersburg opens their season against Dike-New Hartford on Friday night. The game will be televised on ESPN at 6:00 p.m. CST.

No Longer Red or Green

2009-08-23T23:13:00.003-05:00

Rev. Nadia Bolz-Weber (blogger, pastor, author, friend) offered a sermon today that incorporated both the appointed gospel lesson for today and what happened at the ELCA Churchwide Assembly this week. Reading things like this make me happy for the church...for the Luthermergent conversation...and for my sister, who is a member at Nadia's church.

Read the entire sermon here

...and then a young pastor got up to speak at the green microphone and the first thing he said, in a quivering voice was “anyone else frightened to speak? I’m shaking. Please pray for me” and the man standing right next to him in at the red microphone reached over and laid his hand on him and prayed while his brother of the opposing view point spoke. Then I knew that Jesus was really in between the red and green microphones. Not in some sort of neutral “Jesus as Switzerland” sort of way, but in the you must lose your life to gain it sort of way. Jesus is between the red and the green microphones…between the red and the blue states offering us life and salvation in the Words of eternal life and in the Sacrament of his own body and blood. Jesus right there between the liberals and conservatives speaking the word that the first shall be last and the last shall be first

Cigar Night

2009-08-21T22:08:00.004-05:00

I'm not a smoker. In fact, I don't think I've smoked a cigar in over a year. On the rare occasion that I head to the humidor, it's usually because I have some heavy thinking to do. It's not a "victory cigar" (a la Red Auerbach)...it's more like the reflective exchange between Bilbo and Gandalf in Fellowship of the Ring. My cigar nights are always spent in the company of a close friend or loved one. It is a time to ponder the hypothetical...share deep personal feelings...or dream up solutions to all the world's problems.

Tonight is the first cigar night that I've been alone...

...well, with God, that is.

I've spent most of the week following the 2009 ELCA Churchwide Assembly on-line. As I've listened to the sexuality discussions in the plenary sessions, I rarely paid attention to the personal stories of those at the microphones. For whatever reason, I wanted to wrap my head around the various points of view on the issues at hand and not invest in the attempts of people to tug at my heart strings. I desired to sift through agendas, motions, and amendments so I could come to a clear understanding of what was being debated and how it would impact the church.

So it is odd that, as God and I share a cigar on this night, we're spending a lot of time talking about people...stories...friends.

We're thinking of the gay, life-long Lutheran who couldn't come to terms his own homosexuality until his church did.

We're thinking of the Bible scholar who desperately wanted to vote "yes" on the social statement on sexuality and the resolutions on ministry policies, but couldn't do it because of those darn verses in Scripture that condemn homosexuality.

We're thinking of the old couple who will never again call themselves a Lutheran because they feel their church turned its back on God's Word.

We're thinking of the woman who recently fell in love with another woman and will finally begin the process of becoming a pastor because she can do so without fear of being defrocked.

We're thinking of the faithful, devout, compassionate mother who feels like a bigot for not wanting to be in a church where openly gay people in committed relationships can serve as her pastor.

We're thinking of person who will start going to church again because the church has said that he's fully welcome.

We're thinking of the pastor who can't wait to bless the union of gay couples in his congregation.

* * *

It's been a good conversation. We haven't solved any problems per se, but it has been important to consider the personal implications of this corporate decision. Some interesting days lie ahead.

The cigar has disappeared into the night sky. Our conversation is done, for now. The conversations with the aforementioned friends will begin anew in the days ahead. I only hope that I will be able to speak to everyone with the kind of grace, patience, and respect that Lutherans have been able to show one another in these last few days.

"We meet one another finally, not in our agreements or our disagreements, but at the foot of the cross, where God is faithful, where Christ is present with us, and where, by the power of the Holy Spirit, we are one in Christ." ~ Bishop Mark Hanson

Sex or Scripture?

2009-08-19T19:47:00.003-05:00

Many people think the 2009 ELCA Churchwide Assembly is all about sex. Much time has been spent in the plenary meetings discussing the social statement Human Sexuality: Gift and Trust and the four resolutions on ministry policies pertaining to homosexual clergy. Local, national, and even global media have latched on to these topics, which gives credence to the notion that SEX is the defining topic of #CWA09.

Having heard much of the plenary debates and read hundreds of blogs and Twitter posts, I've come to the conclusion that this Assembly has very little to do with SEX and everything to do with SCRIPTURE...or, more specifically, the authority of Scripture.

Based on what I've heard and read, the Lutherans seem to find themselves in one of three groups:

Group #1 - Scripture Says No
There are many who are wanting to elevate the authority of Scripture within the Lutheran tradition. These folks feel that Scripture is clear that God doesn't agree with homosexuality. They argue there is no Scriptural basis for allowing openly gay people in committed, monogamous relationships to serve as pastors. Not only is Scripture clear on this issue, but these verses are and should be the primary place we look for guidance.

Group # 2 - Scripture Says Yes
Folks in this group believe that the whole of Scripture focuses on a God that forgives and redeems sinners and the ways in which they turn against God. They reference stories where Jesus seeks out the outcast, unclean, un-religious crowd and shows them grace and love. These people talk about the "old law" being thrown out with the "new law" of love of neighbor. They argue that it's not our place to judge what might or might not be a sin.

Group #3 - Scripture Isn't the Only Authority
This group lives in the tension. They believe that Scripture is filled with laws - some that we adhere to and some that we dismiss. They tend to look at the specific "homosexual" verses as well as the stories about Jesus equipping broken sinners with gifts for ministry. In addition, people in this group believe that Scripture is one of several voices that should be considered in debates. Church history, personal experience, and the individual & corporate discernment of the Holy Spirit are all equally important factors for this group. People in this group appear to be genuinely conflicted on the sexuality social statement & ministry policy resolutions, but tend to be in favor of their passage.

From my perspective, the group that is "most Lutheran" is #3. Lutherans believe that Scripture is inspired by God and functions as the "source and norm" for our spiritual lives. Scripture is instructive and faith-formative. It does not, however, stand alone as authoritative. Luther indicated that three things - grace, faith and Scripture - provide guidance and wisdom to the church. All three "solas" are gifts of God that carry equal weight and importance.

(Note: some reformers had 5 solas...and Wesley had his quadrilateral. All were formed under a similar premise that Scripture was important within the context of other aspects of a life of Christian faith.)

The Human Sexuality: Gift and Trust social statement passed by the narrowest of margins - exactly 2/3. As many as 3% of voters didn't cast a vote (for whatever reason). The four recommendations on ministry policies only require a 50% + 1 vote. It appears to some that the passage of these recommendations on Friday is a foregone conclusion. Still questions remain...

What is God's will for our church?
What role does Scripture play in our discernment?
How will the other 4.599 million Lutherans who aren't gathered in Assembly respond to social statement and ministry policies?

Your thoughts???

50% + 1

2009-08-17T22:56:00.002-05:00

I got sucked in to geeking the ELCA Churchwide Assembly live-feed and simultaneously following the #CWA09 tags on Twitter. This was a fantastic experience for me. Not only could I watch the event in my sweatpants with my feet up, but I could read snarky comments from fellow church nerds as the plenary session unfolded.

The big debate at Plenary #1 was whether or not to require a 2/3 vote to change ministry policies. Roberts Rules of Order calls for a 50% + 1 majority. Some people felt that requiring a 2/3 vote would be more appropriate when considering the weight of the 4 resolutions proposed by the Sexuality Task Force. Ultimately, the Assembly decided to reject the amendment and allow ministry policies to be changed with a simple majority.

Confused yet?

For many, the passage of the 4 sexuality resolutions is now considered a foregone conclusion. People that I've spoken with in the past few weeks think it will be a 60/40 vote in favor of allowing openly gay people in committed relationships to serve as ordained ELCA pastors. Obviously nobody really knows until the votes are cast on Friday night, but I tend to agree with my "insider" friends. The resolutions wouldn't pass at 2/3...but likely will at 50% +1.

The contrarian in me thinks there has to be a better way to go about "being church" than to spend 2 hours debating parliamentary procedure...but I can't come up with a better suggestion. So, in the meantime, I will have fun following the Assembly on-line.

Eldora Experience

2009-08-13T22:13:00.002-05:00

Unbeknownst to most people in Iowa, the community of Eldora was hammered with two huge storms this past Sunday. I had an opportunity to spend a few hours with some young people doing clean-up work on Tuesday.

Click here to see the pictures I took.

A few reflections from my time in Eldora:

I spoke with an insurance adjuster who told me that EVERY building in town will need a new roof
Most of the crops in Hardin County were wiped out by the hail. Corn stalks that were 7-8 feet tall stood only a few inches off the ground
Community leaders in town were very well-organized and ready to receive volunteers
We worked with a guy who was on vacation with his family at nearby Pine Lake. He intended to spend his entire week serving as a crew-leader
Over 1/2 of the volunteers we saw were under the age of 18
One man from Ames took the day off from work and brought his daughter to help
Many of the vehicles and all buildings looked like they were fired upon with machine guns
I can't understand why this didn't get much more attention in the press

Summer Trip - Day 10ish

2009-07-29T19:55:00.011-05:00

"Where did all the pictures go?"

If you're one of the dozen people who have asked me that question in the past few days, consider this your answer.

The last few days of the trip were jam-packed with events...and it's unsafe to blog while driving...and one of our cameras broke...and the dog ate my homework.

Choose whichever excuse works best for you.

* * *

Now, on to the pictures:

Waiting at the Superdome for our bus to arrive

Loading the bus - ready to serve!

Andreas Hoffmann, Executive Director for Green Light New Orleans

Being the light of the world, one bulb at a time

More light bulb installation in Kenner

We have our clipboards, light bulbs, and fancy orange t-shirts

Our nightly group meeting at the pool side

The fabulous crew of adult leaders

The sign as we departed Concordia Lutheran Church in Sikeston, MO
(our overnight stay on the way home)

Summer Trip - Day 9

2009-07-27T12:32:00.003-05:00

Here are some more reflections from our amazing young people:

* * * * *

Lost... that was what I was at the start of this trip. As some have noticed we started our trip a few days before the Youth Gathering started. We were doing our yearly trip to Jackson, Mississippi. The trip was going wonderfully... until a few particular hard questions came up in discussions. While I was trying to think of my answers I realized I didn't know what to think and I found that I didn't know what to think because I didn't know who I was.

It wasn't amnesia. I knew my name, age, address, family... everything about me... everything but my face. I couldn't picture my face in my mind... I started to get scared and even more confused. When I thought of the others around me I could see their face, remember their actions, hear their voice... but when I thought of myself I could only see my hands and feet, my arms and legs. Only the portions of me that I don't need a mirror to see.

As I was trying to muddle my was through this confusion I didn't want to be alone, but I started to become more distant from the group... the group wouldn't let me go. As we arrived in New Orleans the sleeping arrangements were different from those we had in Jackson, so I had new roommates. Due to the new roommates I got to know people better than I did before the trip, but I still didn't completely know myself. And the simplest of actions held me together, holding hands as we traversed the crowded streets around the dome and convention center, hugs (even when they were to comfort another), late night talks, etc.

I knew I was lost before I came on this trip. I was hoping it would help me find my way back to the light... it did. Even though the people around me didn't know what I was trying to deal with they were helpful by just being themselves. The goofy guys who provided comical relief, the girls who know how to hold deep and meaningful conversations, and the leaders who kept us all together. While we were in the interaction center we interacted with one another as well as the other groups with us. We kept mixing up the groups depending on what we wanted to do. The gathering helped us break down some of the walls in the group.

The Gathering provided an opportunity to worship with 36,000 people... that is an experience I would jump at the chance to do again. My epiphany came as we were worshiping. The Bishop told us a story about how his daughter had a time in her life were she was being torn by two halves, her white friends and her black friends, she was scared too. He then told us that we needed to remember our baptism, for in our baptism God claims us as his children. It was after this that my eyes started to get watery. I realized that what I had been looking for wasn't a face that I could see in a mirror. What I was looking for was a new path to God.

I remember that in the faith statement I wrote in ninth grade I wrote something like: I know God will always be with me in my times of doubt, and will welcome me with open arms when I find him again. Today at worship he welcomed me with open arms that I gladly accepted.

The Gathering has been so much more meaningful to me than I had ever expected it to be. From the interaction center to our day of service, the dome events to talking with the people of New Orleans, and the final gathering to worship.

Before the Gathering I was waiting for God to find me, but now I know he never lost me, I was the one who lost myself. Now as I picture myself in my mind I don't see images only of my hands and feet. I see a child of God who lost her way, but now she is wrapped safely in his arms. She is no longer lost, wandering on unknown paths. She has found God's grace.

Anon...

* * * * *

Letting our light shine, one light bulb at a time

The Servant Learning day made the most impact on me at the ELCA National Youth Gathering. The first couple days, I loved experiencing the huge, mile-long interaction center, 37,000-person Superdome, and abounding city, but I felt like those events were mostly geared for my enjoyment, to build me up. Speakers continually thanked us for being here, and our group of 12,000 had not yet done any service. I anticipated Saturday.

Our service project was with an organization called Green Light New Orleans, which provides free CFL light bulbs to lower-income neighborhoods in order to be more energy efficient and produce less carbon dioxide. This saves people a great deal of money on purchasing light bulbs, as they last 5-7 years, and on their monthly electric bills. As the name alludes, these compact fluorescent lights also preserve the environment by contributing less to greenhouse gases and climate change.

On Saturday, our group of 23 youth and adults from Windsor Heights Lutheran combined with two other groups and took a bus to Kennan, LA. Then we were sent to different apartments in small groups. I really enjoyed entering people’s houses to change all of their light bulbs, because not only were we making an immediate difference in a pretty simple way (especially because I’m tall J), but we were literally immersed in Southern culture in a new way. Each home we visited was friendly and welcoming. One woman expressed her view of the dangers of New Orleans, while her two-year-old son showed us all his cool toys one by one. Another lady was simply amazed at our openness to change her light bulbs, asking questions such as, “Oh, can you maybe do my bedroom too? Oh you can do the kitchen too?”

They were all very appreciative, and I thought it was pretty fun work anyway – we got to be in nice air-conditioned apartments, meet people, and change their light bulbs. As easy as that. They were glad that we traveled from Iowa to make a difference around New Orleans. The friendliness and hospitality caught my eye. Most of them knew that the neighbor to the left did not get home from work until 3, and many opened their doors and asked, “Oh are you here with the light bulbs? We got some too!”

Think about it – not many people I know that live near me back home would be open to four teenagers and two adults walking through every room of their houses, seeing how they live, even if it was to give them free stuff. (We install the bulbs). We can tend to be self-conscious about messes or overprotective of our material belongings. We’d rather take the easy way out sometimes, rather than make a change, even if it’s for the better. My house in Iowa still has regular incandescent light bulbs, either because we did not know the depth of the benefits of CFLs, or we were just not willing to spend the extra dollar to make a positive long-term change. Overall, this fun experience helped us bond with the people and each other while directly benefiting them and the environment. It also taught us to be open to improvements and support of others.

In the spiritual sense, it was cool to literally spread God’s light to the world. Along with the physical help of the new light bulbs, I hope the people can respect the kindness of our Christian group and know that we truly want to help. I hope they can feel the love, which is first the love of Christ shining through us. Slowly we can hopefully take away the hypocritical Christian perspective that some have and bring them to Christ too. “May they see your good works and praise your Father in heaven.” –(Matthew 5:16) Works also grow us, as Christians, because we must act selflessly for others and we therefore become more like Jesus. Philippians 2:1-8 were some theme verses for the Gathering, continuously scrolling across a screen in the dome, reminding us to live humbly like Christ, placing others before ourselves, in order to live for God.

Saturday night’s dome event, (singing worship songs, listening to speakers and music, and learning) and Sunday’s sermon were especially moving for me. A couple speakers talked about God working strongly through our work. We may be just one person, having a little light, but God binds us all together in one body of Christ to be powerful. Saturday night, we each took out our cell phones and cameras in the dark dome, and watched it light up all around us. 37,000 little lights. It was an amazing sight! Later, we also sang some well-known worship songs with the band The Katinas, which got people really excited for God! You could feel the energy and joy in that huge room, which once held the homeless people after Hurricane Katrina! We were helping God bring good out of the pain! I really liked the song “I Am Free”: “through you the blind will see, through you the dead will rise…I am free to run…I am free to live for You!”

On Sunday we heard the story of Jesus’s miracle of Feeding the Five Thousand with five loaves of bread and two fish. Andrew and Phillip did not give up, and Jesus worked a miracle through the little they had. In the same way, God still uses us today. No talent or effort is too small for God to use to serve His people for His glory! Isn’t that awesome? If we come to Him with the little we have, such as one day of service in New Orleans, He can make more great things happen as a result, encourage more people to act, or change lives forever!

So let’s go out, with our one light bulb, shining with the everlasting power of Christ, not only for 7 years, but for eternity.

Stephanie

P.S. The “Found” blog touched my heart – I’m so happy for you!! God is amazing! He is Life! Amen!

Summer Trip - Day 8

2009-07-26T23:37:00.004-05:00

Our young people have some marvelous stories to tell from our Servant Event day with Green Light New Orleans!

How many Lutherans does it take to change a light bulb?... How many times have we all heard that one before... but what I want to know is how much does the simple act of changing light bulb affect people?

Today during our day of serving we were told that we were going to change light bulbs in apartments for Green Light New Orleans, not many of us were completely thrilled with the idea, but we soon warmed up to the task after the realization hit that changing light bulbs can help a home owner with the amount of energy they consume but also help the environment.

The small group I was a part of met a very kind elderly lady. Our team adult sat with her chatting, while we busily scurried around changing her lights. We changed a total of 32 lights in her house. We replaced the old bulbs with new ones that would last for five to eight years. Over the period of five years those seemingly insignificant bulbs will save her a little over $1400 ... 32 bulbs that would cost an owner around $80 to purchase would save so much more. Those bulbs won't only save money, they also cut down the amount of energy that is wasted by normal bulbs and the amount of carbon dioxide produced. But what was most meaningful was the kind lady's face after we told her what those 32 little bulbs would do.

Becca

* * * * *

I never thought that by changing a light bulb could make such a difference in the world, and change the lives of others around me.

So when my church group found out that our service work was going to be screwing in light bulbs, we were like, "what the heck!?!? What can we accomplish by screwing light bulbs?' But sitting here now I have never been happier to screw in a bunch of light bulbs.

Because by screwing in those light bulbs myself and many other people were able to meet and connect with some really amazing and giving people. Also by screwing in those light bulbs we were able to help alot of people save hundreds of dollars.

I just don't know how to express the emotions that I felt today by bonding with those people. I just want to thank Green Light New Orleans so much for bringing the group together to meet new people. Also by having this non-profit organization donate the free light bulbs, and help thousands of people save a lot of money.

Thank you so much Green Light New Orleans!!!

Nicole

* * * * *

38,000. That’s lot of Lutherans! You’d think that that would be overwhelming right? But it’s surprisingly the opposite, it’s humbling. When you live in your own little town of Des Moines in my case you feel powerful and important, but when you enter the Superdome and see all those people singing, dancing, and praising you feel so small. You feel powerless and unimportant. You feel like nothing. But then I remember that God doesn’t care where you come from, who your with, or how you praise. All he cares about is you, good old Iowa living corn picking you.

These past few days have been unexplainable. I’ll go home on Sunday and try to explain this week but I know I will be unsuccessful. You can’t feel what we’re feeling unless you are here which is a shame because the love and the security that I’m sure everyone is feeling (although I can’t speak for them) is unimaginable. Everywhere you turn there are kind hearted, loving Lutherans who welcome you with open arms. But I think this city would be this amazing with or without the Lutherans. Before the disaster they were residents of the same city, afterwards they are an extended family. They welcome anyone and everyone. Walking through the streets of Des Moines you feel welcome, but when has a complete stranger stopped you and thanked you for coming to their town? People will tell you their life stories in the middle of the street, and to most people that would seem distracting and just another thing that slows their busy selfish life down. But I have not found one selfish person here or in Jackson. This town has literally made us their own, and that is the most amazing feeling. Coming into a city for 4 days and becoming practically a citizen.

Not only is this city amazing but this convention is amazing. They have gathered the best of the best (and I’m not just talking about the Lutherans). The speakers that we get to hear every night are truly amazing. They are changing the world every day and getting everyone to join them city by city. They have made me believe that I can do the impossible. I can change the world, even if it’s with small acts. I don’t have to be old or powerful or even have to live in a big city. I can change the world from Johnston, Iowa. I can change the world at 17. The world can be good one day, I truly believe that. The world can be at peace. There can be justice in the world. And most important of all… everyone can love each other. I can say firsthand that I have been in a room where I felt love coming from over 38,000 people. How many people can say that?! (I mean besides the more than 38,000 people that were in the room).

God has made an amazing world, and amazing people to be in it. And I hope and pray that the almost 7 billion people in the amazing world we live in will one day come together and make this world a place of justice, peace, and above all else love.

Kendra

Summer Trip - Day 7

2009-07-26T00:01:00.007-05:00

We spent the day in the Interaction Center, exploring issues of Wealth & Poverty. There are so many amazing things to do in this space! The young people in our group are growing increasingly enthusiastic about being the change they wish to see in the world. They're also inspired by the witness of the other young people they're meeting.

The highlight of the Dome event was the Skillet concert. Four of our boys had an opportunity to "rush the stage" and be up by the stage. The speakers were solid once again - each sharing their stories of overcoming adversity and using the negative events of their life to make a positive impact on the world.

We're also enjoying the sights, sounds, and smells of New Orleans. It will be fun to see a different part of the city tomorrow on our service project.

Summer Trip - Day 6

2009-07-24T00:58:00.009-05:00

Today was our first full day at the ELCA Youth Gathering. As with any event of this magnitude, there were a few speed bumps in our day, but our group was patient and understanding...they are truly an amazing group of young people and adults!

We spent some time in the Krewes Learning Center exploring workshops and integrators that caused us to reflect on the way we live out our baptism.

I even ran into my folks (again) while we were exploring. We discovered (via a JJJ09 nametag) that my dad's first name is no longer Steve, but instead it has been changed to "Bishop". Oddly, it can be both a male and female name...and there are 65 other Lutherans with the same name. Who knew!

A special treat for the group was lunch at Mother's. The food and the service were both top-notch. Lots of Ferdi's and po'boys with "debris" were ordered. As for me, the jambalaya and bread pudding sufficed.

We spent some time wrapping up a few learning events and hanging out in the Interaction Center. From there, we visited the offices of the Louisiana Bar Association. One of our adult leaders has a friend who works for there. We went to hear the stories of a few employees who were impacted by Hurricane Katrina. They showed us unprecedented hospitality (sandwiches, chips, candy, soda, water, etc.) and let us sit in their amazing conference room with leather chairs. It was a profound event for all of us. Certainly a highlight for many!!!

We sang, listened, prayed, and danced at the Dome event later that night. Many enjoyed hearing from Jay Bakker (Jim & Tammy Faye's son) -- an excellent articulation of God's love. If only he could have spoken longer! The hip-hop group Group 1 Crew rocked the house and sent us into the evening of Community Life events in several of the hotels. It was truly an inspiring and joyful day!

Summer Trip - Day 5

2009-07-23T10:10:00.007-05:00

We left Jackson in crowded vehicles and drove through the rain into New Orleans. Somewhere along the three hours on the road, the heat index increased 25 degrees. Ugh!

The young people were astounded by the size and scope of this ELCA Youth Gathering.

One of our adults put on Facebook "I'm in the Big Easy with 36,000 young Lutherans. The Big Easy is looking pastier and whiter than I remember it." A tidal wave of predominantly northern-states folks have washed over the city that was ravaged by hurricane and flood only four years ago.

We are a part of the largest convention in the city of New Orleans since Hurricane Katrina.

The Associated Press is calling Jesus ~ Justice ~ Jazz the "largest service ministry event ever attempted in three days".

It's a joy to be part of such a significant event - both in the broad impact 300,000+ volunteer hours will have on this city AND in the intimate impact it will have in the lives of individuals.

Summer Trip - Day 4

2009-07-22T23:57:00.002-05:00

It was an emotionally moving day for many in our group. A couple of youth have asked to share a few reflections from our last day in Jackson, MS.

* * * * *

When I got up this morning I was ready to do any work that God was calling me to do. I thought that I was going to be doing more yard work like we did the previous day. But God had a different idea for me. When we arrived at the church we were told there were some spots around the church grounds that people (homeless) were using as a bathroom, and that it needed to be cleaned up. I volunteered because i thought i could handle getting my hands dirty, and i thought i could handle the smell. But boy was i wrong. I had no idea that these places that were being used as a bathroom were also places were people were sleeping and living.

The first spot we (Kendra B, Haley, Naomi, and myself) cleaned was a stairwell leading to the basement of the church. This was the major spot where people were relieving themselves. In the stairwell were also blankets, clothing and news papers. The smell was like the smell of a hog house, i couldn't believe that anyone would go down there, but we did. The next place we were told to clean out was a covered stairway leading into the church.

What we did next has forever changed my outlook on life, and the lives of the people around me.

On the stairway we found scary things like condom wrappers and rusty nails, but we also found clothing and unopened cans of food, basic things that people need to live. It was so shocking to realize that someone(s) was living here, and slept on dirty wet cardboard every night, and had to wear dirty clothing. But was the worst thing we found were Baptist devotional guide to life, and a workbook on how to read the Bible. So what was so sad was that this person was trying to have a relationship with God and Jesus, and yet they were living like they were. And what made me feel even worse was we were taking it all away. We were just scooping it up and throwing it away.

I couldnt stop thinking "what was this person going to do when they came back and realized it was all gone?" I cant write anything to make anyone realize how emotionally draining what we did was. I just wanted to break down and cry. I just pray that whomever was living there, has moved onto a safer and cleaner place. And hopefully by us cleaning up there 'home' they went to a homeless shelter or somewhere with a warm dry bed, and a warm meal.

~ Nicole

Going into this trip I didn't expect what I am feeling. I ignorantly expected it to be just another work trip. But through the sights I've seen, the people I've met, and the conversations I've had my thoughts are not what I went into this wanting to feel. But life isn't always what you want is it?

Throughout my christian education since I was young I have always been told that it is okay to doubt your faith, but I have never really liked that. Although I really wouldn't call what I am feeling doubt, I would call it questioning. I'm questioning if my faith is enough. I'm questioning if I'm doing enough to help.

The people here are amazing. The sights here are amazing. The south looks like Iowa but doesn't feel like Iowa. When the group took a walk throughout the neighborhood people would stop what they were doing just to say hi to us and to have a genuine conversation with us. After spending 4 days in Jackson I know I have had an experience that I will never forget. I will never forget the people, the sights, the thoughts, or the God that sent me here.

~ Kendra G.