I recently left my first call as associate pastor of Westminster Presbyterian Church in Rockford, Illinois, to take my second call as pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Franklin, New Jersey. About two weeks before I left, I received a gift of a jar of pickles (the good kind: Milwaukee Dill Pickles) from a dear member and friend in my congregation. And it made me realize something. After four years of being their pastor, my congregation does really know me. I struggled with letting everyone in. Westminster is a large congregation (900 members), so it was pretty overwhelming in the first weeks, months, maybe even year. And I am quiet when you first meet me. So, it was a challenge – balancing their sincere desire to know me – and my reluctance to share. I don't think of myself as closed off, but I'm also not an open book. I would think that getting to know me is a little like learning to snowboard. At first, it is really awkward, unnatural and forced. There are clumsy, … [Read more...]
Cancer and listening to the Spirit
When I first saw the invitation to blog about cancer and the church, I have to admit (and now will have admitted to all of you) that I thought: “Yikes. I guess I’ll have to come up with something else to write about this month.” It’s not that I’m such a Pollyanna that I wouldn’t consider writing about something sad or scary, but I just didn’t think I had anything to offer on the subject. So, I started writing a totally different post, and, as the Holy Spirit directs, it ended up being about cancer after all. In my last call, I was blessed to call a cheerleading parishioner, commissioned ruling elder (CRE) colleague and fellow left-brainer a friend. When I first came to that church, he took me out to lunch at and overwhelmed me with so much information that I retained nothing. Shortly afterward, he sat down in my office and told me the story of how he and his wife had visited the church; after a tour and hearing it was a fourth-day community (supportive of three-day spiritual … [Read more...]
Thoughts on church technology from an Oregon Trailer
A read a blog post a few years ago about "The Oregon Trail generation." Well, that's me! The article focused on the unique perspective Gen Xers (those of us born in the late 70s and early 80s) have in relation to mainstream technology. We were the last group of kids who experienced a childhood that was at least somewhat devoid of mainstream technology. Consequently, I can remember when we got our first IBM computer with DOS on it at home. But, I also remember using card catalogs in the library, microfiche and old school projectors. I remember using a mixture of online and "offline" sources for papers in high school because certain things just weren't accessible on the internet yet. And I remember getting my first laptop for college (which was by no means small) and Facebook showing up on the scene just after I graduated (and wondering if I was too old to use it at that point). So … while I don't think technology can ever replace the physical community of Christians that … [Read more...]
When God is silent
Recently, two of my friends surprised me by flying my twin sister out on my birthday weekend to celebrate. We are identical twins and during a phone conversation a few weeks earlier, I just had this feeling she might be coming… but I forgot about it. So, when she jumped out of the car I was thrilled, but "only sort of" surprised. And so, I said, "Oh! You're here, too!" in delight. And my friends, while pleased that they had delivered the best gift a twin can get on her birthday, exclaimed disappointingly, "Oh … we were hoping you would cry!" Anybody who's ever planned a surprise anything for anybody would agree that it is all about the reaction. And, we live for reactions even from the youngest among us. We love to watch babies try new foods to see their faces react with surprise, delight or disgust. We love to re-tell jokes to the next person to compare how much they laugh with the last time it was told; in fact, the very motivation behind comedy and humor at its very root is … [Read more...]
Reading to know God: Four writers that inspired my faith
As a companion to our spring book issue, we asked our bloggers about their experiences of writing as a spiritual practice. Here are their blogs. How has my faith been inspired by other writers? I'm sure some pastors would start their answer with a Grammy Award disclaimer here. You know, the part where the artist slips in that little piece about it not being possible to thank everyone that has gotten them to that moment? Well truthfully, my list probably is the opposite. Full disclosure: I was not crazy in love with reading for most of my life. In fact, you could’ve said I was crazy in love with avoiding writing; I opted for numbers before going into seminary (I was a math major in undergrad). But, I have grown to love it as a pastor because I am always searching to get to know God better and for others to do the same through my writing and teaching. Yet, I'm also not easily impressed. For better or worse, it takes a lot for me to highlight a line in a book or save a quote. I see … [Read more...]
New year, new words: “You have heard it said … but I say to you”
Amidst all that surrounds New Year’s resolutions – hope, turning over a new leaf and unbridled optimism – there is a lot of intentionality associated with making a resolution. Besides the idea of improving (and turning some part of your life into version 2.0) that New Year ushers in, I love the tradition of making targeted, goal-oriented changes in our lives. I love the vulnerability of pointing out something I wasn’t doing well, and then desiring and vowing to be better in the year to come. Perhaps I love it because it takes something Christ is always for – new creation – and pushes it mainstream. Or perhaps I love it because it takes courage and resolve and promise. Or perhaps I love it because of the theme of redemption or restoration. Whatever the case, as we set those goals of going to the gym more, eating healthy or maybe even reading our Bibles more, it occurs to me that I very rarely hear someone commit to a New Year’s resolution around language. There is the occasional "I … [Read more...]
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