EL MONTE, California – With only about 70 students, International Theological Seminary in suburban Los Angeles doesn’t have an impressive campus, a big endowment or an affluent alumni base. It’s not a flashy seminary. While relatively unknown, ITS is perched on the cutting edge of innovation for training church leaders from the global south – one of a number of small, relatively new seminaries that are in the United States, but whose focus is on educating students from other places. Many of those ITS students are mid-career in ministry from Africa or Asia – they already have a track record of leadership in their home countries, and are pursuing advanced theological education made affordable through forgivable loans. During their seminary years, some students are building partnerships with California churches and entrepreneurs that will help them pursue innovative ministry initiatives once they return home, and which lay the foundation for ongoing ministry partnerships with U.S. … [Read more...]
Two faiths, one house of worship
Congregation Anshe Poale Zedek gathered for worship on a Saturday in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, as Jews have been gathering for thousands of years. The scroll of the Torah was removed from the ark at the front of the sanctuary. Worshippers touched the scroll with the fringe of their tallitot, then touched the fringe to their mouths, signifying their desire to have the words of the Lord on their lips. Cantor Jerry Berkowitz was assisted by two other worshippers, rolling the scroll to the day’s portion. Several worshippers gathered at the bimah and recited the ancient prayers, thanking םלועה ךלמ, “the king of the universe” for the gift of Torah, among other things. Jews around the world gathered in similar fashion and heard the Lord’s specifications for the construction of the tabernacle and temple as found in the Book of Exodus that day. Congregation Anshe Poale Zedek (APZ) has worshipped in Manitowoc for more than a century. For the last six months, this congregation has called First … [Read more...]
Speaking the truth in love: Engaging in fearless dialogues
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God,” Jesus taught the crowds during the Sermon on the Mount. But being a peacemaker often means engaging in controversial and difficult conversations that run the risk of confronting one’s own biases and prejudices as well as alienating others, no matter what side of the table one sits. In addition, pastors tend not to be confrontational by nature (and neither do congregations) until they are forced to confront such high-octane topics as racism, clergy sexual abuse, violence, church security, gun control, abortion, sexual identity, homosexuality, gay marriage, politics — you name it. What’s required is “a very particular set of skills,” to steal Liam Neeson’s line from the movie “Taken.” How can we be effective change agents in the world? “I don’t know how to change the world, but I can change the three feet around me,” says pastor Gregory Ellison II, recalling the words his aunt said to him years ago. It’s a … [Read more...]
Building community from the inside out
One child might sit quietly for most of worship, another person might be walking circles around the sanctuary. A third might be at the Lego table, building and soaking in what’s going on around them. My son Westley is most likely to be up in front, trying to help whoever is leading the worship service. Everyone is doing exactly what they are supposed to be doing, because this is what TrailPraisers worship is about: meeting God exactly where you are at that day and time. For us, it is a learning community. We don’t really have a formula yet. We’ve met less times than there are disciples. And every single worship looks different. Sometimes it’s just us planners from the presbytery (and our families), and sometimes it is 20 or more people — all different ages, stages, faiths and abilities, which is the point. At TrailPraisers, we believe we can all learn about God together. Worship planning is inside out — in fact almost everything is inside out. We plan with the … [Read more...]
Everybody’s church?
The sign outside many churches reads “All are welcome.” Doesn’t that go without saying? Jesus welcomed all: the stranger, the poor, the weak, the marginalized. When Jim and Ann stopped by the church I serve one afternoon, they came to see if we were serious about welcoming and including their fourth-grade son, Aidan, in our church. Aidan has autism, and they were looking for a place where he could participate with his peers and make connections at church. They had been searching for a church home, and none “felt right.” One church had a “quiet room” where children with disabilities were isolated, which felt alienating. Elsewhere, when Aidan made noises in worship they felt the turned heads and stares. This is not an uncommon story. A pastor from another denomination called and explained that particular church wasn’t “equipped” to handle a new family. She told them to try us out because she knew of our ministry. According to Erik Carter, Cornelius Vanderbilt Professor of Special … [Read more...]
Living creatively with diminishments: Lessons learned after a Parkinson’s diagnosis
“At every moment we see diminishments, both in us and around us … premature deaths, stupid accidents, weaknesses affecting the highest reaches of our being,” writes evolutionary scientist and Jesuit priest Teilhard de Chardin in “The Divine Milieu.” When I write about diminishments, I use the term to include disabilities and beyond. When a child is born with autism or when a parent suffers traumatic brain injury, the disability of one person causes diminishment for entire family and community systems. Then Teilhard asks us the life-giving question: “How can these diminishments … become for us a [source of] good?” The question speaks to me since I received a Parkinson’s diagnosis in 2014 on my return from a two-month mission with partners in Zimbabwe and South Africa. Crisis in health raises the same question you face with a crisis in relationship or vocation: How can you stay open to surprise and live with resilience? I developed a list of seven responses to this question. 1. … [Read more...]
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