A Real Conversation on Race Would Look Like

My partner Daniel recently downloaded the movie, "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner" and wanted to know if I wanted to watch it. I decided to on Sunday evening, somewhat grudingly, since it took me away from my normal Sunday night routine. But after having watched the film, I'm glad I did.

Basic gist of the movie for those not in the know, a black doctor played by Sidney Poitier, meets a young white woman in Hawaii. The two have a whirlwind romance and decide to get married. Most of the movie hovers around the parents of the couple dealing with an interracial relationship.

What was so wonderful about the movie was how honest it was. The young white woman's parents, played by Katherine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy are upstanding liberals who have to now face the weight of their convictions. For the mother, it was a shock to see that her daughter had chosen to marry a black man, but she accepted it knowing that she and her husband had raised child to not see race as a factor in anything. The Spencer Tracy character has a harder time coming to terms, partly out his own racial prejudices and partly fearful of how the outside world will treat this young couple and their biracial offsping. He finally comes around in a process that isn't faked but very real.

Even the parents of Sidney Poitier's parents are dealt with in honest terms. Like the Katherine Hepburn's character, the mother of Dr. Prentice is also shocked but accepting of the marriage. The father has a harder time dealing with this.

And then there is Tilly, the maid of the white family played by the great Isabel Sanford of the "Jeffersons" fame. She is suspicious of Poitier and sees him as moving up beyond his place.

All of these people were real people dealing with a changing world and having to live up to what it meant to live in a society where equality was the new rule. They had to deal with their own fears and shortcomings and how to rise above them. What was refreshing was that there was no white guilt or black grievances; what we got was people who were incredibly human and having an acutal conversation on race.

And that's the whole point of this post. This Sunday, many mainline churches will have "a sacred conversation on race." But as I said in my last post, this is less a conversation than a play with persons of color and whites given the roles of oppressed and oppressor respectively. There isn't really an human interaction, no real conservation about our own fears on both sides and how we can overcome them.

"Guess Who's Coming to Dinner" was probably the best example of what a conversation on race should be: honest and free of preconceived agendas or navel gazing. The sad thing, is that I don't think a movie like this could be made today. It is so honest that it is not politically correct.

Sunday Sermon- May 11, 2008

“It Only Takes a Spark...”
Acts 2:1-21
May 11, 2008 (Pentecost Sunday)
Lake Harriet Christian Church
Minneapolis, MN

A few weeks ago, my partner Daniel and I were coming back from breakfast, when we saw thick clouds of smoke in the area of our house. As we drove closer and closer we were both fearful of seeing our house going up in flames. We came to the house and found everything was okay. We decided to part the car and walk up to where the fire was taking place. It turns out a greenhouse was on fire and basically was destroyed by the fire. We felt relief that our house was okay, but a bit sad that the person who lived on this property would have to deal with the loss.

Fire can be something that brings fear to us. I remember learning about fire drills when I was a kid, and about the whole “stop, drop and roll” if God forbid you catch fire. In our modern culture, fire is something that has been seen as source of fear, something that consumes and destroys. Of course, fire also tends to help us, since it heats our homes and cooks our food. Fire can be beneficial, but I think at times we forget that, we are driven by the fear of getting burned.

Today is the day of Pentecost, what has been called at time, the birthday of the church. This is the day when the disciples of Jesus were holed up in a room waiting for what was coming next after Jesus ascended into heaven. And we read that a mighty wind comes into the room and what appears to be tongues of fire sit on the heads of those gathered. Those gathered start speaking in the tongues of neighboring languages. There are a large number of Jews gathered in Jerusalem from all over the known world. The started seeing Jesus' disciples out and about speaking their native tongues and some were amazed. Others sneered that these guys were drunk.

If you were one of those visitors and you saw this spectacle, what would you think? Would you see it with wonder and awe or with skeptism?

The role of the Holy Spirit here is interesting. The Spirit is portrayed as wind, something Tammy just talked about, and fire. Fire is something that scares us and it should since it is deadly. But I think we are also afraid of the fire of the Spirit as well. We are afraid of the fire of the Spirit because it can not be contained and runs hither and yon and forces us out of our pews and into the world.

In today's passage, Peter begins to explain to the gathered crowd what has just happened. He spoke from the prophet Joel and he says that in the last days, God will pour the Spirit on all flesh and our sons and daughters will be prophets. Do you know what this means? It means that you and I are empowered by the Spirit to be prophets, to preach God's love to all. Note that it doesn't say I will pour out my spirit on all pastors, but all flesh. You and I are called to preach the Good News by the power of God's Holy fire. It doesn't matter how old or young we are. It doesn't matter how rich or poor we are. It doesn't matter how smart we are. God calls us to be prophets, to spread the fire of God.

But it gets better or worse, according your point of view. God will pour the spirit even on slaves. Now, thankfully, we don't have slaves in our society anymore, but we do have people who we tend to look down upon or who we tend not think have much value. This means that God will work in the lives of the poor, or the illegal immigrant, or the person in a wheelchair, or the person who is gay or lesbian. God's Spirit is not contained by the walls of the church. Like a spreading fire, God's Spirit will go where it goes.

The question though, is are we willing to let this Holy Fire into our lives like the disciples did? I think at times we would rather not have this Spirit in our lives, thank you very much. It's too chaotic, too scary. We don't want to share the good news with those around us, and sometimes churches don't want “those people” coming to our church. What could they possibly know about God that we don't already know.

But I think God is calling the church to be the church in the way the church was the church on that Day of Pentecost: a people gathered together and empowered by the Spirit to go into the world and preaching God's good word to everyone. Sometimes churches have been more inward focused, interested in bring people to the church instead of bring the the church into the world- this is what this passage is telling us.
This day of Pentecost is a great day, but it's also a scary day. We are reminded that we are called to follow God's way and to be led by the wild Spirit and that scares us-all of us, myself included, because it pushes us out of our comfort zones and into the big and scary world.

But the Spirit is also there to be our companion. We are not left alone when we join God in mission. The Holy Fire keeps us warm and sustains us when times grow hard.

I want to end with a song that has been buzzing around in my head this past week. It was a song I learned a long time ago in church and in the Christian school I went to growing up. The song is one that some of you may know: It's called, “Pass It On.” It goes like this:

It only takes a spark to get a fire going,And soon all those around can warm up
in its glowing;That's how it is with God's Love,Once you've experienced it,Your
spread the love to everyoneYou want to pass it on.

The last verse continues:

I wish for you my friendThis happiness that I've found;You can depend on GodIt
matters not where you're bound,I'll shout it from the mountain top - PRAISE
GOD!I want the world to knowThe Lord of love has come to meI want to pass it on.

It only takes a spark. It only took a Holy Wind and a Holy Fire to turn a bunch of scared and bumbling disciples into brave disciples that could not stop talking about the love of God through Jesus. That same spark, that same Holy Fire is available to all of us today. It is calling us to go and tell the message. The Lord of Love has come to us, to all of us and we are to go and shout it from the mountaintops and rooftops. Thanks be to God. Amen.

Come Mounring

A few weeks ago, I was at an ordination and greeted two friends of a church I used attend. We chatted and at some point they asked about Community of Grace. I told them it had shut down. What I never said was that I was a bit rankled at them because when the church was still in existence, I had asked them for to serve on a group that would help guide the new church and I never heard a response.

A few weeks later, I met two friends who also wondered about the church. Again I told them the church was no more.

I still mourn the closure of the church, it feels like a death in the family. But I also feel a sense of anger, because I felt that many of the people who ask about the church never helped us when we needed it. I get angry because it would have been nice had people visited the church or let me know they were praying for us. It would have been nice to receive some love from people when we felt at our lowest. But we never did receive that. And it irks me when they ask how the church is doing. Maybe it's my (supposed) Asperger's but when someone asks how is the church, I would expect them to actually give a damn and not just be doing small talk.

I would love to try again, because Community of Grace was left undone. But do I want to be placed in that position again? Then there is trying to get people to help plant the church and well, that's been a bust.

It's hard, I have this passion to try to do something new, to plant a church with others, but it seems everyone around me only wants to be taken care of. God forbid, we should take the gospel seriously.

Maybe it's time to just give up. I don't know.

For some reason, this reminds me of a certain song by Keith Green.

How I (Didn't) Get Over

Several years ago, I took part in a workshop after church. The members of the congregation were gathered and watch a video about race and American society. We were then asked to talk about our experience with race. Now, I was the only African American in the room and most of the people there were in the 60s and 70s. Most talked about how they had good relations with Blacks and had many friendships. However, one person who was middle aged, said that things for African Americans and other persons of color were worse now than in the 60s.

In chatting with the pastor later, he said that the point of the workshop was for the participants to understand their role in perpetuating racism and then doing something about it.

The whole thrust of the workshop was part of an initiative that has become a part of many churches called anti-racism. On one level, it seems like a good thing, to help us learn to be against racism. My problem is that it seems to do nothing to advance racial progress and might only exacerbate the issue.

I've been thinking about this in light of the whole Jeremiah Wright controversy. The United Church of Christ, the denomination that Wright is ordained in, has decided to make next Sunday, May 18, a day to have a "sacred conversation on race." On the surface it seems to make sense; let's talk about this issue that has had such a prominent role in American history. I've heard others talk about having a conversation about race and again, it sounds good. But in the end, this conversation ends up not really being a conversation at all. In some ways, it seems more like a play, where persons of color and whites have roles to play, where the script has already been written well in advance.

The pastoral letter on racism from the leaders of the United Church of Christ is interesting, in that it paints an extremely dark view of race relations in the United States circa 2008. This is a sample:

The Pastoral Letter on Racism documented what it called “a sobering truth” – namely, that despite the meaningful progress achieved during the civil
rights era, “quality of life for the majority of racial and ethnic people is worse today in many ways than it was during the 1960s.” The letter went
on to name a number of disturbing trends that signaled growing racial intolerance and hostility: increasing inequities between the rich and the
poor; charges of “reverse racism”and attacks on affirmative action; a resurgence of racially motivated hate crimes and; fear of “foreigners” surfacing in movements such as “English Only.” Seventeen years later, in 2008, we might wish to believe that we have made significant progress in addressing and reversing those alarming trends.
Lamentably, that claim cannot be substantiated.

We have witnessed a systematic assault on affirmative action policies at the state and national level. In the wake of the “war on terror,” our
Arab American and Muslim brothers and sisters contend daily with discrimination, racial profiling,and misunderstanding about the true nature of Islam. As unemployment rates soar and jobs are outsourced overseas, frustration and rage are
unleashed upon the most vulnerable within our borders – immigrants and those who some call “illegal aliens.” After more than two years, thousands
of dispossessed residents of New Orleans are still in diaspora, awaiting our government’s promise to help rebuild their homes and neighborhoods. The divide between rich and poor is greater than at any time since the Great Depression. Despite the rise of a Black middle class over the past 40 years, the average net
worth of White families in 2008 remains 10 times greater than the average net
worth of Black families. Racial segregation in our public schools has intensified and has now been condoned by the United States Supreme Court.

There is a lot here to agree with in some case and a lot to disagree. On the belief that the quality of life for persons of color is worse than it was in the 60s, I have to respectfully disagree. I've said this before, but back in the 50s, my father could not get a hotel room or eat in a restaurant when he made trips to his native Louisiana from Michigan. Black people were getting killed by whites and all-white juries let them get away with it. Is life a racial utopia? No. We still have problems. We still have cops shooting unarmed blacks and too many who think hanging a noose is funny. But we are not the America of the 50s and 60s where whites were trying hard to keep blacks down.

The letter also seems to ignore the most important change of the last 40 years: a political party is on the verge of nominating a black man for President and all indications point to this same black man becoming the 44th President of the United States. A nation that once treated its African immigrants as property might very well elect someone of African heritage.

Barak Obama's historic run for the presidency can't by itself atone for America's racist past, but it is important and can show that we have come a long way. To not hold this up is puzzling.

But maybe what is most puzzling about this letter is that this isn't as much a conversation as a monologue. It lists a litany of problems and says white people don't care and that life is hard for persons of color. I'm not saying any of this is a falsehood, but there isn't much room in this letter for a conversation on race. It has one view and one view only.

The letter points out a problem that I have with both liberals and conservatives on their views on race. For liberals, the glass seems half empty all the time. They seem to ignore any racial progress and continually see America as a racist society.

For conservatives, there seems to be a belief that we can just jump from a racial to post-racial society in one leap. They look down on programs like affirmative action, not realizing that in the past, blacks were shut out of jobs and the walls of higher eduation and you just can't say, "sorry about the racism, dude" and make it all better.

If we are going to have a conversation on race, the lets have one, but let's have a real one, where we are sharing our true selves and not some script. Maybe the best example of true conversation came from Obama himself. In his speech on race entitled "A More Perfect Union," he talked about the frustration that both blacks and white have felt.

He says:

The fact that so many people are surprised to hear that anger in some of Reverend Wright's sermons simply reminds us of the old truism that the most segregated hour in American life occurs on Sunday morning. That anger is not always productive; indeed, all too often it distracts attention from solving real problems; it keeps us from squarely facing our own complicity in our condition, and prevents the African-American community from forging the alliances it needs to bring about real change. But the anger is real; it is powerful; and to simply wish it away, to condemn it without understanding its roots, only serves to widen the chasm of misunderstanding that exists between the races.

In fact, a similar anger exists within segments of the white community. Most working- and middle-class white Americans don't feel that they have been particularly privileged by their race. Their experience is the immigrant experience - as far as they're concerned, no one's handed them anything, they've built it from scratch. They've worked hard all their lives, many times only to see their jobs shipped overseas or their pension dumped after a lifetime of labor. They are anxious about their futures, and feel their dreams slipping away; in an era of stagnant wages and global competition, opportunity comes to be seen as a zero sum game, in which your dreams come at my expense. So when they are told to bus their children to a school across town; when they hear that an African American is getting an advantage in landing a good job or a spot in a good college because of an injustice that they themselves never committed; when they're told that their fears about crime in urban neighborhoods are somehow prejudiced, resentment builds over time.

Obama's speech was truly a conversation starter if there ever was one. He expressed the anger blacks and whites feel and then sought to find common ground. Unlike the pastoral letter, it wasn't a one-sided affair but an attempt to listen to both sides.

That is what is needed today in America. We need to talk about race and racism and find ways to keep the dream of King's Beloved Community alive. But that chat has to be honest and it also means telling truths both sides don't always want to hear.

I need to say that I do respect the UCC. I have many friends in the denomination and I also have standing in the denomination. I just think this method is not the best approach.

We have come a long way as a nation in the area of racial justice and that should be celebrated. But we have a ways to go, so let's get to having a real conversation and throw away the script.

Note: Like Rev. Wright, Obama is a member of the United Church of Christ.

Say What You Mean To Say

I was just futzing around iTunes tonight when I decided to click on a recent song by John Mayer called "Say." It's one of those songs you hear on the PA systems of stores and I found it a catchy tune, if a bit generic at first hearing. I didn't realize that it was a song for the movie, "The Bucket List," a film about two men who decide to live life when they find out they have limited time left on earth.

I was reminded of something my boss blogged about on this movie and attending the funeral of his sister-in-law after a long illness. He was reminded about what his own "bucket list" was.

Hopefully, I have a few decades before the end, but the lyrics have reminded me of myself. Maybe it's the (suspected) Asperger's but I have been known to be brutally honest to people and in some cases have paid the price. For me, it made sense to say what was on your mind. But, over time, I have learned to keep quiet, to act like "normal" people do.

But I think sometimes, we need to learn to just live life. I mean, sometimes, people need to hear the truth as hard as it is to hear.

I guess the song just reminds me that it's okay to be honest (at least sometimes).

Anyway, here is the video to the song:

More (Supposed)Asperger's Stories

In the run-up to my appointment in a few weeks, I've been trying to think back during these past 38 and one-half years to draw out a story about me and if it might be true that I have Apergers.

Change:Today, while chatting with the Associate at Lake Harriet, she shared that one of her sons who has ADHD, had a hard time in school. I remembered that some my worst years in school were in 7th and 9th grades. Seventh grade meant changing from elementary school with one teacher to junior high which had more than one teacher. It was a lot of change and it was hard to handle. My grades reflected that change. Eighth grade was a breeze. I was getting A's with relative ease and when I was tested for high school, I was placed in an Advanced Program called Honors Humanities.

But ninth grade was a disaster, especially in Alegebra. For some reason, I just couldn't pick it up. Again, it was a change and for some reason, I could not handle the change to routine. After that, I did pretty well grade-wise.

The thing is, these days, I still hate change, but I am able to deal with it a tad better. I remember when Daniel and I were first dating. He came to pick me up at work, and we walked several blocks to get to his car. Unbeknownst to me, he had booked us overnight at a swanky hotel in Minneapolis and I was kinda pissed. The reason, was that he had taken me away from something ususal. I was expecting a normal weekend and he surprised me, something that I don't like. Being a bit older and wiser, I was able to understand that Daniel did this because he loves me, but it was still a bit of a shock.

Literal: When I started my current position, I was never told when I needed to start work. So, I took that to mean that as long as I did my eight hours, then I was okay. I usually would try to shoot for nine, but sometimes I would come in later. The office manager would say something in a joking way about me being late. I could tell that she was somewhat upset about me coming in "late," but I didn't make too big a thing of it since there was no set time.

One day, I came in late because I needed to drop my car off to be fixed and get a rental car which took longer than expected. I came in and the boss called me in. She said that I needed to be in no later than nine to help the office manager with the phones. After that, I got the message. The thing is, there was no written rule that said "come in no later than nine." I had observed that there was no set time and took it to mean that I had a flexible schedule. But there was an unwritten rule that I was breaking. I've been told in the past that in my current position, I've not noticed when someone needed help until it is pointed out to me. Again, if I am not told plainly, I don't see it. As I've thought back, this has happened many times in my life.

Another example: Back in 1992, I worked at a bookstore in my home town of Flint, Michigan. A woman had purchased a book that I thought we had in stock. It turns out that we didn't have it in stock, so I ordered the book instead, expecting it to come in time. The woman shows up days later and I look for the book, which hasn't yet arrived. I tell her what I did wrong and that she would have to wait, even though sitting in the pile is the same book that had been ordered for another person. She saw that book and asked why I couldn't give it to her. I said that was for another person and that she would have to wait. Well, she got angry, I got angry, and it just spiraled from there. Another worker was able to give her the book and defuse the situation, though as she checked out, she had this look as if I had killed her firstborn.

Looking back, I should have just given her the book that was available and given the book on order to the person who had ordered it. I should have allowed for some flexibility, but in my mind, that book was for the person it was intended, not for her. Again, looking back at my life, I think that I have had a penchant for pretty rigid thinking.

None of this means, I have Aspergers, but it does lead up to something. More later on me dealing with the love.

Meeting Brent

Today, Daniel and I were ushers at a friend's wedding. I met one of the attendants whose name is Brent. For some reason, his face is familiar, as if I've seen him at local gay events in town. I kept noticing that he was a bit different. At the recieving line, I said hello and he replied, but in an odd way. He seemed very withdrawn and inward focused.

It then dawned on me that this guy probably has Aspergers or Autism.

A little while later, I noticed while others were chatting, he was busy at work with a crossword puzzle the bride and groom had made for people. It was interesting, because I can remember doing that myself in the past.

I could be totally wrong, but I might have met a fellow alien. Don't know if I will meet him again, but I do wish him well.

What's Your Eucharistic Theology

I'm not that surprised:

Eucharistic theology created with QuizFarm.com

You scored as Calvin You are John Calvin. You seek to be faithful to Scripture, and to harmonize difficult sayings. You believe that in the Lord's Supper those who have faith are united to Christ, who is present spiritually, yet in a real way. Calvin 88% Zwingli 69% Orthodox 56% Luther 50% Catholic 19% Unitarian 0%

Ascension Day Sermon

Note: I'm at Montreat Conference Center in North Carolina for the Presbyterian Communicators Network Regional Conference. I was tapped to be the worship leader for the event. Wow, they trusted a Disciple to do their worship...

Anyway, it's been a good time. Here was the sermon I gave for the afternoon worship.

“Watch Me Pull A Rabbit Out of My Hat!”
Acts 1:1-11
May 1, 2008 (Ascension Day)
Montreat Conference Center
Presbyterian Communicators Network
Montreat, NC

For some reason, it took me a while to get to learn how to ride a bike without the training wheels. The first bike that I can remember was a green JC Penny bike with training wheels. My friend Quentin, who was younger than I was, had started riding without his training wheels and my mother thought it was about time for me to do the same.

So, she took off the wheels. I think she might have given me a push or something and I can remember pedaling and then falling down. Now, most mothers might have considered picking me up and starting over again. Not my mother. She went and sat down on the front porch and told me to try again. So I did, wondering what kind of mother would do this. I started pedaling and fell again. She didn't move. I tried again. Fell again. And again. And again. Mom just sat there and said try again.

After a while I started to pedal and pedal and pedal and I didn't fall down. I was estatic. I had finally learned to ride a bike without those training wheels.

At the time, I thought Mom was just being mean, but she was trying to help me to do this on my own and not expect that she was going to do it for me.

My experience learning to ride a bike is related to what we read in today's text from Acts. Today in the church calendar, is the Day of Ascension, the day Jesus concludes his earthly ministry and returns to heaven. He tells his disciples to stay in Jerusalem and wait for God's promise, to wait for the Holy Spirit.

The disciples, in a classic example of not listening, ask him if he is going to restore the kingdom of Israel. Jesus tells them not to worry about such things, but to know that they will be empowered by the Holy Spirit and will be his witnesses in Jerusalem until the ends of the earth.

For some reason, this scene is somewhat comical. Jesus is getting them ready for their own ministry, and they are wondering what he is going to do with the current political situation. It reminds me of a scene from the “Rocky and Bullwinkle Show,” where Bullwinkle tells Rocky that he's going to pull a rabbit out of hat. If you remember, he doesn't pull out a rabbit, but a lion. In some way, the disciples wanted Jesus to do things for them. They didn't get what was going on. Jesus' ministry was done, but the ministry wasn't done. It would carry on with the disciples, but they didn't see that. They were more interested in Jesus pulling a rabbit out of his hat, help them with their issues.

The thing is, the disciples aren't the only ones missing the boat. Sometimes God is speaking to us, right here and now and we fail to listen to what God has to say. We look at our shrinking churches, along with their shrinking budgets and wonder, what is God going to do about this.

I wonder at times, if God is looking at us and saying, “Don't worry about that. You will receive power from the Holy Spirit and you will be my witnesses, from Louisville, to Montreat to the ends of the earth.”

“And you will be my witnesses.” That's the theme of this conference. Jesus is telling his disciples and he is telling us today, that we are to tell the story, the story of salvation to the ends of the earth. Tell the story of a God of love, who came to earth to be one with us. Share that message, and share it again and again.

I sometimes think God gets the this whole new communications revolution better than we do. God wants to reach out into the world, making connections and telling encountering people along the way. I think sometimes the church wants to have a pair of soupcans connecting ourselves to God.

But the fact is, God wants us to connect with the world and tell the story. To do that, we have to be willing to let the Spirit lead us, to have an inquistive mind to see what God is up to in the wider world.

Whether we are communicators at the church, presbytery, synod or General Assembly level, this is our charge: to find out what God is up to in the world, to be empowered by the Spirit to tell the story of healing and love to a world that desparately needs to hear it.

Let me share an example. A middle aged man recently joined the congregation I attend in Minneapolis. Before he joined our church, he visited another congregation. It was not welcoming to him and the congregation's website had outdated information. He once invited his relatives to the church and found out that the worship time had moved but wasn't reflected on the church website. He came to an emptying church where no one welcomed him. He never returned.

That congregation was not empowered by the Spirit. They were offline, not connected to the wider world and seemingly not interested in seeing what God might be doing in this man's life.

It's hard to take those first steps out of our comfort zones. But we can take heart that the Spirit is with us, that God has not left us alone in the world. God is with us every step of the way in the same way God was with the disciples as they spread the Good News throughout the known world.

Looking back, I have to thank Mom for her “tough love” approach in regards to riding a bike. In the end, she was there and I wasn't alone as I struggled to ride without the aide of training wheels.

And so it is with God. When we communicate our story, THE story, God is with us, giving us power and taking us on an unimaginable journey.

I want to end with a hymn by the hymnwriter Brian Wren. I saw this hymn as we were preparing for worship this morning. It's called “Here Am I,” and it goes like this:

Here am I,
where underneath the bridges
in our winter cities
homeless people sleep.
Here am I,
where in decaying houses
little children shiver,
crying at the cold.
Where are you?

Here am I,
with people in the line-up,
anxious for a handout,
aching for a job.
Here am I,
where pensioners and strikers
sing and march together,
wanting something new.
Where are you?

Here am I,
where two or three are gathered,
ready to be altered,
sharing wine and bread,
Here am I,
where those who hear the preaching
change their way of living,
find the way to life.
Where are you?

Where are we? Are we still looking up wondering where Jesus is going or are we seeing where God is at work in the world?

So, don't look up like the disciples, as Jesus dissappears. Look around you and see where God is acting in the world. Amen.

Note: The photo above is of Lake Susan at Montreat. Taken by my cell phone camera.

Aspergers: My View

A few days ago, I asked some friends what they might see in me in regard to Aspergers. Now, it's my turn.

• Not pick up on social cues and lack inborn social skills, such as being able to read others' body language, start or maintain a conversation, and take turns talking.

Well, that true. I've never been good at things like small talk. I remember one time I tried to "break the ice" with a new roomate by asking about his position on abortion. Don't get me started with flirting. It didn't make sense. I still don't get it that much. Kinda surprised I even got dates.

• Dislike any changes in routines.

Nope. Hate changes. Hate them. I have my routines and it just seems odd when they are skipped.

• Appear to lack empathy.

True. On 9/11, I appeared somewhat unconcerned ( I was though).

• Be unable to recognize subtle differences in speech tone, pitch, and accent that alter the meaning of others' speech. Thus, your child may not understand a joke or may take a sarcastic comment literally. Likewise, his or her speech may be flat and difficult to understand because it lacks tone, pitch, and accent.

I was the kid that couldn't get a joke and yes, I did believe gullible wasn't in the dictionary.

• Have a formal style of speaking that is advanced for his or her age. For example, the child may use the term "beckon" instead of "call," or "return" instead of "come back."

Yeah, I've always seemed to have an advanced vocabulary. I'm not trying to put on airs, it's just the word that comes to mind.

• Avoid eye contact.

I don't know if this one was ever true. I will have to ask Mom and Dad.

• Have unusual facial expressions or postures.

I don't know if this counts, but I have the habit of entering a room where someone is doing something and not say anything until they notice me. That bothered one the pastors I worked for. I didn't understand why and still don't.

• Be preoccupied with only one or few interests, which he or she may be very knowledgeable about. Many children with Asperger's syndrome are overly interested in parts of a whole or in unusual activities, such as doing intricate jigsaw puzzles, designing houses, drawing highly detailed scenes, or astronomy.²

When I was a kid, I "doodle" in church. Except it was drawing intricate intersections of streets, freeway systems and so forth. I also had this odd fascination with travel guides and would endlessly look them over and even create a few of my own of made-up cities with fake hotels and all that.

• Talk a lot, usually about a favorite subject. One-sided conversations are common. Internal thoughts are often verbalized.

Don't know if this has ever happened.

• Have delayed motor development. Your child may be late in learning to use a fork or spoon, ride a bike, or catch a ball. He or she may have an awkward walk. Handwriting is often poor.

I think I was a bit late in riding a bike without training wheels and I know I had a dickens of a time trying to tie my shoe.

• Have heightened sensitivity and become overstimulated by loud noises, lights, or strong tastes or textures. For more information about these symptoms, see sensory integration dysfunction.

Sometimes, I can be overstimulated by the drone of noise in a room. Certain lights can drive me nuts.

So that's what I am seeing. I have more to say on why I think this might have affected my ministry.

The Defacto Pastor

The last few months at church have been interesting. The congregation has finally put together a search and call committee. In the interim period, I and the associate pastor have been doing some of the pastoral duties. For the most part, she has done the lion's share since she is on staff, but I have also been called on as well. Sometimes, it's been pastoral visits, other times, it's been to help a needy person who stops by the church.

Last night, a new member of the congregation invited me and the associate (and our spouses) to dinner. At some point he said something that said he looked to the both of us as his pastors.

It's all interesting.

I reminds me of something I wrote a month ago (not here). I wanted to share it now.

Today, was an odd day in that I kept dealing with stuff concerning ministry and for once none of it sucked.

First, I met up with Amy, a young UCC pastor that is interested in Young Adult Ministry. She has this plan for some kind Young Adult thang, and it seems interesting. What's interesting is that she wants to have something that is basically a young adult thing that would provide some structure to those on the outside, but would allow them to keep going to existing churches. It's an interesting idea. But she isn't interested in doing something like a new church because it's too risky and she needs something that will pay the bills when her husband leaves his job for a PhD program. But the thing that I see is this: if most of the kids aren't going to church anyway, will they want to come to this group? I don't know, I am still listening to see what will come of it, but I am a bit skeptical of the whole thing. I just feel that part of this is trying to fit something that will allow her to have a call and this on the side....



Then finally, Community of Grace. A few days ago, I got an email from someone looking for info about the church, and I had to tell them it didn't exist anymore. I've never took down the website, which is something I should have done long ago. I don't know why I haven't. Maybe I don't want to admit that it's over and done. Or maybe the story isn't done. I don't know. I can say that at times it feels like Community of Grace was left undone. I've also started to think that part of its failure might not have been because of me, but because of some other issues.

I'm not saying I want to go back to doing what I did three years ago. That phase is over and done. But could something new come from the ashes? I don't know. I don't even know if I am making sense.

The journey still continues. At least now, I am starting to enjoy the journey and not looking so much at the destination.

I'm glad I was reminded of that. Most of what I said here a month ago is still true. There are times that the journey is incredibly frustrating, and at times I wonder if this pastor-thing was such a good idea. But there are some interesting things happening along the way. The journey is more important than the destination, but I would like to be able to stop in a nice town along the way.

Is Anybody Out There?

So, I still kind of praying about restarting Community of Grace.

Sort of.

I say sort of, because I have never been able to concentrate and pray. I start praying and then my mind races. Actually, my mind is always racing-hither and yon to distant thoughts and back again. But, I am trying to pray and seek guidance from God. I'm trying to find out if this is what I should do or seek some other way to do ministry.

So far, the signs aren't positive.

I've spread the word off and on about my plans and have heard nothing back from people who might be interested.

And then there is the nagging feeling that maybe leading something like this is not something I can do. I don't know if I have the skillset to be a solo pastor. I'm a better associate or team pastor than anything else. But those are few and far between.

I've been told that God is going to do something soon, that this moment is but a resting period. I guess I want to believe that, but part of me even wonders if I am called to ministry.

But enough self-pity. I just wish God said something once in a while. I am listening, you know.

Sunday Sermon-April 27, 2008

“The Cross and the Lotus Flower”
Acts 17:22-31, John 14:15-21
April 27, 2008 (Sixth Sunday of Easter)
Lake Harriet Christian Church
Minneapolis, MN

I'm not a man of many words. I think I've inherited that from my dad. Mix in the fact that I went to college to be become a journalist, that means that I'm really a man of few words.

If I could sum up what the sermon today is about in less than five words, it would be this: spend time at Starbucks.

That's what this sermon is all about: getting out of the walls the church and spending time at the ubiquitous coffee chain, or some other coffeehouse. Why? Because that's where God is.

Let me explain. To do that, I have to go back to my trip to Hong Kong and mainland China when I was in seminary. While in Hong Kong, we stayed at the local Lutheran seminary. Next to the seminary, was an institute that dealt with how Christians could best engage the wider culture. In the chapel of this institute, was a cross. The thing is, it wasn't like any cross I had ever seen before. At the base of the cross was what looked like flower petals branching out from several directions. I learned that these were in fact petals and they were the lotus flower, a symbol of Buddhism. It is the symbol of enlightenment. In the middle of this flower is the cross, the main symbol of Christianity. This Buddhist-Christian cross was fascinating to me in that it conveyed several different meanings. One the one hand, it was showing the engagement of Christians in a culture that was influenced primarily by Buddhism. On the other, it was showing how the two faiths were different; one showing the highest state as one of enlightenment, the other showing the supreme sacrifice and suffering.

As I've read the texts for this week, I was fascinated by the passage from Acts. The Apostle Paul's discourse with the intellectuals in Athens, has always appealed to me because here was Paul trying to explain his faith with knowledge and respect of the culture he was in, and also sharing God's message to these men on Mars Hill. I kept wondering what these passages were saying to this faith community now. I kept wondering and wondering and wondering.

And then I came upon Starbucks. I was reading a pastors blog that had something about the coffeehouse giant and it something made sense. Our Mars Hills of today are in the coffeehouses.

Maybe it's a thing for my generation, but I spend time in coffeehouses. I get my Venti coffee of the day (with room for cream) before work. When I write my sermon, I usually do it at the coffeehouse nearby the church. I've also been known to meet friends there and catch up on their lives.

In the book of Acts, Paul goes from city to city in the Roman Empire to share the message of Christ. When he comes to Athens, he is given the chance to speak about this strange religion. He does in the public meeting place of his day. He speaks about how God initmately involved in creation and about a God that came in the form of man, lived, died and rose again. We didn't read this part of the passage, but it says that a few people sneered at what Paul had to say, while some believed.

So what's the point of this passage? Well, it has a lot to say about the church. Many of you here this morning who are long time members are wondering and longing for the days when the pews were full. I can tell you that there are many churches in the same position- they are dealing with dwindling church attendance and longing for the days when the churches were full of people. We want to know what we can do to turn things around. And we all think this way.

The thing is, we haven't realized or we are only just now figuring it out, that the culture around us has changed. Fifty years ago, we were a culture where Christianity was synonymous with being an American. Sunday was truly a holy day in that nothing was open. People went to church because that was what you did.

Somewhere along the way, things changed. The culture is not as predominantly Christian as it once was. Not everyone knows the old Bible stories. People have other things to do on Sundays than going to church. And many churches are wondering what to do in this changing culture.

It might be that the key of what to do lies in this text. It's something that in some cases, we have forgotten to do: go out into the world and share the message of Christ. Paul isn't waiting for people to come to him, he is going out to meet people. He tells the people of Athens that God created the world and everything in it, a God that claims us as God's children.

Paul isn't doing this in a chauvanistic way preaching the gospel and not respecting the culture around him. Sadly Christianity has a history of doing that. But he is well versed in the culture and uses points along the way to link it to his faith and persuade those gathered to consider another way- the way of Christ.

So, what would happen if we decided to actually engage the culture around us? What if we were willing to share about the God in whom we live and have our being in our places of work and in our social places? What if we went to where people are hurting- places where people are dealing with lack of food or housing and help them pursue those things in Christ's name?

That is what Paul's discussion on Mars Hill is all about. It's about getting out of our pews and sharing Christ's message with others by living our lives, by being Christ followers.

But to do that, we have to be empowered by the Spirit. In today's gospel, Jesus tells his disciples (and he tells us today) that we will not be left along. The Holy Spirit, our Advocate will come and be with us forever. If you read the book of Acts, you notice that more often than not, the Holy Spirit is the prime mover. It is the Spirit that is directing people hither and yon, preaching the good news of Jesus.

It was the Spirit that empowered Paul to share his message in Athens. He was open to God's leading and went where the Spirit lead.

And we today are called to do the same. We are to live a life filled in the Spirit , open to seeing where God leads us. The thing is, we might be surprised where God is taking us.

My friends, the church isn't a place we come to- we are the church and we are called to be church to a hurting world. I know that we worry about the church building and how best to keep it going when our budget is tight. I'm not saying we shouldn't be concerned about those things. But we need to not get the church building confused with the church. In many ways, we have forgotten what it means to be church. Our energies have been focused on soley keeping a building going, and not on being a gathered community that worships, prays and goes out into the daily, work-a-day world and be Christ to our friends and neighbors.

That's why I talked about Starbucks. When I go to coffeehouses, I see this is a place where people are social and talk about life. Shouldn't we be where life is happening, and sharing Christ? I don't mean that we hit people over the heads with Bibles, or tell them they are going to hell if they don't accept Jesus, I am saying that we share who we are as followers of Christ and love them as Christ love them.

So dear church. Get out of here. Go into the coffeehouses, bowling alleys, diners, cubicles and engage the culture around you. Be the church to those around you, friends and strangers, black and white, straight and gay. Know that your friend, the Spirit is with you, always. Amen.

Note: I couldn't find a picture of that cross, but this bell outside the chapel is close enough.

With A Little Help From My Friends

I've been asking two good friends of mine if they have observed any traits of Aspergers. I first asked my friend (and former boyfriend) Erik. Using the symptoms on WebMD he saw these things in me (in bold):

• Not pick up on social cues and lack inborn social skills, such as being able to read others' body language, start or maintain a conversation, and take turns talking.
• Dislike any changes in routines.
  

• Appear to lack empathy.
• Be unable to recognize subtle differences in speech tone, pitch, and accent that alter the meaning of others' speech. Thus, your child may not understand a joke or may take a sarcastic comment literally. Likewise, his or her speech may be flat and difficult to understand because it lacks tone, pitch, and accent.

• Have a formal style of speaking that is advanced for his or her age. For example, the child may use the term "beckon" instead of "call," or "return" instead of "come back."
• Avoid eye contact.
• Have unusual facial expressions or postures.
• Be preoccupied with only one or few interests, which he or she may be very knowledgeable about. Many children with Asperger's syndrome are overly interested in parts of a whole or in unusual activities, such as doing intricate jigsaw puzzles, designing houses, drawing highly detailed scenes, or astronomy.²
• Talk a lot, usually about a favorite subject. One-sided conversations are common. Internal thoughts are often verbalized.
• Have delayed motor development. Your child may be late in learning to use a fork or spoon, ride a bike, or catch a ball. He or she may have an awkward walk. Handwriting is often poor.
• Have heightened sensitivity and become overstimulated by loud noises, lights, or strong tastes or textures. For more information about these symptoms, see sensory integration dysfunction.

I then asked his partner Scott. He noticed these (again, using WebMD):

• Not pick up on social cues and lack inborn social skills, such as being able to read others' body language, start or maintain a conversation, and take turns talking.
• Dislike any changes in routines.
• Appear to lack empathy.
• Be unable to recognize subtle differences in speech tone, pitch, and accent that alter the meaning of others’ speech. Thus, your child may not understand a joke or may take a sarcastic comment literally. Likewise, his or her speech may be flat and difficult to understand because it lacks tone, pitch, and accent.
• Have a formal style of speaking that is advanced for his or her age. For example, the child may use the term "beckon" instead of "call," or "return" instead of "come back."
• Avoid eye contact.
• Have unusual facial expressions or postures.
• Be preoccupied with only one or few interests, which he or she may be very knowledgeable about. Many children with Asperger's syndrome are overly interested in parts of a whole or in unusual activities, such as doing intricate jigsaw puzzles, designing houses, drawing highly detailed scenes, or astronomy.2
• Talk a lot, usually about a favorite subject. One-sided conversations are common. Internal thoughts are often verbalized.
• Have delayed motor development. Your child may be late in learning to use a fork or spoon, ride a bike, or catch a ball. He or she may have an awkward walk. Handwriting is often poor.
• Have heightened sensitivity and become overstimulated by loud noises, lights, or strong tastes or textures. For more information about these symptoms, see sensory integration dysfunction.

Then I showed Erik the DSM definition. This is what he picked up:
(I) Qualitative impairment in social interaction, as manifested by at least two of the following:

(A) marked impairments in the use of multiple nonverbal behaviors such as eye-to-eye gaze, facial expression, body posture, and gestures to regulate social interaction
(B) failure to develop peer relationships appropriate to developmental level
(C) a lack of spontaneous seeking to share enjoyment, interest or achievements with other people, (e.g.. by a lack of showing, bringing, or pointing out objects of interest to other people)
(D) lack of social or emotional reciprocity

(II) Restricted repetitive & stereotyped patterns of behavior, interests and activities, as manifested by at least one of the following:

(A) encompassing preoccupation with one or more stereotyped and restricted patterns of interest that is abnormal either in intensity or focus
(B) apparently inflexible adherence to specific, nonfunctional routines or rituals
(C) stereotyped and repetitive motor mannerisms (e.g. hand or finger flapping or twisting, or complex whole-body movements)
(D) persistent preoccupation with parts of objects

(III) The disturbance causes clinically significant impairments in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning.


So, at least from two people who know me well a picture emerges. There is nothing definitive here, but there is proof it isn't all in my head.

What's the Matter With Prayer?

Jim Bonewald points to another blogger called Internet Monk who is talking about the nature of prayer and the "fixer God." He critiques the nature of prayers from many in evangelical culture that tends to be nothing making God and Jesus a "protection racket." He writes:

It seems to me that a lot of evangelicals have a religious experience that basically amounts to a kind of protection racket; a Christianized version of paganism, where you beg the gods to keep bad things from happening to you and work out your problems.

Those prayer requests are full to overflowing with directions to God to stop the bad that hasn’t happened and solve the results of the bad that has.

He continues:

So I’m having trouble joining in with prayers for God to protect various people from various things, or prayers asking God to straighten out all kinds of problems which I suppose he could have stopped from happening anyway.

In my desire to have a Christ-shaped spirituality, I’m convinced that Jesus didn’t offer his services to “protect” his disciples from bad things. He seems pretty clear that all kinds of bad things are going to happen to them, and he’ll work with whatever comes along.

His response? It's this:

I believe we can pray for God’s revealed kingdom purposes. I believe we can pray boldly for all things related to the Gospel. But that Mrs. Smith’s niece will make a better choice in a boyfriend? I don’t thin he’s that kind of God.

I’ve sat in the chair where I am typing this and I have cried like a little child praying for God to intervene in situations and to stop bad things from happening.

The result? Lots of bad things have happened, but I am trusting Christ in the midst of them more. Some things have changed in a way I can praise God for, but mostly God seems to be going about his business and I’m not really getting to make suggestions.

Robert Capon says that God is sovereign, but most of the time he runs the world in a way that looks like he’s not. That’s precisely my experience. I can call upon God for people to be healed, Christians to have their “needs” met and unbelievers to hear/believe/trust the Gospel.

I can’t ask for God’s protection and expect that bad things that happen to other people won’t happen to me. I can’t ask for God to straighten out messes in a miraculous way and still honestly say I believe what scripture says about what it means to follow Christ in my life.

Jesus doesn’t run a protection racket, and he isn’t a rescue squad. He gives meaning to suffering and shows us the way of kingdom repentance and the cross. That’s where I am these days. I don’t want to tell unbelievers that God works things out for me because I’m on his team.

There is a lot of truth to what he says, but I also think there is some danger as well. In my own "all of evangelicalism is bad" phase about a decade and a half ago, I was wary of asking God for every little thing. The result was that I really didn't pray as much at all. At some point, if God isn't concerned with our piddly little issues, then it makes no sense to even talk to God.

I'm not saying that God will protect us from every bad thing in the world. We know that doesn't happen. Many people pray for healing from illnesses and they don't get healed and die. God isn't a magician, nor is God Superman.

That said, I would still advise people to pray for protection or healing or what have you. Not because God will heal people, or grant them safe travel, but because we believe in God that cares for us and is with us. I pray because I believe in a God that is able to work in our lives. None of this means, God is going to be at our beck and call. God is God and will do what God will do. But I think that we can ask that because we are in a relationship with God.

The thing is, even when God doesn't answer our prayers, it does as the Monk says, change us. Prayer is a two way street, you know. God is not simply there to take our orders but to speak with us as well.

I remember when I was doing my Clinical Pastoral Education. I did that at a nursing home. One of the first things I did was meet a family where the husband was dealing with brain cancer. He was in bad shape, but the mother and the children believed God would heal him. I prayed very carefully. I knew that God probably wouldn't heal him. So I kind of prayed around the issue. Looking back, I wonder if I should have prayed for healing, not that God would reverse his cancer, but believing in a God that could do that and if it doesn't happen, knowing that God can bring comfort to the person and the family.

Every Wednesday at Lake Harriet, the Associate Pastor gathers a small people for song and prayer. We have prayed for healing of people riddled with illness who ended up dying. We also pray for those who are in Iraq or getting ready to go. Will they be protected by God? I don't know. But I think we pray for this anyway and if God forbids, the worse happens, we know that God is there with us still.

In the end, the praying is not about getting things, but about a relationship. And that's what matters to me.

The Old Man and the Blog

As most of you know, I am the IT/Communications person for the Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area. We've been working with Interim Executive Presbyters for a few years while the Presbytery decides what is happening next and find a new, permanent Executive Presbyter. In February, Bob Cuthill became the new Interim EP. Bob is a retired Presbyterian pastor who has been in the ministry in one for or another for 53 years.
One day during a meeting, our 78-year-old Executive asked me if he could have a blog set up for him.

I about fainted.

I mean, first, it's amazing that a man who is almost 80 has even heard of a blog and second that he wants to use one!

But Bob never ceases to amaze me. He wanted some way to communicate with people in the Presbytery and creating a blog was the best way in his view.

So, I went about getting him set up and it is now online. It's called "Bob's EPSpace." It's a good read. It's not the same blog that a teen would write or even someone my age; but instead it is the look inside a the mind (and soul)of man who has lived life and how he has been faithful to God all that time.

You really are never too old to learn.

Here I Am, Lord

Yesterday, I attended the ordination of a fellow pastor. I'm glad I did go, but I was tempted not to go. In the end, I did and I'm glad I did, but the whole experience left me with questions about finding my own call.

The person in question is currently the pastor of a church south of the Twin Cities. There was part of me that felt a bit down on myself- the fact that six years after ordination, all I have to show for it is a lot of failure.

Of course, that isn't all true. Even though Community of Grace closed, it still made a difference in people's lives. But there is still that persistent feeling of not living up to expectations, of feeling that I have been a grave dissapointment.

In many ways, I am still trying to figure out my calling. I feel like I'm flailing and trying to find out, but nothing has been made clear.

Despite all these feelings, I put on my robe and sat with all the other ministers and laid hands on the ordinand. It felt good to do that, even though the way for me has been murky and unclear.

We sang the usual song of call, "Here I Am." It's a moving song and I believe we sang it at my ordination. In the year since Community of Grace closed, I feel that I am still saying that to God and wondering if God has anything in store for me yet. I just hope there is room in God's kingdom for someone as messed up as myself to work in the fields.

Here I am, Lord.

Lars and the Real Girl

Jim Bonewald, a Presbyterian pastor in Iowa has a review of the movie "Lars and the Real Girl," which came out last fall. It's a wonderful movie about community and welcome. Catch it on DVD if you can.

Two More Asperger's Tests

Your Aspie score: 148 of 200
Your neurotypical (non-autistic) score: 59 of 200
AQ-score: 37 of 50


You are very likely an Aspie

Church 2.0

I volunteered to write the lead article for the April issue of the Visitor, the newsletter for Lake Harriet Christian Church. I also used it as the basis of last week's sermon. Enjoy.

Ever since I was a kid, I've been an information geek.

It all started when I was about eleven and decided to start my own newspaper. So, I wrote some articles and presented it to my teacher which then published my newspaper. I was so proud of being able to get the word out.

That love of information and journalism stayed with me throughout grade school and high school and into college, where I graduated with a degree in journalism from Michigan State University.

When I entered seminary, I thought that maybe my dream of being a star journalist were over. Little did I know that I would find something that would meld my love of the church with my love for information.

When I am not preaching, I work full-time as the IT/Communications Specialist for the Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area, where I keep their webpage up to date and put together to presbytery newsletter. This is the best job I have ever had. I get to write, design webpages, work on blogs and social networking sites like Facebook and the like.

During the year that I've been in this position, I've started to think a lot about the changes in technology and how we communicate and how this all relates to the church. (Note: I might start drifting into “techspeak” so just bear with me. I think you will understand where I am going.)

One of the things I am learning about is something called “Web 2.0.” You are probably wondering what was “Web 1.0,” huh? Well, when the internet first came online, you had websites, but those sites were kind of static. They presented the information they were designed to present, but they didn't do much more than that. The person looking at the page couldn't do anything to the website other than look at it.

Then, Web 2.0 came along. Web 2.0 is different in that the websites are more interactive. Now, someone who didn't create the site can change it by adding something to it. If you here someone talking about “blogs” or looking up something on Wikipedia, or if your grandson is talking about their Facebook page, well, you've encountered Web 2.0.

Web 2.0 has really changed the internet, in that now anyone can become an editor. If someone has a concern about an issue, they can write about it on their blog or create a podcast, or post a video on YouTube. For better or for worse, Web 2.0 has democratized the Internet allow the common person the power of a web developer.

Web 2.0 is affecting the church, but I don't want to get into how churches can adapt to Web 2.0 as much as I do about how churches must become Church 2.0.

The church of 2008 isn't the church of 1958. Culture has changed dramatically in those intervening 50 years. Back then, we lived in a culture that was at least nominally Christian and where going to church was the social thing to do.

That was Church 1.0. But times have changed. We are a more diverse society in many ways, including religion. The Church finds itself in a culture where the church is but one option among many for people. So, it's time for the church to allow the Holy Spirit to do an upgrade.

In Church 1.0, the church was the place to be. The church offered programs for children and a social outlet for adults. Church 2.0 is not a social outlet but more of a sanctuary, a place of mystery and community, a place that is somewhat different from the outside world.

In Church 1.0 the pastor was the “expert” that ran programs and was the person in charge. Leadership was top down. In Church 2.0, the pastor is a facilitator, one that empowers the church to do its mission.

In Church 1.0, the church was ruled by reason. Rituals such as communion are played down, while the sermon is lifted up.

In Church 2.0, mystery takes more a center state. Reason hasn't left the church, but now dances with mystery, church becomes a place where the mind and heart are fed.

In Church 1.0, mission was a program of the church. The church was focused more on itself than on the outside world.

In Church 2.0, mission is the church. The church is focused outward towards the needs of the neighbor.

I could go on, but I think you get the point.

In the past year, I've seen Lake Harriet make steps from becoming more a Church 2.0 kind of place. I've seen the people come together and shine. I've seen a deeper spirituality take hold. The Holy Spirit is truly working on this community on 50^th and Beard, giving us an upgrade like we've never seen.

The process is still taking place and the Spirit is still moving. Lake Harriet is on it's way to becoming a Church 2.0 congregation and I am enjoying the journey. We are truly an Easter People...in 21^st century kind of way.

Christ is Risen! He is Risen Indeed! Alleluia!

-Rev. Dennis Sanders

Postscript: In November of last year, the magazine Presbyterian Outlook did an issue on "Church 2.0." Here is a commentary by the editor, Jack Harberer.

Place in this World

Who would have ever thought I'd be relating to a Michael W. Smith song?

Today has been a rough day emotionally. I think it's because I don't know my place, my calling as a pastor. I know that I am not going to fit into the usual molds.

I've been doing a lot of discernment and also thinking back over the last six years and how what very well could be Aspergers has affected my ministry. I know that came out wrong. I'm not trying to blame my supposed condition, I just think that if it is true, then my navigating in a culture like church where there are so many emotional cues has been difficult and could be the reason I have had some issues.

The problem is that churches are places that thrive on what is unspoken. They also thrive on social interaction, something that I have had a hard time figuring out. And yet, I feel called to this.

The thing is, I think that I am good at being a pastor, but not the kind of pastor that people expect. I can preach well. I love planning worship services. I love coordinating things like mission events. I can see the church as a mechanism or organism that can be improved.

The downsides is that too often, I have said what I felt or just done something without realizing that there are proper channels (that are unspoken, of course).

Which is why I don't think I could ever be a Senior or solo pastor. I don't have the skills needed. The funny thing is that I love all the admin stuff. If a church needed a pastor that handled Administration stuff, I would love it. But you need to have a large church for that, probably.

At some point I will probably meeting with a pastoral career counselor to plot out my course. I will do this after I have the test to find out if I have Aspergers (which is in mid-May). Maybe then I can figure out what the hell I want to be when I grow up.

Sunday Sermon- April 13, 2008

“The Interactive Church”
Acts 2:42-47, John 10:1-10
April 13, 2008 (Good Shepherd Sunday)
Lake Harriet Christian Church
Minneapolis, MN

I'll admit it; I'm a geek.

Some of you know I wrote the main article in this month's church newsletter. It's called “Church 2.0.” I talked about how my job as a communications specialist for the Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area has used my knowledge of blogs, social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace has changed how we communicate with each other.

I've been working with blogs and social networking sites for several years and they have helped me create new relationships that would have been impossible in the past. I've made true friendships over the Internet with people from across the nation. Heck, I even met my partner Daniel through an online dating service.

What I find interesting is how this information revolution is changing society and what clues it has for the church, especially the mainline church and specifically, Lake Harriet. As I just said, this brave new world of blogs, podcasts and interactive web pages, is forming relationships where none might have ever existed. I am reminded that Tammy Rottschafer the Associate Pastor here at Lake Harriet has reminded me over and over that being church is about relationships. God may just well be calling us as a faith community to be more of an “interactive church,” a place that connects and relates with each other, with the outside world, and with God.

In the Second chapter of Acts, we are given a brief description of the nacsent church. It was just after the day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit came down upon the disciples as flames of fire. Peter testified about Jesus and the scripture says 3,000 joined this new community that day. The passage that was read today, is about the day-to-day life of the church after that day. It's a short passage, but I think it packs a wallop. The devoted themselves to the teaching of the apostles, to fellowship, they held all things in common and helped those in need, the broke bread together, had glad and generous hearts and praised God. The result of all this is that their community grew daily.

While this all happened long ago, I see a lot of today in this passage. This is a church that is interactive. Like working on a weblog, there are people relating to each other. This passage isn't telling us that we need to be exactly like this church, but it does describe what the church should be about.

The church is called to be a place where we are devoted to learn to be a follower of Christ. The church is a place where we have fellowship with each other, where we care and love each other. The church is a place where we realize that our material possessions are not the goal in our lives, but to use what we have to help those in need, especially those in our community, but also those outside of it. The church is a place where we come together and break bread in table fellowship together, realizing that it is Christ that calls us to the table regardless of who we are. The church is a place where we are happy in Christ and are generous to friends and strangers.

Notice it doesn't say that a church needs to have a pastor that will bring in more people, or have an awesome sound system, or a brand spanking new building. What IS needed is a visible faith community living in the light of Christ.

You know, as compact as this passage is: being a journalist by training, I could sum this up in about five words: “the church is about hospitality.”

If you read this passage over and over, what becomes apparent is that this new church was a place where people where caring to each other and to strangers. They fellowshipped, they broke bread together, they helped each other. They were caring with each other and people noticed. That's why their community grew and grew.

As many of you know, I was the pastor of a new church for several years. It ended up closing or as I like to say, it was shelved for the time being. For a long time, I was lead to believe that to be a growing church, you needed to do things that would attract people. So, we had these innovative services that were supposed to pack them in and it didn't. I remember wondering what I had done wrong. We were an open and affirming community, meaning we were openly welcoming of gays and lesbians, and yet that didn't do a lot to bring people in.

What I learned from that experience is that I failed to really have relationships with people. For many people who had been burned by the church because of their sexual orientation, it didn't really matter if we were Open and Affirming if we didn't have relationships and chats over coffee with gay and lesbians and be Christ to them.

This church is going through change and getting ready to start a new journey as a church. I don't know if I am in a position to offer words of advice, but I will any way. Remember that being church is not about having some hotshot pastor or big programs. It's about relationships, it's about hospitality. It's about what we do during prayer time here and on Wednesday evenings, when we pray for our friends here in church and around the world. It's when we give flowers on the table to someone in the hospital or a stranger as a sign of friendship. It's when we pack food packets that go to feed the hungry. It's when we welcome people regardless of sexual orientation even if we don't understand it all. It's about developing relationships with those who cross our path and showing them Christ in our lives, not to convert them (the Holy Spirit does that), but to be a living witness of who Christ is.

Today is what has generally been called Good Shepherd Sunday. We read from John 10 where Jesus refers to himself as the Good Shepherd. We read from Psalm 23 which talks about God being our Shepherd that is always with us. In the past, I always looked at this passage as being about God being the shepherd and that we sheep are to be good followers. But I now see it as God in relation with God's church. God cares for us and looks after us in ways we can't imagine, because God is in love with us; God has a relationship with us. As a community that is loved by the God of the universe, we are called to care for one another- not because it's something we have to do, but because it's who we are. And when people see us living as a Christ-led, hospitable community, they will take notice.
The response we sang during the call to worship is by the hymnwriter, Marty Haugen. The song is called “Shepherd Me, O God.” The refrain says, “Shepherd me, O God; beyond my faults, beyond my needs, from death into life.”

Lake Harriet has some experience with death, with dying to old ways and to what we once were. In fact, many might even feel like we are dying now. But this song should be our prayer: that God will lead us, beyond our faults and needs from death into being the Easter people that we are.

Take heart, my friends. Know that God is with you, raising us up from death into life. And along the way, make friends, be hospitable and welcome everyone, everyone to this Table. Thanks be to God. Amen.

A Quiz

I took a quiz concerning Asperger's. Out of a possible 50, I scored a 39. I guess anything above 32 is considered Aspergers.

Of course, it is just more for fun than anything and I will be seeing a professional in a month to be tested. But it does give some more clues...

The Alien Pastor

While doing all this research on Asperger's, I stumbled across this quote by Temple Grandin that seems to describe and my realtion with the church to a T:

What would happen if the autism gene was eliminated from the gene pool?

You would have a bunch of people standing around in a cave, chatting and socializing and not getting anything done.

That SO sounds like me. I feel like many people in the church are interested in maintainence. They want their pastors to take care of them, provide programs and services and basically keep the church open. In some way, that makes sense, but I am constantly interested in improving the church, to see where the church isn't. For example, I've always been interested in planting churches, but I am in a culture where few have a similar passion and are more interested in maintaining their current churches. Again, not a bad thing, but I am more interested in trying to do new things. What's cool about my job with the Presbyterians is that I am always doing new things and "building a better mousetrap." But sometimes I don't think that sense of innovation is welcomed in the church. I think many in the church like conformity and stability and that makes it hard for innovators.

I think I would be open to planting a new church if I could find another innovator. Maybe I need to find another person that might have Asperger's, since we seem more interested in making something better than trying to be socialable.

Of course, you need people who are socialble. If it were up to "aspies" if that's what I am, then the church might be innovative, but not welcoming. What's frustrating is that the church is tipped for the most part to those that are more interested in maintaining the institution instead of having a missional mindset.

It really makes one feel that you are an alien pastor in the church.