Reclaiming The F Word

(Un)Holy Redundancy?

What percentage of our churches TALKED about the Holy Spirit this past weekend, in celebration of Pentecost Sunday, without actually EXPERIENCING Holy Spirit power? I have no idea but I'd guess a fairly big one.

How come?

Go Speed Racer, Go

OK I admit it: I went to see Speed Racer on opening day. This is a picture of me (on crutches - don't ask!) wearing my Pitt Pass, waiting to get in.

An Evangelical Manifesto

The big news coming out of the religious world this week is the release of An Evangelical Manifesto, signed by 70 Evangelical leaders (i.e., seminary professors, pastors, directors of parachurch organizations) in Washington D.C. yesterday. As I read the 20 page document this morning, I found myself saying "Amen" again and again. Unfortunately, in the end, this document left me feeling sad and a little frustrated.

Law & Gospel

I'm attending the annual assembly of the Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod of the ELCA (where lots of cool stuff is happening) this weekend. In the bishop's report, she introduced us to the confirmation class of Temple Lutheran Church in Havertown, PA. Their "Law & Order" parody gives a funny take on the ten commandments. It's a little long but it gave me a smile. It might give you one, too, on this Saturday morning. Enjoy!

u no who u r

The sound guys - and everybody else connected with leading worship at the last congregation I served as pastor - used to get together after the Saturday night worship service and debrief. Nothing was sacred. We critiqued the amount of reverb in the room, the tempo of the music, the flow of the liturgy, the content and tone of the sermon. (i.e., "Hey Kelly that story you told about how the guy was eating nachos at the game - it didn't work for me - I think you should say 'hot dogs' - more people eat hot dogs.") It was all up for grabs because we were all committed to making sure nothing got in the way of Jesus coming to people. It also helped create a level playing field. Jesus was Lord in that congregation, at least back then. Not the pastor or the sound guy or the crabbiest person in the room. But even I never imagined the kind of immediate, broad based feedback that has become possible now that everybody knows how to send text messages.

Taking The "Other 6" Seriously

Nothing will happen in our congregations until it first happens in "me." That means reclaiming the f word isn't just a corporate or congregational thing. It's a personal thing. And so I'm pretty interested in anything that helps bring home the message that to be a Christian is to participate in what God is up to in the world...in MY world...in my home, my work, my school, my everyday life.

Three Cheers for a Quixotic Church

I spent this past weekend in Daphin, a little town in the Manitoba Northern Ontario Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada. Dauphin is about a four hour drive from Winnipeg, through some of the flattest terrain I've ever seen. The purpose of this adventure was to present a day long "renewal event" for congregational leaders who had gathered for a rather quixotic synod convention.

Schmoozing 101

OK so I am pretty opinionated when it comes to what churches need to do, be, change for the sake of renewal. If I didn't have such a winning personality, I'd probably be annoying. Even more often.

Take That, Your Holiness

As Pope Benedict XVI heads back to Rome and the media bubble bath he received quietly swirls away, Roman Catholic reporter Tim Padgett, over at Time, reflects on some of the reasons he and others remain Catholic despite differences over church teaching and practice. It's not about "church" at all, Padgett says. It's about faith. Padgett addresses, for example, the pope's words chastising the "scandal" of American stubbornness on the issue of abortion:

Those Wacky Midwesterners

I spend so much time with people who basically know the mainline church is in deep do-do and needs to do something about it that I'm startled when I run into those who seem oblivious, which does in fact happen once in awhile. There really are people out there who think there's nothing wrong with continuing to do church like it's 1959.

They oughtta visit New Town, Missouri.