The Heart of a Pastor

Monday morning check-in

A friend of mine left me a message recently and commented that I must be experiencing some writers block due to the inactivity of new posts on my blog.  And he is partly right...but I have had some things brewing in my head these past couple days.  I just haven't been sure how to approach them.

What would I do?
One of the things I have been pondering is a recent story I heard on KARE 11 news out of Minneapolis.  It is about a Catholic Church in the cities that has gained a temporary injunction against a family, who has an extremely autistic child, from attending mass (Follow this link for the Star Tribune story).  On the surface it seems to contradict the essence of the Gospel to bar someone from attending worship/mass.  The Church has tried to accommodate the family better the family did not like the church's suggestion (having them in a different room with a video feed).  Now this family is faced with jail time if they violate the injunction, going to mass elsewhere or not attend mass at all.  I wonder if there is more this church could do.  I wonder what I would do to minister to this family.  What would you do (knowing the limited facts that we have)?

What WILL I do?
Starting this week, the ramp that leads up our sanctuary, is going to be torn out and replaced.  The time table is going to be anywhere from 1 to 2 months (depending on what they find underneath).  All of this means that we will be worshiping downstairs in the Fellowship Hall where there is a ground entrance (handicap accessible).  Otherwise, people would have to trek up stairs to get to the sanctuary and that won't work well with some people.  Now the question is how worship is going to look in a new location for a couple months.  What will I do?  My worship and music team is meeting today to discuss the logistics of leading worship downstairs.  One thought was to keep the tables up and make worship very "informal".  Maybe we'll have the coffee on and people can grab a cup before, during and after worship.  But I wonder if this will be too informal for people.

What I AM going to do.
This sounded like a logical and cute three heading to put here but I have learned from experience that the best plans often do not work out.  We make plans and God laughs.  So I am going to be careful here and say...what I AM going to do is...

...anyway...

Have a very blessed day and check back soon for a new meme that I have been tagged to do.  Take care.

-edh-

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian

This is a fun little quiz based on movie The Chronicles of Narnia.  Follow this link to take your own quiz and find out what character you are most like (my results are to the right):  http://www.jamiefrost.co.uk/narniaquiz/quiz.php?lang=

Just in case you have been living in a cave, the new Narnia movie, Prince Caspian is opening on Friday, May 16.  Salem and Our Savior's Lutheran Churches are planning a Prince Caspian event on June 1 at our local theater.  There will be door prizes and other drawings.  After the movie there will be a time for questions and discussion.  Our hope is that people will not get too anxious and go out of town to see the movie, but wait until June 1 (Disney won't let our local theater have the movie on opening day...I guess we are too small).  But as for the rest of you...go out and see this movie asap.  I have read the book and it is going to be a fun movie.

But I do have one request...please don't comment here anything about the movie before I have a chance to see it on June 1 :)

-edh-

My "job description"

I know there is a job description out there some place for me, but I haven't seen the "real one" for Salem Lutheran Church... 

...sure...my letter of call to Salem has a list of expectations but there are many more unmentioned expectations that are just assumed I already know.  It's the proverbial "small print" that some talk about.  As a pastor the obvious expectations are:  preaching, worship, pastoral care, teaching, youth ministry (depending on your particular setting), maybe some administration, meetings, etc.  Nobody would be surprised by any of those expectations. 

But there are other expectations (the small print ones) that are also expected:  "Official" prayer leader at any function you are happen to be at (whether at the church or not), dish washer, custodian, jungle gym for preschoolers, computer tech, ecumenical minister at the coffee shop (one of my favorites in this category), and...of course...anything else deemed necessary.  That "deemed necessary" phrase is a dangerous one but...for some strange reason...I don't seem to mind.

As Lutheran we talk a lot about vocation (no...not just what you do for a living).  Vocation is the place in life where you serve: father, mother, brother, sister, friend, husband, wife, pastor, teacher, banker, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, etc, etc...  We serve in any number of the previously mentioned and many more; one might say "the small print".  And...there are other vocations that we sometimes we forget about. 

Why am I mentioning this?  Today I was asked/volunteered to deliver a box of baby jars to Bible camp for craft projects.  I am going there in a couple weeks so that was not a problem.  In an email (where I was told that I was volunteered), the program director jokingly referred to me as a "mail carrier".  I guess that is another vocation to add to my list....but I don't mind.

You see...serving God and proclaiming the Gospel is not limited to particular people, particular jobs or particular vocations.  No matter how you slice it...we serve God (and our neighbor) no matter the vocations we reside in; whether we are a teacher, garbage collector, coffee server, "mail carrier", etc.

Anything "deemed necessary"?  That seems very appropriate.  But don't get me wrong...I am not going to turn into a pastor that does everything for everyone around here, but I will continue to recognize (and help others recognize as well) that our "job descriptions" are not set in stone.  As Christians, we need to do anything that is "deemed necessary" for the Kingdom of God so people many come to know (or be reminded of) the awesome love of God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

-edh-

Sunday morning prayer - Pentecost Day

Happy Pentecost Day (and Mother's Day)!

Asking and receiving
Last night, while watching the news, I said to my wife that I had forgotten to pick up some candy at the store when we where there earlier.  The candy basket that I have for my children's lessons was nearly empty...not enough for the kids on Sunday.  So I started thinking that if I got going early enough, I could stop at the store on my way out to Belmont for worship.  The problem was that there was no guarantee I would remember to stop at the store.  Well...this morning when I went up to the sanctuary to prepare for worship; there on the counter in the sacristy was my children's lesson basket...filled with candy.  Wow...ask and you shall receive.  "Thanks, God."

A realization
I realized yesterday that I must be pretty serious about this marathon I am going to run in October.  Yesterday (Saturday, May 10) was to be my 9 mile run day.  My day was already pretty busy so my window of time to run was fairly small, but when it came time to run it was raining lightly.  Since I didn't have time to wait I still got ready and ended up running in the rain for a few miles.  I guess I AM serious about this running thing.  And you know...it was kind of nice (in a weird sort of way) to run in the rain.

Prayer
Today we recognize and celebrate the giving of the Holy Spirit to those first disciples and to us.  We thank God for His presence in our lives.  We thank Jesus for not leaving us orphaned.  We thank the Holy Spirit for the gift of faith.  But let us not forget to thank our mothers today.  But don't forget those women (who may not be "mothers") for playing a motherly role in your life (or the lives of others).  They deserve thanks as well.  So with all that in mind, let's pray...

Good, gracious and loving God, you came to those first disciples on that first Pentecost Day in power and authority.  You gave them courage to boldly proclaim the Good News of Jesus dying and rising that we may live.  They announced forgiveness.  They announced Truth.  They proclaimed life.  Lord God, we pray for that same boldness; for that same Spirit to fill our hearts so we may be courageous in a world that demands much from us.  We pray for courage so others may come to know you through our words and deeds.  And, God...we thank you for loving us through mothers, whether they be biological or others who serve as a mother for us.  Mothers are indeed a gift from you.  Thank you, God.  We pray this through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord...Amen.

God bless and take care!
-edh-

Mother's Day

I have a question...

...Sunday is Mother's Day (as if anyone needs to be reminded) AND it is Pentecost Sunday.  But Pentecost aside, how do you treat Mother's Day in worship?  I have heard sermons on Mother's Day that were about mothers and I left wondering if this day (and Father's Day) were days where we can give Jesus a break and preach about someone else.

Now...with it being Pentecost this Sunday do you try to work in mothers someplace into the Pentecost story or do you lay aside the Pentecost text completely or what?

For me...this is want I am doing:  I am preaching on the Acts 2 text were the disciples are filled with the Holy Spirit and start preaching in the native tongue of the people gathered.  Actually, my main point is talked about more in my previous post titled "Desperate".  Later in the service I will have a special recognition of the mothers and offer a prayer for them.  After worship, all mothers will be presented with a red carnation.  And that is Mother's Day at Salem.  Am I dissing mothers too much by not preaching about mothers?

I want to make sure mothers are honored on Mother's Day.  After all...they deserve it (especially my mother) but I don't want to neglect the preaching of the gospel either.  I know there is probably a way to work both into a sermon, but with the text on Sunday...that is not the direction I was drawn.  What are you doing in worship?  How "should" mothers be honored?

-edh-