The End is Here

Today I am to be graduated from Seminary and back into the "real world" (whatever that is). This, I believe, I am ready for. It has been an interesting four years to say the least. From learning Greek in the summer of 2005 to barely passing Clinical Pastoral Education the next summer; from Hebrew to Systematic Theology and Internship to Preaching, the entire process has been marked by a number of significant highs and much struggle. My candidacy committee through the Nebraska Synod, ELCA has been wonderful and helpful for my preparation. I am also very thankful to the professors at Wartburg Theological Seminary who, despite whatever early misconceptions I may have had of them, have been nothing but supportive and collegial to me. I hope to get to work with some of them in future years on congregational and synodical projects.

For most of the previous 17 years of schooling in my life, I lived a life marked by the law. I struggled with trying to get good grades, with competing with fellow classmates, with the demands of professors and teachers, and with behavioral expectations - few of which I truly lived up to well, given all of the "potential" I was repeatedly told I had. But at WTS, I experienced for the first time in my life, a place truly rooted in grace. I didn't feel the demands listed above; somehow, I was able to get past the law of having to learn and experience instead the grace of getting to learn. What a joy that has been! I hope to carry this with me into my first call and beyond. Grace to you and peace from the God the father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

The End is Near

T-minus 5 days and counting until graduation. Yep. My four years of seminary studies are nearly complete. The notion of mixed feelings might be cliche, but there is truly much ambiguity for me with all of this. On the one hand, I'm excited about getting started in my first call. On the other, I will miss the safety of this place - a place where we can discuss ideas and theology and not have to worry about congregational ramifications (i.e., people holding fast to traditions or folks getting upset over whatever else might happen in the wake of such things happening in such a setting).

So sometime after this Sunday, I will be opening a new blog. I'll post on here beforehand so that the one or two of you faithful followers can make the switch with me. :) See you on the other side...

Is the Cross of Christ American?

As a project for a class, I did some research on e-cards. I went to the Thrivent Financial for Lutherans website (http://www.lutheransonline.com/) and found a couple of interesting cards. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so I'll offer a few and then invite you to offer some of your own regarding this picture:

I find this particular image disturbing because of the blatant mixing of the United States and the military with the cross of Christ. I do believe that Christ died for all - including soldiers. I am also very grateful to every soldier, airman and sailor who has served and risked life and livlihood to protect us. But the image of the battle helmet at the top of the cross signifies to me superiority over the cross. Are we to believe that the US Military has greater power to subdue foes than the death and resurrection of Christ?

The word 'remember' etched into the cross: are we to remember the soldiers? Christ? To raise our hands before speaking in class?

The mixing of the military with the cross confuses salvation. Are we to look to the military for our salvation? I suppose an argument can be made in the affirmative in the context of the temporal, but that only works - it seems to me - if we in this country were being oppressed and had something to be delivered from that only the military could accomplish. But the cross is the true source of all salvation - both temporal and eschatological.

Finally, I don't even know where to begin with the juxtaposition of the cross over the US flag. This has become so common for us (many of us see it each week in worship at our local church) that we don't even think about it. I've been thinking about it, and there are too many thoughts to put down here, so I'll just point it out and ask you to consider the ramifications of such a thing.

It's Official

We're headed to Western North Dakota. We received word last evening that we've been assigned to the Western North Dakota Synod of the ELCA. This is perfectly fine with me, as it was among the places we preferenced in our paperwork last December. I have a passion for rural (to me, open spaces) ministry and there are few places in this country more rural that western North Dakota! The next step is to meet with the bishop next week and hopefully soon thereafter begin receiving paperwork on some potential congregations for us. There is finally a light at the end of the candidacy tunnel - and I can see it!

Who is Jesus?

Interesting conversation in a class today. We were asked to talk with a colleague about who Jesus is to us, today. Being as I'm an intentional thinker and responder and was caught off guard by the question, I had to take some time to think about it. Life has been good of late - we have another beautiful daughter, Clara Joan Garton, who was born Feb. 16. Two days after her birth, we learned that we're headed to Region 3 of the ELCA for my first call (North Dakota, South Dakota or Minnesota) - a region we'd like to be. So for now, I'm of the mindset that I'm seeing/experiencing Jesus post-resurrection right now. I don't feel strongly called to the cross today. That's not to say that I don't make many trips there when I'm struggling - but I am feeling good in my current empty tomb experience.

So I wonder: who is Jesus for you today? Is he a close friend, an enemy, a superhero, something else? How does Jesus fit into your life now?

The Emerging Rural Church?

It's been quite awhile since I last posted, but I'm still around. I'm working on a project for my January interim class, a self-directed study to examine ways in which the emerging church might positively influence rural/small town churches. My idea is that there are things that rural churches can learn from that way that emerging church communities live and worship together. There is a vibrancy in these emergent communities which seems unequalled in most rural congregations. Many of our ELCA congregations are struggling to keep their doors open - not just open to welcome members, but open to send members into mission in the world. It seems there are two primary areas which the emerging church movement can address which might help rejuvenate these stale rural congregations: 1) worship, and 2) vision for mission. Many traditonal congregations get stuck in a worship rut that has no root in the people. Worship isn't about us, but we are the ones doing it. It seems to me that worship ought to be a place where people actually feel called and gathered by God for the purpose of being sent out into the world.

Often, we don't allow ourselves to get out of our comfort zones and worship (and thus mission) becomes static and becomes a place where people go to simply be part of a club or a place to feel comfortable. Worship and what results from it is so much more than simply a way for our comforts and needs to be met. It's about being energized by God's Word of salvation and grace for the purpose of sharing that Word with others outside the church walls. If what is done on Sunday mornings (or evenings or Saturdays or whenever) in worship is an outgrowth of that excitement or even if it helps to facilitate that excitement, all the better it seems to me. If, however, what is done in worship simply harkens back to some tradition which few know the origins of or which simply serves to be a familiar "thing" for people, then I believe it actually gets in the way of who we're called to be and what we're called to do as the people of God in the world.

The church is fundamentally mission. If a local church only serves as a social club or a place of comfortable hibernation for its members, then the church isn't heeding its call. The church must not be static; it ought to be in motion, sending people outside to those in need - whatever that looks like.

How might we regain vitality and excitement for worhsip and mission in our rural congregations?