http://www.fteleaders.org/ en Copyright 2012 2012-01-30T15:45:11+00:00 http://www.fteleaders.org/blog/entry/lets-play-the-blame-game-a-response-to-why-i-hate-religion-but-love-jesus/ http://www.fteleaders.org/blog/entry/lets-play-the-blame-game-a-response-to-why-i-hate-religion-but-love-jesus/ Wanna learn how to start a fire in religious circles? Pay attention: Jefferson Bethke is an Eagle Scout.  His most recent video, “Why I Hate Religion, But Love Jesus”, opines over the lack of authenticity in religious leadership, calls into account the dangerous compound of faith and politics, and berates the self-righteous (Amen!). But in making a few good points, Bethke may have thrown the baby out with the bath water. If you’ve ever played the “Blame Game” before (who hasn’t?), then you know how this works. Something goes wrong Someone gets blamed. This literally takes on “biblical” proportions when you... Alumnotes 2012-01-30T14:45:11+00:00 http://www.fteleaders.org/blog/entry/preaching-out/ http://www.fteleaders.org/blog/entry/preaching-out/ A few hours ago I made the long drive back to Cleveland from Louisville where I had attended and preached at the 2012 Festival of Young Preachers hosted by the Academy of Preachers. I would have thought that after three days of hearing God’s word through 30 different denominations, flowing from the mouths of over 120 preachers that my heart would be quiet and my mind still. Instead my mind is racing in a post-celebratory buzz. It seems that although my suitcase that carried my clothes is unpacked, the suitcase of my mind is just starting to reveal the extent the Festival touched my soul... Alumnotes 2012-01-13T15:36:53+00:00 http://www.fteleaders.org/blog/entry/midwives-mary-and-a-golden-cord/ http://www.fteleaders.org/blog/entry/midwives-mary-and-a-golden-cord/ If your church uses Godly Play or Children’s Worship and Wonder, odds are the youngsters in your congregation have heard the story about the Christian year. In this particular story, the storyteller has two objects: a long golden cord and a circular puzzle full of color. The storyteller begins by picking up the cord and stretching it out in a horizontal line, a golden metaphor for chronos time, linear time, the world’s time, with its beginning, middle, and end. Alumnotes 2011-12-19T14:45:00+00:00 http://www.fteleaders.org/blog/entry/the-categories-arent-working-anymore/ http://www.fteleaders.org/blog/entry/the-categories-arent-working-anymore/ As a Lutheran pastor (ELCA) in Wheaton, Illinois, a town often regarded as the intellectual capitol of American evangelicalism, the intricacies of mainline-evangelical relationships are an ever-confounding aspect of daily life. So it was with great interest and a longing for clarity that I hopped on the train into Chicago a few weeks back to attend "Reasons for Hope: A Dialogue on the Christian Future" featuring Barbara Wheeler and Richard J. Mouw. Jointly sponsored by The Christian Century and Christianity Today, the event brought together two respected leaders in theological education, each of whom I knew to be an articulate representative of her or his respective liberal or conservative Protestant camp. I was also aware... Alumnotes 2011-10-18T18:20:00+00:00 http://www.fteleaders.org/blog/entry/if-the-gospel-gathers/ http://www.fteleaders.org/blog/entry/if-the-gospel-gathers/ It has been almost two weeks since I along with 9 other young preachers participated in the FTE and The Academy of Preachers produced preaching camp, yet I still feel the residue of this experience upon me. We stayed up all night writing and sharing sermon ideas, I will never forget the time dedicated to helping shape our preaching skills, from the suggestions of peers and that of our mentors. I enjoyed all the many times of assisting and encouraging us in the art and presentation of preaching. In the midst of all the tips and lessons on strengthening our preaching, I learned a powerful lesson about the Gospel in which we preach. It was in community with 9 other fellow preachers from various faith traditions, socioeconomic status, race, gender, sexuality, and not to mention theological viewpoints, yet we gathered in love without any strife and we proclaimed the Gospel. I must admit as one who considers himself quite liberal, I often find myself avoiding conservatives because of our differences... Alumnotes 2011-08-23T15:33:50+00:00 http://www.fteleaders.org/blog/entry/we-are-not-walking-alone/ http://www.fteleaders.org/blog/entry/we-are-not-walking-alone/ One of the very first lessons I learned working with churches is how lonely a road ministry can be. Being set apart by God to serve His people is an inspiring but scary responsibility. To meet young people who understand that, share those sentiments and agree to join you in the growing process has been invaluable. Dr. Dwight Moody and Wyndee Holbrook of the Academy of Young Preachers, and the FTE staff did a great job of creating a space where learning and development could take place both as preachers and as the people who have been called to preach. Now, the shock is gone. The late nights and early mornings have passed as we now head back to our colleges, seminaries, grad programs, jobs, and churches. As one of the preachers D. Darnell Fennell preached, our job is now to move “Beyond an 8 Minute Sermon”. To take such an amazing experience and build on it. Stay friends, preaching partners, and young people committed to serving Christ and His Church. What we have been given is a gift from God. Alumnotes 2011-08-12T12:49:09+00:00 http://www.fteleaders.org/blog/entry/the-tension-of-gods-dance-floor/ http://www.fteleaders.org/blog/entry/the-tension-of-gods-dance-floor/ This week, thanks to the unimaginable generosity of the Fund for Theological Education, I am in Atlanta, GA, at a preaching camp hosted by the Academy of Preachers. I am two days into a five-day camp, and my mind has been kneaded and sculpted so much in these short hours that I feel my brain must resemble a beloved can of Play-dough. The kneading is a result of love and affection, and it is with the endless possibility of my new intellectual “toys” that I have begun to discover something I can hardly believe I didn’t notice before. There is no escaping tension. Entering a group of ecumenical preachers for the second time in a few short months, I thought for sure that I would be struck by the boundaries that separate one Christian denomination from another... Alumnotes 2011-08-03T19:39:16+00:00 http://www.fteleaders.org/blog/entry/women-clergy-need-girlfriends/ http://www.fteleaders.org/blog/entry/women-clergy-need-girlfriends/ After completing the Lilly Residency Program at the First Presbyterian Church in Ann Arbor, MI I took a call as an Associate Pastor in a small city in Michigan. Knowing that the adjustment would not be an easy one, and reflecting on what I had learned from my time in the Lily program, I decided that the first thing I needed was colleagues who could also be friends. So, I went in search of colleagues in the hopes of also finding friends. Knowing I would have a colleague in my Head of Staff, in other clergy in town, and in my governing body, I wanted to seek out colleagues who were in a similar place in ministry—so I sought out young women clergy. In my first few months in my new call I compiled a list of the young women clergy in my denomination in my area, there were about a dozen of us in our first call within a 2 hour drive of each other. At our first meeting we gathered for lunch at a one woman’s home, eight of us arrived... Alumnotes 2011-07-18T13:32:48+00:00 http://www.fteleaders.org/blog/entry/a-taste-for-what-we-are-missing/ http://www.fteleaders.org/blog/entry/a-taste-for-what-we-are-missing/ The Fund for Theological Education held their conference in New Orleans this year. Two uncertainties already in my mind: what is a ministry conference like and how does New Orleans look after two Gulf Coast disasters? The shuttle from the airport to Dillard University was cold and full of chattering voices. I observed how we instinctually categorized each other: What kind of Fellow? What denomination? What seminary? The words felt empty when I said them. They did not actually say much about who I was. It was like placing everyone on a map and we’d only just met ten minutes ago. My own response to people’s answers was mixed. Some traditions conjured vivid images while other denominations were relatively unknown to me. It seemed hopeless. A real live person standing in front of me, and I was asking them assist my assignment of the most convenient preconceived notion I had for easy future reference.   Alumnotes 2011-06-29T14:10:22+00:00 http://www.fteleaders.org/blog/entry/hanging-out-in-new-orleans-with-a-bunch-of-aspiring-pastors.-.-/ http://www.fteleaders.org/blog/entry/hanging-out-in-new-orleans-with-a-bunch-of-aspiring-pastors.-.-/ From our 2011 Leaders in Ministry Conference in New Orleans, LA As we left the airport and boarded the bus to go from the airport to Dillard University where the conference is being hosted, I was assaulted with the heat and humidity of the Southern summer. Riding through the traffic on the freeway, I looked out the window wondering if I would catch glimpses of the damage and recovery from Hurricane Katrina. We exited the freeway and were stopped at a red light and I saw a person on the side of the road “panhandling.” He had written some illegible words on a sign he was holding that I couldn't read. But I caught a glimpse of the back of the sign which used to hang at an apartment complex and read “The American Dream, for rent now!” I was struck by the completely contradictory message, this guy was definitely not experiencing the American Dream standing on that corner in the oppressive heat and humidity.   Alumnotes 2011-06-27T17:31:37+00:00 http://www.fteleaders.org/blog/entry/you-have-been-invited-all-are-welcome-.-.-/ http://www.fteleaders.org/blog/entry/you-have-been-invited-all-are-welcome-.-.-/ This blog post was produced during our 2011 Leaders in Ministry Conference in New Orleans, LA  Day 1: Getting off of the airplane and touching ground in New Orleans, I let go of my worries, frustrations, anxieties of home life and welcomed in the spirit of God to fill me with the comfort of simply being present, listening and conversing with others on their journey of faith as spiritual social change agents in a world of complacency and despair. I am honored to be in the company of such greatness of minds and comforted in the knowing there is hope for the Christian church and hope does not disappoint... Alumnotes 2011-06-20T14:25:48+00:00 http://www.fteleaders.org/blog/entry/learning-a-new-normal/ http://www.fteleaders.org/blog/entry/learning-a-new-normal/ What I have experienced here at the FTE Leaders in Minstry Conference in New Orleans is so powerful that I feel compelled to try to put it into words. Why? I have experienced community, and it is good. I don’t actually remember how I came across this fellowship. It may have been suggested to me by my pastor or possibly the seminary I will be attending. What I do know is that despite my research, I had no idea what to expect when I left for my trip to New Orleans. In my wildest imaginations, I would not have pictured what this conference has become for me. One of the most wonderful aspects of this conference is the people I am meeting and the friendships I am forming both with other Lutherans and with people outside my denomination. I am surrounded by Mennonites and Baptists and UCC and Methodists and Episcopalians and Presbyterians and Jesuits and Pentecostals and Christians unaffiliated with a denomination.   Alumnotes 2011-06-18T14:48:08+00:00 http://www.fteleaders.org/blog/entry/embodying-the-practices/ http://www.fteleaders.org/blog/entry/embodying-the-practices/ This blog post was produced during our 2011 Leaders in Ministry Conference in New Orleans, LA It seems like talk of “practices” is popular again. People and groups both inside and outside the church are re-discovering that our faith is not just about beliefs or intellectual affirmation but about a way of life, a way of living, that connects us to one another and to God. These are not in and of themselves “salvific.” In other words, practices for practices sake, for getting our own spiritual fix, are not transformative, are not converting. But if we engage them with... Alumnotes 2011-06-17T20:26:28+00:00 http://www.fteleaders.org/blog/entry/bin-ladens-death/ http://www.fteleaders.org/blog/entry/bin-ladens-death/ I have been praying for Osama bin Laden for ten years. I was not surprised by news of his death. As I asked myself why, I suspect it is because, in my eyes, bin Laden died long ago. He died to goodness; he died to mercy; he died to shalom. He died to the things that God cares most about. He was alive until this week—but he died to life a long time ago. I have wondered over the years what God tried to do to get him back. I wonder about the confounding ability of human beings to resist the love of God. I wonder about these things for Osama bin Laden and I wonder about same things with respect to my own life. Today, as I have many days before, I pray for my enemy—I pray him into the hands of the God of justice and of mercy. Alumnotes 2011-05-02T17:38:38+00:00 http://www.fteleaders.org/blog/entry/come-saturday-morning/ http://www.fteleaders.org/blog/entry/come-saturday-morning/ As an adult, I wonder how to live in a way that acknowledges the world outside my own backyard, working hard for my keep, and extending freedom to other children. While I continue to explore my vocation, I want to continue exploring the world like I did as a child. I question how I will play during my free time as an adult. And what a concept that is. Free time: time to be free, to jump off the diving board, to pick up a frog in the park to be your pet, to play dress up or not. What are my options and how will I imagine new ones? With 48 hours in a weekend, Saturday morning is now the starting line for the 2-day dash. The sound of the alarm going off notifies the adult contenders that the race to get it all done has commenced. First thoughts: definitely not laundry. Taxes need to be filed; it’s a gorgeous day to go for a run; I need to write Paul back, then again, it’s a gorgeous day for gardening. Coffee- I need to go downstairs for coffee. I remember my concept of coffee as a young child: so sophisticated, so desirable, so Mom and Dad. Now I drink this coveted cup every day. I must admit it was exactly what I hoped it would be: so sophisticated, so Mom and Dad.   Alumnotes 2011-03-30T19:21:17+00:00 http://www.fteleaders.org/blog/entry/here-comes-a-happy-minister/ http://www.fteleaders.org/blog/entry/here-comes-a-happy-minister/ Apparently like most clergy, I joyfully report that I love my job. Clergy, according to studies done by Matt Bloom at the University of Notre Dame, report being happier than the average American. Bloom divides happiness into two categories: the first being, what he calls hedonic and the second he labels eudaimonic. Hedonic happiness is easily attainable- simply grab a few friends, a good bottle of Cabernet and you are well on your way to hedonic heights. Eudaimonic, however, is a bit more complicated and requires the depth and breadth of joy found only in contentment that isn’t fleeting. According to Bloom, clergy can more easily report that we are happy in the deep sense, yet we often can’t say that we are happy in the laugh-your-butt-off-lovin’-life kind of sense. And when you talk to our spouses, those faithful people who put up with night meeting upon night meeting, few raises and lots of frustration, they report that we clergy are even less happy than we say we are.   Alumnotes 2011-03-09T13:31:58+00:00 http://www.fteleaders.org/blog/entry/love-and-imperfection/ http://www.fteleaders.org/blog/entry/love-and-imperfection/ Early yesterday morning, on the Sunday when Jesus tells us not to worry, I was gang-rushed with problems more or less upon walking in the door. A father and his teenaged son who were on shift to sell “stock” in the summer mission trip didn’t know what to say in their announcement and couldn’t locate the precious box of stock certificates. A woman in charge of the Adult Forum wondered where a wooden podium had wandered off to. Another was selling books for Lent small groups but didn’t know the price. I could overhear Jim, who opens up the building, venting nearby to another member about how he still didn’t have anyone to fulfill his duty in his absence—I avoided him. When I made it to the narthex, an elderly woman informed me that the button on the handicapped entrance door was too stubborn for someone with arthritis to press. And then it was 8:30. I had spent my breakfast making a PowerPoint announcement slide for an upcoming class, but the flash drive was still in my pocket. It was during the prelude music that I noticed that the glow of the eternal flame lamp—that always-lit candle that sits perched behind the altar—could not be seen. Had someone let it go out? Alumnotes 2011-03-01T13:26:52+00:00 http://www.fteleaders.org/blog/entry/a-musical-ministry/ http://www.fteleaders.org/blog/entry/a-musical-ministry/ When I first came to awareness that I needed to go to seminary, I felt God’s calling to engage in some form of mission or ministry for God but had no idea what specific vocation God had in mind for me. Meanwhile, I was already engaged in a ministry that did not require seminary training: I played the harp. For me, playing the harp was a ministry and not a “job”—although I was paid for it at times—but I did not consider it my profession. In those years I struggled with doing it as a paid job because I was concerned it might become secularized or businesslike. Also, I felt compelled to serve in something more clearly defined as mission or a church-related vocation, whatever that might be. And I knew that, to be equipped to follow that call, I would need a seminary education. Alumnotes 2011-01-21T16:22:12+00:00 http://www.fteleaders.org/blog/entry/there-is-no-rest/ http://www.fteleaders.org/blog/entry/there-is-no-rest/ This sermon was delivered on Jan 9th at the the second National Festival of Young Preachers. Originally published on The Huffington Post. Let us take a moment to look at what Hebrew Scripture teaches about Sabbath. In Exodus, the longest of the 10 commandments says that we should do all our work in six days but on the seventh we should not do any work, nor should we allow anyone else to work -- not our children, not those who serve us, not the resident aliens, not even our livestock and animals. (Exodus 20: 8-11) Everybody gets a day off. Our scriptures understand it. Our story tells it. But do we imbibe it? Do we speak the language of Sabbath? If you were to walk into a certain Christmas shop in the State of Washington, you might be drawn in by the unique, yet all too familiar words in front of you. There is a small sign on the door that reads: "Christmas Spoken Here." What a nice phrase: "Christmas spoken here." Wonder if we altered the phrase just a bit, to read, Sabbath Spoken here. What would it mean if we put up such a sign in our churches? In our hearts? In our communities?   Alumnotes 2011-01-14T19:25:05+00:00 http://www.fteleaders.org/blog/entry/the-pause/ http://www.fteleaders.org/blog/entry/the-pause/ I am wondering what you, smart FTE alumni with loads of experience, think about making a different sort of New Year’s resolution. What if, instead of or in addition to our more elaborate goals, we each resolved to take a pause at each meeting, before each class, or at each new task, to reflect or just give our brains a break? We at the FTE offices can be oriented toward production, whether it be a workshop, or fellowships, or trainings for congregations. The interim president of FTE, Peg Birk, has introduced this pause in our meetings. We are reminded to reflect on a piece of poetry, or what it is we do, before we continue with the tasks for the day. It is like a tiny Sabbath before each meeting. Today, despite my dismal failure rate at resolutions, this pause seems doable...   Alumnotes 2011-01-01T03:01:25+00:00 http://www.fteleaders.org/blog/entry/a-season-of-hope/ http://www.fteleaders.org/blog/entry/a-season-of-hope/ 2010 will soon be a memory replaced by 2011, which will greet us with hope and expectancy. As we make the transition from one year to another I pause to reflect on the many blessings I experience in my work at The Fund for Theological Education. In particular, I reflect on the relationships formed with the Fellows I am privileged to partner with—both current and alumni. These gifted young leaders embrace their call to ministry with passion, energy and a commitment to the positive role they believe the church can and will have in a world that is in need of hope and healing. Hope is the gift I receive in my work with all of the FTE Fellows. It is a hope for a stronger, more loving church and a hope for a world that looks a little more like God would want it to be. Alumnotes 2010-12-20T18:22:26+00:00 http://www.fteleaders.org/blog/entry/shoulder-tapping-its-worked-for-over-two-thousand-years/ http://www.fteleaders.org/blog/entry/shoulder-tapping-its-worked-for-over-two-thousand-years/ I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that lived first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, lives in you. For this reason I remind you to rekindle the gift of God that is within you through the laying on of my hands. 2 Timothy 1:5-6 (NRSV) Paul was a shoulder tapper. Paul noticed those in his midst with the gifts for ministry. Paul knew that a sincere faith lived in Timothy: a faith that does not just reside in the heart and mind but moves out to the world; a faith that has the power to move things, the power to change things. It is the kind of passionate faith we find year after year in the gifted, young people who become FTE Fellows. Fellows who form a community of emerging young pastoral and academic leaders dedicated to a life of service to the church and the world. Alumnotes 2010-10-04T18:43:42+00:00 http://www.fteleaders.org/blog/entry/lets-talk-about-it/ http://www.fteleaders.org/blog/entry/lets-talk-about-it/ Although I have mostly been a student these last few weeks, I stepped into the role of teacher on Thursday morning. The subject? The Episcopal Church. I prepared by gathering data to compare the U.S.-based church and the Episcopal Church of Sudan -  but I wasn’t kidding myself. I knew one topic would dominate the time. I began by asking the students what they knew about my church. Immediately, that topic came out – “you have homosexual bishops.” What followed was a really wonderful conversation over two hours about what unites the two churches and what divides us. We talked about scripture, tradition, and reason; the Chicago-Lambeth Quadrilateral; how bishops are elected in the U.S. and in Sudan; and...   Alumnotes 2010-09-24T18:31:49+00:00 http://www.fteleaders.org/blog/entry/the-ministry-of-the-church/ http://www.fteleaders.org/blog/entry/the-ministry-of-the-church/ We had an overwhelming number of visitors in church this past Sunday. There were a number of folks looking for a church home. Each of them felt the welcome of our church family in our worship and in the way that we gather to sip lemonade together on the porch after worship. I'm trying to hold onto that this morning. I'm trying to remember that loving welcome that our church does so well when I'm met with an angry phone call. This call didn't come from a church member. This person wasn't in worship with us. She was here to be served by the members of our congregation that offer a ministry of gently used clothing and toys -- and she wasn't happy with the service she got. Alumnotes 2010-08-31T12:57:08+00:00 http://www.fteleaders.org/blog/entry/finding-god-in-ghana/ http://www.fteleaders.org/blog/entry/finding-god-in-ghana/ Ghana redefined my definition of Ministry. Now, I understand ministry not only as an opportunity to teach, but more so as an opportunity to learn. Ministry is no longer about “fixing” the problem or finding a new solution, but it is instead about helping to manage by making a sincere contribution. Ministry is now understood to me to be a time to be silent and to listen. Ministry to me is investing myself in my neighbor to the point of vulnerability-to know intimately the reality of their challenges and know deeply the source of their hope. Alumnotes 2010-08-27T13:01:54+00:00 http://www.fteleaders.org/blog/entry/american-demographics-and-ministry-or-real-ministry-in-real-time/ http://www.fteleaders.org/blog/entry/american-demographics-and-ministry-or-real-ministry-in-real-time/ As the demographics of American cities change, the work of leaders in congregations is becoming more complex. The American Community Survey released results that reveal demographics with implications for congregations and their leaders. An emphasis on diversity and effective leadership is desperately needed in a time when leaders in the church, academy, and society are called to be bridge-builders and advocates of cross-racial and intergenerational coalitions. Alumnotes 2010-08-13T17:29:41+00:00 http://www.fteleaders.org/blog/entry/visiting-old-south-church/ http://www.fteleaders.org/blog/entry/visiting-old-south-church/ From of our 2010 Leaders in Ministry Conference in Boston, MA Ten of us went down to the historic Old South Church in Copley Square where we met a minister named Nancy. She told us how she spent hours lobbying the Massachusetts Legislature on Beacon Hill to support the rights of the un-housed... Alumnotes 2010-08-08T22:39:22+00:00 http://www.fteleaders.org/blog/entry/about-the-pastoral-vocation/ http://www.fteleaders.org/blog/entry/about-the-pastoral-vocation/ A few weeks ago I had the great privilege of being a round-table leader for the Fund for Theological Education’s Leaders in Ministry Conference at Boston University. I was blessed to have an amazing group of undergraduate students who were discerning a call to religious leadership. Many times during our times together they would ask me about my vocation and why did I answer the call to pastoral leadership. On the last day at the conference I remembered writing about my vocation for my ordination papers. Here is what I wrote a few years ago:   Alumnotes 2010-08-03T19:04:13+00:00 http://www.fteleaders.org/blog/entry/garden-blessing/ http://www.fteleaders.org/blog/entry/garden-blessing/ I take my daughter to the church garden early on Saturday morning. We bring her “tools” – a small plastic shovel and rake, and a bucket for collecting rocks. One of our most regular gardeners talks about how important this project has been for her. “I sit at a desk all day long,” she says, “and then I get tocome out here and play in the dirt, and it’s wonderful.” We ask God’s blessing on the ground and on the harvest, and pray for the people this food will feed. Someone has brought a guitar so we sing a little bit, which feels just right. The breeze sweeps through us just then, a welcome freshness on the hot morning, and I am pretty sure it is the breath of God. Alumnotes 2010-07-29T16:50:24+00:00 http://www.fteleaders.org/blog/entry/chronos-management/ http://www.fteleaders.org/blog/entry/chronos-management/ I had an interesting conversation with a pastor friend last week in which he said something like, “Everyone assumes I’m so busy, but I’m not. I have a lot of time to do anything I want. My congregation just runs itself.” I do know, for certain, I am not like this pastor. Yes, our congregation could function perfectly well without me, but I do feel really busy. And I’m pretty certain it’s more than just a feeling. I am busy. So the question: how, if possible, might I improve my time management? What tips do you have for pastors so that they might use their time to God’s glory?   Alumnotes 2010-07-26T14:15:27+00:00