Enter this temple...

As I prepare for Palm Sunday, the lyrics from the band Leeland have been in my head:

Father, enter this temple
Come touch Your people
We need to be where You are
And children living as their Father
Washed in pure water
We need to be like You are

We are searching for Your presence
We are knocking on Your door
Let Your wings cover us with promise
For communion
For communion

Mark's Gospel shocks me again by how Jesus goes directly to the Temple when he arrives in Jerusalem (Mark 11:1-11). The Temple was the place where God dwelled, and yet God was dwelling outside the Temple in Christ. What have I set up in the temple of my life? I often wrestle with setting things in God's place. Luther said rightly whatever we put our whole trust in is our god.

This has been quite a Lent with my colleagues Tim, Tom and Wes. We each bring unique gifts to the ministry here in SLP, and I am amazed and challenged by their experience. We finsihed our last Wednesday night round robin service, where we built an altar out of food we donated to STEP. It was moving to hear stories of hunger in our own community; I have really gown to love the Magnificat section of Evening Prayer, the words are powerful and the melody lets me belt as a fella.

We are beginning to see some serious Spirit action, calling us to faithfully go beyond what we know. So, I've been reading a lot; lately here's what I have on my tables: Screwtape Letters by Lewis, Team of Rivals by Goodwin, Master of Surprise: Mark Interpreted by Juel, and Failure of Nerve by Friedman. Three sermons at once is quite an adventure.

I've been thinking about time lately and the difference between the time between liturgy pieces in a worship service and when we call for silent space. How very different they feel. Rabbi Heschel said Judaism is a religion of time, gathered around the Sabbath.

I miss Amber.
It's been a number of months but it doesn't get easy. The dreary days here; snow again! It's amazing to see how fast the time has gone, but that my love for her has only grown and I continually am amazed to see her grow in faith and call. Her blog is one example. What an inspiration who continually challenges me...and loves me. God is good!

On the way to the cross

Mark 15 Then Jesus gave a loud cry and breathed his last. 38 And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. 39 Now when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, "Truly this man was God's Son!"

Don Juel wrote a commentary on Mark called Master of Surpirse and in it he emphasizes that God is loose in the world. When the heaven were torn at Jesus' baptism and the temple curtain was torn, God's identity was no longer connected with a place or building. When you tear cloth or paper, it will never be exactly the same way again and Jesus is God's way of being for us in a lovingly irrevocable way. It reminds of the lyrics from Ten Shekel Shirt:
This is my song to the poorest king who ever lived
Though He did nothing wrong
They took his crown and cast him down
But little did they know that was meant to
be so we might be
With him again

To see him as he is
Without a veil between
Face to face again for all eternity

In Jesus, we have come face to face with God!

We're crusiing through Lent, and the my colleagues and I have been enjoying the round robin time together! 27 years in the making, Tim surprised us by almost dousing the entire congregation with a baptismal water.

I was happy also to look out my office door and see a bright red cardinal; Spring must be close...and I am ready to hit the lakes.

A New President and New Conversations

What a day, which ushers in a new way of being America. Congrats, President Obama! I sat at home this morning watching and taking it all in. All I know is that his speech named some real issues: new wine in old winseskins. Let the new wineskins be formed for all people.

Last Sunday night, my friend Rabbi Aaron Brusso and I spoke on Social action rooted in each of our traditions. 25 folks showed up for a great night of conversation and mutual learning. I'll post my remarks as I get a chance to type them up. The key difference we explored: dignity vs. suffering presence.

I feel so incredibly encouraged by all that is happening and the movements God is making in our community. Though, I am ready to see Amber soon! Not to mention my buddy Hal in Seattle.

New Year 2009

God has been surprising me early in 2009:
+wonderful time with Amber during her holiday vacation in the cold and snow
+many baptisms in church
+a sense of vision for the congregation
+preachers hanging out in Alexandria
+skiing
Here's my notes on preaching from the retreat in Alexandria.

What is the essential sermon? (Why preach at all?)
not just about preferences, not consumer sermons
what is the essence of a sermon
Lose: I want a sermon to break my heart, penetrate the [cultural] numbness by opening the biblical narrative so I am called to believe again.
what narratives are shaping our lives?
We live btw Acts and Revelation; we have a hard time living without narrative meaning in our lives
Today: the age of the competition of the metanarrative (consumeristic consumption, nationalism can be stronger than religion identities)
2nd use of the Law: betray the lie of something tryin to be the Gospel
There's no unenculturated Gospel (every generation seeks "pure" Gospel)
People come into the pews with a numbness: it acts as a buffer to the 60K messages pushed on us each day (protection against vulnerability)
the Word: breathtaking and devastating at the same time; learn or protect (when we approach any new idea)
false opposites: proof vs faith
How often do we affirm vocation of the baptize instead of minimize or apologize for the role of the pastor
Tim Westermeyer
Buechner: let the preacher have the courage to be themselves
trust your call is high and holy
support preaching through other means: intentional name people outside work in community
meet members where they live: we are not who we think we are, we are who God calls us to be
challenege conventional wisdom: world is flat
mine stories in the Bible: metanarrative, concrete universal
Law/Gospel is not a method, not a mill; you're telling the truth twice-reality/Christ's work
Pam Fichenser, show your scars not your wounds
Where am I edgy in preaching (nervous)?
How am I invested?

Lucky me: a tribute

That Amber Marten! That's the girl i love, did you know:

20. She can whistle in harmony with others
19. Makes a great chocolate chip pancake
18. Shoots with a Canon 30D
17. Won a Christmas light contest in high school, decorating her house
16. Best damn preacher at Luther Seminary
15.Excellent thumb wrestler, i have yet to beat her
14. Was a vocal performance major in college, she good.
13. Wrote orginal songs for her nieces on their baptisms
12. likes meat and corn, don't mess it up
11. Fav DQ blizzard is French silk pie
10. champion pole vaulter in HS
9. completed over 400 hours as a hospital chaplain
8. slackline champion, like a fish in water
7. learning to surf, has her own suit and has caught some awesome waves
6. confident public speaker
5. fav dog is a sheltie; laughs at my family's crazy pug
4. fav animal is a chinchilla
3. inspires me with her infectious glee mission
2. listens cause she really cares
1. b-e-a-utiful!

I'm one lucky guy. She's an example of God's ridiculous generosity!

Shadowlands

“To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even to an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements; lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket- safe, dark, motionless, airless--it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable." Saw Shadowlands at the Guthrie tonight (rush line $20 got me second row seats). Lewis, an academic, was taught first hand the grace of God through the joys and deep suffering over Joy Davidman Gresham's early death due to cancer. I'm struck again by it was once Lewis embraced the suffering and his own vulnerability that he found God still present as ever and there to speak again the words: blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted.

My Favorite Worship Leader

Martin Sexton is coming to town on thursday, and I can't go and see him. He speaks to my soul musically, plus it was going to see him that Amber and my first date. Here's a sample of his worship leading...


No Voice
At a recent roundtable discussing Young adult ministry, two participants took my voice.

A friend of a similar age and I sat wordless as two others framed an entire conversation around us. They described who we were, what we like, how we behaved, our styles of ministry and what our authority as pastors looked like.

We sat dumbfounded. There was no place to jump in. Tempers were flaring and we sat silenced. It was a powerful lesson in solidarity with those who are often silenced at the table.

I told a story in a sermon last week about some junior high days. I think our memories are piqued by powerful experiences. The boy sitting behind me in Mrs. Bangasser’s home ec class was Vietnamese, who spoke no English. The chorus of racial slurs and insults began mounting behind him. He could not understand or speak to them. This made the other boys more brazen. No voice.

Suddenly, boom, “Stop it!” Another student spoke up. Everything changed. Our gracious God speaks up for us, this is my child, my beloved. We have been set free, and so are called to speak out for those who have no voice!

Who can you speak up for this week?

Missional Impulse

Like a piece of old Samsonite luggage, mission is being tossed around like luggage. I’m not sure exactly why I get so passionate about language, even though it doesn’t always come across in my own writing. Language though shapes how we see God and ourselves. Language must always be semper reformanda!

I’m worried about missional. I’m afraid now that it’s famous, it’ll be worn out and forgotten along with the zeitgeist of our great commission mandate. With our church council we’ve been working on missional impulses. Paul had them, Galatians 1:16, a heart for the gentiles. God has them: you, me, the neighbor with the junk in the yard.

A strength of your local congregation + a clearly identified community need + prayer + partners = missional impulse

A parking lot + ambling neighbor kids + prayer + local neighborhood association = missional impulse
Is it more complicated than this? 5 missional impulses your next year’s strategic plan. Now, that’s done, use the time for Dwelling in the Word. We’ve been in 2 Corinthians 5 for over a year.

New ministry consultant: J. Crew

Mickey Drexler, CEO of J Crew clothing, and ubiquitous mall store has something interesting insights into how he does what he does. Here’s a few gleaned from Fortune magazine article (September 2008):
• “The children of the baby boomers are three years away from getting into their twenties, and there are not a lot of retailers that are well positioned for that phenomenon right now.”
Does this often feel like the church? Does this raise questions about our heart for those outside the church? It’s hard to care about people you’re not even planning or expecting to cross the threshold (if they do!). Strategic planning requires learning a new of being. I have heard so many people recycle organizational language expecting it become new. We have Scripture that is the foundation not the organizational language of our boom years. New language must be found.

• By using heritage brands, Drexler hopes to tap into guy’s love of lore.
• Drexler wants his salespeople to be multi culti like the old United Colors of Benneton campaigns..he wants his house a place where you’d want to hang.
I agree with this “hope,” but find most people don’t seek that place out, unless there ia relationship that invites them in.
• Good art can drive commerce…American carmakers aren’t doing well because they’ve forgotten about design.
Look at your church bulletin or website.

• Apple’s first retail store was in a warehouse as a test pilot project.
Thank God for our churches that serve as labs for the Church.

• Two key metrics: sales per square foot and operating margins
What is your Christendom math that you’re not ready to let go?

She's in Cali.

Amber moved to California today.
I am back in Minnesota...

I flew back after a wonderful roadtrip: seeing Bussey in Denver, family in Parachute, CO; Las Vegas, and then Torrance.
See Amber's blog for the whole story!

You'll see a wonderful little video of the trip as well...