The Lutheran Zephyr

Endorsement Essay Questions

There has been some good discussion both in comments on this blog and on other blogs that I frequently visit.  I hope to get (back) to those conversations soon.  However, time restrains me right now, and something else is bugging me.

I am writing the Endorsement Essay for my next step in the Candidacy Process for Ordination in the Lutheran Church.  I find some of the questions to be poorly worded.  For example:

You will be asked to serve in accordance with the Scriptures, the creeds, and the confessions of the ELCA. In light of doctrinal traditions, what characteristic functions will reflect your role as a ‘diligent and faithful’ rostered minister in this church?

This is just complicated mush, if you ask me.  What are characteristic functions, and how can they reflect my role as a diligent and faithful minister in light of doctrinal traditions?  There are so many qualifiers and twists and turns in that question that I'm not sure where to begin.  It's just a poorly worded question, and if my committee were asking me this question in person I'd respond, "why do you ask that question?" or, "what do you mean by that?"

The "diligent and faithful" words in this essay question comes from the ordination liturgy:

Will you be diligent in your study of the Holy Scriptures and in your use of the means of grace? Will you pray for God's people, nourish them with the Word and Holy Sacraments, and lead them by your own example in faithful service and holy living?

The liturgical response is: I will, and I ask God to help me.  Perhaps the best answer I can give to this essay question is simply to quote the liturgy, and ask for God's help.

Tucking In My Cross

During my upcoming CPE Residency - a 9-month hospital chaplaincy - the cross I wear every day around my neck will remain tucked under my shirt, at the urging of my supervisor.  "We are here to serve people of all faiths, and it is best that we not wear our religious affiliation on our sleeves," he said.

I have mixed feelings about this.  On one hand, I am glad to tuck my cross under my shirt and present myself to hospital patients and staff as a chaplain serving all members of the hospital community, regardless of their faith (or lack of faith).  Indeed, overtly religious jewelry or clothing - such as my necklace or a clerical collar - can be a turn-off and impediment for non-Christians or to Christians from other traditions.  Thus we chaplains are instructed to dress professionally - a shirt and tie for the men (which pretty much puts the cross under the shirt, anyway) - and let our words and actions, not clothing and symbols, define our role and work with the hospital community.

I see the value in shying away from overt religious symbols in a multi-faith setting, but I wonder if this instruction to shed religious symbols is not based on a well-intentioned but flawed belief that we can somehow be all things to all people.  I don't want to belabor or exaggerate this point, for I believe that in most situations I will be able to provide some level of spiritual or emotional comfort.  But the truth is that I cannot serve all the people in my hospital.  I cannot be all things to all people.  I can be pretty flexible, and I will listen to and console most anyone who is in grief or pain.  Yet I come to ministry from a particular perspective - cultural, socio-economic, and of course, religious - and these undeniable factors shade how I carry out the ministry of care and comfort to those who suffer.  My patients also have their own experiences and perspectives, shading how they understand suffering, faith, God, life.  I can approach each patient intending to provide the spiritual comfort they need, or I can approach each patient with an honesty and humility that recognizes that I may not have what this person needs.

As I said, I don't want to belabor this point, but whether in rituals (Hebrew prayers or Catholic sacraments) or in theology (does God suffer along side the patient, or is God powerful and in control?) or in many other ways, there will be times when what I bring to the table won't feed the patient.  Nonetheless, I believe that God can work through me - even through my particularity - to bring a modicum of comfort to those who suffer.  At least, I pray that this is the case, or its going to be a long 9 months . . .

Pastoral Care Prelude

Yesterday I was downtown at my future place of employment for a follow-up to my pre-employment physical.  Following the follow-up, I returned to the train station where I sat on a bench and patiently waited for the next train home.  And as I sat, reading A Primer in Pastoral Care, I heard the young woman seated to my right say into her cell phone, "Tell Steve to call a temp.  I'm not coming to work.  I passed out on the train this morning and I'm going home."  After a few more minutes of small talk, she hung up.

"OK," I think to myself.  "I'm going to be a chaplain in a less than two weeks, and here is a wonderful opportunity to provide care and support to someone.  Let me give it a whirl."

"I couldn't help but hear that you passed out on the train.  May I get you a pretzel or some juice?"

"No thank you.  I got something to drink.  Thanks, though."

"That must have been frightening, to pass out on the train."

"Oh gosh, yes.  I feel so stupid, but you know, it was just so crowded and I just felt it coming.  I tapped the person's shoulder in front of me, and said, 'I think I'm going to faint," and then I passed out."

"It's not stupid at all.  That was really smart to alert someone on the train.  Good thing you're safe now."

And so the conversation continued for a few more minutes.  I offered typical CPE responses that acknowledged her experience and affirmed her feelings, allowing her to further express her feelings.  8 years away from my last CPE, and about 5 years since my last pastoral role (as a youth worker), I felt pretty good about myself.

Then, a gentleman seated to my left joined the conversation, warning that fainting could be a sign of a brain aneurysm.  He told us the story of his sister who had a few fainting spells, and then died a few weeks later.  Not quite a comforting story. 

His words didn't seem to have too much affect on the young woman.  Nonetheless, instantly I felt bad for not having more control over the situation and allowing someone else to come in and change the tone of the conversation.  Yet, I'm not sure what else I could have done.  Sometimes, these things just happen. 

And with 9 months of chaplaincy ahead of me, I'm sure this is just the beginning . . .

Blogging Tools

My life takes yet another radical change next week as I begin a new job in Philadelphia requiring a daily commute via train (over 1 hour each way).  Thus, I was naturally concerned how this new schedule would affect my . . . blogging.  With a fixed work schedule, a long commute, two kids, and the daily tasks of keeping a family of four together, I worried that my blogging days might be over.  When would I ever find the time to blog?

Dad to the rescue!  Hearing of my predicament my dad offered me an old laptop, allowing me to blog on the train to and from work.  I am now equipped with a Sony Vaio SuperSlim Pro notebook, model PCG-5211.  It's about 6 years old, and runs Windows 98 (which is no longer supported by Microsoft).  Since it is running Windows 98, I had a challenge finding a RSS reader that would work on Windows 98 AND allow me to read blogs offline.  But I found one - BottomFeeder.  It's slightly akward, but it does the trick, working on Windows 98 and allowing me to upload blog content to read offline on the train.  Using Microsoft Notepad, I will also be able to write new blog posts and comments for other blogs which I will post when I get to an internet connection, probably at night when I get home (drafting posts in Notepad avoids all the code clutter that happens writing blog posts in Word).  I've also downloaded and installed Mozilla Firefox, and have ordered a new battery for this old computer.

Of course, for this CPE Residency I'll have papers to write and books to read.  The train will be useful for these activities as well.  Armed with this computer, a few books, and my cell phone FM radio tuned to NPR (I am one of the last GenXers in America without an iPod), these daily commutes will go by quickly and, I hope, productively.

See you on the R5!

Beer Interrupted

The other night as my wife was busy with our fussy three week-old daugther, and after I had just put our three year-old girl down to sleep, I went downstairs to our dining table to clean up.  And there I saw two bottles of Yuengling (it's a Pennsylvania beer), barely supped.

Our beer got interrupted.

But it's not just the beer.  It's the blogging (writing and reading - I have not been a social blogger at all, visiting only two or three other blogs since the baby was born).  It's worship.  It's a social life.  It's watching Law & Order re-runs.  It's the reading of the newspaper or even the Periscope section of a three-week old copy of Newsweek.  All of these regular routines get interrupted by the stuff that two children do. 

It used to be - with one kid - that while one parent cared for the baby, the other got a break to read a book, cook dinner, surf the web, take a nap.  But with two kids, you must divide and conquer, and I think that our kids are dividing and conquering us pretty good these days.  I never imagined how much my life would change with a second child.  (For example, these first few paragraphs have taken me nearly an hour to write, in between three attempts at rocking my baby to sleep.)

So, I'm not sure what the short term future of my blogging will be.  Once I figure it out - and find the time - you can be sure I'll write about it here.  But until then, and unlike the fake paternity leave I took a few weeks ago, you can likely expect a lot less of the Lutheran Zephyr for at least a few more weeks.

Thanks.

Madonna of the Cross

Madonna, the pop icon of my generation - her debut album hit the charts when I was in 3rd grade - is causing quite a ruckus with a performance depicting the crucifixion in her new concert.  In this routine, she wears a crown of thorns and stands against a large mirrored cross, mimicking the image of Jesus' crucifixion.  Yet unlike traditional images of the crucifixion, this new image places Madonna's feminine body and sexuality in the traditional place of Jesus' stripped and wounded asexual, male body.

The moral and religious outrage has been overwhelming.  But I wonder if such strong outrage is warranted.  As a creative expression of faith, art, or popular culture, I am not bothered by the image of a woman on the cross.  But this is not just any woman - this is Madonna, a performer many perceive as a morally-bankrupt opportunist who uses sex and blasphemy to sell herself.  Her tainted image renders her incapable of contributing to any meaningful conversation about faith or religion, the thinking goes.

The thinking is wrong.

Madonna's inherent sexuality - her (very attractive) body, occasionally suggestive lyrics and dance moves, and past print and video releases that border on soft porn - is not enough to make this concert routine offensive.  Her reputation and in-your-face sexuality are at best secondary or tertiary issues, especially because she is so modestly dressed in this segment of the performance.  Let's face it: the strong reaction to her rock concert crucifixion routine is exacerbated by who and what she is.  But we cannot dismiss the art because we do not like the artist.

The image of a woman on the cross - an attractive woman, at that - expands our understanding of the crucifixion.  It shades how we consider the questions, what was the crucifixion, who was it for, and who was crucified?  In no way am I suggesting that the historical Jesus was a woman or that Madonna somehow atones for our sins - what a stupid hole to fall into - but I value what Madonna's cruciform image provokes in our imaginations, our faith, our discipleship.  If in Christ there is no male or female, and if Jesus is the wisdom - the sophia (in Greek) - of God, then it is not just allowable but appropriate and edifying that we reflect upon the image of a crucified woman and seek in it a divine truth.

Of course, this is not simply an image of a woman on a cross.  This woman is Madonna.  Yet it is precisely because she has little credibility in the pantheon of religious and moral elites that her expression of art/faith/popular culture is worth our consideration.  Are we to accept only the art and expressions of the morally clean and religiously upright?  Do not those who live at the edge of religious acceptance merit our attention?  They merited Jesus' attention . . . It seems that we should look for God and faith in the least expected of places.

The only problem I might have with this performance is that Madonna seeks to profit from the cross.  I am offended when people use religion for personal gain: whether contractors who use faith as a marketing tool (how about that cross in the newspaper or phone book advertisement), or clergy who abuse their title to earn prestige or profit.  But Madonna is hardly alone on this issue, and in this category of offense I'd include many politicians, business people and preachers.

In the end, I'd suggest that the personal profit she gains from her commercial use of the cross is outweighed by the positive provocations of her performance.  Because of her, many of us are asking what it means for a woman to take the place of a man - even a place on the cross.  And for that I thank her.

Go Ye To All Nations (except Cuba)

The Bush Administration has put the quash on a group of congregations whose members traveled to Cuba to assist Baptist churches there.  Some of the members may have naively believed that could return to the States with a box of Cuban cigars, but the scrutiny and hefty fine these church folks are receiving is unnecessary and counter-productive.  Read the article Churches Fined for Banned Activity During Cuba Visit at Beliefnet.

On Being Away From Home

I've been away on a business trip since Friday.  Back at home, 1100 miles away, things have been nuts: my older daughter got carsick on Friday night (puking all over herself) and the water heater broke on Saturday (leaking in the basement, and resulting in no water for the showers or dishwasher).  My mom is there to help, but I wish that I were there, too.  Today I've been on my cell phone calling the builder of our house (it is only four years old) and a local plumber, and it looks like they'll have warm water again today.

But I've missed not only the crises, but also celebrations.  Yesterday our church threw a shower for Jessicah and Cana, giving them a nice bundle of new baby clothes and an extremely generous gift of cash.  As we begin to deal with several expenses related to the baby, this gift is amazingly helpful.  And as we're still relatively new to this church and neighborhood, this touching embrace and wonderful support is very heartwarming.

Today my older daughter came home from daycare with two stamps on her hand - meaning that she had two successful trips to the potty!  This is great news.  She turned three years old last month, and until recently has showed little interest in the potty.  I talked to her on the phone, and she is so darn excited and proud of herself.  Of course, so am I.

I wish that I were there to celebrate these things with Jessicah, Tali and Cana as a family . . . times like this make me really, really resent business trips.  I'll be home tomorrow.

Witnessing Abuse

The Philadelphia Inquirer today published transcripts of 911 calls made by people who witnessed Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Brett Myers hit his wife on a Boston street corner in June.  This is disturbing, yet such abuse is something that happens every day in every town in our country.  We must pay attention. 

Click on the link to read the transcripts.

Moral Orel

This is so wrong.  Think 1950's middle america meets twisted, bored frat boy with a computer.  What results is Moral Orel (Comedy Central page here).  Check it out over at You Tube.