The Lutheran Zephyr

What are the communion-breaking issues?

Last week I got together with two college friends who I hadn't seen in nearly 10 years.  It says a lot about where we've come that we met at a park with our children rather than at a bar, coffee shop or restaurant . . .

One of my old college friends is a member of Truro Church, the congregation that is leaving The Episcopal Church over the denomination's liberal theology and practice, particularly in regards to sexuality matters.  In telling me about her church, she emphatically stated that members of Truro Church are not homophobes, but rather that they are leaving The Episcopal Church because "it has gotten out of hand."  She cited Bishop Spong's refutation of the Nicene Creed, the case of an Episcopal priest claiming to be both Christian and Muslim, and the ordination of Gene Robinson as bishop.  Which got me to thinking . . .

What does it mean to be in a denomination, to be in communion with others?  And, what are communion-breaking issues?  What would it take for me to leave the ELCA?  Would bad theology by a bishop or pastor make me want to leave?  What about a bishop's sexuality?  There's plenty of bad theology and surely there's a variety of sexualities in our church, and yet I'm still here . . .

Of course, the obvious answer is this - I'd leave my church if I believed the proclamation of the Gospel were at stake.  That's what the Seminex guys - my internship pastor included - did in St Louis back in the 70's.  But contra the Truro folks, I'm not sure that the Gospel is obscured when it is proclaimed by a gay bishop, but I concede that it might be obscured when butchered by a straight bishop who wonders out loud if anything in the Bible is actually true and thinks Jesus was little more than a champion of social liberal causes.

What do you think?  What does it mean to be in a denomination, to be in communion with others?  And what are communion-breaking issues?

What's on the radio: Philly vs. Washington, and other radio musings

A radio station billed as "NPR with caffeine" is going off the air after only an 18 month lifespan.  Washington Post Radio, which tried to turn newspaper reporters and columnists into talk radio hosts in the DC area, never took off, earning only 1.2% of the listening audience.  I guess that NPR doesn't need caffeine, after all.

I've listened to Washington Post Radio a few times since moving here, and I've been unimpressed.  It blends diverse political perspectives with the antics of standard conservative talk radio, creating annoying programs that have no point.  (Much of the same can be said for some segments of the church attempting to mix diverse theologies and odd worship styles to create a nonsensical mess, but that's not the point of this post.)

I don't like most of what's on radio: conservative talk, most sports talk (though I like much of what ESPN Radio puts together), religious broadcasting or pop music broadcasting.  In other words, there's lots of territory on that radio dial that I don't explore.  That's why I got an XM Satellite Radio, though currently I only have it at home, not in my car.  In Washington as in Philly, there are only three reasons I listen to standard terrestrial radio:

1. News, Weather and Traffic - KYW 1060 in Philly, and WTOP 103.5 in Washington
2. National Public Radio (NPR) - WHYY 90.9 in Philly, WAMU 88.5 in Washington
3. Baseball - Phillies on WCAU 1210AM in Philly, Nationals on WTWP 107.7 in Washington (Washington Post Radio, which will soon have a new format and new name)

Making the transition from my old Philly stations to my new Washington stations has been interesting.  I catch traffic on the 8's here, rather than "traffic and transit on the two's" back in Philly.  I'm learning a new NPR broadcast schedule, and when I'm not listening to the Phillies on XM Satellite Radio I'm really enjoying the National's broadcast team.  So with that, here are my comparisons:

1. KYW vs. WTOP - Washington's WTOP is head-and-shoulders better than KYW.  Whereas KYW broadcasts a series of taped reports that essentially repeats every 30 minutes, WTOP has much more live content and "life" among their reporters and announcers.  They have an overall lighter feel than KYW, and sometimes even make you laugh - which is a good thing, considering most roads around here are worse than Philadelphia's Schuylkill Expressway.  Washington 1, Philly 0.
2. WHYY vs. WAMU - Philadelphia's WHYY wins, hands down.  Perhaps it is simply because I have been listening to WHYY since my late teens, but I find their schedule much more appealing than WAMU's schedule.  WHYY offers more of the national NPR fare, including Talk of the Nation and Day to Day, programs not carried on WAMU.  And whereas The Diane Rehm Show on WAMU is excellent - including the best two hours of radio on her Friday weekly news roundup show - locally produced The Kojo Nnamdi Show and KCRW's To the Point don't compare with the NPR shows that could be in their time slots.  Washington 1, Philadelphia 1.
3. Phillies Broadcast Team vs. Nationals Broadcast Team - The Phillies, though a better baseball team, are much worse in the radio broadcast department than are the Nats.  The Nats' straightforward approach to broadcasting - the same two guys the whole game, rather than the Phillies rotation of Hall of Famer Harry Kalas, Chris Wheeler, Larry Anderson, and Scott Franzke - is much easier to listen to.  Additionally, Charlie Slowes and Dave Jaegler, the Nats broadcasters, generally stick to the game, unlike the Phillies broadcasters who talk about golf, make inside jokes, and discuss plans for their day off while on air.  The only complaint I have about the Nats' broadcast is that Charlie Slowes often makes a very long and complicated call on exciting plays - "a deep drive to left center field, Joe Schmo is back, back, to the warning track, under the Geico Insurance sign, it goes over his head and it is gone - bang, zoom! - into the visitor's bullpen, scattering opposing players from the bullpen bench for Joe Blow's 4th home run since the All Star Break, ending a three-week drought and bringing his team to within 18 runs in the bottom of the 4th inning here on a starlit night at RFK Stadium in Washington, DC, where the crowd is on their feet hoping for more as their Nats continue to bat against the 32 year-old lefthander from the Dominican Republic . . ." This is only a slight exaggeration.  The Nats broadcast team, which features a guy who got his first big league baseball gig with the lowly Tampa Bay Devil Rays, is head and shoulders above the Phillies.  Washington 2, Philadelphia 1.

So there it is, an odd post about radio preferences.  I'm liking the Washington radio stations better than the Philly stations.  Have a good weekend!

The Seasonal Friday Five

• Share a highlight from this summer. (If you please, don't just say "our vacation to the Canadian Rockies." Give us a little detail or image. Help us live vicariously through you!)

The highlight has been spending so much time with my daughters.  In early June we took them out of their wonderful full-day daycare program so that we could save money (I was unemployed as of June 1).  Yet more than a cost-cutting measure, this was a great opportunity for me to spend time with my kids - especially after working a job that kept me away from home 11-12 hours/day for the previous 9 months.  From parks to playing dress-up (my daughter dressed up, not me) to trips to the Crayola Factory and the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum, I've had tons of fun, and I've really gotten to know my girls . . . it has been wonderful.

And highlight #2 . . . learning that we're having a boy in November!

Honorable Mention: Going to the Baseball Hall of Fame for Cal Ripkin's induction

• Are you glad to see this summer end? Why or why not?

I am.  It was a tough summer, full of change and transitions.  The girls and I spent five weeks away from mommy, and that was tiring and trying for all of us - mommy, daddy, and the girls.  We also moved to Northern Virginia from the Philadelphia area . . . With the exception of a weekend trip to Cooperstown, NY for the Hall of Fame Induction, we had no vacation and struggled to keep lots of balls in the air.

• Name one or two things you're looking forward to this fall.

I am incredibly looking forward to beginning my internship.  10 years ago I began my first semester at seminary, and 5 years ago I graduated.  This has been a long journey with lots of twists and turns.  It's great to finally return to parish ministry and live into my vocation!

• Do you have any special preparations or activities to mark the transition from one season to another? (Cleaning of house, putting away summer clothes, one last trip to the beach)

Nothing exciting.  We'll eventually pull out the blankets, turn off the outdoor spigots, and put away Tali's bicycle.  Of course, I'll listen intently to playoff baseball this October.  The beginning of football season and the end of baseball season is one of the most obvious and exciting transitions to fall for me . . .

• I'll know that fall is really here when . . .

. . . the leaves change color, the next baseball game is scheduled for April 2008, my church begins to plan in earnest for Advent and Christmas, and my wife's pregnant belly grows larger than a prize-winning pumpkin!

My Weekly Mix Tape

Moby - Honey
Madonna - Rescue Me
Dada - Dizz Knee Land
Erasure - Witch in the Ditch
The Smiths - Frankly Mr Shankly
New Order - Close Range
U2 - Red Hill Mining Town
The Judybats - An Intense Beige
The Psychedelic Furs - All Of The Law
Indigo Girls - Joking

I'm Starting to Believe

For my faithful Lutheran readers who may be expecting a religious-themed post about belief, I'm sorry to disappoint.  Baseball is the topic of the day!

The Philadelphia Phillies have completed a crazy four-game sweep of the first-place New York Mets in wild fashion.  Despite suffering injuries that decimated the Phillies' pitching (starting rotation and bullpen) and lineup (Ryan Howard and Chase Utley have both spent significant time on the DL), the Phillies are in the playoff chase at the beginning of Labor Day weekend, and are the most improbable of post-season contenders. 

I'm not sure these guys will be playing baseball in October, but after this series I am beginning to, ahem, believe.  Maybe, just maybe, this team will pull something together and make it into the playoffs for the first time since I graduated high school in 1993. 

Or maybe, as in years' past, this team will make the first three weeks of September baseball interesting only to screw things up in the final week of the season.  Either way, it should be a good month of baseball.

Many thanks to my best friend Josh, whose gift of XM Radio gift cards allowed me to renew my XM subscription and listen to the Phillies from my new home in Northern Virginia.  Thanks, Josh.  Your gift has given me the chance to listen to some awesome games over the past few days.

Five Things My Children Should Know

I'm it!

David tagged me for the Five Things My Children Should Know meme.  This comes at a wonderful time - just as I finish up a summer of spending oodles of time with the kiddos.  So here it is - The Five Things My Children Should Know:

1. Nothing Can Separate Us From the Love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.  OK, this topped David's list, too, but it is my favorite verse in the Bible and just about covers everything we need to know about our relationship to God.  OK, maybe not everything, but the most important part - we can't get away from God.
2. Look left.  Look right.  Look left again.  These are the directions I give my daughter when she crosses the street on foot or on her new training-wheels-equipped bicycle.  I want my children to know how to be safe, how to watch out for danger, and how to cross the streets of life safely and confidently. 
3. Love and respect others.  We have so much to learn from other people.  I want my children to be interested in and respectful of other people and other cultures.  I want them to expect to learn something from their neighbor, their teacher, their friend, a complete stranger, a bum on the street . . . and to find something in that person that is admirable, loveable, even holy.
4. Yet at the same time, I want my children to know when to defiantly say "Screw 'em!"  Excuse the language, but I want my kids to know when it's time to buck the system and reject peer pressure or societal expectations or unhealthy family dynamics or anything else that will try to put them down or minimize their God-given gifts and opportunities.  I want them to be strong enough to go out on a limb for the sake of justice, integrity, honesty, truth, sanity or most any liberal cause.
5. The Infield Fly Rule; what a 6-4-3 Double Play is; and, the Designated Hitter is a Satanic Ploy.  OK, so I'm trying to fit alot into #5.  But I want my children to know about baseball and, more importantly, by seeing the fun my wife and I derive from our love of baseball I hope our children can develop their own hobbies, passions and interests.  As long those hobbies, passions and interests include green pastures, bats, balls and gloves.

I'm not sure they're all reading at this late juncture in the summer, but I'd love to read what Derek, LutherPunk, RevHRod, my lovely wife, and Nathan want their kids to know . . .

The Blog and Candidacy (or Congregation)

I have no idea if members of my Candidacy Committee read my blog.  Which got me to thinking . . .

Have any of you seminarian or pastor bloggers out there ever been burned in any way by what you've written on your blog?  Do your parishoners or candidacy committee members read your blog?  Do you openly share your blog with these folks?  We've all heard of college kids getting turned down from jobs because of their MySpace pages, or of employees who were fired for what they wrote on their personal blogs.  Has any such thing ever happened in the church?

Some seminarian and pastor-types use their blog as a sort of online newsletter, nary allowing personal or unpolished content to creep onto their webpages.  Sports passions?  Mundane family matters?  Faith doubts?  Political opinions?  Such topics are filtered and do not appear on these polished blogs which generally present theology, ministry and faith matters in intelligent and insightful ways.

But other bloggers - myself included - are less filtered, sharing insights, news, thoughts, and feelings that they might not necessarily share in front of their candidacy committees, in their church newsletters, or from their pulpit - at least, not without some refinement.  Faith, family, sports, politics and the mundane are all fair game with these blogs.  Many of these bloggers are anonymous or semi-anonymous.

I am not anonymous.

I once was anonymous, and then semi-anonymous, and then finally I simply outed myself.  And I've found that since my name has appeared on my blog I am a little more intentional about what I write.  But my blog is not as filtered as perhaps it should be, and in these pixels I give expression to some doubts and questions and opinions that I might express differently in front of my Candidacy Committee or in my parish.  Is that problematic?  Should I reconsider what I do on this blog and how I do it?  Sometimes I wonder if I need to abandon this blog and resurface anonymously at a later date at a different blog (I'd love a good excuse to migrate over to WordPress, but I've got too much invested here at Typepad).

By now Tim Wengert and any good pastoral caregiver would ask: Why do you ask this question?  My answer - I begin internship next week, and as I creep closer and closer to this pastoral vocation I find myself wrestling with what it means to fulfill the office of ministry with its various responsibilities and sensibilities, while also giving honest voice to the questions, experiences, insights and passions that God has given me. 

Or, perhaps put another way, To what extent am I changed by fulfilling this office, and to what extent is the office changed when I fill it?  I'm sure that Luther has something to say about the office of ministry.  Any suggested readings?  Perhaps that could make some good Labor Day Weekend reading . . .

That's Why Pastors Wear Funny Robes!

Tali plays peek-a-boo underneath The Rev. Mommy's surplice on Sunday morning.

Photo credit goes to my brother-in-law's girlfriend, Aunt Bethany.  Thank you!

Word!

I have lots of thoughts and questions as I look ahead to beginning my internship next week.  Since I can't seem to give coherent expression to those thoughts and questions - I have several draft blogposts saved but not published - I'll share with you my church newsletter article for September.  Enjoy!

- - - - -

Word!

In the goofy slang that narrated my childhood, “Word!” was a way to say yes with the enthusiastic and adolescent edge of awesome, cool, and rad. Something was word only if it inspired teenage respect and awe (and usually if it involved some kickin’ moves on a skateboard, skis, or a dirt bike).

The church is full of words: holy words, powerful words, confusing words, a Living Word, and words we rarely use outside of our church walls. We are a people who believe that the Word became flesh and lived among us. We believe that words – a Word – can give life.

Word!

I look at a word that will stick with me for the next year – Vicar – and I scratch my head. What is a vicar, anyway? The Roman Catholic Church uses this term to refer to a representative of a bishop, or to the Pope, who is known as the vicar – the representative – of Christ on Earth. For the Episcopalians, a vicar is a type of ordained priest.

Hmmm. These definitions don’t fit for me. I’m an intern – nothing more, nothing less – spending a year at St John's By The Gas Station to learn, grow, and explore the world of parish ministry before taking another odd word – Pastor – as a title. I’m here to live with you and experience God through you, to walk in your shoes, to follow you, to accompany you, to lead you. I’m here to experience – not vicariously, but authentically, passionately, richly – the Living Word that lives among you, the Word of God that you proclaim.

Word!

I am also eager to listen for life-giving words beyond our church walls. Scripture and tradition tell us that God is active both within and beyond the community of faith. The Lutheran tradition speaks of the two kingdoms of God’s activity – the church and the world. What words – what Words of God – will I hear in my neighborhood, read in the newspaper, encounter at the store or playground? In what accents, media, languages, or situations will these words – will the Living Word of God – come to me, come to you, come to us this year?

God will speak good words, life-giving words, comforting words, and surprising words to us in the coming year. It is my hope and prayer that together we will listen for God’s Word that lives in, with and under the words of everyday life. God may not be breaking out crazy maneuvers on skis or a skateboard, but God is speaking.

Word!

Peace to you,
Vicar Chris

My Weekly Mix Tape - nothing special edition

Just a weekly mix tape.  No accompanying story.  Sorry.

The Beatles - Lovely Rita
Pet Shop Boys - Discoteca
Dada - Posters
The Breeders - Drivin' on 9
New Order - World
The B-52's - Love Shack
Erasure - All This Time Still Falling Out of Love
Depeche Mode - World in My Eyes
Moby - If Things Were Perfect
The Cure - Lullaby