The Lutheran Zephyr

Variable (or Vagarious?) Liturgical Texts

P   Most merciful God,
C   we confess that we are in bondage to sin and cannot free ourselves. We have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. For the sake of your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in your will and walk in your ways, to the glory of your holy name. Amen.

- from the Brief Order of Confession and Forgiveness, in Lutheran Book of Worship

I said these words nearly every Sunday during my childhood.  For years I confessed that I am in bondage to sin, and cannot free myself.  These words, repeated weekly in community and by hundreds of thousands of Christians across the whole church, formed me in a way that no Sunday School lesson, no retreat, no single worship experience could.  That's the power of liturgy - repeated, patterned, intentional words spoken and sung, to give birth to faith and shape to the Christian life.

Since my early twenties I have been part of congregations that use variable worship texts, usually from Sundays and Seasons (and the wonderful website, www.sundaysandseasons.com).  Though I haven't carefully studied its methodology or nuances, Sundays and Seasons seems to offer texts for seven liturgical elements: Confession of Sins, Greeting, Offering Prayer, Invitation to the Table, Prayer after Communtion, Blessing, and Dismissal.  These texts seem to be designated seasonally, and written carefully to reflect the season.  For example, the Advent texts reflect the season's waiting and hopeful sentiments; the Lenten season's texts embrace a more penitential tone.  As someone who loves the cycle of the church year I find these texts to be very helpful in articulating the meaning of the church seasons and drawing out the faith experience of those seasons.

BUT . . . (there's always a but)

But what we gain in highlighting the seasons with variable texts we lose in the weekly repetition of carefully crafted texts.  One of the strengths of the liturgy is its consistency, and when we frequently change the liturgy we risk weakening the liturgy's power to speak to our souls.  The texts of the old Lutheran Book of Worship liturgies - and their deeper meanings - were drilled into my bone marrow after many years of worshiping and praying with them.  These liturgies formed me - at first subconsciously, of course - and to this day are the framework on which my understanding of faith and church are formed.  If these texts change several times per year, do we receive the same benefit?

As a hospital chaplain I noted two types of patients who drew considerable strength and comfort from their faith - Roman Catholics, and Evangelicals.  The Roman Catholic patients would spend time reciting prayers from Mass, saying the rosary, and welcoming the priest into their room to share sacraments.  These are people whose faith was formed by liturgy, and who in times of need drew strength from the liturgical prayers and practices that had been part of their life for many years.  The Evangelical patients were not reciting liturgical prayers, but repeating memorized Scripture and singing beloved hymns that had been part of their faith practice for many years.  For both the Catholic and the Evangelical, long-practiced disciplines of faith (disciplines often poo-pooed by those who would seek to be "contemporary," "relevant," or "contextual") came to be sources of comfort in times of distress.

Whatever disciplines we practice or liturgical texts we use, may we use them in a way that fosters faith formation and helps our churches fulfill their mission to be the Body of Christ proclaiming the Gospel and sharing the sacraments faithfully and graciously.

Memorial Day Reflections

This Memorial Day weekend I give thanks for all who have died in service to our country.  The freedoms I enjoy are the fruits of their sacrifice.  To all who serve, to all who risk their lives in service to our country, and to all have died in service, I say thank you.

Some Memorial Day reflections, and discussion about the church's role in honoring our country, from a few years ago:

Proud to be a Patriot (May 2006)

Praising God, Honoring Country (May 2006)

More Thoughts on God and Country (May 2006)

My 3rd Blogaversary

[singing]
Happy Blogaversary to me! 
Happy Blogaversary to me! 
Happy Blogaversary dear Lutheran Zephyr! 
Happy Blogaversary to me! 

Today is the 3rd anniversary of The Lutheran Zephyr, born May 22, 2005.  However, we've got a sick kid and we're preparing to drive to Philadelphia for my brother-in-law's wedding.  So, no deep thoughts to share on this auspicious occasion.  Just a word of thanks to all who read these pixels, to all who have become real friends (though we've never really met), and to Al Gore for creating the internet (couldn't have done it without ya, Big Al!).  This blog has been a great outlet for me to explore thoughts and feelings, ideas and theories, theology and faith, and for this opportunity I am grateful.

Three years.  782 posts.  1453 comments (since moving to Typepad - comments from the first 11 months on Blogger didn't transfer).  60,000+ pageviews (since moving to Typepad).  It's been fun.

Peace to you, and thanks.

Paperless Preaching - an appreciation

Yesterday I had the pleasure of hearing my friend Nate preach.  Nearly a year ago Nate made a commitment to preaching for one year without a manuscript or notes.  I've been very skeptical of the practice, mostly because the few preachers I've heard preach without notes were largely ineffective.  I also worry about the dangers of deviating from a carefully planned message.  I know that when I have deviated from notes in teaching situations I have, at times, gotten myself stuck in corners or in exploring issues that are not germane to the topic.

But Nate was different.  He was very effective.  From my seat alongside the altar - I assisted in the liturgy at which his daughter was baptized - I saw the faces of nearly 300 people glued to him.  And his words were intentional, not the stuff of impromptu inspiration or persona-driven schmaltz.  No.  His message was carefully crafted, theologically rich, and delivered engagingly.  More than half-way through his fifteen minute sermon he spoke of the God's Word being written on our hearts by the quill of the Spirit dipped in the inkwell of the Cup and Font.  Those were some damn good prose linking the church's liturgical life with the Word of God and the work of the Spirit - words spoken 9 minutes into a sermon delivered without a manuscript.

He also spoke from the floor, rather than from behind a pulpit or lectern.  Yet he avoided any temptations to wander around like a fool.  Rather, his feet remained planted in one place, while he was modestly - but appropriately - animated with his arms and body.

I was impressed.  He did not have any barrier between him and the people - no lectern, no pulpit, no papers.  It was just him, standing before his congregation, giving them a message of Good News.  And lacking the antics of motivational speakers and television preachers - who prance and dance and allow personality to eclipse proclamation - Nate delivered a substantive sermon with pastoral poise.

[Just a quick comment: I have always been a fan of preaching from a pulpit with a manuscript.  These reflections on Nate's preaching notwithstanding, I do not think that the manuscript or the pulpit are inherently bad.  But I think that by their nature the pulpit and the manuscript create a distance between the preacher and the people, a distance many preachers - myself included - often minmize or fail to appreciate altogether.

Here's an example from pastoral care that might offer a parallel: on my hospital chaplaincy I was encouraged to enter the patient's room without a prayerbook or Bible in hand.  Why?  Because it would be too easy to allow these books - as important as they are - to create a distance between myself and the patient, to be a distraction to the face-to-face relationship I was called to initiate.  Rather than listen attentively to the other, I would be concerned with (or simply fidget with) the books.  (Also, in the hospital only a small portion of the patients were very interested in what these books had to say.)  Eliminating the books from my regular routine of pastoral care allowed me to focus more on the patient.  For the few patients who wanted to hear Scripture or have liturgical prayers said for them, I simply returned later with books in hand to offer that type of care.]

So I asked him how he does it.  On the Thursday ten days before the preaching date he writes his sermon.  That day is dedicated entirely to the task of sermon preparation.  He writes the sermon in manuscript form, word for word.  On the following Monday he memorizes the first third of the sermon, taking one to two hours to do this.  On Tuesday he memorizes the second third of the sermon.  And on Wednesday he memorizes the final third.  From Wednesday through Sunday, he will review the sermon several times, including in the midst of other tasks - while exercising, driving, etc..

What impressed me so much about his method - and which was evident by his delivery - is that he writes a full manuscript.  Most paperless preachers I know do not write a manuscript, but instead they draft an outline from which they rehearse many times (creating a virtual manuscript, I guess).  Writing the manuscript allows him to develop colorful and careful imagery, such as his line about the quill of the Spirit and the inkwell of the font and cup.

I will try this method for my next preaching date (which might not be for several weeks), for I saw just how effective it can be for the congregation.  Also, Nate tells me now that he can't imagine preaching any other way, that he feels liberated to have a better connection with his congregation.  Effective delivery, better connection with the people?  This is worth trying.

White People for Hillary

This disturbing picture was in today's Washington Post on page A4 in an article about the democratic presidential nomination race (though you'd be hard-pressed to find it on their website - copyright issues, I guess).  Anyone who says that race will not be an issue in healing the Democratic Party or in November hasn't opened their eyes.

Sad.

Picture from Getty Images.

Odd Math - an unpreached Holy Trinity sermon

I've posted Odd Math, a sermon I wrote as part of my Approval for Ordination application materials.  Because of various circumstances, I was unable to preach this sermon this year.  It is posted over at my Occasional Sermons page.

And many thanks to all who sent emails, posted comments, or wrote on my Facebook page offering prayers and words of support in recent days.  I am truly blessed to have a community of friends - many of whom I haven't seen in years or ever met, except for via the pixels of the web - walk with me during this time.

I Cried Like A Baby

Today I was Approved for Ordination in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.  Upon hearing those words, I cried tears of joy and relief and thanksgiving.

More thoughts and reflections later.  After a nice dinner with my dad and step-mother, and a stop at FedEx-Kinkos to download the Diane Rehm Show on my iPod, it's time to make the 3-hour drive home.

I'm going to be a pastor in Christ's church.  I still can't quite believe it.

Lord, have mercy upon me.
Christ, have mercy upon me.
Lord, have mercy upon me.

A post from Jessicah...for LZ's Approval Panel on Friday

(This is Jessicah: I'm stealing a moment on my husband's computer to post on his blog.)

On Friday, Chris is going before the Candidacy Committee of the Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod to seek their approval.  He will answer questions about the person and example of the rostered leader, his faithfulness to the Church's Confession and his own faithful witness to Christ.  This is the last step in the candidacy process in the ELCA and as this journey culminates I am so deeply inspired by Chris' passion for the church and love for the people of God. 

He is so excited and so very prepared.  As we all know, Chris is a gift to the church and I am delighted that he is at this step so he may continue to live out and into his calling to be a Lutheran pastor.

I love you, Chris.  Keep the good faith.  And remember that nothing separates us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Let's send him off together.  Please send your love, prayers and support.

Soli Deo Gloria.

Faith, Politics, and Obama

I could write a missive about this issue, but I won't (I'm too busy preparing for my Approval for Ordination interview, which will take place on Friday).  But during one of my breaks from interview preparation I stumbled upon this disturbing piece of literature from the Obama campaign (hat tip to Blog from the Capital for the link):

Oh, boy do I get worried when politicians use their faith to promote their politics - whether from the Republicans or the Democrats, this kind of comingling of faith and politics bothers me.  I care not that Obama is a "Committed Christian" and more that he could be a good President.  And last I checked, being a "committed Christian" is not in the job description for the Presidency of the United States.

Much more to say on this issue, but I've got to run.

** UPDATE **

The Trail, The Washington Post's political blog, examined this flyer in Obama Emphasizes Faith in Kentucky a few hours after my post.  Check it out, and add The Trail to your feedreader.

Americans Eat A Lot Of WHAT?

** WARNING **

Some earthy language lies ahead.  Folks offended by earthy language should stop reading this now. 

** WARNING OVER **

Our new au pair arrived on Friday, and so far she has been wonderful (for an explanation of what an au pair is and why we have an au pair, click here).  She is from Thailand, and even though her English is pretty good, she has a fairly strong accent and a yet growing vocabulary.  One of my challenges has been understanding her very well, as my ear is attuned to Spanish accents (I speak Spanish) but not to Thai accents.

Today we ventured to the grocery store.  I was very conscious that most of what we found in the store was in boxes or plastic bags, quite different than the markets she frequents in Thailand to purchase fresh food.  As we were leaving the store, I heard her say to me, "Americans eat a lot of shit."  I was a bit surprised and taken back by her statement, but . . . judging by the McDonalds we ate last night on our way back from Baltimore (we got stuck in the storms and had to make a stop for the kids), the McDonalds we ate today at the Air & Space Museum, and the massive amounts of prepared, prepackaged food we just observed, I couldn't disagree with her.  Americans do eat a lot of shit.

After a few minutes I decided, however, that I had to tell her that "shit" is a bad word, definitely not a word to be spoken in front of the children.  "You are right to say that we Americans eat a lot of shit, but I need to tell you that shit is a bad word."  She looked at me really oddly.  After a few minutes of confused looks in both directions she pulled out an electronic dictionary and asked me to type the word I was trying to describe to her.

And so I typed it in: S-H-I-T.  She looked at the Thai script that appeared on the screen, turned beet red and then laughed.  "Oh no.  That's not what I was saying.  I would never say that.  Americans eat a lot of cheese, like on cheeseburgers." 

Cheese.  Not shit.  Americans eat a lot of cheese.  But we do eat a lot of shit, too.  We both had a good laugh.

It was a fun start to what we hope is a year of good laughs, eye-opening cultural exchange, loving childcare, and greater understanding of ourselves and our world.