Last night Chris, Josh, and I were treated to a night at Dodger stadium by a member of my church who has season tickets behind home plate. We were in the Loge section, in the first two rows one level up from the field. We received an Andre Ethier bobblehead when we entered the stadium and started the evening off with a Dodger Dog.
I expected to look around and see lots of empty seats and was prepared for the Dodgers to lose to the New York Mets; the Dodgers had lost the last five games in a row and are in last place in the National League West. But the stadium filled up, the Dodgers had a shut-out with Clayton Kershaw pitching a wonderful eight innings, and I got thrown peanuts by Roger Owens, the Famous Peanut Man. Check him out here. Wow does he throw hard and accurate! He warned me three times to use two hands to catch my peanuts and I know why.
All in all it was a wonderful evening. The weather was great. The crowds, at least where we were, were relaxed, pleasant, and happy.
I hope to enjoy a couple more nights at the stadium this year. Chris and I have tickets for a Pittsburgh Pirates verses the San Diego Padres game in early August when we will be in Ohio and Pennsylvania. I was born in Pittsburgh but grew up in San Diego; I wonder who I shall root for? I think I'll root for the Pirates since we will be in their stadium.
Friday, July 8, 2011
Monday, June 27, 2011
The End of the Second Inning
This week I conclude my second appointment year as pastor of Burbank First. While it’s the middle of the calendar year, July 1 marks the beginning of a new appointment year in United Methodist churches in our conference. This plus the fact that things slow down a bit for the next couple of months in terms of programs and activities at the church makes this a natural time for reflection and evaluation.
I was asked by a number of friends a couple of weeks ago while I was at Annual Conference how things were going at the church and if I was happy. Annual Conference is a yearly four-day gathering of clergy and laity from about 375 churches in our conference and often the only time I run into colleagues who serve in other districts. I struggled to describe in a couple of words the status of our church and my feelings about such a complex organization.
If I just said the church was fine or good, which I usually did, it doesn’t seem to do justice to the multitude of dynamics our church is facing along with most other churches in America. I also fear coming across as arrogant and insensitive to suggest everything is fine because many churches and pastors are facing difficult financial, property, and membership issues.
I also found it difficult to claim one emotion to describe how I feel about the church and ministry. First, I don’t think those who enter the ministry should do so in order to feel happiness. I experience a lot of joy and blessings as a pastor but ordained ministry also provides amble experiences of frustration, conflict, and pain. Nevertheless, I affirmed I was happy to those friends who asked because in general I am happy, content, and like “coming into the office” each day.
At the end of the second inning I can say that there are many healthy, positive signs about our church status. We are blessed with a strong staff and many strong lay leaders. Our recent Vacation Bible School was one of the best I have ever seen; our Lenten dinners and studies this year were well-attended and seemed meaningful; and another group finished a nine-month study of two books of the Bible. On the finance side, giving and other income is much closer to budget than the last few years. In terms of membership, I am delighted that we have welcomed about fifteen new members since the beginning of the year and a similar number of others who have not formally joined but who have become very engaged in the ministries of our congregation. Two small groups met this year for an eight-week study of relational evangelism and members of these groups grew closer to one another and gained new insights of needs of persons in our culture.
Though the positives far outweigh the negatives or areas of struggle, we have those too. Worship attendance continues its long-term gradual decline, especially in our 11 a.m. service. We offer very little on-going educational opportunities for adults. And the average age in our congregation is much higher than the average age of the general population of Burbank and surrounding communities. I do see most of these conditions as opportunities rather than problems but it is important that we address them.
I look forward to the third inning and rejoicing together for all our blessings while we address and make changes in response to the opportunities I have named.
I was asked by a number of friends a couple of weeks ago while I was at Annual Conference how things were going at the church and if I was happy. Annual Conference is a yearly four-day gathering of clergy and laity from about 375 churches in our conference and often the only time I run into colleagues who serve in other districts. I struggled to describe in a couple of words the status of our church and my feelings about such a complex organization.
If I just said the church was fine or good, which I usually did, it doesn’t seem to do justice to the multitude of dynamics our church is facing along with most other churches in America. I also fear coming across as arrogant and insensitive to suggest everything is fine because many churches and pastors are facing difficult financial, property, and membership issues.
I also found it difficult to claim one emotion to describe how I feel about the church and ministry. First, I don’t think those who enter the ministry should do so in order to feel happiness. I experience a lot of joy and blessings as a pastor but ordained ministry also provides amble experiences of frustration, conflict, and pain. Nevertheless, I affirmed I was happy to those friends who asked because in general I am happy, content, and like “coming into the office” each day.
At the end of the second inning I can say that there are many healthy, positive signs about our church status. We are blessed with a strong staff and many strong lay leaders. Our recent Vacation Bible School was one of the best I have ever seen; our Lenten dinners and studies this year were well-attended and seemed meaningful; and another group finished a nine-month study of two books of the Bible. On the finance side, giving and other income is much closer to budget than the last few years. In terms of membership, I am delighted that we have welcomed about fifteen new members since the beginning of the year and a similar number of others who have not formally joined but who have become very engaged in the ministries of our congregation. Two small groups met this year for an eight-week study of relational evangelism and members of these groups grew closer to one another and gained new insights of needs of persons in our culture.
Though the positives far outweigh the negatives or areas of struggle, we have those too. Worship attendance continues its long-term gradual decline, especially in our 11 a.m. service. We offer very little on-going educational opportunities for adults. And the average age in our congregation is much higher than the average age of the general population of Burbank and surrounding communities. I do see most of these conditions as opportunities rather than problems but it is important that we address them.
I look forward to the third inning and rejoicing together for all our blessings while we address and make changes in response to the opportunities I have named.
Monday, May 30, 2011
Being Absolutely Certain Has Its Downsides
Yesterday in my sermon I referred to one of the largest studies in recent years of religious beliefs and practices. It was published in 2008 by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life in a report called the "U.S. Religious Landscape Survey." It can be found here.
In the study 36,000 Americans were asked various questions about their belief in God, religious affiliation, and perspectives on prayer, miracles, heaven, and scripture. They also were asked a series of questions about attendance at religious services and participation in prayer groups and other religious activities.
A very large percentage (92%) of Americans profess belief in God or a universal spirit, even a fair number who, ironically, claim they are agnostic or atheist. When respondents were pushed how certain they were, 71% said they were absolutely certain about their belief and 17% claimed they were fairly certain. About 12% of Americans are fairly certain there is not a God, simply don't know or don't have an opinion about the matter, or did not answer the question.
I was surprised by how many persons indicated they are not absolutely certain there is a God or a universal spirit. I would like to think almost everybody would be confident we are not alone in this world and that God not only created us but is seeking to guide us to the fulfillment of God's intention for the world.
Yet there is something to not being so certain about everything. I occasionally find persons who are absolutely certain about something to be dead wrong. I too have proclaimed certainty about a matter and discovered later I was wrong. Ask my wife about the number of times I have claimed I am absolutely or fairly certain about the directions to someplace and then gotten lost.
Perhaps some of those who are fairly certain but not absolutely certain about God or God's nature bring some important perspectives and questions to the table that benefit all of us. I notice that many of the Psalms seem to move back and forth from doubt to certainty.
Perhaps God wants us to wonder and be somewhat troubled about these matters so we don't become so complacent and absolutely certain about God's nature that we get the most important parts wrong.
In the study 36,000 Americans were asked various questions about their belief in God, religious affiliation, and perspectives on prayer, miracles, heaven, and scripture. They also were asked a series of questions about attendance at religious services and participation in prayer groups and other religious activities.
A very large percentage (92%) of Americans profess belief in God or a universal spirit, even a fair number who, ironically, claim they are agnostic or atheist. When respondents were pushed how certain they were, 71% said they were absolutely certain about their belief and 17% claimed they were fairly certain. About 12% of Americans are fairly certain there is not a God, simply don't know or don't have an opinion about the matter, or did not answer the question.
I was surprised by how many persons indicated they are not absolutely certain there is a God or a universal spirit. I would like to think almost everybody would be confident we are not alone in this world and that God not only created us but is seeking to guide us to the fulfillment of God's intention for the world.
Yet there is something to not being so certain about everything. I occasionally find persons who are absolutely certain about something to be dead wrong. I too have proclaimed certainty about a matter and discovered later I was wrong. Ask my wife about the number of times I have claimed I am absolutely or fairly certain about the directions to someplace and then gotten lost.
Perhaps some of those who are fairly certain but not absolutely certain about God or God's nature bring some important perspectives and questions to the table that benefit all of us. I notice that many of the Psalms seem to move back and forth from doubt to certainty.
Perhaps God wants us to wonder and be somewhat troubled about these matters so we don't become so complacent and absolutely certain about God's nature that we get the most important parts wrong.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Life After Finishing My PhD
For the last four years almost all of my discretionary time was used for work on a PhD that I had a crazy idea to pursue. I attended quarterly residencies across the country for three years while working on fourteen learning achievements to demonstrate understanding and competency in the theory and practice of leadership and in methods of research. I also interacted weekly with members of my cohort. I used many vacation days and all of my continuing education time for the residencies and to work on assignments.
The first year was an adjustment year and though at the time I thought I was working hard, in looking back that first year was relatively light compared with the pace of work I have maintained the last two years. I gave up accompanying my wife on many Saturday hikes and to several plays, concerts, and movies because I was facing a deadline on some aspect of my program.
Two weeks ago I successfully defended my dissertation and since then I have essentially completed all the final steps of editing and approval. For the first time in a long time, I have evenings where there is nothing I have to read or write. It feels really good.
I still have found plenty of things to do, primarily in cleaning up my school books and clutter. I've also been catching up on some neglected tasks. But soon these will be largely done too.
I am both eager and somewhat anxious about my first evening or Saturday when I have nothing pressing to do and will think, "What do I do now that my to do list isn't overflowing?"
I will be tempted to keep creating an ever-flowing stream of things to do. Yet spiritually I am inclined to think I need some down time, time when I am quite unproductive.
I'll keep you posted on how that goes.
The first year was an adjustment year and though at the time I thought I was working hard, in looking back that first year was relatively light compared with the pace of work I have maintained the last two years. I gave up accompanying my wife on many Saturday hikes and to several plays, concerts, and movies because I was facing a deadline on some aspect of my program.
Two weeks ago I successfully defended my dissertation and since then I have essentially completed all the final steps of editing and approval. For the first time in a long time, I have evenings where there is nothing I have to read or write. It feels really good.
I still have found plenty of things to do, primarily in cleaning up my school books and clutter. I've also been catching up on some neglected tasks. But soon these will be largely done too.
I am both eager and somewhat anxious about my first evening or Saturday when I have nothing pressing to do and will think, "What do I do now that my to do list isn't overflowing?"
I will be tempted to keep creating an ever-flowing stream of things to do. Yet spiritually I am inclined to think I need some down time, time when I am quite unproductive.
I'll keep you posted on how that goes.
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