Sunday, February 27, 2011

The Twilight of my Seminary Career

In my last semester, this is officially now the twilight of my seminary career. And so, in the midst of too many classes already, not to mention time with friends and the occasional chess tournament or frisbee game, I decided to fit in my own version of a capstone: Preaching and Pop Culture. The idea is to take pop culture topics that seem un-preachable and make them a focus of the text; i.e. read the text through their respective lenses. The goal isn't to preach an anti-pop culture message but to actually engage the framework out of which these symbols arise and ask the Luther-esque question, "What does this mean?"

It's a fascinating time for me to think about this. I'm reading and hearing about ministry in a media culture in one class and, in a very different way, applying it to ministry in another. I have to admit I don't know what to do with Twilight--the pun on which this blog post is premised. It is my first subject and challenge. I'm reading this book and thinking, "What is preachable here?" How do I, as a 24-year-old male, find what it is that draws in so many girls--women--and then direct it to Christ?

I can't tell you how many people have come up to me recently, with a book on my lap or lying next to me, and said something along the lines of, "You're not reading that, are you?" Yes. Yes, I am.

And I'm learning. I'm not sure what exactly. There are themes in this book that worry me, that make me downright scared for young people to read it. And yet, there's something behind it. I don't think girls' self-worth should be wrapped up in attractive guys (or vampires), but I do think there is a longing for something tangible, something that lasts--an eternal love that reaches through our fears. Is that what Twilight is about? Not on the surface. Not in the author's mind. Not in the minds of its readers.  And yet, is that what Twilight is about? Perhaps.

In a crazy way, my seminary twilight isn't so different. I haven't been bitten by any vampires (that I'm aware of), but as a pastor I am going to be a singularity, an outsider in many ways, but the subject of unwanted attention in others. I'm going to be mostly goodhearted but with the possibility of doing great damage. I'm going to be sparkly--ok, not exactly, but the pastoral bling is pretty sweet, no?  And most of all, I am going to be powerful beyond measure; not by my own abilities but through Christ who lives in me.

Thursday, February 24, 2011

Assignment and place

For those of us who have taken part in the Candidacy process for ordained ministry in the ELCA we have heard time and again about call. We've been told to articulate our sense of call before committees, to process our call in various communities, and we have been asked to ascribe to certain conditions that put our sense of call under the microscope. Then we are told that we need to be open to be called to any location, any place. For those who have other vocations--families, jobs and school--they are told that if they want a call they have to get up and leave.  Herein lies a problem.

This might be the best process of many potentially bad ones, but it is also very flawed and I think we have to acknowledge that reality. I realize--as I think we all do--that there simply aren't churches in certain areas (many areas) where we might want to go. Yet, there is a fundamental problem with being called out. When God does it, then we are Jonah. But when a committee, or a bishop, or even a church does it we are suspicious about God's activity therein.

We are assured that the process is prayerful, that the spirit is active in its midst, and honestly I don't doubt it. Yet, I have a single question that seems to be under-addressed:  How is it that we can speak about call without honoring the role of place embedded within it?

For my friends who have been assigned to places unfamiliar and unexpected there is a very rational fear at work. They are disconnected, but here's what I want to claim: we are all disconnected and this assignment only points out to a few of us how broken off from place we are.

Pastoral assignees have this moment to reflect on the power of a location. At this moment we are blowing in the wind and we can only hope that the wind really is the spirit and not just a hurricane. When we talk about settling, we talk about roots, family trees, etc. Our roots are shallow, and I don't know what to do about it.  This is no sermon with gospel as the closing word. I think it's there, just beyond the edge of my thoughts at the moment, but honestly I don't want explanations right now. I am happy with my assignment, as much as a person can be, but I'm more concerned with standing with those whose roots have been torn out.

For now, that's all I want. Not to celebrate, but to stand alongside. Maybe after all this process isn't about a personal call, but a communal calling to one another. Maybe this is about more than spreading the gospel to the world; maybe it's about hugging one another. And maybe that's just the start we need.

Hymn Bracket--Sweet 16 rankings

With 16 hymns remaining I thought I'd take a moment to rank the remaining hymns by how likely I think they are to win. These 16 are obviously many of peoples' favorites, so any really could win, but some have only squeaked by to this point and some have dominated. As always, this is all for fun... and fantastically intriguing (at least to me)

The Bracket

16. Great is Thy Faithfulness
15. Lift High the Cross
14. Were You There
13. What Wondrous Love is This
12. Amazing Grace
11. Silent Night, Holy Night
10. O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
9. Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty
8. Thine is the Glory
7. A Mighty Fortress is Our God
6. Be Thou My Vision
5. Jesus Christ is Risen Toda
4. Here I Am, Lord
3. Praise to the Lord, the Almighty
2. Beautiful Savior
1. Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing

Thoughts?

Sunday, February 20, 2011

Chess as art

In between rounds at the Minnesota Open I was reading Madeleine L'Engle's Walking on Water: Reflections on Faith and Art.  And suddenly it struck me for the first time that chess--just perhaps--is actually an art. I have heard that said before, but I kind of thought it was just an excuse to be more eclectic and important than chess players really are (I say this as a definite member of the group). Yet, today, something changed.

L'Engle writes, "We are hurt; we are lonely; and we turn to music or words, and as compensation beyond all price we are given glimpses of the world on the other side of time and space."

There is something beautiful in that, something reminding me that, like music or poetry, chess can be art.  It's a game first, yes, but the more time you spend around chess players the more you realize (I know I do) that there is a lot of hurt and loneliness and this expression isn't perhaps cultural in the United States, yet it remains a real outlet.  And that, I think, is a glimpse of grace.

118th Minnesota Open

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Glimpses of Grace

So, as part of my Ministry in Media Culture class I'm supposed to blog on glimpses of grace. When I first thought about it, I thought this will really mess with the continuity of the blog. Then I remembered that A) there is continuity in my blog, and B) no, it won't because grace permeates. Yesterday I was talking with a friend (actually I overheard her talking and jumped in) who mentioned visiting Kenya and speaking with some women who were peeling and cutting carrots. They asked what it was like in America and my friend said that in America we can buy carrots already chopped. The Kenyan women laughed, saying that Americans are so lazy.

Lazy, perhaps. But that's not what bothers me. What bothers me is that we are actually rather busy in different ways, but each of these ways disconnects us from creation. We are tied up in computers, television (multimedia of all sorts).  Hey, we even have classes on Ministry in a Media Culture. Hello! Here's the problem as I see it: when we become disconnected from our food and from laboring in creation we become less and less connected with God. Now this is not some neo-pagan, pantheistic argument. No. Yet, God is intimately present in actual labor, and I'm afraid we just don't do that anymore.

Wendell Berry is probably the foremost purveyor of an agrarian philosophy/theology and his work is wonderful.  Check out him here.

Saturday, February 12, 2011

Hymns that didn't make the cut

First, here are the hymns that just missed making the top 64.  All of these appeared on four peoples' nominations, but they missed out on the tiebreaker (where they were nominated on the list, 1-10):


Joy to the World
In the Bleak Midwinter
Go to Dark Gethsemane
One Bread, One Body
You Are Mine
Lord of All Hopefulness
Come, All You People
Lift Every Voice and Sing
O God Beyond All Praisin


With 284 hymns nominated, many did not make it into the bracket.  In fact, it took being on four peoples' nomination forms to even have a chance to make the 64-hymn field.  With that, here is a complete list of every hymn nominated that didn't make it in in alphabetical order:


Alas and did my savior bleed
Aleluia! Jesus is Risen
All Are Welcome
All Creatures Worship God Most High
All Glory Laud and Honor
All Hail the Power of Jesus Name
All Praise to Thee, My God, This Night
Allelujah, Sing to Jesus
Although I Speak with Angle Tongue
Amazing Grace/Jesus Loves Me/Allulujah
Angels from the Realms of Glory
Angels We Have Heard on High
Arise Your Light Has Come
As the Grains of Wheat
At the Lamb's High Feast We Sing
Awake, Awake and Greet the New Morn
Away in a Manger
Baptized and Set Free
Blest Are They
Blest Be the Tie that Binds
Bread of life from heaven
Break now the Bread
Breathe by Marie Barnett
Built on a Rock
By Gracious Powers
Change my Heart O God
Chief of Sinners Thou I Be
Christ be our light
Christ Is Arisen, Alleluia
Christ Jesus Lay in Death's Strong Hands
Christ the Lord is Risen Today; Alleluia!
Come Beloved of the Maker
Come Join the Dance of Trinity
Come Let us worship, God
Come Now O Prince of Peace
Come to me all pilgrims thirsty
Come to the Table
Come Ye, Disconsolate
Come, All You People
Come, Let Us Eat
Come, Thou Almighty King
Comfort, Comfort Now My People
Coventry Carol
Crown Him Lord of All
Do Not Despair, O Little Flock
Dona nobis pacem
Down to the River to Pray
Doxology
Draw us in the Spirit's Tether
Drawn to the Light
Each Winter as the Year Grows Older
Eat This Bread
Eternal Father, Strong to Save
Eternal Spirit of the Living Christ
For the Fruit of All Creation
Friendly Beasts
Go Down Moses
Go to Dark Gethsemane
God Be With You Till We Meet Again
God is Here
God of our Fathers
God of Wonders
God with us
Good Christian Friends Rejoice
Gospel Acclamation
Gracious Spirit, Heed our pleading
Great God your Love has called us here
Guide my Feet
Hail Thee Festive Day
Halle, Halle, Hallelujah
Hallelujah! We Sing Your Praises
Hark the Herald Angels Sing
He Came Down
Healer of Our Every Ill
Heavenly Father Hear Our Prayer
Holden Evening Prayer
Holy God, Holy and Glorious
How Deep the Father's Love for Us by Stuart Townend
Hymn to Concordia
I am so Glad
I am the Bread of Life
I Bind Myself unto the Name
I Have a Friend Who Loveth Me
I Know that My Redeemer Lives
I Want Jesus to Walk With Me
I Want to Walk as a Child of the Light
If You But Trust in God to Guide You
I'll Fly Away
Immortal, Invisible God Only Wise
In Christ Alone
In the Bleak Midwinter
In Thee is Gladness
Isaiah, in a Vision Did of Old
It Only Takes a Spark
Jesus is a Rock in a Weary Land
Jesus Loves Me This I Know
Jesus, Remember Me
Joy to the World
Joyous Light of Heavenly Glory
Just a Closer Walk with Thee
Just a Closer Walk With Thee
Kyrie Dakota Road
Lamb of God
Lead Me, Guide Me
Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silent
Let All things now living
Let My Prayer Rise Up
Let Streams of Living Justice
Let us Tongues and Talents Employ
Lift Every Voice and Sing
Listen, God is Calling
Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming
Lord I Lift Your Name on High
Lord Jesus, You Shall Be My Song
Lord Let My Heart Be Good Soil
Lord of All Hopefulness
Lord, Listen to Your Children
Lord, Prepare Me to be a Sanctuary
Lord, Thee I Love with All My Heart
Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory
Morning Has Broken
Mortus Portus Fractis Fortiss
Mothering God, You Gave Me Birth
My God, How Wonderful Thou Art
My Heart is Longing to Praise My Savior
My Lord what a Morning
My Soul Proclaims Your Greatness
My Soul will Rest
Nearer my God to Thee
Now All the Woods are Sleeping
Now it is Evening
Now Rest Beneath Night's Shadow
Now the Day is Over
Now the Green Blade Rises
Now to the Holy Spirit Let us Pray
Now We Join the Celebration
O For a Thousand Tongues
O God Beyond All Praising
O Holy Night
O Little Town of Bethlehem
O Morning Star How Fair and Bright
O Praise the Gracious Power
O Sing to the Lord
O That the Lord would Guide my Ways
O the Wonderful Cross
O Wonderful Words of the Gospel
O Zion, Haste
Old Rugged Cross
On Eagle's Wings
On Our Way Rejoicing
Once to every man and nation
One Bread, One Body
Out of the Depths I Cry to You
Praise and Thanksgiving
Praise the One Who Breaks the Darkness
Praise to the Lord All of You
Rise O Church Like Christ Arisen
Rise, My Soul to Watch and Pray
Rise, Shine, You People!
Santo, Santo, Santo
Savior Like a Shepherd Lead Us
Seek Ye First
Send me Jesus
Servant Song
Shall We Gather At the River
Shepherd Me, O God
Shine, Jesus Shine
Shout to the Lord
Sing My Tongue, the Glorious Battle
Softly and Tenderly Jesus is Calling
Soli Deo Gloria
Son of God, Eternal Savior
Soon and Very Soon
Spirit of Gentleness
Spirit of God, Descend upon my heart
Stand up, Stand up for Jesus
Standing in the Need of Prayer
Stay With Us
Sunshine and Rain
Take My Life that I May Be
Take My Life that I may be
Take O Take me as I am
Take, Oh, Take Me As I Am
Taste and See
The Church of Christ in Every Age
The First Noel
The Lord now Sends us Forth
The Magnificat
The Strife is O'er
Thee We Adore, O Hidden Savior
There In God's Garden
There is a Balm in Gilead
There's a Wideness in God's Mercy
Thine the Amen
This is My Song
This is the Day
This Little Light of Mine
Through The Night of Doubt and Sorrow
Tis a Gift to Be Simple
To God ours Thanks we Give
Ubi Caritas et Amor
Unexpected and Mysterious
Veni Sancte Spiritus
Victory in Jesus
Wade in the Water
Wait for the Lord
We Are All One in Mission
we are called
We Come to the Hungry Feast
We Know that Christ is Raised
What a Fellowship
What Feast of Love
When in our music God is Glorified
When Morning Gilds the Skies
When we are Living
Will You Let Me Be Your Servant
Ye Watchers and Ye Holy Ones
You Are Mine
Your Will be Done

Friday, February 11, 2011

The Brackets!

Soprano Bracket

Tenor Bracket
Bass Bracket
Alto Bracket

You saw them here first! :-)

Alphabetical List of Hymns that made it:
A Mighty Fortress
Abide With Me
Ah, Holy Jesus
Amazing Grace
Be thou My Vision
Beautiful Savior
Beneath the Cross of Jesus
Blessed Assurance
Borning Cry
Canticle of Turning
Children of the Heavenly Father
Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing
Crown Him with Many Crowns
Day by Day
Earth and All Stars
For All the Saints
For the Beauty of the Earth
Gather us in
Give Me Jesus
Go, My Children, With my Blessing
Great is Thy Faithfulness
Here I Am, Lord
Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty
How Great Thou Art
I Love to Tell the Story
Jesus Christ is Risen Today
Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee
Just As I Am, Without One Plea
Let Us Break Bread Together
Lift High the Cross
Lord Keep Us Steadfast in Your Word
Lord Whose Love in Humble Service
Love Divine, All Loves Excelling
My Hope is Built on Nothing Less
My Life Flows on in Endless Song
My Song is Love Unknown
Now All the Vault of Heaven Resounds
O Come All Ye Faithful
O Come O Come Emmanuel
O Day Full of Grace
O Sacred Head, Now Wounded
Of the Father's Love Begotten
Praise to the Lord, the Almighty
Precious Lord, Take my Hand
Rock of Ages
Silent Night, Holy Night
The Church's One Foundation
The King of Love My Shepherd Is
Thine is the Glory
This is My Father's World
Thy Holy Wings

Monday, February 7, 2011

Hymn Bracket notes

A group of several Luther Seminary students put together a "mock" hymn bracket in the last week. I wasn't involved, but I did obtain a copy of the initial seeding. There are certain hymns that I think are just about in the right position, others that I think are under or over seeded, but that's kind of the fun in it. There has been some buzz around this and the semester hasn't started yet, which is rather exciting. I talked to one professor who wants to put together a hymn sing, there was a facebook group created aimed against A Mighty Fortress winning Hymn Bracket, and ELCA's Outdoor Ministries has been advertising it. Pretty fantastic stuff. Throw in Lost and Found nominating their favorite hymns, as well as pastors and church musicians and I am stoked. Nominations are still possible through Friday at Hymn Bracket Nominations


As of right now we have 58 people nominating. That number should go up some this week as the paper nominations start in the OCC. I'm quite content with the level of interest. Less than a week until the bracket is revealed!