“The person who knows only one religion, knows none”
Have you ever found yourself longing for a more tangible spirituality? Have you dabbled in practices that help you feel more physically in tune with God? Some of us need something more tangible and physical for our spirituality to come alive.
In this post, Ken explores what it might look like to employ a more touch-centered approach to spirituality, worship, study, and discipleship.
The other day I was spending some time with a friend who is in human resources at a major recreation company. As we talked about his experience and training he reminded me of an important principle: diversity and inclusion are not one and the same.
While we often hear them together, and they are related, diversity and inclusion each have their own meanings and applications. Understanding the difference can help churches build a more welcoming, all-embracing, and multi-ethnic church.
Currently, the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (the LCMS, the church I’m part of) is one of the least diverse religious groups in the U.S.
While the nation’s overall population is growing more racially and ethnically diverse – and so are many of its religious groups — the LCMS is not anywhere near keeping pace. Among the Pew Research Center’s recent survey of 30 different religious groups, the LCMS ranked 28th in terms of racial and ethnic diversity (among five racial groups: Latina/os, non-Latina/o whites, blacks, Asians, and an umbrella group titled “mixed-race”). In other words, we are overwhelming, homogeneously, white.
Photo: LCEF's Leader-to-Leader Blog
Whether it’s the long lines at the post office that are making you angry, the pain from the loss of a loved one last year that lingers, or the stress of putting together the perfect plan for your Christmas party, worship service, or program it can be hard to have fun at Christmas.
And yet, one of the promises of the good news of Christmas is that it can, and should, be fun.
Even so, Christians are too often known for sucking the joy out of the celebrations this time of year. Leading up to Christmas, we can be better known for tension than trimmings, for freaking out rather than reaching out, for anger rather than anticipation.
The invitation to both leaders and laity this season is to let go of the everlasting burden of being so serious, sullen, and always trying to sound so profound.
On Nov. 8 you will sin. I guarantee it. Especially if you’re planning on voting, or already have voted, there’s a 100% chance of sin being involved.
As human beings, created by God, we are called to participate in the political system of our community. This is part of the “cultural imperative” given to us in Genesis 1:28. We are called to live in, co-create, and engage our community — at the international, national, regional, state, local, and familial level. Sometimes, we are called to make tough decisions that affect the politics of our community.
Such as: does the toilet paper go up and over or down and under? Those of you who navigate the politics of a household know this is a political decision, one that has ramifications far into the future.
I say this not to make light of political decisions — like voting — but to call to our attention the necessity to hold these political deliberations in proper perspective and to diagnose them for what they are in light of God’s reign over all things.
Those with faith in God have been wrestling with the politics of living together in a fallen world since, well, the world fell into sin. Throughout human history God-fearing individuals and communities sought to know God’s will for their nation, their empire, their city, their family. At times, Jesus followers and God’s chosen leaders made wonderful decisions that led to breakthroughs in liberty, freedom, and justice. Other times, not so much. Still other times, they sinned gravely and were on the wrong side of justice, freedom, and liberation.
When we head to the voting booth on November 8 or send in our ballot by mail, we will enter into this long tradition of deciding.
Before you do, know this...
Is it slick worship slides? Well-dressed families? Stunning stained glass? Perfect pews? High-quality music? Good looking and well-respected members of the community?
What if your church uses old hymnals? What if the families are broken? What if the walls are sullied and the seating busted? What if the organ is out of tune or the soprano squeaky? What if your people are less than perfect and their lives a bit messed up? What if you don’t like your church?
The church isn’t beautiful because of its position in society or its pretty facilities, families or frills. The church is beautiful because of what God is doing in, through and with it.
What do you do when the deuces hit the air ducts? Sometimes, things don't go according to plan. In those moments of crisis it's easy to curl up into a little ball or overreact and cause more fallout.
How can leaders navigate a time of crisis with their church, organization, or community? Here are three axioms -- timeless truths -- from seasoned leaders to help you chart the course.
People. Need. Grace.
Period.
Walk into your church. Step out into the streets. You will find people hurting. Limping along in life. Struggling to understand, and seek out, faith, love, and hope in the midst of the problems of pain, death, and the tension between what is and what ought to be in this world.
As many of you know, I started my service as an ordained Lutheran pastor in June. While I am nowhere near "burnout" I have been challenged, and comforted, in my early days as a minister by reading That Their Work May be a Joy: Understanding and Coping with the Challenges of Pastoral Ministry by personal friend/mentor Kurt Fredrickson and his colleague Cameron Lee.
Reflecting on their work and hearing news from friends and family from around the world of professional ministry I wrote a post this week on FIVE WAYS that congregations can avoid seeing their pastors and leaders burnout before they are able to bless the community.
“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven….a time to keep silence and a time to speak.”
In our live-tweeting, news breaking, first-to-be blogging culture it can prove a hard environment to cultivate silence and solitude. No greater is this the case than when there is some sort of crisis — real or perceived — or when we are faced with a momentous opportunity.
Often, leaders in the church are hasty to speak up and speak out on major issues in our church, our city, or our country. We are quick to condemn the things we disagree with or are uncomfortable with and swift to support those decisions or occasions where our values are seemingly upheld or enacted.
Yet, we leaders would do well to contemplate the words of the author of Ecclesiastes above and Catholic contemplative Henri Nouwen who said, “As ministers our greatest temptation is toward too many words…but silence is a sacred discipline, a guard of the Holy Spirit.”
As I wrote in a previous post, the U.S. has witnessed a stunning religious transformation over the last 40 years and Christians are struggling to adjust.
Today, there are 1,700 federally recognized religious bodies in the U.S., 600 of which are non-Christian and just last week Pew Research Center reported how Christianity’s share of the U.S. population is steadily decreasing with more Hindus, Buddhists, Muslims, and “nones” emerging on the American religious marketplace.
Faced with questions, fears, and honest desires to adapt, learn, and be hospitable toward their neighbors of other religious perspectives most congregations opt for a world religions “Bible” study. The vast majority of these studies are amateurish at best. While most leaders of these studies start with the intention to help their parishioners learn more about the world’s religions, the way they go about it usually leads to nominally increased religious literacy. Even worse, these studies often exacerbate pre-existing prejudices or presuppositions about those religious studied.
In place of these studies I suggest the following three practical means of learning more about your neighbors of different religions.
Should our worship go digital? That's the central question behind my latest post for the Lutheran Church Extension Fund's (LCEF) "Leader-to-Leader" blog.
Integrating my own experiences worshipping online with recent research about tech trends and church I suggest FIVE REASONS you or your church should consider "digital worship."
Here's an excerpt:
“However, there are those who remain skeptical. There is a fear that in our “cyber sanctuaries” digital worshippers will miss the authenticity of face-to-face interaction. There is a concern that virtual ritual lacks real substance, presence, or legitimacy.”
I am here to suggest that there are FIVE REASONS these fears may be overblown. Read the rest of the piece at LCEF's Leader-to-Leader blog to learn more...
The word “vocation” may make us think of a relatively narrow realm of responsibilities, but it should mean so much more.
The Latin word vocatio, or ”calling,” was long used to refer to religious orders and priestly ministry, Today, we use the term all the time to talk about someone’s profession (think “vocational training”). Martin Luther was the first to use “vocation” in reference to seemingly mundane and profane offices and occupations. Behind the semantics of Luther’s heritage is the idea that every station in life that is, by nature, helpful to others, is a calling, a vocation, through which the love of God is made manifest.
In the words of Gustaf Wingren vocation is “anything that involves action, anything that concerns the world or my relationship with my neighbor.”
Not only is the idea of vocation expanded beyond our occupations, but it is also bigger than any one station we occupy. Not only are we called to serve others, and extend God’s creative care for earth and humanity, through our vocations as farmers or faculty, plumbers or priests, accountants or artists, husbands and wives, daughters and sons, fathers and mothers, aunts and uncles, cousins and godparents, friends and competitors, etc., but we can also serve others in momentary vocations.
Momentary vocations are those brief moments wherein we may be called to serve a person in passing, an “extra” in our lives who would otherwise go unnoticed, but for some reason has been brought to our attention, thrust into our hectic schedule, or appeared at our doorstep. Whether it be a beggar on the street, a teller at your grocery store, or the person visibly upset in the hallway at work or school, too often, we pass up these momentary vocations and miss the opportunity to participate in God’s care for the world.
A couple weeks ago I wrote a piece for Lutheran Church Extension Fund's (LCEF) Leader-to-leader blog called, "Confessions of a Millennial church curmudgeon." It got picked up by OnFaith, formerly a Washington Post publication and now a branch of FaithStreet.
I'm honored to have it re-worked and re-posted there. Check it out HERE.
I confess, I’m a Millennial church curmudgeon.
Of course, the stereotypical image of a “church curmudgeon” is the bad tempered elderly man, arms crossed, complaining about how the music is too loud and the pews too soft.
And then there’s me. Donning a bow tie and skinny jeans, with dark-rimmed glasses and a pair of loafers, I strut into your church with one mission — to judge you and your ministry. I’ll nit pick your artwork, or lack thereof. I’ll chastise you for not having online giving and pontificate to my friends over brunch how your church is from the Stone Age because your website isn’t up-to-date. And, fair warning, if your slides are just one second off…sorry, but that’s tantamount to undoing the work of the cross.
Photo: LCEF Leader-to-Leader
I’m serious. If you’re thinking about it, don’t leave your church.
I know, I know. You have your reasons. There’s a new pastor; they stopped playing your favorite song; the vote didn’t go your way in the last congregational meeting; you don’t like so-and-so and now they’re president of the executive board.
I get it. It sucks. Now, take a deep breath…get over yourself and don’t leave your church.
Here's why...
*Read more of my guest post at LCEF's Leader-to-Leader Blog.