Notes from Sabbatical

What I learned on sabbatical.

2010-09-16T07:48:00.000-07:00

1. The thing missing in every church I visited was a sense of belonging.[1]

2. All pastors/churches do the same sorts of things.[2]

3. Time with family and friends was the best gift of my sabbatical.[3]

4. Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago is a great church![4]

5. Lutheran theology is our greatest gift.[5]

6. I cherish Lutheran liturgy.[6]

7. I am replaceable.[7]

8. Work is a blessing.[8]

9. Grace Lutheran Church is a great congregation![9]

10. God is good and the world is big![10]

[1] In retrospect this seems obvious, but still it came to me as something of a surprise more than half-way through my sabbatical. There is a big difference between visiting a church and being a member. Nurturing a sense of belonging should be a priority for congregations.

[2] No matter where I went on Sabbatical, from the biggest to the smallest, from the most traditional to the least, all pastors and churches do a handful of very common things: announcements, collect an offering, sing, etc.

[3] The hardest thing about being a pastor is having a schedule that runs contrary to most of the world. So while my family and friends are working primarily Monday through Friday 8-5, I am working many evenings and most weekends and holidays. Conversely the best gift of my sabbatical was time with family and friends.

[4] Trinity is an African-American United Church of Christ congregation located on the south side of Chicago. When I was there I experienced a profound sense of welcome, great music and a delightfully biblical and provocative sermon all packed into a service that was only 2 hours long.

[5] The heart of Lutheran Theology is a belief in “Justification by Grace through Faith.” This belief guides our preaching and teaching. Its presence or absence in a congregation’s life is palpable on Sunday mornings.

[6] While I attended several very nice “praise services,” a worship service without the liturgy just doesn’t feel like church to me. That is, I want and need to hear that my sins are forgiven. I want and need to confess my faith and pray with others. I want and need the gift of his body and blood.

[7] By all accounts, pastors Holmes and Woodley and our congregational leaders did a great job in caring for the people of Grace and their ministry this summer. This congregation survived without me. It is bigger than me. On some level I’ve always suspected that this was true, but it is helpful and humbling to experience it.

[8] By the second week of August, I was excited about getting back to work. In addition to the people of Grace, I missed the rhythm of my work and the sense of purpose that it provides.

[9] I experienced 15 different congregations during my sabbatical. Their settings and size and theology varied quite a bit. In each congregation, I found things to admire and appreciate. Mostly, they made me appreciate and miss my congregation: Grace Lutheran Church.

[10] I enjoyed my time away from home: Adel, Grace, Iowa. My travels reminded me not only how beautiful and big the world is, but also how great my home is. Throughout my life including the summer of 2010, God has blessed me. I am thankful.

FINALLY

2010-09-01T05:59:00.000-07:00

7:59 AM CST WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2010

SABBATICAL IS OVER.

HAPPY TO BE BACK AT WORK.

Farming

2010-08-31T20:39:00.001-07:00

My plan had been to spend the last full week of my sabbatical at my brother’s cabin in northern Wisconsin. On the way there I was going to spend a day in Algona helping my dad on his farm. I enjoyed that one day so much, that I decided to spend the whole week farming instead of going to Wisconsin.

Let me give you two versions of my farming experience. Version number one goes like this… Dad needed help baling hay: lots of hay, thousands of pounds of hay! It was hot and dusty. It was hard work. And, who did my dad call to help? He didn’t call my brothers. He didn’t call my sister. He called me. Why? Well, I suppose he thought I could handle it. This version is sort of true.

Version number 2 goes like this… While we did make some hay the old-fashioned way (stacking bales on a rack by hand), we made most of the hay the new-fashioned way (big round and square bales moved around from the comfort of an air-conditioned tractor with good radio reception). And I’m pretty sure he called me because he knew I had some extra time on my hands this summer. My brothers and sister were busy. This version is truer than version number one.

My dad’s farm in Kossuth County is great. He has about 50 cows, many of them with calves. The fields and pastures are beautiful. I even saw the jack rabbits that he’s been talking about so much lately.

More than the help, I think my dad mostly enjoys the company. It was fun to spend that time with him, to hear the things he’s excited about and the things he worries about, to see how he spends his days. Even though it involved a little bit of work, it was a lot of fun. I think I should spend some more time on the farm when I can. I’m not sure how to explain it, but I enjoyed the work and the company and the time.

Pastor

Sabbatical by the Numbers

2010-08-31T19:44:00.000-07:00

I worshiped with 15 different congregations.

(One congregation twice.)

I read 15 books.

I traveled more than 4,000 miles by car.

Duluth, St Paul, Jackson, MN... Chicago, IL... Van Meter, Whittemore, Des Moines, Nevada, IA

I pedaled more than 500 miles by bicycle.

I enjoyed many hours with my children, parents, grandpa, siblings & friends.

All in all a pretty incredible summer!

August 29, 2010

2010-08-31T19:41:00.001-07:00

Last Sunday, which was my last Sunday on sabbatical, I attended St Paul Lutheran Church in Whittemore, Iowa. My dad grew up in this church. This is where he was confirmed. My grandma and great grandparents’ funerals were held in this church.

St. Paul’s is a beautiful old church, which this year is celebrating its 125th Anniversary. The congregation has 201 members and average weekly worship attendance of 65.

I couldn’t get the statistics from the LCMS webpage to work very well, but clearly this church has declined a lot since my dad was a child more than 50 years ago. He remembers a time when the congregation had more than one service on Sundays and when if you were late for a service you had to sit in the balcony because the main level would be too full. The main level looks like it could easily seat 200-300 people.

So imagine a congregation with seating for 250 people with 50 people scattered in the back half of the pews. There is a great distance between the people and the preacher. The singing is weak. The sense of community suffers. And even with no mortgage, I imagine it’s hard to keep the bills paid: salaries, maintenance on the building, mission and ministry.

The decline of a rural church in Iowa may be sad, but it’s no scandal or surprise. Rural Iowa and its small towns have lost a lot of their population in the last 125 years. Of course their churches have too.

But what should be done with struggling and shrinking congregations? Should they be closed by their denomination or allowed to wither away?

I think the decision finally belongs to the congregation. They can be a congregation as long as they have the will and the means to function. When they no long have the will or the means they will cease to be a congregation.

But while a congregation shrinks in size, they also have an opportunity to adjust their life to accommodate a new smaller reality. It’s like your elderly parents moving into a smaller home or a family getting rid of the minivan when they no longer have small children to transport.

If the sanctuary is too large, remove some of the pews. If a congregation can’t afford a full-time pastor, find a congregation that will share a pastor. If a congregation can no longer fully utilize their building, share the space with someone else: another congregation or a daycare center.

A declining congregation can be a sad place to worship, but congregations like people can find new life even in a time of decline. Plus, 125 years is nothing to sneeze at. I’m thankful for St Paul Lutheran Church.

Pastor

August 22, 2010

2010-08-26T20:17:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday I went to the state fair with some friends. Of course it was a lot of fun. We saw the big boar, the butter cow and some draft horses. As always, there was some great people-watching. I especially enjoyed the photo exhibits. It was a hot day and when it was over I was pooped. No, make that POOPED!

And then it was Sunday morning and I wanted to go to church, but where? I was still a little tired from Saturday, so I didn’t really want any heavy lifting. Do you know what I mean? If I picked an unfamiliar place, there would be all the anxiety that goes with not knowing how “they” do things. If I picked a small place, I would have to explain who I was and why I was there and I was a bit too tired to be that social. I wanted an easy morning and a comfortable place to worship.

I went back to Hope for a lot of reasons. I’d been there before, so I knew what to expect. It’s huge, so while I might bump into someone I knew, I could also plan to get lost in the crowd; which I did. And with almost nothing that could be called “liturgy” it was an easy service to be a part of. Hope was the obvious choice and I enjoyed it very much.

If you will re-read the last two paragraphs, you will discover I think an important aspect of Hope’s phenomenal success. Sunday morning at hope can be easy and comforting and anonymous.

And then there was the sermon. I’m not going to try and rehash it, but it was great, both challenging and full of grace.

It was a nice weekend. This coming Sunday, I’m going to St Paul’s Lutheran Church in Whittemore. This is the church in which my dad was raised.

Sunday Morning - August 15

2010-08-16T07:14:00.000-07:00

I went to church on Saturday at Memorial Lutheran Church in Nevada, so I was a little surprised when I wanted to go to church again on Sunday morning. But I did, so I did. It’s a habit I guess, a pattern that just feels right. Plus, it was a beautiful cool morning, making it a great day for a short drive with the top down.

A friend of mine (Susan Werner) is a singer-songwriter. Check out her song entitled Sunday Morning on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-7N-aUda3E. If you like it, buy it on itunes. If you really like it, buy the whole cd; it’s great! (No, I’m not getting a commission on sales inspired by this blog… but I should.)

So on Sunday I attended worship at Faith Lutheran Church in Clive. The liturgy was traditional and well-done. The sermon (given by a friend) was helpful. Two things were great: the space and the attendance.

Have you been in this church before? It’s beautiful. With lots of windows, it’s sunny and bright and big. Like our church, the pews are arranged in a half circle around the altar. The font is large and located in the narthex as the entry-point to the sanctuary. The altar and pulpit are slightly elevated in the center of the room. I don’t know who designed it, but it’s really just a lovely worship space.

And then there was the attendance, maybe 200 people. The sanctuary felt full, not packed but full. Ask anyone, preacher or parishioner or musician, there is something about a full sanctuary that makes worship better. Of course the singing is better, but there is something more than that too. People are forced to sit a little closer to each other. There is a certain energy in the room. The sharing of the peace is noisier. The sight of people streaming to the altar for communion is more visually compelling. Everything is just better when the sanctuary is full.

When a disciple decides to attend worship, he or she brings their energy to the gathered community and makes it a better experience for everyone. That means that our attendance is a ministry of sorts. Even if an individual got nothing out of a worship experience (which I don’t think is really possible), he or she is making it a better experience for everyone else!

There is my neighbor! I can hear his voice. We heard the same Word proclaimed. She wished me God’s peace. He heard my prayer. She shared the body and blood of Christ with me.

My point is this… if there comes a day when you feel like skipping worship because you doubt you’ll get anything out of it, maybe you should come because of what your presence will mean for others. It means a lot and you might be surprised by what it means for you.

Peace,

Pastor

Saturday, August 14

2010-08-15T17:05:00.000-07:00

I attended a 5 pm worship service at Memorial Lutheran Church in Nevada, Iowa on Saturday, August 14. It was a great experience, better in some ways than any other church I’ve visited this summer. The difference was that I did not attend worship at Memorial because I wanted to observe a new and different congregation, but because I wanted to worship with friends.

I was a member of Memorial for the 11 years before I became a member of Grace. My kids were baptized there. They sponsored and supported me when I was in seminary. I was ordained there. Their pastors have been pastors and mentors to me, and are now colleagues and dear friends. Worshipping at Memorial felt like going home to visit old friends; and that made if feel different and better than my other summer worship experiences.

There is a lesson in this feeling. No matter how big or small or rich or poor or historic or beautiful the congregations I’ve visited were, I was always just a visitor. Their pastors didn’t know me. There were no parishioners glad to see me in worship because we had history together, because we were friends. I was always just a visitor and that meant that the experience could never be as good for me as Grace Lutheran Church in Adel; but Memorial came closer than any other.

When I arrived and told a very nice greeter my name, she remembered me. When the pastor saw me walk into the sanctuary, he was glad that I was there. After worship was over, I bumped into people who knew my kids when they were babies and small children. All of this being known and remembered, that’s what makes a congregation feel special. That’s what makes it feel like home.

Have you guessed ‘it’ yet? I miss the people of Grace. I miss the rhythm of my work. I want to come home! As the summer winds down, that’s a pretty good feeling.

Peace,

Pastor

PS -- In addition to feeling at home, the worship service was lovely and the sermon was pure gospel.

Chicago -- August 7 & 8

2010-08-11T11:42:00.000-07:00

I went to Chicago because I wanted to experience two churches: Willow Creek Community Church in the western suburb of South Barrington and Trinity United Church of Christ on the Southside.

Willow Creek is evangelical and non-denominational. It is also one of the nation’s largest mega-churches. One cannot help but be impressed by the sheer size of the place. I arrived at 3:30 pm for the 5:30 Saturday service, so I had some time to look around. The facilities are on a well manicured campus with multiple buildings, a huge parking lot and a large green space complete with a pond. I felt like I was on the campus of a small college.

Inside the main building were computer kiosks to welcome and orient visitors and a large cafeteria complete with at least 6 food lines where you could order everything from a salad to a slice of pizza to a steak dinner. There was a coffee shop, a large book store, and separate spaces for meetings and classes and smaller gatherings.

The main feature of the main building is an auditorium with seating capacity for 7,200. The auditorium is one of the largest in the United States and includes the kind of screens you would find in a sports facility. Before the service began I found a seat near the rail in the upper-most balcony. “Wow, this place is huge!”

The worship experience was a very typical “praise service.” It began with 30 minutes of music and ended with a 30 minute ‘sermon.’ Sprinkled in between were some prayers and announcements, an offering and a reading from scripture.

I’m not a huge fan of praise music, but one couldn’t help but enjoy it. A large and wealthy church can clearly employ some world-class musicians. And I have always thought that the best of any genre of music is powerful.

There was a guest ‘preacher’ so the senior pastor, Bill Hybels, was present only to make a few announcements, lead a few prayers and make an introduction. I was surprised by how ordinary he looked. I don’t know what I was expecting from this famous pastor and prolific author, but I honestly thought ‘you could plop this guy into any Lutheran church in Iowa and he would look the part.’ One thing that made me chuckle was the idea that no matter how big a church gets, the pastor always makes the same sort of announcements. “We’re really excited about such and such and hope you will stop by the sign-up sheet on your way out.” Bill Hybels and Bill Bernau, both pastors, do some of the same things during a worship service.

The guest ‘preacher’ was Dr. Henry Cloud who is a clinical psychologist and prolific author on the subject of boundaries in human relationships. On this Saturday he was giving the first of two ‘sermons’ on the subject of intimacy.

I should say that I’ve read several of Dr. Cloud’s books and I have a lot of respect for his expertise on his subject. It is also a little unfair to critique part 1 of a two-part ‘sermon,’ so take this critique for what it’s worth and add a large grain of salt.

It was a great ‘talk,’ informative and entertaining; but it wasn’t a ‘sermon.’ God was mentioned only in passing and the Gospel (as I understand it) wasn’t mentioned at all. This is important to me. A sermon can inform and give advice for a better life, but the imperative is to announce the Gospel. It can succeed or fail in any regard (to educate or entertain), but it must announce the Good News of God’s love in Jesus Christ. At least that’s what I think; so I was disappointed.

And that makes me wonder, who am I to criticize Willow Creek? This is a huge and successful church, which reaches something like 23,000 people every weekend. Still, if even for a day the emperor has no clothes…

When the service was over, I streamed out of the auditorium and building with everyone else. Over the course of three hours no one said ‘hello’ or shook my hand or asked for my name or if I needed any help finding a seat or following the service. Willow Creek was impressive, but it was a surprisingly lonely experience in a sea 5,000 people.

Hmmm… something to think about.

On Sunday morning at 6:00 am, I headed into Chicago for the 7:30 service at Trinity UCC on the Southside. When I entered the building the first and most noticeable thing was that I was the only white person in a sea of black people. I wasn’t really uncomfortable about this, but I did feel a little conspicuous. If I had been nervous, and maybe I was just a little, the people of Trinity made me feel very welcomed almost immediately. Within 5 minutes, two people asked me my name and where I was from and greeted me with a hug. One person near the door, who may have been an official greeter, told me that I would probably prefer a large print bulletin and a seat in the balcony where it would be easier to see.

One woman, who may have been the head greeter, welcomed me to “the best church this side of the Jordan.” She wasn’t boasting, just sharing her love for her church. When I told her that I was looking forward to hearing her preacher, she said, “Well you’re in for a treat.”

I have wanted to attend worship at Trinity for a long time. This desire started a few years ago at a preaching conference, where I had heard a sermon by their then senior pastor. During the 2008 elections, he was embroiled in a little controversy which I thought was terribly unfair to him. A few lines of his sermon were quoted out of context by politicians seeking an advantage over an opponent. I honestly don’t care who the preacher is, Jerry Falwell or Jeremiah Wright, conservative or liberal; it’s always wrong and unfair to take words out of context.

I also wanted to attend Trinity, because a former preaching professor of mine recommended their new pastor as a good example of African American preaching. So for lots of reasons, I was excited to be at Trinity.

Physically the worship space was nice but unremarkable. It was the warmth and energy of the gathered people that made it feel electric and holy. The space has one balcony and all of the pews, both up and down, arch around the pulpit in a half circle.

Behind the pulpit was a 30 member all male choir, led by a conductor and backed by a group of musicians: guitar, keyboard, drums, etc. I think the music could best be described as Soul Music, and it was great!

The first part of the service included music, announcements, prayers, scripture readings, a welcome to visitors, and the collection of an offering. As the sermon was beginning, I checked my watch because I wanted to know how long the sermon was when it was over. I was surprised to discover that we were already 90 minutes into what would be a 2 hour service!

And then there was the sermon. If you’ve never heard a good African American preacher before, it’s hard to describe, but I’ll do my best. It was spectacular, a thing of beauty. Reverend Otis Moss, III is a young man in his 30s, but his sermon was mature and majestic. It moved along at a rapid clip for the better part of 30 minutes. It was powerful and inspiring, clearly grounded in a Biblical text. It felt intellectually stimulating and challenging. Gospel based throughout, he touched on national politics and the brokenness of his own community and the goodness of God.

What is so often present in a good sermon in an African American church is a certain cadence, a rhythm. It builds and then slows and then circles around again. It’s poetry.

By the end of my experience with the people of Trinity, I had been hugged by at least a dozen people each of whom asked me my name and where I was from; and then so I knew that they had heard me, they called me by name. I joined in their prayers by holding hands with those seated beside me. It was a great experience and my idea of what church should be.

I don’t love Trinity UCC on the Southside of Chicago more than I love Grace Lutheran Church on the Southside of Adel, Iowa. Instead as a guest at Trinity I was reminded about some of the things I love best about being a member of Grace Lutheran Church: heartfelt music, the embrace of my neighbors and the announcement of the Gospel. So, if you live near Adel, Iowa come to Grace Lutheran Church where you are always welcome; but if you get anywhere near the Southside of Chicago stop by Trinity, because they will make you feel welcome and help you experience the Gospel.

All in all a great weekend.

Peace,

Pastor

Trinity Lutheran Church (LCMS) - August 1, 2010

2010-08-03T15:37:00.000-07:00

On Sunday I attended Trinity Lutheran Church (LCMS) in Van Meter, which this year is celebrating its 125^th Anniversary. For an ELCA pastor attending worship at a Lutheran Church Missouri Synod congregation is kind of like drinking Pepsi instead of Coke; I know they’re both colas but they don’t taste quite the same.

I chose this church for two reasons. First, it was close and I was too tired from RAGBRAI to drive very far. Second and more importantly, my Grandpa Bernau was baptized in this church.

I love this congregation. I love the setting and the gift it was to my ancestors, who were married and baptized and buried there. The red brick church sits a few miles outside of town on the top of gentle hill at the intersection of two gravel roads. You can enter from the South or the East, but the South entrance is best, because it requires you to drive through the church cemetery. When you enter from the South, look to your left as you get close to the church and you’ll see BERNAU etched into a large granite stone marking the final resting place of my great-great grandparents: Wilhelm and Wilhelmina Bernau. (I was named after this grandpa; but my brothers use to claim that I was really named after this grandma.)

These are not my first ancestors buried near Van Meter. Wilhelm’s dad was named August Carl Bernau. He was an immigrant and is buried at Fairview Cemetery on Highway 169 between Van Meter and Winterset. He is buried there because when he died in 1883 the church and church cemetery hadn’t been established. (My dad and Joe like to point out the Fleur de Lis on August Carl’s tombstone. My great, great, great Grandpa was French. All these years later, Joe and my dad like to think of themselves as Frenchmen still.)

Not only does Trinity have a great setting, but it’s beautiful inside too. Instead of trying to describe it, look at my attached pictures. Old and traditional, it just feels like “church.”

Like the ELCA, the LCMS has a new hymnal. The liturgy felt very familiar and slightly more traditional than the settings we usually use. The congregation is currently served by an interim pastor who gave a fine sermon. After worship, everyone was very nice and welcoming. I introduced myself to one guy, who immediately asked if I was related the Bernau’s who use to live there. My grandpa and his family moved away in the 1920’s! What’s more, I was related to half a dozen people in worship, all of whom greeted me like the long lost relative that I was.

It was great fun. I didn’t go forward for Holy Communion, because the LCMS doesn’t welcome non-members to the communion rail. They have there reasons for this policy, but if I could wave a magic wand and change one thing about the LCMS, that would be the thing I would change. At a minimum, it would be nice if they welcomed other Lutherans for Holy Communion.

All in all it was a great Sunday and I thank God for Trinity Lutheran Church and the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod for all they have done for my ancestors over the last 125 years.

Peace,

Pastor Bernau

PS – I’m signing my blog “Pastor Bernau” instead of “Pastor” because this summer we’ve been reminded that we are served by other pastors too: Pastor Holmes and Pastor Woodley and Bishop Burk and others.

Missing Church - July 25, 2010

2010-08-03T14:00:00.000-07:00

I didn’t attend worship on Sunday, July 25. I wanted to. I sort of tried to. But I just couldn’t make it work. John and Joe and I arrived in Sioux City on Saturday so that we could begin our RAGBRAI journey bright and early the next day. My original plan was to find a congregation’s Saturday night service to attend, but after we arrived and got our bags and bikes gathered up, finding food became a priority of some importance. So I didn’t attend worship on this weekend.

I have two reflections on the experience of missing worship: I don’t feel too guilty about it, but I didn’t like it.

Guilt is that inner sense of shame that comes from doing something ‘wrong.’ In my case, the wrong was skipping worship. Guilt is a funny emotion. Ideally, it serves as an inner compass keeping a person ‘on track.’ When I feel guilty about something I’ve done or said or not done or not said, it’s an inner call to repentance or change, and it’s often quite helpful.

Sometimes people try to cause others to feel guilt in unhealthy and unhelpful ways. Parents are the most common offenders followed closely by their main surrogate, the Church. For parents guilt is a short-cut. Instead of educating our children about how they should behave and why, we try to short-circuit the process with a little quick guilt. Instead of saying, “Eat your vegetables because they are really good for your body;” we say, “Eat your vegetables because there are starving children in Africa.” Instead of saying, “Clean your room because it will make your life easier and good hygiene will help you stay healthy and find a spouse and move out of my house someday;” we say, “Your room is a pigsty and it’s breaking my heart.” The appeal to guilt is a short cut and while it may produce some results in the near-term, in the long term it tends to produce resentment between the inducer and the induced.

Over the last two millennia, the church has often found itself in the roll of a surrogate parent. We try to teach and scold people into being good and doing “the right thing.” In the process, the Church like a tired and frustrated parent has sometimes resorted to “guilt” to short-cut the hard work of teaching.

Do you know what this sounds like? “God made the whole universe for you; and you couldn’t find one hour last weekend to worship?” “Christ died for your sins, and this is how you repay him?” Etc, etc, etc… The problem with guilt is, even if it produces some results in the near term, finally it builds resentment and alienation between the inducer and the induced! In the long term it just doesn’t work. Worse than that, it’s counter-productive.

My rule is this: Don’t tell people that they should go to worship; help them experience the gift of worship. Don’t try to guilt people into doing the ‘right thing;’ teach them with words and actions and example why the right thing is right, and beneficial and God-pleasing.

So I missed worship on July 25 and I didn’t like it. It wasn’t guilt primarily. It was that I wanted to be in worship to receive the gifts that are offered there: grace, forgiveness, love, fellowship, understanding, the Word, the Sacraments.

People sometimes say, ‘You don’t have to be in a church to worship.’ Maybe, but I’m not so sure. What if I said, ‘You don’t have to be on a golf course to play golf’? Or ‘You don’t have to be in a grocery store to buy groceries’? Or ‘You don’t have to be in a hayfield to make hay.’? On some level it’s really just nonsense.

Worship is what happens when a community gathers. You can love God outside of a church. You can pray and read scripture outside of a church. You can do a lot of God “things” away from a gathered community, but is it worship? At best, at most, it’s a pale imitation.

So I missed church and I didn’t like it. Instead I spent some time praying as I pedaled between Sioux City and Storm Lake. I thanked God for those I love and asked that God would keep them safe. I prayed especially for John and Joe and the other riders. And I prayed for the people of Grace. It wasn’t worship, but it was a good use of time.

More soon,

Pastor Bernau

RAGBRAI XXXVIII - In The Beginning

2010-08-02T16:38:00.000-07:00

RAGBRAI XXXVIII - In The Middle

2010-08-02T16:32:00.000-07:00

RAGBRAI XXXVIII - In The Middle

2010-08-02T16:21:00.000-07:00

RAGBRAI XXXVIII - In The Middle

2010-08-02T16:12:00.000-07:00

RAGBRAI XXXVIII - The Last Day

2010-08-02T15:55:00.000-07:00

I am not a RAGBRAI fanatic.

2010-07-22T12:26:00.000-07:00

I am not a RAGBRAI fanatic. I’ve enjoyed it in the past and I’m looking forward to it this year, but I don’t think ‘everyone should do it.’ I don’t think ‘It’s the Best!’

In fact, being both Midwestern by birth and Lutheran by upbringing, I’m not really fanatical about very much. I find most things to be “just fine” and “pretty good.” But there are a few things about which I am passionate bordering on the kind of uncritical enthusiasm characterized by the word ‘fanatical.’

I am passionate about those I love. It’s not that I think they are perfect; it’s just that their imperfections don’t dampen my enthusiasm. I am passionate about some music and a few books. I am passionate about my mom’s peach pie (which Joe has learned to make this summer). And I am passionate about God’s love for humanity, all of humanity!

So… I am not a RAGBRAI fanatic, but it’s pretty cool and it starts in a few days and I think I’m ready! Five years ago a group of us from Grace, did an 80 mile day from Algona to Lake Mills. As our RAGBRAI day drew near, Dirk Swanson gave me the best encouragement. He said and I quote, “Remember, if you can do 10 miles you can do RAGBRAI, because there is a town every 10 miles.” That was both true and helpful. His other encouragement was, “Don’t forget that for every hill you have to climb, there is one you get to coast down.” That was also true and helpful.

When I did that 80 mile day 5 years ago, our church office was in the basement of Dr. Varcoe’s building. I’ll never forget how hard it was the day after to get down that long flight of stairs with my sore, stiff, sunburned body. (As I recall both Kim and Vicar Lang laughed when they saw me.)

Two years ago, John and Joe and I did the whole thing. It was the summer after I got divorced so our team named was BMC for Bill’s Mid-Life Crisis and the boys started to lovingly refer to the ride as “Dad’s death march across Iowa.” It was hilly and hot and hard, but I pedaled every mile and we made it.

This past winter as the announcement of the 38^th RAGBRAI route drew near, I asked the boys if they wanted to do it again. I was shocked when they said “yes” with more than a little enthusiasm. I didn’t realize that they had enjoyed it so much. I honestly thought they were just humoring me two years ago. So the route was announced and we signed up and now it’s almost upon us.

I like a lot of things about RAGBRAI: the food, the people, the colors, the small towns and scenery. But what I love best about RAGBRAI is the metaphor. RAGBRAI is life. (And this may be where you begin to doubt my earlier promise that “I am not a RAGBRAI fanatic.”)

RAGBRAI is life. I mean, RAGBRAI is a good metaphor for life.

For the rider, it has a very distinct beginning and end, from one river to another. A rider like me, who is interested in symbolism and metaphors will dip his or her back tire in the Missouri River at the beginning of the ride and then dip his or her front tire in the Mississippi at the end of the ride. For a Christian, life begins and ends with water too. On one end of the journey we’re baptized. On the other end with our caskets draped in a white cloth to remind us of that baptism, those gathered are told that our life, not matter how long or short, begins and ends as “a baptized child of God.”

RAGBRAI like life is a journey. It has its ups and downs, twists and turns, uphill struggles, head winds, break-downs, detours and those coasting downhill wind at your back moments too.

Along the way there are people. Some you will see only once, only briefly. Some you will see occasionally throughout the week. Some will be a part of your ride for a day or two. You may begin your ride with one person and end it with someone else altogether. There will be towns and food and music and storms and sleepless nights and mornings that come too soon. And then there will be that one last glorious day.

Two years ago the ride ended in Bettendorf. After a long ride, the last day was short and almost all down hill. Eventually we reached the last rise before a 3 mile coast down to the Mississippi. And while 10,000 riders have a tendency to spread out in the middle of the ride, on the last day there is a growing multitude of people in every imaginable color from all over the world all streaming to the same place. Emotional sap that I am, I’m writing this with a lump in my throat: if RAGBRAI is life, that last day is heaven!

So my bags are packed and my plans are made and if I don’t see you on the journey, at least I’ll see you soon.

Love,

Pastor

Miscellanous on July 20

2010-07-20T09:39:00.000-07:00

Starting Simple: Conversations about the Way We Live by Bob Sitze. Ironically, I read this book with a distracted mind. The author’s major point is that we might live more joyfully and justly if we lived more simply. He believes social change begins with conversation, so he explores ways in which a Christian community might begin a conversation about living more simply. I think some people in our congregation might enjoy this book.

I’m giving up on The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers. It’s just not doing much for me right now. Maybe I’ll pick it up again in another season.

I introduced a friend to the poetry of Billy Collins. This has reminded me how much I love Billy Collins!

I’m working on Running with the Horses by Eugene Peterson. The book is exploring the life and ministry of the prophet Jeremiah. So far it’s just ok.

Have I ever told you that I don’t like contemporary Christian music and why? I think all music revolves around a handful of basic themes: love, loss, death, despair, hope, etc. These themes are about life and the human condition and therefore implicitly about God and redemption. For me therefore, Christian music tends to “try too hard.” It feels a little too strident and preachy. Just give me the blues or a little soul or country; don’t worry I will recognize the human condition and God.

I feel something similar to this, when I read a ‘Christian’ book. Huckleberry Finn, for example is in no sense a "Christian" book, but it is a powerful exploration of the human condition and sin and struggle and redemption. I’m not against ‘Christian’ books; it’s just that they are often a bit too strident, too preachy. Sometimes they try too hard.

It’s been fun to have the time to explore a big pile of books, the ones I’ve enjoyed and the ones that have been just ‘ok.’

Thanks,

Pastor

Saturday, July 17 - Lutheran Church of Hope

2010-07-20T08:15:00.000-07:00

I buy 95% of my groceries at Adel’s only grocery store: Shugar’s. I shop there for a lot of reasons, but mostly because it’s geographically convenient and I like its size. Shugar’s has everything I need without the mind-numbing varieties. Honestly, I don’t want or need 100 different kinds of coffee or 1,000 different kinds of breakfast cereal. I also like shopping locally,the idea that I’m supporting a business in my community with employees that are also my neighbors. Shugar’s is my grocery store.

I do, however, buy 5% of my groceries somewhere else and usually at Dahl’s on Hickman in Clive. Sometimes I shop there because they have that rare or special thing that I want only once in a while, something I can’t find at Shugar’s: a certain kind of wine or cheese or fruit.

This is how I felt last Saturday when I attended Lutheran Church of Hope in West Des Moines. Grace Lutheran Church in Adel is my church. It’s geographically convenient and I like its size. It gets my “business” 95% of the time. But 5% of the time, I really enjoy Lutheran Church of Hope for its size and variety. And here’s a secret, Hope is my church too!

Hope is my church too, because they are gracious and welcoming. They are my church too, because both Hope and Grace are congregations of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Hope is my church too, because both Grace and Hope are the Body of Christ in the world, both faithfully proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ in words and deeds.

So for the record let me say a few things about Lutheran Church of Hope. I respect the people of Hope, both their leaders and their members, for their powerful ministry. I give God thanks for Lutheran Church of Hope. Additionally and on a more personal note, I have known and respected Hope’s senior pastor, Mike Householder, for many years.

So Joe and I attended a 5 pm worship service at Hope on Saturday, July 17^th. I’ve attended worship at Hope before but it’s been quite a few years and a lot has changed during that time. The biggest change is their new worship center, which seats 2,500 people! That was not a typo; it seats 2,500 people and on a hot July Saturday, it was mostly full. Incredible! Hope’s average weekly worship attendance is 7,000 people.

By comparison, Grace Lutheran Church’s sanctuary can accommodate 160 people and we have average weekly worship attendance of 150. Measured by attendance, Hope is 50 times bigger than Grace.

The worship experience was great and not quite my cup of tea. It opened with 3 or 4 praise songs. The leaders were gifted and the congregation seemed energized by the music. The music was well done, but I think I’d rather sing Amazing Grace or Bind Us Together, Lord or Borning Cry. This is not a criticism, just a preference.

After a few announcements, a lesson and the offering, Mike gave a very good 45 minute sermon. When I say it was “very good,” I mean that in my opinion it effectively communicated the gospel of Jesus Christ. It held my attention and engaged the congregation. Let me say that again, it held my attention for 45 minutes! That’s not ‘good,’ it’s miraculous! Not only that, but his message was remarkably simple. It wasn’t a lecture. He didn’t leave us with a 15 point program for reform. His simple message was ‘In Jesus Christ, God wills to replace our fear with Spirit empowered faith.’ At least that’s what I heard. Along the way he talked about the human condition (fear), the Bible (Daniel) and the good news of Jesus Christ. It wasn’t the best sermon I’ve ever heard, but it was very good; and did I mention that it was 45 minutes long!

So here’s what I’ve been thinking: how do you compare a 45 minute sermon with a 15 minute sermon? It’s like comparing the nightly newscast to a 2-hour documentary. It’s like comparing a 30-minute situation comedy to a feature length movie. It’s like comparing our weekly newspaper to the Sunday New York Times. Finally, while the longer and shorter may both serve the same purse and convey the same essential information, they are so different in form as to be almost different animals. (Mastiffs and Chihuahuas are both dogs. Don’t worry about the analogy, Mike and I both know who the ‘Big Dog’ is.)

Because the service we attended was built around a format that allows for a 45 minute sermon, other things were not present at this particular service: the brief order of confession and forgiveness, Holy Communion, the creed and the Lord’s Prayer. The people of Hope have decided that the trade off is worth it, at least for this particular service; and I respect them for that choice.

I respect that choice, but it’s not the choice that I would make for myself or my family on a regular basis. On a regular basis (maybe 95% of the time), I want and need to hear that my sins are forgiven. I want and need to pray the Lord’s Prayer with my community of faith. I want and need to confess my faith and receive the gift of Holy Communion.

This doesn’t mean I think Hope is wrong about their choice. It’s just not my choice. It’s not a criticism, just a preference.

So, I walked away from this worship experience thankful for and amazed by what God is doing in West Des Moines. I’m glad that Lutheran Church of Hope exists. And I was also reminded about some of the things that I’m thankful for about Grace Lutheran Church in Adel.

Peace,

Pastor

Starting Simple

2010-07-19T07:45:00.000-07:00

“God created – but didn’t give away – the world and everything in it.

Jesus redeemed – but didn’t excuse – you from sin’s effects.

The Spirit emptied – but didn’t waste – God’s bounty of gifts on you and the rest of God’s people.

A theology of simple living starts with the proposition that everything you have, every ability you name, and every relationship that comes your way – all equip you for your primary role in life: to praise God and serve God and the people God has always loved.”

– from Starting Simple: Conversations about the Way We Live by Bob Sitze.

July 11, 2010 - Union State Line Lutheran Church in Petersburg, MN

2010-07-13T09:04:00.000-07:00

Several months ago I told my mom about my plan to visit 13 different congregations during my sabbatical. She suggested that I visit some of the churches that had been important to my ancestors, including Union State Line Lutheran Church in Petersburg, Minnesota. This is the church that my Grandpa Gilbert (her dad) grew up in.

This grandpa died a few years ago and he was a great and interesting person: funny, smart, opinionated, judgmental, talented and honestly kind of a crank in his old age. This grandpa was a hardcore Republican, who always and only got his news from FOX News (fair and balanced). He liked to talk politics and was constantly disappointed and mystified by my mother’s liberal tendencies.

I knew him as a mature Christian and a lifelong Lutheran. Fifty years ago, he helped plant trees at the “new” Lutheran Lakeside Camp near Spirit Lake. He served on his congregation’s church council and building teams. Grandpa had a special relationship with his pastors. He couldn’t believe that they got a book allowance and continuing education time and vacations! He often accused them of getting their sermons out of a book of sermons, and he liked to joke that they only worked one day a week. If you remember Dan Lindquist, my grandpa was a lot like him. All joking aside, I think grandpa generally liked his pastors and was liked by them in return.

Over the years Grandpa told me several stories involving his childhood church experiences. During worship, he would often sit with his own ‘ancient’ grandpa (Anderson), who was hard of hearing and would pull out a gold pocket-watch periodically to see if the service was running long. My grandpa said he could remember exactly where he stood when he was quizzed by his pastor before being confirmed. And my favorite story of all was how when he was a teenager, grandpa and one of his friends stole a half a bottle of communion wine from the church and skipped worship to go skinny dipping in the east fork of the Des Moines River. What they forgot to consider in this otherwise well thought out plan, was that after worship the pastor would be shaking hands on the front steps of the church with a clear view to the river. And on that particular Sunday, the pastor could clearly see two slightly drunk boys skinny dipping in the river.

So I happily made plans to attend worship at Grandpa Gilbert’s childhood church in Petersburg, Minnesota on Sunday, July 11. The congregation was founded in 1871, with their present building being dedicated in 1921. Today they have 128 baptized members and average weekly worship attendance of 40.

Finding the worship time was frustrating. The church’s phone number was listed incorrectly on the ELCA webpage. Being a very small church, they don’t have a webpage of their own. When I got the right phone number and called it, there was no answer and no answering machine. I called the Southwestern Minnesota Synod office, but they didn’t know the worship time and couldn’t find it. Finally, I called a neighboring church whose secretary knew someone who attended Union State Line Lutheran Church. After a couple of phone calls, I was told that worship would be at 10:45 am. Coffee was usually served before worship at 10.

I know it’s hard to be a small church; I served one during my internship. And I’m sure that I have often taken for granted all the ways in which we try to communicate our service times: the answering machine, the banner next to the highway, and our webpage. Finding the worship time for this particular congregation has reminded me how important all of that is. I was a highly motivated visitor, so I kept looking for the time and finally found it; but what if I wasn’t high motivated? How hard would I have looked before giving up?

But that was the only frustration of the trip; the rest was pure joy.

We arrived early enough to walk through the cemetery and pay our respects to grandpa and grandma, and grandpa’s parents and grandparents. The cemetery is just a couple miles south of Petersburg and was the location of the original church. I saw a lot of churches with the cemetery in the front yard when I was in Germany a few years ago. Honestly I like the feel of it. It’s like the living and the dead are still together on Sunday mornings. After worship, children can be found playing among the markers of their ancestors.

We arrived at the church in time for coffee and treats in the basement. We were greeted warmly with several people getting up to welcome us and offer us a chair. When those gathered found out about my mom’s connection to Petersburg, it was almost like a family reunion. One person even remembered working in the old creamery with my mom’s grandma. Everyone was very nice and very welcoming.

Then we went upstairs for church. The un-air-conditioned sanctuary was beautiful: big and bright and old-fashioned. Its features included oak pews, stained glass windows, a bell ringing to announce the start of worship, a high pulpit, an ornate baptismal font, curved communion rail, balcony, hard wood floors, large front doors, oscillating fans and a very pleasant sound system. The sanctuary could hold 200 people, not including the balcony. On our Sunday, there were about 50 people in worship with a surprisingly nice mix of ages, from the very old to the very young.

The service was a traditional non-communion setting out of the green hymnal (LBW). The pastor was a young woman with a bright and cheerful manner. She serves two different churches in the area and was young enough to make me think this was probably her first-call. She gave a very fine sermon, one of the best I’ve heard this summer. It was simple and clear and full of the good news!

I’m a little biased, but I think there is something really powerful about a first-call pastor. After four years in seminary, they are really happy to finally be pastors. They are less cynical about congregations and more hopeful about the future. They tend to be ready to try new things and their enthusiasm is contagious. Congregations seem more willing to gracefully accept the gifts and short-comings of a new pastor. Anyway, this pastor and congregation had a really nice spirit on display on the Sunday we visited.

I wish Holy Communion would have been served, because I really wanted to kneel at that altar rail. It was something more than a half-circle, which was common in Scandinavian churches. Parishioners were told to imagine the back half of the circle filled by their ancestors in eternity. So, it would have been nice to have communion with my grandpa and his grandpa, maybe on another Sunday.

My grandpa once told me that he knew why I was a pastor. It was because his own mother (Clara) had once thought he should consider being a pastor. Perhaps the whole skinny dipping episode cured them both of that dream. In any event, Union State Line Lutheran Church has been important in my family’s life and I’m thankful for this congregation: then and now.

Peace,

Pastor

PS -- Don't miss the photos of Union State Line Lutheran Church that are a separate post.

Visiting the Cemetery on July 11, 2010

2010-07-13T07:59:00.000-07:00

Union State Line Lutheran Church in Petersburg, MN on July 11, 2010

2010-07-13T07:49:00.000-07:00

July 4 - Part 2

2010-07-06T10:12:00.000-07:00

People sometimes ask me what I like best about being a pastor. I usually tell them that I love my job and enjoy almost all that it entails, but the thing I love the most is preaching. For me, preaching is like working through a puzzle. What does this text mean? What did it mean to those who first experienced it? What does it mean for those who will gather for worship next Sunday? How can I announce this good news?

Usually I think I’m an above average preacher; but Bishop Burk recently told me that every pastor thinks he or she is an above average preacher, so who knows. For good and obvious reasons, pastors usually don’t like critiquing each other’s sermons. For one thing, we know how hard preaching can be and how personal it is. For another thing, we’ve all given bad sermons before and we would each hate to be judged on just 1 or 2 sermons.

With that said, I am going to critique the sermon I heard on July 4. This critique and my experience with their praise service is why I have not mentioned the name of the congregation or the city in which it is located. I have no interest in hurting anyone’s feelings. Instead, I want to be candid with you so that we can both learn from the experience.

The sermon I heard on July 4 was just so-so. It had a few really good qualities and in my opinion one glaring failure. First let’s talk about the good qualities. The pastor preached in the middle of the room with his notes or manuscript on a music stand. I think preaching from a pulpit is sometimes very helpful, but in this setting his decision to be among us felt like a good one.

His preaching style was very nice: relaxed and conversational. His voice was like butter: smooth and rich. From a style perspective it could hardly have been better, because he was easy to listen to. Some might prefer a little more energy and perhaps with other sermons on different Sundays he has a more energetic style.

The sermon was what I would call a “teaching sermon.” In a regular sermon, the preacher’s task is to proclaim the good news. In a teaching sermon, by contrast, the main task is to educate. Now I’ll grant you that the line between the two is sometimes fuzzy and unclear. I have heard very good “teaching sermons” which also effectively proclaim the gospel. And I have heard very good “gospel sermons” which effectively teach. But fuzziness notwithstanding, the two are really very different. Think about it this way; in a teaching sermon, I might teach you how to make a pot of coffee. In a gospel sermon, I’m going to serve you a cup of coffee.

In a world where people are increasingly unclear about the tenets of their faith and increasingly unfamiliar with the Bible, teaching sermons are no doubt important. I should do more of them. But, and for me this is a big but, the central mission of the church and its pastors is to proclaim the gospel! Teaching is an important part of that mission, but finally with or without understanding we must serve the coffee. God loves you! Your sins are forgiven! I want you to understand it, but with or without understanding, I want you to experience it.

As teaching sermons go, this one wasn’t bad. His topic was one of the prophets and if you didn’t know anything about this prophet beforehand, you would probably have a much better understanding afterwards.

And then there was the ending where so many sermons including many of my own and this one fell apart, a stream of words dribbling down his shirt and ending up a giant soupy mess on the floor! It went like this: 10 minutes of pretty good teaching, 10 more minutes effectively telling me how dead I am in my sin and the human condition, followed by 5 minutes of ‘but the Holy Spirit can transform you.’ In other words, he educated me, he killed me, and then he didn’t quite resuscitate me, leaving me dead in the back pew more than 100 miles from home!

Luther once said that the only way he could muster the nerve necessary to preach was by taking comfort in the fact that after the sermon people would be receiving Holy Communion. For him this meant even if the sermon failed, people would be eating and drinking forgiveness that day. But this was a praise service with no communion, so when the sermon failed (as they sometimes do) I had no grace to fall back on.

It’s hard to proclaim the gospel effectively because it’s a mystery and hard to understand and contradicts so much of our world and experience. But the job of the church and its preachers is to proclaim the gospel. That’s why we get paid the big bucks. I don’t condemn this particular pastor for failing on this particular Sunday, but it was a disappointment.

So if you ever want to pray for me on a Sunday morning, the prayer I most desire is that God would help the preacher proclaim the good news. And if that fails, that God would call people to the table for Holy Communion. Grace, Grace, Grace!

Peace,

Pastor

July 4 - Part 1

2010-07-06T08:54:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, July 4^th a friend of mine and I attended worship with a large ELCA congregation located more than 100 miles from Adel. The congregation has more than 1,500 baptized members. We attended the 11 o’clock praise service.

We got a little lost on our way to the church, so we were a few minutes late. Fortunately there was space for us in a back pew, so we didn’t have to disturbed those who had already gathered. These back pews were for us a very gracious kind of hospitality. It’s hard enough to visit a church for the first time, and harder still if you have to find a place to sit in the middle or worst of all, up front. I think perhaps we at Grace could do a better job of saving the back pews for visitors and late-comers.

This is how I remember the hour-long service: 3 praise songs, a prayer, a lesson, a long sermon (more than 20 minutes), another prayer, and 3 more praise songs.

The music was fine with a large number of vocalists up front and the usual instrumentation: piano, guitars, drums, etc. While the service was not well attended, it was the fourth of July after all, I gradually became aware of the fact that the congregation was not singing. Instead, we were listening to a performance.

The sermon will be Part 2 of this blog, so more about that later.

In addition to a lack of congregational singing, here’s what was missing from the service: the confession and absolution, the prayer of the day and the prayers of the church, the creed, the Lord’s Prayer, Holy Communion, the children’s sermon, and the sharing of the peace. I don’t even think an offering was collected, which all joking aside meant that I wasn’t given a chance to share in this congregation’s ministry.

While it felt like a typical “praise service,” I don’t honestly think that a praise service needs to be so devoid of the more traditional elements of Christian worship. With one or two fewer songs and a slightly shorter sermon, there would have been ample time for the creed and the Lord’s Prayer and a few minutes with the children. More importantly, I wanted to hear that my sins were forgiven; that is the good news, after all. And while I didn’t grow up with weekly communion, it has become an important part of my faith, so that it would be hard for me to attend a church or service that didn’t have that on an every Sunday basis.

It was a strange service and I didn’t like it. It didn’t feel like “church” to me; but as the saying goes, ‘different strokes for different folks.’ I should point out that this congregation’s other services are advertised as more traditional, so my reaction to this service shouldn’t be confused with a critique of this congregation’s whole life and ministry.

…more in part 2.

Peace,

Pastor

June 30, 2010

2010-06-30T10:24:00.000-07:00

The gift of a sabbatical is the really the gift of time, a generous and lavish amount of time. I have been enjoying this gift and want to share some random reflections with you.

My grandpa (Roland Bernau) is 96 years old and is currently living in a nursing home in Algona, Iowa. A friend of his (and now mine) is working on a book about his life, or maybe more accurately a part of his life. So I have had the chance to spend many hours over the course of several days talking to grandpa about his life, his marriage and childhood, his victories and defeats, his adventures. He is an interesting person, whose health is failing, but whose mind is sharp and clear. This time with him is a gift, for which I am very thankful.

I have now worshiped with 5 different congregations and making plans for more. Each of them has been so different. They are starting to give me a glimpse of the larger church and helping me to see clearly what I love about Grace.

A friend asked me if I miss you yet; or was it “my church” or “my work”? In true Lutheran fashion, the answer is of course “Yes” and “No.” I miss the people of Grace. I miss seeing you and hearing your voices and your stories. I especially miss those moments on Sundays and Wednesdays when we say ‘hello’ and ‘how are you.’ I miss the kids, their hugs and their “Pastor, do you know what?” and their fingers sticky from a mid-worship treat or better, wet from the baptismal font.

So yes, of course I miss you. But I’m also enjoying this gift of time, this past month and what lies ahead.

I just finished a great book: Everything is Illuminated by Jonathan Safran Foer. It is a powerful story, at times hilarious and profound and tragic. I want to recommend it, except that to do so is to recommend that the reader enter into a tragic and painful story. (So be warned.) And isn’t that way of life? When we enter into relationships, be it a congregation or friendship or love or parenthood, we enter into someone’s story. And everyone’s life includes the humorous and profound, the tragic and triumphant. Be warned: every story and every life is a powerful one.

There is a saying, African I think, that God so loved stories that humankind was created so that God would have an infinite supply. We are all stories: powerful and humorous, tragic and triumphant. Be warned… and in the words of the angels, ‘fear not.’

After almost two weeks of retreat and solitude in the north woods of Wisconsin, I spent two weeks with John and Joe. I’ve never liked the word “proud,” as in, “I’m proud of my kids” because it always feels a little too self-congratulatory, as in ‘Look what great children I have produced.” Instead I want to say that I’m thankful for my kids and delight in who they are and who they are becoming. So we’ve been hanging out and enjoying (at least I am) some uninterrupted time together.

That’s enough for now. I am happy and thankful, and hope you are too.

Peace,

Pastor

June 27 - St John's Des Moines

2010-06-27T12:36:00.000-07:00

My original plan for Sunday, June 27 had been to worship with Lutheran Church of Hope in West Des Moines, but there was a problem. And the problem is proof that being a good pastor sometimes requires just a little bit of hypocrisy.

The problem was that Pastor Householder was not scheduled to be the preacher on Sunday, June 27. Pastors (myself included) play a lot of strange games with their congregations. For example, when I’m going out of town for a Sunday or two, I try not to advertise it. I don’t lie about it, but I don’t go out of my way to promote it either. The reason is simple, attendance drops a lot when people know that their pastor is gone.

I’m not sure why this is. Maybe people remember bad experiences with visiting pastors. “Today instead of our normal sermon, we’re going to have 2 hour slide show of our recent trip to Uzbekistan.” Or maybe it’s like mom and dad being gone for the night, “Oh come on, they’ll never know.” Whatever the reason, it’s true and I’ve always thought it was unfortunate. But on June 27, I did something very similar for the same reason: ‘I’m not going to that church today, because the pastor is gone.’

I’m a hypocrite. I admit it. My kids have known it for a long time. There I’ve said it, and I feel better.

So instead attending Lutheran Church of Hope on this weekend, I rearranged my schedule and bumped St. John’s Lutheran Church in downtown Des Moines up on the batting rotation. (Let me be clear, they weren’t a second choice, they just came sooner than I had originally planned. I don’t want to hurt any feelings unnecessarily.)

I love St John’s! At least what I know of it and what I’ve experienced of it.

Established in 1865, St John’s currently claims about 2,500 baptized members. I suspect this number is functionally overstated because their average worship attendance is less than 400. It’s a small point, but worth noting. If the membership number is accurate, then St John’s worship attendance is about half of what would be expected in a normal ELCA congregation. If on the other hand, the worship figure is accurate (and I suspect that it is), then a better estimate of “real” membership would be about 1,200. There is something interesting in all of this.

The best part of worship at St John’s is the sanctuary. The sermon, the music, the liturgy, the people, they were all great the Sunday we visited. But the space in which these things happened, that was the best thing.

It’s hard to describe and perhaps everyone has a different experience of the idea space. In St John’s sanctuary, the proportions feel right to me. The church is big; I am small. The Word in all its forms (preaching and reading) are a little removed and above me physically, as they are spiritually. If you sit near the front as Joe and I did, it is a long walk into and out of worship, just as it takes me some time to enter into or leave a worship state of mind. If Lutherans had cathedrals, St John’s would be the natural choice for our synod. It’s a great congregation in a great space.

So, I’m thankful for those who built St John’s and for those who are building it still.

Peace,

Pastor

PS – I may have a new favorite book, more on that soon.

Some pictures...

2010-06-21T09:33:00.000-07:00

The flamingos were waiting for me when I got home from my adventures in Wisconsin and Minnesota. It's nice to be missed... so thank you.

The other two pictures are from a prairie in Kossuth County where I enjoyed a beautiful evening watching an approaching thunderstorm.

June 20 -- First Lutheran Church, Algona, Iowa

2010-06-21T08:32:00.000-07:00

My parents grew up in and near Algona, Iowa. After long and interesting careers, they decided to retire there about 10 years ago. So to celebrate Fathers’ Day and my mom’s birthday, I spent the weekend in Algona.

I should say that of all my blessings, my parents and siblings were among the first and best and most enduring. All of them are smart and interesting people. They have great spouses and children, and I love spending time with them.

On Sunday, June 20, my mom and I attended worship at First Lutheran Church in Algona (ELCA). This is the church that my mom grew up in and the church where my parents were married in 1959. My dad grew up in a Missouri Synod Lutheran Church in Whittemore, but that is a story for another day.

First Lutheran Church was organized in 1882. They currently report 621 baptized members and average weekly worship attendance of 144. The current building was built in the mid-60’s and has been well maintained over the years. Recently they completed a major renovation of the narthex and entry-way to the church.

When I was growing up, since this was grandpa and grandma’s church, we attended worship at First occasionally. My home pastor’s name was Pastor (Stan) Carlson. The pastor at First at the time was Pastor (John) Carlson. Consequently, I thought all pastors were named “Pastor Carlson.”

It may have been because I was with my mom, but First Lutheran Church was very friendly when they greeted me as a visitor. At least 3 people greeted me warmly in the 5 minutes between our arrival and the beginning of worship. (Mom made us late. I would have been there at least 15 minutes early otherwise.)

First has a great sanctuary. I’ve always loved it. The room feels sort of diamond shaped with 2 walls of glass looking out over a beautiful lawn. The pews are arranged in a gentle v-shape, so that it almost feels like a church in the round… not quite, but almost. Front and center is a very traditional looking altar and pulpit arrangement.

The worship service was right out of the ELW (that’s our hymnal too), and was very straightforward.

The pastor at First is a woman. Now since women have been ordained for 30 years in the ELCA this is not the least bit surprising; but since the only pastor I’ve heard preach regularly for the past 9 years is a man (and me) it was a pleasant and noticeable difference. The pastor was poised and graceful in her leadership and had a preaching manner that was gentle and clear.

I don’t think women or men are inherently better in the role of pastor, but I do think that our gender often brings different gifts to that role. It’s hard for me to imagine a church without pastors of both genders.

I’ve long thought that Algona was the quintessential Iowa county-seat town. And so perhaps it’s not surprising that First Lutheran Church feels like the quintessential Iowa county-seat Lutheran church: traditional and friendly. (http://firstlutheranalgona.org/.)

That’s enough for now, more later.

Pastor

The Little Prince

2010-06-16T08:20:00.000-07:00

A friend suggested I read The Little Prince by Antoine De Saint-Exupery. What a gift! It is a delightful mediation on the meaning of life and the nature of friendship. The book is too short and too beautiful to summarize in a few lines, so take a few minutes to read it. I’ll leave a copy on my desk. If anyone wants to borrow it, help yourself and pass it on.

Peace,

Pastor

Sunday, June 13

2010-06-15T08:00:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, I met a friend from high school in St. Paul, Minnesota, where she and her husband now live and work. Actually, we found each other a few months ago on facebook (where else?). She reminded me that we attended school together from kindergarten through graduation. It was fun to find an old friend from my childhood and they were very gracious hosts.

On Saturday afternoon we went to the Science Museum of Minnesota to catch the Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit. You can read more about it at: http://www.smm.org/scrolls/. In a nutshell, the Dead Sea Scrolls are ancient biblical and non-biblical texts found in the desert near the Dead Sea in 1947. The scrolls date to the time of Christ. The exhibit was fascinating.

As part of that exhibit, there was an exhibit of the Saint John’s Bible. This was a complete and very pleasant surprise for me. I have some of the Saint John’s Bible in my office (no I didn’t swipe it – it’s a reproduction that I bought). If you’d like to see more of this great project, check it out at http://www.smm.org/scrolls/familyguide/#saintjohnsbible.

On Sunday morning we attended a service at Unity Church-Unitarian in St. Paul. I don’t believe I’ve ever attended worship with a Unitarian congregation before and it was very interesting. My reflections on this experience might make more sense if you read a short synopsis on Unitarian Universalism: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unitarian_Universalists.

The building looked like a nice and ordinary church. The service (from the worship folder, to the hymnal, to everything that was said and done) was structured like an ordinary worship service. The sanctuary was beautiful and packed! On this particular Sunday, they were celebrating the Unitarian equivalent of baptism, which they called a “Celebration of New Lives.”

There were a couple of things that pricked my Lutheran sensibilities. One of the pastors said something to the effect, “unlike creedal churches.” Lutherans are one of the creedal churches. We believe in the ancient creeds of the church (Nicene, Apostles, Athanasian). A creed is a statement of belief and it sets boundaries, which attempt to define what it means to be a Christian. This is the major difference between Lutherans and Unitarians. The pastor’s reference to this fact was really helpful, both as a teaching for their own members and as a disclosure to visitors.

One of the pastors said something dismissing the idea of original sin and called the children being celebrated “original blessings and fellow redeemers.” While I didn’t agree with that statement, it was beautiful and appealing. The idea of original sin is kind of off-putting to and misunderstood by most adults. It’s hard to look at a baby or small child and think of them as sinners. The true meaning of the concept though is something a little different and very important. Original sin means that the human condition is broken and therefore human beings are separated from God. This brokenness needs God to step down and say, “I love you and I forgive you, I will never leave you or forsake you.” In other words, the human condition (original sin) needs a gracious redeemer (God).

The final thing that felt strange to me about this service was that there were no readings from the Bible and very little conversation about God. In fact, I don’t remember Jesus’ name being mentioned even once, but I may have missed it. Instead there were readings and meditations from a variety of sources. The sermon was entitled “Real Self Reliance.”

After worship, I went to brunch with my friend and her neighbor, who is an active member of Unity Church. The brunch was delicious and the conversation was great. At one point, I asked the Unity member if the members of her church considered themselves Christians. She said she thought most probably did. I’m pretty sure she’s right and the denomination clearly has roots in Christianity.

But, it would be hard for a Lutheran to recognize as Christian the beliefs and practices of the Unitarian Church. In fact, since the hallmark of the Unitarian Church is a rejection of the Doctrine of the Trinity and the creeds, it would be impossible for a Lutheran to call this a Christian denomination. I don’t mean that as an insult, because I believe God loves all people: Jews and Gentiles, Christians and non-Christians, Catholics and Protestants, Atheists and Agnostics. Instead, I mean it as an observation about what is different between our two traditions.

And here is a curiosity… Intellectually I find a lot about the Unitarian tradition very appealing; for example their celebration of the human intellect and their respect for the individual’s search for the divine. I also appreciate their overt call to social action. Mainline Christians (like us) too often want to avoid any conversation that might be political. Unitarians (on the left) and others (on the right) feel that the natural consequence of a religious belief is social action: to protest or vote or volunteer. I think the Unitarian Church has a clearer understanding and does a better job of articulating this call to action, than our tradition does.

So here’s my general take on other denominations: I think each denomination tends to have some strengths that we could learn from, and each has a quality or belief that would cause of us to celebrate what it means to be Lutheran. I want to explore this some more as I visit other churches this summer.

Last weekend was a great experience! Next Sunday, I hope to worship at my parents’ ELCA Lutheran church in Algona, but finally we’ll have to wait and see where the wind blows.

Peace,

Pastor

The North Shore -- June 11, 2010

2010-06-12T05:26:00.000-07:00

The North Shore

When Dale Christensen heard that I was going to be in northern Wisconsin for the first few weeks of my sabbatical, he suggested that I might enjoy Split Rock State Park and Gooseberry Falls State Park on the North Shore, which is an hour north of Duluth, Minnesota on Lake Superior. So, I went and he was right: spectacular! (check out the photos.)

The main feature of Split Rock State Park is a beautiful old lighthouse, which for approximately 50 years helped ships navigate the dangerous waters of Lake Superior. Talk about a metaphor: a beacon in the night, a light shining in the darkness, dangerous waters. And if you add the fog horn, you have a voice calling out in the wilderness!

Gooseberry Falls was gorgeous. Later, I stopped for pie at the famous Betty’s Pies near Twin Harbor: pecan pie with a cup of great coffee.

And then there was the drive. Do you remember a little over a year ago, when I bought my car? What did you think of that? Silly? Self-indulgent? Preposterous? Don’t worry that’s what I was thinking too. “There goes Bill Bernau, a walking, talking (driving) cliché.”

Fine… I can take it. When I bought that car, I could imagine the perfect drive. Thursday I took the perfect drive. There is a scenic highway along Lake Superior from Duluth to Split Rock State Park: perfect, absolutely perfect.

So today I am thankful and happy. I’m thankful to God for creating such a beautiful world. And I’m thankful for Dale Christensen’s pointing me to one little corner of that world.

And now I’m off to St. Paul to see the Dead Sea Scrolls and some old friends.

By the way, I’ve been reading too…

I’ve caught up on some professional magazines: The Lutheran, Working Preacher, People, Christianity Today.

Catch 22 by Joseph Heller. Brilliant! It’s been a classic since before I was born, so why did it take me 45 years to pick it up? The book opens like a silly dream, in which nothing really makes sense and in that way it feels like a celebration of the absurd. It closes like a nightmare. Heller is not only lampooning the military bureaucracies which are a constant character in the book, but also war, capitalism, democracies and religion. There are three or four scenes in the book about God and Christ and prayer and religion that were priceless for me.

Brief Encounters with Che Guevara by Ben Fountain. Honestly this book just isn’t doing much for me and now halfway through it, I have to decide whether or not to continue.

Self-made Man by Norah Vincent. This is a really fun and fascinating book. In a nutshell the author effectively disguises herself as a man and then tries to experience the world from a man’s perspective enabling her to consider how a “man’s world” differs from a “woman’s world.” If you’re interested in the differences between men and women, this is a book worth checking out.

Gloria Dei in Duluth

2010-06-06T15:46:00.001-07:00

First Lutheran in Duluth

2010-06-06T15:44:00.001-07:00

June 6, 2010

2010-06-06T15:28:00.000-07:00

Two churches on June 6, 2010

Late in the week, I decided that I would go to Duluth for my first Sunday of visiting. This will probably be as far north as I get on this sabbatical and I liked the idea of starting at a farthest point. But what church? The ELCA webpage has a great congregation finder (www.elca.org) and there are a lot of Lutherans in this part of the world. I browsed through the list and decided on two.

First Lutheran Church, Duluth Minnesota

Membership 1998, Average Attendance 372

First Lutheran Church has its historic roots in the Lutheran faith brought to Duluth by Norwegian immigrants. The Early First Lutheran Church, established in 1870 and Bethesda Lutheran Church, formed in 1892, merged for form the present congregation in 1945. Church buildings in the East hillside were replaced by the present building in 1950. Throughout its history the congregation has given visible and spiritual testament to the life and work of our Lord. (from their webpage)

Duluth is a two hour drive from where I’m staying, so I got up early to arrive in time for the 8:30 service. It was a beautiful drive: fog and trees and cows and deer and a very big lake!

The building (not the most important thing about a congregation, but the first most visible thing) was located on the north side of downtown. It was obviously built in the 1950’s and obviously built for a large congregation. At 8:15 am, the ushers (older men in suits) greeted me at the door and handed me a worship bulletin. They were very professional about it. I’m pretty sure they had done it before. Since I had been drinking coffee, I needed a bathroom. It wasn’t obvious where it was, but I found one in the basement.

No one was too friendly or too unfriendly. A nice older woman sat down beside me and as communion was beginning, she whispered “intinction.” She meant that we would be receiving communion by dipping a wafer into the wine. It was a very helpful whisper.

The sermon was poignant. Not so much because of what was said, but rather by who was talking about what. The senior pastor is April Larson. The text was from Luke and was about Jesus raising the widow of Nain’s son. April Larson’s son Ben was killed in the Haiti earthquake. She never mentioned her son directly, but you could sort of feel that he was on her mind. It was powerful for that reason.

A few things really struck me about this service. First, it’s easier to walk into a strange church when it’s large. There is a sense of anonymity that is helpful for a new person. Second, like many, perhaps most ELCA congregations this one was older, older than our church anyway. That’s not a bad thing, it’s just noticeable.

The third thing I noticed, and this is something that I will need to work on this summer, it’s hard to be the listener instead of the preacher. The sermon was fine, but still I found my attention wandering and then I got kind of sleepy. Is it the preacher’s fault or the listener’s or both? Hmmm…

Finally, the liturgy and hymns were from the ELW (that’s the one we use too). I recognized the liturgy as one that was familiar from my youth. This is a nice feeling, like I belong here even though I’m many miles from home.

Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, Duluth Minnesota

Membership 304, Average Attendance 104

My second church was only a few blocks away and I got there in time of the 10 am service.

The congregation was established in 1870 and its sanctuary would remind you of Capital Hill Lutheran’s in Des Moines. I think Gloria Dei must be an old Swedish Lutheran congregation, and at one time it must have been a large downtown sort of church.

There were about a 100 people in worship in a sanctuary that could easily hold 3 or 4 hundred. Those gathered seemed slightly younger and more diverse than First Lutheran. Everything was very tradition: liturgy, hymns, vestments, etc. But there was a nice band up front: 2 vocalists, a guitar and a bass and maybe something else. They didn’t play along with every song or piece of music. It was nice, especially the vocalists. There was also a choir in the balcony. They used a different liturgy from the ELW and it also felt nicely familiar.

The pastor was a tall, skinny, in his 30’s, white guy. His manner and earnestness would remind you a bit of a young Jimmy Stewart. He preached a very nice sermon on the same text from Luke. He preached from a high pulpit, which I enjoyed. He was easy to see and easy to hear.

Both of the sermons I heard on this Sunday would make a Lutheran Theologian proud. Both of them announced the good news of what God has done and is doing in Jesus Christ. And both them in their own way invited us to imagine our own response to the good news.

I’m collecting bulletins from the churches I visit. (Proof... that I'm not just making this stuff up.) This is going to be a fun summer. How was church at Grace? Pastor Holmes is one of my favorite colleagues. I hope you enjoy each other.

Peace,

Pastor

June 4, 2010

2010-06-04T08:34:00.000-07:00

A good start to my sabbatical. I’m in Birchwood, Wisconsin for a little rest and relaxation.

I stopped and spent some quality time with Mom and Dad. It’s fun to stay up late talking about life and family. I have great parents.

Spent a fun morning with my grandpa, who is 96. His health is fading, but his mind is pitch perfect. We were talking about an adventure he had in Los Angeles, California in 1958. I asked him, “How much did you pay for the hotel you stayed in?” He said, “Oh, I don’t know 8 or 9 dollars a night.” Later I found the receipt: $8.50 a night! He has great stories and tells them well.

Among my blessings is the fact that I knew all of my grandparents as an adult. Great and interesting people, each and every one.

On my way to Birchwood, I stopped for a long visit with my brother and sister-in-law, who live in Rochester, Minnesota. My sister-in-law has a wonderfully cheerful spirit. I am kind of interested in my siblings’ spouses. How they are similar to each other and how they appeal to my siblings. My brother Dave (I have two) is really smart and funny. We have a lot of interests in common, so he is always fun to talk to.

Now I am at a beautiful and peaceful lake near Birchwood. I woke up to the sound of rain in the woods.

Today I’m going to get some provisions (I’m hungry.) and start a good book. I also need to find a church to attend on Sunday, maybe in Duluth.

Be well.

Pastor

Why sabbaticals?

2010-04-13T12:41:00.000-07:00

A sabbatical is... an extended time away from the day to day demands of parish ministry during which a pastor may rest and study.

I’m kind of surprised that no one has asked me “why.” Why are congregations encouraged to give their pastor(s) sabbaticals? What does it accomplish or compensate for? I’ve been thinking about it a lot and I think I know the answer, at least part of the answer.

First, it takes a long time to educate a pastor. After a person has received a bachelor’s degree, it takes an additional four years to earn a Master of Divinity degree, 3 years in seminary and one year on internship.

Second, it is expensive to educate a pastor. Tuition, fees and books for the 2010-2011 academic year at Wartburg Seminary will cost a student $17,000. Add $16,000 more for living expenses and you have a grand total of $33,000 per year!

Third, the time and expense of preparing a pastor means that the church has a vested interest in pastors having long ministries. It is simply too expensive to have pastors burn out early in their careers, especially because experienced pastors have a ministry often characterized by a special kind of wisdom and patience.

If I won the lottery so that I didn’t need to work to support myself, I would still want to be a pastor. I honestly feel like I’ve got the best job in the world. Even so, there are aspects to this job which are draining. Three are significant in my opinion.

First, a pastor’s work schedule runs contrary to most people’s work schedules. Most people work something like 40 hours a week, mostly Monday through Friday, mostly between 8 am and 5 pm. Pastors work every Sunday and often on Saturdays. Because members of the church mostly work normal schedules, meetings in the church are usually held on weekends and weekday evenings. And while most people are with their family and friends on weekends and holidays like Easter and Christmas, for pastors these times are often hectic work days.

Of course congregations try to compensate for this time issue; I take Fridays off, for example. But the one thing that is hard to compensate for is that my family and friends all work more normal schedules, so that time away form my children or my extended family is really just time lost.

Second, a pastor’s job requires an extraordinary amount of creative output. In one year a solo-pastor might preach 60 sermons, write 12 newsletter articles and teach 30 classes. This is the creative equivalent of writing a novel every year, something that even the most prolific writers don’t do.

Third and for me, most importantly, pastors carry around a lot of emotional weight. Think about your family and friends and close co-workers for a minute. When one of them is hurt or suffering, you hurt and suffer with them. When one of them is excited and joyful, you are excited and joyful with them. This emotional energy (good and bad) demands some of your energy. Pastors have friends and families and co-workers and parishioners. At Grace Lutheran Church, we have 350 members. The problem is that pastors, like all people, have only so much capacity for emotional weight. Sometimes this extra emotional weight causes a pastor to neglect the emotional needs of his/her family and friends.

So it takes a lot of time and money to train a pastor and there are some hard things about being a pastor. That’s why the church wants healthy pastors to have long ministries. When a congregation gives their pastor a sabbatical, they are being good stewards of a resource that belongs to the whole church.

I love my congregation and appreciate their support of sabbaticals. And I hope to be a healthy pastor with a long ministry.

Peace,

Pastor Bernau

Easy enough...

2010-02-01T14:22:00.001-08:00

OK... this seems easy enough... and there is nothing I enjoy thinking about more on a cold snowy february day than summer plans. How about attaching a photo?

Interestingly enough this is a photo from RAGBRAI in 2008. A lot of fun!!!

How to share the experience of my sabbatical.

2010-02-01T13:47:00.000-08:00

So I'm wondering how to share the experience of my sabbatical. Will I have anything to share and will anyone be interested. Carol Doerges, who has always been a good conversation partner, suggested that I blog. So... we'll see what comes of it.