Ministry in the Middle

The world is broken. This seems obvious these days.  We are experiencing a global pandemic, complete with ever-changing guidance on the best ways to protect ourselves and our communities.  As part of that response, there is massive unemployment and broad job insecurity.  In the past weeks, there have been national examples of suspected murders of African-American men highlighting the ongoing white supremacy in this country. This week there have been massive protests and demonstrations, ostensibly in response to a recent police shooting of an unarmed man, but likely a response to all of this.  Some have used these demonstrations as an excuse for looting, arson, and violence. The world is broken. I imagine there is almost universal agreement on these four words.  Almost no one is walking around smiling and thinking to themselves, "I am so glad these things are happening."  The disagreements arise when we start talking about how to fix the brokenness. In part, this is because th

repent  - 1. to feel sorry for (an error, sin, etc.) 2. to feel such regret over (an action, intention, etc.) as to change one's mind Webster's New World Dictionary The Modern Desk Edition of Webster's New World Dictionary sits on my desk, next to hymnals and other worship resources.  My name is written on the inside cover in my mother's neat handwriting. I think one of my elementary school teachers required each student to have a dictionary, and this was the one my parents found for me.  It's been on or in my desk ever since, and I've used it quite a bit over the years, as evidenced by the well-worn cover. Preparing for Lent this year, I pulled it out again to check the proper spelling of repentance.  In doing so, I discovered the definition written above. At first glance, it seemed like a straightforward definition of both the common religious and secular uses of the word repent.  However, something about it nags at me. Perhaps it is the initial def

Sunday is Mother's Day.  For many, it is a day of celebration with family dinners, cards, and gifts.  It has become a wonderful time to show appreciation. For some, though, it is a day of sadness full of painful reminders.  Some grieve what they have lost: mothers who have passed away or the deaths of children.  Some grieve what they never had the chance to experience: perhaps any healthy relationship with their own mothers or the chance to become a mother themselves. What should pastors and worship leaders do on Mother's Day to honor people who have strong and diverging emotions?  How can we best lead the people who gather in worship? Some congregations will have large celebrations this Sunday.  Maybe they'll have a breakfast or brunch.  Flowers will be passed out.  Mothers will be acknowledged and praised during the worship service.  The pastor may preach a sermon focused on motherhood as a gift or vocation of God. Some congregations will virtually avoid an

A remarkable thing happened to me a few days ago: I had several good ideas and insights that related to my ministry in various ways.  Not one, but two clear ideas for future sermon series.  An insight about some personal study I've been doing on race and the church.  And, if it's not too strong of a word, an epiphany about the challenges of church finance in this climate. Each of these insights and ideas seemed to be of a higher caliber than most of my day-to-day work.  And it was noteworthy that there were so many good ideas on a single day, which only happens a few times a year. As a pastor, I frequently find my self focused on two basic types of work.  One, I fulfill the basic weekly and monthly duties of my job, as related to worship planning and execution, writing and preparing items for the newsletters and bulletins, dealing with regular administrative work, and seeing to ongoing pastoral care.  Second, I "put out fires" and respond to the work that others g

Throughout my time serving as a pastor, Holy Week has been the focal point of my year.  I believe there is great value for a congregation experiencing the breadth of emotions and lessons of Jesus' passion.  While Easter and the promise of the resurrection is an essential part of our faith, the meaning of Jesus' resurrection is heavily contextualized by the events that precede it.  So I plan for services on Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and Easter Sunday.  This is a lot for any congregation, especially a small to mid-size one.  However, the number of services offers opportunities for more people to lead in worship and it provides time and space to plan unique worship services. As the congregation has gained more awareness of these services, we have varied our approaches, and become especially creative for the Thursday and Friday services.  (We always celebrate the Great Vigil of Easter on Holy Saturday.)  This year, our planning team came up with

As I write this, I am concluding a few weeks of paternity leave, after the birth of our second child.  The leave has allowed me to focus almost exclusively on my family for the past month, for which I am grateful. I believe strongly that paid family leave is a necessary part of professional ministry, allowing ministers to focus on their families immediately after a birth, adoption, death, or during a loved one's serious illness.  The demands of ministry sometimes compete with family time, and too often ministers feel pressure to choose one or the other.  Family leave not only supports ministers during challenging times, but also reminds congregations that being an active part of a family is an essential part of the minister's vocation too. Frankly, I think we create unhealthy expectations throughout the church for ministers and other leaders.  They have to show up  in specific situations, regardless of time of day or how much else is on their plate.  I think that is a human