The Lutheran Zephyr

Paperless Preaching - an appreciation

Yesterday I had the pleasure of hearing my friend Nate preach.  Nearly a year ago Nate made a commitment to preaching for one year without a manuscript or notes.  I've been very skeptical of the practice, mostly because the few preachers I've heard preach without notes were largely ineffective.  I also worry about the dangers of deviating from a carefully planned message.  I know that when I have deviated from notes in teaching situations I have, at times, gotten myself stuck in corners or in exploring issues that are not germane to the topic.

But Nate was different.  He was very effective.  From my seat alongside the altar - I assisted in the liturgy at which his daughter was baptized - I saw the faces of nearly 300 people glued to him.  And his words were intentional, not the stuff of impromptu inspiration or persona-driven schmaltz.  No.  His message was carefully crafted, theologically rich, and delivered engagingly.  More than half-way through his fifteen minute sermon he spoke of the God's Word being written on our hearts by the quill of the Spirit dipped in the inkwell of the Cup and Font.  Those were some damn good prose linking the church's liturgical life with the Word of God and the work of the Spirit - words spoken 9 minutes into a sermon delivered without a manuscript.

He also spoke from the floor, rather than from behind a pulpit or lectern.  Yet he avoided any temptations to wander around like a fool.  Rather, his feet remained planted in one place, while he was modestly - but appropriately - animated with his arms and body.

I was impressed.  He did not have any barrier between him and the people - no lectern, no pulpit, no papers.  It was just him, standing before his congregation, giving them a message of Good News.  And lacking the antics of motivational speakers and television preachers - who prance and dance and allow personality to eclipse proclamation - Nate delivered a substantive sermon with pastoral poise.

[Just a quick comment: I have always been a fan of preaching from a pulpit with a manuscript.  These reflections on Nate's preaching notwithstanding, I do not think that the manuscript or the pulpit are inherently bad.  But I think that by their nature the pulpit and the manuscript create a distance between the preacher and the people, a distance many preachers - myself included - often minmize or fail to appreciate altogether.

Here's an example from pastoral care that might offer a parallel: on my hospital chaplaincy I was encouraged to enter the patient's room without a prayerbook or Bible in hand.  Why?  Because it would be too easy to allow these books - as important as they are - to create a distance between myself and the patient, to be a distraction to the face-to-face relationship I was called to initiate.  Rather than listen attentively to the other, I would be concerned with (or simply fidget with) the books.  (Also, in the hospital only a small portion of the patients were very interested in what these books had to say.)  Eliminating the books from my regular routine of pastoral care allowed me to focus more on the patient.  For the few patients who wanted to hear Scripture or have liturgical prayers said for them, I simply returned later with books in hand to offer that type of care.]

So I asked him how he does it.  On the Thursday ten days before the preaching date he writes his sermon.  That day is dedicated entirely to the task of sermon preparation.  He writes the sermon in manuscript form, word for word.  On the following Monday he memorizes the first third of the sermon, taking one to two hours to do this.  On Tuesday he memorizes the second third of the sermon.  And on Wednesday he memorizes the final third.  From Wednesday through Sunday, he will review the sermon several times, including in the midst of other tasks - while exercising, driving, etc..

What impressed me so much about his method - and which was evident by his delivery - is that he writes a full manuscript.  Most paperless preachers I know do not write a manuscript, but instead they draft an outline from which they rehearse many times (creating a virtual manuscript, I guess).  Writing the manuscript allows him to develop colorful and careful imagery, such as his line about the quill of the Spirit and the inkwell of the font and cup.

I will try this method for my next preaching date (which might not be for several weeks), for I saw just how effective it can be for the congregation.  Also, Nate tells me now that he can't imagine preaching any other way, that he feels liberated to have a better connection with his congregation.  Effective delivery, better connection with the people?  This is worth trying.

White People for Hillary

This disturbing picture was in today's Washington Post on page A4 in an article about the democratic presidential nomination race (though you'd be hard-pressed to find it on their website - copyright issues, I guess).  Anyone who says that race will not be an issue in healing the Democratic Party or in November hasn't opened their eyes.

Sad.

Picture from Getty Images.

Odd Math - an unpreached Holy Trinity sermon

I've posted Odd Math, a sermon I wrote as part of my Approval for Ordination application materials.  Because of various circumstances, I was unable to preach this sermon this year.  It is posted over at my Occasional Sermons page.

And many thanks to all who sent emails, posted comments, or wrote on my Facebook page offering prayers and words of support in recent days.  I am truly blessed to have a community of friends - many of whom I haven't seen in years or ever met, except for via the pixels of the web - walk with me during this time.

I Cried Like A Baby

Today I was Approved for Ordination in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.  Upon hearing those words, I cried tears of joy and relief and thanksgiving.

More thoughts and reflections later.  After a nice dinner with my dad and step-mother, and a stop at FedEx-Kinkos to download the Diane Rehm Show on my iPod, it's time to make the 3-hour drive home.

I'm going to be a pastor in Christ's church.  I still can't quite believe it.

Lord, have mercy upon me.
Christ, have mercy upon me.
Lord, have mercy upon me.

A post from Jessicah...for LZ's Approval Panel on Friday

(This is Jessicah: I'm stealing a moment on my husband's computer to post on his blog.)

On Friday, Chris is going before the Candidacy Committee of the Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod to seek their approval.  He will answer questions about the person and example of the rostered leader, his faithfulness to the Church's Confession and his own faithful witness to Christ.  This is the last step in the candidacy process in the ELCA and as this journey culminates I am so deeply inspired by Chris' passion for the church and love for the people of God. 

He is so excited and so very prepared.  As we all know, Chris is a gift to the church and I am delighted that he is at this step so he may continue to live out and into his calling to be a Lutheran pastor.

I love you, Chris.  Keep the good faith.  And remember that nothing separates us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Let's send him off together.  Please send your love, prayers and support.

Soli Deo Gloria.

Faith, Politics, and Obama

I could write a missive about this issue, but I won't (I'm too busy preparing for my Approval for Ordination interview, which will take place on Friday).  But during one of my breaks from interview preparation I stumbled upon this disturbing piece of literature from the Obama campaign (hat tip to Blog from the Capital for the link):

Oh, boy do I get worried when politicians use their faith to promote their politics - whether from the Republicans or the Democrats, this kind of comingling of faith and politics bothers me.  I care not that Obama is a "Committed Christian" and more that he could be a good President.  And last I checked, being a "committed Christian" is not in the job description for the Presidency of the United States.

Much more to say on this issue, but I've got to run.

** UPDATE **

The Trail, The Washington Post's political blog, examined this flyer in Obama Emphasizes Faith in Kentucky a few hours after my post.  Check it out, and add The Trail to your feedreader.

Americans Eat A Lot Of WHAT?

** WARNING **

Some earthy language lies ahead.  Folks offended by earthy language should stop reading this now. 

** WARNING OVER **

Our new au pair arrived on Friday, and so far she has been wonderful (for an explanation of what an au pair is and why we have an au pair, click here).  She is from Thailand, and even though her English is pretty good, she has a fairly strong accent and a yet growing vocabulary.  One of my challenges has been understanding her very well, as my ear is attuned to Spanish accents (I speak Spanish) but not to Thai accents.

Today we ventured to the grocery store.  I was very conscious that most of what we found in the store was in boxes or plastic bags, quite different than the markets she frequents in Thailand to purchase fresh food.  As we were leaving the store, I heard her say to me, "Americans eat a lot of shit."  I was a bit surprised and taken back by her statement, but . . . judging by the McDonalds we ate last night on our way back from Baltimore (we got stuck in the storms and had to make a stop for the kids), the McDonalds we ate today at the Air & Space Museum, and the massive amounts of prepared, prepackaged food we just observed, I couldn't disagree with her.  Americans do eat a lot of shit.

After a few minutes I decided, however, that I had to tell her that "shit" is a bad word, definitely not a word to be spoken in front of the children.  "You are right to say that we Americans eat a lot of shit, but I need to tell you that shit is a bad word."  She looked at me really oddly.  After a few minutes of confused looks in both directions she pulled out an electronic dictionary and asked me to type the word I was trying to describe to her.

And so I typed it in: S-H-I-T.  She looked at the Thai script that appeared on the screen, turned beet red and then laughed.  "Oh no.  That's not what I was saying.  I would never say that.  Americans eat a lot of cheese, like on cheeseburgers." 

Cheese.  Not shit.  Americans eat a lot of cheese.  But we do eat a lot of shit, too.  We both had a good laugh.

It was a fun start to what we hope is a year of good laughs, eye-opening cultural exchange, loving childcare, and greater understanding of ourselves and our world.

"No We Can't" - A Pentecost Sermon

I've posted my sermon for the Festival of Pentecost, entitled No We Can't.  It's linked, along with all my extant sermons, at my sermons page.

I also finally got around to posting my Palm/Passion Sunday sermon, entitled In Between.

A blessed week to you all!

Why I Don't Like The National Day of Prayer

My blogging friend Eric, who blogs over at The Heart of a Pastor, disagreed with - took offense at? - my characterization of the National Day of Prayer as "an ill-advised blend of patriotism and religion" and an event "merging patriotism with the practice of faith" in last Thursday's post, National Day of Prayer, or Ascension Day?   He writes, "having a day when people across denominational lines can gather together to pray is a good thing . . . The NDOP is a time to pray...plain and simple."

I do not disagree that having a day when people across denominational lines can gather together to pray is a good thing.  Yet one of the reasons I do not like the National Day of Prayer is the political dynamic that takes place, particularly at celebrations of the National Day of Prayer in state capitals and in Washington.  It often becomes a pious photo-op for politicians, a chance for political and religious leaders alike to claim some faith-based agenda for our nation, and to speak of the "Judeo-Christian heritage" of our nation. 

[Question: how often do Jewish leaders speak of the "Judeo-Christian heritage"?  "Judeo-Christian heritage" seems like a phrase that Christians use to sound inclusive while really attempting to claim a religious, moral, and historical priority in the retelling of the American Story.  But I digress . . .]

As I mentioned in a past post (see #5), I support setting aside special times to pray for our nation.  Prayer is good.  Pious political posturing?  Not so good.  (Don't ask me - ask Jesus).  Perhaps my friend Eric and others who participated in National Day of Prayer events did so with faith, integrity, and humility.  Perhaps such events took place without the political posturing of elected officials.  I certainly hope so.  But plenty of such events are tainted by politics and blurred by a civic piety that unites God and country in an unholy alliance.

Beyond the political posturing that takes place, the whole ethos surrounding the National Day of Prayer is troublesome to me.  Check out their website.  It has a banner that changes graphics, one of which reads:

Prayer!  America's strength and shield.  The Lord is my strength and shield; my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped.  Psalm 28:7"

I disagree with the fundamental premise of this statement.  Prayer is the strength and shield of people of faith.  The strength of our nation lies in its Constitution, its laws, and its (socially, culturally, politically, and religiously diverse) people.  We are not a country based on a prayer or a shared religion, ethnicity, culture, or common heritage (in contrast to many "old world" countries which are/were much more monolithic).  We are a country where freedom and laws, not bloodlines and heritage, define our common purpose and identity.  When we try to inject explicitly Christian lingo into our national identity, we misrepresent what this country is about (and we risk diluting our Christian faith, as well).

This National Day of Prayer (1952), along with the National Prayer Breakfast (1953) and the insertion of "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance (1954), are all products of a political era in which America was locked in a Cold War with the "godless" communism of the Soviet Union.  As we defined ourselves over and against the Soviets, we wrapped ourselves in a civic-minded piety in which God was on "our side" against a "godless" enemy.  I described the problem with this kind of piety in a previous post, Christian Prayers in Government Chambers: Music to the Devil's Ears:

And so from the lips of government power brokers this God of Country is proclaimed, a God that loves freedom and democracy - and market economies? - and which loyally stands at the side of our government. It is a God that nary challenges the Powers-That-Be, much unlike the God active in the tradition of the Hebrew prophets, Jesus, the martyrs, or advocates of social change over the centuries.  No, this is the God of Guantanamo and Abu-Ghraib, and if belief in this God of Country gains currency in our society it poses a significant threat to the teachings of our churches and the consciouses of our citizens.

More to write, perhaps, but it's getting late and my mind is going to mush.  G'night.

A night at the ballpark with my daughter

Tonight was one of the best nights of my life - a night out with Tali, my 4 year-old daughter, at the ballpark.  It was my first ballgame of the year, and the first game Tali and I ever attended together without Mommy, grandparents, or other siblings.  Put simply - this was some serious Daddy and Tali quality time.

I was given two tickets to the Nationals vs. Pirates game tonight (yes, two of the worst teams in baseball right now).  Jessicah works late on Thursday nights, so I decided to take Tali with me to the game.  I left our other two children with a brave woman from church willing to take on Cana, our 1 year old, and Naaman, our 5 month old (she tells me the kids did great - either she's a great liar or the kids actually behaved!).

Tali and I first had to take a nearly one-hour Metro ride from our suburban enclave into the city.  We sang many rounds of "Take Me Out To The Ballgame" on the train (all apologies to those sitting around us), looked for people wearing Nationals' gear, and also pointed out anyone wearing Pirates' yellow and black.  She was slightly scared when the train went underground, but she got over it quickly.  We switched trains downtown, and she gleefully cheered, "We want Green!  We want Green!" as we waited for the green line train to arrive at our platform.

After the short ride on the green line, we rode a long escalator up to the street level at Navy Yard station.  As soon as we emerged from the station Tali looked left and saw the stadium.  "Whoa, that's awesome!" she said with her 4 year-old exaggerated expression.  As we walked down the road surrounded by Nats fans, she spontaneously started chanting in full voice, "Let's Go Nats!  Let's Go Nats!"  I'm so proud.

Well, my pride only grew when, at the top of the first inning, she started booing the Pirates.  What was great is that no one else was booing - after all this is Washington, not Philadelphia, and it was only the first inning! - but there is just something terribly cute about a 4 year-old girl alternating between booing and cheering.  She even inspired a fan sitting behind us to join us in cheering and booing.  Way to go!

We only watched about 2 1/2 innings of baseball - she's 4, after all.  We then walked around the stadium, I pointed out the Washington Monument and Capitol Building, and then we stumbled upon the playground.  Oh, the playground.  She LOVED the playground.  And I genuinely loved the playground, too, except for one thing - it might be the only part of the whole ballpark where I could neither see a video screen showing the game nor hear a play-by-play broadcast.  This design flaw is probably intentional - rather than pay attention to the game, we parents should be paying attention to our children who are in the play area.  But still . . . we're at a freaking ballgame!  Oh well.

As we were wrapping up at the play area, the Presidents and the Geico Gecko walked by.  For you who are confused, at every Nationals games mascots of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and Teddy Roosevelt "compete" in a race (sponsored by Geico), and then make themselves available for photos and high fives with kids.  Tali and I went over, met the Presidents, and got our pictures taken (by one of their staff photographers - I need to go online Friday to see the photo).

After watching another inning of ball while we ate soft pretzels (at $4 each), we left after six innings and caught the Metro home.  Half way home on the Orange line, she fell asleep on my lap.  When we finally arrived at the Metro station we got into the van and turned on the radio - the Nationals won!  Tali said, "Yea, Nats!  Boo Pirates!"  And then she fell back to sleep.

What a great night.  Many thanks to the family from church who gave me the tickets.  Many thanks to the mom and her daughters who watched my little ones.  And many thanks to Tali for a great night.  I'll never forget it!