Conversation between Taran and Kadie after Scooter got back from Pre-Teen camp in the Summer of 2005:
T: “You know Kadie, Scooter just got back from camp and she went with that boy she’s been spending a lot of time with at church.”
K: “Yes. His name is Jacob”
T: “Right...Jacob. Umm well, I was wondering if they, you know, kissed while at camp?”
K: “What are you talking about? Why do you think that she kissed someone? Did you kiss someone when you were in youth camp?”
T: “Well, that’s really not the point. My question is ‘Do you think that Scooter kissed Jacob at camp? I mean, she’s only ten.”
K: “I don’t know, but why are you asking me? I wasn’t at camp. You should be asking Scooter.”
Silence….processing……processing…..processing
T: “Well maybe I will.”
Several hours later, Scooter and I are sitting on the floor of the living room, having wrapped up some cleaning. I seize the moment.
T: “Ummm…look, Scooter, I wanted to….”
S: “What’s the matter, Daddy? Is everything alright?”
T: “Oh nothing, nothing, I mean yes, everything’s fine. It’s just…” I stammer.
S: “Dad, Did I do something wrong? You look serious.”
T: Oh no, nothing wrong, or…well….you went to camp with your – uhhhh with Jacob and I was wondering…”
S: “What Daddy?”
T: “Well, I was wondering….Scooter, I was wondering if… if…you’ve ever kissed a boy?”
Silence….my heart pounds…..I am waiting for the dreaded answer.
As I finish my question, for just a second she looks confused. Then she giggles as she leans forward. And as she leans forward she kisses my nose and says “Only YOU Daddy!” and she stands up, laughs, and skips away.
Taking my heart with her.
I was too chicken to ask her again after this year’s camp.
Thursday, August 31, 2006
Monday, August 28, 2006
A Pinch (3)
As I’ve mentioned the last few days, pinches are inevitable in families and in churches. I then described how I expereinced (and participated in) a pinch at Susan Song Baptist.
After my meeting with the two church leaders, I decided to share the covenant with the church as I had written it. When we got to the portion on the $300.00 for the Reflections meeting, I mentioned that these two men had pulled me aside and expressed concern over that point. I thanked them for expressing their concern and I wanted the church to know that these issues will be dealt with openly and not privately.
I then offered to pay the $300.00 myself if the church deems it appropriate at the end of the interim. I was motivated by the following thoughts:
1) Kicking the can down the road a bit will give the church and I time to develop a stronger sense of trust before we tackle this issue again. They have let a complete stranger into their lives and into their pulpit over the last few weeks. And a city boy at that!
2) There are some underlying concerns about money in the church. Apparently the pastors’ family and extended family (his sons, daughters-in-law and grandkids) attended the church with him. One member has shared with me that one Sunday they had thirty-five people present at church and seventeen were family of the pastor. So with all of these tithers now gone, there is some concern about the financial state of the church. I do think that in a couple of months I will have a better idea of how realistic these financial concerns are.
(I should note parenthetically that when I mentioned the possibility of paying for the Reflections myself, several church members shook their heads, as if to say that they would not allow me to do so.)
So on Wednesday night during our Transition Team meeting, we spent much of the hour discussing the Reflections portion of the Intentional Interim Ministry. One asked why they were responsible for paying for the Center for Congregational Health’s “quality control.” I didn’t point out that a business ALWAYS passes on quality control costs because I’m not completely comfortable with the business model they implicitly assumed or by Bartolo’s comparison of an IIM to a business consultant (I’m not saying that there are no similarities, but I want to keep a distinction between business and ministry, profit and prophet).
Others on the Transition Team felt that someone from outside couldn’t accurately evaluate their church, especially one who drove in from another state to meet with them.
So they accepted my compromise and I changed the wording of the covenant to:
The Church will commit to a time of Reflections at the end of the Intentional Interim Ministry that will cost $300.00. Susan Song Baptist Church will determine at the appropriate time whether the cost of this Reflections time will be paid by the church or by Taran.
Two areas of concern:
First, I can live without the $300.00. In fact, I am sure that any IIM at this church (due to their attendance and remoteness) will not make money. So my main concern is not money, but rather that I do not want the church to establish a pattern of paying ministers on the cheap. I am aware that the church will gauge expectations of its next pastor (for good or for ill) by their experience with me.
Second, I was concerned about the secretive way that two leaders took me aside and spoke on behalf of the church. That may be a sign that the church has dealt with conflict "behind closed doors" in the past. I made a point to mention my conversation with them publicly to make sure that the church deals with “pinches” in an open way.
This last Sunday I presented the revised covenant and we signed it as a group at the end of the worship service. It was a meaningful time as every member of the church, from 7 year olds to 77 year olds came up to the front and signed the agreement. One of the two men who took me aside the previous Sunday, presented me with a beautiful pen and pencil set that he had carved out of cherry wood. (Who knew you could carve a pen?!)
Any thoughts? I'd appreciate any suggestions or rebukes. As I've told you before, this is my first Intentional Interim, I anticipated that there would be some "pinches" along the way.
After my meeting with the two church leaders, I decided to share the covenant with the church as I had written it. When we got to the portion on the $300.00 for the Reflections meeting, I mentioned that these two men had pulled me aside and expressed concern over that point. I thanked them for expressing their concern and I wanted the church to know that these issues will be dealt with openly and not privately.
I then offered to pay the $300.00 myself if the church deems it appropriate at the end of the interim. I was motivated by the following thoughts:
1) Kicking the can down the road a bit will give the church and I time to develop a stronger sense of trust before we tackle this issue again. They have let a complete stranger into their lives and into their pulpit over the last few weeks. And a city boy at that!
2) There are some underlying concerns about money in the church. Apparently the pastors’ family and extended family (his sons, daughters-in-law and grandkids) attended the church with him. One member has shared with me that one Sunday they had thirty-five people present at church and seventeen were family of the pastor. So with all of these tithers now gone, there is some concern about the financial state of the church. I do think that in a couple of months I will have a better idea of how realistic these financial concerns are.
(I should note parenthetically that when I mentioned the possibility of paying for the Reflections myself, several church members shook their heads, as if to say that they would not allow me to do so.)
So on Wednesday night during our Transition Team meeting, we spent much of the hour discussing the Reflections portion of the Intentional Interim Ministry. One asked why they were responsible for paying for the Center for Congregational Health’s “quality control.” I didn’t point out that a business ALWAYS passes on quality control costs because I’m not completely comfortable with the business model they implicitly assumed or by Bartolo’s comparison of an IIM to a business consultant (I’m not saying that there are no similarities, but I want to keep a distinction between business and ministry, profit and prophet).
Others on the Transition Team felt that someone from outside couldn’t accurately evaluate their church, especially one who drove in from another state to meet with them.
So they accepted my compromise and I changed the wording of the covenant to:
The Church will commit to a time of Reflections at the end of the Intentional Interim Ministry that will cost $300.00. Susan Song Baptist Church will determine at the appropriate time whether the cost of this Reflections time will be paid by the church or by Taran.
Two areas of concern:
First, I can live without the $300.00. In fact, I am sure that any IIM at this church (due to their attendance and remoteness) will not make money. So my main concern is not money, but rather that I do not want the church to establish a pattern of paying ministers on the cheap. I am aware that the church will gauge expectations of its next pastor (for good or for ill) by their experience with me.
Second, I was concerned about the secretive way that two leaders took me aside and spoke on behalf of the church. That may be a sign that the church has dealt with conflict "behind closed doors" in the past. I made a point to mention my conversation with them publicly to make sure that the church deals with “pinches” in an open way.
This last Sunday I presented the revised covenant and we signed it as a group at the end of the worship service. It was a meaningful time as every member of the church, from 7 year olds to 77 year olds came up to the front and signed the agreement. One of the two men who took me aside the previous Sunday, presented me with a beautiful pen and pencil set that he had carved out of cherry wood. (Who knew you could carve a pen?!)
Any thoughts? I'd appreciate any suggestions or rebukes. As I've told you before, this is my first Intentional Interim, I anticipated that there would be some "pinches" along the way.
Sunday, August 27, 2006
A Pinch (2)
I mentioned a few days ago about Dennis Burton and Wayne Oakes’s theory of “pinching”. Quite simply, a pinch is when expectations between a church and a pastor are not met. Two Sundays ago I presented the covenant agreement to Susan Song Baptist, with one significant difference. In the initial draft, Susan Song Baptist was going to pay the $300.00 for the Reflections meeting. (Essentially, the Reflections time is when a consultant comes from outside the church and evaluates their impressions of the Intentional Interim Ministry. It is a form of quality control that allows the Center for Congregational Health to tweak the ministry and/or the Intentional Interim pastor.) The $300.00 covers transportation and time for the consultant. But I made two mistakes in presenting it:
1) A key church leader was on vacation that Wednesday night I presented the covenant to the Transition Team. I had not yet identified him as a key leader and didn’t realize that his buy-in was necessary to getting the covenant approved.
2) I underestimated the congregation’s concern with money. As I have since learned, the previous pastor brought his extended family with him to church. And most of them tithed. So in addition to losing the pastor, there is a high level of anxiety in the church about finances. So $300.00 was looking like a huge sum to them. (Their average Sunday giving is right about $300.00).
3) I should've given more time for the church to process the document. Although we had discussed it, they had the covenant in writing for only one week before they were set to vote on it.
So last Sunday, right before the service was set to begin, I heard those fateful words that strike frustration into the heart of every pastor, interim or not, “Brother Taran, may we have a word with you?” The leader who was absent, as well as one who was present at the meeting, took me aside and they expressed their concerns. They thought that $300.00 was a lot of money and didn’t fully understand the role of the Reflections consultant. They told me that they would not sign the covenant as it now read.
Ouch.
Getting pinched is uncomfortable, especially right before the service!
1) A key church leader was on vacation that Wednesday night I presented the covenant to the Transition Team. I had not yet identified him as a key leader and didn’t realize that his buy-in was necessary to getting the covenant approved.
2) I underestimated the congregation’s concern with money. As I have since learned, the previous pastor brought his extended family with him to church. And most of them tithed. So in addition to losing the pastor, there is a high level of anxiety in the church about finances. So $300.00 was looking like a huge sum to them. (Their average Sunday giving is right about $300.00).
3) I should've given more time for the church to process the document. Although we had discussed it, they had the covenant in writing for only one week before they were set to vote on it.
So last Sunday, right before the service was set to begin, I heard those fateful words that strike frustration into the heart of every pastor, interim or not, “Brother Taran, may we have a word with you?” The leader who was absent, as well as one who was present at the meeting, took me aside and they expressed their concerns. They thought that $300.00 was a lot of money and didn’t fully understand the role of the Reflections consultant. They told me that they would not sign the covenant as it now read.
Ouch.
Getting pinched is uncomfortable, especially right before the service!
Friday, August 25, 2006
A Tragedy
As Kevin has already noted, the beautiful Trinity Cathedral in St. Petersburg, Russia sustained substantial fire damage today.
I had the privilege of traveling to Russia two times many, many years ago. The first time was in 1991 and the city's name was Leningrad. I traveled with a group of BSU students (known today as BCM) to do cosntruction work in local churches. Although we did not work in the Trinity Cathedral, we passed it every day and enjoyed an incredible tour of its beautiful domes.
The second time I went was in 1994 when Southwestern Seminary took a group of students there to lead worship services and conduct revivals around the city. Trinity Cathedral was still a gorgeous part of the city.
No more (although they do plan to rebuild).
A Pinch
Dennis Burton and Wayne Oakes helpfully describe what happens in a church where expectations are not met. According to their thesis, church families--indeed, ALL families--have certain expectations. Hopefully, these expectations are stated but more often than not, these expectations are not ever expressed. So we each carry around these expectations that the other people in our families (or our churches) must meet.
But we never tell them what they are.
Many of us are familiar with this idea from marriage. An example: An early conflict in my marriage with Kadie revolved around how we would conduct our early morning routine. I had grown accustomed to reading the paper every morning while I was in college. I enjoyed waking up early, eating cereal and sitting on the kitchen floor with the paper spread out before me. I would slowly and methodically read it all from A1 to F18 and enjoy every moment of it.
Kadie had grown up spending quality time together with her family every morning. She often looked forward to eating breakfast together as a family. So her (unstated) expectation was that we would eat our breakfast, gaze into one another’s eyes and talk (I guess that’s what she thought) throughout the breakfast hour. My expectation was that I would find a spot on the floor, spread the paper out and eat breakfast while tuning the rest of the world out for an hour or so.
Our expectations were certain not to be met.
Burton and Oakes call a broken expectation a “pinch”. Pinches aren’t fatal, but they are inevitable. Unfortunately they are often one sided. By that I mean that it is possible for only one person to feel pinched in a situation. In fact, that’s exactly what happened early in our marriage.
The first few days of our post-honeymoon time together, I got up as usual and read the paper while Kadie fixed a nice breakfast. I then ate the breakfast while I read the paper (yes, I’m an idiot, I know). Her feelings were hurt (pinched) and I had no idea that there was even a problem until later. She was pinched while I was oblivious.
It was only after we clearly expressed our expectations to one another that we could reach a mutual accommodation.
The irony is, fifteen years later, our mornings are so helter-skelter that we never take time to eat breakfast together.
And we haven’t had a newspaper subscription in years ;)
Tomorrow: My first pinch at Susan Song.
But we never tell them what they are.
Many of us are familiar with this idea from marriage. An example: An early conflict in my marriage with Kadie revolved around how we would conduct our early morning routine. I had grown accustomed to reading the paper every morning while I was in college. I enjoyed waking up early, eating cereal and sitting on the kitchen floor with the paper spread out before me. I would slowly and methodically read it all from A1 to F18 and enjoy every moment of it.
Kadie had grown up spending quality time together with her family every morning. She often looked forward to eating breakfast together as a family. So her (unstated) expectation was that we would eat our breakfast, gaze into one another’s eyes and talk (I guess that’s what she thought) throughout the breakfast hour. My expectation was that I would find a spot on the floor, spread the paper out and eat breakfast while tuning the rest of the world out for an hour or so.
Our expectations were certain not to be met.
Burton and Oakes call a broken expectation a “pinch”. Pinches aren’t fatal, but they are inevitable. Unfortunately they are often one sided. By that I mean that it is possible for only one person to feel pinched in a situation. In fact, that’s exactly what happened early in our marriage.
The first few days of our post-honeymoon time together, I got up as usual and read the paper while Kadie fixed a nice breakfast. I then ate the breakfast while I read the paper (yes, I’m an idiot, I know). Her feelings were hurt (pinched) and I had no idea that there was even a problem until later. She was pinched while I was oblivious.
It was only after we clearly expressed our expectations to one another that we could reach a mutual accommodation.
The irony is, fifteen years later, our mornings are so helter-skelter that we never take time to eat breakfast together.
And we haven’t had a newspaper subscription in years ;)
Tomorrow: My first pinch at Susan Song.
Wednesday, August 23, 2006
Intentional Interim Covenant
One unique element of the Intentional Interim Ministry is the requirement of a covenant between the Intentional Interim Minister and the church. This covenant articulates the expectations of both pastor and church. I think that it is important to clearly express exactly what the expectations are for both the Intentional Interim Minister and the congregation. When expectations are clearly delineated, it prevents a multitude of problems later.
The congregation of Susan Song Baptist and I recently worked through the following covenant. We will devote a portion of this week's Sunday morning service to signing this document.
INTENTIONAL INTERIM MINISTRY COVENANT
Between Susan Song Baptist Church and Taran
August 27, 2006
Part I:This covenant commits Taran and Susan Song Baptist Church as partners together for the Intentional Interim Ministry for a period of six months.
Part II: Taran’s responsibilities:
*Taran will be responsible for leading the ongoing ministry of Susan Song Baptist Church. Duties are to include:
*The Sunday morning preaching and worship leadership
*Wednesday Evening Bible study
*Preparation time for Sunday morning and Wednesday Evening
*Weekly Transition Team meeting and preparation
*Other--pastoral care, counseling, weddings, funerals, as Taran’s schedule allows.
Goals of Interim Pastor:
*Taran will consult with the Transition Team to lead the church through the Five Developmental Tasks of the Intentional Interim Ministry. These tasks are:
History, Identity, Leadership and Decision Making, Denominational Connection, and Preparation for New Leadership
*Taran will work to maintain the momentum and ministries of the church
*Taran will lead in the spiritual direction of the church
Part III:Details of the Susan Song Baptist Church’s responsibilities:
*The Congregation of Susan Song Baptist Church commits to provide $XX.XX salary per week for the Sunday morning and Wednesday evening services.
*In addition, other travel associated with normal pastoral responsibilities will be reimbursed at the current government mileage rate.
*The Church will commit to a time of Reflections at the end of the Intentional Interim Ministry that will cost $300.00. Susan Song Baptist Church will determine at the appropriate time whether the cost of this Reflections time will be paid by the church or by Taran.
*The congregation will participate in the Intentional Interim Ministry though prayer, attendance, financial support, and cooperation.
Part IV:Additional information:
*Taran is not a candidate for the role of permanent pastor
*This covenant may be extended by mutual agreement between Susan Song Baptist Church and Taran.
*This covenant may be cancelled by either party with two week’s notice.
*The Intentional Interim Minister will report directly to the Transition Team which will make all recommendations concerning his employment.
Please note any questions or suggestions that you may have. This is my first covenant to draw up and would surely benefit from additional counsel.
Thanks in advance!
The congregation of Susan Song Baptist and I recently worked through the following covenant. We will devote a portion of this week's Sunday morning service to signing this document.
INTENTIONAL INTERIM MINISTRY COVENANT
Between Susan Song Baptist Church and Taran
August 27, 2006
Part I:This covenant commits Taran and Susan Song Baptist Church as partners together for the Intentional Interim Ministry for a period of six months.
Part II: Taran’s responsibilities:
*Taran will be responsible for leading the ongoing ministry of Susan Song Baptist Church. Duties are to include:
*The Sunday morning preaching and worship leadership
*Wednesday Evening Bible study
*Preparation time for Sunday morning and Wednesday Evening
*Weekly Transition Team meeting and preparation
*Other--pastoral care, counseling, weddings, funerals, as Taran’s schedule allows.
Goals of Interim Pastor:
*Taran will consult with the Transition Team to lead the church through the Five Developmental Tasks of the Intentional Interim Ministry. These tasks are:
History, Identity, Leadership and Decision Making, Denominational Connection, and Preparation for New Leadership
*Taran will work to maintain the momentum and ministries of the church
*Taran will lead in the spiritual direction of the church
Part III:Details of the Susan Song Baptist Church’s responsibilities:
*The Congregation of Susan Song Baptist Church commits to provide $XX.XX salary per week for the Sunday morning and Wednesday evening services.
*In addition, other travel associated with normal pastoral responsibilities will be reimbursed at the current government mileage rate.
*The Church will commit to a time of Reflections at the end of the Intentional Interim Ministry that will cost $300.00. Susan Song Baptist Church will determine at the appropriate time whether the cost of this Reflections time will be paid by the church or by Taran.
*The congregation will participate in the Intentional Interim Ministry though prayer, attendance, financial support, and cooperation.
Part IV:Additional information:
*Taran is not a candidate for the role of permanent pastor
*This covenant may be extended by mutual agreement between Susan Song Baptist Church and Taran.
*This covenant may be cancelled by either party with two week’s notice.
*The Intentional Interim Minister will report directly to the Transition Team which will make all recommendations concerning his employment.
Please note any questions or suggestions that you may have. This is my first covenant to draw up and would surely benefit from additional counsel.
Thanks in advance!
Tuesday, August 22, 2006
Cruising with God
Ed. Note: Let me say from the beginning that Henry Blackaby has done more for the kingdom of God than I have done, or likely ever will do. He has excelled at his work and has built a tremendous ministry that contributes daily to the lives of thousands. I have not. Not to put too fine a point on it, he wrote Experiencing God while I write about dead tadpoles.
Since Henry Blackaby was recently mentioned on both Dave and Kevin’s sites, I was reminded of a brief seminary story that was probably my biggest gaffe while there. In addition to another job I had in seminary, I also worked in Robert’s library at SWBTS. Working in a library is great for bibliophiles and libraries are pretty low stress environments.
Usually.
Early on in my time in the library, I came across an advertisement in the Baptist Standard for an Experiencing God cruise. People paid a lot of money to go on a cruise and study through Experiencing God. The big draw on this particular cruise, as I recall, was that Henry Blackaby would be directing this group on the cruise. So the big selling point was that you could go on the cruise and learn about experiencing God straight from the horse’s mouth.
But studying Expereincing God on a cruise struck me (at the age of 23) as particularly heinous. The idea of engaging on a spiritual retreat while cruising through the Alaskan Sound gazing upon glaciers sounded more like mammon than godliness. My aggravation over this began to simmer and I started grousing about it to my cowowrkers. I then began to talk to my coworkers about the hypocrisy of turning everything over to God and “Finding where God was at work and then joining him there…on an Alaskan cruise.”
I then unleashed a terrific jeremiad that included not only Blackaby, but the entireBaptist Bookstore Lifeway chain about how they had marketed the Gospel and concluded with a thunderous statement along the lines of “If Jesus came back today and went into your average Lifeway store I bet he would start overturning tables!” And I cited all of the attendent Experiencing God merchandise as an example.
Now I’m not one usually given to much passion and perhaps I had too much Tabasco sauce that day at lunch, but it was essentially a hot headed rant. After I finished, I noticed that all my fellow librarians were watching me in an awkward combination of amusement and shock. Jim, Amy, Brian and Kerry were standing there in stunned silence.
My supervisor, a gentle soul, was the first to speak “Taran, have you met all of your coworkers?” I found that an odd question since I had been there a few weeks at that time, but I nodded.
“Are you sure you’ve met them all? Have you met…” and then she dropped the hammer
“Kerry Blackaby?”
Oh. No.
Apparently Henry B has several kids who went through Southwestern and one of them was my coworker. Kerry, for her part, grinned and didn’t say a word.
We worked together for another year and she was always too gracious to mention the incident. She was a wonderful coworker and an even better person. Five years later, when I was pastoring at Lone Oak, our Association had Henry Blackaby and his wife down for some leadership training and I met them and mentioned my connection with Kerry. At that time she was doing well and her parents were two very nice, humble people.
I suppose the post-script to this story is that next week I am facilitating Experiencing God at our church….
But not on a cruise.
Since Henry Blackaby was recently mentioned on both Dave and Kevin’s sites, I was reminded of a brief seminary story that was probably my biggest gaffe while there. In addition to another job I had in seminary, I also worked in Robert’s library at SWBTS. Working in a library is great for bibliophiles and libraries are pretty low stress environments.
Usually.
Early on in my time in the library, I came across an advertisement in the Baptist Standard for an Experiencing God cruise. People paid a lot of money to go on a cruise and study through Experiencing God. The big draw on this particular cruise, as I recall, was that Henry Blackaby would be directing this group on the cruise. So the big selling point was that you could go on the cruise and learn about experiencing God straight from the horse’s mouth.
But studying Expereincing God on a cruise struck me (at the age of 23) as particularly heinous. The idea of engaging on a spiritual retreat while cruising through the Alaskan Sound gazing upon glaciers sounded more like mammon than godliness. My aggravation over this began to simmer and I started grousing about it to my cowowrkers. I then began to talk to my coworkers about the hypocrisy of turning everything over to God and “Finding where God was at work and then joining him there…on an Alaskan cruise.”
I then unleashed a terrific jeremiad that included not only Blackaby, but the entire
Now I’m not one usually given to much passion and perhaps I had too much Tabasco sauce that day at lunch, but it was essentially a hot headed rant. After I finished, I noticed that all my fellow librarians were watching me in an awkward combination of amusement and shock. Jim, Amy, Brian and Kerry were standing there in stunned silence.
My supervisor, a gentle soul, was the first to speak “Taran, have you met all of your coworkers?” I found that an odd question since I had been there a few weeks at that time, but I nodded.
“Are you sure you’ve met them all? Have you met…” and then she dropped the hammer
“Kerry Blackaby?”
Oh. No.
Apparently Henry B has several kids who went through Southwestern and one of them was my coworker. Kerry, for her part, grinned and didn’t say a word.
We worked together for another year and she was always too gracious to mention the incident. She was a wonderful coworker and an even better person. Five years later, when I was pastoring at Lone Oak, our Association had Henry Blackaby and his wife down for some leadership training and I met them and mentioned my connection with Kerry. At that time she was doing well and her parents were two very nice, humble people.
I suppose the post-script to this story is that next week I am facilitating Experiencing God at our church….
But not on a cruise.
Sunday, August 20, 2006
***Cheesy Non-Substantive Family Post Alert***
We spent Friday at Six Flags Over Texas, making a one day run that would’ve made Smokey and the Bandit jealous. (Good grief, an opening reference to a movie that came out in 1977). Kadie took our oldest two while each of Kadie’s sisters came along, PT Girl and Nellie. Nellie and her husband are missionaries to a Middle Eastern Country (her husband is an Arab) and they have two teenage daughters. They don’t get to return to the States that often (the daughters haven’t been here in five years) and we wanted to take them to an all American place of fun.
The high was 102, but we kept well hydrated and I’m sure that the heat kept some people away. In addition, school had started and few parents were apparently as hooky permissive as were we. I was concerned about the few operating hours (they were open from 11 to 6 instead of their normal 10 to 9) but we rode far more rides than normal due to the paucity of people. (I rode the Texas Giant three times straight at one point because no one else wanted to get on!).
Some thoughts:
I am always amazed at how vibrating kids, quivering with excitement and fueled the sugar rush from junk food coursing through their veins can be reduced to an almost unconscious state by a day out in the heat and constant walking over the course of seven short hours. The kids were WIPED OUT.
The food prices at Six Flags are obscene. They make airline terminal restaurants seem reasonable. $9.00 for a hamburger combo meal?! I’ll pass.
The older I get, the less scary roller coasters become.
Apparently many people think that it is entirely appropriate to wear a bikini to an amusement park.
You know you are getting old when you think "These shows look more interesting than the rides."
Skeeter continued her tradition of consistently getting lost in family outings. She has been lost in the Denver zoo and in several malls along the I-20 and I-35 Texas corridor. She oftentimes walks along, thinking her own thoughts, oblivious to the world around her.
Right after we arrived at Six Flags, I showed her several workers with their distinctive red shirts. I said “Now, if you get lost, just go up to one of them and tell them that you are lost.”
Seven hours later, at closing time, Karen, Nellie and three of the girls went into a restroom. Skeeter kept walking along. (PT Girl and I were in another part of the park, catching one more ride on the Titan.) Skeeter immediately found a worker, walked up and said “I am lost.” She told me later “I almost cried, but I didn’t.”
The only other loss was my brand new BU hat, which Kadie was wearing on the La Vibora ride. The bill caugfht a wind draft and shot off her head like a green and gold rocket. We reported it missing and they said that they would mail it to us in the next few days.
A wonderful day of fun had by all!!!!!
The high was 102, but we kept well hydrated and I’m sure that the heat kept some people away. In addition, school had started and few parents were apparently as hooky permissive as were we. I was concerned about the few operating hours (they were open from 11 to 6 instead of their normal 10 to 9) but we rode far more rides than normal due to the paucity of people. (I rode the Texas Giant three times straight at one point because no one else wanted to get on!).
Some thoughts:
I am always amazed at how vibrating kids, quivering with excitement and fueled the sugar rush from junk food coursing through their veins can be reduced to an almost unconscious state by a day out in the heat and constant walking over the course of seven short hours. The kids were WIPED OUT.
The food prices at Six Flags are obscene. They make airline terminal restaurants seem reasonable. $9.00 for a hamburger combo meal?! I’ll pass.
The older I get, the less scary roller coasters become.
Apparently many people think that it is entirely appropriate to wear a bikini to an amusement park.
You know you are getting old when you think "These shows look more interesting than the rides."
Skeeter continued her tradition of consistently getting lost in family outings. She has been lost in the Denver zoo and in several malls along the I-20 and I-35 Texas corridor. She oftentimes walks along, thinking her own thoughts, oblivious to the world around her.
Right after we arrived at Six Flags, I showed her several workers with their distinctive red shirts. I said “Now, if you get lost, just go up to one of them and tell them that you are lost.”
Seven hours later, at closing time, Karen, Nellie and three of the girls went into a restroom. Skeeter kept walking along. (PT Girl and I were in another part of the park, catching one more ride on the Titan.) Skeeter immediately found a worker, walked up and said “I am lost.” She told me later “I almost cried, but I didn’t.”
The only other loss was my brand new BU hat, which Kadie was wearing on the La Vibora ride. The bill caugfht a wind draft and shot off her head like a green and gold rocket. We reported it missing and they said that they would mail it to us in the next few days.
A wonderful day of fun had by all!!!!!
Thursday, August 17, 2006
Transition Team Meeting
I have been remiss in not pointing out one of the most important elements of the Intentional Interim process: the Transition Team. The Team is self-selected from the congregation and must provide a cross section of the congregation that reflects the various ethnic, gender, and age differences within the church. Basically, you want every group (or clique!) within the congregation to have representation on the Transition Team.
Essentially, the Intentional Interim Minister (IIM) directs the Transition Team through the five developmental tasks and then they assist in working with the rest of the church through each task. The IIM also works to build things like community and conflict resolution techniques into the Transition Team so that it models these characteristics to the rest of the congregation.
Galatians 5:9 “A little leaven works through the whole batch of dough” is the verse that reminds me of the work of the Transition Team. Just as gossip and anger can spread until they infest the entire congregational body, so can love and community. By transforming a small group, the church can begin to change.
Last night at Susan Song Baptist we had our first Transition Team meeting. Unlike the typical church that goes through the II process, Susan Song is so small that the Transition Team consists of anyone who comes to church on Wednesday night (about 50% of the church membership!). In order to get to know one another we started off with the Quaker Questions. These elicited some interesting responses. There were two people who grew up with 9 or more siblings and three of the nine grew up in share-cropping families.
One interesting note is that one of the key members of the congregation (he’s in his mid sixties) is illiterate. I was tipped off to that fact shortly before I started calling on people to read the devotional text!
We worked on our decision making processes and reviewed the five developmental tasks. Then we ended with prayer requests and prayer. Overall they were pleased with meeting.
On the way out to our cars, I overheard one lady say to another "Judy, I found out something about you that I didn't know before!" Judy replied "I bet that we find out even more about each other before this process is over!"
It was music to my ears.
Essentially, the Intentional Interim Minister (IIM) directs the Transition Team through the five developmental tasks and then they assist in working with the rest of the church through each task. The IIM also works to build things like community and conflict resolution techniques into the Transition Team so that it models these characteristics to the rest of the congregation.
Galatians 5:9 “A little leaven works through the whole batch of dough” is the verse that reminds me of the work of the Transition Team. Just as gossip and anger can spread until they infest the entire congregational body, so can love and community. By transforming a small group, the church can begin to change.
Last night at Susan Song Baptist we had our first Transition Team meeting. Unlike the typical church that goes through the II process, Susan Song is so small that the Transition Team consists of anyone who comes to church on Wednesday night (about 50% of the church membership!). In order to get to know one another we started off with the Quaker Questions. These elicited some interesting responses. There were two people who grew up with 9 or more siblings and three of the nine grew up in share-cropping families.
One interesting note is that one of the key members of the congregation (he’s in his mid sixties) is illiterate. I was tipped off to that fact shortly before I started calling on people to read the devotional text!
We worked on our decision making processes and reviewed the five developmental tasks. Then we ended with prayer requests and prayer. Overall they were pleased with meeting.
On the way out to our cars, I overheard one lady say to another "Judy, I found out something about you that I didn't know before!" Judy replied "I bet that we find out even more about each other before this process is over!"
It was music to my ears.
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
Tuesday, August 15, 2006
The Ride Home from School (or My Tax Dollars at Work)
Since Scooter now rides the bus home from school, I get to pick up Skeeter from her school and we get to drive back to the house together. I am discovering how much of the conversation over the last few eyars was dominated by her older sibling. I have enjoyed the last few days of school and we have had some very nice conversations.
Today, however, was not one of them:
Me: "So, Skeeter, what did you learn at school today?"
Skeeter: "Well Daddy, it was so neat! In science today, our teacher got a pickle and put plugs and wires into it and then turned it on!" (I assume she was talking about something like this)
Me: "Wow! That is neat. What did you learn from that?"
Skeeter: (silence)
Me: "What did your teacher tell you about the experiment?"
Skeeter: (more silence)
Me: (Gently prompting) "Did you learn anything about salty pickles and electricity?"
Skeeter: (slowly) "Well, I learned that it looks really cool when pickles light up."
Life Without A Pastor
We had a wonderful day at church on Sunday. Susan Song Baptist foolishly voted to call me as their intentional interim pastor and I have accepted that call. I am excited about the possibilities of working with them through this process. I am humbled as well as exceedingly grateful at the opportunity that I have been provided.
There is a lot of excellent discussion on the interim time going on in the Baptist Blogosphere right now. Marty Duren has a couple of posts (one is linked below) dealing with accurately evaluating a church that is preparing to call a pastor. Bowden has also offered some critical advice for the church in evaluating prospective pastoral candidates. I would offer my two cents here.
As strange as it may sound, I think that there is an incredible opportunity for positive change in a church without a pastor. And I say that as a former pastor. Here are three initial reasons:
First, there is no pastoral ego or pride to complicate the evaluation of the church. One struggle that I often had as a pastor was that I identified my own personal success or failure very closely with the “success” or “failure” of a church. Though on an intellectual level I realized the foolishness of doing so, my self esteem as a pastor depended on the number of people we had in a service, or on the success of our most recent ministry endeavor.
This would sometimes make it difficult for me to objectively evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the church. I also know from several of my friends in the ministry that this is an issue that they struggle with as well.
Second, during the interim time, the church might have enough impetus for a change. Dr. Iorg of Golden Gate Seminary noted on Marty Duren’s blog, that there must be a critical mass of events (my words) for change to take place.
He writes that “The candidate should also look carefully at the track record of the church. Past behavior is a very good indicator of future practice - especially for mature organizations. A church will usually only change when a significant circumstantial change occurs. The candidate should look carefully to see if circumstances mandate or suggest change is possible - not just that some say it is.”
Often, the flux of the interim time can provide that opportunity for change. I would add that this is largely consistent with most instances of substantial organizational change. I have seen in my own workplace that people without any external force being applied (like a change in leadership, a crisis affecting the organization, etc.) can become largely inured to change.
Lastly, the church can do good work in the area of preparing for the arrival of the next pastor (the fifth developmental task). It is obviously difficult to do so when a current pastor is already on the field. Few pastors will invite an outsider to come in and talk about pastoral/congregational relations unless there is already a problem. The intentional interim process can provide an opportunity to deal proactively with some of these issues before they rise to the level of problems within the congregation.
A few months ago I shared with our Sunday School class an outline of the Intentional Interim ministry. At the end of the class, one member said “I think this would be a good thing for all churches to know, not just those without a pastor.” Although I think that elements of these developmental tasks can be completed in a church with a pastor, I think that these three reasons demonstrate how the interim period can be a productive one due to the (temporary) absence of a pastor.
Friday, August 11, 2006
Developmental Task #5
The final developmental task is aimed at preparing the church for new pastoral leadership. Here the Intentional Interim (II) helps the church to answer one essential question: How can we effectively minister to our pastor?
Many in congregations today are ignorant of what it means to pastor a church. The unique elements of a pastor's life like the bizarre tax codes, the importance of continuing education, and the stress of the pastor's family living a life in the fishbowl of congregational eyes fly under the radar of all but the most sensitive church memebers.
Pastors learn to smile at the "joke" they've heard for years: "So, preacher, what exactly do you do the rest of the week?"
Ideally, the II could lead the church to transform the Pastor Search Committee into a Pastor Support Committee that devises ways to encourage the pastor in the ministry to which God has called him.
I have already written about the difficulties of life for the pastor's wife. This final stage of the II ministry could effectively help the church not to consider the pastor's wife as a bonus "two-for-one" deal that comes with the pastor. Any contribution the pastor's wife makes to the life and fellowship of the church should be appreciated, but not expected.
In addition, here are some things that I would like congregations to consider:
1. Providing sabbaticals for the pastor.
2. A yearly evaluation as a way of providing feedback to the pastor.
3. A support group that would encourage the pastor and provide counsel in certain situations.
4. Making sure that the pastor has adequate time for vacation around important days (his anniversary, his wife’s birthday, kid’s graduations etc.). Related to this is an effort on the part of the church to make sure that the pastor has time off during the week to be with his family.
5. Provide the means for the pastor to attend conferences and conventions that allow him to learn and to fellowship with other ministers.
6. Annually evaluating the pastor’s compensation package and making sure that it reflects a fair wage for the pastor.
I have seen a few examples of a genuine love affair between a pastor and church. It is an amazing thing to observe a relationship where this affection allows incredible things to be accomplished for God's glory.
Please feel free to add to the list, or email me and I will post additional suggestions. I know that two churches at least have linked to Coffeespoons, and I would love to hear from some church members on this topic.
(And neither pastor knew that I’d be posting this!!!!)
Many in congregations today are ignorant of what it means to pastor a church. The unique elements of a pastor's life like the bizarre tax codes, the importance of continuing education, and the stress of the pastor's family living a life in the fishbowl of congregational eyes fly under the radar of all but the most sensitive church memebers.
Pastors learn to smile at the "joke" they've heard for years: "So, preacher, what exactly do you do the rest of the week?"
Ideally, the II could lead the church to transform the Pastor Search Committee into a Pastor Support Committee that devises ways to encourage the pastor in the ministry to which God has called him.
I have already written about the difficulties of life for the pastor's wife. This final stage of the II ministry could effectively help the church not to consider the pastor's wife as a bonus "two-for-one" deal that comes with the pastor. Any contribution the pastor's wife makes to the life and fellowship of the church should be appreciated, but not expected.
In addition, here are some things that I would like congregations to consider:
1. Providing sabbaticals for the pastor.
2. A yearly evaluation as a way of providing feedback to the pastor.
3. A support group that would encourage the pastor and provide counsel in certain situations.
4. Making sure that the pastor has adequate time for vacation around important days (his anniversary, his wife’s birthday, kid’s graduations etc.). Related to this is an effort on the part of the church to make sure that the pastor has time off during the week to be with his family.
5. Provide the means for the pastor to attend conferences and conventions that allow him to learn and to fellowship with other ministers.
6. Annually evaluating the pastor’s compensation package and making sure that it reflects a fair wage for the pastor.
I have seen a few examples of a genuine love affair between a pastor and church. It is an amazing thing to observe a relationship where this affection allows incredible things to be accomplished for God's glory.
Please feel free to add to the list, or email me and I will post additional suggestions. I know that two churches at least have linked to Coffeespoons, and I would love to hear from some church members on this topic.
(And neither pastor knew that I’d be posting this!!!!)
The First Day...
I hear the hungry beast before I see it. I always do.
Scotter and I are outside on the intersection in front of our home, waiting for the slow moving behemoth that will soon consume her and take her away. She is less nervous than I am. Today is the first day that she will meet the beast, but it is harder on me than on her. While she waits patiently, I stand there awkwardly, the geeky parent fidgeting more than his daughter.
And then I hear its roar as it slowly changes gears just out of sight.
Our street curves out of sight about thirty yards from our house. The trees and homes of our street form a tunnel that amplifies the sound of the beast as it changes gears. This low pitched roar is a familiar sound, one I hear all the time during the school year. But before this day, it had always come of the children of others, never for mine.
It lumbers into view, its dull, metallic hide glows ominously in the dusky 7:00 am light. It slows down and suddenly its yellow and red eyes begin to flash and blaze a hungry warning. The grill of the monster grins wickedly at me. (Wasn’t it Calvin Miller who once wrote “Love smiles. Evil grins”?) As it rumbles to a stop, its stubby red signs awkwardly extend out like vestigial wings, no longer capable of supporting flight. They too flash a red warning.
As it stops in front of us, its hungry maw folds open and a complete stranger beckons her in. She kisses me, turns and bravely heads for the mouth of the beast. Right before she enters, Scooter turns one last time for a quick wave. Then she vanishes into its belly. It hisses at me, and slowly rolls away with her inside.
And my prayers go with her.
Scotter and I are outside on the intersection in front of our home, waiting for the slow moving behemoth that will soon consume her and take her away. She is less nervous than I am. Today is the first day that she will meet the beast, but it is harder on me than on her. While she waits patiently, I stand there awkwardly, the geeky parent fidgeting more than his daughter.
And then I hear its roar as it slowly changes gears just out of sight.
Our street curves out of sight about thirty yards from our house. The trees and homes of our street form a tunnel that amplifies the sound of the beast as it changes gears. This low pitched roar is a familiar sound, one I hear all the time during the school year. But before this day, it had always come of the children of others, never for mine.
It lumbers into view, its dull, metallic hide glows ominously in the dusky 7:00 am light. It slows down and suddenly its yellow and red eyes begin to flash and blaze a hungry warning. The grill of the monster grins wickedly at me. (Wasn’t it Calvin Miller who once wrote “Love smiles. Evil grins”?) As it rumbles to a stop, its stubby red signs awkwardly extend out like vestigial wings, no longer capable of supporting flight. They too flash a red warning.
As it stops in front of us, its hungry maw folds open and a complete stranger beckons her in. She kisses me, turns and bravely heads for the mouth of the beast. Right before she enters, Scooter turns one last time for a quick wave. Then she vanishes into its belly. It hisses at me, and slowly rolls away with her inside.
And my prayers go with her.
Thursday, August 10, 2006
Developmental Task #4
The fourth developmental task that the church engages during the Intentional Interim time is its Identity. Identity is a general term that includes the church’s size, ethnic makeup, location, financial resources, etc. Most times when church members are asked to describe their church they will say something like “We are a friendly church.” But church members can mean by that that they are only friendly to one another! So this task of identity can be important. It involves discussing with the community how they view the church, looking at demographic information about the church, and looking at historical trends in attendance and ministries.
Last night, as I described this stage to the congregation, I told them it was like looking in a mirror. When we look in the mirror, we see things about ourselves that we both like and dislike. This fourth stage holds a mirror up to the church so that they can see themselves as they truly are.
One woman said “Well, I like the sound of this stage, it never hurts to hear the truth!” I disagreed with her and explained that at times the truth can be painful.
I then shared that Kadie and I recently attended a marriage retreat run by a marriage and family counselor and his wife. During the retreat, I came to the realization that even though Kadie and I have been married for fifteen years (and dated for four before that) there are still some significant areas of our relationship in which I am not communicating well.
Understanding that after almost 20 YEARS of a relationship, I still had work to do was a painful realization. (At that point in the meeting, one wife slapped her husband’s shoulder and said “You need to go to one of those retreats!”)
The truth about our identity (whether a church or an individual) can be painful, but it is also necessary.
Last night, as I described this stage to the congregation, I told them it was like looking in a mirror. When we look in the mirror, we see things about ourselves that we both like and dislike. This fourth stage holds a mirror up to the church so that they can see themselves as they truly are.
One woman said “Well, I like the sound of this stage, it never hurts to hear the truth!” I disagreed with her and explained that at times the truth can be painful.
I then shared that Kadie and I recently attended a marriage retreat run by a marriage and family counselor and his wife. During the retreat, I came to the realization that even though Kadie and I have been married for fifteen years (and dated for four before that) there are still some significant areas of our relationship in which I am not communicating well.
Understanding that after almost 20 YEARS of a relationship, I still had work to do was a painful realization. (At that point in the meeting, one wife slapped her husband’s shoulder and said “You need to go to one of those retreats!”)
The truth about our identity (whether a church or an individual) can be painful, but it is also necessary.
Susan Song Update and a Note From Bobby
Last night I presented the Intentional Interim Ministry to Susan Song Baptist. They were very intrigued and we discussed it for over an hour. They wanted to vote on it last night (no one expressed any opposition to it) but I encouraged them to pray about it and wait until Sunday. All in all it was an encouraging evening.
I received the following email from Bobby which I reprint in its entirety and without his permission.
I want you to know I read all of your Coffeespoons
posts, even when they start out as full of *promise*
for application to my daily life as: "I should note
that these five developmental tasks are separated only
as a heuristic device." I try not to fear what I do
not understand.
Bobby was making reference to this post. Ok, I'm sorry for the excessive verbiage. I'll write more clearly in the future. Just more evidence of exactly why it was difficult for me to get dates in college.
I received the following email from Bobby which I reprint in its entirety and without his permission.
I want you to know I read all of your Coffeespoons
posts, even when they start out as full of *promise*
for application to my daily life as: "I should note
that these five developmental tasks are separated only
as a heuristic device." I try not to fear what I do
not understand.
Bobby was making reference to this post. Ok, I'm sorry for the excessive verbiage. I'll write more clearly in the future. Just more evidence of exactly why it was difficult for me to get dates in college.
Wednesday, August 09, 2006
Developmental Task #3
The third task of the Intentional Interim (II) ministry is the exploration of denominational relationships to the congregation. In my case, I will be working almost exclusively with Baptist churches. This stage will be an opportunity to guide the church through what it means to be Baptist and will explain the fact that we as Baptists come from a theologically rich tradition of the Reformation.
As Baptists, we have done a poor job explaining the traditions and doctrines that form our distinctives. I taught a Reformation course a few years ago and covered the Radical Reformers (who gave birth to the Anabaptist tradition). After class one day, I spoke to a student who had been raised Baptist but converted to Catholicism when she married. She explained to me that she learned far more about what Baptists believed in the several months of her confirmation classes than she did in several years of growing up in a Baptist church.
Southern Baptists do a reasonable job teaching the Bible. We do a horrible job teaching what it means to be Baptist. We tend to define Baptists in our churches in terms of what we do not believe (i.e. witness the current debate among Baptist Bloggers over alcohol) rather than defining ourselves by what we embrace. Many good men and women have died for Baptist beliefs; I want to help churches to understand why they did. I think that the interim time is a natural time when many pastorless churches turn to their denominational resources for help. The interim period is an opportunistic time to explore the beliefs of us Christians who also happen to call ourselves Baptist.
As Baptists, we have done a poor job explaining the traditions and doctrines that form our distinctives. I taught a Reformation course a few years ago and covered the Radical Reformers (who gave birth to the Anabaptist tradition). After class one day, I spoke to a student who had been raised Baptist but converted to Catholicism when she married. She explained to me that she learned far more about what Baptists believed in the several months of her confirmation classes than she did in several years of growing up in a Baptist church.
Southern Baptists do a reasonable job teaching the Bible. We do a horrible job teaching what it means to be Baptist. We tend to define Baptists in our churches in terms of what we do not believe (i.e. witness the current debate among Baptist Bloggers over alcohol) rather than defining ourselves by what we embrace. Many good men and women have died for Baptist beliefs; I want to help churches to understand why they did. I think that the interim time is a natural time when many pastorless churches turn to their denominational resources for help. The interim period is an opportunistic time to explore the beliefs of us Christians who also happen to call ourselves Baptist.
Tuesday, August 08, 2006
Developmental Task #2
I should note that these five developmental tasks are separated only as a heuristic device. They each overlap and a church would not necessarily work through them in any particular sequence.
The second task in the Intentional Interim (II)program process is examining church leadership and decision making. These are two areas that are often obscured in SBC churches. Since there is not any set polity governing all Baptist Churches, it can oftentimes be unclear how decisions are reached. In some instances, the pastor is king and makes all of the decisions. In others, the deacons lead the church while a council of elders that govern things in other circumstances. Other churches operate by committees. And then there are aberrant situations. I knew of one church where the music minister had been there for decades and effectively controlled all of the new young pastors who cycled through the church over the years.
This second task explicitly brings to the surface and sets down on paper the way that decisions are reached in the church. Covenants and policies are updated and committee structures are created if necessary. A goal of this step is to make sure that there is an explicit, organized, consistent structure to how the church operates. This can allow for fully disclosed expectations when the new pastor arrives.
The second task in the Intentional Interim (II)
This second task explicitly brings to the surface and sets down on paper the way that decisions are reached in the church. Covenants and policies are updated and committee structures are created if necessary. A goal of this step is to make sure that there is an explicit, organized, consistent structure to how the church operates. This can allow for fully disclosed expectations when the new pastor arrives.
Monday, August 07, 2006
Kid Verse
Last night at dinner, Skeeter sneaked up behind me and poured half a cup of (very cold) water over my head. I spluttered in shock as she and the rest of the family laughed. I then noticed that she still had half a cup of the iced liquid remaining and I grabbed it and slung the remnants back into her face.
The family continued to laugh and this time she was the one gasping for air. When she could get her breath again she yelled out "Daddy! Don't repay evil for evil!!!!"
It is slightly annoying when your children quote scripture to change your behavior.
The family continued to laugh and this time she was the one gasping for air. When she could get her breath again she yelled out "Daddy! Don't repay evil for evil!!!!"
It is slightly annoying when your children quote scripture to change your behavior.
Developmental Task #1
This Wednesday night I am presenting the Intentional Interim program to the leadership at Susan Song Baptist Church. I will present the five stages of the intentional interim ministry and I thought that it might be helpful to outline them over the next few days. The role of the Intentional Interim (II) is to take the church through five developmental tasks.
The first task is History. This task explores the history of the church and looks at important junctures in the life of the church. Churches, like individuals, are susceptible to repeating past mistakes. By making the church aware of these past mistakes, and the factors that went into them, the II can guide the church to prevent the natural pattern that it can easily fall into.
We see a biblical example of this in the book of Judges. Judges follows a repetitive cycle:
The people rebel against God through idolatry
God raises up a foreign people group to punish the Hebrews
The people chaff under God’s punishment and cry out to Him
God raises up a savior (Judge) who then achieves a military victory and sets the Hebrews free
After a period of time, the people rebel against God through idolatry (return to step one)
But the purpose is not to dwell only on the negative history. It is also a time to celebrate the tremendous accomplishments of God in the past. God established a couple of traditions that were crucial to how the community of faith saw itself. The Passover and the Lord’s Supper were purposefully designed to remind Israel and the church of the powerful things that God has done in the past.
A final key element to the History of the church is to make sure that the secrets of the church are disclosed. A lot of events in the church are often “papered”over and ignored. A clear look at the history of the church can help to confront and overcome that history.
The first task is History. This task explores the history of the church and looks at important junctures in the life of the church. Churches, like individuals, are susceptible to repeating past mistakes. By making the church aware of these past mistakes, and the factors that went into them, the II can guide the church to prevent the natural pattern that it can easily fall into.
We see a biblical example of this in the book of Judges. Judges follows a repetitive cycle:
The people rebel against God through idolatry
God raises up a foreign people group to punish the Hebrews
The people chaff under God’s punishment and cry out to Him
God raises up a savior (Judge) who then achieves a military victory and sets the Hebrews free
After a period of time, the people rebel against God through idolatry (return to step one)
But the purpose is not to dwell only on the negative history. It is also a time to celebrate the tremendous accomplishments of God in the past. God established a couple of traditions that were crucial to how the community of faith saw itself. The Passover and the Lord’s Supper were purposefully designed to remind Israel and the church of the powerful things that God has done in the past.
A final key element to the History of the church is to make sure that the secrets of the church are disclosed. A lot of events in the church are often “papered”over and ignored. A clear look at the history of the church can help to confront and overcome that history.
Sunday, August 06, 2006
Fifteen Years and Susan Song
This has been an eventful week. Kadie and I celebrated our 15th Anniversary by driving a ways to Dallas where we stayed an inexpensive, luxurious hotel (thanks, Priceline) and gorged ourselves at the (cheesily named) Texas de Brazil. It is a wonderful churrascaria, which is roughly a Brazilian all-you-can-eat meal where they bring the meat to you. We consumed prime rib, sirloin steak, lamb, ribeye, etc. It was a wonderful meal (and expensive…sheesh, I think we might be able to afford it again when we celebrate our 30th!).
While there we caught two movies, Woody Allen’s new comedy Scoop and M. Night Shyamalan’s Lady in the Water. We enjoyed them both and I think I discerned an idea in Shamylan’s work that might make a nice paper presentation.
After we returned, Susan Song called me and asked me to serve as their interim pastor. I deferred their request and instead planned a meeting with the search committee. We will sit down this Wednesday where I will present them with the intentional interim process and request that they go through with it.
I also informed them that they would have to wait until we complete the intentional interim process before they could begin to search for a new pastor. Their chairwoman said that they have seven resumes but they had already decided to wait before calling another pastor. So I think that the search committee will vote to proceed with the intentional interim and I will present it to the entire church on Sunday. Please keep this process in your prayers.
There were more musical mishaps this morning, but I’ll save that for tomorrow ;)
While there we caught two movies, Woody Allen’s new comedy Scoop and M. Night Shyamalan’s Lady in the Water. We enjoyed them both and I think I discerned an idea in Shamylan’s work that might make a nice paper presentation.
After we returned, Susan Song called me and asked me to serve as their interim pastor. I deferred their request and instead planned a meeting with the search committee. We will sit down this Wednesday where I will present them with the intentional interim process and request that they go through with it.
I also informed them that they would have to wait until we complete the intentional interim process before they could begin to search for a new pastor. Their chairwoman said that they have seven resumes but they had already decided to wait before calling another pastor. So I think that the search committee will vote to proceed with the intentional interim and I will present it to the entire church on Sunday. Please keep this process in your prayers.
There were more musical mishaps this morning, but I’ll save that for tomorrow ;)
Wednesday, August 02, 2006
On Punches and Pedagogy
The following is an article I wrote on the connection between teaching and life-long learning. Although it was written specifically for teaching in an academic setting, I think that it applies to anyone teaching at any level or in any context (pastors included). This article was rejected by some of the finest journals in the teaching field. That's why you are reading it here ;)
How did I get myself into this situation again? It has been almost four years since I passed my doctoral exams and successfully defended my dissertation. At that time I vowed that I would never again put myself into this situation. Several things came to mind in the few moments after I was informed that I had passed my oral defense. Mostly I remember the overwhelming sense of relief that culminated my twelve years of graduate studies. But I also remember one thought in particular. As I drove home that day I vowed: “That was the last exam I will ever take.”
Yet here I am, sweating out another exam. I mean literally sweating. The perspiration pours down my face. I feel so much tension, in fact, that I want to scream. So I do scream. As I finish the exam I yell “Ki- ya” and punch my fist in the air.
I am testing for my yellow belt in Tae-Kwon-Do. Over the last month, I have been taking classes two nights a week and now I am in the middle of a gymnasium with around one hundred other people. They are watching me perform a series of exercises designed to demonstrate a mastery of very basic martial arts skills.
My reason for pursuing this new course of study is a bit more difficult to explain. I am in my sixth year in a tenure track position in philosophy and religious studies. My days are filled with course preparations, writing articles and an ongoing deluge of committee meetings. Three nights a week whiplash occurs as I transition from the mental to the physical arena.
The physical and psychical benefits of martial arts are well documented. They require strenuous effort. When I first signed up for these classes my main goal was to retrain my doughy body which has been finely sculpted by the hours spent standing and lecturing and carried the soft pale hue that only comes from fluorescent lighting found in aging libraries. A second reason that I undertook this regimen was to assist me in learning self-defense. There have been a few occasions during departmental meetings and conference presentations when such knowledge would have been comforting.
But I have been surprised at how much this supposedly personal endeavor has affected my professional approach to pedagogy. I have discovered that the act of learning a new skill has significant implications for how I teach my students. Far from being a mere diversion, this new exercise has begun to reshape my approach to students in the classroom.
First, I am convinced that the act of continuous learning is inherently beneficial. Although we academics spend our professional time engaged in a contemplative life, it is rare that we venture well beyond our own provincial fields. I suspect that the act of acquiring new skills sharpens our wits and allows our minds to remain active and ever-seeking. I have seen similarities drawn between my own areas of research (philosophy and religious studies) and the martial arts. These similarities help me to draw these connections for the class.
Second, my Tae-Kwon-Do classes have helped to keep before me the students’ perspective. A dozen years of graduate school has inoculated me to the initial shock and fear that can accompany the student’s initial exposure to a new area of study. But as I become a student again, I recognize that I do not know a great deal. As I see my instructors carefully going over the same forms, kicks and punches with me, it reminds me of the need to patiently explain and repeat materials in classes of my own. To learn from the ground up reinforces my own patience. My undergraduate years began several decades ago. I need reminders about how difficult the acquisition of knowledge can be.
Third, I hope that my own pursuit of knowledge can model a life-long desire for learning to my own students. They need to understand that their professors are also are engaged in learning. After a rather severe ankle sprain (incurred while foolishly sparring with a man half my age), I was forced to go public with my new-found pursuit. The treatment for my ankle required that I keep it inclined. This led to a very unprofessoral posture as I lectured to my class from a chair, left leg resting upon the desk, as if I were a photograph of one of those Russian leg dances, captured in mid-stride. A student asked “How did you hurt your leg, Dr. Taran?” I had a polished reply ready: “I twisted my ankle when I got into a fight over the weekend.” Apparently this story was so far outside my classroom persona that she didn’t even pause before her next question. “No really, Dr. Taran, how’d you do it?”
Such conversations, it is my hope, make me three dimensional to my students. They reveal me as not a flat, but rather a round character. (Of course, the alternative is that the students will instead see this as another manifestation of that vain attempt to recapture lost youth, most commonly seen around our campus faculty in either the comb-over hairstyle or the powerful sports car). Modeling a desire for learning is an effective way of conveying that same desire to students.
Lastly, learning a new skill keeps me well grounded. If Socrates is correct that an awareness of our own ignorance is the beginning of wisdom, then admitting that I know nothing about a field is an important first step. Arrogance and its stepbrother pomposity are the stock and trade of our profession. Starting a field anew might prove to be a necessary antidote. It is humbling to go to my first class and realize that I really don’t know the material—and that the seven year old to my right does! After signing up for the class, I learned to my horror that one of the instructors was a former student of mine. Now the tables are turned. The evaluated has become the evaluator and the hunter now is the hunted. Right before my test, he approaches me, shakes my hand and says, “Just remember what you’ve been taught and relax, you’ll do well on the test.” I can imagine myself uttering those words to my own students.
As the testing began, the students lined up according to the ranks of their belts. First in line are the black belts, next comes red, then brown, purple, blue, green, yellow and (lastly) white. I am a white belt, which means that I have to wait as teenagers and eight year olds line up in front of me. When the call is made for white belts to line up I am running alongside five and six year olds (including my own seven-year old daughter, ye gods!).
So why do I do it? I now see that taking up a new field improves my pedagogy. One night, after I make the same mistake for the third time, one of my instructors wryly asks “Aren’t you a professor or something?” But I am not. At least not here, here I am a student. And I am convinced that being a student makes me a better teacher.
Tuesday, August 01, 2006
1,000 Hit
Michael Young isn't the only one to get his 1,000th hit recently.
Today at 3:08 pm, the right reverend Dave Samples became the 1,000th hit on this tiny blog. Some bloggers get 1,000 hots a day, but I didn't really think that there would be that many people checking out Coffeespoons. Many of you have been consistently dropping by and I appreciate it. What started as a way to record some of my thoughts on family and spiritual matters has found a nice niche.
Some thoughts for those who regularly check in from time to time...
Extended family, I started this blogsite to keep you up to date with our little family. I’m glad that it has expanded a bit beyond that.
Kevin, Bowden and Dave, I have enjoyed your sites and feeling like I’ve gotten to know you (or at least, your cyber-persona). By far the best thing to come out of this site has been the wisdom I have received in some of our written comments.
Eddie and David, a mighty long time since our Carrol Park touch football days (with David running DIRECTLY over Eddie and I). It is exciting so see how God continues to bless your ministries.
Bobby, PTGirl, MrGinger and PoMonkey, I’m glad that we have a new outlet for our old friendships (was college really 17 years ago?!)
Lurkers, I don’t know who you are, but I do know where you live!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)