too long for twitter but worth repeating

I saw this in a longer story about the church at The UM Portal and thought it was worth passing along.


A story tells of St. Francis of Assisi being escorted through the opulence of the Vatican vaults in Rome. The curate said: “See Francis! No longer must the church say with Peter and John, ‘Silver and gold have we none!’”

To which the saint responded, “But can you say with Peter and John, ‘Rise up and walk’?”

church camp

I am a leader for the soon-to-start church camp. We have roughly 200 kids registered. A few more girls than boys. We have a full slate of volunteers for the girls and we are desperately understaffed for the boys. We have a contingency plan, phone calls, email, etc for recruiting.

But what I really want to know is: How is it that the Bishop can preach about professions of faith being necessary for the survival of the church and neither he nor any of his District Superintendents or Conference Directors (9 men and 2 women) are volunteers at camp?

Our church camp is a great opportunity to shape the faith of young people so they will, with integrity, reach a point of making a profession of faith. Our church is wringing its hands over the lack of young clergy. Maybe those young people were children who went to church camp where there were no clergy to set an example and be available for conversation. Maybe those kids needed some one other than the clergy in the home church to help them recognize God's call on their lives -- not just as future clergy -- but as baptized Christians living out their faith each and every day. Sometimes camp is a place where God is heard differently and clergy can help shape the faith of a young person in a way that doesn't happen on Sunday morning in "church" clothes. And, maybe, a bishop or district superintendent could live out ministry for 5 days with a bunch of kids for one small shot that God could whisper the name of a kid at church camp and that kid would experience a transformation.

or maybe not

spring break and Holy Week

The calendar for school year 2007-2008 has been released by the local school board. Due to an early Easter in 2008, Spring Break is scheduled for Holy Week. The ministerial group is writing letters and encouraging others to write letters requesting that the schedule be changed for 2008. They are concerned that Spring Break vacations will lead to lower attendance during Holy Week services and Easter Sunday.

The Spring Break week is the same week in the month that it has been for the last two years, if not more. I'm wondering how many times Holy Week has fallen on someone else's holy days. I don't always pay attention to the beginning of Passover or the Orthodox Christian Holy Week and I'm clueless when it comes to other religions.

So, on the one hand, I agree with the letter writing and, on the other hand, I'm wondering if we are being shortsighted somehow.

district clergy meetings

I used to love district clergy meetings when I lived in the country. The competion was almost none, therefore people were very friendly and not threatened by others' success. Here in the city, while I absolutely love being in the city, I do not love the district clergy meetings. Too many superficial interactions due to feeling threatened by another's success and fear of "sheep stealing." And, it seems, WAY too much testostorone and not just from the men.

I really like being friendly with other clergy. I really appreciate the ways that only clergy fully understand what it entails to be clergy. While laity understand that it's a lot of work to do two funerals on Ash Wednesday before leading an Ash Wednesday service, clergy have an understanding that goes beyond "it's a lot of work." Clergy understand that there's a poignancy that happens as you impose the ashes saying, "You are dust. To dust you shall return." after being at two cemetaries earlier that day. And silently praying to God that you don't have to officiate at so-and-so's funeral because it would be too hard and at the very same time not being willing to allow any one else to do it because you know that you will do right. There's this emotion that goes with that that I can't quite name but it's not just about the work of the day and a day that's full.

Anyway, at the city district clergy meeting, I was sitting with and visiting with the clergy that I know because of the country districty clergy meetings where we have been together before. I greet and talk to the city folk, but I appreciate the bonds formed in the more laid back places that nuture me while I tolerate the rest of the time spent there.

I recognize the desire for connections with others so I am slowly trying to forge those bonds in the city, too. Meanwhile, I celebrate that there are connections already formed and others being formed.