I feel like a Homer

I dropped the ball again.

Two weeks ago, your Christ the King staff held a Christmas cookie exchange to celebrate the gift of Jesus our Lord.

With the abundance of cookies (and a recent diagnosis of high blood sugar) I decided to give away my plate of cookies to our neighbors in the town home complex where we live.

Our neighbors were so kind to shovel our driveway during a recent snow storm. It was a thoughtful gesture, and we expressed our thanks with a gift of Christmas cookies.

However, I forgot to do one other thing. I forgot to invite our neighbors to Christmas Eve/Christmas Day worship.

Drat! I dropped the ball again.

When I worked at Mt. View Lutheran Church, one of my jobs was to lead chapel for the pre-school students and their parents once a month.

In December 2007 the children held their annual Christmas program for their parents. It was the perfect audience to invite to Christmas Eve/Christmas Day worship. And at Mt. View, we had seven different worship times on Christmas Eve.

In the midst of thanking the children for their program, I forgot to extend an invitation to the parents to join us for worship.

I felt like Homer Simpson. D’oh!

My colleague, Pastor Julie Britsch, was one of the parents in the audience. She came up to me and whispered in my ear, “You might want to invite them to worship on Christmas Eve/Christmas Day.”

Only then did I extend the invitation.

So, if you are forgetting to extend an invitation to Friends/Associates/Neighbors/Strangers (FANS) to join us here at Christ the King for worship, join the club.

I forgot, too.

Happy Christmas!

A blessed Feast of the Nativity to you and yours. Remember - we worship together tomorrow (Christmas Day) at 11:00am and have just one service of worship this Sunday, December 28th, at 9:30am. Let the merriment begin!

This is the Christmas message from Mark Hanson, the Presiding Bishop of the ELCA.

Festival of Lights

We Christians aren't the only ones lighting candles this time of year. Hanukkah began yesterday evening at sundown (per the Jewish way of keeping time - the new day starts at sunset...). So today is the first day of Hanukkah.
And if you want to learn more about it, I commend you. I think it's always a good idea to understand the holy days, traditions and celebrations of people who profess faiths other than our own. My friend Rabbi Sarah Mack, who serves a congregation in Providence, RI, recommended this site to me as a beginning place to learn about Hanukkah. Enjoy!

Blessed are you, O Lord our God, ruler of the universe. Help us to understand each other, to reach out our hands in welcome and peace. Amen

Let Santa decrease and let Christ increase this Christmas

Last Sunday our high school youth presented a play entitled “The Christmas Competition.” Featured in the production were two inflatable Christmas lawn decorations. One depicted the manger scene, with Mary, Joseph, and the baby Jesus.

The second depicted Santa Claus-and it was HUGE. It was placed in front of a cross in our worship space here in Bozeman. I couldn’t help but think “The jolly old elf has replaced Jesus as the reason for the season.

Much to my delight, during the play there was a scene where the giant red dirigible lost power and deflated right in front of us. The cross of Christ became visible once more.

The high school students reminded us during the play “Jesus is the reason for the season.”

In the midst of your Christmas preparations, let Santa decrease and let Christ increase.

Santa Lucia Day

What follows is a post I wrote on another blog LAST year on St. Lucia day - turns out Grant had to go without his saffron buns again this year. And if Santa Lucia Day lands on a Sunday next year, I can almost guarantee there won't be any early morning baking or candles in my hair. Perhaps in 2010...

Have you ever gone to bed at night knowing that you'd be a bit of a disappointment the next day? Not that the next day would be disappointing, but that you would be disappointing? That's what happened to me last night.
My husband Grant is the youngest of three brothers. And he is of Swedish descent. These might seem like really random things, but today they are of significance. The 13th of December is Santa Lucia Day - the day when the oldest daughter in the family brings coffee and saffron St. Lucia buns to her parents in bed, all while wearing a white gown and a wreath with lit candles on her head.
Grant has known about this tradition for a long time, but with only boys in his nuclear family, there were never early-morning-saffron buns carried by very careful young women in their house when he was growing up.
He dropped hints last week, reminding me that St. Lucia day was drawing near. While St. Lucia day is remembered throughout Scandinavia, it is really big in Sweden, and not so much in my family's Norwegian heritage. And so I forgot. Until last night. (Not that I'd have gotten up to make saffron buns this morning, or worn candles on my head, anyway - the whole downstairs of our house is packed up so we can get new flooring put in. And I hate the smell of burning hair in the morning).
So - maybe next year.
And in the meantime - a blessed St. Lucy day.
The light DOES shine in the darkness, and the darkness has not (and never will) understood or overcome it.

Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Today is the 60th anniversary of the UN's unanimous passing of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. There's a great article about the Declaration in the latest mailing we got from the Heifer Project, though that magazine has unfortunately been buried somewhere in a pile at our house! I'll post it when I find it.
In the meantime, enjoy this music video. And consider reading up on international human rights and doing something about them.

Meeting John the Baptizer: Truth Teller

A seminary classmate of mine, Jennie English, is pastor of a congregation in Chicago. She writes a great blog, and has a thought provoking post about the second week of Advent and its encounter with John the Baptizer. I commend it to you.

Jan Richardson's Advent Door

I am thoroughly enjoying another blog this Advent. Hope you enjoy it, too.
Here is the link to an entry on Psalm 85, which was the lectionary Psalm for the Second Sunday of Advent (those of you at CtK - what do you think of reading the psalm each week?).
Again, I hope you enjoy it!

Tuesday of the Second Week of Advent

How are your preparations going?

Is it a mad frenzy as you try to get ready for Christmas? Which part is the most crazy-making? Is there any of it you can just let go?

There's still no Christmas tree up at our house. And to be completely honest, I'm not sure there will be this year - at least not the 9 foot pre-lit artificial tree that made so much sense in Phoenix (real trees are EXPENSIVE fire hazards in the desert, so we invested in a lovely fake tree a couple of years ago). We do have a little two-or-three-footer-in-a-box, which would make a lot more sense for us this year. And we bought a pine-scented candle, so at least it smells like we're getting ready for Christmas.

For me, the more important part of the preparations is taking the time to be still, to ponder, to pray. If you're looking for help with that, start small - even 5 or 10 minutes of quiet each day can make a big difference, and we're much more likely to follow through with something do-able like that.

One resource is the devotions from the "Western Mission Cluster" - Luther Seminary in St. Paul, MN and Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary in Berkeley, CA. Check it out!

Nicholas, Bishop of Myra, c. 342

In addition to being the day of the annual Bozeman Christmas Stroll (three cheers and many thanks to those who organized, set up and cleaned up the CtK booth and to all the singers who joined in the caroling), today (December 6th) is the feast day of St. Nicholas, bishop of Myra. He's one of the church's most beloved saints, though relatively little is known about his life. In the fourth century he was a bishop in what is now Turkey.
There are lots of legends that tell of his love for God and neighbor. And there are lots of web sites that can help us understand how the "Saint Nicholas" remembered by Christians for centuries, became the "Santa Claus" that gets plastered all over everything this time of year.
I suggest a visit to The St. Nicholas Center and some anonymous gift-giving to remember his life of faith and service.

Random thoughts on a snowy evening

What to get Papa for Christmas?

I am faced with a challenge every 25th of December. What gift should I give to my father? Does he want or need another neck tie? Would he appreciate a box of peanut brittle from Harry and David? I know, he loves to read and listen to music. I’ll buy him a book and a Carrie Underwood CD! He loves coffee. How about giving him a Starbucks gift card?
The good news is my father has requested that for his birthday (December 5th ) and for Christmas he desires no gifts. He has encouraged his family and friends to give to the local charity of our choice, or to the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America “Good Gifts” campaign, which helps feed hungry people across the globe.
My father Robert is a faithful volunteer in his own parish, Mt. Carmel Lutheran Church in San Luis Obispo, CA. His special emphasis is ministry to the homeless.
With that thought in mind, I will make a gift in honor of my father Robert’s birthday to “Family Promise of the Gallatin Valley.”www.familypromisegv.org It is a ministry that helps shelter families by using a network of churches and places of worship all throughout southwest Montana.
I became acquainted with Family Promise when I served a parish in the greater Phoenix, AZ area. It is a worthy cause.
So here’s to you, Papa. No neck ties. No peanut brittle to rot your teeth or make you fat. No books, CDs, or coffee. Here’s to you, for helping homeless families find hope in the midst of hard times.

Time to sit down and be quiet

Happy Advent!

Advent is one of my favorite times of the year - the preparations, the blue paraments and evergreens adorning our spaces of worship, the lights shining in the midst of the darkness (and let me tell you - last night, driving the rest of the way home from California, it was DARK!), and the opportunity to slow down and be still in the midst of our culture's rush and frenzy.

Advent is easy enough to miss. Our "consumer" culture doesn't have a lot of time for the prayer and reflection the season offers as we prepare our hearts and lives for Christ to be born in us. It takes an intentional pace and disciplined space-making, physically, emotionally and spiritually. Even if you aren't usually one for sitting still or contemplation, during these next days and weeks, give it a try. Light a candle (or the appropriate number of candles on an Advent wreath), set a timer if you have to - start at even just 3 to 5 minutes, sit comfortably, breathe deeply, and join Mary in "pondering these things" in your heart, or think about the words to one of your favorite Advent or Christmas carols.

Tomorrow evening we begin our Advent mid-week services here at CtK. We'll have a soup and bread supper at 6:15pm (kids activities start at 5:30pm) and then Evening Prayer at 7:00pm. We will be using the Holden Evening Prayer liturgy, which is a favorite for many. Come sing, pray, reflect, read Scripture, and have a chance to slow down for an evening. Following worship, those who are interested are invited to stay for a conversation about "Whose Birthday is it, Anyway?" a magazine of reflections, activites, how-to's and more, all ideas for a Christ-centered holiday. Free copies of the magazine will be available.

May this Advent be filled with blessings.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours. May you be blessed with the love of family and friends, and enjoy the bounty of the earth.

Remember in prayer those who will go without this season, and ask God to show you how you can help.

Peace-
Pastors Lindean & Grant

PS - Don't forget Thanksgiving Eve worship here at CtK on Wednesday evening at 7:00pm, followed by the Pie-Luck at 7:45pm. Let them eat PIE!

New Issue of Cafe zine

Check it out here.

The Story of Stuff

'Tis "stewardship season" in many congregations, including CtK, as if choosing how we use our time, money, energy and talents only happens during one "season" for a few weeks. But still - better to have the conversation only occasionally than to fail to have it at all.
Grant had a lot to say about stewardship this morning - about Scripture's call for us to give intentionally, first, regularly, proportionally and cheerfully (hope I'm not forgetting any of those adverbs). It's good stuff.
Thinking and making decisions about how we give is good for us - we give because we need to give - to keep things in perspective and our priorities clear. After all, where our treasure is, our hearts will be also: our hearts follow our money, no matter how much we tell ourselves it's the other way around.
And here in the US, our hearts can get pretty stuck on "stuff."
If you've never seen The Story of Stuff, I encourage you to watch it - it's about 20 minutes long, and hopefully it will help you see with new eyes how much "stuff" matters. Here's a preview...

Presiding Bishop's Statement on 2008 Presidential Election

The Presiding Bishop of the ELCA, Mark Hanson, has issued this statement in response to yesterday's election.

A prayer for the nation

O Lord our governor, your glory shines throughout the world. We commend our nation to your merciful care,that we may live securely in peace and may be guided by your providence. Give all in authority, especially president elect Barak Obama and vice president elect Joseph Biden the wisdom and strength to know your will and to do it. Help them remember that they are called to serve the people as lovers of truth and justice; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen!

The Reformation Polka

This comes to you via www.oldlutheran.com. Today is actually Reformation Day: it was October 31st (the Eve of All Saints Day) when Martin Luther nailed the 95 theses to the castle church door in Wittenberg.
And now, The Reformation Polka
by Robert Gebel

[Sung to the tune of "Supercalifragilistic-expialidocious"]

When I was just ein junger Mann I studied canon law;
While Erfurt was a challenge, it was just to please my Pa.
Then came the storm, the lightning struck, I called upon Saint Anne,
I shaved my head, I took my vows, an Augustinian! Oh...

Chorus:
Papal bulls, indulgences, and transubstantiation
Speak your mind against them and face excommunication!
Nail your theses to the door, let's start a Reformation!
Papal bulls, indulgences, and transubstantiation!

When Tetzel came near Wittenberg, St. Peter's profits soared,
I wrote a little notice for the All Saints' Bull'tin board:
"You cannot purchase merits, for we're justified by grace!
Here's 95 more reasons, Brother Tetzel, in your face!" Oh...

Chorus:
Papal bulls, indulgences, and transubstantiation
Speak your mind against them and face excommunication!
Nail your theses to the door, let's start a Reformation!
Papal bulls, indulgences, and transubstantiation!

They loved my tracts, adored my wit, all were exempleror;
The Pope, however, hauled me up before the Emperor.
"Are these your books? Do you recant?" King Charles did demand,
"I will not change my Diet, Sir, God help me here I stand!" Oh...

Chorus:
Papal bulls, indulgences, and transubstantiation -
Speak your mind against them and face excommunication!
Nail your theses to the door, let's start a Reformation!
Papal bulls, indulgences, and transubstantiation!

Duke Frederick took the Wise approach, responding to my words,
By knighting "George" as hostage in the Kingdom of the Birds.
Use Brother Martin's model if the languages you seek,
Stay locked inside a castle with your Hebrew and your Greek! Oh...

Chorus:
Papal bulls, indulgences, and transubstantiation -
Speak your mind against them and face excommunication!
Nail your theses to the door, let's start a Reformation!
Papal bulls, indulgences, and transubstantiation!

Let's raise our steins and Concord Books while gathered in this place,
And spread the word that 'catholic' is spelled with lower case;
The Word remains unfettered when the Spirit gets his chance,
So come on, Katy, drop your lute, and join us in our dance! Oh...

Chorus:
Papal bulls, indulgences, and transubstantiation -
Speak your mind against them and face excommunication!
Nail your theses to the door, let's start a Reformation!
Papal bulls, indulgences, and transubstantiation!

Blessed by a curse

I did not grow up in one town or city. I have lived in many different settings, including two overseas. If I ever have children, I would like to take them to the place I called home for twelve years of my life, San Diego CA.

Because of this environment, I have a strong attachment to stuff. That blessing has now become a curse. In August Lindean and I moved from an 1800 square foot house in Phoenix to a 1200 square foot town home here in Bozeman. All the stuff from Phoenix does not fit in the townhome.

My strong attachment to stuff (the briefcase my father gave me when I was six, my old MN driver’s license, a paper hat from the restaurant I worked at for seven years to name a few items) makes it hard for me to sort through it and to get rid of it. These random piles of meaningless objects to the outside observer are links to my past. I can’t walk back into my childhood bedroom. It only exists in the piles of random stuff I’ve hauled around since graduating from college.

My wife has suggested I place all my beloved objects on the floor, take a portrait of them, and get rid of them once and for all. Easy said than done, sweetheart. Which camera do I use? The one my parents gave me on my 29th birthday? The old broken Canon 35mm that my brother Kurt gave me? The two disposable cameras I bought for mission trips to Mexico but never used? My first generation digital camera made by Kodak but weighs a ton? Decisions, decisions.

Reflection on my attachment to stuff has caused me to reevaluate that attachment. A friend recommended “Every time a new item enters your home, get rid of two items already there.” GREAT IDEA!

For my birthday/Christmas present my parents gave me a new snow suit. This means I have an old snow suit that could be used by someone else. I think I’ll take it to the Salvation Army depot in Bozeman MT this weekend for distribution in “OPERATION WARM” throughout the month of November.

Would you consider donating a used winter coat for “OPERATION WARM?”

Happy reflecting on the piles of your stuff.

Simple

What is "simple" in your life?
What reaction does the word "simplicity" inspire in your soul?
Right now I'm thinking, "if only..." Today, at least, very little seems all that simple to me. Perhaps that's because I have a great talent for making things more complicated than they really need to be. It's definitely possible.
At the same time, though, I think "complicated" has its own kind of inertia - the world helps life get complicated, and simplicity takes some effort, some awareness, some saying "yes" and some saying "no."
What I'm supposed to be working on right now is my set of articles for the November edition of the congregation's newsletter... Since the first Sunday of Advent lands in November this year, I'm working on a piece about the season of Advent, those four weeks before Christmas, and how they are filled with anticipation and waiting, and hopefully, with simplicity.
I just ordered copies of a great magazine that comes out every year called, "Whose Birthday Is It, Anyway?" to distribute to folks at CtK. The "e-store" of www.simpleliving.net has a great line on it that's making me think:

How you spend your money is how you vote on what exists in the world.

Largely true. I'd add that the ways we spend our time and the relationships we build are other ways we "vote on what exists in the world," though the supply and demand side of things certainly rings true, money-wise.

How did you vote on what exists in the world today?

Trunk-or-Treat

The Great Pumpkin is coming, Charlie Brown. Okay, maybe not, but Halloween IS coming. Some Christians I know get pretty uptight this time of year, because they've done a little more research about the pagan origins of Halloween traditions than they wish they'd done. And yes, it's true, there are some interesting old ideas at work. Perhaps I'll write more about some of those as we get closer to the day. My thought is, that most kids (and adults) DON'T know all the history, but that doesn't keep them from enjoying the dressing up and hoarding of candy. Much like Christmas (unfortunately), Halloween has been thoroughly "Americanized" and "sanitized." And yes, for many kids, Halloween is a lot of fun.
Hence - Trunk-or-Treat. Here's how it works: members and friends of CtK can sign up in the narthex and then buy candy or other treats to hand out. On the 31st we'll gather in the parking lot at 5:30pm and decorate our trunks. Come in costume, or not. From 6:00-7:30pm members and friends of CtK as well as neighborhood kids will come and "trunk-or-treat" in the parking lot, where the lights will be on and the traffic will be stopped. We'll have hot cider and coffee in the social hall so folks can stay warm, and information about the congregation, Reformation Day (which is also the 31st) and All Saints Day (which is November 1st - All Hallows Eve is the night before All Saints Day).
PLEASE sign up this Sunday, October 19th, to bring your trunk and treats to Trunk-or-Treat, so we'll know we will have enough folks here to make a go of it.
It'll be fun!

CROP Walk this Sunday

Time sure flies by around here! Already it's the 15th of October and the Gallatin Valley CROP Walk is this weekend - Sunday the 19th at 2pm at the Food Bank. If you'll be in worship at CtK on Sunday you can sponsor me then (or Pastor Grant or one of the other walkers from the congregation), OR you can click here and donate to this great ministry online.
Thanks!!

Faith during uncertain economic times

I've quit watching the stock market. At least for now. I don't know about you, but it seems to me like lately the bad news has outweighed the good by a considerable margin.
I was encouraged, though, by Luther Seminary's "Stewardship for the 21st Century" weekly email last week. It included several excerpts from the ELCA's 1999 Social Statement "Economic Life: Sufficient, Sustainable Livelihood for All." The ELCA doesn't have a whole bunch of positions on issues which members and pastors must agree with in order to belong to the church, but our church body does work on social issues, and adopt social statements outlining how our Lutheran tradition speaks to life today.

Here are the excerpts. I encourage you to think and talk about them.

"Human beings are responsible and accountable for economic life, but people often feel powerless in the face of what occurs. Market-based thought and practices dominate our world today in ways that seem to eclipse other economic, social, political, and religious perspectives. To many people, the global market economy feels like a free-running system that is reordering the world with few external checks or little accountability to values other than profit. Economic mandates often demand sacrifices from those least able to afford them. When any economic system and its effects are accepted without question, when it becomes a "god-like" power reigning over people, communities, and creation, then we face a central issue of faith ..."

"Through human decisions and actions, God is at work in economic life. Economic life is intended to be a means through which God''s purposes for humankind and creation are to be served. When this does not occur, as a church we cannot remain silent because of who and whose we are ..."

"Economic assumptions can conflict with what we as a church confess. Who we are in Christ places us in tension with priorities given to money, consumption, competition, and profit in our economic system.

* While autonomy and self-sufficiency are highly valued in our society, as people of faith we confess that we depend on God and are interdependent with one another. Through these relationships we are nurtured, sustained, and held accountable.
* While succeeding or making something of themselves is what matters to many in economic life, we confess that in Christ we are freely justified by grace through faith rather than by what we do.

* While a market economy emphasizes what individuals want and are willing and able to buy, as people of faith we realize that what human beings want is not necessarily what they need for the sake of life.

* While a market economy assumes people will act to maximize their own interests, we acknowledge that what is in our interest must be placed in the context of what is good for the neighbor.

* While competitiveness is key to economic success, we recognize that intense competitiveness can destroy relationships and work against the reconciliation and cooperation God desires among people.

* While economic reasoning assumes that resources are scarce relative to people''s wants, we affirm that God promises a world where there is enough for everyone, if only we would learn how to use and share what God has given for the sake of all.

* While economic growth often is considered an unconditional good, we insist that such growth must be evaluated by its direct, indirect, short-term, and long-term effects on the well-being of all creation and people, especially those who are poor.
Government is intended to serve God''s purposes by limiting or countering narrow economic interests and promoting the common good. Paying taxes to enable government to carry out these and other purposes is an appropriate expression of our stewardship in society, rather than something to be avoided. Government often falls short of these responsibilities. Its policies can harm the common good and especially the most vulnerable in society. Governing leaders are to be held accountable to God''s purposes: "May [they] judge your people with righteousness, and your poor with justice. . . . May [they] defend the cause of the poor of the people" (Psalm 72:2).

We commit ourselves as a church and urge members to:
--examine how we are in bondage to our possessions and can be freed as faithful stewards of them
--serious and ongoing consideration in our families and congregations of how to resist the allure of consumerism and live lives less oriented toward the accumulation of goods and financial assets
--educate one another, beginning with the young, on how to deal responsibly with money, credit, and spending within one''s means
--give generously of our wealth (for example, through tithing and planned giving), especially for purposes that serve the needs of others

We call for:
--corporate policies that lessen the disparities between compensations of top corporate executives and that of the workers throughout an organization
--corporate governance that is accountable for the effects of a company''s practices on workers, communities and the environment here and throughout the world
--scrutiny of the tax breaks, subsidies and incentives many companies receive, to assure that they serve the common good
--enforcement of laws to prevent the exercise of inordinate market power by large corporations
--appropriate government regulatory reform so that governments can monitor private sector practices more effectively and efficiently in an ever-changing global economy

Great Opportunities

There are a whole bunch of great opportunities to connect this week.
First: Moms and Munchkins launches on Thursday from 11am-noon. The purpose of this group is to give moms in our community the opportunity to come together for support, encouragement, and fun with each other and their children. If you are a mom with kids at home (infant-preschool age) please come! And if you're a mom with kids in school, but are interested, consider yourself invited! Please spread the word - we'd love to offer a community of support to ALL moms in our area!

Second: Montana Shakespeare in the Schools is performing "Much Ado About Nothing" here at CtK this Thursday evening at 6pm. They've been using our facility for their rehearsals over the past couple of weeks, and this is their last run-through before they hit the schools on Friday morning. This will be a great time!

Third: This Friday is the Family Promise Cardboard Box City at Bogert Park. It is still possible to register to participate, but if (like me) you're not planning to sleep in a box on Friday night, you can still participate by checking out the Parade of Boxes and listening to the speakers from 7-8pm. Look for me there!

The CROP Walk is Coming

At the risk of planning way too ahead (is that even possible?) I'd like to suggest to those of you in Bozeman that you check out your calendar and write down "CROP Walk" on Sunday afternoon, October 19th. This year's walk will be the 21st in Bozeman, and it's a great opportunity to raise money for the Gallatin Valley Food Bank and other organizations that fight hunger around the world.

It's also a good opportunity to walk in solidarity with those who are forced to walk each day for water, food, fuel or to take their goods to market. Hungry people in developing countries typically walk as much as six miles each day just to live. And to think I climb in the car without blinking an eye to drive the 1.8 miles from my house to the church's building most days.

SO - please pray about signing up to walk. And if you can't walk, pray for those who will (and those who do walk every day). If you're able, make a contribution in support of one of Christ the King's CROP walkers.

Installed

Grant and I were officially "installed" as co-pastors of this congregation on Sunday evening, at our "installation service."

I don't know about you, but the language of "installation" always sits a little funny with me. Someone says "installation" and I think "massive art exhibit." Maybe that's not an entirely unhelpful way to think about pastoral ministry - at times it definitely is an art.
Yet the verb form, "installed," isn't much better. Out of context, say "installed" and I think "new tile or carpet." And yes, sometimes people do try to walk all over pastors. Maybe the word just isn't as helpful as something more dynamic might be.

After all, this whole church thing is alive. The church is the PEOPLE, not the building. Our language so often betrays us: "See you AT church." The church isn't a place we can go, it's the people we ARE, living out our lives gathered together and then scattered, sent out into the world. Wherever we go, there's the church, because the church is us: called, claimed, gathered and sent, for the sake of the world God loves.

We may be "installed," but don't expect always to find us here in the congregation's building, as in some well-bolted museum exhibit. We'll see you out and about. We are installed. We are established in the Office of Word & Sacrament ministry. We just won't always be in the office.

Blessed be the b-ball that binds

I've been away for a couple of days.

On Sunday evening I left Bozeman and drove to Great Falls for a conference sponsored by Montana Association of Churches entitled "New to Montana." I met other pastors and church workers who were "new to Montana" like myself.

As part of our time together, we watched a documentary produced by MT Public Television entitled "Class C: The Only Game in Town." The film tells the story of eight high school basketball teams that compete for the class c championship. All these teams are made up of high school girls who attend high schools with an enrollment under 100 students.

The teams come from small towns scattered all over the state. In many cases, the towns are shrinking. Prosperity has left many of them high and dry, with people packing up and leaving in search for fortune and security.

Girls' basketball is the glue that holds many of these small towns together. People are fiercely proud of their teams, whether they be "Pirates, Coyotes, or Spartans."

The film has stirred my soul. I've been thinking about the "roots" that hold these small towns together - even in the face of harsh economics.

I learned to admire the rancher and his wife near Reedsport who work long hours on a small spread in order for their girls to play ball. Rich abstentee landlords are buying up the pasture around them, and they don't know how long their ranch will survive.

I grimaced as I saw a third generation grocer in Scobey acknowledge that the family business will probably not pass down to his daughter because it's hard to make ends meet. Having worked in the grocery business many years ago, I know that the profit margains are razor thin.

Yet Class C basketball holds up the morale of these families and the communities they live in. You have to admire the spunk and the tenacity of teenaged girls who travel many miles from home in order to play another opponent just as eager and just as desperate to win.

I have been able to, over the course of a lifetime, to pick and choose where I live and work. For many of these families, they do not have that option.

I bet the families of Reedsport, Scobey, Chester, and other small towns in Montana feel rooted because they had to stay and make the best of it, whether it be in times of boom or bust.

If you come from a small town, did living and working there help you feel "rooted?"

Message from Bishop Hanson about the Gulf Coast Hurricanes

A Message from Presiding Bishop Mark S. Hanson:

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

“But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.... Because you are precious in my sight, and honored, and I love you....” (Isaiah 43:1-2,4a)

As I write, yet another hurricane is threatening the Gulf Coast. This one is only the latest in a seemingly endless series of storms that have brought hardship, destruction, fear and even death to brothers and sisters in the Gulf Coast and the Caribbean, especially Haiti. The relentless destruction reminds us that the rebuilding of lives continues in other areas that have been affected by floods, tornadoes, fires and other disasters.

I call on you to respond in the midst of danger and loss. While some are preparing for storms yet to come, others are fleeing from storms, and still others are rebuilding in the aftermath of disasters. I ask you to respond with your prayers, your generous gifts of time and money, your volunteer hours and skills, the open doors of your homes and churches, and your commitment to a sustaining presence for the long haul. Visit ELCA Disaster Response for updates, for downloadable bulletin inserts, and for ways to make contributions online.

These expressions of our faith remind us that we are called by name and are bound together by our baptisms into community with those who suffer. Thank you for your generous and sustaining response in the midst of the disasters.

God’s work. Our hands.

The Rev. Mark S. Hanson
Presiding BishopEvangelical Lutheran Church in America

Pray for our bishop and the church in Bolivia

What follows is an article from the Great Falls Tribune. (Thanks to Tom for sending it to me)
Please keep the travelers and the people of Bolivia in your prayers.

September 11, 2008
Violent protests in Bolivia cut Crist's travels short
BY TRAVIS COLEMAN Tribune Staff Writer

Increasingly violent protests in Bolivia have halted the travels of a Great Falls-based Evangelical Lutheran Church bishop.
Jessica Crist, bishop of the Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, is traveling the central South American country with a group of Great Falls and area residents to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Lutheran Church of Bolivia, dedicate a retreat center and oversee the ceremony of the first two women to be ordained in Bolivia.
But protestors angry over natural gas revenues have blockaded airports in Cobija and Santa Cruz, which were set to be the next destinations for the local group. The group was stuck in a La Paz Wednesday.
"We will stay in La Paz another night, and fly to Santa Cruz (Thursday) at 9:30 a.m.," wrote Crist in an e-mail message sent to the Tribune. "We will plan to stay there until our scheduled departure on Monday, getting home on Tuesday.
"Several government buildings have been taken over by protestors in Santa Cruz, and the streets are supposed to be full of burning tires," she wrote.
The traveling group includes Crist, Turner Graybill, Great Falls residents Colleen Busby, Marjorie Holland and Tom and Linda Rosenbaum, and Robert Nilsen from Kalispell.
They next head to Santa Cruz, which is more than 200 miles southeast from La Paz.
Bolivia has been rocked for two weeks by increasingly violent protests led by opponents of Bolivian President Evo Morales in the country's more prosperous eastern lowlands. The fight is over natural gas revenues and Morales' insistence that fallow farmland be given to landless Indians.
Crist wrote the group will not take unnecessary risks while in the area. The group is accompanied by Spanish speakers.
"We are not afraid. We are here with the church. We are not naíve, but we do not think that worrying is productive," she wrote.

Rally Day Fun

Rally Day here at CtK was this last Sunday, Sept. 7th. We had a great time - in worship and at breafkast.

It's always fun to gear up for the beginning of a new season of learning, fellowship and service. Hopefully everyone here on Sunday heard one of the points Grant and I tried to make - that Sunday School and Christian Education are for EVERYONE. So often people "do" Sunday School as children, but then somehow never manage to get back into it after high school (or junior high, in some cases). Which is a bummer. There is so much to learn. Life keeps changing. We continue to be formed in faith and to grow in our practices of discipleship. So please, join in the conversation. If we're not offering a class or study that interests you or meets you where you are, let me know and we'll see what we can do about it.

Cereal Time!

We're having a cereal drive here at CtK, to benefit the Gallatin Valley Foodbank. Our goal is 200+ boxes, and we're not quite halfway there.
SO - perhaps this Sunday you could bring a box of cereal with you to worship. If you're so inclined, and you'd like to get a bargain, check out Rosauer's 13 hour sale tomorrow (Thursday, 9/4). They're going to have all kinds of cereal on sale for $1.79 a box! An easy way to make a difference in a hungry person's life. Maybe I'll see you there...

Matthew 25:37-40: "'Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?' And the king will answer them, 'Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.'"

Daily

Happy September!
It's hard to believe that September is already upon us. Time certainly flies, whether you're having fun or not, and especially when - like me - the "to-do" list is always longer than the list of "already-dones."
That said, as time passes I continue to learn the value of the daily. Simple things, done every day, that make a big difference over time. Two of those daily things for me are practices of discipleship - daily prayer and daily Bible reading. I get the impression from friends, family and members of congregations, that a lot of people aspire to do these things daily, but keep waiting for the day when they "have time."
I get that. As one who rides the pendulum swing from "active" to "couch potato" all too easily, the myth of "having time" lives in my head, too. And let's be honest - we'll never have time to do all the things we want to or think we should. Instead, we make the time available to do the things that are highest on our lists of priorities. Hopefully we learn some valuable lessons about life and ourselves along the way.
In hope of being helpful to those who would like to have a daily habit of prayer and Bible reading, I commend to you an email devotional, written by alumni of Luther Seminary. There's a link to it over on the right (God Pause). You can read it online or have it delivered to your inbox. Every day. Simple.
Then, let me know what you think and how it goes. Please also feel free to share other resources you use for Bible reading and prayer, as well as other meaningful daily disciplines that are part of your life.
(An added incentive to check it out - this week's devotions are written by Alan Baglien, pastor of Peaks of Glory Lutheran Parish in Big Timber, MT, part of our cluster in the Montana Synod.)

Don't just TELL, SHOW

The thing that's sticking with me from Grant's sermon this morning is the difference between TELLING (or teaching) and SHOWING. In the Gospel according to Matthew, Jesus begins to SHOW his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and undergo great suffering at the hands of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. They are not happy with the lesson, especially Peter. It's how we're made - especially contemporary Americans, I think - in the words of another wise pastor: Americans don't want a savior who dies. We want a Superman savior who defeats evil without ever having to do something stupid like getting crucified and being raised from the dead. But we humans do need to be shown love. And that's what the cross does, in a way that cannot be ignored.

The famous quote from St. Francis of Assissi comes to mind: "Preach the gospel at all times. If necessary, use words." Words are good, and helpful, and often necessary. When God speaks, things happen (remember "Let there be light" and there WAS).
When it comes to love, though, and hospitality, compassion and forgiveness among us people, words alone aren't enough. We need to be shown.

Who has shown you God's love? How? What made it a powerful experience?
To whom can you show God's love?

Put these dates on your calendar

Okay, I know this post may not keep you on the edge of your seat, but in the absence of an update-able website, this blog is going to have to serve more than one purpose.
So, if you're a member or friend of Christ the King Lutheran Church, and you'll be in Bozeman over the next few weeks, please put these dates on your calendar, and plan to participate!

RALLY DAY - Sunday, September 7th. We go back to our 2-service schedule, with worship at 8:30am and 11:00am. On Rally Day we'll have a pancake breakfast between services and celebrate the beginning of Sunday School for EVERYBODY. Remember - if you think you know enough to skip Sunday School, then we need you to teach!

OUR INSTALLATION - Grant and I will officially be installed on Sunday, September 21st at 6:30pm. Bishop Jessica Crist will be here to preach and preside at worship, and there will be a dessert reception following. This service will only happen once during our tenure here, and the congregation has an important part to play.

GROWING IN GOD'S FIELD - This is in October (the 10th-11th) and it's in Helena, but it's going to be great and we're hoping lots of CtK folks will join us. You can learn more about this synod workshop here in a letter from the bishop.

Getting Rooted

Since I was a baby boy, I've been on the move. I moved when I was an infant to Hawaii with my family. Three months later Dad was reassigned to the island of Guam. Since my father was a naval officer, the US government found all sorts of opportunities for my father to serve across the United States and overseas. And because I am the youngest of three sons, I followed my mother and father to where ever the authorities told us to go.

The move to Bozeman comes after a five year stint in Phoenix, Arizona. My authority is the Holy Spirit, because I am a Christian anchored in the Lutheran tradition.

You would think after a life-time of moving I would get used to the fact my earthly belongings get placed in boxes and trucked to new and exotic locations without a hint of upheaval or an expression of stress.

Let me tell you, it does not get easier.

I have found a new test for couples wanting to get married.
1. Pack up your belongings.
2. Travel 1200 miles in separate vehicles to a new locale.
3. Have men bigger than yourself unload the belongings and then place them in areas all over your new residence.
4. Disagree vigorously with your beloved about where said belongings should go.
5. Repeat.

In the midst of upheaval and the deep seated feeling of "unsettledness" I have a desire to "get rooted" in my new surroundings.

My parents, being the wise and caring people that they are, made sure their children felt love, safety, and protection in the midst of great change. My parents did their best to help their boys "get rooted" in new surroundings.

One of those steps was to find a community of faith and to join it and be active participants in it.

I have to come to work for Christ the King Lutheran Church in Bozeman, Montana.
It is in this community of faith I plan to become an active participant.
I plan to "get rooted" here because this community of faith gathers around the Lord Jesus Christ.

How do you "get rooted?"