"But Pastor Dave, wherever did you go???" comes the chorus of voices.
I'm glad you asked! Let me tell you...
My trip started on Tuesday with a drive to Portland. It was for business but it was actually my "other" business. Each year our Portland Trail Blazers blog takes donations to send underprivileged kids from the Portland area to a Blazers game. We work with dozens of organizations who serve kids who otherwise wouldn't get to go because of economics or family situations. These organizations range from low-income schools, foster care programs, programs that work with disabled children, churches, counseling services, youth programs, after-school programs, you name it. This year we sent 750 kids and chaperons to last Wednesday's game where the Blazers faced the Golden State Warriors. Portland lost--one of the few times that's happened on our special night--but it was fun anyway. I've already got letters and e-mails from people describing how much the night impacted their children.
It just goes to show you how easy evangelism and service are if you have your eyes open. This whole thing started six years ago when we were holding a regular old get-together at a Blazers game. One of my readers purchased tickets but wasn't able to use them. He e-mailed me and asked if I could give them away to someone in need. I posted on the website that we had 3 tickets available if anyone could use them, priority given to anyone in need. A guy wrote and said he worked with a dozen kids from impoverished families. He asked if he could get tickets to send 3 of them to a game. I told him to hold on for a day or two and put the word out on the site that we needed 12 tickets. Within a couple days we had 45. I wrote the guy back and said we had enough tickets for ALL his kids to go, and by the way did he know other people in similar circumstances? That's how Dan, a youth worker in Portland, became our official ticket coordinator...a post he's held ever since. It's quite a job now that we're up to 750 kids instead of just a dozen! But people are looking for a chance to do something wonderful and the need is always there. Ministry doesn't always mean doing everything yourself. Sometimes it's just having your eyes open and being able to connect people who need to be connected.
After the game and a couple stints on the radio in Oregon explaining why the Blazers stunk so bad at the end of the season and how they'll try to fix that this summer, it was off to Boise for the annual Synod Assembly.
The assembly was a mixed bag. Some parts were great. I attended a couple workshops on stewardship and got some traction on some materials that should be inspirational for all of us. I'm glad other people have gifts in areas that I don't! We also heard plenty of inspirational stories of ministry from around the synod. Unfortunately the assembly seems to be locked into a system where all of the less important parts get most of the time and attention while all of the vital, living parts get shunted to the side. It was ironic that in a gathering with the theme "The Spirit Gives Us Power" many of the presentations were tone-deaf reports that inspired...well, let's just say "few".
However even the down parts were an instructional eye-opener of sorts. It's easy to get locked into a range of vision that extends no farther than our own world. Our own ups and downs seem like the only thing in the universe sometimes. Being at the assembly showed several things:
- We are way ahead of the program in terms of our priorities and the way we conduct our own meetings now, annual and council. We made the right decision in making those changes and those decisions will now have to prove instructive to the larger synod body.
- We are also way ahead--and very blessed--in the quality and variety of musical expression in our church. We should give plenty of credit to Louise, Phyllis, Patrick, Jennifer, John, Rob, and other musicians for leading us to bold yet wonderful horizons. Being at the assembly was like eating Saltine crackers musically when you're used to gourmet meals at home. Nothing wrong with the Saltines...they tasted fine. But after a while you go, "Is this all there is?" We are downright spoiled here.
- Most of the really inspirational success stories that people shared came from the same cloth as our best stories: acts of service without thought of reward or growing "membership". People are starting to catch on to the really holy ways of doing ministry.
- I'm not trying to brag, but I think I need to give you perspective. We heard multiple stories of churches that were ecstatic to get 40 people in worship and/or to get those people active in ministry. We also heard stories of people lost and confused about the way forward, even some who are facing the idea of their parish closing soon because they don't have a single child among them. Sometimes we take our church for granted. Other times we're encouraged to look at things it isn't (or isn't yet) instead of celebrating what it is. If nothing else this assembly was a huge referendum that we're not only on the right path, but may well be at the very tippy-top of small-town/rural churches in a vast geographical area. That's not to say we're better than anyone else...especially not if some of those "anyone elses" are reading. Very rarely do I find comparing churches helpful no matter what the measure. Each congregation walks its own journey and there's goodness in each path. I just know that sometimes we're tempted to view our church negatively by criteria in which we're actually doing comparatively well...VERY well, in fact. That's not to my credit, but to yours. The church you're helping to create is a serious and bright beacon on the hill...or in the Valley in the summer I guess.
--Pastor Dave (pastordave@geneseelutheranparish.org)
This is great! I feel so inspired. :)
ReplyDeleteI am happy your trip was a good one, Dave. Thank you for the up-date and also I thank all those who helped make it possible too.
ReplyDeleteHappy Trails
Ps, if we had a "like" button, I would have clicked it. Instead, this is more meaningful, but it would be fun if there were more ways to provide support and feedback too. :)