I serve two congregations that have resolved their financial issues, but still need to ask how much energy they have to be church. With the money, you either have enough, or you don't. With energy, it is hard to say. Maybe I don't want to lead, but I'm willing to follow. And yet, is there someone to lead? Sometimes church is done because we just have enough energy to keep going. Heading to Jerusalem I wrote an article for Congregations Magazine (Alban Institute) called Journey to Jerusalem....
about 3 hours ago • 3 min read
One thing weird about scheduling newsletters is that I'm writing on Sunday but need to act like it's a week later Monday morning. It's exactly the opposite of "being in the moment". Pastors struggle with this all the time! We plan Lent in January, and in March, before Easter even happens, I'll need a plan for May and June. But still it's important to think about being in the present--in this place and at this time. Be Here Now Small church ministry is very much a ministry of place. We are...
2 days ago • 3 min read
Today's story is written by The Rev. Cn. Meg Wagner, Canon to the Ordinary, The Episcopal Diocese of Iowa. She graduated Episcopal Divinity School in 2015. Churches can be slow to act (and that slow pace is one of our strengths). And in this time, we also need a group that is able to act quickly. They didn't end the legislation, but they were present for a group of God's children who are under attack. Iowa Gender Identity Erasure Act Through our diocesan partnerships with Interfaith Alliance...
5 days ago • 3 min read
We have three options for Ashes at my churches today, in the afternoon each church has a set time to show up, and then in the evening we'll go together to worship with a nearby third congregation. I cooked for my community last night--not exactly Mardi Gras--but a rich risotto full of fat cheeses, cream, shrimp, and mushrooms. As I've gotten older, and the world more chaotic, these rituals that seemed so arbitrary to me are now important in their simplicity. Good dinner followed by a day of...
7 days ago • 2 min read
I rarely focus on Jesus when preaching on the Transfiguration. I focus on the bumbling disciples, probably because I feel like a bumbling disciple. I'm also anxious about making Jesus too God-like. Because of this I've missed the connection between the arrival of Moses and Elijah and Jesus. They are prophets who come to set us free from oppression! This story sets Jesus firmly into the prophetic tradition. Transfiguration The Lukan version of the transfiguration (Luke 9:28-36) is unique among...
12 days ago • 2 min read
The day is bright and shining; the snow is gorgeous. The news is not either of those things. And yet here I am in two tiny congregations that are caring for one another. Checking on each other. Sometimes, I think, what we must do is care for each other. Do! A Little! One important point is that the best reaction to the chaos is to take a deep breath and figure out how to do well things that churches do well. The name Act! Be Church Now is something I thought of in terms of the current crisis...
14 days ago • 3 min read
Well! Here is number 3 on Anger. Most of you will have noticed that I sent #2 (titled Monday) on Thursday, and #1 on Friday, so here we are at #3, which is sent on Monday. What should I title it???? It makes me so MAD when I make mistakes like that. Grrr. And to top it off, making mistakes makes me angry which makes me sloppy, and then I make even MORE mistakes. You know how that is, right? Protesting as Church I’m so angry I want to protest what is happening. Protests are a tough subject....
16 days ago • 3 min read
Here is a poem offered during my clergy support group. I think it says what I'm trying to say, with many fewer words, and more poetically. Compassion is resistance. Kindness is resistance. Connection is resistance. Community is resistance. Solidarity is resistance. Generosity is resistance. Education is resistance. Truth telling is resistance. Hope is resistance. Joy is resistance. Laughter is resistance. Peace is resistance. Above all, love is resistance. -Nicole Kontra Get Angry, Maybe. 1...
19 days ago • 3 min read
My dad (88!) fell while skiing so I've spent a snowy weekend in Vermont helping my mom to care for him. His shoulder is broken, we are still waiting to hear what's up with his calf. I think he is saddest about ending the ski season early. I'm pleased to be heading home today, but this reminds me that this is what we do--care for one another. Protect Trans People Church is sometimes a refuge, a place to hide from the chaos around us. In fact sometimes, when the going gets tough, we use the...
23 days ago • 3 min read