Embracing Alaskan Lifestyle

When a church is to receive a new pastor the first task is for their SPRC to complete a church profile.  In this profile they respond to a question by listing the top five qualities they need in a pastor to help them meet their mission.  In many cases I see something like "embrace Alaskan lifestyle."  What do they mean?


They want to know that pastors will come to see and appreciate Alaska the way they see it.  In my expectations for Alaska clergy I write, "In big and small ways show them that you are one of them, that you embrace this Alaskan life in its grandeur and in its sometimes difficult realities."



These photos illustrates this very well.  Pastor Dan Lush of Willow UMC created this cardboard and duct tape kayak for an event at Birchwood Camp last Saturday.  To me it shows a pastor who embraces the quirkiness of Alaska in a creative and fun way.  



One of the things I tell new pastors is that Alaska is a place where the people want us to be ourselves.  They don't abide by phoniness or pretentiousness.  It's about being real and genuine.  


I believe God desires this for all people.  Those of us who know the joy of living and ministering in Alaska know this all to well.  


By the way none of these crafts sank as many had predicted!  Way to go, Dan!


Grace and peace,
Dave

Full Time Lay Ministry

Last Sunday I preached and led communion at Turnagain UMC which was a great gift.  Most preachers like to preach and I'm no exception.  But we really enjoy the rhythm of leading worship: the music, hymns, liturgies, prayers, and even the children's time!  I got to do a Sermon in a Sack again.  Great fun!

I told the congregation that I have been bragging about them.  Pastor Bob Smith who is half time has helped them (and me) reframe what it means to be a church with a part time pastor.  In the past we have defined a church by whether or not it could support a full time pastor or not.  If a church moved from full time to part time then this was a bad thing and the goal was to get back to full time as quickly as possible.

Turnagain UMC is talking about full time lay ministry served by a part time pastor.  Do you see the subtle difference?  Instead of the pastor's status being the most important, it is the laity's status that is emphasized.  And the laity are stepping up in our churches served by new part time pastors.  I am concerned about how pastors and laity respect the part time boundary, but so far it seems to be working well.

This does raise questions about how we deploy part time pastors to these full time churches.  Currently, our rules only allow health insurance for pastors serving full time appointments.  Two of the six pastors now receive their health insurance through their spouses' work.  The other four are retired.

All this is to say that the ministry of the laity is very important to the health and vitality of our congregations.

Grace Always,
Dave

Please Watch this Video

When it comes to understanding the history and culture of native people I think those of us in the dominant culture in America have much to learn.  At the General Conference of the United Methodist Church An Act of Repentance towards Healing Relationships with Indigenous Peoples was held April 27.  I won't share the highlights here but will simply invite us all to do two things.

1. Watch the video of Dr. George Tinker, native American theologian.

2. Engage one another in dialogue about ways Alaskans can be part of healing relationships with native people in Alaska.

Please....watch the video which includes Dr. Tinker's address and the entire service, and let the conversations happen in your church and community.  Pastors and lay leaders...please forward this link to your congregations and ask them to watch it as well.

http://fromthegeneral.wordpress.com/2012/04/30/video-of-the-act-of-repentance-of-friday-428/

Grace Always,
Dave

Decision Time for the United Methodist Church

Today marks the start of General Conference of the UMC in Tampa.  One of the hallmarks of Methodism is holy conferencing where lay and clergy gather to discuss, debate, and discern the movement of the Holy Spirit in our world.  We have this model in the local church with church or charge conferences.  Once a year the annual conference gathers.  In Alaska ours will meet in Anchorage May 25-26.  There are Jurisdictional Conferences that meet every four years to elect bishops.  And there is General Conference which basically consists of 500 lay and 500 clergy delegates elected by their home conferences. Four years ago I was honored to be at General Conference.  It was an amazing experience, the highlight being the worship.  The African Children's Choir was the highlight of all the worship times. These orphaned children were taken in by a United Methodist school where they found the song God desires to put in the heart of every child on earth.  Here is a video clip from of the choir at that General Conference.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ogXJZmlz_W4

Please join me in praying for our delegation: Peter, Jo Anne, Lonnie, Ev, and Jim, and for everyone to be able to discern God's leading for our church.   Other Alaskans attending include Steven Maga, Lupe Saafi, and Susan Smalley.  To follow the General Conference process including live streaming go to http://www.umc.org/site/c.lwL4KnN1LtH/b.1353935/k.85E4/General_Conference_2012__The_United_Methodist_Church.htm

 Grace Always,
 Dave

Familiarity Breeds Contempt?

Those of us who live and serve in Alaska in the United Methodist Church experience seasons of wanting to be somewhere else.  The myth of greener grass should be translated in Alaska to the "myth of grass anywhere."  Yes, we do get tired of all the snow and ice, especially in Anchorage where we set a new record with over 133" of snow.  There is at least 3 feet of it piled in my yard.  


One of the reasons we enjoy hosting family and friends in Alaska is that we get the opportunity to look at our homeland with fresh eyes.  There is some truth to the old saying that "familiarity breeds contempt."  The more acquainted one becomes with a person or a place, the more one knows about his or her shortcomings and, hence, the easier it is to dislike that person or place.  


Sometimes I look at Alaska and confess to a bit of contempt for this place especially when the cold never seems to loosen its grip.  Last week I spent a night at our cabin in Willow and had a conversation with God about this.  It's almost funny but the mere fact of talking about my feelings about the never ending snow helped me to see with fresh eyes.  As I thought about what it would be like to live in a place without this beauty I was suddenly filled with gratitude to God for the gift of being in this great land.  


Perhaps we experience this same reality with God.  Can our familiarity with God ever lead to a contempt or at least indifference?  I think the answer lies somewhere in the spiritual process of looking at God with fresh eyes.  We do not know everything there is to know about God.  Thank God for mystery!  Like Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 13, "we see now through a glass darkly, but then we shall see face to face."  


God help us all to see the mystery and the reality of God in fresh ways.  The result will always be a heart filled with gratitude.


Grace Always,
Dave

Different Ways to Relate to God

Recently I led a men's retreat at Hope and introduced Corinne Ware's book on Spiritual Temperament.  The best thing about her book is the notion that we are all wired to relate to God differently.  Religious people have long tried to mold people into a particular way of being spiritual.  Mainliners want to think deeply about God.  Evangelicals want to feel God's presence.  Mystics want people to shut up in the presence of God.  And Crusaders want to take their faith into the social sphere and work for justice.

Once we discover our particular path or wiring we can free ourselves from the guilt of trying to be something we are not.  We all still need to experience the fullness of God from perspectives that don't appear to be natural.  But knowing our preference can free us to dive deeper as we plumb the depths of God.

Grace Always,
Dave

Election Eve Thoughts

Last week I was struck by the irony that in Anchorage many pastors and church leaders marched side by side in one of the many “Choose Respect” marches across Alaska.  Here we are in this photo.  And yet we are divided on another social issue about whether gay, lesbian, and transgender people should have the same rights as heterosexuals. 

I find it fascinating that many Christians define their Christianity with a long list of “must believes” like the virgin birth, bodily resurrection of Christ, inerrant view of the Bible, rejection of homosexuality and abortion, and so on.  Maybe one of the big reasons people think the church version of Christianity is irrelevant is because they really like Jesus’ list.  They get it.  Love God.  Love your neighbor. 

Today Anchorage voters will decide on Proposition 5 which seeks to eliminate discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or transgender identity.  Those who oppose this are not arguing the merits of legal protection, but are claiming it is the slippery slope that will lead to large fines and pastors being thrown in jail.  Fear, distortion, and distraction.

Why can’t we trust Jesus’ list?  It’s not that hard to define.  I guess it’s just hard to actually do it.

Grace Always,

Dave