Our Associate Pastor Moves On

Pastor Brian joined our staff 3 years ago. When I was up in Minneapolis interviewing candidates several years ago, he by far stood head and shoulders above the rest. There was no doubt in my mind that he was the guy for Grace.

When we called Brian it was with the thought that he might plant a new congregation out of Grace. For the last 12 months or so we've had that conversation from time to time. Little did we know that God had a surprise in store for us. As Brian and I were talking about what it might look like for him to begin a new congregation he received an invitation to interview at Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa. No surprise--they loved him and called him to be their campus pastor.

Brian will be greatly missed. And his new call leaves some holes to fill at Grace.

I've been asked several times already if we're going to find a new associate. The answer, simply put, is: Not for the foreseeable future. One of the things both Brian and I have been mulling over is how to downplay professional church workers and up-play the gifts and talents within the laity. So rather than hire another professional church type, we're going to start putting our mulling into action. A few of our staff will help carry some of the load, but I'm eager to see what leaders will emerge from within our congregation.

As I dream about my final third of ministry, one of my priorities is to find ways to increasingly invite more and more of our laity into the joy and significance of mission. There are gifts sitting in the chairs each Sunday waiting to be used. We've got a lot of people already doing significant mission. From my perspective, the more the merrier.

So over the next months and years we'll watch together as God raises up talented, gifted people from within Grace to lead, support, and serve the mission of Grace.

Changing of the generations

25 years ago, back in 1984, at the young age of 26, I started, at Pastor Walt Kallestad's request, a new worship experience geared to people in my age group at Community Church of Joy. With the help of Jeff, Diane, and my wife Jan, among others, we launched a new band we called, The Good News Band." The band consisted of drums, bass guitar, lead guitar, rhythm guitar, keys, and vocalists. It was a long way from the organ my mom played each Sunday in church. The music was contemporary, using the styles and sounds my generation was raised on--high energy pop, pop ballads, rock and roll, etc. At that time it was a radically new way to do worship, especially in more traditional church settings. We used the latest in worship choruses, but more than that, we tried to use music that everyday people were listening to on the radio and integrating it into the message for the day.

While the music has changed, and the musicians have come and gone, 25 years later Jeff is still singing, Diane sings occasionally but now prefers to be behind the scenes, Jan is still playing keys, and Duon is still on the drums. And they still have it! And they will continue, along with Tony and others, to bring us great worship.

But it's also time for the next 26 year olds to start taking the lead for their generation. And we have a batch of talented young adults ready and eager to do some new things in worship to reach their generation, from music to communion to how the message is presented.

On June 28 at the 10:45 service the young adults (plus yours truly--the old guy) will be offering the worship experience. It will feature their age group leading the music, serving communion, leading the service, etc. This will be an experiment, one we hope to continue once a month during the summer. It will also be a work in process. But I suspect it's an experience whose time has come.

I also suspect, that as happened 25 years ago, not only will young adults enjoy this new worship expression, but some of us older people might as well.

We will probably ease into it a bit the first time out--but who knows (and we shouldn't assume this will be a screaming, loud rock concert. Their music is as diverse as is/was ours!). I am confident that it will be a rewarding, enriching experience. I've been spending time with a core group of our young adults and they are pretty amped about this.

So I invite you to try it out if you'd like. I invite you to keep this new venture in your prayers. And I invite you to tell your friends.

God's Sense of Irony

As I was watching my son carrying his daughter from the hospital out to the car two days after she was born--watching him all tatted up, his pants half-way down his butt, a winter stocking-cap on his head in 100 degree weather--it hit me! I used to see young dads who looked like him and thought to myself, "Seriously, this guy is going to raise a kid!?!"

The jokes on me. That guy is my son! And I couldn't be prouder! And I couldn't be more confident that he's going to be a great dad!

Clover Update

Clover is headed home! The biopsy came back negative and she pooped today. So all is well.

Mom and Dad are beat! Grandpa, on the other hand, is very, very happy!

Sunday, May 31 stuff

It's been quite a few days:

Our little Grandbaby Clover--beautiful and perfect by the way--has been having trouble (to put this delicately) pooping. She's pooped once since she was born. The hospital had hoped for two poops (I'm trying to set a blogging record for writing poop or a form thereof), but after staying an extra day they told mom and dad not to worry about it and to call their Pediatrician if something didn't move, so to speak, by Friday. Nothing moved. The doctor said not to worry and wait until Monday, unless she started vomiting. She started vomiting on Saturday. Another call to the doctor. This time the doctor said she needed to go to Phoenix Children's Hospital. Needless to say, Mom Amber was pretty shaken. So were we all.

After waiting several hours my son called to say the news was not great. Clover had no blockage or infection, but the x-ray found a small spot. They suspected a somewhat rare condition in which a part of the intestine is virtually paralyzed, making it tough to poop. To verify their suspicion they needed to keep her overnight and run some tests today.

I had the chance to watch my son do some quick manning-up. He took charge by doing what dad's do best--He convinced his wife to go home and rest (since she hadn't slept since Tuesday!) and remained calm through it all. Thankfully Amber's mom was able to spend the night with Clover in the hospital.

Personally, I wasn't sure I'd be mentally in the game for worship today. But I slept well and the hospital didn't run the tests until the late morning.

It was a good day for me to be in worship--to sing songs of hope and God's power, to be with my faith family in a time of uncertainty. And I'm really enjoying this new series so while a bit distracted, God got us through.

This afternoon we received word that they had done a biopsy on little Clover. While we won't know the results until tomorrow, things look a bit better. It may be that their original suspicion is not correct. In fact, the doctors are hopeful that by tomorrow she may start pooping on her own.

As for me, I'm a bit pooped myself.

Musings on becoming a Grandpa

On Tuesday, May 26 (my dad's 73rd Birthday) my son, Mike, and his wife, Amber, gave birth to Clover Alia Wright. In an instant (seemingly!) I became a Grandpa for the first time. She weighed in at 5 lbs 12 oz. 19 inches long.

Impressions:

Sitting in the waiting room with some family and friends doing what you do in a waiting room--waiting!

Receiving texts from Amber's mom giving us blow by blow updates as Clover began her journey from mom's womb to the doctor's hands.

Hearing the little lullaby playing on the waiting room speakers announcing that another baby had been born--and the goosebumps that came knowing my grandchild had just been born.

Waiting, and waiting, and waiting to hear if it was a boy or a girl.

Watching the crowd huddled outside the door cheer when Mike announced it was a girl.

Seeing the tears in Jan's eyes.

Mike's first words to Jan (as told to me by Jan): "Mom, she's so beautiful!" (That would explain the tears in Jan's eyes!)

Bear-hugging my boy!

Seeing Clover for the first time.

Seeing Mike holding her for the first time!

Watching Jan hold her for the first time!

Holding her for the first time.

Watching my dad hold her for the first time!

Buying her her first gifts--A baseball that says, "It's a girl!" Pink Bubble-Gum Cigars. A tiny, tiny little shirt.

Talking to Mike, who had to go to school that evening, hearing him say he could hardly wait to get back to the hospital.

Knowing Mike now knows!

Sunday's Message (May 24)-The Rest of the Story

For a holiday weekend I was pleased with the number of people who came for worship! It was another good Sunday.

This morning we looked at the story from Luke 8 where Jesus goes to the other side of the lake to rescue a man taken hostage by demons.

Here's the rest of the story: The now-freed man begs Jesus to take him along with the rest of Jesus' disciples. But Jesus tells the man to stay where he is; to go home and tell everyone about how much God has done for him.

When Jesus returned to that area later on, rather than being run out of town as he was in Luke 8, this time around the people were eager to meet him, see him, and listen to him. We can assume, and it is more than an assumption, that the freed man did what Jesus told him to do. He told people about how Jesus had rescued him. And, hearing the story, the people now wanted to see Jesus for themselves.

Deeply simple--tell our friends, our families, our neighbors, our co-workers how much God has done for us. Many of them will want to see, meet, and follow Jesus themselves. It only takes one story-teller to change a city.