Hope...

This morning I had a long cup of coffee with Hubert Neth. A rambling description of Hubert: A colleague in ministry at Broadway (he a retired former pastor) and former d.s.; one of the youngest thinkers I know; very well respected by colleagues and community, serving a church in my district currently; theologically anything-but-mainstream; poet; intriguing preacher; and the best loved "pastoring" pastor I know; married to a beautiful water colorist Barbara; has 4 adult daughters--and oh yes, loves Bob Dylan, and I think loves me too. Anyway, we talked of many things at Broadway Cafe this a.m.

We got around to talking about preaching, and how best to help preachers to preach more to the real felt needs of the folks in the pew. Hubert expressed to me something I know he believes, and he incarnates in his preaching---authenticity. He said this to me this morning, "I wish there was a way of helping pastors become more confident in their own stories." I think what he meant was how to help pastors to preach the reality of their own lives (not to navel gaze but to understand their own brokenness) and to know that much of what they experience in the hard times is really what the folks are experiencing too. Hubert is also very clear that preachers ought to know their people well enough, but really I think to know themselves well enough, to listen to their own souls closely enough, to admit what is really going on in life---junk happens. And recognizing junk happens for real is the only way to speak of our need for and the wonder of the good news---hope was a word I heard from Hubert today, both the "word" and the message.

Oh yes, and we had our district welcoming event tonight---about 60 or so persons, pastors and families---ice cream social at Kearney. I read "I'll Love You Forever" to the kids (actually kids of all ages) present---I wanted to really set that tone for how to go about spiritual formation this year. It felt authentic (:-))