Bad Religion

Bad Religion
Originally uploaded by scoxjohnson.

Yesterday I took my 14 year old son down to Camp Galilee--to a week of UMC camp with high schoolers--he will be in ninth grade. He was the only one there I think with a mohawk, a few pink locks of hair amongst almost natural other color, and probably the only one who had listened with his mother to punk (some old school--some techno--some a little emo) on the way down to Eldorado Springs. Caleb likes for me to hear things he thinks I will like and then just BEAMS when he is right--we listened to my favorite, Bad Religion, and Process of Belief--Greg Gaffin's lyrics are proof for me of prevenient grace---God has already shown up in a lot of his words even though Bad Religion has made an art form of dissing organized religion. I wanted to show Bad Religion videos and discuss them with younger adults on the perifery at Broadway and never got around to it. Caleb also shared a group called Postal Service and the always popular with moms "Backstreet Boys." It makes me feel a little weird that there is no way that I know of to explain how much I want the church to engage culture--this part of the culture I think. There is lots more to say about this. And...I have been in cabinet all day. Do I feel schizzee or what?

A few snapshots of the day

whimsical-leap[1]
Originally uploaded by scoxjohnson.

--The pleasure of giving bags of Ghiardelli Chocolate to our two wonderful office staff persons for "putting-the-heck-up" with three newbie d.s.s for the last three weeks
--reading through the two "guys" (the 2 male dss with whom I share an office) autobiographical statements and really believing it's okay that we are all a little different, and that I may be the whimsical one, but that doesn't mean I don't take this very, very seriously.
--a good, good lunch with Dr. Knight, a good, good friend
--actually accomplishing (well, addressing) all the tasks on my list for the day. Ministry may be in the interruptions as they say, but when there are those who are counting on you to do what you said you would do, it's good not to have too many interruptions sometimes...
--going to the Northland Borders with Cana, who was MIGHTY snippy, but enjoyed it anyway. I bought two Chet Baker CDs and Eugene Peterson's newest book, Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places.
--and, today, again, no ministers quit.
It was a good day.

Praise Jesus I'm back at it!

Praise Jesus I'm back at it!
Originally uploaded by scoxjohnson.

Today I began again on my serious emerging journey---as the modernist I am, I set reading goals, activity goals, etc for the next month around all this. I continue to read this book, which is the one I recommend to folks new to the conversation. Today, I read an entry that was about the elephant in the living room that main liners don't like to talk about---the very small percentage of young adults who are choosing the ordained ministry---lots of second careerers, not too many young pups. Tomorrow I get to go visit one of, if not THE youngest of the student local pastors in my district, Michael Dunlap. I am feeling a real call to work with, mentor, encourage, help out, correct, etc these younger clergy.

Advice from Robert and Lovett

follow
Originally uploaded by scoxjohnson.

I have been messing around with my D.Min degree for TOO long..not making much progress at all on the program this past year, while reading voraciously in emergent literature and writing and doing a spot of teaching about it as well, as well as leading my-used-to-be congregation at Broadway along the emergent way. And now to d.s.-hood with what everyone says is a busier life. So at Annual Conference, a month ago (gee what a month it's been) I asked Robert Martin, who is the director of the Doctor of Ministry Program at St. Paul to "just tell me what to do." And he did, bless his directive heart. On Satruday night, June 4, 2005, as we sat eating at the Bread Basket Cafe in Columbia Missouri, Robert said to me (I may be paraphrasing): "Okay Susan,,,this is what you are going to do..." and then he said that I was going to focus on the emergent conversation and United Methodism as my project, and to write... a substantive work. So...then a week ago today, I sat with Lovett Weems at lunch at the Mexican place across from the seminary ... I was seeking his advice on Robert's suggestion, and the first thing I remember Lovett saying as we sat with chips and salsa before us, was, "follow your passion." I am passionate about many things...from my kids to the Cardinals to crocheting to the ministry possibilities of every church in my district. What Robert's advice was, was to focus that ministry passion for the next three or so years around this emergent thing, and to share the passion somehow. What Lovett's advice was, I think, was to make a contribution to those my age and particularly in my denomination, who need to know more about this.. Robert said to me something I am trying to keep in mind...that I will regret not doing this five to seven years from now if I don't. The voice of God perhaps? Methinks it may be so.

Emerging, Moving, Methodist

emerge
Originally uploaded by scoxjohnson.

Lots of good things going on...I think I sort of enjoy chaos actually. The movers come Friday. I am trying to get around to visit all the full time pastors who are moving into "my district" on the day they move in---the first one will be Wednesday. I have had a remarkable suggestion, that I have flown by three of four people, that I ought to write a fairly substantive work on emergent and Wesleyan themes and use that for my D.Min project. I am currently reading a book Lovett recommended entitled "Methodism" by David (?) Hempton and it is really pertinent to what I hope to do. Reading, of course, when I take a break from writing thank you notes to the many wonderful congregation members here at Broadway who have sent well wishes (and cash, too, by the way) and packing. After I move, I want to start writing more regularly. Afer I move, I want to get back into some of my disciplines. After I move, I hope to be made perfect in this life (sorry). I am in a hopeful mood.

A woman of one book...

VLBjuliebible
Originally uploaded by scoxjohnson.

And it ain't the Book of Discipline. The conversation that sticks most in my mind and heart this week was with the layman (a wonderful layman) who was our lay reader last Sunday. I did not use the lectionary last week, but chose as a part of speaking about the mothering love of God, to use Psalm 91. On Monday, this wonderful layman told me that he had a very hard time with that psalm, and reading it aloud, because it seemed to say that if you believe in God, then you will be protected...that your enemies will fall. He then told me and listed for me some historical cases where that did not happen. Instead of just listening and nodding, which some pastors near the end of their tenure might do, I opened my big mouth and first tried to state that ULTIMATELY we ARE protected by God's love--I even dared to explain some Benedicitine reading of the psalms, and how Kathleen Norris suggests we understand the enemy spoken about in so many as an INNER enemy, us fighting ourselves, etc, etc. He didn't buy it, and I felt that very familiar resentment I have felt that there are many leaders in the church here who are dismissive of specific scripture because it doesn't fit into what they believe is an acceptable understanding of who God is. I have failed to find a way to help folks to see that just because they don't understand the meaning of a scripture doesn't necessarilly mean that it doesn't have some meaning and something to say about who God is and thier own faith. I think Brueggemann and others talk about something called a canonical reading of scripture--that you simply take the bible as is, and then deal with the fact that there is a mystery involved that may require us to accept that there is a meaning there for us--not a literal meaning, which reduces the mystery out of it, but a meaning that requires us to go deeper into the mystery of God. I simply haven't found a way to get folks to see that just because they don't understand it, then it doens't have to be rejected. It is the modern understanding of faith that is the bigger issue--I don't understand how the resurrection can be true, therefore I reduce it to butterflies and ants that move rubber tree plants. One of the really promising things I hear in the emergent conversation is the invitation to trust of the mystery of it all, which requires at some point surrender. And I don't know how to get folks to go there who are overly cerebral in their faith--I've been trying for five years, and wish I had found some way to help that happen for more of the folks.

Odd, odd times

doors
Originally uploaded by scoxjohnson.

I know I haven't written much lately, mostly because there is so much going on that its hard to isolate what to write about. Packing has started some; I only preach three more times at Bway before I fly away north to Liberty. My last Sunday is June 12. One of the big projects I've been working on lately I just finished today-- a "devotional booklet" (for lack of a better name for it) for the pastors who are moving in the annual conference this year. It is thirty pages of poems, thoughts, scriptures, etc, from old alive now! issues and then a whole bunch of original poems by Hubert Neth. He is at his existential best in these poems and am I'm feeling really good about the "booklet." I'll distribute it at the "clergy on the move" seminar in a couple of weeks.