About two years ago I expressed the following here “for me Lent is not a time to give up, but rather a time to do more. It is a time to grow in my faith, a time to grow my devotional life, and this year also a time to start taking better care of my body, mind, and spirit.” So I challenge myself here and now in front of all of you who read these words, to do just that. I will seek to find time to take Sabbath each week, it may not always be a full day as between work and my ministerial and pastoral duties I don’t always have that option, but I will set aside a bit of each week as Sabbath. I will reenergize my personal mediation, prayer and reflection life. I will be willing to risk, to try new things, to be open and vulnerable to the Holy, others, and myself.

I will start my adventure of lent with full day of Sabbath, the first such day I have had in a very long time. Throughout this period of time I will seek guidance for myself and the future, I will reflect and prepare myself to be open to the Holy for life, for pastoral and ministerial  roles, and for my role as a delegate to the 2010 World Conference.

So I ask of you today, for those who Lent is part of your experience…. How will you do more this Lent? If you are one who gives up things, how will the giving up of something aid you in growing your discipleship? How will it aid you in your response to share the Peace of Christ to all of creation?

Well, I’m off to prepare for the Resurrection that was, is, and yet to be and also my journey to share with the Saints in conference assembled.

Peace,

As I struggle with personal issues at this time my mind has been a bit cloudy and thus a bit harder to open up and reflect, and yet I have tried, and I hope and pray to become more open as time goes on.

As Steve spoke, I at times looked around to try and have some sense of the needs of those physically present with me, and my mind tried reflecting on the words. It was quite a different experience than the last time Steve brought forth counsel to the church. Then I was sitting near some of my brothers and sisters from Africa in a room filled with people from many countries and cultures around the globe. Sunday I was in a room with people I worship and serve with regularly, representing a much smaller spectrum of diversity and cultures, but still diversity and watching the Prophet president on a wall rather than in person. Then I knew not that it was to be counsel shared, this time I did. So perhaps this all could have impacted my sense of being. However, as the meditation took place, and I looked upon another screen, and skimmed through the words, a greater depth came through me. A sense of “truth” came through me as well.

Each time I have gone back to it, I find a sense of truth. Yet I also feel a sense of incompleteness, of something missing, of edges unpolished… When I think of my experiences with the inspired counsel that became Doctrine and Convents 162 and 163, both before and after they were canonized and my experiences with this document, I find myself in a different place. For all three of these documents I find that sense of truth, with 162 and 163 there was and is a sense that they are scripture as a whole, with this, I find myself not there. If World Conference was right now and this was presented to be considered for inclusion into the Doctrine and Covenants today, I think my hand wound not rise in the affirmative. Yet I do feel it is inspired by the same Spirit that inspired 162 and 163. Perhaps as it is, in my encounter so far something more like the counsel brought forth in 1996 by W. Grant McMurry, which was but a part of what would become the document presented in 2000 and included into the Doctrine in Covenants. Perhaps it is inspired counsel to the church, but not counsel that should be embraced as scripture and whatever that may entail. Perhaps as I spend more time with it in prayer and reflection my mind will change to different understandings of what it is and is not.

I wonder if Steve in a desire to present this document to the church with time to reflect on it before World Conference “rushed” the document. If he had waited one more month to present the document would it be the same as we have before us now, or would it be slightly different? If he had more time, would he still have felt the need to include the commentary/introductions, or would it have flowed without the need for as in-depth introductions? Is it good to have this in depth intermixed within the document?  I know that in the hearing of it, this did in part distract me from encountering it as fully as I encountered upon reading it. Or would it be the same?

But as to the document… focusing just on the counsel..

The first three paragraphs, I keep seeing and encountering a sense of the Holy, even though I struggle with 2c and my personal understandings… the truth and Spirit that flows through embraces me.

Paragraph 4, finds truth as well. The liturgical and sacramental theologian within me finds great joy within 4c: “Explore all the ways the Lord’s Supper can spiritually form the church community into a true and living expression of the life, sacrifice, resurrection, and continuing presence of Christ…”  and the possibilities that could come from embracing these words.

It is perhaps paragraphs 5-7, I find truth and comfort with, and yet it is perhaps this portion where I struggle with the most, and find that sense of “not yet ready” popping up. Perhaps it is the flow of words. Perhaps it is at a time when I have seen and felt the World Conference referring more and more to church leadership rather than embracing its responsibility I fear parts of 7 could be interpreted in ways to do so even more so. That some interpretation could lead to placing more distractions upon those called to be out there leading us in sharing the Peace of Christ, and thus hinder the work of the church. 

Will we assume we know who the “proper World church officers” are and in fact assign these tasks to the wrong ones and hinder the mission of the church? Will be be open to the possibility that the “proper” might not always be the same group?  I worry about 7d and the financial situation of the church. How will we fund national and or field conferences? Is there other mission work that the time, energy and other recourses that will be going into these conferences be better used for? Should it be just the principles outlined in the counsel, or harmony with the principles of the counsel and also those found throughout  scripture and…?

In a day and age where people have limited time that they can take away from work, from caring for their families basics needs, will such events truly be able to foster dialogue, understanding and consent of the whole, or just those who are able to spend time and money to participate in these events? For those who now struggle to find ways to attend mission center conferences, and or World Conferences, uncertain how to do so while also keeping food on the table, roof over their families heads, keeping their jobs… Will they feel include. For those who will have to make the choice of being staff at a youth retreat, or volunteering in ways that help build communities of joy, hope, love and peace and recognize the worth of all persons or attending one of these conferences due to limited time they can take off from employment, which choice will they take?  Will such things foster true consent and growth, or will they lead to hindrances of the work of the church, and perhaps a greater sense of separation within the church between those who are able to participate (weather they choose to or not) and those who are not able to?

Then there is  paragraph 8… the introduction makes me wonder “now free to” did he have a sense of this counsel three years ago, but knew it wasn’t the right time? I must also admit when I heard Steve say the words of 8b my mind went to what transpired early in church history after the death the death of the first president of the church… which did not bring comfort to mind. I would be curious to hear what Steve at this time thinks the words might mean for this time a place. 8c, speaks volumes to me, and yet it is one of the smallest parts…

The final portion paragraph 9: It as well speaks tremendous volumes to me as well, and upon re-reading right now as I type these words I am slowly finding the fog that has been blocking my sermon preparation lifting… still not there to work on the sermon for the 31st but slowly getting there. The words here, and the truth and connection I find with my own personal calling, are wonderful…this paragraph speaks deeply to me….

You know, I’m in a different place than I was two hours ago when I started writing this piece… and now I’m not sure what I do if it was presented to be included in the Doctrine and Covenants or not. My concerns for paragraph 7 weigh upon me, but the truth within each paragraph speaks to me, paragraph 9 so greatly… There is much of it I could see as being right for that place, some I am still pondering, and the question of its completeness still lays upon me as well, though it feels a little more complete after this writing and reflection about it.

The question I now ask myself is, am I ready to truly risk, to truly live? I also ask, how do I work out my struggle between a sense of truth in paragraph 2 and my personal understanding of the sacrament of baptism… Perhaps the greatest struggle, even beyond differences it may express between my current understandings and what it professes, is that I feel we as a body need to develop a deeper understanding and theology regarding all of our sacraments… perhaps this is the start for that discussion and formulation?

Peace be with you

So what are they?

Well in the order we will encounter them this year:

• Organization of Community of Christ – 6 April, 180 years
• Reorganization of Community of Christ – 6 April, 150 Years
• Vote to Change name of denomination to Community of Christ – 7 April, 10 years (name change took place 6 April 2001, thus only  9 years with the name)
• Graduation from High School – June, 10 years
• Baptized – 17 June, 20 Years
• Confirmed – 17 June, 20 Years
• Ordained to the office of Deacon, 23 July, 10 years

Are the others? Probably, but these are the ones that either prompted the writing of this post, or came to mind as I started writing the list. I hope the year is not just filled with memories of the past, but the formation of new memories as I and the communities I serve with  step forward on the path of discipleship and seek to live out what it means to be disciples of the Living Christ through the sharing of the Holy One’s love and peace, recognizing and celebrating the worth of all people, finding ways to be united in the great and wonderful diversity of creation and forming communities of joy, hope, love and peace where all are loved, and seeking to end injustice throughout the globe.

Wouldn’t it be amazing if in 10 years ago we could say “XYZ took place 10 years ago, and today there is less injustice, today no one goes hunger, today the world is slowly recovering from the damage caused by war and greed, now we truly embrace the worth of all and respect and embrace our diversity….”?

Let step forward with that aim, to transform the ourselves and the world in that which the Holy Calls us to. So that in 10, 20 30, 150 years from now we can say “We stepped out in faith knowing that a few vibrant witness can transform the world, and the world was transformed”

Let us go forth this year and seek to be prophetic both in word and deed.

Peace be with you all,

Lyle II

Note/Warning: I express struggles, I express joys of the past, and also of the future. Presenting hopes, dreams and concerns. In doing so  I do bring forth some particular encounters, I also make some statements that may seem to be, or even written as if it is of a particular individual, though often I am combining several people and incidences into one. I mean not to place any one up for praise, or put them down, but sometimes  expressing an event… was the only way I could find to express both joy and concerns. (sometimes one that may be a joy or be a concern at first glance is both a joy and a concern)  So as you read, if you know me, know any of the people I have served, worshiped, and or fellowshipped with over the years, remember I am grateful for all you do, but I can’t write 28+ years or even just the parts of the the past 8 relevant to this post in anything shy of the same amount of time if not that amount * 100… so a lot of joy (and maybe some struggles) are missing… feel free to leave comments, or to talk to me via other means… Again I am thankful for you all, and the ministry all of you have provided me in my life, and provided others as well and you will continue to share as we journey together.

Starting to reflect

Wow! that grew quite a bit, and took a lot longer than I had planned… In part as I choose to type all the Doctrine and Covenant quotes rather than copying and pasting from already typed versions. Since I started some time ago, I am sure my thoughts have shifted, some new has come and some old has disappeared

The title of this series is “Building the Peaceable Community (Zion)” before I made the decision to break it into segments it  continued on with these words “One step at a time,” which was perhaps foreshadowing that it would become multiple posts, that you would get to read if you so desired one at a time. Though rather it was my desire to focus my reflections on a particular path of thought… not sure how well I did, but let us see…

If you took the time to read part or all of the “background” information you might  think my primary focus for this multi-part post will be at a denominational level, and yet that is not the case. My focus is upon the local congregation. It is about thoughts of the present, hopes, dreams, desires and fears for the future. Yes, I the multi-congregational minister, is going to “attempt” to focus on a single congregation… (Or is it truly a single congregation? we shall see…).

I first walked through the doors of the Kirtland Community of Christ in the second summer of my undergrad degree. A good friend of mine and fellow brother of Agape House at Graceland drove me from Graceland in Lamoni, IA to his house in Indiana and the next day to Kirtland, OH. I don’t recall if my first experience was a care club, where the congregation gathered on a Wednesday night and shares a meal, along with concerns and other aspects of life as they share in fellowship, or for a Worship service.  What I do recall however is attending a young adult class with a few others, meeting in what was at the time the library, just off the chapel. I do remember being asked to participate in the worship services and the life of the congregation, and the hot breakfast that was most Sunday mornings. I also never fully feeling part of the congregation, at times feeling uncomfortable there. Though remembering the bonds I made with the young adults, some who I knew from elsewhere, some I met for the first time. Never would I have thought one day I would be co-pastor there. After a summer in Kirtland, it was back for my final year of undergrad.

I would return two years later in 2004 for another summer in this city. This summer had many of the feelings of the old, many of the experiences as well. I know in these two summers there were times where I could not participate in worship, and found myself elsewhere, often alone, but eventually going to another congregation of the church on occasion. One of these two summers I also went and was a guess for a class and talked about the ministries and roles of the office of Deacon to a group that was learning about Deacons, Teachers and Priests, some in preparation to ordination to one of these offices.

Once when I expressed my concerns to the pastor at the time was told essentially that since the pastor didn’t understand/see the issue I saw it didn’t matter.  It was the 4th of July, the US flag was placed in the center of the rostrum, rather than using the bulletin from Community of Christ that Sunday, a different one was used that misused and abused scripture in a way to uplift a particular nation (the US) over others, the pledge of allegiance, patriotic songs were in the order of worship. I was suppose to provide the opening prayer, brothers and sisters from other lands were part of the congregation that summer, and were there… and the pastor (who planned the service and presiding over it) could not see my concern, my pain, my struggles and so dismissed them. I was not in attendance that day, but rather elsewhere pausing to pray and reflect in ways I could, though missing community. Needless to say, I could never have dreamed one day I would be co-pastor of this congregation.

In the fall of 2006 I moved to Ohio, though not to the area, I did have occasion to visit and attend a few services over the next year, after which I found myself moving up to Kirtland. I moved in 2007 after a summer in Illinois,  just around the time the other congregation I sometimes attended in the past closed down. Now however I found myself more welcomed, and more invited into the congregation, but could still see and feel how others did not receive that same sense of belonging.  I did quite little things behind the scenes to try and prod the congregation to some ways of being more open, not sure if any of my silent ways worked, though one thing eventually stuck, in part I think as the pastor who ahs served for the past year and a half shared a similar  view upon it as I did. During the two years of the pat, I have spoken and presided a few times, and served in many other ways as well. Unlike in the summers when I was there the young adult class was no more, though one was attempted it soon became the older adults and few young or middle participating.  The Sunday breakfasts slowly dwindled and eventually completely died away. Monthly Community Pancake breakfasts were born to raise funds to aide various charities that seek to help those in need, a program which has grown and is making an impact in the community, by the food provided, the donations given, and fellowship fostered.

Another congregation closed recently, many of its members, like some of the one that closed a couple of years ago have chosen to join with Kirtland, bring new gifts to be utilized and embraced, I hope they will feel welcome and be willing to grow with me and everyone else as we step forward together as disciples.

I have heard many people share their joys and their concerns. I have heard many differencing views of how this community is, and how it embraces its call. I have heard some with dreams, some with concerns (most have had both). I have heard some express with strong feeling some opinions, some desires, some struggles, and then when sharing them with the larger body softened them, give outs to their calls of transformation and sharing the peace of Christ. I have seen others express appreciation of words spoken to the one speaking (sometimes me) followed by comments that clearly indicate they missed parts of the message, sometimes big parts. You know those parts that call them to action as part of the community…

I’ve seen in my time here conflicting power struggles, and the frustration caused. I have seen people struggle with change, struggle with things being done, or kept somewhere where they didn’t think it to go. Even once someone telling me that an item always went somewhere and never where it was, and yet for the past two years it had been in the location it was, and the two summers I spent out here it was kept in a different location, but not the one mentioned… and a month later two of us who used it the most searched  and searched for it and finally found it after almost giving up, in a place neither of us had ever seen it kept… near where the person said it always was. How do we move past these struggles, these difficulties? I’ve seen someone declare they are stating a new ministry, announcing it to all, with as far as I know not talking to the current pastor or the pastoral team that will be in place when it starts… not that it is a bad thing that the ministry is starting, but rather the route to it…  I’ve seen several become frustrated by how some seem to “take over” and seem to feel they know best, and ignore the ones who are technically recharge of an event or activity.  I’ve seen some complain of others lack, of engagement, and yet did not put forward possibilities and at times ignored their own stumbles of similar nature (few have shared with me my many many many many many stumbles, maybe I stumble to quietly?). Yet I have also seen young adults go “We are going to have a fellowship event” [though I think we did forget to tell the pastor, (though I did mention it as my status on Facebook, and sent it to the congregation’s group, both of which he might have seen… and it was announce once at church, when he was gone…] until after we had had it…). I have seen the inspiration of a member who rarely is there on a Sunday who put tons and tons of effort into a “green” craft show to help the youth and help the environment and bring awareness to environmental issues. It was amazing. I watched as we did our monthly pancake breakfast and our annual Turkey dinner on the same night, people afraid it wouldn’t work out, and yet the food did get done, and the community was served. It was amazing how things turned out. Or others invite everyone everyone to their homes…

I ponder now about the future, soon I will co-pastor… with a team of 4 others. I worry that 5 in the role of pastor might be difficult. In ways I wish we were a leadership team with 1-3 of us as “pastor” but working together as a whole, in ways I see our diversity of gifts, and dream of the possibilities of how they will complement each other in helping this community truly embrace its diverse gifts and talents and seek the peaceable community. I hope our size, and perhaps diversity of visions, and understandings of the congregation will not hinder us as a team or the congregation as a community as we discern what matters most.

I hope that as a congregation we will be willing to risk. I hope we will take the time to help people share their gifts, grow their talents, both individually and communally. To find the hidden talents people are bursting to share, but are unsure how to go about sharing, and others don’t realize they have, or don’t realize the desire. How to we birth the desires of the youth into formed reality as well? Will we find ways to utilize what we have been given to aide the local community in new and different ways. Will we be willing to “give up” that which is not suited to our calling, our gifts and talents and rather risk to step into the unknown at that which does? Will we be willing to ensure we don’t stop doing that which we are called and have been gifted to do?  Will we be willing to have meaningful and transformative worship? To do things differently? to place things in new places??? To step back and not be the focus, the center, the authority? To step up into the roles?

How did I go from never dreaming of being the pastor of this congregation, to becoming co-pastor of it? Am I up to it? Will I allow my gifts, talents and ministries to be utilize and to receive the great blessings of others who share theirs, and all of us be willing to be vulnerable to divine grace for the sake of the kingdom?

Hmmm… the New year is almost here, so I shall leave the thoughts for now…

If your part of Kirtland please share our hopes, dreams and concerns… if your part of another, feel free to share your dreams for that community (be it Community of Christ or any other faith tradition) for the upcoming year.

More to come, to be written in a year other than this one.

Peace be with you as we journey together in Christ,