My First Century on a Bike

Yesterday, I completed my first century.  That is riding 100 miles in one day.  It's is the bicycling equivalent of running a marathon.  It was exhausting, rewarding and this morning as I sit at my computer with minimal pain, I can honestly say, I'd do it again.

The event was sponsored by the Narragnsett Wheelmen (and women) Club.  THey've been doing this for 44 years, and judging from the level of experience on the ride, it's clear there are people who are in amazing physical shape - some of them well into their 70's and 80's.  This means there is hope for all of us as we age.  We don't need to give in to the myth of age = slow decline.

I will admit that in the days leading up to this event, I became quite nervous.  I suppose that's only natrual - a reminder that when we take on new things, we get uncomfortable.  Change makes us nervous.  But, I prepared my bike and loaded the car the night before.

The real preparation began last December 16, when a stranger told me about two books that have become my bibles (in addition to the Bible).  They are Younger next Year and Thinner This Year by Chris Crowley.  His newest book on Exercise will be released this December, just in time for Christmas gifts.  I spent the winter working out and eating right.  It's not complicated, but it does require discipline.  Then in April I bought a bicycle cause I knew I'd get bored of the treadmill at the gym, and I can't run anymore due to my knees.  (Stemming from some old basketball injuries and, well, just the nature of being a tall person)  The bike I got from Lennard Zinn, who makes bikes for big people.  I did this cause the local bike shops looked at me and said, "ah, well, we could special order something."

The ride was a challenge.  The first 31 miles went pretty smooth for me, and I was feeling good and humming a long.  The next leg took me to mile 48.  I was still doing fine.  These markers are the locations of the rest stops, where they have facilities, water, sports drinks, and carbohydrates.  It's a refueling station.  The next leg really broke me.  Around mile 60 I just ran out of gas, and fatgue became the name of the game.  I found myself creeping along and counting the miles to the next stop, which was at mile 72.  Here I collapsed.  Exhausted.  I ate, drank and took a short nap.  Yes, I dosed off for a few minutes.  I needed that.

Mile 31 - Feeling pretty good


Mile 72 - I may be smiling for this posed photo, but I was exhausted.

The last 29.5 miles were a range of painful peddling to comfortable crusing and humming along.  You know the end is near, and despite the temptation of the various ice cream shops with cyclists stopped at, you just keep going.  I paused around mile 81 after a big hill.  (Heck, any hill at this point in the ride feels big)  I could see the clouds rolling in from the west, and that made me aware of the predicted rain, so I pushed on, finally finishing the event.

Kerry and her brother Bill, along with Lisa (photographer) were their to greet me.  I'm sured they'd been waiting for some time.  Bill competes in Ironman Triatholons.  The ride was done, I get a funny T-shirt and a regrigerator magnet.  (Bet you are jealous)

Mostly what I have is a marker in my quest to be in better physical shape, taking care of this gift of life, and living longer and stronger.  That's the best reward.

Ask Thank Tell Resource Page

I've created an Ask Thank Tell Resource page on Facebook.

https://www.facebook.com/askthanktell

Go there, click like, and you will regularly see idea, challenges.  

And, here is an audio recording of my Crazy Stewardship Presentation at Zion, Pittsfield, MA

http://bishop.nesynod.org/crazystewardshiptalk.mp3

A public thank you to Charles Lane who wrote the best book on Congregational Stewardship EVER!  

My Summer Reading List

I've been working through a couple of different reads.  Here's my list as summer winds down.

Liz has done a bunch of research to suggest that experience may not be all its cracked up to be.  Remember the enrgy you had when you didn't know what you were doing.

Liz suggests that those of us who are a bit older and experienced might benefit from reclaiming our rookie days.  Good stuff.

Liz spoke at the Willow Creek Global Leadership Summit, and you can see the notes of her talk here.

 

I borrowed this book from my friend Glen Ramsay.  It's sitting there gazing at me from the nightstand, saying, "open me and read."  I've got to get to this one.

Amazon says: A revelatory look at how Roger Williams shaped the nature of religion,political power and individual rights in America. Acclaimed historian John M. Barry explores the development of the fundamental ideas through the story of the man who was the first to link religious freedom to individual liberty, and who created in America the first Government and society on earth informed by those beliefs. The story is essential to the continuing debate over how we define the role of religion and political power in modern American life.

 

I've read a number of different Buddhist-Christian dialgue books over the years.  Honestly, Buddhism is really hard for westerner's to get our head around. Most of the books in this field are highly intelectual and written for the graduate level college course.  

In some ways, this one is no different except, that Paul Knitter frequently breaks away from the rhetoric and talks openly and honestly about how a particular way of thinking interacts with his Christian faith.  I'm finding his honesty very insightful.

I like this book, and it's helping me embrace some challenging Christian doctrines.

You'll be challenged in this read, so don't read it if you are settled in your Christian faith and don't want to be challenged.

 

As I wroter last week on my facebook page: On my summer reading list, among a stack of books is now this one (on my kindle) If a book is too much for you then take in the article in the Atlantic (http://www.theatlantic.com/…/the-case-for-reparatio…/361631/ ) from last June. The book and article are a helpful perspective on America's long sorted history with race relations. This is a challenging read. Not in it's difficulty but in the way it will challenge your perspective. But, I believe it's an important subject for all of us to wrestle.

I know that St. Matthew Lutheran in Avon, CT have selected this book as the study focus for this fall.  Good for them.  Maybe yu'll consider diving in as well.

 

OK  Last one, which I just finished.

Bruce Weber is a fine writer.  This is the record of his 2011 bicycle ride across america.  While it's about his journey, it's also about life and death, and romance, love lost, and the way people touch our lives.

Bruce is currently the obituarist for the New York Times, so he has this wonderful way of telling a story from the perspective of, well, it just might be the last.

It's a light read, and cyclist or non will enjoy it equally.

The World Hunger Ride

Steve Dumas, Rick Hoyme and I just completed a 2,000 mile plus journey across portions of America and Canada on our motorcycles.  All for the Walk for Water campaign of the ELCA World Hunger Appeal that was an emphasis of the ELCA Youth gathering in Detroit.   Our journey took us from Rhode Island to Detroit on the US side, and we returned through Canada, and came hone through the Adirondack Mountains, Vermont and New Hampshire.

In Cleveland, OH, my son and his wife perfectly timed our visit by arranging to give birth to their baby, Asa Glen Hazelwood.  This would now make Lisa and I grandparents.

We saw great sunsets
And returned back to New England, having raised $17,516 for World Hunger.

Bias

I'm reading a fascinating book titled: Blindspot: Hidden Biases of Good People by  Mahzarin Banaji and Anthony Greenwald.  These are some wicked smart Harvard University researchers in the field of psychology and social relations.  My wife, Lisa, suggested the book while we were in the midst of dinner time conversations about race relations in America following the recent massacre in Charleston, SC.  She had heard this NPR report.  I was intrigued, and the book arrived last week.

It's a different approach to the work of racial reconciliation, but an important one in my view.  Here is a paragraph from the opening chapter.

"Evidence from the second half of the twentieth century has made it increasingly plausible that human irrationality is severly limited.  Our task, in this book, is to follow this idea of the bounds on rationality into a particular place - where the questions concern how we judge ourselves, other individuals and the social collectives to which they and we belong."

While the first sentence shouldn't surprise anyone who has followed public discourse in recent years, it's the second sentence that tells you where the book is going.  

I'm in the middle of the book, so I can't give a full review.  So far, it's a bit heavy on vignettes of various psychological studies showing how human beings have blindspots or biases.  The evidence is pretty strong.  The frustrating piece is that we don't know we have some of these blindspots - we can't see them.  The connection to race relations is toward the end of the book, accoridng to the table of contents, so you have to be patient before the connection is made in that area.

It's a useful resource for me, as I try to figure out ways of engaging a broader audience around the subject of racial reconciliation. Most people who read this blog, think of themselves as good people.  But, the truth of the matter is that we all bring assumptions and bias to our decisions.  In my view, the more we can learn about how our self deception contributes to racial misunderstanding, the better off our nation will be.

 

 

Dietrich Bonhoeffer

"Christianity stands or falls with its revolutionary protest against violence arbitrariness, and pride of power, and with its plea for the weak.  Christians are doing too little to make these points clear rather than too much.  Christendom adjusts itself far too easily to the worship of power.  Christians should give more offense, shock the world far more, than they are doing now."

 

Dietrich Bonhoeffer

ELCJHL Bishop Younan coming to Connecticut

ELCJHL Bishop Younan coming to Connecticut

July 24, 7 p.m.

St. John's Lutheran Church

844 Newfield Ave.

Stamford, Conn.


Bishop Munib Younan of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land is coming to speak in New England, and you are invited!
At 7 p.m. on Friday, July 24, Bishop Younan will speak at a public forum to be held at St. John's Lutheran Church (844 Newfield Ave., Stamford, Conn.). To attend, please call the church at (203) 322-0066 to RSVP.  
 

Earlier that day, Bishop Younan will gather with clergy from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Emanuel Lutheran Church (60 Church Street, Manchester, Conn.). Clergy who would like to attend should contact Rev. Duane Peterson.

The Rt. Rev. Dr. Munib A. Younan was consecrated as bishop - the third Palestinian to hold the office - on January 5, 1998, at the Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Redeemer in Jerusalem in the presence of religious and political leaders from many nations. He was educated in Palestine and Finland and has been active in numerous faith organizations since his ordination in 1976, such as the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) and the Fellowship of the Middle East Evangelical Churches (FMEEC). The bishop was the first to translate the Augsburg Confession into Arabic. He is an active member of various ecumenical and interfaith dialogue initiatives in Jerusalem that he helped found. 

In July 2010, he was elected president of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF), a global communion of Christian churches with 145 member churches in 79 countries representing more than 70 million Christians. He is a recent past president of FMEEC and provides leadership for the ecumenical Patriarchs and Heads of Local Christian Churches in Jerusalem group as well as for the Council of Religious Institutions in the Holy Land (CRIHL), comprised of leaders of Jerusalem's Jewish, Muslim and Christian communities.

Seven Key Reasons Your Church Attendance May Be Declining

Seven Key Reasons Your Church Attendance May Be Declining

My five-year old grandson asked me how old I was. When I told him I would turn 60 in a few weeks, he responded: “I didn’t realize people got that old.”

Indeed, in 60 years, like any of us who have lived a few years, I have seen change, lots of change. And I am seeing change in local congregations faster than any time in my lifetime. One of the most disheartening changes I am seeing is the declining attendance in a majority of churches. I am asked repeatedly to diagnose and help with these challenges.

Though addressing the issue of declining attendance cannot be covered in a brief blog post, I hope it will be helpful to share some high-level perspectives. See if any of these seven reasons apply to your church.

  1. “Cultural Christians” no longer see the need to attend church. “Cultural Christian” is really an oxymoron. I refer here to those men and women who once attended church for social, political, or business reasons. Most of them no longer feel it is necessary to be in church to be a regarded citizen in the community.
  2. Church members are attending less frequently. I have noted in other articles how I see this development as potentially the greatest contributor to attendance decline. Three decades ago, a very active church member attended three times a week. Today we call those who attend three times a month an active church member.
  3. Expectations are lower for church members. One of the reasons church members attend less frequently is that very little is expected of them in many churches. If we expect little of our members, that is exactly what we will get.
  4. Insufficient emphasis on groups. This reality may be one of the most neglected areas of church life. Groups of all kinds – home groups, small groups, Sunday school classes, life groups, and others – are key to assimilation and greater commitment. The importance of groups must begin with the pastor and all other key leaders in the church.
  5. Inward focus. In too many churches, the emphasis is on “me, myself, and I.” Some members are more concerned about the temperature in the worship center than the eternal destinations of their neighbors. The “me-focused” church is on its way to decline.
  6. No clearly defined process of discipleship. Eric Geiger and I reported on this issue in our book, Simple Church. Growing churches are much more likely to have a clearly grasped and implemented process of discipleship than declining churches.
  7. No strategic plans for multi-venues or multi-campuses. As I noted in my article Monday, the trend of multi-venue and multi-campus churches may be the most significant in church practices in the past three decades. Even smaller churches are now planning for more than one site or venue. Those churches not making such plans are more likely to be declining.

Decline in church attendance cannot be defined in seven simple statements. But these reasons are at least broad explanations of what is taking place in many of our congregations. I would love to get feedback from you on these issues.

The post Seven Key Reasons Your Church Attendance May Be Declining appeared first on ThomRainer.com.

The Long Hard Work of Racial Reconciliation

The long hard work of racial reconciliation is exactly that, long, and hard and work.  But, it is work that we must do. 

What is it about America that our long national nightmare, the legacy of slavery, the civil war and Jim Crow continues to haunt our national soul?  Yes, other nations have their legacies, but our calling is to look at our own.  I believe this work to be both an inward journey, as well as an outward one.  We are called, each of us, whether we call ourselves Christian or not, to explore the internal workings of bias, hatred, racism, dislike for the ‘other’, suspicion for those who are different.  We all have them.  That soul work is deep work that we are each called to explore, understand and heal.  We are equally called to exercise the external work of ending racism and challenging the systems and causes that perpetuate racism.

In the video above, I am speaking without a script.  It is my admittedly raw attempt to help begin not only a conversation, but a time of learning.  A time to begin to understand what it must be like to live in this country as a person of color.  I begin with the parable of the Good Samaritan because it is so widely known, and yet, not everyone knows how radical the message.  Jesus tells a story in which the hero is the ‘other’.   I have re-told this parable in other settings, and gotten in trouble. In the 1980’s I retold this parable in a worship setting and made the heroic character, the Good Soviet Communist.  In the early 2000’s, I retold this parable as the Parable of the Good Islamist.  Clarence Jordan practiced this form of re-telling the gospels better than any.  “By rewriting the gospel in a southern idiom, Jordan placed the ordinary reader in the midst of the action and flow of the narrative, thereby making the reader a “participant” rather than an observer. In this way, Jordan sought to recreate the Jesus event and help southerners experience the God Movement as news rather than history. A good example of this practice is Jordan’s translation of the parable of the Good Samaritan. By replacing Samaritan with black man, Jordan recaptures the original setting of the good “outcast,” which potentially becomes world reversing. In so doing, Jordan challenges cultural images and mythic models of the good person. Through the work of Jesus the rebel, myths are redescribed and thus rewritten. Now the good person is the person who lives with unlimited love and can stand against cultural stereotypes that demean and denigrate.” (Frederick Downing SBL) 

My attempt to begin this conversation with a biblical passage is intentional, however clumsy I have described it in the video.  It is my intention that we call on the vast resources of God’s Word to help and guide us forward.  There are many resources, and we should make use of those that will be helpful, but I believe we must define this conversation with biblical language and imagery. 

I have no doubt that the conversation will be challenging, and we will say clumsy, awkward and stupid things.  I know I will, I know I have.  We are all fallen and broken people, and we do not have the resources on our own to do this work.  But, by God’s grace, we have the capacity to live differently, to affect change, and to help heal the church. 

May God grant us the courage and wisdom to do what will make a real difference.  It will be long-term, and it is also urgent work—the most difficult and necessary combination.   But with Christ patient and persistent voice, we will be lead forward.

 

Tragedy in South Carolina

Our hearts are breaking today as we take in the news of another mass shooting. Today’s crime, apparently motivated by racial hatred, has taken the lives of nine innocent victims while they were gathered in prayer and Bible study. Among those Rev. Clementa Pinckney, a state senator, pastor of the church and close friend of several ELCA bishops as well as our Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary in South Carolina. Pastor Pinckney was a graduate of that seminary.   
 
I have joined with other religious leaders in the state of Rhode Island in issuing the following statement:
 
We reach out in loving concern to the people of Charleston, South Carolina, and especially the members and friends of the individuals who were slain while attending a Bible study at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church last night.  We not only honor the life of the Rev. Clementa Pinckney who lost his life shepherding his flock, but we also honor those who were gathered in prayer and reflection.  Houses of worship must be safe havens for all who are in distress and seeking God.  When any sacred space is violated, all faith communities are diminished.  
Churches and synagogues and temples across this country are responding with various forms of worship, prayer, church bells or moments of silence.  I ask that all of our congregations, consider setting aside a moment of silence this weekend in worship in order to honor and remember those who have died in this tragedy as well as those grieving the loss of loved ones.  In this long year of racially related tragedies, I am mindful that the work of racial reconciliation, the prophetic call of justice and the task of being the people of God is before us, perhaps, in  ways we have not seen in years.  As I reflect on my years in the ministry, I realize that I never feared for my safety while conducting a bible study or leading worship.  I suspect for many of you reading this email, that is true as well.  We do live in two societies, and among our many challenges is the task to be faithful people of deep reflection, honest assessment and seekers of reconciliation that is possible in Christ.

Best summary of the Pope's Statement on the Environment

“The basic idea is, in order to love God, you have to love your fellow human beings, and you have to love and care for the rest of creation,” said Vincent Miller, who holds a chair in Catholic theology and culture at the University of Dayton, a Catholic college in Ohio. “It gives Francis a very traditional basis to argue for the inclusion of environmental concern at the center of Christian faith.”

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He added: “Critics will say the church can’t teach policy, the church can’t teach politics. And Francis is saying, ‘No, these things are at the core of the church’s teaching.’”

Six Simple Things a First-time Church Guest Likes

Six Simple Things a First-time Church Guest Likes

Thanks to Thom Rainer for this guest blog post.

I have written rather extensively on first-time church guests at this blog. Even more importantly, I have received hundreds of responses from church leaders, church members, and church guests about this issue. I took the opportunity to look specifically at the comments from first-time guests. After completing this exercise, I was surprised to find that the preferences of these guests can be categorized into six simple groups.

Keep in mind, you are hearing only from the self-identified first-time guests. Each category has one or more direct comments I received. Here are their six simple requests.

  1. Be genuinely friendly. “I can tell when someone has a genuine smile and a genuine concern for me.” “I don’t like the stand-and-greet time because it seems like many of the members are forced to be friendly.” “I love churches where people are smiling.”
  2. Don’t put me on the spot. “Don’t ask me to raise my hand.” “Don’t stand up and greet each other while I’m asked to sit down.” “Please don’t ask me to introduce myself before the entire church.”
  3. Provide clear directions. “Make certain your websites have the church address and the times of worship services on the home page.” “Have clear signage in the parking lot when I enter.” “Please have clear signage once I enter the building.”
  4. Please be empathetic. “I am a single mom with four young children. Please understand it’s a struggle to get to church.” “I am an introvert who is scared to death when I visit a church. Please don’t invade my personal space too much.” “I can’t afford the clothes many people can. Please don’t look down on me.”
  5. Show joy in your lives. “I came to church expecting people to have obvious joy in their lives.” “Your ushers look like grumpy old men and women.” “There was something intangible about the third church I visited. I never went to another church after that.”
  6. “Don’t be rude.” “Don’t tell me I’m in your seat. If you do, I will be happy to get up and never return.” “Don’t make me walk over you to get to a seat.” “Why did they tell me I didn’t look like I belonged here?”

I wonder what it would be like if all of our first-time guests found our churches joyous, courteous, informative, and friendly. Think about how God might bless them and us. It’s really not that difficult. These first-time guests are only asking for basic courtesies and considerations.

A Brief Review of our Synod Assembly

The New England Synod Assembly concluded on Saturday evening with a worship service in which we welcomed two new congregations.  Sanctuary of Marshfield, MA, the first ever joint Lutheran and United Methodist congregation in the country.  Grace Lutheran in Naugatuk, CT, a consolidation of two Lutheran congregations in the Naugatuk Valley.

The assembly highlight for me, was listening to our keynote presenter Molly Phinney Baskette, pastor of the First Congregational Church of Somerville, MA and author of the book, Real Good Church. She brought forward the ancient/fuutre practice of conferssion as a tool for both theological reflection as well as a public reminder that we are all broken people.  The freedom people find in that acknowledgement is transformative, as well illustrated in two testimonials by Katy Roets and Pr. Ross Goodman.

We also celebrated the graduation of our School of Lay Ministry students, including graduates from our first ever Latino School of Lay Ministry.

Our theme of Holy Experimentation was lifted up in a series of You Tube videos.

 

You can watch the others on my You Tube Channel here 

 

A Holy Experiment

Sasha Dichter has a practice in which he will make a commitment for a period of say four weeks to respond positively to everyone who asks him for money. Whether it's someone on the street or a charity, doesn't matter he gives them something. It may not be a lot, but he says yes. Over time the effect on his psyche and soul is that he begins to see himself as a generous person, a philanthropist.

How would this experiment impact you? What would you discover about yourself? How would it change your views of generosity and self?

You'll never know unless you try it.