1st birthday!

Today we’re celebrating that Elouise Ivy Joy Perteet is one year old. Happy Birthday! If you want to use some Kleenex, check out the tribute that our daughter Hannah wrote for Elouise on Hannah’s Facebook page or look at the pictures that that Carter, Elouise’s dad, put on his own Facebook page. 

Every child deserves to grow up in a household full of love. We adults owe this to the children of the world. And I know that Elouise has experienced all the love that Hannah, Carter, Amy me, and many, many others have shared.  

On this special day our love is captured by memories. I remember what happened a year ago on a late Saturday in October when Hannah and Carter went over to Mercy Hospital in the mid-morning. Elouise arrived that evening. Amy and I whisked over the hospital and waited to see her. Amy went first to see Hannah and meet Elouise; about a half hour later I got to introduce myself. Even though she was less than twelve hours hold I remember her eyes checking out everything. She was alert and interested and curious about what she was experiencing. 

I’ll never forget taking water and putting it on her head this past May at Chain of Lakes Church in worship. “I baptize you, Elouise Ivy Joy Perteet in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.” What a privilege! 

And the sounds of a baby who is happy. The squeal of delight that Elouise will often share when she is eating. The sounds that she’ll share when she is in a good mood, which happens most of the time. The sounds are gibberish according to the standards of language, but anyone who understands emotions know that she is happy. And that makes everyone around her happy. 

And the movement of a baby who is happy. Elouise will hold her arms out in front of her and wave them up and down when she is happy while squealing with delight. When she does this everyone arounds her smiles. 

Or she talk in her own language when she is eating or doing something that is satisfying to her.

One of my favorite moments of the past year is being with her when she is swinging at the local park. She’ll swing with her face towards me. When the swing comes close to me, I’ll pretend to kiss her. She squeals with delight each time.   

Elouise has always been curious about what is around her. I still remember when I met her in the delivery room. She was looking all over the room, taking in what she saw. She was interested in what she saw around her. 

Some of my favorite moments is when Elouise was held by my parents and Amy’s parents. Just seeing the circle of life and the laughter on everyone’s faces let me know that life is good. 

Each stage in her development is fascinating—and leads to plenty of conversation in our household. She’s rolling over; now she’s pushing herself up; now she’s crawling—look at her go; now she’s lifting herself up and walking with the help of a piece of furniture; how she’s saying words—at least we think those are words she is saying. Priceless! 

Words are beautiful, but I’m going to conclude this blog with some beautiful pictures of Elouise during the past year. We love you Elouise! Our lives are indescribably better with your presence!

Attending Leadership Institute at Church of the Resurrection

Last week eight of us attended Leadership Institute in Kansas City. Leadership Institute is put on by Church of the Resurrection (COR). This is a leadership conference aimed for mainline pastors and lay leaders. Through lectures by well-known church leaders & smaller workshops led by staff and volunteers of COR, participants can learn about what has worked there. Participants can then consider how those ideas might work in their particular context.  

Church of the Resurrection is the largest Methodist Church in the United States. Started from virtually scratch in 1990 by Adam Hamilton, the congregation has over 20,000 members and nine campuses. Despite its size the congregation has a beautiful sense of humility. They are willing to share all that they are doing for virtually FREE with people who are interested. And they are willing to share what hasn’t worked. It’s amazing what has been accomplished at Church of the Resurrection, but pride and ego are not part of their DNA.

I’ve attended Leadership Institute many times—probably close to twenty. I started attending at the last congregation I served. When I came to Chain of Lakes I made a commitment that I would always attend with other lay leaders. When I attended by myself I would come back very excited about some new ideas that I learned; but because others hadn’t gone to the conference they were sometimes reluctant to implement the new ideas. Going with others has been a much better strategy of implementing what I’ve learn at Leadership Institute.

This year we had eight from Chain of Lakes attend—the highest number our congregation has ever had.

This year instead of staying at a hotel our group rented an AirBnb near downtown Kansas City. This was a terrific way for the eight of us to share with each other what we learned during the day.

One of my favorite workshops was called, “Digital Ministry on a Budget” led by Matt Williams, who is Director of the Digital Engagement Team at CIR. In this workshop he shared the basic principles and checklists that COR uses for their web sites, Social Media, email, and Artificial Intelligence. He also shared how the church uses email and shared that “email is not dead.” He said that ninety percent of people look at their email daily and across age groups people actively use email. He cited a statistic that said email is forty percent more effective than social media. At the end of the workshop he shared how Artificial Intelligence can be used. I admittedly don’t know a lot about AI, but after this workshop I’m very intrigued about taking next steps.  

 Chain of Lakes has spent much of 2024 looking at our own digital ministry. A Task Force recently completed a report on digital ministry. As I’ve worked with the task force this year, I’ve come to believe that digital ministry will be another determination of whether congregations are successful or not. The ones who do well with digital ministry will be successful; the ones who do not do well with digital ministry will not.

 

I very much enjoyed hearing Kara Powell speak. She is Executive Director of the Fuller Youth Institute. In her talk she made the case for the importance of youth ministry. In their research they discovered that size, location of the church, having a church app, and denomination do not make a significant difference in whether a church is vital. However a vibrant youth ministry almost always ensures that a congregation will be vital. A successful youth ministry is most important for congregational vibrancy.

IN her talk she talked about the importance of intergenerational ministry. She encouraged congregations to have five adults connected to every youth. This connection can come through serving together, talking at worship, doing fellowship activities together, or something else. She encouraged congregations not to silo away their youth ministry from the congregation. She came back to the idea of purposeful mentoring. Congregations that go out of their way to encourage adults and youth to be in relationship will be successful. 

On Thursday night, participants had the opportunity to watch the movie, “Holy Frit.” This is the story of the creation of the stained glass window in the sanctuary of Resurrection's Leawood campus. The storyline had one compelling question that drove the plot. Would Judson studio be able to complete the stained glass window by the church's deadline. The movie shared the story and even drama of the artists at Judson Studio and in particular Tim Carey to finish the project on time.  The movie is being shown as one of the movies offered on Delta airline flights.

Adam Hamilton gave two talks during Leadership Institute—the opening and closing presentation. They were both excellent. I especially appreciated that he highlighted other Methodist congregations who have experienced growth during the year. 

Kayla Flanagan saw Adam between session and was able to get a picture.

It’s my experience of being at Leadership Institute many times that the leaders of COR are very passionate about the development of the Methodist movement. I think this is wonderful. And sometimes as a Presbyterian I wish that this focus was not as apparent. I would love for the leaders of COR to identity more with the development of Protestant churches—Methodists, Presbyterian, United Church of Christ, Lutheran and other mainline denominations. The more unity between mainline denominations the better. 

Even though I’ve attended Leadership Institute for close to two decades, I still enjoy the experience. I love learning from a vital, mainline congregation on what is working. I highly recommend this conference.

Taking the Friendship Pledge

For the last two Sundays I’ve preached a sermon series called, “Welcoming Spiritual Refugees.” In the sermon I talked about a new reality in the wider culture. In the last twenty-five years, forty million people who used to attend worship at least once a month, now attend worship less than once a year. Chain of Lakes has had people attend our congregation who have had a bad experience in another church. Fortunately they’ve found a community here that will welcome and accept them no matter what their views.

I’m describing these people as “spiritual refugees” taking the term from Randy Dean who talks about this often. Check out his Facebook page to participate in his Sunday evening gathering.

As part of this sermon series I asked people at Chain of Lakes to take what I called, “the friendship pledge.” I wrote the friendship pledge. It is this:

“I will be friends with you no matter what your race, gender, sexual orientation political or religious beliefs. My agape love for you will transcend our differences.”

On two consecutive Sundays I asked people to take the pledge during worship. That worked well. 

You can watch the sermons by accessing the link to worship at colpres.org. 

I put the pledge on my Facebook page and encouraged people to take it. In the comments to my post, some in the comments had no problem taking the friendship pledge. Others reacted very strongly against it. I have no interest in misunderstanding their resistance. In general it seems that people would not be a friend with a racist or misogynist, that loving one’s enemy is different than being a friend with your enemy, that it wasn’t possible to be a friend with someone who doesn’t recognize the imago dei; that it wasn’t possible to be a friend with someone who is ignorant; that being friends with our enemies makes the church acquiescent to the established order; that being friends with a Trump supporter is not possible. And if I missed a comment, put your comment in the comments section to this blog.

I have more thoughts about this than can go into one blog.

Two significant people who have influenced the way I look at the word are Jesus and Martin Luther King Jr. I believe Jesus would support the friendship pledge. Jesus was willing to forgive the people who murdered him; he encouraged people to love their enemies; he was willing to confront people in power with the power of agape love. I believe Dr. King would support the friendship pledge. Dr. King’s teaching of agape love was a significant factor in the success of ending racial discrimination in the south. Certainly racial discrimination didn’t end when Dr. King was murdered and still exists today. But Dr. King’s success comes back to his teaching on agape love. His idea of appealing to people’s heart in resisting their policies through non-violent resistance is something our country still needs today.

Can I be friends with someone who is racist and misogynist? Yes. This doesn’t mean I tolerate their behaviors and keep my mouth shut when they spew hate. I'm not going to put myself in physical danger, but I’m willing to be a friend.

If we only love people who look like us, act like us, vote like us, behave like us, then we’re going to accentuate the tribalism that is harming our culture.

Does living by agape love make me vanilla nice, that is do I acquiesce to values that are unacceptable. No. Because Dr. King and Jesus never acquiesced to values that they found unacceptable. I doubt that anyone would say that either was vanilla nice.

Can I be a friend with someone who spews hate or has acted out hate? Yes. I would never visit a prison if I couldn't be a friend with someone who has acted out in hate. 

Is loving our enemy different than being a friend? First I have a hard time thinking that someone who votes or behaves differently than me is my enemy. I don’t have enemies. No one is trying to harm me or overpower me. I am not trying to defeat anyone. When Jesus taught in the sermon on the Mount to love one’s enemies the English word love comes from a form of the Greek word, agape.   Jesus called his followers to share agape love with those who are enemies. I believed he did this because he wanted his followers to appeal out of love to their enemy's heart. 

Martin Luther King Jr. understood this. His method of non-violent resistance was not weak or vanilla. It changed the world. I think he would have been willing to be friends with Bull Conner or George Wallace. Being a friend would not have meant he would have accepted their racism. But he was willing to be in relationship with them.

In a speech to the National Council of Churches Dr. King shared five facts about the power of agape love. The entire speech is here: The Christian Way of Life in Human Relations, Address Delivered at the General Assembly of the National Council of Churches | The Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute (stanford.edu). In the second point he shared this.

“The second basic fact about this method [of agape love] is that it does not seek to defeat or humiliate the opponent, but to win his friendship and understanding. The nonviolent resister must often voice his protest through non-cooperation or boycotts, but he realizes that non-cooperation and boycotts are not ends within themselves, they are merely means to awaken the sense of moral shame within the opponent. But the end is redemption. The end is reconciliation. The aftermath of nonviolence is the creation of the beloved community, while the aftermath of violence is tragic bitterness.”

I’m not willing to put myself in a tribe, lock the door, and say that anyone not in my tribe cannot be my friend. For the most part litmus tests lead to further division.  

Do I think that being a friend with a racist, misogynist, homophone is easy? Of course not. Is the purpose of my friendship to change the other person’s views? I would hope the person would change their views, but ultimately such change can only happen through the work of the Holy Spirit. And perhaps I could be an instrument of the Holy Spirit.

So, no, I’m not backing down from the Friendship Pledge. I encourage everyone to take it. I’m not bothered when people disagree with the ideas behind it. I’ll always side with the ways of Dr. King.

Completing the circle in Los Angeles

Last week I had the privilege of spending time in Los Angeles—connecting with old friends, exploring the City, and being with Carleton football alums and parents as we watched the team play Pomona-Pitzer on Saturday night. 

This is more than a “this is what happened on my trip” blog. Going back to LA was significant to me as the place has a very important place in my journey. I lived there from August 1987 to August 1988 and then January 1990 to August 1990 when I worked as a full-time volunteer for the United Farm Workers. I’ve only been back once since I left.

Tom Journell, the outstanding coach of the Carleton football team, scheduled a game against Pomona Pitzer in Pomona this last Saturday, September 7. Many football alumni wanted to go. I talked the trip through with Amy as her birthday is September 7. She was fine with me going, so last Wednesday I boarded a Delta flight for LAX airport.

As soon as I got my car I wanted to see the home where I used to live. When I lived in Los Angeles the home was called the Harvard House. The house is on 1741 South Harvard Blvd. It’s etched into my brain. It’s a home with three bedrooms upstairs and a significant stairway that goes upstairs. We worked downstairs and shared the kitchen. I lived in community with anywhere from five to seven other people. The Harvard House has a special place in my heart. So I wanted to see it.

 

The next day I had the privilege of seeing Irv Hershenbaum and Jocelyn Sherman who still work for the farm workers. I worked with both of them during my second stint in Los Angeles. Irv and I worked on my campaigns together and Jocelyn did media work. I hadn’t seen him since Amy & my wedding in 2000 and Jocelyn since the early 90’s. Seeing them was a highlight.

 

Friday the focus of the trip turned to Carleton football. Steve Huffer was an All-American player for Carleton. I’ve gotten to know him in my work with the Carleton football alumni. We share an Airbnb with another football alum. Steve wanted to greet the team when they flew into LAX, so we drove from Pomona to the airport. The team had left the Twin Cities airport at around 3am that morning. They were glad to see us. 

The rest of the day was hanging out with football alums. I’ve shared often that Carleton football alums are some of the most interesting people to meet. They are intelligent and athletic, though they knew that they would never play football professionally. The ones I know are very committed (just like me) to the success of the program.

We’re still making the case to the Carleton administration about the importance of football to the school. To have intelligent people be successful in athletics is a combination that will make the school even more well known. A successful football program at Carleton will show that the school can be successful in both academics and athletics. This will help the school immensely. Not everyone believes this in the Carleton administration. No matter. We’ll keep making the case.

A large number of football alums and parents made the trip. We all had a tailgating party before the game on Saturday night where over a hundred fifty people came. The Carleton side of the field had twice as many fans as Pomona.

Unfortunately the team didn’t play well and Pomona beat Carleton 28-12. I was surprised. Carleton beat Pomona last year, and the team has 21 of 22 starters back. I figured if we won last year and the players are even better that we would win again. I was wrong.  

On Sunday I had the privilege of attending Brentwood Presbyterian church located near the UCLA campus. (bpcusa.org) The music was outstanding, and the preaching was very good. Unfortunately my mind was focused on getting to the airport as attending worship cut down on the time I had to make the gate. My anxiety was fueled when I couldn’t find the Budget rental car parking lot. The address was wrong on the information I was given from Budget. I ended up stopping the car and calling Budget.

“Making a flight” anxiety is the worst. 

But I made the flight and traveled back to Minnesota.

One more story will stay with me from the trip. As we landed a man shared with the flight attendant that he needed to use the restroom. His seat was directly behind the restroom and the flight attendant was facing him as she sat down. The flight attendant told the man that if he used the restroom while the plane was taxiing, the pilot would stop the plane. He used the restroom, the pilot stopped the plane. Many people on the flight had little time to make their connecting flights. The collective anxiety of the people on the plane increased. Someone banged loudly on the door of the restroom. For a short time I thought we might have a fight o the plane. He finally came out. The woman (not related) sitting next to him chewed him. He scurried off the plane quickly. 

Being in Los Angeles last week completed a circle that had been open for over thirty years. I don’t have a need now to go back. Seeing places and people who were important on my journey was very special.

Twins game!

 

Last week my daughter’s partner, Carter Perteet, mentioned that the Phillies would be in town next week. “Let’s go,” I instinctively said. And surprisingly the two of us found a night that worked. Last night I put on my Joe Mauer jersey and drove down Interstate 94 with Carter to watch my favorite team in baseball play the best team in baseball. 

What a beautiful night at Target Field. This was the third time this year, I’ve had the privilege of seeing the Twins at Target Field. And though I’ve been at Target Field many times since the picturesque palace opened in 2009, I still pinch myself to be able to enjoy an evening there. During the game Carter asked me if Amy and I watched the Twins much when we lived in Rochester. No. We wouldn’t travel often to watch the Twins play in the Metrodome. But Target Field? The experience is worth the drive. And fortunately my drive now is only 25 minutes. 

Many others wanted to watch the game last night—attendance was over 31,000. We still could walk-up and buy a ticket at the ballpark and look forward to the Twins upgrade. 

The Twins have a quality club—though they are hamstrung with Carlos Correa, Royce Lewis, and Jose Miranda not playing, arguably their best three hitters. And the lineup revealed their deficiencies. No one who started had an average over .265. And Edward Julien was batting fifth? I’d like someone with more baseball intelligence than me to explain that logic. And with Zack Wheeler pitching it wasn’t a surprise that the bettors had the Phillies as the favorite. 

But Simone Woods-Richardson gave the Twins a chance. I watched him more closely than I have in the past. He doesn’t throw many fastballs, but his off-speed stuff baffled the Phillies. He gave up three hits and one walk in six innings. Wow! When he was pitching in the sixth I asked Carter what were the chances that he would pitch in the seventh. Even having thrown 88 pitches at the end of the sixth it seemed he earned another inning. But Rocco—you know who I mean—not surprisingly went to the bullpen to bring out Jorge Alcala in the seventh. With a bullpen game on Thursday and a hot pitcher on the mound, wouldn’t it make sense to keep Woods-Richardson out for another inning? Why not save Alcala for Thursday? 

The Twins generated their best opportunity in the eighth. Three walks loaded the bases for Ryan Jeffers—who was the logical choice to pinch hit for Julien. My wife, Amy, called during that inning to see what was happening. I could hardly hear her with the crowd noise, so I had to end our conversation early. The anticipation was burst when Jeffers ended the rally by grounding out on a three and one count. 

Johan Duran was wild and gave up three runs in the ninth. I can’t say I was surprised. He now has five losses for the season. On the ride home I heard Baldelli say he isn’t worried about Duran’s performance. He might be one of the few people at Target Field last night who agree with that. 

I am a Minnesota sports fan, so I know what it’s like to lose. But in looking at this team it’s not hard to see the possibilities. Bring the above-mentioned three back and our lineup is excellent. Trade for a starting pitcher or get Chris Paddack back, and we have five quality starting pitchers. Trade or find another set-up reliever. Figure out Duran. All of the above seems possible. I believe the Twins will overtake the Guardians and win the division.

I am a Minnesota sports fan, so I know what it’s like not to have my expectations met. Jim Pohlad didn't help by demanding that thirty million of payroll be cut after last season's success. That money probably could have kept Sonny Gray in a Twins' uniform. His record in St. Louise would be quite an addition to our squad's record. I’m surprised that the media has not been more critical of ownership.  

I am a Minnesota sports fan, so I’ll keep rooting and hoping. “You’re telling me there’s a chance?” Maybe I am dumb, but I still do believe. Despite ownership and Baldelli, I still put on my Twins hat with anticipation for what could happen.

The people need to choose their leaders

How groups choose their leaders is one of the most important characteristic of any organization. I share with people all the time that one of the many reasons I’m proud to be Presbyterian is Presbyterian congregations choose their own pastors. It’s a distinguishing and important characteristic of being Presbyterian. The congregation appoints a group of people who brings a candidate to the congregation and then the congregation votes. If a person is a member of a Presbyterian church that person will have a say in the next pastor.

The events of the last week have thrown into question how political parties choose their candidates to be President.

A week ago Saturday, Thomas Matthew Crooke attempted to assassinate former President Trump at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. It’s incredible that if the bullet had been less than an inch to the left President Trump might have been killed. Thankfully, former President Trump “only” suffered a nick of his ear, though a full medical report from the physicians who treated him has not been shared with the public.

The question is hypothetical, but what would have happened if the Republicans would have had to choose a new leader? The party would have had less than a week to present a candidate to the delegates. Would the convention have been postponed. Would the party have had an election?

These questions are worth asking the leaders of the Republican party.

I also think it's important to continue to try to understand what led Thomas Matthew Crooke to attempt this assassination. He didn't seem to have many political opinions. Why would he risk his own life to attempt this heinous action?

Yesterday President Biden did the inevitable and honorable task of removing himself from running for President. When I saw his debate performance on June 27, I thought that there was no way he was capable of running an effective campaign for President. And even though it took President Biden three weeks to make his decision, his decision to withdraw was honorable. President Biden put the country ahead of his own political desires.

To be honest, it would have been better if President Biden had chosen to drop out earlier. I half expected him to drop out the next day after the debate. And to be quite frank, it would have been even better for the country if he had decided not to run for President. I had always understood that because of his age he was only going to run for one term. But then he changed his mind. And the Democratic Party accepted his decision.

People knew about his decline long before it became apparent to the nation on June 27. And somehow the word did not get out.  I think it’s important to know who protected him. It’s important for the truth be known.   

I’ve always respected President Biden for his intelligence—he’s always seemed like a very smart guy. I still remember him eviscerating Robert Bork during Bork’s Supreme Court hearings. I went out of the way to read the transcript of the hearing because I wanted to read word-for-word the questions President Biden had asked. But there was a different President Biden at the debate that I had never seen before.

Yesterday when I was driving back from Duluth after spending five days “up north” my wife, Amy, and I listened to a number of shows about President Biden’s decision and what will happen next. Already Vice-President Harris is receiving many endorsements.

But here’s the thing. Vice-President Harris might be the right person to receive the nomination. But I think she needs to earn the nomination from voters. I believe that some sort of nationwide primary could be set up before the Democratic convention. Let her earn the nomination and let others have the opportunity to earn the nomination. If need be, postpone the convention, so an election will take place.

James Carville had an idea that could also be helpful. 

Opinion | James Carville: Biden Won’t Win. Democrats Need a Plan. Here’s One. - The New York Times (nytimes.com)

 If some level of election doesn’t happen, Vice-President Harris will always be vulnerable to the charge that she wasn’t elected by the people. It is in her own interest to run for election in her own party. 

A defining characteristic of democracy is the people choose their leaders.

These are very strange times for our country. Former President Trump was almost killed; President Biden dropped out of the race. The best way to navigate any types of changes is for the voters to have the final say. They are the lifeline of democracy.

Presbyterians can grow, right?

The 227^th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA) just finished meeting last week in Salt Lake City. I followed along fairly closely as I was very interested in what was happening. I watched many of the committee meetings and plenary. I listened to the debate about the Olympia Overture as I drove to Worthington last week. For me it is awesome to be able to listen and watch the sessions. All of the sessions can be seen at: 226th General Assembly (2024) | Live Into Hope (ga-pcusa.org) 

I had a special interest in what happened at General Assembly as my niece, Julia Prouty served as a Young Adult Advisory Delegate, and my sister, Rev. Pam Prouty, resourced a committee. 

I have a high amount of respect for the Teaching and Ruling Elders who gave of their time to serve the Presbyterian Church (USA) in Salt Lake City. Thanks for your service!

Presbyterians are different from other denominations or branches of the church as power flows from the local congregation to wider governing bodies and from wider governing bodies to local congregations. 

I kept folks at Chain of Lakes informed about what was happening with General Assembly. The pcusa web site listed the top ten items of General Assembly. Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) - GA commissioners and advisory delegates got a lot done in Salt Lake City (pcusa.org)

What is disappointing to me is that church development was not one of the top ten items of General Assembly. Most Presbyterian churches are declining. I’ve written before that if the CEO of a corporation saw the level of decline in people that the PC(USA) has experienced, that person would issue a clarion call for change. 

Other organizations have noted that churches are declining. MPR shared an excellent conversation last month about the decline of churches. It’s worth hearing at Why are so many Americans leaving church?   | MPR News. 

I am blessed that the church I am serving is not declining. Worship attendance in 2024 at Chain of Lakes is thirty-five percent higher than 2023. We’ve already received nineteen new people as disciples or members this year, and I wouldn’t be surprised if we receive another nineteen before the end of the year. The Session of Chain of Lakes just voted to start two services starting in September. Though some would experience our congregation as small, we’re growing fast. 

I believe that this growth has happened for two main reasons. The first is our youth and children’s ministry has vastly expanded since we hired Amanda Serfling as our Family Ministry Director. We frequently have over twenty children and youth attend worship. We’re hoping that fifty children attend Vacation Bible School at the end of the month. 

For churches who don’t have a lot of youth, my word of encouragement would be to hire the best person you can to grow your ministry. Youth and children will come to a church, but they need a ministry to which they can connect. 

I was hoping that General Assembly would have said that for the next two years Presbyterians are going to resource and focus on ministries with youth and children. 

The second reason for the growth at Chain of Lakes is our acceptance of the LGTBQIA+ community. Chain of Lakes is one of a handful of churches who go out of our way to accept people. The first marriage I officiated was a gay marriage; we have people who travel almost thirty miles to our congregation because they cannot find a welcoming congregation near them. 

I get it that many congregations don’t accept the LGTBQIA+ community. And some believe that orientation is a sin. I’ve responded to these beliefs before. This video shares why I think that our support is biblical. The Bible and LGTBQ (vimeo.com)

The key point for congregations is we need to be resourced by the wider governing bodies of our denomination. We need ideas for growth; we need trainings on growing; we need resources that will help. The work of the General Assembly is important, but until the wider governing bodies of the PC(USA) get the message that congregations need support, I would guess that Presbyterian congregations will keep declining.  

If decline is okay for Presbyterians, then there’s not much that can be done. It is certainly not okay with me. 

I’m hoping that before the next General Assembly in 226 in Milwaukee, this denomination who I love can see evangelism and church growth as a priority. So much so that it will be in the top ten list of accomplishments at that General Assembly.  

Musings on the Great American Think-Off question. Is free speech worth the cost?

For the past thirty-one years the New York Mills Cultural Center has sponsored the “Great American Think off.” According to their web site, Think-Off History | Cultural Center | Cultivating the Arts | New York Mills, Minnesota (kulcher.org), the purpose of the Great American is shared on the web site. “The Great American Think-Off is an exhibition of civil disagreement between powerful ideas that connect to your life at the gut level.” 

I think it’s marvelous that a town of about 1,300 people has a “Great American Think off.” What a terrific opportunity to think and debate about important questions in our world. 

The question of this year’s Great American Think off is “Is freedom of speech worth the cost?” Four contestants were selected to debate this question. The debate was this past Saturday night, June 8. The link to the debate can be found here: 31st Annual Great Think-Off | New York Mills Cultural Center (youtube.com). I plan on listening to the entire presentation. 

The Star Tribune shared an excellent recap of the event that they put on the front page of Tuesday’s, June 11, paper. In a small town in northwest Minnesota, America's divisiveness meets its match: Civil debate (startribune.com). 

I spent a season of my non-illustrious college career thinking about questions like this. For a while I thought of majoring in political philosophy until the pragmatic side of my brain took over. I ended up majoring in political science thinking I might go to law school. Though God had a different path for me, I’m grateful for this season of my journey. 

Even as a pastor, I have a great interest in these types of philosophical conversations. 

If I had participated in the Great American Think Off, I would have chosen the affirmative side. I think that freedom of speech is worth the cost. 

What is the cost of freedom of speech? It’s costly that ideas are expressed that are deeply harmful. Ideas that are communicated that are racist, sexist, homophobic are one cost of free speech. I don’t want to turn on my phone and listen or read any ideas that put down a class of people. I can understand people who argue that free speech is not worth this cost. 

Another cost is speech that is not the truth. Fake news. Deniers of the 2020 Presidential election have received much publicity in the past four years for their views even though the result was certified and correct. But because of free speech we have to listen to these baseless claims. 

I have had times when I’ve been told that I could not express myself. When I worked for the farm workers many years ago, we would frequently pass out flyers on the store parking lot to people who came to a grocery store. I spent eight hours a day on occasion passing out leaflets to people. We often were encouraging shoppers not to purchase grapes. Inevitably the store manager would come talk to us and try to shoo us away. On occasion the police would come to talk to us. As long as we weren’t blocking a door or harassing a shopper, it made sense to me that I had the right to be there.  Just because a store owns property. 

The recent issues of speech among college students on campuses about the Israel/Palestinian issue are another. Do they have a right to voice their opinions about this war. And how far does this right go? Do they have the right to disrupt a meeting of the administration, do they have a right to camp out on campus property? 

Despite the costs I generally lean towards supporting the right of people the right to express themselves. 

The main reason is no group or person can adequately regulate free speech. Who would regulate speech that is not free? The government? That does not seem fair. A corporation who has purchased property. It doesn’t seem fair that money can prevent others from expressing themselves. 

The first Amendment to the United States Constitution says this: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. 

I think this Amendment is one of the greatest benefits of being an American. 

Patrick Henry is one of the greatest leaders of the American Revolution. He is known for saying, “give me liberty or give me death.” 

I completely agree. 

At the last church I served one of the senior saints was a woman named Emogene Evans. I spent much time in your home talking to her about what was happening in the church and the world. One of her pithy statements was “I disagree with you, but will fight to the death your freedom to share your view.” And Emogene and I disagreed on a lot of issues. But she always thought I had the right to speak. 

Despite the cost of sharing our views, I believe that the cost is worth the benefit. I’m so glad I live in a country where I can share my beliefs. I hope this will always be the case.

Building relatioships

 

Last night I had the opportunity to speak at an open forum at the Lino Lakes City Council meeting about the Medinah Lakes Development on 325 Main Street. The comments I made represent my own views and not the views of Chain of Lakes Church, though many people from Chain of Lakes would support the views I’m sharing. 

The community of Lino Lakes has been embroiled in this issue for the past few months. The City Council chambers were packed with people last night carrying signs representing each side of the issue. The entire hearing can be viewed here: North Metro TV. I spoke at the four minute mark for three minutes. 

I am in favor of growth for communities. I lived in Rochester for nine years when the community experienced significant population growth. I’ve lived in Blaine for the past 15 years. The community looks vastly different today in 2024 compared to when my family moved here in 2009. I am very happy for all the new residences in Blaine. I can literally see them from my office. Growth adds quite a lot to the community—more perspectives, often more diversity, more restaurants and recreational opportunities. Growth has to be managed, and I think the city of Blaine has done a terrific job at it. 

I have a deep place in my heart for the city and people of Lino Lakes. Chain of Lakes Church started in Lino Lakes. Our first offices and worship location were there. My wife, Amy, has worked for the past fifteen years at the Administrator of St. Joesph’s of the Lakes Catholic Church in Lino Lakes. Both of us have friends who live there and many people attend Chain of Lakes who live in Lino Lakes. 

Some people carried “Slow the growth” signs to the meeting last night. I didn’t have the opportunity to talk to anyone who carried a sign as I had to leave the City Council meeting shortly after I spoke to attend two meetings last night at Chain of Lakes. I’ll listen to the video to hear more perspectives as I am very interested in understanding the opposition to this development. 

It’s important to note that population growth is not new to Lino Lakes. The population of the Lino Lakes has almost doubled since the 2000 census. Many new housing developments have happened in Lino Lakes in the past 24 years. If Blaine can experience growth in a healthy way, I see no reason that the same cannot happen in Lino Lakes. 

Part of the Medinah Lakes Development is the building of an Islamic Center. I am very much in favor of this. I’m excited for the people of Lino Lakes that they have the opportunity to have an Islamic Center in their community. The congregation I serve has developed a mutually beneficial relationship with the Blaine Islamic Center. We’ve had people from the Blaine Islamic Center speak for our congregation. Many from Chain of Lakes attended an Iftar that the Blaine Islamic Center held in March at the conclusion of Ramadan. I have personal friends who attend the Blaine Islamic Center. My life is much richer because of these relationships. Having these friendships allows me to resist the negative cultural stereotypes that are often attached to Muslims. 

No matter what opinions a person has about the Medinah Lakes Development, I hope everyone can agree that relationships with people from a different religious perspective are important. I encourage people from Chain of Lakes to find ways to have coffee or lunch with someone from the Muslim community. I would hope everyone reading this blog who is not Muslim would do the same. 

Father Mike Anderson, priest at St. Joseph’s of the Lakes, spoke right after me. He spoke against religious discrimination of all kinds as he has experienced it himself. As religious leaders we know the resistance to religious communities. Our congregation experienced initial resistance from the neighbors who live near the property of our building about the purchase of our property. I stood in front of a public hearing myself and received significant negative feedback about the purchase of property that Chain of Lakes was proposing. I understand what it's like to be a lightning rod! The people of Chain of Lakes reached out to the neighbors and have developed a strong relationship with the neighborhood that continues to this day. 

It's not surprising that people disagree about a new housing development that will bring population growth to a community. I can accept that disagreement.

I am very concerned about the perception that this development is being resisted because of the possibility that many Muslims will live there.  I would feel much more comfortable about this issue if those opposing the growth would clearly say, "I am against religious discrimination."  How about adding that statement to your signs? I just assume that everyone believes that religious discrimination has no place in our community. However this assumption is in question right now. Right now the onus is on the people who are against this development to state clearly that they are against religious discrimination. Prove to the community in your words and actions that this is the case. 

I think the intensity of this issue would diminish if everyone--no matter what their view about the Medinah Lakes Development--would agree that religious discrimination has no place in our community.

I have another question for those opposing the growth. If you don't want an Islamic Center in the Medinah Lakes Development, then propose another place in Lino Lakes for this religious place of worship. And the location would have to work for the Muslim community. Where would it be?

I would not have spoken this past Tuesday night if the issue was about a new development. 

My hope is the emotions of this issue can be decreased as a reasonable solution is found. In my mind a reasonable solution is built on relationships and friendships. Perhaps this issue can prompt all of us to go out of our way to build these friendships.

Attending Festival of Homiletics

On May 13-16, I attended the Festival of Homiletics in Pittsburgh. This is an annual preaching conference organized by Karoline Lewis and other staff at Luther seminary. The conference takes place in a different city every year.  Last year it was in Minneapolis; next year it will be in Atlanta.

I attended the Festival twenty years ago in Washington DC. At the time the opportunity to hear preachers and go to Washington was too good to pass up. I remember the conference because I watched the Timberwolves beat Sacramento to enter the Western Conference Finals just as this year the Timberwolves were playing Denver while I was at the conference. I’m not sure what it says about me that I remember what happened by the sporting events that were happening.

The format of the conference is very simple. Participants listen to sermons and lectures about preaching. This year I listened to fifteen sermons and lectures over the course of four days. If you like to listen to sermons this is the place to be.

Many other people joined me. I don’t have a specific number, but I would guess about 800 people attended from across the country. Many others watched online. The lineup of speakers was excellent. My favorite speakers were Brian Mc Laren, Grace Ji-Sun Kim, Amy Butler, and Otis Moss.

I would go almost anywhere to listen to Brian McLaren speak. He just came out with a new book, “Life After Doom.” At the Festival he gave a lecture entitled “You have permission.” He then gave a listing of items regarding permission for the preachers assembled. He told us that we have permission not to be good at everything; we have permission to declare an emergency when we are in an emergency; we have permission to fall back on love when faith and hope fail. He closed by sharing that we have permission to take the long view. 

He later shared a detailed lecture about preaching from the connected self that unfortunately wasn’t included on the video tab. One of the highlights he shared was a slide that said that Jesus didn't come to give us an abundant job. We don't want the pink circle of our job to fill up too much of our life.

I enjoyed Grace Ji-Sun Kim's sermon and am looking forward to reading, "When God became White."

Amy Butler, previously pastor at Riverside Church in New York City and now pastor of Community Church of Honolulu in Hawaii. She contrasted the stories that preachers are compelled to tell compared to the stories that a person would find in a Hallmark movie. The narrative in a Hallmark movie are soothing but not enough for preachers. She talked about how each of us is in the middle of a story where we don’t know the conclusion. As preachers we don’t have to explain what happens. Instead we have to hold up the beauty and show what is possible.

I tried to do this in my sermon on Huldah yesterday. The sermon can be found here: May 26, 2024, Worship Service (vimeo.com). It’s part of a series I’m sharing on “Women of Faith.” After sharing a context of what was happening to Josiah and Judah, I talked about how Josiah sent five men to contact Huldah, a woman, to learn what was going to happen. Huldah claimed her gifts as a nevi’im, a prophet. Each of us is called to claim our own gifts and share them with passion—just as Huldah. And the reality that a woman could preach to five men sent by a male king is significant given that Chain of Lakes is the only church in the north part of Blaine where a woman could consistently tell stories about God from the pulpit. We don’t know the end of the story of what will happen when we use our gifts and empower women to preach. But life will change for the better.

I especially enjoyed spending time in Pittsburgh. I hadn’t been there since being a very young boy. The urban core is beautiful. I took the advice of the organizers of the festival and didn’t rent a car. I guess doing Ubers was supposed to work. But this didn’t work for me. I ended up driving all over Pittsburgh and the suburbs. I loved the views.

The venues of the conference were beautiful. Just spending time in the ginormous sanctuary of East Liberty Presbyterian Church was almost worth the trip. Calvary Episcopal was also beautiful. I had never spent time at Pittsburgh Seminary and am glad I had the opportunity.

I applaud the organizers of Festival of Homiletics for what they have been able to create. It is not insignificant that approximately 800 people, mostly preachers, would attend. Excellent!

Two suggestions for changes. I think the conference could adapt. It’s the same conference that I attended twenty years ago—listen to a lot of really good preachers. I’m not convinced that model lifts up the preaching in the people who attend. I’m not convinced that the preaching of 800 people will be better in six months because we heard a lot of good sermons.

Second, I’d like to see more workshops on the technical parts of preaching. Give us a three step lecture series on how to be effective in visual communication. Share lectures from pastors who preach forty times a year about what their weekly routine looks like. Have more pastors preach. I enjoy hearing sermons from seminary professors, but I have more respect for pastors who are grinding it out every week. I’d like to hear more from them. And finally give us more technical stuff about theme preaching. It still seems (and I could be wrong) that it’s the third rail of the Festival of Homiletics to suggest that someone wouldn’t be a lectionary preacher. I’m not. I don’t plan to be. I’d like more resources to help people, like me, who are theme or topical preachers.

I’m glad I went. Unless the conference changes, I probably won’t go in the next five years. I continue to hope that the preaching in the church will lead people to a deeper personal relationship with God and that people will be inspired and given the tools to change the world.

Harrison Butker gave a speech. I'd like to have coffee with him. This is my invitation!

To Harrison Butker,

I would love to go out for coffee with you and have a conversation about the views you expressed in your commencement speech a week ago Saturday, May 11 at Benedictine College in Kansas.  Consider this letter an invitation. I’ll even buy. The location would probably need to be near me—so you would have to travel. You're 28, and I'm 60. I think we could learn from each other. I suppose we could Zoom—but that doesn’t seem all that interesting. Who wants to Zoom a coffee conversation with someone they’ve never met? 

Your speech has attracted a lot of attention. You don’t need the link, but someone reading my blog might want it. Full Text: Harrison Butker of Kansas City Chiefs Graduation Speech| National Catholic Register (ncregister.com) I’ve read it twice and read many commentaries and Social Media responses. I don’t know if you enjoy all of this attention, but in being the placekicker for the Chiefs you’re used to performing in front of large crowds.

In my ministry I’ve shared that there is more that brings us together than separates us. If we were having coffee, I would start by looking for common ground between the two of us. And I don’t think it would be hard to find. Both of us love our family. You mentioned your wife, Isabelle in your speech. I would tell you stories about my wife, Amy, who works on staff for a Catholic church. You have three kids, and I’d love to hear more about their lives. I would tell you about Hannah, our daughter who is already rocking the world. She and her partner, Carter, just became parents of Elouise. I would show you pictures of Elouise and tell you about her baptism that I had the privilege of officiating last month in the Presbyterian congregation I serve. Carter and Hannah are terrific parents—Mother’s Day was a special day in our household. I’d tell you about my step-son Drew, and how he served our country in the military in Iraq.

And both of us love sports. I’d love to hear stories of kicking for the Chiefs and what it was like to make a 57 yard field goal in the Super Bowl. Wow! My stories of being an athlete pale in comparison. I could tell you what it was like to defeat our cross-town rivals my senior year of college, and how I still love going to Laird Stadium where the esteemed (in my mind) Carleton Knights play on Saturdays. You’re reached a completely different level of success, but my love and passion for football probably is similar to yours.

Then I would tell you about my own faith. It would take a long time to discuss our journeys. I'd share how as a Presbyterian pastor I've been attending Mass ever since I met Amy twenty-six years ago. You were two years old when Amy and I met. Just yesterday I sang in the choir on Pentecost at the Catholic church in Lino Lakes. Father Mike Anderson gave a terrific homily about Pentecost and how the Spirit brought people who were very different together. He shared that the same idea applies in our day. He encouraged people at that congregation to reach out to the local Muslim community. We’re called to look for connections with people who are far different than us. 

For what It’s worth I’ve probably participated in the Eucharist at a Catholic Mass more times than some Catholics. I would tell you about the deep respect I have for the Catholic church. I would share stories about the priests and nuns I’ve known over the years for whom I have great admiration.  

I’d certainly like to talk about your speech. You were out there! Criticizing President Biden for making the sign of the cross at a rally. Was your statement more about Catholic identity or about your disagreement about abortion? You were clear about your views about abortion in your speech. But for you, a football kicker, to say that President Biden is not Catholic because of this act seems to be a huge stretch. 

I would want to talk about who gets to have the authority about faith. Who gets to decide who is Catholic or Presbyterian or even Christian. I’ve been preaching as a Presbyterian pastor for almost thirty years, but I’ve never declared that someone is not a Presbyterian. I’ve never really had a conversation about this. Technically the Session of our congregation would decide this. 

But who gets to decide who is a Christian? Isn’t this up to God? Do you get to decide this because you have a particular view. To me your view seems quite narrow—not consistent with what Father Mike Anderson shared in a homily yesterday at a Catholic church. 

I would also want to talk about the way of Jesus. I do feel qualified to talk about this as I’ve been reading and teaching and preaching about Jesus for longer than you've been alive. One of the four objectives of my life is to love like Jesus loved. I would certainly want to talk about how he reached out to Samaritans, loved prostitutes, and reached out to people who lived on the margins. Jesus asked them to follow him. He didn’t say that they had to accept a listing of ten beliefs or practice their faith in a particular way to be his followers. 

I would be interested in hearing your thoughts on the response of the Benedictine sisters to your speech. Benedictine Sisters respond to remarks of Harrison Butker (hayspost.com) They rejected what they called your narrow view of being Catholic and embraced an inclusive faith that they identified as being Benedictine.

Jesus was clear that what was most important to him was to love God and to love our neighbor as we love ourself. You didn’t speak about agape love in your speech. You opened your speech by talking about how you have a reputation for speaking your mind. But even the Pharisees had an opinion. They spoke their mind and were rejected by Jesus. The Apostle Paul wrote that if a person speaks in the tongues of angels and does not have love that person is a noisy gong or clanging cymbal.  Paul wrote that “love is patient and kind. It’s not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful.” (1 Corinthians 13: 4) I’d want to know if you are more interested in being a noisy gong or to live with patience and kindness—the biblical way of agape love. 

You have received a lot of criticism for your views of women. You talked about how your wife, Isabelle, truly found her vocation as a wife and a mother. I’d be interested in knowing more about your views of women’s vocation. From your speech I’m not completely sure how you look at this. 

I do know how I view the vocation of women. I want to create a world where women can freely use their gifts in whatever vocation they choose. I’m so proud of my wife, Amy, and the way she has used her many gifts to impact the church. I know that my daughter, Hannah, is going to make a terrific impact by using her gifts. And I’m excited to see how my granddaughter, Elouise, will use her gifts. Certainly Amy and Hannah use their gifts in their family, but just like with men their vocation extends in areas beyond the family. 

And you spent a lot of time talking about the Latin Mass. This is a topic that I don’t know a lot about. But I certainly would ask some questions. I would want to know what makes the language of Latin more sacred than the language of English—or any language. When Jesus celebrated the Last Supper with his disciples the day before he died, he probably spoke Aramaic. But I’ve never heard any Catholic want to have Mass said in the language of Aramaic. 

So let’s have coffee. I’m interested in learning more. And until people sit down and talk with respect about their views, all of us are going to fall into the polarization that is plaguing our world. And I don’t believe Jesus is happy about that.

 I’m willing to clear out my calendar. Let me know when you’re free. You can email me at pastor@colpres.org.