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.

A letter to my granddaughter after her baptism

Elouise,
Last Sunday, April 28, 2024 in the Worship Center at Chain of Lakes people came from all over to celebrate your baptism. The place was packed. I had the privilege of dipping my hand into the water in the baptismal font and baptizing you in the name of the “Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” In your baptism we celebrated that grace was infused within you. No person or institution or group or even any action by you will ever take that grace away from you. You will always carry grace with you.

At the end of your baptism everyone raised your hand to share a blessing with you. That blessing will always be with you. This blessing wasn't just a one-time event. You'll always carry it with you. To me it was a glimpse of heaven. Your baptism was a glimpse of the Kingdom that we all desire here on earth

This picture of me putting on your forehead is one I'll always cherish.

I’m writing you this letter from me, your grandfather, on a rainy day in 2024. I hope it gets stuffed in your materials and perhaps on some rainy day in twenty or thirty years in the future you’ll pull it out and read it. Quite possibly I won’t be around when you read this letter, but no matter. These are my words to you. Use them as you see fit.

I got to preach the sermon on your baptism day. I started a sermon series called, “Women of Faith.”  I asked your mom what woman she wanted to be the focus on your baptism day. She selected the "women at the cross" with a focus on Mary Magdalene.

The faithfulness of the women at the cross is the type of faith I want to encourage you to develop. These women watched for six hours as Jesus died. They had traveled with Jesus as he walked through Galilee. I believe that many of them were with Jesus when they celebrated the Last Supper. I think of these women as disciples, followers of Jesus. Their male counterparts deserted Jesus when he was arrested by a crowd with swords and clubs. But these women stayed at a distance and watched what happened. I hope that you’ll develop the persistence of these women. 

You have many female role models in your family. Your mom, Hannah, and your grandmothers, Amy and Jodi, love you with a deep faithfulness. Your great grandmothers, Jackie, JoAnn, and Jan have beautiful stories of breaking the mold. Even your great-great-grandmother, Maxine was as competitive a person as you'll ever know. Learn their stories. 

Unfortunately, the events of life can often discourage us. You'll need the benefit of these stories when life doesn't go your way. When you read this letter you’ll probably have experienced your own trials. These trials can cause us to flee. I hope you’ll be like the women at the cross. They stayed steadfast in their devotion to someone they loved despite the trials that were happening.

I don’t know what life will be like a woman when you read this letter. But even as a man I know that women are too often treated as second class citizens right now. Women can’t even become pastors or lead Communion at many congregations today. I hope that will have changed in the next twenty to thirty years. When you read this I hope the barriers that women experience today will have been diminished. Perhaps you'll be part of this change. 

But however you are treated, I want to encourage you to use your gifts without fear. Use them as you see fit and as God sees fit. Find your Inspirational Intersection—the intersection between what God wants you to do and what you want to do—and don’t be concerned about how the world views you.

Simone Biles wrote that “It’s important to teach our female youth that it’s OK to say, ‘Yes, I am good at this,’ and you don’t hold back.”

Find your place—your Inspirational Intersection—and then claim it with passion.

You’ll need role models. So surround yourself with people who don’t tell you what to do, but will listen to your own dreams and will then encourage you to follow them.

Most likely as a woman people will want to stereotype you into a role that demeans you. This is why Mary Magdalene’s story is a good one for you to know. She was a leader. Almost every time she is listed in the gospels, she was listed first. People saw her as first-in-line.

But despite this, the male church has tried to turn her into a sexual object. You can do your own research on why this is, but she’s been called a prostitute, the wife of Jesus, and a person who loved Jesus in an intimate way. Unfortunately we can’t see her for who she was—a female leader. She was the first preacher of the gospel—Jesus trusted her to go forth and tell others that he was risen. He knew her gifts and was willing to empower her to use them to change the world.

Jesus was willing to let her use her voice. I’m confident that he will want you to use your voice in the unique way that you can.

So much will have happened in your life by the time you read this letter. Keep coming back to your gifts. They will give you confidence to address the world in our own unique way.

I’m so excited to see what will happen in your future. It’s been a privilege to be able to have you live with your Grandma Amy and me for the last six months. It is so meaningful to see your personality develop. Many people have already commented that you are so calm even when you’re surrounded by many people.

You are one-of-a-kind Elouise!