Being Moderator of the Twin Cities Area Presbytery

 

This past Saturday I was installed as the Moderator of the Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area at the December Presbytery meeting which was held at Chain of Lakes Church. 

A person might wonder, “What does a Moderator do?” 

The person moderates the meetings—hence the name, Moderator. And the person does a lot more. Serving as the Moderator is part of a three-year leadership commitment. First a person serves as the Vice-Moderator for a year, then the Moderator, then the leader of the Presbyterian Leadership Team. 

I was asked by Tom Ruter to serve as the Moderator in 2023. It’s not a position I was seeking. Being asked was an indication, in my mind, of the humor of God. At that time, I had just started praying about ways I could serve beyond my work as the pastor of Chain of Lakes. Then, like now, Chain of Lakes was in a good place. We had become a chartered church, we were growing, and we had started doing ministry in our new building. Though serving as the pastor of Chain of Lakes is always my first work priority, I thought I was ready to serve in some different ways. And I started to pray that God would lead me to some opportunities. 

That prayer did not take long to be answered! Shortly sharing this request in my daily prayers, Tom Ruter asked if I would serve as Moderator of the Presbytery; I was also asked to serve on the Board of HOPE 4 Youth; and I became involved in an initiative that developed into the Presbyterian Church Growth Network. After those three opportunities, I stopped praying for more opportunities! 

In 2025 I’ve served as the Vice-Moderator. I would show up at Presbytery meetings and occasionally lead the meeting. The big work was attending the Presbytery Leadership Team meetings (PLT). The PLT always has significant issues that the team addresses. And this year has been no different. From deciding on staffing, to voting on budget issues, to responding to the desire from Church of All Nations (CAN) to leave the PCUSA—the PLT has had a lot on our plate. And we haven’t had a full team. 

The main reason I said, “yes” to Tom Ruter’s ask was I want to do whatever I can to help the Presbytery be healthy. I want to help the Presbytery make healthy decisions and have healthy processes. This is my main priority as the Moderator. 

I’ve been a part of the Presbytery of Twin Cities Area since 1993. I’ve attended almost every Presbytery meeting since then. Besides being a commissioner to the Presbytery, I first served on the Fragile Family Committee. I then served on the Church Development Team for a number of years. When I became the organizing pastor of Chain of Lakes I decided not to serve on any Presbytery committees. I believed that starting a Presbyterian church was enough of a commitment to the Presbytery. I did serve on the Presbytery Judicial Commission for a few years when I started as the Organizing Pastor at Chain of Lakes. 

Throughout my career I’ve always been interested in issues of church growth. I still dream of the day when the PC(SUA) grows in members—something that has not happened for a very long time. I would like to see us start more churches than we close. 

I was asked by Anna Kendig-Flores to come up with a theme for the year that I am the Moderator. The theme I chose was “Forever Young.” No matter what a person’s age I hope that person can experience spiritual energy in their engagement with the Presbytery and the excitement that youth can bring. 

Forever young is an attitude of

·       Curiosity

·       Willingness to embrace change

·       Risk taking

·       Focusing on ministries of 30’s and under

Every meeting of the Presbytery will have some focus on “Forever Young.”

It was a honor to be installed while standing next to Sue Goodspeed, the now installed Vice Moderator, who also graduated from my alma mater, Carleton College. Over the next year I am looking forward to seeing how the Spirit leads all of us. I will be praying every day that I will be led by the Spirit as I serve as the Moderator.  

I’m always open to thoughts and comments. If people have those thoughts and comments, send me an email at pastor@colpres.org.

A tribute to my dad, Charles Moore

This past Saturday, my dad, Charles Moore, turned eighty-five. We celebrated the night before at a steak house in Mankato. We’ll continue to celebrate this Saturday when my extended family gathers at our home in Blaine.

Turning 85 is quite an accomplishment. Just as I did for my mom when she turned 85, (chainlink-chainoflakesncd.blogspot.com/2024/01/) it seems only right, and really it is a privilege for me to write a tribute to my Dad.

It’s an accomplishment to turn 85. I did a Google search to discover how many people born in 1940 are still alive today. Numbers vary, but one site shared that only 56 percent of the 2.3 million Americans born in 1940 are still alive today.

My dad was born in Estherville, Iowa and grew up on a farm as the youngest of six. His brothers enjoyed the farm life; my dad didn’t. He regaled my sister and I when we were growing up of how much he disliked “walking beans.” And if you don’t know what “walking beans” is do a search. I’m guessing that a hundred percent of people born in Iowa in 1940 know or knew about “walking beans.” He escaped the work on the farm by helping his mother, Dorothy, in the kitchen. My Dad learned how to cook and many years later became the primary cook in our household.

He also excelled as a student. Perhaps it was “walking to a one-room school house uphill both ways,” a tale he would occasionally share, that gave him a desire to learn. He and his good friend Del Matheson finished at the top of their high school class in Ringsted, Iowa.

He went to Mankato State. And shortly after that he met my mom. Their first date was a movie on a very cold night in January. His life was changed forever. He majored in English, married my mom on August 5, 1961 and went to teach at Paullina High School in northwest Iowa.

I was born in 1964—and we’ve never let him forget that when my mom went into labor he drove her to a nursing home and not a hospital. We moved to Worthington shortly after I was born where he taught English at Worthington Junior College. My sister arrived the next year, and we began our life as a family.

Our life was not that complicated. We moved to our home on Summit Avenue in Worthington in 1970.  We knew everyone on our street, went to church on Sunday, played baseball on the vacant lot (at least I did), ate a meal as a family every evening, and lived a wonderful life in small town America.

My dad became bored with teaching, so took a sabbatical and went to work for Cross-Lines, a social service agency in inner city Kansas City. Not everyone was convinced that my parents should take my sister and I to live near “the projects.” But they did. And all four of us are better for experience. We lived among people who were poor, I attended a school where I shared a classroom with people from many different races, we had to lock our home each night, saw garbage in the alleys, and lived within a half mile of two “projects.” I loved the experience. My call to ministry began when I saw poverty for the first time. This never would have happened without my dad taking a sabbatical.

He was very committed to supporting my sister and I in all of our activities. I decided to become serious about playing the violin in 8^th grade. He was willing to drive me to violin lessons in Sioux Falls, South Dakota every week and even to the Cities for lessons when I was much older. He was willing to be woke up on most mornings when I practiced the violin. He never missed any event that my sister and I participated. He and my mom always showed up. Even when I played football for Carleton college, he and my mom drove to every-single-game, no matter what the location.

He and my mom have always been very devoted to Westminster Presbyterian Church. Even when the church fired their good friend Bob Burnett my parents decided to stay with the church. This event was a defining moment for my family. Imagine what you would do if your faith community fired one of your best friends for reasons with which you completely disagreed. In my mind this was a significant display of loyalty to a group who had broken their heart. I share this story with all new people who join Chain of Lakes Church. I encourage them to hang with Chain of Lakes even if life gets hard. They never know how they will be rewarded for their loyalty.

My sister and I each chose to go into the ministry. And each of us were ordained to be pastors in the sanctuary of Westminster Presbyterian Church. My sister was married in that sanctuary. Bob Burnett preached at my ordination service. These were highlights of our family’s life. Our family would have never enjoyed these significant celebrations if my parents had left the church who broke their hearts.

Faith has always been important to my dad. It matters to him how a person thinks about God. He taught Adult Sunday School at Westminster for a very long time. He always challenged my sister and I to know what we believed. He would not have tolerated an insipid faith.

My dad was able to retire from teaching at the age of 58. And he has had a terrific retirement. Traveling to many countries, square dancing in many states, caring for his grandkids and now his great-granddaughter, Elouise. He had the time to do all of this.

The greatest quality of my dad is his devotion and love for my mom. They were and are so close. They rarely did things by themselves—it seemed they did everything together. For better or worse, I never remember them arguing in front of my sister and me. They always resolved their arguments behind closed doors. And now with both them closer to ninety than eighty and with their bodies breaking down, they still care for each other to the best of their ability.

You made it to 85, Dad! Congratulations! You’ve had a blessed life—you’ve told us that often. One of my greatest privileges is to be your son. To use a phrase that would received a red mark if it had been used on a paper in your English class, “You done good, dad!” Happy Birthday! 

Two outstanding conferences!

For the past two weeks I’ve had the opportunity to participate in two outstanding educational events. On September 30 to October 3, I participated in Leadership Institute shared by Church of the Resurrection in Kansas City. I’ve gone often to the conference and have written about it before (chainlink-chainoflakesncd.blogspot.com/2024/09 & chainlink-chainoflakesncd.blogspot.com/2023/10/leadership-institute-at-church-of.html). 

This year my most significant takeaway was listening to Andy Stanley speak and then enjoying the back-and-forth conversation between him and Adam Hamilton, who both have a passion and incredible success for connecting unchurched people to God and the church.

Last week, I had the privilege of participating in the first ever conference organized by the Presbyterian Church Growth Network held at First Presbyterian Church in Englewood, New Jersey. I’m very excited to share what happened at this conference.

The Presbyterian Church Growth Network is a grass-roots development of leaders within the Presbyterian Church (USA). In the summer of 2024 these leaders, including me, felt a significant discontent that our denomination and its leaders weren’t focusing enough on church growth. I wrote a blog on July 8, 2024, sharing my frustrations that the most recent General Assembly had done nothing to address the significant decline in our denomination. (chainlink-chainoflakesncd.blogspot.com/2024/07/presbyterians-can-grow-right.html)  In that blog I wrote that if a company had declined this significantly and the CEO of that company was not even addressing the problem and not giving solutions for the decline, that person would be fired. In my blog I wasn’t asking that anyone be fired. Instead I was issuing a clarion call that something needed to be done.

Others felt the same way. We found each other and started talking about church growth within the Presbyterian Church (USA).

After many Zoom meetings about twenty-five of us met in person for the first time in Chicago this past May. (chainlink-chainoflakesncd.blogspot.com/2025/05/presbyterian-church-growth-network.html) We wrote a charter and elected a Board. I’m serving on the Board. The Presbyterian Church Growth Network (PCGN) was born!

And I've grown to agape love the people who serve on the Board of the PCGN.

More can be discovered about the PCGN at pcgrowthnetwork.org. Check out our charter at pcgrowthnetwork.org/whoweare.

The Board decided to share a conference. It was an ambitious task as we only had a few months to organize and publicize the conference. A big thanks to Richard Hong for hosting the conference at the church he serves and for Adam Bowling for joining Richard in organizing it.

 I was amazed that almost sixty people from across the United States attended. Most of them were pastors. As a PCGN Board we know that we need to increase the number of Ruling Elders who are participating.  But still—it seems that the PCGN has tapped into something within congregational leaders.

The conference was simple. We started out in worship and enjoyed the fabulous music led by the Praise Team of First Presbyterian Church Englewood and the inspiring preaching by Jerry Cannon. The hospitality of the people of the church was moving. When I drove into the parking lot on Tuesday I saw a person with a sign that basically shared where to enter the church.  Bravo!

The church that hosted the conference has an amazing story of resilience. They suffered a devastating fire in 2016 that destroyed their sanctuary. They then moved worship to their gym and rebuilt a modern sanctuary that is high-tech and relevant for the worship needs on the community. When I walked into their worship space I didn’t feel like I was in a museum that was preserving the past; instead I felt a deep desire to be led in a relevant way by the Spirit in worship into the future.

The rest of the conference was workshops. I went to an excellent workshop led by Steve Lindsay on the six types of working genius. I led two workshops on hospitality. The two main thoughts I shared were hospitality is a recognition by the people of the congregation to create a fabulous experience for guests; and that hospitality must be organized. The pastor has to take a role in illustrating hospitality and ensuring that hospitality takes place.

We certainly don’t get hospitality completely right at Chain of Lakes, but I know that when new people attend, they are going to be greeted warmly and celebrated for their presence. Last Sunday when Randy Dean was leading worship at Chain of Lakes he remarked on the hospitality of the people he encountered.

I think the one word for the PCGN conference was authenticity. As leaders we certainly weren’t claiming or communicating a five-step process to church growth. Basically we were sharing what we were doing, acknowledging what had worked and didn’t work, and encouraging people to try ideas in their own context. And then share what worked and didn’t work. 

All of the workshops can be seen at vimeo.com/showcase/11923345

Next year’s conference is already set for Cincinnati in October 2026. I’m going to do my best to bring a large group from Chain of Lakes, and I encourage other churches to do the same.

I don’t think any of us involved in the PCGN could have imagined that so much progress would be made in the past eighteen months. I think this shows that Presbyterian congregations want to grow in numbers and vitality. They want and need resources, role models, and encouragement. Taking the message of the gospel in a Presbyterian framework into this culture is hard. But as Jesus so beautifully illustrated in his life, death, and resurrection if people work together to create the Kingdom the challenges will eventually dissolve. The PCGN is a very significant new development in living into the Kingdom!

Celebrating Sully, a biography of Bob Sullivan

This past Saturday, I had the opportunity to celebrate the launch of a biography on Sully, Bob Sullivan, my college football coach. The book was superbly written by Jeff Appelquist, a Carleton football alum and noted writer.

 

Saturday was terrific. It started in the stands of Sullivan field—yes, named after Bob Sullivan. I sat next to Sully in his place on the thirty yard line about three rows up. I’ve been going to games and sitting next or near to him for years. When Patrick Reusse interviewed Sully three years ago right before Sullivan Field was renamed, he took the picture at the bottom of this blog that made it into the Star Tribune.  This past Sunday I again brought Carle—the bronze knight that my wife, Amy, bought me as a Christmas gift a few years ago. At the first game of last season, I didn’t bring Carle to a game. The first thing Sully said to me when he saw me was not, “good to see you” or “how have you been.” It was “Where’s Carle?”

Carle will accompany me to every Carleton football game.

 The game became a laugher for the Knights—51-7. Jack Curtis, the quarterback for this year’s team, is really good. Because it was a blowout, the football alums and I started telling Sully stories. All of us were recruited by Bob Sullivan. Most likely none of us would have gone to Carleton without Sully’s persistent recruitment. I’ve shared in previous blogs the story of Sully recruiting me to Carleton—quite improbable

 After the game over two hundred of us gathered in the Northfield theater to celebrate the launch of the new book. At the gathering on Saturday Jeff Appelquist shared the story of approaching Sully at last year’s Olaf game and asking him if he could write a biography about him. Jeff said that Sully said, “why not.” When Sully told the story, he shared that his response was “why.” Whether Sully’s response was one word or two what is most important is the book was written.

The book is marvelous. In twenty-one chapters Jeff Appelquist chronicled Sully’s life. He wrote about Sully growing up in Marshall, Minnesota—not far from my hometown of Worthington—something Sully has always reminded me. He went to St. John’s and learned many lessons about coaching from John Gagliardi. He coached football at Hill High School and then Cooper. He was successful at both places. He came to Carleton as the football coach in 1979 and coached for twenty-one years. He became the winningest football coach in Carleton’s history. He coached the famous 1991 team which won the MIAC and his teams beat St. Olaf from 1985-1996. 

I certainly remember the 1985 game—the famous medallion game. Sully had given us a medallion at the end of the previous season with the number 10-19-85 inscribed on it. He asked us to carry it for the entire year. I did that and like many of my teammates taped the medallion under my uniform on 10-19-85 as we beat the ‘Oles, 35-7. 

Beating the Oles was always of paramount importance to Sully. He’ll be in the stands this Saturday at Sullivan Field as Carleton hopefully beats St. Olaf. I’ll be there too--probably sitting next to him rooting on the Knights with all of our strength.    

One of many qualities I’ve always appreciated about Sully is he is a renaissance man. He got his Master’s in English and probably could have taught courses on English at Carleton. He encouraged his players to find other interests besides football. It didn’t bother him at all that I was the concertmaster of the Orchestra when I attended Carleton. Though Sully was passionate about football he knew that players needed to find interests beyond football. 

In the book Sully shared the top players he coached at Carleton at each position—which I was fortunate to make. 

In the book Jeff Appelquist created an incredible resource of an incredible man. I encourage everyone to buy a copy on Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/Sully-Football-Legend-Coach-Sullivan/dp/1634897994

The dedication of the book describes what it means to play football.

“To all Carleton Knight football players

Past, present & future

Whose warrior spirit & fraternal bonds are forever

As the great King Henry V proclaimed (according to the Bard) to steel his soldiers’ hearts on the eve of the Battle of Agincourt in 1415,

“We shall be remembered, we few, we happy few, we band of brothers

For he today that sheds his blood with me shall be my brother …”

The British archers, vastly outnumbered but profoundly inspired by their heroic leader,

Went bravely forth, filled the sky with their arrows,

And cut down the flower of French chivalry and young manhood

To win a great victory.

GO KNIGHTS!”

 

Something has to change

 

Something has to change.

I wrote this same sentence about mass shootings in my last blog, and I’m going to keep sharing this same message. Something has to change. I don't know what the answers are that will eliminate mass shootings. What I do know is something has to change. 

I don’t believe change will happen until enough people say, “this is not the culture that I want to live in; this is not the culture I want my children or grandchildren to live in. I don’t want children to be killed while they are celebrating Mass; I don’t want a person killed by a sniper while giving a speech on a college campus; I don’t want a politician and her husband killed when they go to the door in the middle of the night; I don’t want the President to know if he had moved his head six inches that he would have been killed by a bullet."

I would guess that over ninety percent of the public could agree with that last sentence. But the breakdown happens over the next step—what are the steps need to reduce mass shootings. 

I have no idea what the answer(s) is/are to stopping mass shootings. I don’t know if the answer is greater gun control, or more mental health resources, or more resources that will target people who are susceptible to being a mass shooter.  I don't know if the answer is a combination of these three ideas or something completely different.

Soon Governor Walz will call a special session of the Minnesota Legislature. I commend him for trying something. But I don’t look forward to the debate. Democrats will want tougher gun control; Republicans and some Democrats will say that guns don’t kill people, but people kill people—they’ll want more resources for Mental Health. I’ve never understand why this debate has turned into such an either “gun control or mental health support” conversation. Why can’t we have both? And why can’t our political leaders work harder by agreeing that we need to create a world in the United States where no mass shootings happen. 

To search for solutions, I went to the Sandy Hook Promise web site, sandyhookpromise.org. This is a national nonprofit organization founded and led by several family members whose loved ones were killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School on December 14, 2012. 

The site has some interesting information about mass shooters. On the site I came across the work of Dr. Jillian Peterson, who is a Professor at Hamline. She has her own website with information that shares common traits of mass shooters. The website with her research is www.jillianpeterson.com/research/

Some of what she found is the following:

“From this research, she found that most mass shooters aren’t random strangers. Instead, they’re “insiders.” They are part of the communities they target, like schools or workplaces. For example, many school shooters are actually students at the school. Knowing this lets us spot early warning signs and act before tragedy strikes.

After studying these cases, [Jillian Peterson] found four main stages that many mass shooters go through before committing violence. 

1.       Early Trauma: First, many mass shooters have troubled childhoods. They often suffer abuse, neglect, or the loss of a loved one. This early pain often leaves them feeling alone and hopeless as they grow older.

2.       Crisis Point: Next, as young adults, they often reach a crisis point. They may become isolated or feel like they don’t belong. This can lead to depression or suicidal thoughts. For some, committing a violent act feels like a way to end their own pain.

3.       Social Influence: Many shooters are inspired by others who did similar acts. They often become fixated on famous shooters from the past. Some join dark online communities that talk about violence as if it’s acceptable. It makes them feel justified in their plans.

4.       Access and Target: Finally, mass shooters tend to target places that they believe have wronged them, like a school or workplace. They often get weapons from familiar sources, such as family members or online.”

By understanding these stages, we can better see where and how to stop mass shootings. By helping people in crisis, we give them a chance to find hope before they reach a breaking point.

The second resource that I have found helpful is information shared by Braver Angels. This organization intentionally brings together people with different views. Chain of Lakes had  speakers from Braver Angels make a presentation. It was beautiful.

On the Braver Angels web site, braverangels.org/our-mission, they shared that they “envision an America with respectful embrace of political disagreements, where civic friendship flourishes and competing perspectives strengthen our nation."

“Embracing values of respect, humility, honesty, and responsible citizenship, our goal is not to change people’s views of issues, but to change their views of each other.”

One of the hardest videos I watched in the past week was not a video of Charlie Kirk being shot. I would never watch that. It was a video of his two children running up to greet him at an event. Those kids will never know their father. Those kids are the same age as my granddaughter, Elouise.  

Charlie Kirk said some things that I would never endorse. In fact, I’ve written blogs that countered the ideas that he shared. But at the end of the day, he had two daughters who will now grow up without a dad.

Again—I don’t claim to have the answers to this issue. But until we all get out of our boxes and reach out to others who have opposing views to look for common ground, I’m not optimistic that anything will change.

Something has to change!

I don't have the answers AND something has to change. Praus!

Last week the term “Annunciation Catholic Church” joined other terms like Sandy Hook, Uvalde, Virginia Tech, the Orlando Nightclub that describe a Mass Shooting. I’m old enough to remember the first one—Columbine—that tragically garnered widespread attention. Partly because this shooting happened in Minneapolis, I’ve been spending a lot of time reading about it since it happened last Wednesday.

And I’m willing to keep reading about it until a large enough number of people say, “Enough!” I shared in my sermon this past Sunday, found at: August 31, 2025 Worship Service,  that maybe the Holy Spirit will lead people of faith—and certainly people who don’t believe or practice faith are included—to say, "Something has to change."

"Something has to change." Perhaps this could be a new term of peacemaking.

In the past eleven years there have been over seventy Mass Shootings in Minnesota. A Mass Shooting is defined by the Gun Violence Archive as having a minimum of four victims either injured or killed not including the shooter. We’re all suffering because of this sickness. We have to keep talking about this sickness—in our families, at church, at school, at our work sites, at our community organizations, with all of our political leaders—basically with all humans.

I do not believe that this sickness will change until enough people say, “Something has to change.”

And unfortunately I’m not optimistic that the horrible incident at Annunciation Catholic Church will be the instigator for change. If change didn’t happen after Sandy Hook—where twenty students and eight adults were killed, or after Uvalde—where 19 students and 2 teachers were fatally shot, or after Virginia Tech—where 33 people were killed, or after the Orlando Nightclub attack, where 49 people were killed, then why would it change now?

However, my pessimism is smaller than my desire to see these shootings stop.

I certainly don’t claim to have the answers to what will work. But I do believe that we need to think about solutions in an expansive way. We need to use the word, “AND” much more instead of the word, “BUT.”

Already I’ve read articles about those who oppose gun control who say that more mental health resources are needed. I agree that more mental health resources are needed, AND I don’t think creating a zero-sum game of pitting gun control policies versus mental health resources is the way to go.

I do think it’s fair to say that if Robin Westman had received significantly more mental health support this likely would not have happened AND if she did not have access to guns that this incident would not have happened.

Already I’ve read where people are critical of those who have transitioned and are critical of policies that help people who have transitioned. I agree that transitioning is a complicated process, AND I believe that more support is needed for people who transition.

We need policies that bring people together AND do not scapegoat any group of people.

In my sermon on Sunday, I encouraged people to live by praus. Praus is a Greek word that means meek, or gentle strength. Jesus said, “blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth.” I’d like to inherit an earth where no children or adult die in a Mass shooting. AND I’m willing to live by praus and encourage others until this becomes a reality.

Being meek does not mean we are pushovers; on the contrary it means we are rooted in something far greater than ourselves. Living with praus means each of us says consistently “this is not the world we want to live in. We don’t want to live in a world where children die from gunshot while attending Mass at their school.

My hope is the term “Annunciation Catholic Church” will be the last one on this horrible list of Mass Shootings. Even though I am pessimistic I’m willing to join a movement for change. I don’t claim the answers, AND I’m willing to work with others to find them.

Praus!

A letter to the Pohlads

 

A letter to the Pohlads, 

Yes, I’m extremely disappointed that you have decided not to sell the Twins. I’ve already had my Twins tantrum for the year—see previous blog. I’m not going to have another one. You have decided to continue to be the owners of the Twins. I don’t like it, but for my own mental health of being a fan I have no choice except to accept it.

 
You have shared that you want to win—that the recent decisions to give up (in my opinion) on the 2025 season and probably the 2026 season were not for financial reasons. . . . Okay. . . I don’t believe you and most Twins fans don’t either.

 
You have a massive public relations problem. Most fans think you’re cheap and care more about making money than putting a team on the field that can win.

 
If I were you, I would hire the best public relations firm that money can buy and follow their instructions. But since you haven’t demonstrated a desire to spend money on players, I highly doubt you would spend money to try to refurbish your image.

 
I have a better idea. For no cost I have eight ideas that would help. If you follow these eight ideas, you could earn back trust from a majority of fans and me.  

1) Commit to being in the top-half of payroll every…single…year. And why not aim for the top ten of teams? 

Now I get it, being in the top-half of the payroll will not guarantee that the Twins will be winners. (And let’s be honest—though you own the Twins, the fans are the true owners. You won’t exist as a winning club without the support of the fans.) 

You could demonstrate your commitment to winning by consistently spending more on your team than half of the other teams. And for sure, the payroll system of Major League Baseball is broken. Until some type of a salary cap happens, (like in the other three major men’s professional leagues) the competitive imbalance in Major League Baseball will continue.

You don’t own a small-market team. Don’t act like it.

2) Have a press conference every six weeks to communicate what is happening with the team. 

 For sure the first press conference will be painful. But you are not going to develop trust from the fans unless you communicate to us in settings that are not favorable to you. Invite ten fans to every press conference who are drawn in a lottery. Let each of them ask a question. I would sign up in a heartbeat. I have at least ten questions I would ask, but I would limit myself to one if given the opportunity. Don’t hide in your boardroom. Talk to the fans. Share your thought process. We the fans won’t agree with you on everything, but at least you’ll show that you care enough to engage us.

3) Explain clearly with Derek Falvey by your side what the *&^% you were thinking in your sell-off from last month. 

 You say that the Fire Sale wasn’t financial. No one believes you. Just level with us. Make the case why these decisions will make the Twins better in the long run. Because in the short-run you’re not going to win.

4) Admit the Fire Sale was the result of poor decisions by your management team. 

 You wouldn’t have done a fire sale if you thought you had a team who would win. Your management team was and is responsible for that collection of players. Admit it. This would help many of us move on.

5) Do not under any circumstances trade Pablo Lopez or Joe Ryan. 

 Pretty clear! No explanation needed.

6) Make at least one big-time signing in this off-season. 

 Why can’t the Twins be buyers in the off-season? Why can’t the Twins be buyers at the trade deadline? You made a horrible decision by reducing payroll after the 2023 season; you didn’t support the team by making a big-name trade at the trade deadline last season. If you’re committed to winning act like owners who are trying to win.

Sure, it didn’t work out with Carlos Correa, but I have more respect for you that you gave it a shot by signing him twice. Keep trying.

7) Stop trading for prospects.
This is what small-market teams do who only think they can win once every five years. You are not operating in a small market. The Twins have been trading for prospects for as long as I can remember. Prospects eventually are supposed to help the team win. This hasn’t happened. This philosophy of operation is not accepted by your fan base. The goal is not to have the best farm system in baseball. The goal is to win championships.

8) Give us hope 

 The main reason we fans are upset is we don’t have hope. We think you’re going to continue to value making money over winning championships. The Twins won two World Series under your Patron—the only championship that a men’s sports team has brought to Minnesota. You have one of the best ball parks in baseball. You have some intriguing players in Joe Ryan, Pablo Lopez, Royce Lewis, Byron Buxton, and Luke Keaschall. But you also have a fun base that doesn’t like you and doesn’t trust you.

Trust has to be earned. Do all eight of these, and many others & I will get back on the bandwagon. But without some dramatic action on your part, you'll continue to lose the fan base.

Go Twins!

Paul Moore

From a fan whose first memory of the Twins is watching them lose on television to the Baltimore Orioles in the 1969 playoffs.

Twins tantrum

 

Reader, beware—this is a Twins’ tantrum.

I’ve been watching the Twins for my entire life. I’m a fan—a passionate fan. This is the most upset I’ve ever been with them. What the catastrophe of the last 24 hours of trades reveals is that the Twins’ owners don’t care about the fans. That is the story of the gutting of “our” franchise.

And it is "our" franchise—the fans’ franchise. A professional sports team exists for the fans.

As a fan why should I care about the Twins when the owners don’t care? Sure, I love to watch baseball, and I love going to Target Field. But I get most excited when the Twins win. And the current ownership group does not care about winning.

I went to the first Twins/Blue Jays playoff game in September 2023. It was a marvelous day—the first playoff win after eighteen playoff losses. Royce Lewis was magnificent. He played like a true superstar—two homeruns and the sense that he knew that he could do anything he wanted. They won that series and eventually lost to the Astros. But as a fan I had the sense that something special could happen.

And then the Pohlads mandated that the payroll be reduced. What??? When I first saw that story, I actually thought it was a joke. Why would the Twins reduce payroll when they had a chance to win? Unfortunately the answer is the owners don’t want to win. An ownership group that wanted to win would have added quality players after the 2023 season.

I remember being a fan when Calvin Griffith was an owner. As fans we always knew that he didn’t have the money to compete successfully. But at least we believed he wanted to win. The Twins were a small-market team in a baseball system that didn’t reward small-markets.

When the Twins went to Target Field one of the promises was that we were no longer a small-market team. Sure—not like the Yankees. But a mid-level market team who wouldn’t use payroll as an excuse for not winning. I don’t expect the Twins to win every year. But it’s not unrealistic to think that the Twins could give the fans hope once—like every ten years?—that they could win the World Series.

The best thing that could happen to the Twins is if the team is sold. The--sooner--the--better.  

Since the All-Star break it became apparent that this current collection of players would probably not make the playoffs even though many thought they would win the division at the start of the season. So being sellers at the trade deadline was not out of the question. Reasonable. But gutting the team is different than being sellers. What has happened in the last 24 hours is not reasonable.

I still think Derek Falvey is a decent General Manager. But I would have the most respect for him if he had resigned—refused to accept the edict from the ownership to gut the payroll.

I don’t think Rocco Baldelli is that talented of a manager. But I would respect him if he resigned. For even if you love to be a manager, why would you manage for an organization that doesn’t want to win?

So I’ll check out for now on the Twins—until we have new owners. I will not go back to Target Field in 2025. And—please God—by the start of 2026 may the Twins have new owners. When that happens perhaps I can recapture the hope that this fan once had.

I can’t even say that I hope that today is the worst that it will be for the Twins. Because the Twins should never have landed in this place.

Micah 6:8--the foundation for social justice ministries

Yesterday I continued a summer sermon series called, “My Favorite Scripture.” Earlier this year I asked the people of Chain of Lakes to share their favorite Scriptures. They shared about forty. I then asked everyone to take that list and vote for their favorite. The top four vote getters are making up this series.

I’m so pleased that the congregation chose Micah 6:8 as one of their favorite Scriptures. I had the opportunity to preach on it yesterday. The sermon can be found at colpres.org and starts at the eighteen minute mark. 

This Scripture is a foundational one for those who are committed to social justice ministries. I've come to believe that the ministry of a congregation goes beyond its social justice commitment. And this commitment is important for all congregations.

And full disclosure--even though I am a hundred percent committed to serving a congregation who reflects a social justice mindset and shares these ministries, I'm also a hundred percent committed to serving a congregation that brings people into a relationship with God and grows in discipleship. I want the people of the congregation that I serve to be passionate about evangelism and Bible reading and prayer and powerful worship. The numbers people will point out that two, one hundred percent commitments are not possible; however God can do amazing actions that transcend the understanding of our human minds.  

I grew up in a household very committed to social justice. Ever since Bob Burnett preached with passion about social justice at Westminster Presbyterian church in Worthington, Minnesota I’ve been surrounded by people committed to helping the wider community look like the Kingdom of God. Because of this preaching my parents moved our family to Kansas City, Kansas to live in the Inner City when I was in elementary school. For the first time in my life, I saw the effects of poverty. I lived within a few hundred yards of “the projects.” We had trash in the alley and some abandoned homes close by. Not far away from our neighborhood was Johnson Country, touted at the time as the third richest country in the United States. The contrast in neighborhoods was jarring to my fourth-grade mind. I didn’t understand how people could live in such wealth while people in the neighborhood where I lived experienced such poverty.

Being surrounded by people committed to social justice continued when I worked for the farm workers in California just after graduating from college. I had the opportunity to speak at churches to solicit support for the grape boycott. I encountered many pastors, religious people, and lay folks committed to social justice.

Micah 6:8 was our foundational Scripture.

I shared in my sermon yesterday that this Scripture is a complete response to the question, “what is the meaning of life?” If congregations can live out Micah 6:8 in their ministries they will grow in all sorts of way—including in their numbers. Micah’s prophetic call is a vision for each of our lives. At my funeral if people shared that I did justice, loved mercy, and walked humbly with God, then my life will have been a success.

Doing justice AND loving mercy AND walking humbly with God together is key. We can’t be complete people unless we do all three.

I think of justice as removing that which causes suffering for those on the margins of society—specifically the poor. Justice is going beyond helping those on the margins—and helping is significant. Right now at Chain of Lakes we are involved in a campaign to bring a hundred bags of groceries to pack the pantry for HOPE 4 Youth, the only organization in the Twin Cities whose sole mission is to help youth who are homeless. Our congregation is halfway there. It will be significant to contribute to give this much food away.

AND to do justice means we have to ask the question of why youth are becoming homeless. Then we have to find solutions that help youth not become homeless. This work of justice is hard and can be controversial. But I believe that if Jesus was living in the north Metro he would do everything he could to encourage people to create a world where no youth is homeless.

The work can be daunting. According to the World Health Organization, 13,000 children under five die from starvation every day. That’s one child for every ten seconds. This is not living in poverty. This is dying because of poverty.

Such a high number is not going to immobilize my work for justice. I just have to find specific ways to channel my desire for justice that are effective.

The second admonition in Micah 6:8 is to love mercy. A synonym for mercy is kindness. This is a reflection of our heart. We are called to be kind to others.

Kindness is linked with justice. This is significant because when we’re doing justice it’s easy to be angry. It’s easy to condemn people for not doing more. I remember just a few years ago when I worked for the farm workers and I learned about how the farm workers were being poisoned as they picked crops. I was overwhelmed with anger. Why is this happening? Why do people accept this? Why aren’t more people doing more to prevent this?

My anger was righteous. But not effective. I learned over time that what Martin Luther King Jr said that appealing to another person’s heart is the key to justice. Appealing with kindness is more effective than appealing with anger. Anger does have its place. And sometimes we just can’t help but be angry. But just as Micah said to make systemic change for justice we are called to love kindness.

Being kind is how Christians are to be known. Christians should always be the kindest people in the room. If we want to excel as a Christian excel in kindness. This takes focus; it takes the ability to let go of our anger; it takes a level of maturity. Kindness does not mean we give in. I can be kind to you and completely disagree with what you are saying.

And finally Micah said we want to walk humbly with God.

Micah didn’t use the word relationship, but we can pull it out of this phrase. We’re called to have a relationship with God. it’s a daily walk.

Recently I was talking to someone who said that Presbyterians are good at the thinking about God. We have all sorts of theologies and ideas about God. Thinking about God and being in a relationship with God are not the same. A walk is not what we think about God. It’s really how we feel about God. Jesus took this idea in the second part of the Great Commandment when he said we want to love God with all of our heat.

I can’t adequately do justice without this daily walk.

I’m glad that Micah implored people to walk humbly with God. When I go for a walk with my wife, Amy, and I’m humbly walking with her then I’m putting my own needs aside and focusing on her. What is she saying, what is she communicating, what matters to her. The same applies to God. When I'm walking humbly with God I'm completely focused on what God wants. 

Doing all three together is what makes this verse from Micah one of the most important verses of the Bible.

Doing justice without mercy or a humble walk with God is actually dangerous. Loving mercy without justice or a humble walk with God is the worst of Minnesota Nice. Walking humbly with God without doing justice or loving mercy is spiritual narcissism.

We need all three together.

Though Micah lived about 2,800 years ago I’m so glad for his words in Micah 6:8.

Speaking up and out against Christian Nationalism

Yesterday I preached about Christian Nationalism. For the third straight week I’ve preached on a semi-controversial topic. A week ago Sunday I preached about being supportive of people who are LGBTQ; the week before I shared the case for women being ordained. No one can ever say we’re unwilling to talk about hard issues at Chain of Lakes Church.

Yesterday's sermon is part of the video of worship at Chain of Lakes. The link is at colpres.org. The sermon starts at the 26.30 mark.

The celebration of the 4^th of July prompted me to share the sermon. For me there is something almost mystical about the 4^th of July. Thinking that people in almost town in the United States are waving flags and watching fireworks and celebrating freedom is beautiful. My wife, Amy, and I went to a band concert on the 4^th at the Como Park Pavilion. Even though the median age of the audience was close to seventy, I loved hearing songs that celebrated America and loved singing “God Bless America.”

My love for the 4^th of July has nothing to do with Christian Nationalism. In my sermon I shared how Christian Nationalism is the fusion of love of country and love of God. A Christian Nationalist would argue that to love God a person must love the United States; and to love the United States a person must love God. I certainly love God and love the United States, but my love for each is not dependent on a fusion of the two. 

I love God, but I don’t need the 10 Commandments to be displayed in a school room; I love Jesus, but I don’t want a cross to be displayed at City Hall; I’ll sing God Bless America with all the vigor that I have, but I don’t think this request of a blessing makes the United States better than any other country. I would have no problem asking God to bless Canada and Mexico and Cameroon and even Iran. I do believe that America is exceptional--one reason is because of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. But my belief in exceptionalism is not a missionary quest to impose freedom onto the world. Imposing freedom is a contradiction in terms. The best way to encourage others to be free is to live responsibly with the freedoms that are inherent in America’s founding documents.

In my sermon I looked at the conversation between Jesus and Pilate in John 18. Jesus clearly told Pilate that Jesus’ kingdom was not of this world. If his kingdom was of this world he would have encouraged his followers to keep him from being handed over to the authorities. 

When Peter cut off the ear of another person after Jesus was arrested, Jesus was horrified. He angrily said that if he wanted he could have summoned twelve legions of angels to defend him. Jesus was not going to use the tools that the state would use to defend itself. The Kingdom of Jesus was not of this world.

Instead one of the tasks of Jesus—not the only task, but one of his tasks--was to bring a set of values into the world. His Kingdom originated in heaven, and Jesus wanted the values of heaven to come into the world. He wanted his followers to live by the rule of love—to love God with all their heart, soul, and mind and to love their neighbor as they loved themselves. He wanted his followers to live by the Fruit of the Spirit (though to be fair Jesus never mentioned the Fruit of the Spirit, Paul mentioned it, but I believe Jesus would have affirmed the Fruit of the Spirit) love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Jesus wanted his followers to go out of his way—just as Jesus had—to love the outsider—Samaritans, women, the poor, the lepers. Jesus would want his followers to place these values first—above everything else. Jesus would want his followers to place him first. This was his Kingdom.

This philosophy would not fit a Christian Nationalist.

I was very pleasantly surprised at the positive respond I got to the sermon. Many people were genuinely happy that I had preached on this topic and were happy with what I had said. Many more people than normal told me that this sermon was meaningful.

This response says something to me. I think many people are afraid of Christian Nationalism and are not sure what to do. I would encourage all churches to have a day where they speak to the problems of Christian Nationalism. And why not have a day where churches across the United States sing “God Bless America” while lifting up the kingdom of Jesus and also denouncing Christian Nationalism.

There is a lot at stake in speaking up and speaking out!

I saw "Significant Other" at the Lyric Arts. It's worth seeing. Read more

 

Recently Amy and I had the opportunity to go on opening night to “Significant Other” at the Lyric Arts Theatre in Anoka. We were fortunate to get tickets, and found ourselves with good seats in that beautiful theater.

I had never heard of the play, but am so glad that the Lyric shared it. Significant Other was written by Joshua Harmon. The play chronicles the lives of four single, friends in their twenties who are searching for significant relationships in 21^st century New York City. The play centers around a character named Jordan. A gay man—he was part of a friend network with three others who were all single women. Alll four of them wanted to be married.

In one early scene Jordan and Laura (one of the single women) talk about what it would like to be married to each other. Each was not confident that they would get married, so they explored what it would be like if they were married. Would they adopt, how would they do money, what would their marriage be like, would they have sex?” The idea of a platonic marriage never would have been a though a hundred years ago. But Millennials are getting married at a much lower rate than previous generations. The meaning of marriage is changing.

We see Jordan’s desire to get married, and the attempts by him to be in relationship. When he meets another man at work, Jordan goes into a panic about what to do. Do I call him? What does this text mean? What should I do now? All of these questions he shared with Laura and the other two women. I felt like I was back in junior high—it was called junior high then—agonizing over every part of an interaction with a person with whom I was interested. Jordan didn’t do well in getting to know this other man. Nothing much happened after a first date.

Each of the three women eventually find partners, and Jordan finds himself alone. He didn’t respond well to this. He couldn’t get out of his own situation to be happy for his friends. In talking about her wedding with Laura, Jordan—was—a—jerk. His anger about being single overwhelmed him and his horrible conversation with Laura.

Jordan wasn’t living the life he wanted. Playwright Joshua Harmon shared shared what he was trying to accomplish in the play by saying, “How do you make life work for yourself when you feel that you’re not living the life you’re supposed to be living or want to be living? And how do you deal with that when the changes that you need to make are in some ways outside of your control?”

To me the star of the show was Jordan’s grandmother. Each time they saw each other she would ask him, “How’s your social life?” Jordan would share that it wasn’t going well. After Laura got married, he shared his fear that he would be single all of this life.

That moment brought me back to my coming to terms with being single. In my early thirties I went through a period of having no dates. This was long before the personals. I was working sixty hours a week in a small town, with little time to date, and not idea how to find someone who could be interesting. I complained to some of my friends about my own predicament. I talked to God about this almost every day. Finally I came to terms that I wasn’t going to let my lack of a partner define my identity. “I just might be a single person,” I told myself. 

Jordan couldn’t get to that point. 

His grandmother grounded him by sharing that life is a big book. He was in a chapter right now of being single. This chapter seemed like a long chapter and seemed like it was going on for a very long time; however it was only one chapter. He needed to see the entire book, and he needed to be patient that this chapter would end. 

Brilliant! 

Out of the blue I met my wife Amy. It was something that just happened. It was the best moment of my life. But I didn’t meet her until I had come to terms with being single. 

Each of us are always wrestling with our identity. Who am I? Who am I as a partner, parent, child. Who will I be in my work, participation in the wider community. Who am I in relationship to God? 

Jordan’s wrestling with his own identity revealed the wider identity questions we all face. The play is worth seeing. It might lead to a person questioning or coming to terms with part of the “Who am I” questions that each of us face.

Attending Festival of Homiletics

 

Last week I had the opportunity to attend the Festival of Homiletics (FOH) conference in Atlanta, Georgia. This idea of the FOH is simple. Find some of the best main-line preachers in the country and have them share sermons. The thought is that by listening to a lot of excellent sermons, participants will improve in their preaching. 

I attended FOH last year and wrote a blog about it at: Spiritual Musings from the north Metro: Attending Festival of Homiletics. I wasn’t planning on attending FOH this year. However the theme of the conference, “Preaching to Heal the Divide,” resonated with me. I identify myself as a both/and preacher. I want to appeal to both liberals and conservatives. The opportunity to listen to sermons that heal the divide between these “camps” prompted me to attend.

The first sermon I heard was from Reverend Allen Boesak, a South African Black Liberation theologian. He had decided not to attend in person as he was very concerned about the new Immigration policies of the US Administration. He preached via video. The title of his sermon was “In Need of a Healing Moment.” He talked about the widening gap between rich and poor. He said that the disparity of wealth in South Africa today is higher than it was during Apartheid. He also shared that the top ten richest people in the world have as much wealth as the bottom 95 percent of the world. He shared that because of this disparity we need to run to Jesus because he offers us a healing moment. Jesus encourages us to speak truth, to speak up when silence is easier and the love when we feel like hating.

I found his sermon quite captivating. I had heard him speak about thirty-five years ago in New York and thought he was boring. But that was probably my youth looking to be entertained coming out. I cannot image what it has been like for him to preach against Apartheid and in South Africa for his entire life.

I especially enjoyed sitting in the sanctuary of Peachtree Road United Methodist Church, the host of FOH. The congregation is celebrating a hundred years of ministry. As part of that celebration, they have hundreds of doves hanging from the ceiling of their sanctuary. The dove is a symbol of peace. So just sitting in the sanctuary I felt like I was sitting under a canopy of peace.

On Tuesday evening I had the opportunity to go with two men, Gray Marshall & Greg Bolt, to watch the Atlanta Braves play the Washington Nationals. We're typical pastors--we like baseball. I had never been to Truist Park before. The Braves were ahead most of the game and then gave it up at the end. Just hanging out with these two men was much more meaningful to me than who won the game. Truist Park is a lovely place to watch a game. Unlike my experience at Wrigley Field a week before, the concourses at Truist Park are wide.

 Brian Blount gave a powerful sermon/talk about faith and belief. He talked about how humans can believe and then change their mind and ultimately unbelieve. Humans make covenants and then break them. What is most important is to have faith—to be a follower. This is what Jesus wants—he wants us to follow. He talked about how Jesus never said, “your belief will make you well.” Instead, Jesus told his followers that their “faith would make them well.” Having faith is of ultimate importance.

A surprise for me was how much I enjoyed hearing David Gushee speak. I was able to catch the last 15 minutes of his workshop and then attended a lecture he gave called, “Proclaiming the Moral Teaching of Jesus.” He grew up in the conservative church but attended Union Seminary in New York City as a doctorate student. He had first-hand experience with conservatives and liberals. I had a similar experience as I attended Union Seminary in New York City; while there I served a conservative, evangelical church on an Internship. In his talk he gave an outline of his book, “The Moral Teachings of Jesus.” I especially appreciated his comments where he pushed back against the "sin" of the empathy movement. He talked about a compassionate response to people who are suffering can change us. Empathy and compassion are the way of Jesus.

I applaud the organizers of FOH for the conference.

My suggestions for changes are pretty much the same as I shared last year. First I wish the FOH would adapt. It’s the same conference that I attended about twenty years ago. The idea is to listen to a lot of good preachers. But I’m not convinced that all of us who attended will be better preachers in three months because we heard some excellent sermons. I told the congregation that I serve that they could tell me in three months if this conference helped me be a better preacher.

And second I’d love to see more technical workshops. I appreciate being inspired and hearing a really good story. But I want to hear more about the technical elements of preaching. How does a preacher put together series? How does a preacher determine if his or her preaching is effective? What can a preacher do when they hit a block? These are the nuts-and-bolts questions that pastors rarely receive help with after seminary. The FOH could provide a much-needed resource of these type of resources were provided.

And third, I’d like to hear more sermons from pastors—not professors at seminaries. I want to hear from people who preach forty times a year. What are their stories about preaching that works? What have they found that helps them bridge the divide? What are the challenges they've encountered in weekly preaching and what strategies do they use to overcome them?

Despite that I wrote in last year blog that I wouldn't attend FOH for a while, I enjoyed my time in Atlanta. My hope is the experience will continue to resonate within me and prompt me to be a better preacher.