January Travels

I spent most of January traveling to different expressions of the Church. I always find it invigorating and grounding to be among pastors and other leaders, in the same way that I find it invigorating and grounding to preach and preside in a congregation on a weekly basis. Church leaders are gifted, committed, hopeful, worried and tired folk, that could easily be doing something else very well. Yet, they choose (every call involves a choice) to serve God and us. Their service is itself a gift of God’s grace and a sign of the nearness of the reign of God, which Jesus proclaims. Being out in the church also gives me needed perspective on some of the issues that so consume me when I spend too much time on the corner of 55th and University. Most important, I am reminded that, more than anything else, my call to to make sure the gospel gets preached.

I began January in Savannah at the annual meeting of the North American Academy of Liturgy. For me, the chief gift of this meeting is spending time with good friends from my years at Notre Dame, along with pals from my work on the theology of the sacraments with the PC(USA). Jim White once remarked to me that one’s position on a conservative-liberal continuum depends upon context. It’s fun to spend a few days a year being liturgically laid-back in comparison to some others. It seems to happen so rarely!

I then boarded a Carnival Cruise ship to lead Trinity Seminary’s Class of 1996 in a continuing education event on Preaching in Lent and Easter. What a wonderful idea! We sailed from Miami to Key West to Mexico and had a day at sea coming back. I taught for two hours a day then saw the sights, sat on deck, and ate too much. The January cruise meant it was warm and affordable. I need to promote this as the future of continuing education!

Back in Chicago, I attended a gathering of ELCA bishops and teaching theologians. We worshiped several times during out days together. We heard excellent lectures and engaged in great conversation. I was most impressed with the bishops and the church’s teachers. The former aren’t bureaucrats and the latter aren’t ivory tower eggheads. I saw some of my seminary professors and some bishops who were students at Trinity the same time that I was. I am still reflecting on the irony of attending that meeting. When I graduated from seminary, we weren’t sure that I’d get a call. Now, I am a seminary professor meeting with the conference of bishops. I find it godly.

From bishops and teaching theologians, I journeyed to Philadelphia and Region 7 (New England, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania) first call pastors. This was an impressive event with impressive pastors. The region brings them together for four days for worship, plenary addresses, small groups, and workshops. I delivered three lectures on the theme, “Solid Word, Shaky Ground,” and preached at the sending service. These pastors gave me hope and made me excited about the future. It was great to reconnect with the bishop of Upstate New York, an old friend, and get to know the bishop of SE Pen. Both women are impressive leaders.

This morning I returned to St. Andrew’s to preach the Word and administer the Sacraments. The more I am privileged to do in the church, the more I realize that preaching the gospel and praying over water, bread and wine is the central call, the heart of everything else I do.