We all grieve in our own ways, as you know (and apparently my way includes blogging. Who knew?) My friends, and many of you gentle readers, and even people who barely know me have expressed so much sympathy in cards, letters, phone calls, Facebook, and text messages. Thank you for your friendship and prayers, they are much appreciated.
One woman in my congregation, the same age as my dad, has lost both of her parents within the past 14 months. That gets me to stop. What if I had another 25 years with my dad? Many of you know my wife lost her dad almost 24 years ago. I got a lot more years with my dad than she did with hers. It is strange how this all plays out for us.
However my dad is participating in reality these days, I assume at some quantum level he is making jokes with other atoms about still having to have a "polar opposite" in his life, I am sure he is participating. My dad was of a generation that never talked much about their "faith." My dad was quite comfortable to let the professionals of his generation take care of that...he sold trucks and did math. But it was pretty clear to most people that my dad did have faith, especially if you define the term to mean a "relationship with God." (Or, as one of my dad's generation theologians called it, "the regal relationship.")
Most sociologists will tell you that I am a pastor in Christianity because of the faith my dad showed to me. I can't disagree. Although I come from a long line of church secretaries, I had countless conversations with my dad about God, church, and faith. In fact, one time my dad and his friend were teaching confirmation at our local congregation. On trips home from college, my dad would have me teach the class...I think this was so the kids would possibly learn something other than how to tell jokes and drink coffee. But when those kids were confirmed at the end of their Jr. High School years, they all remembered and thanked my dad. That's the kind of guy he was.
Back in seminary I developed a close relationship to Paul's First letter to the Corinthians. It is my second favorite part of the Bible after the Gospel of John. I love 1st Corinthians for many reasons, and here is one
"Hear this--I'm telling you a mystery.We will not all die, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet." (15.51-52) Paul probably means by "last trumpet" some final moment when the universe stops expanding and starts contracting again. Some time when reality ceases to be. But for my dad, that last trumpet blew a few Sundays ago. And he was changed. And so was I. That's the mystery.
Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers. May your tables be full, and your conversations be true.
This book has a lot to offer leaders even after reading it 2 or 3 times. I've been reading it for over 20 years, and I still find new stuff in it.
A leader has to understand power and this work does a good job of handling the issue. Even those who are not "pastors" can benefit from her reflections on power.
No Christian congregation lives in a vacuum, and to know the history of our predecessors is vital to keeping us from falling into the two traps of "despair" and "arrogance." Despair is when you think no one has been their before and you are doomed...(there is nothing new under the sun you will find.) And arrogance is when you think no one has thought or lived this way before...(again, there is nothing new under the sun. Chances are there are Christians who believed about God, Jesus, and the Spirit just like you do and they lived 700 years ago, and they didn't have quantum physics...hmmmm.)
It is amazing how much clearer the stories of the Bible are when you can get a sense of where they came from and where they are going.
I am a big fan of using economic, statistical, and other social sciences to lead congregations. This book is a decent summary of how to go about analyzing your congregation without having to resort of guesswork about what is going on in the parking lot after a meeting.