Thank you music educators

There are those moments in life when you have to step back and say – where is the silver lining in this huge black cloud? While not denying the black cloud, today I’ve felt the need to say thank you to all educators and especially band directors and chorus teachers. My son lost his band director this week and the world lost a wonderful musician. My friend, Judy, lost a loving husband. Too soon.
I also learned something at Randy’s funeral yesterday. The Methodist pastor who did the tribute (separate from the homily) spoke of a character in the Old Testament that I fully admit I did not remember. The funeral bulletin listed 1 Chronicles as a text and I remember thinking – what text could that be? The right one is what text that could be and was. 1 Chronicles 15:14-16, 22. “Chenaniah, leader of the Levites in music, was to direct the music, for he understood it.” Well, I won’t forget that name now. Music teachers understand it. They share their love of music and encourage, push and expect great things from their students.
In my life, that person was Mr. Bob Hendrick who taught band at Crest Jr. & Sr. High. For six years, Mr. Hendrick was a part of my life for 180 days each year and for several weeks of band camps, Friday evening football games and contests. He is an incredible musician, teacher and friend. He made me a better flute player and our band members better people. What a gift!
For my son, Robert, he has been blessed with incredible musical leadership. Ms. Hawkins in middle school and this year – Mr. Bob Taylor and the late Mr. Randy Ingold. His words that he posted show the impact Mr. Ingold had in such a short period of time. We saw Mr. Ingold Sunday as he was leaving the early service and we were heading in for Sunday school. He mentioned Robert making all state band and told him how proud he was of him. Those were his last words to Robert. He passed away on Wednesday.

Robert’s tribute to Mr. Ingold.
Your last words to me were that you were proud of me and what I had accomplished. I didn’t get to spend a lot of time with you and I wish with everything I am that I could have but even without a lot of time with you I loved you. you meant the world to me. there wasn’t a dry eye at your funeral and it was a gorgeous service. you will never be forgotten with all of your students and family because the world has lost a fabulous musician, a loving friend, and a life changing band director. you inspired a countless number of lives for years and from now on every sound that comes out of my instrument is all for you.
Rest in peace Randy Ingold.
You are missed greatly.

Music educators – thank you. For enduring those first months of students learning to sing or play an instrument. Your gift of teaching gives us the gift of music – thanks be to God for those gifts. You are Chenaniah’s for the world and we are thankful.

citizens with the saints

I’ve had calls from congregations who have questions about the upcoming 2012 ELCA Youth Gathering. Some ask because they want to know why they should go if they went last time. Some ask out of rumblings centered around some distrust for the church at large. Others just want to know – what is this all about? So, here’s my two cents, and why I am for the first time a part of a gathering team.

I was asked to serve on the Practice Discipleship Team as a coach of the coaches. Each synod has a Gathering Coach (ours is Liz Fisher) and a Gathering Coordinator (ours is Heather Langan). The coordinator position is not new but vital to sharing information about the gathering. The Coach piece is new to this gathering and one of the reasons I said yes to this team. The Coach has the wonderful opportunity to provide high quality youth ministry training to all the adults in our synod, through face-to-face trainings like those that happened at synod assembly, at fall convo and others around our synod. PLUS, free webinars are happening so that anyone can be a part of these trainings without ever having the first plan to attend the gathering. SO, the gathering team is investing in training adults even if they don’t attend the gathering. I liked that idea. I also said yes because I have great respect for and trust in Catherine Anderson and the Rev. Todd Buegler who are leading this day of the gathering. Getting to work with Jo Mueller as my coaching co-hort didn’t hurt either. These are folks you want to work with and be a part of things they dream up. So, I said yes. Now, Jo and I have divided up the synods and I have 32 coaches to check in on and guide through this process. Enough of that – here’s why I think you should consider this event.

1. Relationships – we have a new and sustained friendship with the people of New Orleans. It’s one of the reasons we go back to Upper Darby, PA each time we do a synod mission trip. You get to know folks and accompany them as they go about their journey of ministry.

2. The theme – the gathering team wrote it best – “The theme, citizens with the saints, is drawn from the second lesson for Sunday, July 22, 2012 (Ephesians 2:14–20), paraphrased here:

Jesus is our peace. In his life and death on the cross, Jesus broke down the dividing walls so that we are no longer strangers and outsiders, but we are citizens with the saints and also members of the household of God. The foundation of God’s house was built of apostles and prophets, and Jesus, the cornerstone, holds it all together.

The theme also blends the rich faith history, diverse cultures and arts of New Orleans with the communion of saints that is present whenever and wherever God’s people gather!”

3. The experience, three days centered around Discipleship, Peacemaking and Justice  - “The Gathering program is built around three core practices in which young people will be immersed before they come to New Orleans, while they are attending the Gathering, and again, in the communities of their congregations and synods when they return home.

The core practices — Discipleship, Peacemaking and Justice — serve to accentuate God’s greatest commandment: to love the Lord our God and our neighbor as ourselves (Matthew 22:34–40).”

4. Practice Discipleship - What is Practice Discipleship? During this day, we will gather as a synod – a first in gathering practice and one for which I am extremely excited about. We will be together as we journey toward deepening our faith and finding ways to work together when we return home.

 ”At our baptism, we are called to follow Jesus and enter a life-long commitment to Practice Discipleship. We return to New Orleans to deepen our faith together so we can return to our communities and the places Christ sends us to share the good news. Youth do not make this journey alone. Trained, caring, faithful adults are essential to accompany youth as their faith matures, so this Gathering begins for adult leaders long before we enter New Orleans, through training opportunities to deepen your ability to walk with young people as they follow Jesus.”

5. Practice Peacemaking - What is Practice Peacemaking? – the Convention Center will become a place for interactive learning. 

“The mission of the ELCA Youth Gathering is to accompany young people in their faith journey to understand their vocation and articulate their faith in Jesus Christ. Practice Peacemaking will help young people become more conscious of their own call through focusing on how they can strive for justice and peace within themselves, their communities and the world. This justice and peace is achieved through Christ’s reconciling work in the world. We are invited to participate in this work by accompanying neighbors next door and across the world. At the Gathering, youth and adults will be invited to step into a global community of interactive learning as together we learn how God gives us the capacity to live God’s vision of “one new humanity” (Ephesians 2:15) through the cross of Christ.”

6. Practice Justice - What is Practice Justice? – you may not have a hammer in hand but you’ll get to start your day in the Superdome and see how that place changed the history of New Orleans during Katrina. You will then either hit the streets with your feet or board a bus to your next destination. At the end of the day you will process what it means to practice justice wherever you are.“The Practice Justice day of the 2012 ELCA Youth Gathering is a witness to Jesus’ invitation to hit the streets, to follow one’s convictions with actions, and to do God’s work with our hands. Many have asked that if we are doing God’s work with our hands does that mean everyone will get dirty at the Gathering? Yes, it does.

On the Practice Justice day, the clean and predictable lives of many of us will get messed up a bit by learning about the ongoing struggles in New Orleans. New Orleanians want us to know about their struggles, they want us to see the truth of their lives because after the initial rush of public interest following Katrina, people have steadily stopped paying attention. Now, six years after Katrina, New Orleans still needs our attention.”

So, the “agenda” of the gathering centers around the baptismal journey, living it, practicing, experiencing and struggling with what it means to be children of God together. By training adults to journey with these young people, the gathering team is investing not only in a 5 day experience but in a life-long journey of discipleship, peacemaking and justice. Join me!

Tammy

Something to share

The actual, living, breathing young person I mentioned in my report. Several of you asked for the other 19 things she had to say. I used #17 in my assembly report this year. Thanks Tamie for responding to that question and thank you again, Pastor Dave Keck for sharing it with me.

Tammy Jones West

 

How to get more young people in church

from: The Episcopal Diocese of Arizona

by The Rt. Rev. Kirk S. Smith/Bishop of Arizona

One of the most frequently asked questions I face as I visit parishes is, “How do we get young people to come to church?” I thought this week I would allow a genuine young person to answer that question. Tamie Fields Harkins served for four years as our chaplain to NAU Episcopal Canterbury Fellowship. Last week she had this to say about that question on her blog, which I share with you here.

Here is a step-by-step plan for how to get more young people into the church:

1. Be genuine. Do not under any circumstances try to be trendy or hip, if you are not already intrinsically trendy or hip. If you are a 90-year-old woman who enjoys crocheting and listens to Beethoven, by God be proud of it.

2. Stop pretending you have a rock band.

3. Stop arguing about whether gay people are okay, fully human, or whatever else. Seriously. Stop it.

4. Stop arguing about whether women are okay, fully human, or are capable of being in a position of leadership.

5. Stop looking for the “objective truth” in Scripture.

6. Start looking for the beautiful truth in Scripture.

7. Actually read the Scriptures. If you are Episcopalian, go buy a Bible and read it. Start in Genesis, it’s pretty cool. You can skip some of the other boring parts in the Bible. Remember though that almost every book of the Bible has some really funky stuff in it. Remember to keep #5 and #6 in mind though. If you are evangelical, you may need to stop reading the Bible for about 10 years. Don’t worry: during those 10 years you can work on putting these other steps into practice.

8. Start worrying about extreme poverty, violence against women, racism, consumerism, and the rate at which children are dying worldwide of preventable, treatable diseases. Put all the energy you formerly spent worrying about the legit-ness of gay people into figuring out ways to do some good in these areas.

9. Do not shy away from lighting candles, silence, incense, laughter, really good food, and extraordinary music. By “extraordinary music” I mean genuine music. Soulful music. Well-written, well-composed music. Original music. Four-part harmony music. Funky retro organ music. Hymns. Taize chants. Bluegrass. Steel guitar. Humming. Gospel. We are the church; we have an uber-rich history of amazing music. Remember this.

10. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

11. Learn how to sit with people who are dying.

12. Feast as much as possible. Cardboard communion wafers are a feast in symbol only. Humans can not live on symbols alone. Remember this.

13. Notice visitors, smile genuinely at them, include them in conversations, but do not overwhelm them.

14. Be vulnerable.

15. Stop worrying about getting young people into the church. Stop worrying about marketing strategies. Take a deep breath. If there is a God, that God isn’t going to die even if there are no more Christians at all.

16. Figure out who is suffering in your community. Go be with them.

17. Remind yourself that you don’t have to take God to anyone. God is already with everyone. So, rather than taking the approach that you need to take the truth out to people who need it, adopt the approach that you need to go find the truth that others have and you are missing. Go be evangelized.

18. Put some time and care and energy into creating a beautiful space for worship and being-together. But shy away from building campaigns, parking lot expansions, and what-have-you.

19. Make some part of the church building accessible for people to pray in 24/7. Put some blankets there too, in case someone has nowhere else to go for the night.

20. Listen to God (to Wisdom, to Love) more than you speak your opinions.

This is a fool-proof plan. If you do it, I guarantee that you will attract young people to your church. And lots of other kinds of people too. The end.

2011 Assembly Report

I’m Tammy Jones West and it is an honor to be called to serve this synod as Youth & Family Ministry Coordinator. It is good to be with you today.

I am a trend spotter. Notice I did not say trend setter. OK, I confess to you that in order for me to spot a trend more than 12 of you have to call me and ask the same question. More than 12 of you did this year and the question centered around this – what do we do with young adults? How can we get them into our pews?

In the midst of this my pastor Dave Keck sent me a list from an actual living, breathing young adult who addressed this issue. She had a list of 20 points to make and in my time here I want to share one. She said this – “Remind yourself that you don’t have to take God to anyone. God is already with everyone. So, rather than taking the approach that you need to take the truth out to people who need it, adopt the approach that you need to go find the truth that others have and you are missing. Go be evangelized.” If we are going to be empowered and equipped for mission – let’s truly be the “Evangelical” Lutheran Church in America. Young people want to be with people who are hurting, not to just pray for them or throw money at the issue but to actually hold their hand, accompany them in their times of trouble. Youth and young adults are relational.

Ask First, Greensboro. They lost a young person in their congregation and without the first phone call, email or newsletter – arranged a candlelight vigil through facebook and texting that was attended by over 300 people. They may be stunting their ability to spell through texting but they know how to draw a crowd and good reasons to do so.

We seem to have lost our ability to ask the right questions of youth and young adults because we feel like we can’t relate. We don’t ask actual youth or young adults, we ask each other. My friend, Pastor Matthew Bolz-Weber is an inspiring blogger and said this in his blog this past year. He said – “Scripture tells us that old people will dream dreams ~ these are important and valuable, and we need to listen to them. But at the same time, scripture tells us that young people will see visions ~ these, too, are valuable and important, but I wonder whether we take the time to listen deeply and intentionally?” This is my favorite part – “If we are not willing to actively give up the idea that young people are the church of tomorrow, then I’m tempted to start talking about older people as the church of yesterday.”

The church of tomorrow vs. the church of yesterday. I’d like for us to think of a new church of today. If we are to be empowered and equipped for mission then we need to walk together, sharing Christ – all of us – children, youth, young adults and those of us who no longer fit into those categories. Together we can be empowered, equipped and ENERGIZED for mission in this world that needs our rich theology, our story of grace, our music – all of the good stuff, our hands and feet and our commitment to dream dreams and see visions.

In 2009 our church went to New Orleans and changed how many view young people. Another Lutheran church body went to New Orleans in 2010 for their youth event. Afterwards – the people of New Orleans differentiated between the two groups in this way. When referring to us they said ‘Oh, you’re the evangelicals.” You laugh b/c we don’t see ourselves in that way. I know our youth and young adults are very much that way and they would call themselves evangelicals because of what they did together in New Orleans – they served, shared, listened and were out in the world where God was already waiting.

Let’s be that church today – together. Thank you.

Definitely Abled!

I have used the words definitely-abled many times. In my work with the churchwide organization we even have a Definitely-Abled Youth Advisory Committee. This wording has changed over the years to somehow accurately describe and actively partner with those with some type of disability. We think automatically to someone in a wheelchair, with a hearing issue, etc. However, I have a new appreciation especially for those who navigate this world confined to a wheelchair.

Robert and I went to Disney right before Christmas. Flights were booked for Friday, the 17th. My sister and her three kids were meeting us there. They live in Charlotte and were driving down. On Wednesday the 15th, the phone rings and Melanie tells me she’s heading to the emergency room and she’s hurt her foot. Now, I wish I could tell you there’s some great story to this. She ran a 1/2 marathon on Saturday and then on Wednesday, somehow stepped wrong off the curb in her own driveway and broke her foot. Best laid plans needed to change. Two flights cancelled later and Robert and I were in Mel’s car driving to Disney rather than flying. Wheelchair rented – check. Extreme packing skills – check. We’re on our way.

Arrival at Disney – check. Robert ready to purchase his own ticket home rather than riding back – check. (No way was I letting that happen but he asked about cost) Crowds like you wouldn’t believe – check.

That new appreciation – well, let’s just say that my respect and consideration went through the roof. People were impatient with us getting her around. One woman actually compared having a stroller to having someone in a wheelchair so she could get the handicapped spot on the monorail. REALLY??? She was appalled at having to move her family one slot over. Those of you who know us will find it hard to believe that we let that one go without a word. I know, shocking. The monorail guy was ready to bean her and dealt with her frustration very well. Not only were we standing right there when she said it but we were invisible and obviously she thought we couldn’t hear either.

Melanie spent only a short period of time unable to put pressure on her foot. 6 weeks and some physical therapy and she’ll be back out pounding the pavement. The experience will not quickly be forgotten. It was a shame that it happened and did put a damper on the trip but for Robert and Grant especially – we took turns pushing – the experience was priceless. A lesson learned for all of us. Take the time to pay attention. Your kindness goes a long way.

“Hope a lee not!”

Our family spends a week together each summer. For the past two summers, we’ve gone to N. Myrtle Beach. 7 days, 4 Jones sisters, 3 husbands, 2 parents, aunt & uncle, 1 cousin, 6 grandchildren and 1 niece. It’s a little loud and for an only child, my son, Robert, it can be a little annoying. So, the conversation went a little like this.

Grant – (13 yrs) Don’t 2 year olds take naps?

Robert – Hopefully so!

Gage (2 years) – Hope a lee NOT!

I still laugh when I think of that. Robert is convinced it’s not funny, not adorable, not anything but mightily annoying but we laugh about it even today.

I’ve started reading Kenda Creasy Dean’s new book with a group of friends and I keep praying those words as I read. Hope a lee NOT! However, I’m afraid that she is right.

“What if the blase religiosity of most American teenagers is not the result of poor communication but the result of excellent communication of a watered-down gospel so devoid of God’s self-giving love in Jesus Christ, so immune to the sending love of the Holy Spirit that it might not be Christianity at all?” (Almost Christian, Kenda Creasy Dean, p. 12)

Hope a lee NOT!

Faith is a gift of the Holy Spirit. “The church’s job is to till the soil, prepare the heart, ready the mind, still the soul, and stay awake so we notice where God is one the move, and follow.” (Almost Christian, Kenda Creasy Dean, p. 15) I’m thinking we’ve maybe tilled the soil and readied the mind but also put folks to sleep, regulated the heart and couldn’t find our God goggles or know when to move. Hope a lee not.

Affirmation of Baptism

We usually call it confirmation – as if we, as a faith community, are confirming that, yes, you might have a clue when it comes to what it means to be a Lutheran Christian. I wonder how many of us, as adults, would be willing to stand before a congregation and share our statements of faith. That’s just what happened at Mt. Olive Lutheran Church in Hickory, NC.

My son was among the eight young people who shared. It was my joy to have been assigned to be communion assistant and to present these eight confirmands to the congregation.

Robert was willing to have me share some of his words with you in this blog. Of course, I must preface this with his comment – yeah, you can do that – who do I know that reads your blog anyway? Such affirmation!

For those of you who dwell in this ministry known as Youth & Family, the Eric Griggs that Robert speaks about is Y&F Director at our home congregation – Mt. Olive, Hickory. Know that you all make a difference in the faith journeys of young people. Thank you Eric for being a Triple A Adult in Robert’s life.

“An inspiration that I have had in my experience with church (besides my parents and Pastor Dave) would be Eric Griggs. He has always been there for me and everyone in my youth group. He is always the person to show you how to do something especially in a church service. When you are first learning to be a crucifer or acolyte, you get really nervous because you think you might mess up but he is always there to give reassurance. He is also always willing to do anything for you and the people around you. He is just an all-around good person.

Overall, I have learned that confirming my baptism means that I am confirming my faith in God’s promises that he made to me.”

Great Answers

Last week, I sent out an email to those on the SYMBOL (Synod Youth Ministry Band of Leaders) list asking for prayers for the church. I’ve included my email and the wonderful responses from those who do what I do around this ELCA. I thought you might enjoy them too.

I’m sending this email to call us to prayer. In these times of struggle and pain across the church, as a SYMBOL network, we have to find our place and voice in calling the church to action – not just for the sake of the young people we are blessed to spend time with but on behalf of the broken world we live and dwell in. Some of you may know that churchwide offices are again undergoing restructuring. Changes will be announced soon and we can pray for discernment for those in the process and those that wait, wondering how their area of ministry will be impacted.

I was communion assistant on August 29^th on the day my son affirmed his baptism. I read these words from the 13^th chapter of Hebrews and couldn’t help but think of life as we know it and how it is changing in Christ’s church. We are possibly living in a new normal. What does that call us to do or be?

5Keep your lives free from the love of money, and be content with what you have; for he has said, ‘I will never leave you or forsake you.’ 6So we can say with confidence, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can anyone do to me?’ 7 Remember your leaders, those who spoke the word of God to you; consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith. 8Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

The question I keep asking myself and praying about is this…

How do we let the Spirit move us?

Are we willing to get out of the way?

Where is God calling us to action?

How can we be content with what we have while learning new ways to be the church?

How can we help bring healing?

Big questions – my request is that we spend some time in prayer as a network.

Blessings on your journey,

Tammy

A few responses…

How do we let the Spirit move us?

By asking, in prayer, the right question.  “What do we do that Proclaims Christ and how can we do that more and better?”  Not by asking “how can we put things back the way they have always been?”

Are we willing to get out of the way?

Willing?  Yes.  But to me it feels a lot like being a parent.  We WANT to wait and see but we are always tempted to step in take control.   Church wide and synods need to become structures which help connect and network people and congregations doing ministry.  SYMBOL, ELCA Youth Ministry Network, Synodical Youth & Family Ministry Networks are good examples of this.  They are voluntary networks run with minimum budgets, shared and collaborative leadership, with no agenda other than to help people work together and share resources more easily.  The time has already come to move away from “control” to “wiki-ministry.”

Where is God calling us to action?

To preach good news and teach discipleship in daily living.An interesting follow-up question would be where is God not calling us to action?  God is not calling us to defend His Church, to fortify the institutions, to return to the 1950s.

How can we be content with what we have while learning new ways to be the church?

To divorce ourselves from our love of numbers.  If the ELCA needs to become a smaller, more nimble, more focused, more mission driven denomination this does not mean we have failed.

How can we help bring healing?

Prayer, love, and respect.

ANOTHER RESPONSE…

How do we let the Spirit move us?

This only happens if we become a praying, meditating church.  We are good at teaching the intellectual nuances of Lutheran theology, but we are bad at teaching spiritual practices.  It’s messy, awkward, and invasive…yet it’s this kind of accompaniment that opens us up to communion with the Spirit.  We can’t be called into action if we don’t know how to listen to the Spirit’s guidance.

Are we willing to get out of the way?

Probably not.  We create systems and structures to try to make order out of chaos, but we ultimately become wedded to the institution and not the Spirit’s moving presence.  We aren’t nimble enough to do this effectively in a fast-paced, on-demand world.  This is the struggle with an intergenerational institution.  There are at least four generations that gather for worship in any given ELCA congregation on any given weekend.  We’re lucky if two of those generations are pleased with our ecclesiology.

Where is God calling us to action?

I think God still calls us to live out our baptism in the promises we make when we affirm our baptism (as your son did recently)

to live among God’s faithful people,

to hear his Word and share in his supper,

to proclaim the good news of God in Christ through word and deed,

to serve all people, following the example of our Lord Jesus,

and to strive for justice and peace in all the earth.

How can we be content with what we have while learning new ways to be the church?

This is where the church becomes very contextual.  Congregations are going to have to figure out what THEY are content with and discern the new ways THEY can be the church.  This can’t come from synodical, regional, or churchwide structures (though they can provide guidance and support)…this must be a natural outgrowth of the congregations vision for ministry in their particular context.

How can we help bring healing?

Healing only comes about when a diagnosis is made.  In other words, we have to figure out what is ailing us before we can heal our illness.  This is why the LIFT task force is so important.  Once a diagnosis is made, we can than move towards healing by looking at existing aspects of “the body” that are healthy.  SYMBOL is a prime example of how “the new church” can be structured.  It’s a network of people, called to a particular ministry in a particular context, which exists to support one another and partner in ministry.  Members of SYMBOL are, in many ways, “in-but-not-of” the ELCA structure.  Many SYMBOL members are on a synod staff, and yet they relate to each other in very organic, un-structured ways.

Enjoy!

Tammy

Eastern Cluster LYO

Below are a few of the journal entries from young people attending the Eastern Cluster LYO Event. Thank you to Charlie Klusman and Grace Madsen along with their team for this event!

* Coming on this trip was an extremely fruitful event. I’ve met so many new people and learned so many new things. Being lily strong has opened my mind to being more relaxed and letting God handle my worries. Earlier in the year I lost some of that faith and coming to North Carolina has made it all come back. I think that everyone should embrace being lily strong and try and let God handle all their problems, I for one know that it’s probably the easiest to say and probably the hardest to do, but this is a journey we are all traveling together.

* I strongly encourage high school youth to come to Lyo! This is my first time coming and it’s so fun. I worked at the food bank today and we were handling eggs and whew I’ve never dealt with that many eggs in my life. I think it was like 1,500 dozen to be exact. I got egg all over my shirt. It was very interesting, the food bank was huge. Good shepherded has a bus to and it’s very cool, aplc needs a bus. All the youth here are amazing.

* LYO is amazing in soo many ways. The people and fellowship are one of the awesome highlights. We have learned so many important lessons and scriptures from the Bible. Some passages that we would have never come up upon, but still very vital to building a relationship with God. We would like to thank everyone who has helped make this happen and that are leading. God Bless.

* LYO was a really amazing experience. It was fun to get away from all the distractions of life and come and be with other Lutheran youth in the area. It was nice to talk about our struggles with being stressed out in our everyday lives with other youth who go through the same struggles. It was really nice to do stuff for other people for a change like working at the food bank and making benches for habitat for humanity. It was such a fun day and night and I hope I can do it again really soon! 

*LYO was an unforgettable weekend that allowed us to make new friends and learn how to say no, and how to handle life. Also LYO helped bring together friends we had previously. The community work we do helps us realize how important it is too many people, and how much effort goes into things that help others.

Enough Already

Below is the assembly speech for 2010. I’ve told many people lately and even posted it as my Facebook status that my prayer has been – God, give me eyes to see that line you are not suppose to cross BEFORE I’m on the other side of it. Some would say I’m blind for giving this speech below. I mention Mamaw in this speech and know that the blindness about lines to cross I got from her. My parents would never stir up trouble like I have the tendency to do. I do try and push us to new things because our young people often ask me “when are going to be a church that will …”
However, it was my heart crying out enough already because I am weary from the pain and loss. Each time synod council votes for a church to disaffiliate, I can see faces of people in those places that will no longer be a consistent part of my life. Not just a name of a congregation but Elizabeth, Joel, Tim and the list goes on. I also know that new faces will be added to that list in the fall and need to find strength before that happens by pushing for more light and hope in the midst of brokenness. I want our whole church to see that light and hope as I do through the young people I spend time with.

And so, my assembly speech for 2010…

A reading from John, chapter 17: Jesus prays, “I ask not only on behalf of these, but also on behalf of those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one.” The word of the Lord.

I’m convinced that when things scare, frighten or just unsettle us we get nostalgic for simpler times. For me, those were times with my grandparents. Since the past assembly we’ve spent lots of time praying for wisdom so a few words of wisdom from my grandmother Camilla Valentine kept popping into my mind.

 Many of you know I have three sisters. I’m sure you can imagine and my parents will attest to the fact that there were times when the complaining, whining, yelling and stomping around the house at each other got to be a little much. Mamaw had two words for those times – enough already. She was barely five feet tall but when she spoke those words, we listened. She was also a founding member of Ascension, Shelby and I think she would be telling her church, this church the same thing – enough already. You see, she knew then what my sisters and I did not. That one day the fighting would cease and that the four Jones girls would be a force to be reckoned with and we are, just ask the people in our lives. I also think she would be telling this church that it’s time to be that force to be reckoned with in the world.

In July of last year we were that church – 36,000 orange t-shirts spread out across New Orleans – serving, sharing, walking alongside the people of New Orleans who smiled when they heard we were Lutherans. One month later, I saw this church at its worst – divided, angry, hurt and grieving. Saint and sinner in living color. I grieve with this church over this issue – I don’t take it lightly. People I dearly love and admire have already left this church and I know that others will not be here next year. I can’t change that in four minutes but I will say this to those who are here to stay – enough already.

It is time to move past what divides us and focus on what unites us – “by this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” Brothers and sisters in Christ, if we can’t get along with each other – why would anyone want to be a part of our community of believers? Those outside and inside our walls need us and unless we are that force to be reckoned within our communities – standing up for those without a voice, serving those whose basic needs are not being met, walking alongside those with addictions– then we are irrelevant and we might as well close our doors and give everyone their pew to take home.

It’s worse than “united we stand, divided we fall,” I think my dear husband is correct in making a change to “united we stand, divided we FAIL. We fail to live into our call to be one and our children, youth and young adults expect better of us. They need us to lead, to stand together, to serve together and then let them lead us and they will. Given the opportunity, our young people teach us what walking together, sharing Christ is all about.

I can’t find anywhere in my Bible where the instructions for making disciples were to gather once a week in an assigned pew and then go about our lives for the rest of the week.  Jesus prayed not only on behalf of these, but also on behalf of those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one.” For there to be those who WILL believe in me, we’ve got to be willing to let the Holy Spirit move us to new places. To be called out of our nostalgia and into all those places Christ is calling us in the world. Together, through the gift of the Holy Spirit, we can be that force to be reckoned with in the world. My daily prayer is that we all may be one and SOON.  Enough Already!

Thank you.