tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8699133118710172802024-02-19T20:31:30.749-06:00koinoniaErik Ullestadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10107051442323025127noreply@blogger.comBlogger269125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-869913311871017280.post-88576235388066909292016-11-10T10:23:00.001-06:002020-10-31T21:38:15.267-05:00Reflections on Black and White, Light and Darkness<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal;">
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Friday night was the visitation for <a href="http://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/crime-and-courts/2016/11/05/he-full-dreams-and-potential-14-year-old-homicide-victim-laid-rest/93346104/" target="_blank">Yore Jieng</a>, a 14-year old boy from my church who was shot and killed while riding in a car near his home. Yore's parents were Nuer refugees from South Sudan. At the visitation members of his family and the larger Nuer community were visibly and audibly distraught and physically overcome with grief. Many of his family left before the visitation began because they were too overwhelmed. My heart hurt for the pain they were going through. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">After an hour-long viewing for the family, the grieving public started to arrive. Hundreds of them, from all across the city. Urban and suburban; rich and poor; white, black, and brown; citizen and refugee. Two white police officers who work downtown were present because our Pastor asked them to be around. This is what you do when a child is murdered and his killer is still at-large and hundreds of sad and angry people are gathered to mourn.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">The police officers stood outside and quickly became greeters for the mourners. They knew many of the Nuer kids by name. They gave hugs. They expressed condolences to the kids who were sad, and the kids returned with condolences of their own. The police and young people talked together, laughed together, cried together, and grieved together. And the police officers weren’t the only ones with this kind of interaction. Teachers, pastors, mentors, volunteers, and community organizers all had similar exchanges with the kids. The beauty in these moments was almost more than I could bear. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">On Sunday morning in worship we lit candles for All Saints Sunday. Yore’s parents, Lory and Andrew, lit candles at the front of the sanctuary for their slain son. As Lory turned the corner and started walking back to her pew, she spotted another woman, Kim, a few people behind her. Kim was sobbing. Lory stopped, waited for other people to walk past, and embraced Kim after she lit the candle. These two mothers held each other as they walked slowly back to their pew. Kim's daughter had suffered multiple broken bones in a car crash earlier in the year. Kim was lighting a candle for her daughter’s boyfriend who died in the crash. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">I was astonished to learn after the service that Kim and Lory had never met prior to that moment. They didn’t know each other’s stories. But Lory felt the anguish of another person and reached out in love and concern. That Kim is white and Lory is black is noteworthy, but their shared humanity is what makes this story transcendent.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">If you wake up some mornings and feel that there's more evil and darkness in the world, you may have been right. But it doesn’t necessarily mean any of the goodness and light went away. The people who you love and who love you are, likely, still here. The church is still here. The Lord Jesus is still here. The people who came together in my faith community over the past two weeks are still here. Their stories didn’t go away. And there will be more of these stories that blossom in the days ahead. </span><br />
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">I am constantly adjusting the brightness setting on my phone. When I’m outside in the sun, I have to turn up the brightness. When it’s dark, I can turn the brightness down to save the battery. Light shines brighter in darkness. The emergence of darkness allows a chance for light to shine all the brighter. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not—and will not—overcome it.</span></div>
Erik Ullestadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10107051442323025127noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-869913311871017280.post-36955773680148474342016-02-10T23:50:00.002-06:002019-10-03T08:48:23.615-05:00State of the Network<i>This was shared at the 2016 ELCA Youth Ministry Network Extravaganza in Anaheim, CA. The Extravaganza is a continuing education event for people who work in children, youth, and family ministry.</i><br />
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This is the part of the Extravaganza when I get to talk about the organization known as the ELCA Youth Ministry Network. </div>
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It’s right and proper for me to report that throughout 2015 the Board of Directors has been diligent in prayerful conversation about the business of this Network. It’s good for me to tell you things like:</div>
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<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;"></span>We have nearly 1,000 dues-paying members from across the church.</li>
<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;"></span>We are faithfully stewarding your membership dues, as well as the other sources of income, through the programs, projects, and initiatives which are part of our Network</li>
<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;"></span>We have met three times in-person and two times through video-conferencing to lay the groundwork for a new strategic plan which will guide us into the the year 2020. </li>
<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;"></span>We have ardently and earnestly tried to keep cultural and ethnic diversity a priority of this Network by partnering with the Multi-Cultural Leaders Gathering which has occurred throughout this weekend here in Anaheim.</li>
<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;"></span>We continue to support the efforts of our Executive Director and all the Network staff who work way more hours than they are compensated for and who serve all of us with full devotion.</li>
<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;"></span>We tend to our resources like Martin’s List, Third Tuesday Conversations, Practice Discipleship, the Salary Survey, the Connect Journal, the database of open CYF positions, the Network blog, and this event--the Extravaganza. </li>
<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;"></span>We work to build relationships with our gold and silver partners, the people and organizations who support your ministry. A complete list of our partners can be found in your program, and many of them are here in Anaheim so you can visit with them in the exhibit area.</li>
<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;"></span>We work with regional facilitators who work to keep people connected among geographic groups.</li>
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All of these are good things; GREAT things, in fact. It is both an obligation and a joy to say that the Network’s board, staff, and leadership teams are doing excellent work in serving God by serving the people of the Network.</div>
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But I really just want to talk about Mad Men. And nostalgia.</div>
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Fans of the show will know about Season 1, Episode 13 “The Wheel” — the 5th best Mad Men episode*, which contains the single best ad pitch of the entire show**. </div>
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“Nostalgia," our protagonist / antagonist Don Draper begins, “is delicate, but potent. In Greek nostalgia literally means ‘the pain from an old wound. It’s a twinge in your heart far more powerful than memory alone. It takes us to a place where we ache to go again.”</div>
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Nostalgia. It’s delicate, but potent. And I think it’s poisoning the church. A lot of us know this. We live it every time someone says, “why are our confirmation classes so much smaller than they were 20 years ago?” — or “our youth used to love going on trips to Six Flags, so why are you taking them to the Indian Reservation instead?” — or “I don’t understand why kids are wearing shorts in worship.” </div>
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Let me be clear, I’m talking about NOSTALGIA and not TRADITION. I’m a pretty traditional guy. Hymns, organ, lectionary, stained glass, meditation—all that stuff meets me where I’m at. And those things aren’t doing us harm. In fact, our traditions just might point to a way forward for the church. But nostalgia is what I think is poisoning the church. It keeps us looking back instead of forward. It keeps us looking inward instead of outward. It keeps us focused on the perceived successes of yesteryear and juxtaposing them against the perceived failures of today. </div>
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Nostalgia is poisoning the church.</div>
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But I think that we have the antidote.</div>
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I think that this Network of children, youth, and family ministry is leading this church forward. We’re doing it as individuals, as small groups, and as a network of nearly 1,000 members. We’re not just a small gathering of punk youth workers on the margins. We are a force to be reckoned with. We are lay people, pastors, synod staff, Churchwide staff (including our presiding bishop, who is a dues-paying member). We are camp directors, campus ministers, college and seminary students and professors, youth ministers, children’s ministers, young adult ministers, and on and on. This Network is comprised of people from every part of the church’s eco-system. </div>
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This year about 65% of our members are here for this conference; an event Pastor Gary Hedding calls “one of the best continuing education events I have ever attended, and I’ve been to a lot of them.” Pastor Gary has been a pastor for nearly 40 years, serving in congregations and on a synod staff. He gets it. And so do you. Because you’re a part of the Network. We are a group of people who are doing God’s excellent work - people who are coming together to share their success and failures with one another - people who are more interested in collaboration than in competition - people who are more inclined to put their energy into cultivating new life than to dwell on "the pain from an old wound." We are people who are teaching the church how to be the church.</div>
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So let’s keep it up. Most especially those of you who’s voices we haven’t heard yet. There is a place for you here. Don’t wait for your voice to be perfected, because that won’t happen. Nevertheless, we need you to be part of the leadership teams of the Network. Lead a workshop next year. Write a guest blog post. Get your best ideas up on Martin’s List. Be an active member of this Network. Because, God forbid, we ever become a Network that is more interested in doing things the way we’ve always done it and less interested in tapping into God's creative imagination. God forbid that we become a Network that focuses on trying to replicate past successes more than trying a daring new thing that just might be the best thing we’ve ever done. God forbid we become a Network that drinks from the poisonous waters of nostalgia. </div>
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The church knows what that tastes like, and it’s making us sick. And, as Anna Madsen told us earlier today, people will drink the tainted water if there’s nothing else around. So let’s be a source of new water. </div>
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Nostalgia is delicate, but potent. And so are we! God is with us. And our God will give us the confidence, the love, the hope, and the persistence to keep on teaching the church how to be the church. Thanks for the critical role you play in making that happen, and thanks be to God for the gift of the Network.</div>
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* The others, obviously, are "The Suitcase" (S4E7), "Shut the Door. Have a Seat" (S3E13), "Person to Person" (S7E14), and "The Strategy" (S7E6).</div>
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** A close second is <a href="https://vimeo.com/123768934" target="_blank">Peggy's Burger Chef pitch</a> in "Waterloo" (S7E7).</div>
Erik Ullestadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10107051442323025127noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-869913311871017280.post-4963835158200584212015-12-13T23:23:00.000-06:002015-12-13T23:24:49.262-06:00Lost And Found<div style="line-height: normal;">
<i><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: times new roman;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">Lost And Found just completed their final concert. </span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="font-size: 14px;">There one of my favorite groups. They were</span></span><span style="font-family: times new roman;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"> presented with the </span></span><a href="http://elcaymnet.org/tom" style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: 14px;" target="_blank">Tom </a></span><span style="font-size: 14px;"><a href="http://elcaymnet.org/tom" target="_blank">Hunstad Award</a> at the 2015 ELCA Youth Ministry Network Extravaganza. Here's what I had to say before announcing the award. Thanks, Michael Bridges and George Baum, for your 30 years of music ministry. #SteinAuf!</span></span></i></div>
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At an Extravaganza about STORY, I’m compelled to tell a brief story about this year’s Tom Hunstad Award recipient. </div>
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As a young confirmation student I was, perhaps, a tad over-zealous to claim the promises of baptism. In other words – I was stereotypical church nerd…which made rather me unpopular with my fellow classmates. In fact, they held me with such disdain, that they did some pretty awful things to me…some ugly, abusive, bullying things. Suddenly, I wasn’t so eager to claim my baptismal identity – I wasn’t even sure I wanted anything to do with God…and I certainly didn’t want to go to church.</div>
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Unbeknowst to them, this year’s Tommy recipient was one of the few glimmers of hope in my life in those days…one of few true proclaimers of the gospel of love and grace and welcome that I so desperately needed…one of the few people who spoke to my heart and let me know that even though I felt like giving up on God, God wasn’t ever giving up on me.</div>
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The 2015 Tom Hunstad Award recipient has spent over 30 years blessing youth and youth ministers. Their unique style has made them accessible to people of all ages and all stages on their faith journey. They’ve traveled the world, making small gatherings seem like a big important deal – and making large events seem intimate and familiar. Their bizarre blend of humor and skill has been an inspiration to a generation of teens who, needed to hear emphatically and unequivocally, that they are blessed children of God – and that “you can’t take away what the Lord has given.”</div>
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The recipients’ ministry of music is a juxtaposition of old and new…of acoustic and thrash…of silly and tender…but they are always honest. Their music is a genuine extension of who they are. Their words, their melodies, and their friendship have blessed the church…and as they prepare say farewell in this, their final year of touring, it is time for the youth ministry network to say “thank you” for entertaining and inspiring us for three decades.</div>
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On behalf of the ELCA Youth Ministry Network’s board of director, it is my thrill to present the 2015 Tom Hunstad Award to George Baum & Michael Bridges – Lost And Found.</div>
Erik Ullestadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10107051442323025127noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-869913311871017280.post-59201052318353292722015-12-11T00:04:00.002-06:002015-12-11T00:04:45.936-06:00CREED<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">It’s been a while since I’ve written something this self-indulgent. Consider yourself warned.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">I just saw CREED. Not the band. I haven't seen them since 2002. CREED is first installment of the Rocky movie franchise reboot. Here’s the trailer.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">I loved the Rocky movies growing up - and I still do. And by “Rocky movies” I mean the first four. Rocky V was an abomination. I didn’t see Rocky Balboa (VI) out of fear that I’d be disappointed again. My two sons love the Rocky movies. They watch them for the same reasons I watched them at their age…to get pumped up for no real reason. They may not be great movies, but they are great fun to watch.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">CREED is good...almost great. It’s probably the best film in the franchise since Rocky I. Not as fun or as testosteroney as some of the others. But quite good. I give it 7.5 out of 10. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">For comparison:</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Rocky I — 9 (it won the Oscar in 1976)</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Rocky II — 5 (the last 30 minutes are a 12)</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Rocky III — 7 (Mr. T and Hulk Hogan)</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Rocky IV — 6 (the one I’ve seen the most, by far)</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Here’s the CREED scorecard:</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Fight Scenes — 10</b>. Incredible. Some really great cinematography and choreography. I can’t say enough good things about the fight scenes.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Training Sequences — 7.</b> Very cool Not quite as epic as Rocky II (after Adrian wakes up from the coma) or Rocky IV (in Russia)…but they’re pretty impressive. Michael B. Jordan is legit.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Love Interest — 5. </b> There’s some decent complexity in the relationship between Adonis and Bianca. I also checked my phone a few times when I imagine the director wanted me to be interested in the love story.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Pacing — 6.</b> Like the first hour of Rocky I and II, CREED’s first hour was kinda boring. It’s a 2:15 movie that could easily be 1:45. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Rocky’s Family — 9.</b> They’re all dead or gone. That’s a good thing. I was ready to move on from all of the old characters.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica;"><b>Villan</b></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"><b> — 4.</b> Nothing menacing about the bad guy (Conlan) other than his temper. He’s kinda doughy - not physically imposing in any way. But he is from England and his trainer has some </span>pretty<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> great facial hair.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Music — 7. </b> Several nice callbacks to themes from I and II. Mixed in some hiphop and rap, which I liked. I was really hoping for a great new them song for this reboot (like “Eye of the Tiger” in III or “Hearts on Fire” in IV). I guess we’ll have to wait for the sequel.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Stallone — 9.</b> He’s perfect - funny in the ways Rocky is supposed to be funny. I like that he scaled back the “Rocky has brain damage” affect. Both the actor and the character have aged well.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Bottom line: If you like Rocky movies, you should see CREED.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Thanks for indulging me. Happy Advent to you and yours.</span></div>
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Erik Ullestadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10107051442323025127noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-869913311871017280.post-23240875681688298332015-11-26T10:08:00.004-06:002019-10-03T09:17:14.397-05:00Don't Worry. Be Thankful.<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">Don’t worry. Be happy.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Does anyone remember <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-diB65scQU" target="_blank">that song</a>? 27 years ago, Bobby McFerrin wrote a catchy little tune that became the first a cappella song to reach #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 list. “Don’t worry, be happy” won three Grammy’s that year. It was, briefly, the official song of the George H.W. Bush presidential campaign. The song was used in advertisements for Alamo Rent-A-Car, Ocean Spray, and Huggies. These four words inspired books, bumper stickers, t-shirts, and a nation of people humming that catchy tune.</span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Critical and commercial success for “Don’t worry, be happy” eventually gave way to backlash. Some derided the song’s message as trite, idealistic, overly simplistic, and detached from the reality of a complex world. The "don't worry, be happy" mantra was, to some, escapism at its worst. Worry, people argued, is not something a person can or should simply ignore.</span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">After all, everyone worries, and most of us can’t flip a switch and just stop worrying. Wouldn’t it be great if you could? I mean, sure, worry and anxiety can, at times, motivate us to get stuff accomplished, but more often I think that worry can suffocate, disable, and leave us curled up in our homes or drowning in an ocean of fear or self-loathing. </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My family and friends will tell you that I worry. With so much turmoil and uncertainty and evil in the world, how can I not worry?!?! I worry about the health and safety of my children. I worry about what others think of me. I worry about the future of the protestant mainline church. I worry about the growing water spot in my dining room ceiling. I worry. </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">How about you? What do you worry about? </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Jesus knows that we worry. He knows that we can be overcome, even crippled by fear, by anxiety, or fear, or the nagging voices which cause us to doubt if we’ll have enough or tell us that we aren’t enough. And yet, several times in <a href="http://bible.oremus.org/?ql=315552925" target="_blank">this excerpt</a> from the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says “do not worry.” He tells us how God provides for the simplest of things like birds, flowers, and grass. Jesus tells us that God provides for these things, even without their working for it. The birds don’t reap or sow. The flowers don’t toil or spin. Nevertheless, God provides. </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">At some level, we know that God provides. Most of us have clothing, shelter, food, and water. We’ve had these basic essentials long enough to make it this far in life. Some of us have more than others; some of us have been around longer than others. Just like the birds, the flowers, and the grass, God has provided for us. </span></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">So why are we worried? We know that worry doesn’t make us live longer. It doesn’t make us any happier from day to day. It might make us more productive, but it’s just as likely to make us less productive. So why can’t we shake it?</span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Last year The Independent UK conducted a <a href="http://i100.independent.co.uk/article/the-20-things-people-worry-about-the-most--xJVjF0DSox" target="_blank">survey</a> of the things people worry about most. Here are the top 10:</span></span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">#1 -- Getting Old</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; text-indent: 36pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">#2 -- Having enough money saved up</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">#3 -- Low energy levels</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">#4 -- Diet</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">#5 -- Financial Debt </span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">#6 -- Job Security</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">#7 -- Wrinkles</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">#8 -- Physique</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">#9 -- Paying rent/mortgage</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">#10 -- Being generally unhappy</span></li>
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Regarding that last one -- worry about being generally unhappy -- this survey also indicated that 42% of people are unhappy. Not only are nearly half of us unhappy with our lives, we are </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">worried</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> about being </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">unhappy</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. Kind makes it hard to sing, “Don’t worry, be happy” with any integrity.</span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">On Sunday the New York Times published an OpEd piece with the title, “<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/22/opinion/sunday/choose-to-be-grateful-it-will-make-you-happier.html?_r=2" target="_blank">Choose to Be Grateful. It Will Make You Happier</a>.” The author referenced a 2003 study in which a one group of participants were asked to keep a short weekly list of the things they were grateful for, while other groups listed hassles or neutral events. Ten weeks later, the first group enjoyed significantly greater life satisfaction than the other groups. This is one of many such studies referenced in this piece, all of which led to the same conclusion: being grateful makes you happier.</span></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But how, exactly? "One explanation is that acting happy, regardless of if you actually </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">are </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">happy, coaxes a person’s brain into processing positive emotions. Research published in the Cerebral Cortex Journal indicates that gratitude stimulates both the </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">hypothalamus</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> (a key part of the brain that regulates stress) and the </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">ventral tegmental area</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> (the part that produces the sensation of pleasure)."</span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It’s science, the article concludes. But for many of us it also may be common sense. Making the choice to focus on good things makes you feel better than focusing on bad things.</span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Science tells us that taking time to be thankful will make us happier. And I think that this kind of happiness just might crowd out the worry that invades our lives. Choosing to say “thank you”--to God and to the people in our lives--for ordinary things just might make us worry less. Deciding to fixate on the blessings more than the burdens will not just make us happier, it will make it possible for us to heed the words of Jesus:</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #3f3f3f; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear.”<span style="color: #3f3f3f;"><br /></span></span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Do not worry. </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Today, on the eve of our national day of Thanksgiving, it’s good for us to give God thanks for our many blessings. And, as we give thanks, we will likely find ourselves a little more happy and a little less worried. </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Don’t worry, be happy? </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Don’t worry. Be <b><i>thankful</i></b>. </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">When we are thankful (and a little less worried, and a little more happy) we are then strengthened to do what Jesus tells us to do at the end of this gospel: strive for the kingdom of God. </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Last Sunday we sang the hymn, “Lead on, O King Eternal.” The second verse of this hymn, written by Ernest Shurtleff, is one of my favorite texts, because it tells us exactly how we seek the kingdom:</span></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>For not with swords loud clashing nor roll of stirring drums</i></span></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> b</span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">ut deeds of love and mercy the heavenly kingdom comes</span></i><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Don’t worry. Be thankful. Seek the kingdom. Through deeds of love and mercy. </span></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We trust Jesus Christ, through the power of the Holy Spirit and in our communities of faith, to help us with the work of encouraging one another, to remind each other of the ways God provides for us, to focus on the good things in life, and to motivate us to deeds of love nad mercy.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Don't worry. Be thankful.</span></span><br />
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<i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">(Sermon preached on Thanksgiving Eve 2015 at Capitol Hill Lutheran Church.)</span></i>Erik Ullestadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10107051442323025127noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-869913311871017280.post-87435940976472241832015-09-29T23:19:00.002-05:002015-09-29T23:25:25.453-05:00And a 1...and a 2...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlr8C4I9I7Kv0NODx2gDwTeKtdfOJFUOEiTS5DxwjjS2kU3AITEU7qHCOkRcM3xQTE-bQUMRcQ1muWOLwwL-n63_N2WwRqLs1CUEHeAG7NQOHtt_SANTm3dwVKj8jvqPeBzf-cnNT5FSoI/s1600/1329701_orig.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlr8C4I9I7Kv0NODx2gDwTeKtdfOJFUOEiTS5DxwjjS2kU3AITEU7qHCOkRcM3xQTE-bQUMRcQ1muWOLwwL-n63_N2WwRqLs1CUEHeAG7NQOHtt_SANTm3dwVKj8jvqPeBzf-cnNT5FSoI/s320/1329701_orig.png" width="275" /></a></div>
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Fifteen years ago I was a few weeks into my student teaching experience in Charles City, Iowa. I spent my mornings directing high school vocal music and the afternoons in an elementary school general music classroom. I went into that experience fairly certain that music would never be my primary vocation. I had a sense that congregational youth ministry or seminary would be my next stop. Music education (specifically choral conducting) was, at that time, the back up plan.<br />
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Though my primary vocational identity for the past 14+ has been in youth ministry, I've continue to make music part of my life. I occasionally worked as a vocal music substitute at a local high school. I played guitar for children's ministry events. I led a "praise band" for a few years. There's always music being played or sung in our home. But I haven't really done the thing I was trained to do in college -- be a choir director.</div>
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That's going to change tomorrow. One of my duties at my new church is to direct the choir. Thinking about choir rehearsal makes me feel like I'm 21 years old again, getting ready to embark on another day of student teaching. Excitement. Terror. Curiosity. Humility. Back in college, I'd squelch these feelings with frozen pizza, cheap beer, and Super Mario World with my roommate. Tonight, I'll settle for West Wing reruns on the couch with my dog.</div>
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It's a bizzare thing to be in front of a group of musicians...a strange mix of intimacy, vulnerability, and passion. And it's a profound honor. Which is something I hope I never cease to recognize.</div>
Erik Ullestadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10107051442323025127noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-869913311871017280.post-39731303350807433862014-01-24T15:01:00.001-06:002014-01-24T15:01:48.563-06:00Potty-Mouthed Pastors<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDBTcudWSFFPIEdJFsXokDvk-HJNKyQHFejQ02QkDK9WmPhCMFYHmRgEDiu0dR2BtT58LuWVMaphNm3pgaVOxuZYnIzAd9G2IfUwybDAcdn1i91bUKsxlTKi0j1bnrk8YSSREH-ZY2PnyF/s1600/cursing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDBTcudWSFFPIEdJFsXokDvk-HJNKyQHFejQ02QkDK9WmPhCMFYHmRgEDiu0dR2BtT58LuWVMaphNm3pgaVOxuZYnIzAd9G2IfUwybDAcdn1i91bUKsxlTKi0j1bnrk8YSSREH-ZY2PnyF/s1600/cursing.jpg" height="304" width="320" /></a></div>
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Paul Hill <a href="http://thoughtsfrompaulhill.com/2014/01/23/have-i-become-the-church-lady/" target="_blank">blogged</a> about his recent experience at the <a href="http://c21.thejopagroup.com/" target="_blank">Christianity21</a> conference. It's a good post. Go check it out... I'll be here when you get back.<br />
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As you can tell, Paul was taken aback by the pervasive use of profanity from many of the speakers. He wonders if his negative reaction to the use of <i>the F-word</i> means he's becoming The Church Lady.*<br />
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At EC21 the speakers intentionally and frequently used [the f-bomb], commented on using it, and nearly celebrated using it. I don't see how this communicates relevancy so much as it is pandering to the audience. </blockquote>
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It's hard for me to separate when someone is using salty language for emphasis and when they're just showing off. I certainly am no stranger to profanity, and I'm not personally offended when someone f-bombs...but, I'll admit to being annoyed at times. It's as if some of these folks are saying, "Look at me...I said a naughty word!"<br />
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Then again, I'm probably not the intended audience for the speakers at events like Christianity21. (White, middle class, suburban, midwestern, life-long Lutheran, pastor's kid, etc.) I really love what Emergence Christianity has done to draw the church out of it's fuddy-duddyness. Furthermore, most of the emerging leaders are doing the kind of ministry I don't have the courage to event attempt. If cursing and tattoos and piercings are part of the Relevance Package for these ministers, who am I to say they should stop?<br />
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<a href="http://jakebouma.com/" target="_blank">Jake</a> and I wrestled with the topic of profanity when assembling <a href="http://elbowco.org/#cancer-and-theology" target="_blank">Cancer & Theology</a>. Several of the authors used words that would make my grandmother blush. For a variety of reasons we kept their original language in the book. We did this recognizing there are some people who will miss out on an excellent message because the writers employed a handful of curse words.<br />
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When it comes to the use of curse words, it's probably a living-in-the-tension situation, which, I'll admit, feels like a cop-out. For me, it's about knowing your audience (whether it's a large assembly or a small group) and understanding when an f-bomb will convey passion and emphasis...and when it will distract and offend.<br />
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What do you think? Is it okay for a pastor or church leader to use a "bad word" when writing or speaking in public?<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">* The Church Lady was a <a href="http://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/video/church-chat-church-lady-spanks-rob-lowe/n9894/" target="_blank">Saturday Night Live character</a>, made famous by Dana Carvey, who frequently rails against the sinful nature of famous people and youth culture.</span><br />
<br />Erik Ullestadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10107051442323025127noreply@blogger.com55tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-869913311871017280.post-12672616415461205342014-01-07T11:06:00.001-06:002014-01-07T15:03:47.376-06:00Cancer & TheologyCancer.<br />
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Of all the words in the English language, I can think of none more offensive, violent, or profane than this word.<br />
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<b>Cancer.</b><br />
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I don't know a single person who hasn't been touched by cancer in some way. A family member. A close friend. A co-worker. A classmate. A parishioner. <b>Everyone</b> knows someone (probably many someones) who has encountered cancer.<br />
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Two and a half years ago, a young mother in my congregation was diagnosed with an aggressive form of brain cancer. The diagnosis came with a near certain death sentence. Chemotherapy and radiation followed a rather invasive surgery to remove part of the tumor. As she was in the process of making a miraculous recovery, my good friend Jake was diagnosed with lymphoma. It was in the midst of his treatment (and eventual recovery) that he reached out to a handful of Christian scholars, pastors, and leaders. His request was simple—write essays which help people think theologically about illness and death.<br />
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There is great wisdom and candor found in each of these sixteen essays, several of which originally appeared on <a href="http://www.jakebouma.com/cancer-and-theology-series/" target="_blank">Jake's blog</a>. Last week the essays were gathered into an e-book called <i>Cancer & Theology </i>which is now <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HHJAUE8" target="_blank">available for purchase on Amazon.com</a>. A paperback version will be ready on February 1. A portion of all proceeds will support the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. <br />
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These essays have helped me wrestle with how I understand God's activity in the midst my friends' journeys with cancer. If you have been touched by cancer, I believe <i>Cancer & Theology</i> will speak to you as well. <br />
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<br />Erik Ullestadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10107051442323025127noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-869913311871017280.post-84346947202036760032013-11-01T20:45:00.000-05:002013-11-01T20:45:46.628-05:00Young LeadersI'm spending the weekend at an ELCA youth leadership retreat. Teenagers from across the country have gathered around three questions:<br />
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<li>How am I experiencing or seeing God's presence?</li>
<li>What is God calling me to?</li>
<li>How will I respond?</li>
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The group was visited this evening by Bishop Brian Maas of the Nebraska Synod. He spoke about innovative leadership and invited the young people to wrestle with another question: "what does leadership look like in the church?" He referenced Everett Rogers' <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diffusion_of_innovations" target="_blank">technology adoption lifecycle</a> and Geoffrey Moore's <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geoffrey_Moore" target="_blank">adaptation</a>, which produced this chart:</div>
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Bishop Maas made a strong case for why church leaders aren't called to be innovators or even early adopters, rather leaders are called into the chasm. He certainly piqued my interest in the topic. One of the questions I will continue to wrestle with is <b>who are these leaders</b>? Are they pastors? Lay staff? Volunteers? Church councils? Consultants? Elders? Youth? Furthermore, do our congregations want pastors who will bridge the gap between the 15% and the 85%? </div>
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Patrick Scriven, blogging for the Pacific Northwest Methodist Conference, <a href="http://www.pnwumc.org/news/the-church-needs-more-innovative-pastors-like-mtv-needs-more-twerking/" target="_blank">doesn't think the church needs more innovative pastors</a>. I'm curious to know what you think. </div>
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In the meantime, I'm excited to have the rest of the weekend to keep learning from the young people at this leadership retreat.</div>
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Erik Ullestadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10107051442323025127noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-869913311871017280.post-66199934527363581902013-08-08T08:55:00.000-05:002013-08-08T09:07:57.589-05:00Counting the Costs<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small; line-height: 1.38;">A group of college students came over to my house for dinner on Sunday night. This was one of the last church events for students who are soon heading off to institutions of higher learning. For many of these young people, the decision to attend college is a foregone conclusion...merely the obvious next step in their journey toward becoming productive members of society. Most of them will receive financial support for their education, but almost all of them will graduate with much larger debt than their parents. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">It's no secret that the cost of education is more expensive for this generation than for previous generations. We know that the rate of inflation is much more gradual than the rate of increases for colleges. For example, the minimum wage in 1983 was $3.35/hour and the average college tuition was just under $1,800. Today, the minimum wage is $7.25 and the average cost for tuition is just over $12,000.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">For a student to "work their way through college" in 1983, they would need to crank out about </span>530 hours<span style="font-weight: normal;"> flipping burgers or stocking shelves each year. A 40 hour work week in the summer months would nearly cover the total cost of tuition without any need for scholarships, financial aid, work study, or parental assistance. Students today face a different reality. A young person needs to work </span>2,480 minimum wage hours<span style="font-weight: normal;"> to pay for tuition; 4.5 times as many hours as their counterparts in the early 1980's. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">This extends to the church world as well. In order for someone to be a pastor in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) that person needs to receive a Masters of Divinity through a seminary, which is typically a four-year process. Yesterday, Bishop Michael Rinehart posted these numbers on the ELCA Facebook page:</span></div>
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<span class="messageBody" style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.38;">Factoid: Full-time tuition for a masters degree student this academic year at Luther [Seminary] was $15,000. Single students pay nearly $32,870 annually when tuition, room, board, books, insurance and other educational expenses are added together. 69% of seminary graduates have educational loans, averaging over $42,279.</span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 17px;">The minimum base salary for a pastor in the Southeastern Iowa Synod is $33,625 (each synod has a slightly different number)...and the average seminary graduate carries $42,279 in educational loans. Something is out of balance in this scenario.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 17px;">I wonder if this entire education/seminary/ordination system is reaching the breaking point, if for no other reason than the financial burden it places on its pastors. If we (the church) don't feel the need to change things, how much greater does this disparity need to be until the whole thing implodes? I see and hear a lot of hand-wringing among seminary faculty, synod staff, clergy, and lay leaders about the cost of ordination, but all of us are short on realistic solutions to this growing problem.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 17px;">Maybe there's a <span style="color: blue;">koinonia</span> reader out there who is inspired to offer their suggestions. Feel free to weigh in on the comments section or through <a href="http://facebook.com/erikullestad" target="_blank">Facebook</a>/<a href="http://twitter.com/erikullestad" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, if you prefer.</span></div>
Erik Ullestadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10107051442323025127noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-869913311871017280.post-46136898433983249802013-03-26T08:25:00.000-05:002013-07-22T12:32:01.297-05:00Things I Love About My Church #2<i style="color: blue;">I've been on the staff at Windsor Heights Lutheran Church for over nine years. There's a lot of cool stuff about this church, and though I can't possibly share <u>all</u> that's great about WHLC, I'd like to blog about a few of my favorite things. For example...</i><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Helping Hands</span></b></div>
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It's a bizarre experience to arrive on the scene of a disaster. All routines, patterns, and assumptions are discarded and replaced by a new reality. Anyone who has watched helplessly as a house burns to the ground or as a building is demolished by high winds knows how this feels. <br />
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I had a similar circumstance, though on a smaller scale, this past Saturday when I walked into the lower level at church. "Is that water in the hallway?" my daughter asked. It was indeed. A lot of water. Several thousand gallons of water had poured out of a broken water line on the third story and was spreading throughout the church. All three levels experienced water damage, including carpeting, ceiling tiles, and walls. Affected rooms included the narthex, fellowship hall, classrooms, and Sanctuary. It was a mess.<br />
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After turning off the water, I made a few phone calls to the pastor and property committee members. Mitigation professionals came to remove the water and discard soiled carpet...but there was still a lot of work that needed to be done in order to "prepare the way" for Palm Sunday. Items needed to be sorted and either disposed of or moved to a dry location. Equipment and furniture had to be relocated. Temporary flooring needed to be put in place.<br />
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A few more phone calls yielded additional people. Kiersten (age 5) said it best, when she told her older brother, "We need to go help. If our house had flooded our church friends would be here to help us!"<br />
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People of all ages worked throughout the afternoon and late into the night and made it possible for worship to happen the following day. It was a day that was both heartbreaking and redeeming. As people responded with patience and generosity throughout the weekend, I was reminded of the myriad ways God's Spirit works through people to make the best of a bad situation.</div>
Erik Ullestadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10107051442323025127noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-869913311871017280.post-74859029978300027622013-03-24T23:33:00.001-05:002013-03-24T23:33:14.730-05:00vocātiō<span style="font-family: inherit;">It's been a while since I've written anything in this space. This happens frequently. Here are the ten things that happen during a writing lapse:</span><br />
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<ol>
<li>Clever thought enters brain</li>
<li>Fingers begin typing</li>
<li>Brain and fingers have disagreement</li>
<li>#%$&*@!</li>
<li>Writing resumes for 5 minutes</li>
<li>Writing ceases</li>
<li>Temper tantrum</li>
<li>Blog post deleted</li>
<li>Self-loathing</li>
<li>Repeat #1-9</li>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Maybe this time will be different...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">* * *</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">We in the church like to talk about vocation - a word that comes from the Latin </span><i style="line-height: 19px;">vocātiō</i><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;"> which means "call" or "summons." When discussing vocation Lutherans are fond of telling a story that goes something like this:</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">A shoe maker asked Martin Luther how to best serve God. Luther asked him "What is your work now?" The man replied "I am a shoemaker." Luther told him "Make a good shoe and sell it at a fair price." </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">It's a lovely story which conveys the notion that people serve the Lord when they use their God-given gifts in ways that are good and honest. In this way, vocation is the pairing of a person's abilities and interests with the needs of the community. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">A similar sentiment was expressed (sarcastically and with a few naughty words) in <a href="http://www.theonion.com/articles/find-the-thing-youre-most-passionate-about-then-do,31742" target="_blank">The Onion</a> last week:</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #fefefe; color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 28px;">...you need to find the one interest or activity that truly fulfills you in ways nothing else can. Then, really immerse yourself in it for a few fleeting moments after an exhausting 10-hour day at a desk job and an excruciating 65-minute commute home. During nights when all you really want to do is lie down and shut your eyes for a few precious hours before you have to drag yourself out of bed for work the next morning, or on weekends when your friends want to hang out and you’re dying to just lie on your couch and watch TV because you’re too fatigued to even think straight—these are the times when you need to do what you enjoy most in life.</span></blockquote>
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<i style="line-height: 19px;">Vocātiō </i><span style="line-height: 19px;">seems like a simple concept - serve God by doing what you love. Yet all around I feel the anguish of people who find this to be unattainable. </span><span style="line-height: 19px;">There's the teenager who feels compelled to get good grades so he can go to a good college so he can get a job that pays well enough for him to service the six-figure college debt he will rack up. There's the college student who changed her major because there wasn't enough job security in what she was passionate about. And there's the young GenXer who can neither imagine working for the same company another year (let alone 30) nor imagine taking the risk of changing careers.</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 19px;">Certainly there are many examples of people who have stepped out in faith to serve God and humankind through their vocation. There are also people who haven't made a monumental change in their profession, but have modified the way they approach the work they are currently doing. I wonder how the church - it's people and it's institutional structures - can better encourage God's people to see their work as prayer each day.</span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 19px;"><b>Have you witnessed people in your life who live out their vocation? How might you serve God through your "ordinary" job?</b></span></div>
Erik Ullestadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10107051442323025127noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-869913311871017280.post-49795207854389175762012-12-18T09:14:00.002-06:002012-12-18T09:14:55.512-06:00Things I Love About My Church - #1<span style="color: blue;"><i>I've been on the staff at Windsor Heights Lutheran Church for over nine years. There's a lot of cool stuff about this church, and, though I can't possibly share all that's great about WHLC, I'd like to blog about a few of my favorite things</i><i>. For example...</i></span><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Men's Fellowship Group</span></b><br />
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It began over a year ago when a new Bible Study for women was established. The participants took turns meeting in each other's homes for food and conversation each month. After a while their husbands decided to get together for their own sort of small group. Instead of an official church-sanctioned Bible Study, they opted for dinner and drinks at a local establishment. A few months later, they invited me to join them (which was very kind, since my wife is part of a different Bible Study). <br />
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The group consists of about 2/3 recent empty nesters (with children in their early-mid 20s) and 1/3 grandparents of teenagers. Much of the conversation centers on current events and/or whatever happens to be on someone's mind. It's a diverse group, and opinions are not hard to come by. Inevitably, the conversation will to religion, church culture, and the Bible. All of these men have been leaders in the church for 20+ years (some more than twice that). They are faithful in worship, prayer, generosity, and study...and yet they come together to wrestle with questions, doubts, and curiosities.<br />
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The most beautiful part of this group is the deep and abiding affection (dare I call it "love") that these men have for one another. They root for different sports teams, live in different parts of town, work for a wide array of vocations, vote for different presidents, and express their faith differently...but they care about each other enough to engage in the kind of conversations they may not be able to have anywhere else.<br />
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For example, I arrived a few minutes late tonight, so most of the people had already gathered. Before I sat down, I was asked about my opinion the previous night's congregational meeting (where, among other things, we voted to move forward with the design phase of a $3.2 million dollar <a href="http://whlc.org/building-today-for-gods.html" target="_blank">building project</a>). How did I think it went? What surprised me? Am I excited about the building project? From there, we shifted to the Newtown, CT tragedy. We debated the nuance between the presence of "the devil" and the presence of "independent evil" in the world. Does the devil exist? Is there a hell? If so, does the person who killed all of those children belong there? What about mental health issues? Did the shooter need help and, therefore, does he deserve our sympathy instead of our hatred? Do we want to be in heaven if murderers are there? Should people with mental health problems have access to guns? Should anyone have access to the kind of guns used in Newtown? Do we need stricter gun control laws? Do we need looser gun control laws? Where was God in the midst of the shootings? Did this happen because teachers can't pray in school? Is this one of the signs that the world is coming to an end?<br />
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All of this in the 20 minutes before our food arrived.<br />
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From there we engaged a variety of topics -- social media, raising children, politics, sports, and whether or not the University of Iowa should find a new president. The group adjourned after a couple of hours, with a commitment to meet again next month.<br />
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I don't know if it's commonplace for other churches to have a group of 12-15 people who are committed to one another in the same way as this men's fellowship group. I certainly hope so. Sharing dinner and drinks with these people has certainly blessed my life and given me hope that civil discourse is possible in our world.Erik Ullestadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10107051442323025127noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-869913311871017280.post-90196579518271887752012-11-30T14:18:00.000-06:002012-11-30T14:18:01.352-06:00Propped Up by Culture<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Every once in a while a blog post comes along that appears to be speaking directly to me. Such was the case with Pastor Keith Anderson's <a href="http://pastorkeithanderson.net/item/pastors-stop-complaining-about-sunday-morning-sports" target="_blank">Pastors Stop Complaining About Sunday Morning Sports</a>. If there's one common theme that has come up in youth ministry circles (with greater frequency) is the idea that we are in competition with sports, music, drama events.<br />
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At some level, we are. Young people have a finite amount of time to give to various activities. The extrinsic consequences for missing a basketball practice, for example, are greater than missing youth group. The coach can reduce playing time or even remove a player from the team if they appear to have a divided loyalty. The youth leader, by contrast, isn't likely to <i>bench</i> a young person because they missed youth group. At worst, the young person might get a "hey, we missed you" or "you haven't been to church in a while"...but nothing like what might happen after missing a practice/rehearsal.<br />
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It's like every activity-group is a plastic containers of food. Everything aspect of life is compartmentalized. A sports team is one container. Same for a music ensemble, drama troupe, academic club, social group, etc. Some containers are bigger than others. Many consider their faith-related activities to be in a similar container -- something they do when they're not doing those other things. Maybe, instead, we need to help people think of their faith life as the refrigerator; the appliance that keeps the food in the other containers from spoiling.<br />
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Pastor Keith points to the need of church leaders to emphasize <b>vocation</b> in their interactions with people. If, instead of becoming bitter about being on the losing end of our competition with sports/music/drama, we encouraged those young people to consider the way they approach those activities is connected to their faith life. <br />
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Another fascinating concept Pastor Keith broached is this:<br />
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The emergence of Sunday morning sports is just a symbol of a shift that's happening in our society where the church is no longer accommodated or propped up by our culture.</blockquote>
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I never thought about the church as being propped up by culture - but I have to admit there are a lot of ways it has been and continues to be. I've grown up in a time and place where almost all of my friends went to a Christian church. I knew some <a href="http://www.pewforum.org/unaffiliated/nones-on-the-rise.aspx" target="_blank">nones</a>, but I knew even fewer people who practice a different religion than Christianity. Additionally, I recall a strict "no homework" policy at my school on Wednesday nights, because that was Church Night. Music contests, sporting events, and other extra-curricular activities took place on Saturday; never on Sunday. Lots of stores were closed on Sunday, some even explicitly indicating it was "in honor of our Lord."<br />
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As this trend continues, it's understandable that some church leaders will become depressed. It will also become easy for parishioners who long for the good-old-days to blame their pastor or youth leader for why young people aren't flocking to churches like they did in previous generations. (Something I touched on in <a href="http://erikullestad.blogspot.com/2012/07/on-shepherds-and-flocks.html" target="_blank">this post</a>.) <br />
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I have hope that an emphasis on <b>vocation</b> will renew our church members <u>and</u> staff to being about Christ's presence in the world. Erik Ullestadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10107051442323025127noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-869913311871017280.post-71479422933746844322012-11-27T13:21:00.000-06:002012-11-27T13:21:29.701-06:00Biblical Purity<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Some of you may recall me <a href="http://erikullestad.blogspot.com/2012/02/wholeness-holiness.html" target="_blank">writing back in February</a> about a biblical purity resource called <a href="http://wholenessandholiness.org/" target="_blank">Wholeness & Holiness</a>. I'm thrilled that, after more than a year of collaborating with Jake Bouma and Ritva Williams, W&H is finally available for church leaders to purchase and use in their context. It's only been a week and we're already hearing great feedback from people who plan to use it with youth, parents, and other adult groups.</div>
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One of the hurdles we are already facing is the notion that "biblical purity" is only about sex and sexuality. From my perspective, Wholeness & Holiness is about sex in the same way a grocery store is about selling vegetables. When you enter a grocery store, you can find a lot of varieties of vegetables prepared in different ways (fresh, canned, frozen, etc.), but there are many other kinds of food in that supermarket. In the same way, W&H has a robust lesson called <i>Holy Sex! </i>and includes an extended supplemental resource for leaders to delve into deeper conversation about sex...but W&H is about much more than sex. The purity laws found in the Bible touch nearly every aspect of individual and communal living — food, clothing, hygiene, jewelry, and much more. When crafting this resource we tried to reflect the expansive nature of biblical purity, dating back to the time of Moses. As one commenter put it, "so you really do mean BIBLICAL purity!"<br />
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I hope people find Wholeness & Holiness to be a helpful resource in telling the <b>whole</b> story of biblical purity. It's exciting to be part of the conversation that is already unfolding. For example, the concept of calling behavior "biblical" is a hot topic right now. (One needn't look any farther than the thousands of comments related to Rachel Held Evans' recent post, <a href="http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2012/11/17/my-take-the-danger-of-calling-behavior-biblical/" target="_blank">The danger of calling behavior 'biblical'</a>.) I hope W&H can debunk some existing purity myths and be part of the larger discourse about holy/pure/biblical living.<br />
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If you want to know more about Wholeness & Holiness, please check out our <a href="http://wholenessandholiness.org/" target="_blank">web site</a>, like us on <a href="http://facebook.com/biblicalpurity" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, and/or follow us on <a href="http://twitter.com/biblicalpurity" target="_blank">Twitter</a>.Erik Ullestadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10107051442323025127noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-869913311871017280.post-23349125604148574522012-11-18T22:50:00.000-06:002012-11-19T07:53:54.923-06:00Drinks & Hymns<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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A few years ago, some of the <a href="http://humblewalkchurch.org/" target="_blank">cool</a> <a href="http://houseforall.org/" target="_blank">churches</a> started doing a "Beer & Hymns" event — a time for the spiritual-but-not-religious and the religious-but-not-spiritual to meet in a locally owned pub for a hymn sing. The allure was two fold: (1) a chance to debunk the impression that Christians are stuffy prohibitionists, and (2) a proclamation that songs of faith can/should be sung outside of church.<br />
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In September my friend <a href="http://natehouge.com/" target="_blank">Nate Houge</a> came down from Minnesota and led a <i>coffee + beer + hymns</i> event in Des Moines. The <a href="http://www.javajoescoffeehouse.com/shop/" target="_blank">venue</a> was perfect -- a slightly rundown theater owned by an adjacent coffee shop which also seves food, wine, and beer. We promoted it across several Lutheran churches and two local colleges, hoping to snag the notoriously de-churched Millennial crowd. About 30 people came - many of whom were church workers. I'll admit to being simultaneously disappointed with the turnout and blessed by those who came. It was a fun night, but I wondered if my circle of influence wasn't "urban hipster" enough to pull off this kind of radical project. I totally get it. Singing hymns in a public non-church place is weird...especially if alcohol might be present.<br />
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I'm not sure why, but we decided to do another one...with a few tweaks. We held it on a Friday night (instead of Thursday) and changed the name to <i>Drinks & Hymns</i> which is a little more church newsletter friendly. We also relied on local musicians to perform a brief concert and lead the hymn sing. This time around, there were 75+ who attended, which made for a loud and satisfying evening. It was truly a cross-generational event involving people in their 70's on down to a five-week old baby. The full spectrum of drink varieties were consumed. Some tears were shed. Harmonies were sung. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive. <br />
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There seems to be some energy around doing Drinks & Hymns again in Central Iowa...which makes my heart happy.<br />
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If you're thinking of starting your own beverage/hymns event, Pastor Keith Anderson has some <a href="http://pastorkeithanderson.net/item/how-to-host-your-own-beer-and-hymns-night" target="_blank">helpful suggestions</a>.</div>
Erik Ullestadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10107051442323025127noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-869913311871017280.post-2857149014028988702012-11-12T17:24:00.001-06:002012-11-12T17:24:25.160-06:00Give Me Shelter<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Last night I had the opportunity to serve supper with some high school students at the <a href="http://centraliowashelter.org/" target="_blank">Central Iowa Shelter & Services</a> in downtown Des Moines. The congregation where I work provides dinner to nearly 200 people at the CISS on the 11th day of each month. It's a powerful reminder that <a href="http://bible.oremus.org/?ql=219761377" target="_blank">Jesus calls us</a> to give food, drink, clothing, and shelter to people in need.<br />
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This was my first time in the new 42,000 square foot shelter facility. The building has a large dining room, two smaller gathering rooms, laundry, computer classroom, clothes closet, food pantry, and a weekly medical clinic. These upgrades help CISS pursue its mission "to provide free shelter and meals to homeless adults regardless of physical or emotional conditions, and to facilitiate their move toward self-sufficiency." <br />
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I recall visiting the <a href="http://www.sfcdenver.org/" target="_blank">St. Francis Center</a> in Denver, CO in 2004 and wishing that Des Moines had a similar place to provide holistic services to homeless people. Though the operations at CISS aren't nearly the size of St. Francis, I'm proud to live in a city that has devoted significant resources to reaching out in love to people in need.Erik Ullestadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10107051442323025127noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-869913311871017280.post-44998107720576987412012-11-07T18:47:00.004-06:002012-11-09T11:04:35.018-06:00Everything Is Public<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.busygourmand.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/man-with-megaphone.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://www.busygourmand.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/man-with-megaphone.gif" width="315" /></a></div>
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In preparation for a presentation I'm making with my friend <a href="http://jakebouma.com/" target="_blank">Jake</a> this weekend ("Parenting Teens in a Social Media World") I've been compiling examples of how people use and misuse sites like Facebook and Twitter. These web resources are often used for good (if they weren't, why would Facebook have over <b>1 billion</b> active monthly users worldwide?). However, there are plenty of examples of how online missteps have resulted in people jeopardizing their jobs, friends, marriages, and standing in their communities. <br />
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If I had one bit of advice to people who use social media it's this: <i><span style="font-size: large;">assume everything is public!</span></i><br />
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Yes, Facebook allows you to limit the scope of your status updates (words, links, pictures, videos) so that only your *friends* can see. Twitter has something similar with "protected tweets." However, once those people see what you've posted, they can print that page or take a screen cap of what you posted. From there, that information can be shared with anyone. There are too many tales of people who posted "private" data and got burned. <br />
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Whenever I post something on-line, I scroll through my list of friends/followers and imagine myself in the same room with some of those people. Would the information I'm about to post on line be something I'd say aloud to my boss...my next door neighbor...my aunt...the elderly lady from church...the person who seeks to do me harm? If the answer is "no" then I <i>don't post it</i>. <br />
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Assume everything is public. <br />
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I may sound a tad paranoid, but in the world of social media, you lose control the second you publish something. If you don't want some people to know about it, don't post it.Erik Ullestadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10107051442323025127noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-869913311871017280.post-79198845415025183562012-11-05T20:53:00.000-06:002012-11-05T20:53:08.891-06:00Electorate<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.lawyersgunsmoneyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/american-flag-2a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://www.lawyersgunsmoneyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/american-flag-2a.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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By most standard measurements I'm not a very patriotic person. I don't have a flag hung on my property. There are no political signs in my yard. I have not served in the military (I've never even fired a gun). I'm a believer in what Thomas Jefferson called the "wall of separation between church and state" - and because most of my time is spent in <i>church</i> endeavors, there isn't a lot of time left for <i>state </i>stuff.<br />
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My lack of overt patriotism should not be mistaken for a lack of gratitude for the freedoms provided to me in the United States. I look forward to participating in one such freedom on November 6 - the right to vote. It's difficult for me to consider that some people don't have that opportunity...and, as recently as a few generations ago, there were voting limits on some American citizens.<br />
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I'm also a person who will be relieved when this political election cycle is over. I believe the level of vitriol and anger being spewed the last few weeks has been unprecedented - way worse than 2008 or 2010. It seems that this election has brought out the worst in people. Every day for the last month I've been unpleasantly surprised by the hateful things shared / endorsed / instigated by "friends" of mine on Facebook and Twitter. Apparently <i>civil discourse </i>and <i>respectful disagreement </i>are passe concepts in 2012.<br />
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Despite my frustration with how this election cycle has played out, I will be proud to cast my ballot on Tuesday. It serves as reminder of how lucky I am to have been born into a country where life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are considered "unalienable rights" and not the luxuries that they are in some places. <br />
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Lord, have mercy.Erik Ullestadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10107051442323025127noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-869913311871017280.post-23699484179340902712012-11-01T22:23:00.003-05:002012-11-01T22:23:29.613-05:00Reggie's Sleepout<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Last Saturday I spent a chilly night under the stars at the Drake University Stadium as part of <a href="http://www.kintera.org/faf/home/default.asp?ievent=1017709&lis=1&kntae1017709=37411F135AA040439758FB0CA07570F2" target="_blank">Reggie's Sleepout</a>. This annual event is a way to raise money and awareness for youth homelessness in central Iowa. Around 1,500 people participate in this event, which generated over $150,000 for <a href="http://www.yss.ames.ia.us/" target="_blank">Youth & Shelter Services</a>. Reggie's Sleepout is named in honor of <a href="http://www.kintera.org/faf/home/ccp.asp?ievent=1017709&ccp=82154" target="_blank">Reggie Kelsey</a>, who died a few months after aging out of the foster care system. He was active in homeless youth programs prior to his death.<br />
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The best part of this event is the timing. Reggie's Sleepout is held in late-autumn, when overnight temperatures are near freezing. If you're cold by 10:00 p.m., it's unlikely you'll warm up until the morning. Participants sleep in cardboard boxes to, in some small way, simulate a night of homelessness. Most groups keep it simple. Some create impressive structures in an attempt to win prizes. (Personally, I think the contest for best design distracts some groups from being in solidarity with homeless youth.)<br />
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I was pleased to see so many church groups involved in Reggie's Sleepout - including at least six local ELCA congregations. It's a good event that keeps homelessness-related issues in the public consciousness as winter approaches.<br />
<br />Erik Ullestadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10107051442323025127noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-869913311871017280.post-84759047205518834832012-10-26T11:50:00.003-05:002012-10-26T11:50:49.874-05:00ComebackSomeone from church recently reminded me that I have a "blog." Allegedly, there's a time in which I would write articles for this "blog" on a semi-regular basis. I'm also told that I used to find "blogging" to be a creative outlet and a way to participate in conversations about things that were important to me. <br />
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That kinda sounds like fun. Maybe I should try it again.<br />
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I haven't written an original post since July 12. Since then, I've<br />
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<ul>
<li>traveled to New Orleans with people from my church for a Lutheran youth event</li>
<li>seen my friend Jake become cancer-free</li>
<li>watched my house become emptier, with all three kids in full-day school</li>
<li>done a handful of consultations / speaking gigs</li>
<li>listened to a lot of Mumford & Sons</li>
<li>worked on projects for Faith Lens, sparkhouse, and Wholeness & Holiness</li>
<li>spent time in Denver (my favorite city)</li>
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Probably the most significant change in the last few months has been my role at <a href="http://whlc.org/" target="_blank">church</a>. After nine years at Windsor Heights Lutheran, I worked to develop a new job description. It's a <i>ministry mutt</i> position in the areas of children, youth, family, young adult, music, and communications ministries. This new role comes with a 12-month trial - with the plan to evaluate how / if the leadership and I feel this position effectively combines the needs of the congregation with the gifts and interests of the staff person. It's been quite a transition!</div>
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So, that's a quick update on my life. Moving forward I hope to continue sharing stories, insights, and questions about what's going on in the world. As always, I'm grateful for the participation of those who read and interact with <span style="color: blue;">koinonia</span>.</div>
Erik Ullestadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10107051442323025127noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-869913311871017280.post-3084504509571994762012-07-26T13:44:00.000-05:002012-07-26T13:44:49.000-05:00You Can't go to New Orleans Without Tasting the Food<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<i style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Last week, I was with a group of 16 youth & adults from Windsor Heights Lutheran Church; the congregation I serve in Des Moines, IA. I asked the group to offer their reflections throughout the week on koinonia. In this entry, Brett "Big Daddy" Toresdahl shares our group's culinary experiences. </i></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt;">As the self appointed
“food tour guide” for the WHLC Youth Gathering crew, I felt the responsibility
to review some to the incredible cuisine that we experienced in the Big
Easy.</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt;">Let me first start with a word of thanks
to my fifteen traveling companions for their eagerness and willingness to
explore the food of New Orleans with me.</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt;">
</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt;">Often, when traveling in groups it is hard to come to a consensus as to
where to eat for a variety of reasons, but for the most part All were game to
try new places, setting aside any dietary pickiness that they may have brought
with them.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Before setting out on the trip, I
attempted unsuccessfully to get a clause added to our covenant that would put a
moratorium on the eating at any fast food, chains or joints that had more than
one location and could be consumed had we stayed in Iowa. But being realistic, traveling by bus,
keeping schedules, battling 33,000 others for food and convenience sometime
made this difficult. I regretfully
report that there was some McDonald’s, Taco Bell, KFC and Subway consumed. Lord, forgive us our sins. With this said, I
set my sights on the group experiencing the food, atmosphere and culture that
is truly New Orleans. If anyone has ever
been there, you know what I am talking about and I think our group left with
some memorable food experiences.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">On the day of our arrival, following
registration and check in to our hotel, we set out by trolley for our first
food experience. Our destination was Dooky Chase, a restaurant rooted deep in
the African American community and the Civil Rights movement of New Orleans. Our walk from the trolley took us six or
seven blocks through a neighborhood which still had the footprints of Katrina. We walked past boarded up homes next to newly
build townhouse complexes next to overgrown vacant lots next to small
businesses struggling to survive.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMWUz0cKy_7jX5vP2GCUPcFLKRjD7wcnMXcMsYIHAG8uriKd8Fsrf6qdJpZSdlieN6jnEdQtMAKIE1EmePTnIgwnsHB7-h3hGY3J41WGBBJ8MgrlZRkU8RmumTzcBOac0UBBKYt84K3yS8/s1600/IMG_0844.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMWUz0cKy_7jX5vP2GCUPcFLKRjD7wcnMXcMsYIHAG8uriKd8Fsrf6qdJpZSdlieN6jnEdQtMAKIE1EmePTnIgwnsHB7-h3hGY3J41WGBBJ8MgrlZRkU8RmumTzcBOac0UBBKYt84K3yS8/s320/IMG_0844.jpg" width="273" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Right
in the middle of blight, poverty and now construction is this incredible
restaurant that's been cobbled together by an amazing ambassador of New
Orleans, Leah Chase, the 88 year old matriarch of Dooky Chase who still
oversees the kitchen starting at 7am daily. The restaurant is part old world, part gallery
and everything New Orleans. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Dooky Chase is one of
those places you hear about as being quintessentially New Orleans. From the
amazing food to the beautiful art, it did not disappoint. Dooky
Chase, was known as a gathering place during the 1960s among many who
participated in the Civil Rights movement.
The restaurant is also known as a gallery due to its extensive African
American Art collection. The
distinguished collection represents powerful symbols of a history this
restaurant both survived and altered.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">As you
step thru the door you know you're leaving the challenges outside the doors
behind you. The tables are covered in
white linen and the main dining room is a deep red. While many tourist flock to Dooky Chase, it
regularly attracts a professional crowd at lunch as well as a number of local
politic types. Ms. Chase's traditional southern fare food is as good as the atmosphere.
Everything you'd expect to be on the menu is; fried chicken, fried catfish,
smothered cabbage, red beans and rice, peach cobbler. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">We went for the buffet
and everything on it was delish. The fried chicken was golden crunchy,
moist and not greasy. My mouth is still watering thinking about it. I believe that I can claim it as the best I have
ever eaten. The andouille sausage, green beans, mac and cheese, red beans
and rice were all stars. And when the friendly wait staff announced that
the dessert for the day was peach "cobbler", we all answered in
unison, “yes”. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiWvfOMnACc4sxn1SS02yHYYTnzi4b5Gt3dr1WEJQgfo8kBpbxVOxtwW4VwdXgD5Y_Xniiyk35uaVfPcMKqeCpJPa4d5klc8HQCcd9Ad5hGJ-3tsxXuAywebxrFHj6CNVGjqX_41TBNknC/s1600/IMG_0842.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiWvfOMnACc4sxn1SS02yHYYTnzi4b5Gt3dr1WEJQgfo8kBpbxVOxtwW4VwdXgD5Y_Xniiyk35uaVfPcMKqeCpJPa4d5klc8HQCcd9Ad5hGJ-3tsxXuAywebxrFHj6CNVGjqX_41TBNknC/s320/IMG_0842.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">All of us left Dooky Chase with huge smiles on
our face. We saw some amazing art, ate some incredible food, and enjoyed getting
to know each other better.</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">A side note
of trivia: Ms. Chase was the inspiration for the main character in Disney’s
animated movie “Princess and the Frog”.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">The next morning, the group determined that the
only way to start a morning in New Orleans is with a plate of beignets and a
cup of chicory coffee.</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">So we ventured
into the French Quarter in search of the place that is on everyone’s “to do”
list.</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">All we had to do was follow the
brightly colored t-shirts of other Lutheran youth headed for the same destination.</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">The Original Cafe
Du Monde is a traditional coffee shop. Its menu consists of dark roasted Coffee
and Chicory, Beignets, White and Chocolate Milk, and fresh squeezed Orange
Juice. Beignets are square French -style doughnuts, lavishly covered with
powdered sugar.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">When we arrived, the dining room was crowded and
the lines were long.</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">But the experienced
and seasoned staff kept the tourists flowing in and out.</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">Our patience paid off as we were rewarded
with what we had come for, the beignets.</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">Hot, fresh and drenched with powdered suger, our eyes bulged as they
were placed on our table. The group quickly concluded that beignets should
replace donut holes at WHLC coffee hour.</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">After a brief discussion with Megan about the merits of recycling the excess
powdered sugar, our group was off to the Convention Center for our day of
peacemaking.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">Lunch time brought us our first food dilemma of
the day.</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">Do we eat expensive convention
center fare or do we venture out in search of a place that has not been found
by the other 33,000 in attendance?</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">The
decision was made to divide and conquer.</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">Part of the group headed in the direction of Mother’s (more about this
to follow) and the rest of us set out for the new WWII Museum where we knew
that they had an old fashioned soda shop complete with sandwiches and homemade
ice cream. Not more than a block into our journey we cross the street into the
arms of a woman standing outside of a sketchy neighborhood bar & grill and
encouraging us to stop and try the food.</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">“Kids are welcome”, she exclaimed.</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">The chalk written sidewalk sign promoted cheap po boys and $2 bread
pudding.</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">After a slight hesitation to
change our plans, we told the woman we would be back.</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">A few more steps up the street, Megan and
Emily couldn’t resist and turned around to go back for fresh shrimp po
boys.</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">They reported that the little dive
joint was as charming and delicious as we suspected.</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">And two days later, we kept the promise to
the woman and returned there as a group for a lunch that I will describe later.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">About three blocks away we found the Soda
Shop.</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">Opened as part of the WWII Museum,
local award winning chef John Besh uses his famed culinary expertise and
creativity to turn a traditional looking soda fountain into a very interesting
place for lunch.</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">I think Caroline may
have had the most interesting PB&J in her life with a grilled version,
oozing with gooey peanut butter.</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">Several
of us had the devil dog which was a homemade hot dog topped with a ground
sausage mixture reminiscent of a coney dog.</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">The parmesan wrap was reported to be very satisfying as well. Most of us
topped our lunch off with house-made ice creams and milkshakes. They offered flavors
such as Bananas Foster, Sector Candy Bar Crunch and Creole Cream Cheese Red
Velvet among others.</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">The Soda Shop was
definitely worth the walk. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">But this
brought about my second food dilemma of the day; how was I going to walk past
the $2 Bread Pudding sign again?</span></div>
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<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: left; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">More to follow…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Erik Ullestadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10107051442323025127noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-869913311871017280.post-27071650955661481822012-07-24T14:59:00.000-05:002012-07-24T14:59:09.708-05:00Citizens WIth the Saints - Julia Recap<br />
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" This trip will only be as fun as you make it" - Erik </div>
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I heard Erik say that and new that I wanted to have a really good time on this trip, I knew that how much fun I had was entirely in my own hands. So instead of complaining about the long lines and the weather and the lack of sleep, I completely embraced it. That is why sitting here on the bus on my way home, for the first time in my life, I really don't want to go home, I want to still be in New Orleans with every single person in our group. I'm finding it extremely difficult to come up with the right words to accurately describe what happened this week, and I'm not sure if the words will ever come. But here's my best effort at explaining what happened to me over the past week.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU6vqTrk5RXqRdksmvanjfiY8rkgG2wzfoc90mVrwanMJuwU99t-MGursraG7SUg12xHFXg1yYZN8a-OvsTDbDOsuho8iFX8G8EEU3CMjy7qZjOhsuK5GM49z9qd9ievEEX_RojvyLefwD/s1600/IMG_0850.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU6vqTrk5RXqRdksmvanjfiY8rkgG2wzfoc90mVrwanMJuwU99t-MGursraG7SUg12xHFXg1yYZN8a-OvsTDbDOsuho8iFX8G8EEU3CMjy7qZjOhsuK5GM49z9qd9ievEEX_RojvyLefwD/s320/IMG_0850.jpg" width="237" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">I learned a lot about myself and my faith over this week. It was our first night in the dome and the service started out with welcoming all of us. The speaker used the analogy of us all being the ingredients to God's pot of gumbo. Saying that no matter what our race is, our sexual orientation, whether you're poor or rich, smart or not, strong in your faith or still figuring things out, we were all welcome in God's pot of gumbo, and we were all needed in his pot of gumbo. It was after he said that that I knew the gathering was exactly where I needed to be. I have struggled with my faith for many years and I knew at that moment in the dome that that was perfectly okay. For the first time, I was perfectly content with where I am with faith. </span></div>
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A big theme within the gathering was tearing down walls, walls the we had built up and created, and how we need to tear them down and encompass everybody with love and God's grace. I think this is something that for the rest of my life I will take with me and continue to work on and try my best to do. Walls that are extremely high, and very thick, made of the worlds strongest materials. And if I am able to make even a small dent in one of these walls, I know that I have made a difference.</div>
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My faith may still be on a roller coaster ride, and may potentially be for my entire life, and that's quite alright. But living out my faith, and using it to help others of all kinds is where my faith grew and became stronger. </div>
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Many unexpected things happened on this trip also. For instance, my ability to go with the flow, and embrace everything that happened, instead of worrying about what we were going to do next, or if we were going to make it in time, trying to plan everything, i just went with whatever happened. If you weren't able to find your inner patience, the gathering was going to be hell for you. Simply trying to get on the elevator to get to your room was a 20 minute task, resulting in 20 people in the elevator at a time, and we being in the back of it, but naturally being the first ones who needed off. Getting food wasnt a quick task either, McDonalds moved us through the fastest and with the line halfway to the door it still took over 15 minutes. </div>
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One aspect of the trip that I wasn't thinking was going to have such an impact on me was New Orleans itself. I think by the end of the week I'd fallen in love with the culture and history of it. I can honestly say that I believe New Orleans has been through some very rough times, and we in Iowa have been through nothing compared to them, and yet the people of New Orleans seems to have a bigger heart, and the ability to let loose and have a great time and truly embrace who they are. Sure, they have their rough spots, Bourbon Street in itself is like nothing we have in Des Moines, but the again, Des Moines has nothing like the true soul jazz that emcompasses New Orleans, and it's people. Going to Preservation Hall changed my entire opinion of jazz. I have never liked jazz, jazz band was always something my parents made me do, not something I wanted to do. I still dont like the sound of jazz in Iowa, it's too Midwestern. But, if I lived in New orleans, jazz would be my thing!</div>
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From Daisy Dukes, to Cafe du Monde, Mothers, to Dooky Chase, there was no shortage of opportunities to try the real taste of New Orleans cuisine. I found that I really like gumbo, beignets, and po boys, and that if I just try things, I might realize how much I really like food of different cultures.</div>
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I realize that in this blog I left out one of the biggest aspects of my trip, and that was the friendships I made with each person from our congregation that went. I have left this out on purpose. Not because I dont want to share them with you, but because I don't have the words to explain it correctly to you. They're too important to me and too close to my heart to falsely represent them to you all. If you are at church you will see these friendships and how close we all got on this trip. You will hear us laughing at the jokes that were created, and reminiscing about the trip and the great time we had together. And my hope is that instead of reading about the friendships that were created, you will be able to see them and watch them.</div>
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This short blog hasnt even made a dent in sharing the experience that happened to me on this trip. If you want to hear more about what happened on the trip and how it was for me please don't hesitate to ask, I'd love to share! This trip is something that I'm so greatful I got the opportunity to take part in, and so glad that I embraced the trip the way I did, I have absolutely no regrets. </div>
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May I be the change to help tear down those walls. </div>
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<i>~ Julia Ratekin</i></div>Erik Ullestadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10107051442323025127noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-869913311871017280.post-45470929166308323962012-07-24T09:59:00.001-05:002012-07-24T09:59:36.420-05:00ELCA Youth Gathering - WHLC reflections<br />
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<span class="s1"><i style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">I was in New Orleans for the ELCA Youth Gathering. I invited participants from Windsor Heights Lutheran Church </i></span><i style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">to offer their reflections throughout the week on koinonia. This article was a shared effort among the 11 youth participants.</i></div>
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<span class="s1">We are on the bus and our week has been "fantasmical." We all got super close, like family. All of us have gotten to know a little bit more about each other and ourselves. Hopefully we will be able to bring what this whole experience taught us back to Windsor Heights. However the experience we had in New Orleans may not be able to translate to those back home, finding the right words to describe how our lives all changed in different ways, and the ways they changed is extremely hard. But that’s the beautiful thing about it. </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Through crazy awesome concerts, worship, and conversation, we all learned more about our personal faith as well as the lives of Lutherans all over the country. Also, the food was fantastic! The motivational speakers got a lot of everyone’s attention. All of them talked about subjects that touched everyone and they were able to get their point across even though most people in the audience have not, and will hopefully never have to go through what some of the speakers went through. One of the messages was that everyone is a child of God. No one should be turned away because of race, financial situations, past history, etc. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">Coming from a multi-generational church, with a lower number of youth members right now, it was amazing to see so many youth participating in the songs, speakers, and activities. The energy was outrageous in the Superdome! We hope the energy can be spread through the pews at WHLC and you will see the energy in our eyes and hearts, and feed off it!</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>When we first arrived in the Superdome, I remember thinking that I had never seen so many people gathered together in for the same reason. But that wasn’t even the most impressive part. I had never seen so many young people excited about God. Back in our everyday lives, God often falls to the background and things like relationships and friends and drama take the forefront; but it was like once we all set foot in NOLA all the worries of our home lives melted away and our attention was 100% focused on how to love like Jesus. Overall everyone had an wonderful time. We learned many things such as “to be known is to be loved and to be loved is to be known”... and also, “be the the change you want to see in the world.”</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>NOLA has been through a lot, but so have communities just like it across the country. We need to be mindful of the needs of people back home. It takes all of us to be citizens with the saints. As one speaker described gumbo and all its ingredients to the crowd, I thought of WHLC and all the ingredients that it has to make our own version of gumbo back home. </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><i>Kirsten Benson, Rylee Freise, Rebecca Ihnen, Julia Ratekin, Travis Reinders, Emily Roose, Brian Rye, Petir Thompson, Hannah Toresdahl, Madison Ward, Caroline Warmuth</i></span></div>Erik Ullestadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10107051442323025127noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-869913311871017280.post-91067864797103779182012-07-22T20:25:00.001-05:002012-07-22T20:25:52.698-05:00Let It Shine<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<i style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">I'm in New Orleans with a group of 16 youth & adults from Windsor Heights Lutheran Church; the congregation I serve in Des Moines, IA. I invited our group participants the change to offer their reflections throughout the week on koinonia.</i></div>
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The friday night mass gathering in the dome was particularly moving.
The speaker was the Nobel Peace Prize winner Leymah Gbowee. She talked about
hope. Hope is a word that has such a different meaning to many people. Some
know what it is like to need or want hope, others hope for things. Her message
was a great definition of what hope actually is. She talked about the need for
hope because hope was lost in their life
from anything such as bullying to parts of the world that are stricken with
poverty. But, here is the key to hope, Jesus. We are all loved by Jesus and we
are God’s children. Spreading God’s love gives hope to people. However she
acknowledged that even though one person can be a light in the darkness, one
can’t change the world. Next came the most moving part of the trip; she asked
everyone to turn on their cell phones. The light from the phones lit the dome.
It looked like a little city. She then started everyone singing “This Little
Light of Mine”. Suddenly the little light that couldn’t change the world became
bright and all the little voices became one big voice. Tears were impossible to
hold back at this point. I am pretty sure that if a person was having trouble
finding hope in life, they could’ve felt the Holy Spirit then. But the question
that everyone is asking; how do you keep that hope and energy strong when you
leave the magical Lutherdome? You keep your little light shining and giving
hope to one person at a time (by standing up to a bully, giving someone a hug
when they need it, or just giving someone a smile and a word of encouragement
when they look like they could use one) and then their light will shine, and
the “pass it on” theory starts. Soon we will have a little city again, and just
maybe the world will begin to change. I have HOPE that it will. My little light
is shining. I hope that when I tell you this next part, your light will become
lit; Your are loved by God. He knows you, every part of you (the good and bad,
the perfection and the flaws) and He loves YOU. ~ Megan Seifert<o:p></o:p></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Erik Ullestadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10107051442323025127noreply@blogger.com0