Carabiner

New Things

2010-07-07T13:05:00.003-05:00

"I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert." Isaiah 43:19

Transition times are always tough. One of the biggest transitions that I've experienced in my life was the transition from high school and living at home with my parents, to college and the new freedoms that came with that. I remember feeling very nervous about leaving home and moving to a new place. I wasn't sure if I would make new friends, or even if I would know how to do my own laundry.

Prayer has always helped me during transition. So has holy scripture. The above verse from Isaiah was particularly meaningful to me when I went away to college. If you read chapters 42 and 43 of Isaiah, in particular, you'll hear about all of the "new things" that God is doing. God is always in the business of doing new things...resurrecting the old and making it new. Sometimes, though, we have a hard time perceiving God's newness. We can becoming so focused on our own loss and grief of old ways of being that we fail to recognize the goodness of God's new things.

I'm about to venture into yet another one of those transitions times; ironically moving back to my college town, where I experienced the first of many big transitions. I'm not quite as nervous about this move, probably because I've learned to look for and trust the new things that God is doing in each transition. I believe that each new place and new chapter will be even better than the one before it. I have every confidence that God will be my constant companion as I journey, guiding my steps and helping me to perceive all kinds of new things.

And with that, dear blog followers (however few and far between), thanks so much for reading our ramblings for these two years. It's been a privilege writing posts (however few and far between), and a great blessing serving this St. Paul Lutheran Church community.

I'm off to South Dakota! Wish me lots of luck and grace!

Training

2010-05-20T16:58:00.009-05:00

Two isolated incidents have me thinking.

1. Last night my wife and I had a picnic in the park. It was fun and spontaneous. We sat on an old blanket and ate leftover sandwiches and fruit.

During the meal we had several visitors, some more welcome than others. The welcome ones were a dad and his daughter, friends from church. The unwelcome visitor: a dark-brown squirrel. A bold, hungry squirrel. Mr. Squirrel (for argument’s sake, this squirrel is a male) would not leave us alone. He got close enough that we could have touched him. It was uncomfortable, and…as odd as it might seem to say, it felt rude. We’d “scare” him back, and Mr. Squirrel would just return. I actually stood up and shoo-ed him away, but even that was only temporarily effective. Finally some dogs with their owners provided a permanent solution to our privacy.

Either Mr. Squirrel was born with more than his share of bravery genes, or he’s learned over time the easiest way to get food. He has been trained not to be scared of people, but to stay nearby for tasty morsels. Who knows how long he’s been in training at the park.

2. This morning I was biking down the Duck Creek path, trying to get my legs ready for a summer of riding. Lots of people were out, and sometimes we’d greet each other. Just before my half-way point, I was coming up to a jogger. She was likely a young mother, pushing her little boy in a stroller. The boy was probably about three years old. Right before I passed them, the little boy looked up at me, smiled, and said “good morning!”

What a beautiful surprise! What sweet manners! This little boy must have some pretty friendly parents, or some other gracious role models. In just his short life, he’s been trained to be kind and welcoming. If only all of us had such training.

Training. That’s the connection for me. A squirrel trained to be bold, a toddler trained to be friendly. Not to mention a wanna-be cyclist training to get in shape.

What are you in training for? A race or competition? A skill or hobby? A new job? I think training is a good thing. It’s good for us. Training gives us momentum, moves us into our future. In some way or another, we’re all in training. The Christian life requires training. Training in generosity and hospitality, training in how to serve and love. Are we training for the right things, in the right ways? Is your training shaping you into the person you want to be? How’s your training going?

New Server

2010-05-01T10:57:00.001-05:00

Carabiner has moved to a new server. The address remains the same but the content is now hosted at Google. If you have problems reading the blog, please let us know. Thanks!

Counted

2010-04-21T21:38:00.007-05:00

I was 1634th. That was my number. I got counted. My wife was 1633rd. Our friend Jana was 1635th. We all got counted. Together. Hundreds of us. Two thousand six hundred and ninety-four to be exact.

Sometimes it's a good thing to get counted. That can mean you're "in". You made it. You matter. And it was a good thing for us. It meant free ice cream.

We couldn't have asked for a better day to get counted. We waited outside for almost two hours but had no need to complain because the weather was perfect. The sky was sunny, and the temperature was in the upper 60's with a slight breeze. Spring was all around us, excitement in the air. It was one of those days that made you glad to be alive. And we were taking part in one of those events that only comes once in a lifetime. If that.

On Tuesday, April 20, hordes of Quad City residents and Augustana supporters assembled on the college's Ericson field to attempt a new world record. The goal: to break the previous record of 2500 for the number of people in a chain eating ice cream simultaneously. The added stipulation that put the fun over the top: the "chain" had to be created by licking the ice cream held in your neighbor's hand.

Our new, unofficial record - 2694 - has yet to be certified by Guinness, but it looks promising that we'll make the record books. Although you can't verify individual participants, you can read about the event at http://www.augustana.edu/x19602.xml.

It's not exactly the world record I would have chosen to be a part of, but, hey, it was loads of fun and very tasty. Plus, I was a part of something significant. I counted. It mattered that I was there. The new record wouldn't be the same without me or my wife or Jana. We mattered.

Deep down, I think that's what we all want from life. To matter. To the world, or to someone. We want to be a part of it, whatever "it" may be. We want to belong, to have purpose, to have meaning. We want to count.

As it turns out, you count so much that Someone was willing to die for you, so that you would live. Christ counts you as his very own. You matter. You belong, always have and always will. You have a purpose in God's world. The unending love of Jesus - now that's something you can count on.

What Time Is It, Mr. Fox?

2010-03-25T12:37:00.002-05:00

Did you ever play this game when you were a child? One lucky "fox" would stand at one end of the room, and all the other players would stand at the other end and shout, "What time is it, Mr. Fox?" Mr. Fox would tell the time (3 o'clock, 7 o'clock, 11, o'clock), and players would take that many steps (as big and wide of steps as they could!) in order to try to tag Mr. Fox at the other end of the room. Sometimes Mr. Fox would yell "Midnight!" and players would have to run back to the starting line before they got snatched up by Mr. Fox. It's a fun game! You should try it at home sometime.

Mr. Fox has me thinking about the book of Ecclesiates, and thinking about what time it is. In Eccesiastes 3, the author writes some beautiful poetry about time.

3For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:

2a time to be born, and a time to die;a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
3a time to kill, and a time to heal;a time to break down, and a time to build up;
4a time to weep, and a time to laugh;a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
5a time to throw away stones, and a time to gather stones together;a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
6a time to seek, and a time to lose;a time to keep, and a time to throw away;
7a time to tear, and a time to sew;a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
8a time to love, and a time to hate;a time for war, and a time for peace.

It can become easy to think that time should only be devoted to things that make us feel good...like loving, and laughing, and planting. But Ecclesiastes reminds us that in life we experience times of death and loss and weeping too. These are necessary times, and they can, in fact, be helpful times.

What time is it in your life right now? Have you made time for both the good and the bad?

Potential

2010-03-18T15:00:00.001-05:00

“You’ve got so much potential!”

“Why, thank you!”

Have you ever told someone that they have potential? You probably said it as a compliment, remarking that their future looks bright. That you see something wonderful in them that will continue to be developed and shared with others. Has anyone ever told you that you have potential? It probably made you feel good, proud about who you are. Or… maybe it caused you to think twice.

We all want potential… don’t we?

Is potential always a good thing?

The first meaning of potential certainly is positive. Potential conveys hope for tomorrow. It carries a sense of the future, a good future. We do want potential because we want our tomorrows to hold great promise and success. We want to see potential in our children and youth; it gives us confidence for the coming years.

But maybe you’ve told someone that they have potential because, today, they don’t have much talent for one thing or another. Potential here means that perhaps they might be better in the future than they are now.

Synonyms for potential include latent…dormant…currently unexpressed ability…un-actualized possibility…not currently present but possibly apparent later.

“Potential” can leave us wondering about the present.

This doesn’t mean we should stop using or receiving the word “potential” as a compliment. God sees potential in us. God believes that tomorrow and the next day we might love God and love others more than we did today. That in the future we might live our lives in ways that embody more of God’s ideal world.

God sees this potential, but God also loves who we are today. God is not waiting for us to realize our potential before God can use us to do God’s work in the world. God sees in us both gifts for today and potential for the future.

This is the kind of perspective shift we need, particularly in our attitude toward children and youth. These young members of our communities and our churches are not only the future, they are our today, too. Let not our penchants for perceiving potential prevent us from appreciating the beauty and contribution that our youth – and any of us – can offer today.

No matter our age, we all have not only potential for the future, but also a contribution for the present.

A Familiar Voice

2010-02-17T16:41:00.005-06:00

Do you know the face in this picture? Some of you perhaps do; others would not. But many more of you would recognize his voice, especially if you heard him say, “And now you know the rest of the story.”

I heard Paul Harvey’s signature tagline when I was a boy riding in the car with my dad. Both of us would listen with rapt attention, waiting to find out how the story would end. We were rarely disappointed; somehow the conclusion always seemed to satisfy. For over 70 years, Harvey’s words crooned out of radios around the nation. His voice was familiar to millions of Americans as he used it to both inform and entertain.

There is something comforting, even holy, in a familiar voice.

This Ash Wednesday morning our staff gathered around a conference table, as we do every Wednesday morning. Before delving into business and treats, we begin staff meetings with a devotion and prayer. Befitting the day, we read the penitential Psalm 51, each person reading a verse. I was looking down at the Psalm as we began, reading along and listening. All at once I realized that I didn’t know who had started reading, but that I could identify the speaker by their voice. I refrained from looking up as we read the entire Psalm, and, sure enough, I recognized the voice of each and every speaker.

This probably should not seem so remarkable to me. But it is. To some extent, I am marveling at the subtle distinctions among human voices, and marveling, too, at the human brain for being able to detect such subtlety, even despite the spectrum of ways we use our voices.

But there is something more awesome than the mechanics involved. I knew the voices of my colleagues. I know them, and they know me. It’s a wonderful experience to realize that this is true in your life, that you know others and are known by them in return. It’s comforting, and holy.

Some One else knows our voice, no matter how much or how little we use it. We can rest in the comfort that our Holy God knows our voice. And Jesus assures us that we know his (John 10:4). May it be so.

By the way, the “most listened to man” in broadcasting was named Salesman of the Year, Commentator of the Year, Person of the Year, Father of the Year, and American of the Year. In 2005, George W. Bush presented Paul Harvey with the Medal of Freedom, the nation’s most prestigious civilian award. His business partner and producer was his wife Lynne Cooper Harvey, who died nine months before him. The first anniversary of Paul Harvey’s death will be this February 28. And now you know the rest of the story.

More Light

2010-01-15T14:29:00.003-06:00

I know it’s not just in my head – not anymore.
At first, in late December, it probably was my imagination.
Because I knew that it must be true, despite the lack of discernible evidence.
But now I can notice it, I can see it with my own eyes.
Maybe you can, too.

The days are getting longer.

For many weeks our 24-hour days have been marked by more darkness than daylight. But the night is beginning to recede. I couldn’t tell in those days right after December 21, the winter solstice, but now I can. The daylight greets us a little sooner every morning and stays with us a little later each afternoon. Light is growing in our world and everyday will progressively push the shadows of night aside.

We experience many different kinds of darkness in our lives – pain, illness, loss, grief, loneliness, anxiety, fear, sadness…and tragedy. Sometimes the darkness is so thick we have no reason to hope.

For the people of Haiti and for all those connected to them, January 12 was a terribly dark day. The sun seemed to vanish on that Tuesday at 4:53pm in Haiti. And still the darkness overpowers the light.

It’s too early to see the light in this horrible disaster. We have little evidence of it. But we have faith, and so we trust and pray that light is growing in Haiti. Maybe our prayers and generosity can speed the return of light and hope.

May Christ, the light of all people, ever be on the increase in our hearts, communities, and world.

Surprise

2009-12-10T15:43:00.010-06:00

Things are not always as they seem to be.

I was recently in Target with a bunch of high school students.

Wait. Let me back up.

December is a unique time of year. We smell things, see things, hear things, and do things that we rarely smell/see/hear/do throughout the rest of the year. Like go shopping with a big group of senior high youth.

That’s not typical for me.

Really.

December is also a popular time for giving. And it’s a time when we more easily remember others. Like our favorite charities. Or old friends and distant family. Actually, I think this is one of the best things about the season. It’s a nice balance to the self-centeredness that our culture promotes. A little more than usual, we think about family, friends, and people in need. I’m not sure why, but we do.

For our high school youth group at church, some of the people we remember are recent high school graduates – particularly those studying at college, perhaps for the first time away from home, likely studying for their first round of college finals. So what could we do? Send real mail…a care package.

So 27 of us went to Target. I wasn’t the only adult, thankfully. But we still looked like quite an odd mob of people, gathering in the front of the store, waiting for the last of us to arrive.

As I was calling out directions to the group, I saw a security guard out of the corner of my eye. A minute later I was interrupted by the guard and the store manager.

“Excuse me,” the manager said; “can I help you?”

“No,” I though it my head. In respect to him, I do admit we looked like a curious assortment. But what did he think we were going to do? Rob the place? Wreak havoc? Play capture the flag? (I’ve actually done this in other department stores…guess I’ll think twice before doing it in Target.) The security guard and the manager must have looked at us, and thought “trouble…this can be no good...we don’t want this to get out of hand.”

Things are not always as they seem to be.

Our appearance was motley, but our purpose was generous and kind. And somehow 20 care packages got put together that night.

Like the store manager, our eyes have limited sight when it comes to matters of faith. Our imaginations can be too rigid. We look at the world and most of what we see looks like trouble.

War…AIDS…terrorism…tension…disagreement…slander…gossip…marital infidelity.

As Christians we strain to see a different reality, one in which God is breaking into. Even when evidence points to the contrary, we confess that the kingdom of God is near and is coming closer all the time. Somewhere in the midst of things, God is there. God remembers us, and God in Jesus Christ is working to bring the whole world home.

What looks powerless and meager, or even like trouble, might actually bring peace and love.

What looks like a group of troublemakers are agents of God, bringing encouragement to others.

You just have to look with eyes of faith.

Things are not always as they seem.

Frustrations of Serving

2009-10-21T08:31:00.004-05:00

Serving other people is not always easy. Sometimes we talk about service as if it were glamorous. The way we say “God calls us to serve one another” makes it sound so noble and simple. While the call to serve might be divine in origins, at times serving other people stinks. Figuratively and literally.

Last week I joined a team of a dozen people for four days in Cedar Rapids, IA, to serve in flood recovery efforts. In June 2008 Cedar Rapids was devastated with the flood waters of the Cedar River. The river crested at 31.12 feet – over 11 feet higher than the previous record in 1851! Driving through the city on Interstate 380 makes it hard to notice the devastation that remains. But disaster officials have projected that the city’s recovery will not be complete for eight years or more.

Members of our team put hands to work mucking rotted garbage, finishing drywall, and painting homes. At times we were busy working; other times we were busy waiting…for orders, materials, skilled leaders, or communication. A seasoned contractor on our team particularly noticed the failure of coordination; “our work could be so much more effective and efficient if only…”

How often Jesus might have felt impatient with his disciples! If only his disciples would open their ears and put two and two together! Jesus’ ministry, too, might have been better coordinated, more effective and efficient ‘if only’. The Gospels convey a sense of Jesus’ exasperation with waiting on his disciples: “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you?” (Mark 9:19).

For Jesus as for us, serving isn’t always easy or smooth. It involves patience and a great deal of humility. You’ll probably get dirty, too. But somehow, it makes all the difference in the world.

Perspective

2009-09-15T10:47:00.002-05:00

Healthcare. Oh, how the debate saturates our media these days. Were it not such an important issue, I would certainly steer clear of writing about it, considering the extent to which it has consumed our national attention. And I rarely venture into commenting on politics publicly, given the volatility of the subject and its relationship to the church. But the church lives in the world and in this nation, and God would have us be good, informed, active citizens.

I won’t pretend to know what the U.S. should do. I don’t have the answer to this complex problem. I would hope that millions of other Americans might feel similarly. This doesn’t mean that we don’t have our own opinions or have something to add to the conversation. Be we Republican or Democrat, we do have constructive insights and concerns to offer.

Yet it would seem that a vocal number of Americans feel strongly enough as to raise their voice and their rhetoric above productive discourse. We saw it in town hall meetings last month. And I saw it at a busy commercial intersection on Saturday. While driving home from lunch, my family passed a crowd of people holding signs expressing their political opinion on healthcare. Even though my blood pressure rose, I recognize that they have a right to do so.

What bothered me most was not their opinion, but it was their reasoning, their perspective. I saw posters that began with the word “I” and expressed personal beliefs or status. As a person of faith in Christ, “I” is not a very good place to start. “We” is better. Still more Christ-like is to start with “the least of these.”

“Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others” (Philippians 2:4). You and I might have access to good healthcare; we may have health insurance. But we might not, along with too many others in this country. Whether big government or small government is our answer and our future, let us all keep the needs of the other central in our mind.

Letter from prison

2009-07-16T12:15:00.003-05:00

A letter from prison recently arrived. Writing to give thanks for remembering her in prayer, she wanted our community to know that she had not forgotten about us. Furthermore, she would like to continue making an offering to a place that was making Christ known in the world.

It's powerful to hear God's words of praise and thanks freely expressed from a woman behind bars. The note reminded me a of a letter from the apostle Paul in the bible. He wrote lots of letters to communities of faith, just like the one our church recieved. In one of his letters he gave this advice: "Rejoice always, prayer without ceasing and give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God." (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

How might our lives be transformed if we tried to live into Paul's advice? Is it possible that our only requirement of living a relationship with God is to give thanks?

By The Numbers

2009-06-15T15:02:00.002-05:00

I have a confession to make. I love the church, and I love Jesus. I suppose those are good things, especially for one who is serving as a pastor of a Christian Church. But sometimes this causes me great sadness. Well, not so much sadness as heartache. Or, on a good day, it gets me excited.

You see, I recently read that 50% of people living in Southeastern Iowa do not have a religious affiliation; they are “religiously unclaimed”. That percentage is also the national average. It would seem that half of the people in this nation (and in my neighborhood) are not meaningfully connected with the body of Christ. I suppose I could have guessed as much, but this statistic starkly confronts me with reality.

And what are people who love the church and love Jesus doing in response to such a reality? Too often, we – me included – are not doing or saying much. I am indicted. Here comes into play my sadness and heartache. I hurt to think that many people are needlessly suffering from isolation, anxiety, bondage, and fear, apart from the hope of Jesus Christ and the ministry of his church. It grieves me to hear that so many people do not know the love, freedom, life, and grace of God through Jesus Christ.

Now the question is: will this reality excite me enough to open my mouth and extend my hand to do something about it? Can I speak to the people around me, not in condemnation, but with invitation and testimony? “Let me tell you what God has done for me!” (Can we articulate what God has done for us??) This is not a time for complacency. This is a time for compassion and boldness. May God give us a fire in our bones which will not allow us to keep silent.

2009-05-18T13:23:00.003-05:00

Two weeks ago, Matt, Heather, and I journeyed to Indianapolis, IN for a Transition-into-Ministry conference put on the by Lilly Endowment. We spent four days in Indy with 100 or so other Residents like us, participating in Transition-into-Ministry programs like ours...eating good food, listening to inspiring speakers, and forming friendships with other young pastors from all across the country, in all sorts of settings and denominations.

It was a refreshing, encouraging four days! Stepping away from St. Paul for awhile, I was able to have a renewed perspective on this place and people that I am called to minister too. I spent time reflecting on my own gifts and call to ministry. Heather, Matt, and I all took a workshop about "Generations" and how different generations understand the church differently...how different generations of pastors seek to be pastors in different ways. Have you ever thought about that? How am I a different kind of pastor than Pastor Ron? Or Pastor Marty? How much of that has to do with my age? Or the fact that I'm a woman and they are men? I am learning that there are all kinds of factors that influence how we understand our role as pastor. It's quite fascinating! The amazing part in all of this is that different generations and gender and cultures bring different gifts to the table to share with God's people. God is into variety, and chooses a variety of leaders to lead Christ's church!

Since I got back from Indianapolis, I have not stopped raving about the passion and promise that I see in all of these young pastor that I met! There are exciting things going on in the church...not just in the future, when these 20 and 30-something pastors get further along in their careers...but right now, today, these gifted and insightful men and women are doing awesome things to bring God's kingdom more and more fully to earth. I do believe that this generation of pastors could change the way we think about church, and the way we think about God. I pray that the Spirit gives them the courage to be prophets and radical disciples of Jesus.

Oh...and if you recognize that guy in the picture on the right...that Pastor Lowell! He was at the conference too, leading some workshops and playing his drum. It was a gift to be able to visit with him and share stories about the blessing of St. Paul Lutheran Church in our lives.

Thanks again to Lilly for the wonderful, generous ways in which they are nurturing young adults in ministry!

Lessons from a Kiwi

2009-04-14T13:55:00.002-05:00

Have you ever peeled a kiwi? I have, and let me tell you, it wasn’t easy. The first and only time I have peeled this small, odd, externally-brown but inwardly-green fruit was last weekend at my wife’s request. She kindly asked me to mix up the fruit salad, gave me the recipe, and pointed to an assortment of different fruits on the counter. Eager to help and to please, I set to work. “Peel and cube three small kiwi.” Okay. I checked in with her – “should I use a knife or a peeler?” Peeler. Okay. Well. Huh. The fruit was resisting my overtures. Umm. What? There. Ugh. The peel came off in small chunks, and I was pressing hard to make progress. Little by little it came. The peel stuck to my peeler. I was squeezing the fruit, and its shape was becoming deformed. The more peel I got off, the more deformed and slippery it became. Woops! Plop. On the floor. And I had two more to go! After that I had mangos to peel and cube! (The mangos weren’t easy either, but not as bad as the kiwi.)

I silently fumed. How can this be worth it? Can’t we just buy frozen or canned kiwi that’s already prepared? For all the mess, difficulty, and frustration I was experiencing, I would gladly pay extra to avoid this hassle.

By the third kiwi, it still wasn’t easy, but I had gained some technique. I didn’t let another one fall on the floor, either. I tasted a delicate bite of fresh kiwi. I calmed down and started to reflect. I am grateful for the ease of modern convenience, but is the easy way always the best way? Canned fruit does not taste the same as fresh-cut fruit. Peeling that kiwi gave me a greater appreciation for my fruit salad and a deeper connection with the earth which brought it forth.

The life of faith isn’t easy, either. I don’t know that it can be. So much faith is born in the messiness and difficulties of life. Canned faith might look tempting initially, but it won’t taste as good and won’t nourish you in the same way. Faith is hard at times, but the practice of faith is reinforcing.

Thinking back to Holy Week, I don’t think that Jesus found the life of faith easy either. Our life and salvation was born out of Jesus’ intense struggle and pain. Jesus didn’t take the easy way out, and thank God for that.

By the way, my wife loved my fruit salad.

An Open Lettter to Snuggie

2009-04-02T14:06:00.007-05:00

Dear Snuggie,

Greetings! My name is Ann Rosendale. I am a pastor in Davenport, Iowa, and I recently received a Snuggie as a birthday present from my co-workers. They were noticing that I was constantly chilly in the office, and wanted to put an end to my work-day shivers. So, for my recent 27th birthday, they gifted me with a Snuggie!

I must say, I have never before been so delighted with an “as-seen-on-TV” product! I wrap myself in my royal blue polar fleece Snuggie day and night. The best part about the Snuggie is that it is hands free! I can sit on my couch and read a book (with my super-slim, totally portable, FREE book light, of course), play Guitar Hero: World Tour on my Nintendo Wii, or even eat my TV dinner without my arms ever getting cold! In fact, I am wearing my Snuggie right now as I type this letter! It is awesome!

I have told so many of my friends about my Snuggie satisfaction. I posted pictures of myself in the Snuggie on Facebook, modeling its loveliness for all of cyberspace to see! I have convinced many of my family, friends, and co-workers to try the Snuggie for themselves, and am hoping that others will soon hop on the Snuggie bandwagon!

Should you ever need a Snuggie spokeswoman, I’m your girl. I think that the Snuggie is the best thing since sliced bread! I would be honored and overjoyed to speak candidly about how the Snuggie has changed my life. I am also willing to appear in photographs, modeling the functionality of the Snuggie at home and in the workplace.

As the renown of the Snuggie grows, I would encourage you all to consider how you can make the Snuggie even better. Some suggestions that I might offer would be to add a hood to the Snuggie, or add some really cool snaps that can close up the back. My best idea to date is to create a “Snuggie for two!” I cannot wait to try out the next generation of Snuggie merchandise!

I am ever-grateful to all of you at Snuggie for making my life and ministry more warm and cozy.

Snug as a bug in a rug,

Ann E. Rosendale

"Packaged Hugs"

2009-03-27T17:16:00.003-05:00

Sister Ann has recently joined millions of crazed Americans in raving about the power and practicality of “THE SNUGGIE”.

She was lovingly cloaked in her electric blue Snuggie just three days previous to her 27th birthday. After returning from a scrumptious Exotic Thai feast, we were in the foyer of House 129. The box was ripped open, as her friends surrounded her with the love ‘only a Snuggie can truly bring’. Pastor Matt made a comment that the blue really brought out the sparkle in Ann’s eyes. Tears of joy rolled from her eyes; never before had she felt so loved.

Heather and Ann prayerfully paraded the Snuggie wear around the St. Paul campus. Thousands were awed by her new glamorous multi-purpose wear. “Is that a Snuggie? I think I saw that on TV!,” they delightfully squealed. (Personally, I was a little worried about the riots and jealousy a coveted Snuggie can bring to a small faith community.)

As the end of the day approached, the excitement of the Snuggie began to blend into normality of everyday life. Yet, an hour before quitting time, Tammy and Heather were pleasantly surprised to hear Ann shouting words of true comfort: “For the first time in my life, I am actually sweating in my office. This is AWESOME!.”

This testimonial is brought to you by a dear friend and co-worker of a “True Snuggie Lover and Believer.” If you want the power of a Snuggie to hug your friends, check out Walgreens, Bed Bath and Beyond, or order one on-line. They’re two for one… And, really, who wouldn’t want some Snuggie love???

Sabbath

2009-03-12T13:19:00.003-05:00

I've been thinking about Sabbath some this Lent.

We often think about Sabbath as a day of rest. God created the world in six days and on the seventh day God rested. Sabbath means to stop, to rest to cease.

But I read another defination of Sabbath the other day. What do you think about this?

From Walter Brueggemann's book, Mandate to Difference:

"So what is it that makes people like us weary? It is not working too hard that makes us weary. It is rather, I submit, living a life that is against the grain of our true creatureliness, living a ministry that is against the grain of our true vocation, being placed in a false position so that our day-to-day operation requires us to contradict what we know best about ourselves and what we love most about our life as children of God. Exhaustion comes from the demand that we be, in some measure, other than we truly are; such an alienation requires too much energy to navigate.

"So how to move from weariness and being burdened to Jesus? Well, by sabbath! But not sabbath like one more day of golf, good as that might be. Rather, sabbath rest by taking a break from our contradicted lives of anxiety and our silenced life of coercion. Sabbath rest consists in bringing our daily existence into congruity with our true selves... Sabbath practice is to break the denial and become 'truth-tellers,' for the truth will make us sabbath-free."

It IS tiring to try to be something that we are not. If I'm honest with myself, it's not the length of my "to do" list that makes me tired. I become exhausted when those things on my to do list are not meaningful, or life-giving, or aligned with the integrity of the person God created me to be. Thinking about Sabbath the way the Bruggemann does is freeing for me. Sabbath rest is not about doing more or doing less...it's about doing, and BEING better...BEING in a way that is in line with the human being that God created me to be.

What do you think about that definition of Sabbath? How can you become a Sabbath truth-teller today?

Teasing Me

2009-02-10T17:22:00.001-06:00

I hated being teased when I was a child, and I grew up as the youngest in a family that loved to tease and laugh together. Much of it happened around the supper table, and I would conveniently get mad right as it was time to do the dishes. Finally one day my mom said to me that I can either be mad and pout all the time or I could learn to laugh along. Our teasing was a show of love and joy. At some point I found the humor and felt the love.

I feel a little teased these days. It’s the warm weather. Sixty degrees and sunny, in early February – spring is here! I’ve been walking to work and running outside. From my window I see scores of people circling Vander Veer Park all day long. The water from the snow has even dried from the streets! Maybe I’ll go biking later.

But we dare not put our winter coats away yet. Cold weather is bound to return before we really hit spring. The weather is teasing us, and it will make the cold days ahead even colder and more shocking. How cruel of Mother Nature to tease us like this!

Or we could look at it another way. We’re being given hope, hope that the long winter will end someday soon. Days of snow, thick ice, and sub-zero temperatures will not plague us forever. Spring will come, and life will bloom again.

Perhaps this is the type of hope we have in God. The fullness of God’s kingdom is not yet here, but it’s on the way. We get glimpses of it when we see acts of love and experience moments of peace. God “teases” us with joy and kindness and gentleness so that we may have hope for tomorrow, and for God’s coming reign. After all, teasing can be a good thing.

The Family Album

2009-02-03T13:49:00.002-06:00

Snapshots of life; vignettes into the intricacies of human connectedness is an awesome honor to witness in parish ministry. The startled look of surprise in the eyes of the newly baptized after being splashed with words of new life; stoic exchanges between mother and son during their father’s German polka funeral recessional; the starry wonder of that one wandering toddler during the children’s message.

Just last Sunday, I captured another one in the communion line. I imagine I wasn’t supposed to see this one. The big sister quietly processed to where her little brother stood offering her the chalice of wine. She scrunched up her once cheerful face, rolled her eyes, and stuck out her tongue as her brother tossed out the words “the blood of Christ shed for you.”

The old familiar exchange brought a quick smile to my face. It made me my miss my own siblings, my younger brother and sister. I thought back to all the Sundays we spent in the church, silently, lovingly, poking and prodding each other through the long grueling church service. I am thankful to see the tradition living on. The wonder and connectedness of God’s people surround us.

Just What I've Always Wanted

2008-12-11T14:40:00.003-06:00

The staff at St. Paul recently gathered together for our annual Christmas party. We had a great time relaxing, laughing, taking care of some business, and feasting at our hostess' banquet. Included in the celebration was a gift exchange - white elephant style, but without the "stealing". According to Wikipedia (the ultimate source for casual information), White Elephant gifts are "typically inexpensive/humorous items or used items from home, and sometimes they are just plain trash." We numbered all the gifts we brought, then chose numbers from a hat, and opened our gifts in numerical order. The gifts were mostly - if not all - delightful. And somehow they all seemed to find an appropriate recipient.

I like White Elephant Gift Exchanges. It gives me an opportunity to get rid of something that I no longer want or need (if I ever did). And, sometimes, someone's undesirable becomes a new treasure. Or, at the very least we get some laughs by passing around each other's junk.

I think God likes White Elephant gifts, too. God gets them all the time. God is constantly receiving our junk - our broken hearts, our tough situations, our hurting world, and our sinful selves. God not only receives it, God asks for it, God comes to get it in Jesus. And in God's hands, the junk has value because God loves it and makes it new.

What Are You Waiting For?

2008-12-05T11:31:00.002-06:00

It's the Advent question. What are you waiting for? Waiting. It's our Advent mantra. It's what Advent it all about. Waiting.

But wait! What are we waiting for? After all, Jesus already came, didn't he? So we're not waiting for Jesus...are we? Jesus already came. He was already born. So we can't still be waiting, can we?

Maybe Advent is just, like, a pretending to wait. Pretending...Imagining what it must have felt like for Mary and Joseph and the shepherds to have the Christ Child come into their lives. Is that what Advent is? Pretending to wait? Acting "as if" this was the first time that Jesus is coming into the world?

Eh...I dunno. That seems to take some of the meaning out of Christmas...if we're just re-enacting ancient waiting.

It seems to me that, even though Jesus already came at the first Christmas long ago, that we are STILL waiting...for something. For Jesus to come again, or for there to be real, true peace on earth, or something. We are STILL truly waiting.

Advent...Christmas...is not about pretending to wait, or pretending to experience God's presence in our lives. No. Christ is doing a real thing even today! Especially today! Jesus is getting ready to come again! And we are getting ready to receive him again!

So what are you waiting for this Advent? I hope it's more than a prending to wait. I hope it's more than simply an imagining of what waiting for Jesus might be like. I hope, this Advent, that we all experience the true yearning that all of us have in our hearts for the presence of Emmanuel, God with us.

God's Feather Bed

2008-11-14T13:43:00.002-06:00

I heard the same sermon four times last weekend. Each time, I still found it funny to imagine a person committed to sleeping on the floor because they were too afraid of falling out of their bed. “Risk management,” Pastor Marty called it. We are trained from an early age to play it safe, eliminate risks, be cautious. We are one talent people. He was referring to the parable of the talents, where the master had given each of his three servants varying amounts of his own talents. The first servant was given five talents, the second had two, and the last was given one talent. The first two servants doubled profits for their master, while the last one returned the same one talent—unchanged. (Matthew 25:14-30)

I imagine the one talent person as the disheveled looking individual. Tired from nights of sleeping on the wooden floor next to the big feather bed his master had provided for him. Too afraid of messing up, weighed down with worries beyond his control, burying talents in doubt and insecurity.

Wouldn’t it be great if everyone slept comfortably through the night! Resting in the security of God’s big feather bed. Waking up to new days of opportunity. Free to take risks. Refreshed by life, knowing and trusting that all we are given is gift. Grace-loads of feathers scattered like blessings. “All is given, all is yours,” says the Lord.

Generous God, make us bold and faithful stewards of all you have entrusted us. Free to risk and free to fail; always resting in your care. Amen.

Good or Bad?

2008-11-04T10:16:00.001-06:00

Have you ever noticed that movies, cartoons, and fairy tales often make it seem so clear who is the “bad guy” and who is the “good guy”? Think of some examples with me. Take “Home Alone”: Kevin McCallister (Macaulay Culkin) is the good boy, and Harry and Marv (the burglars) are the bad guys. In “The Lion King,” Simba is the good lion, Scar is the bad lion. From the Brothers Grimm, Snow white is the good girl, and the jealous queen/witch is the bad girl. Simple and straightforward; you are either good, or you’re bad.

But life is not that simple, is it? Is anyone all good or all bad? Are you all good or all bad? Do you always do what is right in thought, word, and deed? Aren’t you both some good and some bad? Sure you probably do some good things and help others sometimes; people are capable of tremendous good. Yet we all have moments when we look to our own needs first, or respond with rudeness to a customer service representative, or spend money carelessly, or act in ways that hurt our bodies or harm the earth. The list can go on. (Maybe, when we think about, none of us is as good as we fool ourselves into thinking.) We do the best we can, but the truth is that we are all far from holy. We are all both good and bad.

All too often we forget this truth, and we try to categories other people as “all good” or “all bad”. We do this more often than we realize. Are Christians “all good” or “all bad”? Are Muslims? Are Palestinians? Is George W. Bush? Is either McCain or Obama all good or all bad? We all live somewhere in the middle, flaws and virtues together. May the Lord forgive our “bad”ness, increase our “good”ness, and open our eyes to see in truth and love.

All Dogs Go to Heaven

2008-10-22T15:05:00.002-05:00

My dog, Duke, has been in my family since I was 12 years old. We went and picked him out of his litter when he was just a puppy. Our whole family loved getting and having a dog. Duke has been a joy to play with and walk and feed and love. And although his hyper-active personality required some extra patience and discipline at times, my family wouldn't have traded him for the world.

Today is Duke's half birthday. He is 14-and-a-half years old today...and he is on his last legs...literally. This Autumn has been a particularly difficult time for our family pet. His legs have been giving out on him...he's been falling, and having trouble walking. He's been losing weight and is generally weaker and less energetic in his old age. The vet thinks that it's bad arthritis, or maybe cancer. At any rate, my family knows that Duke won't be around very much longer, and that soon we are going to have to let him go.

So my dog has me thinking about what happens to animals when they die. Do dogs (and cats and bird and ferrets and elephants) go to heaven when they die? Does God care for animals like God cares for us? It's an important question for my family these days. We can't let Duke go without believing that the answer is an absolute "Yes!"

I had a professor in seminary who talked about God's relationship with animals. He entertained our questions about what happens to our pets when they pass away. And he reminded us of this... that God has, and is, and will redeem ALL of God's creation. That includes dogs and cats and bears and fish and trees and flowers...all of it! God's kingdom would not be complete without all of these wonders of God's creation. How strange of us to think that God only has a place for people in the world that is to come. When I think about heaven...I can't imagine it without Duke there, waiting for his family to come home, wagging his tail, with his ball in his mouth, just itching to play!

I will miss my dog very much when he dies. Losing a pet is like losing a family member. But I am glad for all that Duke will experience with God...chasing rabbits and eating divine doggie treats. I'm grateful, too, for a Creator that is redeeming all of creation...even redeeming me and especially redeeming Duke.