Governor Gregoire gave her State of the State Address to a joint session of the Washington Legislature this week. I think it may be time for me to offer a State of the Internship address to the blogosphere. To do so I'm going to be using a paper that I wrote for a class last semester which summarizes a lot of the ups and downs I have been through over the last few years with what it means to be called. Enjoy! --------------------------- Recently, I took some much needed time away from my … [Read more...]
Its a Strange Thing
This Tuesday I visited some of our congregants at the Lakeshore Retirement Community in Renton. Up to this point I have been going on these visits with Pastor Scott, with the understanding that I would eventually do it myself once I had gotten a chance to at least meet the congregation. As I stood at the front door waiting for the person inside to let me in, I was struck by how strange this job of pastor is. We knock on people's doors that we have only talked to a few times. We are with … [Read more...]
Hurry Christmas, Hurry Fast
With Christmas Day two days gone, things are starting to get back to normal in people's lives. I got mail again today. Downtown Seattle has sprung back to life. And the buses were jam packed with people heading home from work this afternoon. But I don't want things to be done as a matter of fact I feel like I am just starting. Over the last few weeks, you may have heard the Alvin and the Chipmunks Christmas Song, Christmas Time is Here. During part of the song, the Chipmunks urge Christmas … [Read more...]
The Waiting Game
Tonight my girlfriend and I got the first of what I hope to be many future Christmas trees. But before we could get the tree we had to get a stand, so I took a drive over to Fred Meyer. Of course the place was packed with people getting their Christmas shopping done before they had to head back to work tomorrow. I hate busy stores and during this season it is the worst. This December I am trying my hardest to try and follow the church calendar which means that it isn't quite Christmas yet. … [Read more...]
Hang out in the ‘hood
When Pastor Scott and I first started talking about my internship for this year, I was really convinced that part of my internship should include some commitment to try and get to know the neighbors who live directly around the church. For those of you who have never been to Lakeridge Lutheran Church, it is the quintessential neighborhood church. It is buried in the middle of an unincorporated territory and is encircled by block after block of residential homes overlooking Lake Washington to … [Read more...]
Getting to Know You
Visitation is one of the more common elements of the pastoral ministry, and something that I really wanted to try out during my internship. I have been in hospitals, nursing homes and other care facilities as a visitor or employee; but stepping into these places as a pastor is totally different. Or, at least it feels different. I attempted to prepare myself well. I wore the clerical collar that I had borrowed from Pastor Scott to make myself look a little bit more legitimate. Scott called … [Read more...]
Revealing Ritual
It seems like we have a service for everything in the Lutheran Church. Technically my first day of internship was Sunday, September 3, and yet there I was this Sunday alb and all getting installed with friends from The Seattle School of Theology and Psychology and Church of the Beloved standing by to send me off. During the service I kept on thinking about this quote from the 2004 movie King Arthur produced by Jerry Bruckheimer. In this more historicized retelling of the King Arthur myth … [Read more...]
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