Pastor's Book Overdosing

What's the pastor reading? I have a big number of books on my desk that have caught my attention. It's a professional affliction of pastors. Eventually I'll get to them. Sometimes a parishioner will ask me what they are, so here's the list, and a short reason for why they are "in the pile."
For supplementing our Thursday night bible study of Mark:
Mark: Images of an Apostolic Interpreter, by Clifton Black (former seminary professor and magnificent teacher) None of the books of the bible were written in a vacuum. The "backstory" of every one is full of thick history, and the Gospel of Mark is no different.  I revel in studying the backstories, particularly when they are full of real people, and their influence.
For being challenged in my own spiritual growth, and recommended by my spiritual director:
The Wounding and Healing of Desire: Weaving Heaven and Earth, by Wendy Farley and
Spirit and Trauma: a Theology of Remaining, by Shelly Rambo, also useful for work with disaster responders and survivors.
For keeping up with all the church transformation and renewal literature (a field far too vast for anyone's own good):
Exiles: Living Missionally in a Post-Christian Culture, by Michael Frost
Church 3.0: Upgrades for the future of the Church, by Neil Cole
Journey in the Wilderness: New Life for Mainline Churches, by Gil Rendle (a fav of many colleagues)
Why Did Jesus, Moses, the Buddha, and Mohammed Cross the Road: Christian Identity in a Multi-Faith World, by Brian D. McLaren. McLaren is a prolific writer and speaker and has his own publishing and speaking enterprise.
And finally, and most deeply...
Passion for Pilgrimage, by Alan Jones, because this is a book being read and studied by a lot of faithful people in this little congregation.
Yes, it's too much to absorb. Anyone is welcome to relieve me of this affliction by borrowing these from my shelf and giving me the Cliff Notes version.

SEX!

I didn't think that such a volume of "talk back to the preacher" would be unleashed when I preached on the Song of Songs text last Sunday. Sunday, August 30, 2009--Song of Songs text from the lectionary. Of course it celebrates sexual attraction between a woman and a man, harkening back to the creation story in Genesis. But because there is so much that could be said about this controversial topic in our time, I didn't want to start out with the controversy. I wanted to lift up what was GOOD and HOLY about sex.
Apparently it got a lot of people thinking. People have been sending me stuff--printed works, and links and publications and way more than I can absorb. We'll have to pray to see where all this takes the little church with a big mission...

The azalea church

Easter has come and gone...the grounds at Church of the Covenant are alive with...azaleas. This is the month that God said "You see; purple does go with green." For a long time, this has been known as "the azalea church." It's hard not to be impressed by the beauty of our setting here on Military Road. But we wonder if our neighbors are impressed by our gardens or our giving glory to God. Are they seeing our horticulture or our culture of love? I don't know, but I'm going to find out...a small step outside of the church building to make some face-to-face contact with the neighbors seems the right thing to do. What will we find out?

Update--website almost live!!

to be a blessing

If there's one thing I've learned in the past week, it's that there is a lot of hurt in the world, even in the world around North Arlington, a re-gentrifying city if ever there was one. The houses are beautiful. The gardens are plenty. More and more people are looking for a shorter commute into Washington, and this drives up the demand for housing on this side of the Potomac. Beautiful houses are being built and beautiful condos. Wealth is everywhere. Trendy restaurants, stylishly dressed young professionals, expensive cars. On the outside, everything looks fine, even more-than-fine...outwardly blessed.
As this congregation's new pastor, I'm listening to the life histories of many people connected with the church. Some indeed record more than their share of blessings...interesting careers, successful businesses, many years of marital happiness, smiling children. But there is much to morn, too,--betrayal, anger, abuse of self and others, disappointment, estrangement.
My sermon this morning was about the call of Abram/Abraham, and his response to God's promise of blessing. God promised that he would be blessed so that he would be a blessing. God's promise of blessing to Abraham was not just for Abraham's sake, but for the purpose of blessing the rest of the world.
The rest of the story is a story about God's promises of blessing, and the threats to that promise. It's not a clear cut path to individual happiness, but God doesn't give up on us. What if we, too, are blessed in order that we be a blessing? What if stepping out in faith is meant for passing along God's blessing?
Everyone's story has a joyous side and a tragic side. Why has God given us such a range of experiences? Maybe we can't know, but we can pass along those blessings given to us. And maybe that's what faith is for.
North Arlington has a multitude of blessings. Church of the Covenant, how can we pass along those blessings?

Covenant Church doesn't have a website

I will preach my first sermon as the pastor on Sunday, August 3, 2008. Jacob wrestles with a "man" at the ford of the Jabbok. Like all good Bible stories, this one has many interpretations. Over the centuries, this story has been heard as many things: a struggle with a river demon, a test of leadership, an initiation rite, a psychological confrontation with guilt; an allegory of the church?
I've worked at churches before, but the church I'm the new pastor for-- Church of the Covenant in Arlington, Virginia--is odd. The church doesn't have a website. Maybe this is a good thing...
We like our relationships face-to-face. Like Jacob at Peniel, we wrestle with God and humans in person. Whether we prevail or not remains open, but we're hanging on for a blessing. I'm wondering what the church will decide to do: website or NOT?
Stay tuned...