Monday, April 23, 2012
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Monday, April 09, 2012
Your weekly Simul--week 1
So, I’ve noticed that LOL Cats, Ceiling Cat, funny cat videos and so on, have virtually taken over the internet.
Well, I’m adaptable and I’ve got a cat. So I’m putting little Simul to work for Luthermatrix. Roughly once a week we will post a “Your Weekly Simul” post. This will also encourage me to post more often, so Luthermatrix doesn’t become just another cat website.
Without further ado, Your Weekly Simul:
Well, I’m adaptable and I’ve got a cat. So I’m putting little Simul to work for Luthermatrix. Roughly once a week we will post a “Your Weekly Simul” post. This will also encourage me to post more often, so Luthermatrix doesn’t become just another cat website.
Without further ado, Your Weekly Simul:
Sunday, April 08, 2012
Friday, March 23, 2012
While We Work portion of W6
This is the first draft of the second half of the While We Wait, While We Work(W6) document.
For the first half of this document click here.
While We Work:
Advice for Bivocational Pastors:
Clarity and communication are key—Be clear about expectations all around (both you and the congregation). Be honest about your limitations. Develop relationships in the congregation to provide a network of people that will support you and have your back so you can get a fuller picture of what is going on and get honest feedback and insight into the congregational situation. Spell out as much as you can in your contract so there are fewer surprises. Have honest conversations with the church’s leadership and make plans for covering situations in which the pastor can not be there, i.e. if the pastor can't get there is there a lay leader who can be first response until the pastor is available? The important thing is to have the conversation first which both helps the leadership understand the potential challenge and plan for it.
Boundary setting—You may want to be at church all the time—but you have a responsibility to both vocations, and to your non-paid vocations as well. So leave when you need to leave. It is your duty as the pastor to set boundaries and say no. Setting these boundaries is best done from the start. Then, when you really need to be flexible, you have that consistency in the past to build from.
Be Flexible—once you have the boundaries of both vocations firmly established you can make exceptions as needed, because both the church and the other employer will trust your judgment about balancing your time for the sake of both callings.
Do not worry about office hours—the working/living situation of Americans has changed. Many more people are working during traditional pastor’s “office hours.” People are unlikely to desire to visit the pastor on a 9am to 5pm basis. Technology, from cell phones and email to blogs and twitter, can fit the purposes of the traditional office hours model. Weeknight meetings and busy Sundays will be your stock and trade.
Focus on tasks not time—You and your congregation will need to decide what your top priorities are and you will get them done. Bivocational ministry is not about the number of hours you put in—its about what you get done.
Help the Laity own the ministry—One of the main things a congregation and bivocational pastor will need to make clear is what jobs must the pastor do? The pastor then is there, to quote Ephesians, to equip, “the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ.” In other words, the tasks of ministry are divvied up, the pastor does that which she is called to do and makes sure the lay-folk have the skills and support to do their tasks.
Network with fellow clergy—Keep a list of the names of area clergy that the secretary or pastor can contact in case something urgent comes up and you are unable to leave your other vocation. Though bivocationality limits the opportunities for a pastor to meet colleague making these connections is imperative.
Suggestions for Candidates Seeking A Part-time or Bivocational Position:
Create a document for yourself that specifically describes your approach to part-time/bivocational ministry. Use concrete examples.
Ask call committee questions such as:
What are the congregational attitudes about calling a part-time minister?
What are the agreed-upon expectations about office hours?
What would a “worst-case” scenario look like regarding pastoral emergencies and funerals? How would the congregation take dropping the ball on something like that?
Who else is going to help lead the important tasks and programs of the church that the pastor won’t be able to do?
Remember:
Remember this, your type of ministry is a particular gift to the church, especially to your lay folk and to the larger community you serve in. Full-time clergy can more easily get trapped in the “clergy bubble.”
This makes them look at ministry in a particular way. For example, they will likely look at the lay folk who have full time jobs and yet come in and volunteer at the church, with less empathy than you do. You have a higher level of understanding of the strains and demands of, for example, the folk sitting on church council who juggle commitments to both outside work obligations and church.
This also makes non-clergy look at them in a particular way—like it or not their main identity is pastor. This creates a perception of otherness that can make them less approachable. This otherness is less apparent for bivocational pastor, and thus you are more approachable. You get to represent the church in contexts outside of the traditional church setting! You will have more opportunities to pick the brains of unchurched folk than your monovocational sisters and brothers.
Remember also that doing ministry in new ways to fit new situations is what we do as protestants. For that matter, this is what the Holy Spirit does, She stirs things up and creates out of God’s people something new. You are living within a grand tradition!
Advice for Congegations with Bivocational Pastors:
If you are considering calling a Part-time pastor a few important questions to ask yourself as a congregation are:
What are the five most important activities done by the church?
Which must the pastor lead?
How much time should the pastor spend at the church?
Don’t expect a full-time pastor for half-time pay—One of the big dangers of having a Bivocational pastor is that you might accidently (or purposefully) financially abusing them. “The reality is that the living out of social justice ideals espoused form the pulpit applies directly to the fairness with which a church treats its employees, in this case, its pastors.”
Don’t assume “downsizing” from a full-time pastor to a part-time pastor means the congregation is dying—Bivocational pastors bring with them many gifts that can be refreshing to a congregation. Also, thinking that way can become a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Understand that the pastor will not always be available when you need her/him—they have a second vocation, and that job is of equal import to their being your pastor—just as your non-pastoral vocation is.
When writing your church profile be specific about your expectations of how your minister will be part-time—the practical details of hours on-site, office hours, appointments, committee meetings, and the “what if” questions about pastoral emergencies and funerals must be addressed Be as honest as you can about how the whole church feels. Duties and work schedule of other personnel must be available to the candidate in as much detail as possible.
Recommendations:
Candidacy Committee:
The possibility of bivocational ministry ought to be brought up to candidates early on. On one hand, candidates have went all the way through seminary and to first call before being told that bivocational ministry is the wave of the future—this can feel like a “bait and switch” situation. On the other hand, there are people who might consider the ministry, but are completely in love with their primary/current vocation—they do not know that bivocational ministry is an option.
We highly discourage requiring bivocational candidates to quit their second vocation as a pre-requisite for candidacy. This is counterproductive.
Seminary:
At some point during seminary try to include information about bivocational ministry both, historically and contemporary, within the Lutheran tradition.
Bring in guest speakers to talk about how they do bivocational ministry.
Spend some time on group dynamics, conflict resolution, and how to delegate. All these skills are important for successful bivocational ministry.
When considering mentors for field ed and supervisors for internship try to pair up people interested in bivocational ministry with bivocational ministers. As it stands internship supervisors are supposed to be full time—in cases of students preparing for bivocational ministry providing them with a supervisor who exemplifies the best-practices of bivocational ministers should be seen as a worthy exception to the full-time rule.
Investigate the educational model of the Roman Catholic Permanent Deaconate (30 credit hours over 4 years, Wednesday evening classes. Supervised Internship. 3 Weekend workshops. Required spiritual direction) as a possible alternative model for educating bivocational ministers.
Synod:
Many synods train lay leaders for larger roles in the church—for example Saint Stephen Ministers. We recommend Synods start, continue, and expand such endeavors to prepare for the possibility of more Bivocational ministries in the church’s future.
Ensure candidates, especially Bivocational ones, know about the ELCA document Guidelines for Shared-Time Ministries.
Bivocational workshops should be available and Directors of Evangelical Mission should keep up on the latest trends in bivocational ministry.
Broader Policy/Churchwide:
The ELCA ought to rethink its rules on what constitutes a call. For example, a pastor who serves a church for 10 hours a week should not be considered “on leave from call.”
Requiring a Lutheran Year of candidates who intend to be Bivocational adds unnecessary strain on a candidate who will not be financially compensated as a full-time minister. Potentially moving five times (to seminary, to internship, back to seminary, to a Lutheran seminary, and finally to a first call congregation) is a lot to ask of someone who will be working 15 hours a week at a Lutheran church.
The Church ought to be talking honestly about how the Church and ministry is changing today. It ought to reevaluate the very idea of what a pastor is, could be, might not be, and is not. It ought to also more fully embrace, and advocate for, positive interpretations of Bivocational ministry (see for example the Remember portion of the Advice section above).
For the first half of this document click here.
While We Work:
Advice for Bivocational Pastors:
Clarity and communication are key—Be clear about expectations all around (both you and the congregation). Be honest about your limitations. Develop relationships in the congregation to provide a network of people that will support you and have your back so you can get a fuller picture of what is going on and get honest feedback and insight into the congregational situation. Spell out as much as you can in your contract so there are fewer surprises. Have honest conversations with the church’s leadership and make plans for covering situations in which the pastor can not be there, i.e. if the pastor can't get there is there a lay leader who can be first response until the pastor is available? The important thing is to have the conversation first which both helps the leadership understand the potential challenge and plan for it.
Boundary setting—You may want to be at church all the time—but you have a responsibility to both vocations, and to your non-paid vocations as well. So leave when you need to leave. It is your duty as the pastor to set boundaries and say no. Setting these boundaries is best done from the start. Then, when you really need to be flexible, you have that consistency in the past to build from.
Be Flexible—once you have the boundaries of both vocations firmly established you can make exceptions as needed, because both the church and the other employer will trust your judgment about balancing your time for the sake of both callings.
Do not worry about office hours—the working/living situation of Americans has changed. Many more people are working during traditional pastor’s “office hours.” People are unlikely to desire to visit the pastor on a 9am to 5pm basis. Technology, from cell phones and email to blogs and twitter, can fit the purposes of the traditional office hours model. Weeknight meetings and busy Sundays will be your stock and trade.
Focus on tasks not time—You and your congregation will need to decide what your top priorities are and you will get them done. Bivocational ministry is not about the number of hours you put in—its about what you get done.
Help the Laity own the ministry—One of the main things a congregation and bivocational pastor will need to make clear is what jobs must the pastor do? The pastor then is there, to quote Ephesians, to equip, “the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ.” In other words, the tasks of ministry are divvied up, the pastor does that which she is called to do and makes sure the lay-folk have the skills and support to do their tasks.
Network with fellow clergy—Keep a list of the names of area clergy that the secretary or pastor can contact in case something urgent comes up and you are unable to leave your other vocation. Though bivocationality limits the opportunities for a pastor to meet colleague making these connections is imperative.
Suggestions for Candidates Seeking A Part-time or Bivocational Position:
Create a document for yourself that specifically describes your approach to part-time/bivocational ministry. Use concrete examples.
Ask call committee questions such as:
What are the congregational attitudes about calling a part-time minister?
What are the agreed-upon expectations about office hours?
What would a “worst-case” scenario look like regarding pastoral emergencies and funerals? How would the congregation take dropping the ball on something like that?
Who else is going to help lead the important tasks and programs of the church that the pastor won’t be able to do?
Remember:
Remember this, your type of ministry is a particular gift to the church, especially to your lay folk and to the larger community you serve in. Full-time clergy can more easily get trapped in the “clergy bubble.”
This makes them look at ministry in a particular way. For example, they will likely look at the lay folk who have full time jobs and yet come in and volunteer at the church, with less empathy than you do. You have a higher level of understanding of the strains and demands of, for example, the folk sitting on church council who juggle commitments to both outside work obligations and church.
This also makes non-clergy look at them in a particular way—like it or not their main identity is pastor. This creates a perception of otherness that can make them less approachable. This otherness is less apparent for bivocational pastor, and thus you are more approachable. You get to represent the church in contexts outside of the traditional church setting! You will have more opportunities to pick the brains of unchurched folk than your monovocational sisters and brothers.
Remember also that doing ministry in new ways to fit new situations is what we do as protestants. For that matter, this is what the Holy Spirit does, She stirs things up and creates out of God’s people something new. You are living within a grand tradition!
Advice for Congegations with Bivocational Pastors:
If you are considering calling a Part-time pastor a few important questions to ask yourself as a congregation are:
What are the five most important activities done by the church?
Which must the pastor lead?
How much time should the pastor spend at the church?
Don’t expect a full-time pastor for half-time pay—One of the big dangers of having a Bivocational pastor is that you might accidently (or purposefully) financially abusing them. “The reality is that the living out of social justice ideals espoused form the pulpit applies directly to the fairness with which a church treats its employees, in this case, its pastors.”
Don’t assume “downsizing” from a full-time pastor to a part-time pastor means the congregation is dying—Bivocational pastors bring with them many gifts that can be refreshing to a congregation. Also, thinking that way can become a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Understand that the pastor will not always be available when you need her/him—they have a second vocation, and that job is of equal import to their being your pastor—just as your non-pastoral vocation is.
When writing your church profile be specific about your expectations of how your minister will be part-time—the practical details of hours on-site, office hours, appointments, committee meetings, and the “what if” questions about pastoral emergencies and funerals must be addressed Be as honest as you can about how the whole church feels. Duties and work schedule of other personnel must be available to the candidate in as much detail as possible.
Recommendations:
Candidacy Committee:
The possibility of bivocational ministry ought to be brought up to candidates early on. On one hand, candidates have went all the way through seminary and to first call before being told that bivocational ministry is the wave of the future—this can feel like a “bait and switch” situation. On the other hand, there are people who might consider the ministry, but are completely in love with their primary/current vocation—they do not know that bivocational ministry is an option.
We highly discourage requiring bivocational candidates to quit their second vocation as a pre-requisite for candidacy. This is counterproductive.
Seminary:
At some point during seminary try to include information about bivocational ministry both, historically and contemporary, within the Lutheran tradition.
Bring in guest speakers to talk about how they do bivocational ministry.
Spend some time on group dynamics, conflict resolution, and how to delegate. All these skills are important for successful bivocational ministry.
When considering mentors for field ed and supervisors for internship try to pair up people interested in bivocational ministry with bivocational ministers. As it stands internship supervisors are supposed to be full time—in cases of students preparing for bivocational ministry providing them with a supervisor who exemplifies the best-practices of bivocational ministers should be seen as a worthy exception to the full-time rule.
Investigate the educational model of the Roman Catholic Permanent Deaconate (30 credit hours over 4 years, Wednesday evening classes. Supervised Internship. 3 Weekend workshops. Required spiritual direction) as a possible alternative model for educating bivocational ministers.
Synod:
Many synods train lay leaders for larger roles in the church—for example Saint Stephen Ministers. We recommend Synods start, continue, and expand such endeavors to prepare for the possibility of more Bivocational ministries in the church’s future.
Ensure candidates, especially Bivocational ones, know about the ELCA document Guidelines for Shared-Time Ministries.
Bivocational workshops should be available and Directors of Evangelical Mission should keep up on the latest trends in bivocational ministry.
Broader Policy/Churchwide:
The ELCA ought to rethink its rules on what constitutes a call. For example, a pastor who serves a church for 10 hours a week should not be considered “on leave from call.”
Requiring a Lutheran Year of candidates who intend to be Bivocational adds unnecessary strain on a candidate who will not be financially compensated as a full-time minister. Potentially moving five times (to seminary, to internship, back to seminary, to a Lutheran seminary, and finally to a first call congregation) is a lot to ask of someone who will be working 15 hours a week at a Lutheran church.
The Church ought to be talking honestly about how the Church and ministry is changing today. It ought to reevaluate the very idea of what a pastor is, could be, might not be, and is not. It ought to also more fully embrace, and advocate for, positive interpretations of Bivocational ministry (see for example the Remember portion of the Advice section above).
Friday, March 16, 2012
While We Wait portion of WWW,WWW first draft
This is the first draft of the first half of the While We Work, While We Wait document
While We Wait: Recommendations
This section will contain recommendations for all the expressions of the church regarding helping/managing people waiting first call.
Candidacy Committee:
We recommend that Candidacy Committees remember to be upfront about the costs of Ordination. Tell people right up front, from the time they consider candidacy that the landscape of the church has changed. Let them know that they may have to wait for an extended time for a call; let them know they ought to have a plan B in the wings; let them know the extent of debt they will incur at seminary. After all “which of you, intending to build a tower, does not first sit down and estimate the cost, to see whether he has enough to complete it?” (Luke 14:28)
Encourage First Call Pastors to join candidacy committees—pastors who have more recently gone through the candidacy process might be more up to date on the particular struggles of candidacy.
Seminary:
Covering the ins and outs of the call process at seminary has been invaluable. However, the call process described tends to be an idealized process—which has not been most candidate’s experience. The messiness of the process ought to be disclosed more fully.
Encourage Seminarians to do mock first call interviews.
Congregational Level:
Congregations considering a first call pastor ought to read Lily Foundation studies and Alban Institue materials on what makes a lively, healthy, faithful, first call situation.
If a congregation is debating whether they are open to a first call pastor, they ought to recognize a first call pastor’s inexperience can be a gift to help them discern new ways of doing ministry. They ought to also see calling a first call pastor as a ministry to the wider church.
Synod Level:
Welcome your new candidates—If you have a Renewal of Vows liturgy invite them to participate in that service. Make them aware of Synod events—for example Synod Assemblies and Cluster Bible Studies.
Your First Call Candidates are a gift to the Synod, even before you ordain them—Look at your Candidates waiting call as leaven to enliven your synod. Endeavor to use their gifts in volunteer, if not paid, positions until they are called to a church.
Let them administer the sacraments as well as preach the word—We recommend that a Regionally Marked Call be issued at either approval or assignment. A Regionally Marked Call would give permission to waiting candidates to not only supply preach, but conduct the whole service, Holy Communion included. This would increase the candidate waiting call’s likelihood of landing Sunday supply jobs (because she would be able to conduct a “real” worship service), thus earning some money while keeping their pastoral skills sharp.
Prepare candidates for interviews—We recommend helping candidates edit their RLP as appropriate and hold interview training sessions shortly after candidates are assigned to your synod.
Don’t take more candidates than you have spots for—if possible do not request a first call candidate in the churchwide assignment until a congregation is practically at the point to start interviewing a candidate.
Help Congregations think through calling a first call pastor—if appropriate develop an all-day workship for call committees and councils to help them better understand what it means to call a first-call pastor, framing it as a calling also for the congegation to serve as a pastor’s first call.
Do be afraid to let go of a candidate—We encourage synods to have an informal trigger date at which point they will recommend a candidate is released from the synod to find a call elsewhere.
Broader Policy/Churchwide:
Remove the three year waiting period for specialized ministry—In some synods this has already become the norm. Sending candidates to a congregation who do not intend to continue on in congregational ministry fills churches with pastors who do not want to be where they are. This in turn lengthens the wait time for 1st call people who want to be parish pastors, because they are “competing” with specialized ministry folk for these churches.
Make it easier to be ordained—Currently a candidate is rostered and can be ordained only if they minister for 15 hours a week—if this was lowered to 10 more candidates could be officially ordained and thus no longer be waiting for ordination. Another solution some synods have done is to call candidates for 1 year term calls or interim work in order to ordain them.
Make folk waiting for call LVC summer chaplains—ministering to Lutheran Volunteer Corp members while waiting for call would provide housing and valuable group dynamic experience for people waiting for call. This lessens the economic burden of waiting for call and also strengthens the candidate’s ministry gifts.
Expect the best out of our Regional Coordinators—We have found Regional Coordinators have made a great difference in the positive, or negative, experience of candidates waiting for call. Therefore, we recommend Regional Coordinators share their best practices with one another and reflect upon their role in the first call process.
General:
Communicate—This can not be stressed enough, churches calling candidates, synod staff, Regional Coordinators, candidates themselves, should all keep in touch with one another with more regularity than is the current norm. An email saying “Hey, you still exist” does wonder for a Waiting Candidate.
Things to remember about candidates:
1. We are people—act pastorally, don’t lose us in the process—please.
2. We are in relationship with other people—especially partners and children. Considering multiple careers and kids in college, all play a part in the process. Please show understanding of this fact.
3. We have to eat—most candidates, after seminary, are out of money and in debt, so waiting around for a call is a financial hardship.
4. We need health insurance—We recommend a way to cover candidates waiting for call be established. Either an out of pocket system like rostered leaders between calls or make either the Synod of Call or the Synod of Assignment into the non-paying sponsoring employer.
A few Red Flags:
Extended waiting for call dampens enthusiasm for ministry—folk come out of seminary with a fire in their belly—they are hungry for ministry. After sitting on their parent’s couch, or working a minimum wage job to pay the rent, for a few months, apathy sets in.
Extended waiting for call lessens candidate’s identity with the synod and/or national church—in other words waiting for call endangers clergy loyalty to the ELCA. When candidates perceive that they are not being taken seriously by those in authority, when the efficacy of the system is called into question by personal experience, the process and those in charge of the process become suspect.
While We Wait: Advice
This section will contain the distilled collective wisdom of previous pastors who have waited for call. This is directed toward those who currently wait.
Things to think through before assignment:
Housing—where are you going to live? Is moving in with the parents an option? Can you live in your new Synod? Can you live somewhere rent free?
Income—How are you going to feed yourself? Your best bet is to act like any other student about to graduate from college or grad school - start looking for a job early in your last semester (February or March). Take whatever legal work you can get.
Family—How will waiting effect your relationships with family members? How will your call and your partner’s vocation be balanced?
Stuff to do while you wait:
As good Lutherans we know it isn’t what we do that saves us, but not doing anything can drive a person nuts. You are encouraged to do something rather than nothing. Keep yourself busy enough so that you don’t fall into despair.
Stuff to do for call:
Network in your synod—This is not always possible, some people are waiting for call in a different synod than they are assigned to, but if you can, get in there and get to know your new colleagues. Let folk know you are available for pulpit supply or sabbatical coverage. Go to cluster meetings and Bishop Leadership Days—ask folk there “what was one thing they did in their first call that they most regretted?” Ask them “What they know now that they didn’t know then but wish they had?”
Prepare for ministry—I know, we’ve been doing that since we began seminary, if not before, but now is a great time to begin a file of sermon illustrations, images, stories, and book/movie/web-based preaching resources that can be brought into your ministry and expanded.
Do ministry—Supply preach; see if your Synod would allow you to become a bridge interim.
Be actively involved in your call—Be available for interviews. Keep in contact with your synod staff contact person about how things are, or aren’t, progressing. Remember the congregation might be in more contact with you than with Synod.
If it is taking forever do something about it:
Review your RLP, is it written in a way that might turn off call committees?
How have you been doing at interviews? If you have doubts about this skill find a trusted colleague to practice with.
If you’ve waited until it is time for assignment again, consider asking for re-assignment, the more open you can be geographically.
Volunteer to be on candidacy committees—I know, you’re going to be busy discovering who you are as a minister soon, but if you wait until you are in your third call before you do something like this you might not remember quite as poignantly the particular struggles of waiting for call.
Do not assume anything—Until you get that letter of call, any potential call, no matter how sure it might seem, could fall through. So don’t count your eggs until they hatch.
Stuff to do for Yourself:
Be with a support network if at all possible—you’ve been living with a seminary community for at least a couple years now, leaving it will be tough, so don’t go it alone. Live near people you love who love you back.
Worship fully—This may be the last time you will be able to regularly worship in the assembly. Don’t waste it. Find a worshipping community nearby and throw yourself into the life of that people. Alternatively, worship with a community you wouldn’t normally worship with.
Find an income—You don’t know how long it will be before you will be called, for that matter student loans will be coming due sooner than you think, so keep your coffer full.
Take time to rest and reflect—you’ve been being formed and reformed by the seminary setting for a while now, take a breather and process the experience. reconnect with family and friends.
Share the gospel in non-churchy ways—We cannot afford to delay our ministry. Pick a kind of ministry you would like to do and start doing it. Don't wait to be asked, “Just do it.” Share the gospel by all means necessary. Volunteer, befriend, blog, listen.
Learn a new skill—learn web design, learn how to make those little fru-fru French desserts—you have been blessed with a lot of free time, use it well!
You Might Experience:
Limbo fatigue—waiting, and not knowing what’s next, and not having a whole lot of control over what’s next, can be emotionally and spiritually exhausting. Its like burn-out in reverse.
Economic uncertainty—The M.Div. is not the most versatile degree in the world and you are likely a few years away from your last degree and your last vocation. That is a strike against you when you try to get a job. For that matter, you are not looking for a permanent job, you want to leave once you get called. Few people are going to want to hire you in that situation.
Familial concerns—The candidacy process was set up, like it or not, to cater to a male/housewife team. That is definitely not the norm these days. Therefore the call process will involve tension about whose vocation comes first, how both spouses will find a job “in synod.” For that matter, your child/ren may have to transfer schools mid-year depending on when you receive a call. Also, having a child might have to be put on hold until you get a call. All this can bring about tense times.
Lack of Control—You might feel like a pawn in a game of chess. Or like you are not in control of your own fate… that’s because you aren’t.
Remember:
That’s kind of heavy isn’t it? Well, despite all the potential turmoil of call, try to remember that the time you wait is not “about you.” That is, the length of time you wait is not a reflection of your value to God, to the church, or to your future calling congregation.
Also, trust that this time awaiting call is part of your baptismal vocation and, thus, the context in which God is now drawing you to serve the world for Christ’s sake.
While We Wait: Recommendations
This section will contain recommendations for all the expressions of the church regarding helping/managing people waiting first call.
Candidacy Committee:
We recommend that Candidacy Committees remember to be upfront about the costs of Ordination. Tell people right up front, from the time they consider candidacy that the landscape of the church has changed. Let them know that they may have to wait for an extended time for a call; let them know they ought to have a plan B in the wings; let them know the extent of debt they will incur at seminary. After all “which of you, intending to build a tower, does not first sit down and estimate the cost, to see whether he has enough to complete it?” (Luke 14:28)
Encourage First Call Pastors to join candidacy committees—pastors who have more recently gone through the candidacy process might be more up to date on the particular struggles of candidacy.
Seminary:
Covering the ins and outs of the call process at seminary has been invaluable. However, the call process described tends to be an idealized process—which has not been most candidate’s experience. The messiness of the process ought to be disclosed more fully.
Encourage Seminarians to do mock first call interviews.
Congregational Level:
Congregations considering a first call pastor ought to read Lily Foundation studies and Alban Institue materials on what makes a lively, healthy, faithful, first call situation.
If a congregation is debating whether they are open to a first call pastor, they ought to recognize a first call pastor’s inexperience can be a gift to help them discern new ways of doing ministry. They ought to also see calling a first call pastor as a ministry to the wider church.
Synod Level:
Welcome your new candidates—If you have a Renewal of Vows liturgy invite them to participate in that service. Make them aware of Synod events—for example Synod Assemblies and Cluster Bible Studies.
Your First Call Candidates are a gift to the Synod, even before you ordain them—Look at your Candidates waiting call as leaven to enliven your synod. Endeavor to use their gifts in volunteer, if not paid, positions until they are called to a church.
Let them administer the sacraments as well as preach the word—We recommend that a Regionally Marked Call be issued at either approval or assignment. A Regionally Marked Call would give permission to waiting candidates to not only supply preach, but conduct the whole service, Holy Communion included. This would increase the candidate waiting call’s likelihood of landing Sunday supply jobs (because she would be able to conduct a “real” worship service), thus earning some money while keeping their pastoral skills sharp.
Prepare candidates for interviews—We recommend helping candidates edit their RLP as appropriate and hold interview training sessions shortly after candidates are assigned to your synod.
Don’t take more candidates than you have spots for—if possible do not request a first call candidate in the churchwide assignment until a congregation is practically at the point to start interviewing a candidate.
Help Congregations think through calling a first call pastor—if appropriate develop an all-day workship for call committees and councils to help them better understand what it means to call a first-call pastor, framing it as a calling also for the congegation to serve as a pastor’s first call.
Do be afraid to let go of a candidate—We encourage synods to have an informal trigger date at which point they will recommend a candidate is released from the synod to find a call elsewhere.
Broader Policy/Churchwide:
Remove the three year waiting period for specialized ministry—In some synods this has already become the norm. Sending candidates to a congregation who do not intend to continue on in congregational ministry fills churches with pastors who do not want to be where they are. This in turn lengthens the wait time for 1st call people who want to be parish pastors, because they are “competing” with specialized ministry folk for these churches.
Make it easier to be ordained—Currently a candidate is rostered and can be ordained only if they minister for 15 hours a week—if this was lowered to 10 more candidates could be officially ordained and thus no longer be waiting for ordination. Another solution some synods have done is to call candidates for 1 year term calls or interim work in order to ordain them.
Make folk waiting for call LVC summer chaplains—ministering to Lutheran Volunteer Corp members while waiting for call would provide housing and valuable group dynamic experience for people waiting for call. This lessens the economic burden of waiting for call and also strengthens the candidate’s ministry gifts.
Expect the best out of our Regional Coordinators—We have found Regional Coordinators have made a great difference in the positive, or negative, experience of candidates waiting for call. Therefore, we recommend Regional Coordinators share their best practices with one another and reflect upon their role in the first call process.
General:
Communicate—This can not be stressed enough, churches calling candidates, synod staff, Regional Coordinators, candidates themselves, should all keep in touch with one another with more regularity than is the current norm. An email saying “Hey, you still exist” does wonder for a Waiting Candidate.
Things to remember about candidates:
1. We are people—act pastorally, don’t lose us in the process—please.
2. We are in relationship with other people—especially partners and children. Considering multiple careers and kids in college, all play a part in the process. Please show understanding of this fact.
3. We have to eat—most candidates, after seminary, are out of money and in debt, so waiting around for a call is a financial hardship.
4. We need health insurance—We recommend a way to cover candidates waiting for call be established. Either an out of pocket system like rostered leaders between calls or make either the Synod of Call or the Synod of Assignment into the non-paying sponsoring employer.
A few Red Flags:
Extended waiting for call dampens enthusiasm for ministry—folk come out of seminary with a fire in their belly—they are hungry for ministry. After sitting on their parent’s couch, or working a minimum wage job to pay the rent, for a few months, apathy sets in.
Extended waiting for call lessens candidate’s identity with the synod and/or national church—in other words waiting for call endangers clergy loyalty to the ELCA. When candidates perceive that they are not being taken seriously by those in authority, when the efficacy of the system is called into question by personal experience, the process and those in charge of the process become suspect.
While We Wait: Advice
This section will contain the distilled collective wisdom of previous pastors who have waited for call. This is directed toward those who currently wait.
Things to think through before assignment:
Housing—where are you going to live? Is moving in with the parents an option? Can you live in your new Synod? Can you live somewhere rent free?
Income—How are you going to feed yourself? Your best bet is to act like any other student about to graduate from college or grad school - start looking for a job early in your last semester (February or March). Take whatever legal work you can get.
Family—How will waiting effect your relationships with family members? How will your call and your partner’s vocation be balanced?
Stuff to do while you wait:
As good Lutherans we know it isn’t what we do that saves us, but not doing anything can drive a person nuts. You are encouraged to do something rather than nothing. Keep yourself busy enough so that you don’t fall into despair.
Stuff to do for call:
Network in your synod—This is not always possible, some people are waiting for call in a different synod than they are assigned to, but if you can, get in there and get to know your new colleagues. Let folk know you are available for pulpit supply or sabbatical coverage. Go to cluster meetings and Bishop Leadership Days—ask folk there “what was one thing they did in their first call that they most regretted?” Ask them “What they know now that they didn’t know then but wish they had?”
Prepare for ministry—I know, we’ve been doing that since we began seminary, if not before, but now is a great time to begin a file of sermon illustrations, images, stories, and book/movie/web-based preaching resources that can be brought into your ministry and expanded.
Do ministry—Supply preach; see if your Synod would allow you to become a bridge interim.
Be actively involved in your call—Be available for interviews. Keep in contact with your synod staff contact person about how things are, or aren’t, progressing. Remember the congregation might be in more contact with you than with Synod.
If it is taking forever do something about it:
Review your RLP, is it written in a way that might turn off call committees?
How have you been doing at interviews? If you have doubts about this skill find a trusted colleague to practice with.
If you’ve waited until it is time for assignment again, consider asking for re-assignment, the more open you can be geographically.
Volunteer to be on candidacy committees—I know, you’re going to be busy discovering who you are as a minister soon, but if you wait until you are in your third call before you do something like this you might not remember quite as poignantly the particular struggles of waiting for call.
Do not assume anything—Until you get that letter of call, any potential call, no matter how sure it might seem, could fall through. So don’t count your eggs until they hatch.
Stuff to do for Yourself:
Be with a support network if at all possible—you’ve been living with a seminary community for at least a couple years now, leaving it will be tough, so don’t go it alone. Live near people you love who love you back.
Worship fully—This may be the last time you will be able to regularly worship in the assembly. Don’t waste it. Find a worshipping community nearby and throw yourself into the life of that people. Alternatively, worship with a community you wouldn’t normally worship with.
Find an income—You don’t know how long it will be before you will be called, for that matter student loans will be coming due sooner than you think, so keep your coffer full.
Take time to rest and reflect—you’ve been being formed and reformed by the seminary setting for a while now, take a breather and process the experience. reconnect with family and friends.
Share the gospel in non-churchy ways—We cannot afford to delay our ministry. Pick a kind of ministry you would like to do and start doing it. Don't wait to be asked, “Just do it.” Share the gospel by all means necessary. Volunteer, befriend, blog, listen.
Learn a new skill—learn web design, learn how to make those little fru-fru French desserts—you have been blessed with a lot of free time, use it well!
You Might Experience:
Limbo fatigue—waiting, and not knowing what’s next, and not having a whole lot of control over what’s next, can be emotionally and spiritually exhausting. Its like burn-out in reverse.
Economic uncertainty—The M.Div. is not the most versatile degree in the world and you are likely a few years away from your last degree and your last vocation. That is a strike against you when you try to get a job. For that matter, you are not looking for a permanent job, you want to leave once you get called. Few people are going to want to hire you in that situation.
Familial concerns—The candidacy process was set up, like it or not, to cater to a male/housewife team. That is definitely not the norm these days. Therefore the call process will involve tension about whose vocation comes first, how both spouses will find a job “in synod.” For that matter, your child/ren may have to transfer schools mid-year depending on when you receive a call. Also, having a child might have to be put on hold until you get a call. All this can bring about tense times.
Lack of Control—You might feel like a pawn in a game of chess. Or like you are not in control of your own fate… that’s because you aren’t.
Remember:
That’s kind of heavy isn’t it? Well, despite all the potential turmoil of call, try to remember that the time you wait is not “about you.” That is, the length of time you wait is not a reflection of your value to God, to the church, or to your future calling congregation.
Also, trust that this time awaiting call is part of your baptismal vocation and, thus, the context in which God is now drawing you to serve the world for Christ’s sake.
Monday, March 12, 2012
The Pre-existing Condition Swing Vote?
I saw this Obama ad today—and being a man with a heart condition and defined as having a pre-existing condition—I was moved by it.
So, that got me thinking… how many people are there with pre-existing conditions in the USA?
I googled it and came up with 57.2 Million.
131.3 million people voted in 2008.
People with pre-existing conditions make up 43.6% of the electorate (assuming of course we are all old enough to vote).
That means an elected official, protecting the rights of people with pre-existing conditions against a candidate who wishes to discriminate against people with pre-existing conditions, would only need to get 8.45 million people without pre-existing conditions--or 7.4% of the electorate-- to vote for them if all of us with pre-existing conditions voted for them.
That’s one hell of a swing vote!
Just sayin’.
Saturday, March 10, 2012
Review: Robert LaRochelle's book Part-Time Pastor Full-Time Church
My take aways from the book:
Full-time pastors are ideal, but we live in the world as it is.
Because of changes in working/living situations and technology, mobility trumps that traditional “office” orient model of being a pastor. This makes part-time calls more feasible.
Protestants especially shouldn’t be afraid of making changes to how we do ministry.
Lay-folk can do a lot, if the “professional” minister empowers them to do so/gets out of their way.
Bivocational Ministers are more likely to interact with the wider community.
Also, they likely empathize with parishioners better than monovocational Pastors because they too are going to church meetings after a long day at another job.
The relationship between pastor and church in a bivocational setting has to be done very intentionally.
Expectations have to be clear; all the cards have to be on the table.
There has to be a lot of trust.
Tasks, not time spent, have to be the pastor’s focus.
The Roman Catholic Permanent Deaconate is a model the Protestant church aught to look at when preparing clergy for part-time positions.
A lot of these insights would help a mono-vocational pastors too.
Also, LaRochelle works 65-80 hours a week between his two jobs and has a family. He’s a tougher dude than I.
Full-time pastors are ideal, but we live in the world as it is.
Because of changes in working/living situations and technology, mobility trumps that traditional “office” orient model of being a pastor. This makes part-time calls more feasible.
Protestants especially shouldn’t be afraid of making changes to how we do ministry.
Lay-folk can do a lot, if the “professional” minister empowers them to do so/gets out of their way.
Bivocational Ministers are more likely to interact with the wider community.
Also, they likely empathize with parishioners better than monovocational Pastors because they too are going to church meetings after a long day at another job.
The relationship between pastor and church in a bivocational setting has to be done very intentionally.
Expectations have to be clear; all the cards have to be on the table.
There has to be a lot of trust.
Tasks, not time spent, have to be the pastor’s focus.
The Roman Catholic Permanent Deaconate is a model the Protestant church aught to look at when preparing clergy for part-time positions.
A lot of these insights would help a mono-vocational pastors too.
Also, LaRochelle works 65-80 hours a week between his two jobs and has a family. He’s a tougher dude than I.
Saturday, March 03, 2012
Open Source Lutheran Ecclesiology: While We Wait, While We Work
As many of you know while I waited for first call I interviewed pastors, seminarians, and ELCA officials about waiting for call and being bi-vocational with the intention of creating a booklet about these two subjects.
I collected a fair bit of information and I thought through things a bit—but I quickly realized I alone was not up to the task. Luckily for me I live in a world where we don’t have to do everything alone—we aren’t Atlas, holding up the whole world on our shoulders alone. So, it is my hope that this document will be created through “crowd-sourcing.” That is, a group of people will get together remotely (in this case through a facebook group) and write this document collectively.
This group’s goal is to create a document for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America that will help people waiting for first call and bi-vocational pastors wait and work better. We will do this by sifting through the information we collect, brainstorming, discussion, arguing, and eventually creating this document. Then we will pass this document on to ELCA higher-ups, adopt it at Synod Assemblies, and forward it on to Seminary Seniors and bi-vocational pastors who are looking for such a resource.
If you would like to be part of this task simply become a member of the group here:
Here is what the document currently looks like:
While We Wait, As We Work: Advice and Recommendations About Waiting for First Call, and Bi-vocationality
While We Wait, As We Work: Table of Contents
Preamble
While We Wait: Advice
While We Wait: Recommendations
What we mean by bivocationality
As We Work: Advice
As We Work: Recommendations
Conclusion
1. Preamble:
Whereas, we watched many of the pastoral candidates the year previous to us wait over a year for a call
Whereas, there seems to be no central place for those waiting for call to go for advice
Whereas, it can feel like the actual realities and stresses that waiting for call puts on the lives of soon to be first call pastors are not understood by congregations, synods, regions, and the ELCA as a whole
Whereas, bi-vocationality is much vaunted but little understood
Whereas, there are few resources to help ELCA pastors navigate bi-vocational ministry
Whereas, the church has not institutionally prepared itself for a more bi-vocational future
We bring forth this document—While We Wait, As We Work: Advice and Recommendations About Waiting for First Call, and Bi-vocationality.
Contained within is advice and best practices for individuals waiting for first call and practicing bi-vocationality and recommendations for the various expressions of church.
2. While We Wait: Advice
This section will contain the distilled collective wisdom of previous pastors who have waited for call. This is directed toward those who currently wait.
3. While We Wait: Recommendations
This section will contain recommendations for all the expressions of the church regarding helping/managing people waiting first call.
4. What we mean by bi-vocationality
This section will define the fuzzy term bi-vocationality both theologically and practically.
5. As We Work: Advice
This section will contain the distilled collective wisdom of bivocational pastors.
6. As We Work: Recommendations
This section will contain recommendations for all the expressions of the church regarding helping/managing people waiting first call.
7. Conclusion
?
I hope by the time we are done it looks radically different and radically better.
Peace,
Chris
I collected a fair bit of information and I thought through things a bit—but I quickly realized I alone was not up to the task. Luckily for me I live in a world where we don’t have to do everything alone—we aren’t Atlas, holding up the whole world on our shoulders alone. So, it is my hope that this document will be created through “crowd-sourcing.” That is, a group of people will get together remotely (in this case through a facebook group) and write this document collectively.
This group’s goal is to create a document for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America that will help people waiting for first call and bi-vocational pastors wait and work better. We will do this by sifting through the information we collect, brainstorming, discussion, arguing, and eventually creating this document. Then we will pass this document on to ELCA higher-ups, adopt it at Synod Assemblies, and forward it on to Seminary Seniors and bi-vocational pastors who are looking for such a resource.
If you would like to be part of this task simply become a member of the group here:
Here is what the document currently looks like:
While We Wait, As We Work: Advice and Recommendations About Waiting for First Call, and Bi-vocationality
While We Wait, As We Work: Table of Contents
Preamble
While We Wait: Advice
While We Wait: Recommendations
What we mean by bivocationality
As We Work: Advice
As We Work: Recommendations
Conclusion
1. Preamble:
Whereas, we watched many of the pastoral candidates the year previous to us wait over a year for a call
Whereas, there seems to be no central place for those waiting for call to go for advice
Whereas, it can feel like the actual realities and stresses that waiting for call puts on the lives of soon to be first call pastors are not understood by congregations, synods, regions, and the ELCA as a whole
Whereas, bi-vocationality is much vaunted but little understood
Whereas, there are few resources to help ELCA pastors navigate bi-vocational ministry
Whereas, the church has not institutionally prepared itself for a more bi-vocational future
We bring forth this document—While We Wait, As We Work: Advice and Recommendations About Waiting for First Call, and Bi-vocationality.
Contained within is advice and best practices for individuals waiting for first call and practicing bi-vocationality and recommendations for the various expressions of church.
2. While We Wait: Advice
This section will contain the distilled collective wisdom of previous pastors who have waited for call. This is directed toward those who currently wait.
3. While We Wait: Recommendations
This section will contain recommendations for all the expressions of the church regarding helping/managing people waiting first call.
4. What we mean by bi-vocationality
This section will define the fuzzy term bi-vocationality both theologically and practically.
5. As We Work: Advice
This section will contain the distilled collective wisdom of bivocational pastors.
6. As We Work: Recommendations
This section will contain recommendations for all the expressions of the church regarding helping/managing people waiting first call.
7. Conclusion
?
I hope by the time we are done it looks radically different and radically better.
Peace,
Chris
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Final “Charts by LTSP’s poster boy for student debt”—Tax season edition
I don’t want to beat a dead horse or anything, but I did pay my taxes this month. I guess I’d gotten used to receiving money back from the IRS… not so now that I’m self-employed. I ended up paying well over 2,000 dollars into Medicare and social security. Those of you whose employers pay half—be glad they do.
Below is a pie chart similar to chart A of my initial post about being LTSP’s poster boy for student debt. This one contains the percentage I spent in six different categories from January 16th to February 15th.
Now that I’ve paid taxes and continue to pay student loans I at least know approximately what my year spending will look like. I will be paying nearly 15,000 a year on student loans and 9,000 a year in taxes. That totals about $24,000 of my $40,000 a year being non-spendable income. After tithing that means I’m living on $13,000 a year. On the other hand I live in the parsonage.
So, before I take off my Ross Perot hat for good, the final Pie Chart—expressing what the next 10 years of my life will look like financially thanks to my student debt:
So, if someone asks about how student/seminary debt shapes the spending habits of pastors--and that has been a hot topic in the ELCA--point them this direction.
And now back your regularly scheduled theological and political thoughts.
Below is a pie chart similar to chart A of my initial post about being LTSP’s poster boy for student debt. This one contains the percentage I spent in six different categories from January 16th to February 15th.
Now that I’ve paid taxes and continue to pay student loans I at least know approximately what my year spending will look like. I will be paying nearly 15,000 a year on student loans and 9,000 a year in taxes. That totals about $24,000 of my $40,000 a year being non-spendable income. After tithing that means I’m living on $13,000 a year. On the other hand I live in the parsonage.
So, before I take off my Ross Perot hat for good, the final Pie Chart—expressing what the next 10 years of my life will look like financially thanks to my student debt:
So, if someone asks about how student/seminary debt shapes the spending habits of pastors--and that has been a hot topic in the ELCA--point them this direction.
And now back your regularly scheduled theological and political thoughts.
Saturday, December 31, 2011
New Years Clean Up
I've added two new link to my blog roll. The first isLike a Lutheran the blog of another new Lutheran pastor to New Jersey. Also, I am vaguely related to her husband. The second is Magdalene's Egg, a very witty blog by a Pastor in Romania.
Additionally, I've removed a few links that hadn't been updated for a long time.
Peace,
The Management
Additionally, I've removed a few links that hadn't been updated for a long time.
Peace,
The Management
Friday, December 23, 2011
Follow up to "Charts by LTSP’s poster boy for student debt"
I just received a very important follow-up question about my seminary debt.
The question was: “How much of that debt was incurred because of seminary? How much from college? And how much from other graduate courses of study?”
While I have 80,000 dollars worth of student debt only 66,125 was incurred by my time at LTSP earning a Master of Divinity. The remaining 13,875 was incurred at the University of Cambridge while earning a Master of Philosophy in Divinity.
My degree at the foremost English speaking university in the world (take that Oxford) cost me 13,875 dollars a year. This is all inclusive, food, lodging, etc.
In contrast, LTSP cost 22,041 all inclusively (not counting an extra 6,000 dollar non-governmental loan that got me through the last semester which I did not included in any of my calculations because I am currently not in the process of paying it back).
Note well, at Cambridge I was an out of country student, paying in dollars at a time when our currency was worth very little against the pound, and it still cost over 8,000 dollars less a year than did my seminary education.
But back to addressing the question/statement about my previous post. “How much of that debt was incurred because of seminary?" After all as the reader who asked this question pointed out, “If we're going to take a good hard look at what the church asks of us and expects of us in terms of our education, it's helpful to know how much debt comes from each part of the picture.”
So, to answer the question, what percentage of my pie chart A is from seminary debt? 41%. Likewise, in pie chart B 31.5% of what I earned this last pay period went to paying off my seminary debt.
It is worth pointing out Seminary generally doesn’t let people in without a Bachelor’s degree, so undergraduate debt could be included in the educational costs of becoming an ELCA pastor.
The question was: “How much of that debt was incurred because of seminary? How much from college? And how much from other graduate courses of study?”
While I have 80,000 dollars worth of student debt only 66,125 was incurred by my time at LTSP earning a Master of Divinity. The remaining 13,875 was incurred at the University of Cambridge while earning a Master of Philosophy in Divinity.
My degree at the foremost English speaking university in the world (take that Oxford) cost me 13,875 dollars a year. This is all inclusive, food, lodging, etc.
In contrast, LTSP cost 22,041 all inclusively (not counting an extra 6,000 dollar non-governmental loan that got me through the last semester which I did not included in any of my calculations because I am currently not in the process of paying it back).
Note well, at Cambridge I was an out of country student, paying in dollars at a time when our currency was worth very little against the pound, and it still cost over 8,000 dollars less a year than did my seminary education.
But back to addressing the question/statement about my previous post. “How much of that debt was incurred because of seminary?" After all as the reader who asked this question pointed out, “If we're going to take a good hard look at what the church asks of us and expects of us in terms of our education, it's helpful to know how much debt comes from each part of the picture.”
So, to answer the question, what percentage of my pie chart A is from seminary debt? 41%. Likewise, in pie chart B 31.5% of what I earned this last pay period went to paying off my seminary debt.
It is worth pointing out Seminary generally doesn’t let people in without a Bachelor’s degree, so undergraduate debt could be included in the educational costs of becoming an ELCA pastor.
Debt after seminary: Charts by LTSP’s poster boy for student debt
So, as some readers may know I became the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia’s poster boy for student debt. The seminary sent out a letter to all alumni (including me) asking for money, because there are people like Chris, a recent graduate who is 80,000 dollars in the hole, who has been called to a church in New Jersey. They go on to point out that saddling seminarians like Chris with that much debt isn’t a faithful way to run the church. So send money to LTSP.
I thought it might be helpful for folk to see what 80 grand of debt does to a person’s spending habits. Therefore take a look at two charts that hopefully will graphically illustrate this. The first is the top five things I spent money on from October 15th to November 15th (Chart A). The second is a chart showing where all my pay from November 15th to December 15th went (Chart B).
The big thing to notice is that, of the top five things I spent money on in A, my debt was not only the biggest, but made up 50% of the money I spent in that chart. Of the top 5 things I spent money on student debt made up 50%. That’s a lot!
Still, chart A is a little wobbly, because it only shows the top 5 things I spent money on in that time period. Lets go to chart B.
38% of my pay went to paying off student debt. I put as much money toward my debt as I did toward food, savings, tithes, keeping my car going, and charitable donations combined!
Now, I have to admit I am intent upon paying off my student loans in 10 years or less, which is ambitious, but frankly I don’t want to be in debt forever. Yet, imagine if I had kids to feed, I would have to extend my loan… or marry a baroness… seriously if there are any baronesses out there looking for an indebted Lutheran pastor I’m so available.
Anyway… as it is, if I pay off my loan in 10 years I will be paying $30,000 of interest. If, however, I did have to extend my loan I could pay up to $86,000 worth of interest. Think about that, I could pay more than double the money I was initially loaned!
There you have it, graphic representation of what happens to Pastors when their church body insists upon extensive professional theological education, but does not financially back that requirement.
I thought it might be helpful for folk to see what 80 grand of debt does to a person’s spending habits. Therefore take a look at two charts that hopefully will graphically illustrate this. The first is the top five things I spent money on from October 15th to November 15th (Chart A). The second is a chart showing where all my pay from November 15th to December 15th went (Chart B).
The big thing to notice is that, of the top five things I spent money on in A, my debt was not only the biggest, but made up 50% of the money I spent in that chart. Of the top 5 things I spent money on student debt made up 50%. That’s a lot!
Still, chart A is a little wobbly, because it only shows the top 5 things I spent money on in that time period. Lets go to chart B.
38% of my pay went to paying off student debt. I put as much money toward my debt as I did toward food, savings, tithes, keeping my car going, and charitable donations combined!
Now, I have to admit I am intent upon paying off my student loans in 10 years or less, which is ambitious, but frankly I don’t want to be in debt forever. Yet, imagine if I had kids to feed, I would have to extend my loan… or marry a baroness… seriously if there are any baronesses out there looking for an indebted Lutheran pastor I’m so available.
Anyway… as it is, if I pay off my loan in 10 years I will be paying $30,000 of interest. If, however, I did have to extend my loan I could pay up to $86,000 worth of interest. Think about that, I could pay more than double the money I was initially loaned!
There you have it, graphic representation of what happens to Pastors when their church body insists upon extensive professional theological education, but does not financially back that requirement.
Friday, December 09, 2011
Thought of the Day: “No-man baptized Jesus.”
The author of John’s Gospel, in his description of John the Baptist, took a figurative page out of the poet Homer’s playbook.
In Homer’s Odyssey, Odysseus tells the Cyclops, who intends to eat and otherwise brutalize his crew, that his name is “No-man.” Then, when they blind the Cyclops and escape, the Cyclops cries out to his brothers, “No-man has blinded me.” For that reason they do not come to his aid, after all, no man had blinded them either.
Likewise, John the Baptist, in never explicitly baptizing Jesus in John’s Gospel, becomes a “No-man” as well. One of the sticky points of the relationship between John and Jesus is that Jesus appears to be John’s disciple, and even receives baptism for repentance and forgiveness of sin, not something Christians who are developing a higher Christology would find palatable; hence, this move in John that eliminates the act of Baptism. Further, John affirms again and again in this gospel that he is not X nor Y. He diminishes himself to the point that you could call him a No-man.
Thus, it could be said, “No-man baptized Jesus.”
In Homer’s Odyssey, Odysseus tells the Cyclops, who intends to eat and otherwise brutalize his crew, that his name is “No-man.” Then, when they blind the Cyclops and escape, the Cyclops cries out to his brothers, “No-man has blinded me.” For that reason they do not come to his aid, after all, no man had blinded them either.
Likewise, John the Baptist, in never explicitly baptizing Jesus in John’s Gospel, becomes a “No-man” as well. One of the sticky points of the relationship between John and Jesus is that Jesus appears to be John’s disciple, and even receives baptism for repentance and forgiveness of sin, not something Christians who are developing a higher Christology would find palatable; hence, this move in John that eliminates the act of Baptism. Further, John affirms again and again in this gospel that he is not X nor Y. He diminishes himself to the point that you could call him a No-man.
Thus, it could be said, “No-man baptized Jesus.”
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