Showing posts with label Girdwood Chapel. Show all posts

Time Magazine's PERSON OF THE YEAR is "The Protester."  I guess I can understand why "The Protester" was chosen and not Steve Jobs...although I have more of an affinity towards Steve Jobs.  I assume that their "person of the year" is the person who has the most influence on the year, was most newsworthy, and will have the most lasting influence.  And, while Steve Jobs did some great stuff in 2011 and his passing was definitely newsworthy, one can argue that much of his work and influence covers the last decade, not so much the year.  The protesters, in contrast, were quite a phenomenon for 2011.  It is clear that their influence on "The Arab Spring" will be felt for years to come as the dust settles throughout the Middle East.  On the home front, it has been the Occupy Wall Street protestors, from coast to coast, trying to confront the social and economic inequity that affects our nation greatly. 

So, yes, "The Protester" makes sense.  Impact on the calendar year.  Lasting impact around the globe.  Newsworthiness.  How they will impact history.

That, and we'll put Steve Jobs in second place.

Well, what about my PERSON OF THE YEAR.  I decided I'd go with some of the same qualities that I think Time Magazine uses.  This person would be newsworthy to me...the focus of much of my time and attention.  This person would need to have made an impact on the year...there were changes or movements that this person was intimately connected with.  This person would be someone whose actions or choices would have a lasting impact on myself, my family, or my job.

This narrows things down dramatically and there are some runners up who didn't come out on top:

Gail Grossman (my mentor) -- Gail is a layperson I met with 10 times over the course of the first half of the year.  All of our meetings were by phone.  While her help was enlisted to address some of the financial difficulties at Girdwood Chapel, what she ended up doing with me is helping us figure out a long-term ministry plan and get the ball rolling.  It's because of her that our small group ministry is taking root.  She was also influential in the start of our "Friday Night Live" youth nights and our Tween Group.  I can't thank her enough.

Mark Scandrette (author/Christ-follower) -- I read his book this year...and it changed the way I think about discipleship.  It's not that any of what he said, as far as the individual pieces are concerned, was new to me.  However, the way he put it all together was exceptionally helpful.  I just want to jump in and put it all into practice and once and need to take a breath as I realize that it's a marathon and not a sprint.  I think this book is something I'm going to have to take out again and again and again.

Jon Stewart (TV Personality) -- OK, so Jon was probably not really in the running for PERSON OF THE YEAR for me.  But I want to take a moment and recognize that, The Daily Show is one show that I catch 3-4 times a week...and it's only on 4 times a week. This year, perhaps more than any other, I have gotten totally frustrated with the world of politics. I know many accuse Jon of firing his shots from the left, but I seriously believe he's frustrated any time politics is put ahead of people and he tries to shine a light on it.  He recognizes the lies that this world tells us through the media.  Some of it is painful to watch.  Much of it is uproariously funny.  But his show has made me want to live into the notion that all politics is local.  It's about people.  It's about the people I know and meet and eat with and love.  This year, more than any other, I've been shaped by this.

Steve Jobs (CEO of Apple) -- I am an Apple fan boy.  I type this on a MacBook Pro.  This year I got an iPad and and iPhone.  Much of my time is spent on a device that this guy thought up and brought to production.  He has had a lasting effect on how I communicate and the ways in which I use technology for my job...for pastoring people.  This year I mourned his death.

But with those three finalists out of the way, it's time to introduce my PERSON OF THE YEAR.

Drumroll, please.........


MY PERSON OF THE YEAR IS JULIE DOEPKEN, MY LOVELY WIFE.

Here's how it is. 

This year we celebrated our 20th anniversary.  She's been instrumental in what I do and think and who I've come to be over those 20 years.  Moreover, this year was a big year for her.  Not only did she complete her hours of education for her teaching certificate but she performed her student teaching and jumped through hoop after hoop of administrative requirements.  This was a Fall fraught with turmoil and conflict as we navigated the rough waters of her job...much of it related to a killer schedule.   Together we struggled and made decisions about what was best for us as a family. 

Over the last four months in particular, Julie has been "newsworthy."  Her work and her education, the struggles and the great joys, were what we spent time talking about.  She got up early to get to work.  She worked after everyone else had gone to bed.  She was a focus of our family and the rest of us rallied to enable her to complete the job before her.

All the while she managed to mother our five kids and be a wife to me and be an active member of our church community and the Girdwood Community as a whole.  This was no small task.

And it will have a lasting effect on all of us.  She exhibited both strength and humility...a fine example for me and our kids.  Her choices in her job will have a positive effect on our economic situation...especially important as I move from full time to 3/4 time employment in the church.  Almost always, she was an example of grace under pressure...and Lord knows we had enough pressure.

I thank God for her.

So, with that in mind, I declare that JULIE DOEPKEN IS THE PERSON OF THE YEAR...at least "my" year.

(And she should be pleased as can be that she, too, beat out Steve Jobs.)

This is from the Girdwood Chapel altar.

The title of this post is not some metaphor for the presence or absence of God's Holy Spirit.  Instead, it's very literal.  Yesterday the power went out to our community a couple of times before our 8:30 worship.  then we were able to have that early service with no problems.  But, right before the second service, the power went out again...this time for good.


We had a big Sunday scheduled.  We had children set to play carols for our hymns at the 10 AM worship...a tradition a few years' old.  We had crafts scheduled after worship (ornament-making).  And, later on, we had a rehearsal for our pageant followed by caroling around a bonfire with an actual reindeer present from Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center.

It was going to be a great day.

It still was a great day, but we had no lights.  As the people kept coming in for worship, we added more lanterns.  The kids couldn't play because the piano is an electric one.  Some persons were in darker areas of the sanctuary so we only sang the first verses of lots of carols.  I could still preach since it was from an iPad, but we couldn't work the projector.  Afterwards we still managed to gather for crafts in the library, which is the brightest room in the church due to the number of windows.  The pageant practice occurred in the dark.  The caroling was canceled because the parking lot was a mess.

But it was kind of fun.

The ability of the church to roll with these punches and not miss a beat is indicative of the community that is experienced here.

Here are some pictures:

As part of our Advent Conspiracy this season, we are collecting a special offering to support clean water in the world.  While it is a missional emphasis of the United Methodist Church in Alaska to support clean water for Haiti, in particular, it doesn't appear there are any UM groups I could find that have that as their primary focus.  So, in dialogue with some folks, our congregation has decided to support the work of CHARITY: WATER.

There are a few things that I have found particularly attractive about CHARITY:WATER.

• I believe that clean water is one of the world's most pressing needs.
• I love the personal story and biblical perspective of their founder.
• Their videos are very professional and usable in church.
• They've mastered the art of getting people involved at many levels.
• They seem to be quite transparent in their financials.

So, throughout Advent, our congregation will be encouraged to give towards this goal of clean water in the world.  And, for a change, we'll be doing through the CHARITY:WATER website.

IF YOU'D LIKE TO DONATE, YOU MAY DO SO HERE!!!

Another day, another 10 things to be thankful for in my gratitude journal of the week.  This is to follow through with a commitment from our discipleship group.  Here goes:

1. The wonderful way we celebrate the Lord's Supper.
2. Their willingness to reach out in service to the community.
3. The mix of people from all different backgrounds in such a small place.
4. The presence of kids in worship.
5. Their support and care of our family.
6. The willingness they have to talk about issues with each other.
7. Their desire for challenging sermons.
8. The care they show to members and friends of the church.
9. The beautiful building.
10. Candy Bursiel -- organist for 60 years.

I could go on and on, but I'll stop there.

As the title says, here's "Another Communion Story" for you. I have bunches of them after 11.5 years of serving here in Girdwood. This one gives you a hint into what goes on in my mind during communion.

I have said here that we get wonderful communion bread from Girdwood's own "The Bake Shop." We are so accustomed to those delicious, rectangular loaves of mild sourdough (really more like a wheat in flavor) that our communion service at 10 AM really revolves around it. Just recently we were given a new communion set so we could have a rectangular plate that would hold the bread perfectly.

I understand that bread. When it comes time to serve, I know just about how far it needs to "stretch" depending on the size of the congregation that day. So, when more people are there, the kids don't get quite as large a piece. But, when the crowd's a little slimmer, I can afford to be much more generous.

I understand that bread. I know how it breaks in nice, firm pieces, just right for dipping into the grape juice. Sometimes I'm surprised by the tear and a person gets a larger piece that expected. But most people are very happy with a larger piece.

Last Sunday, Girdwood's "The Bake Shop" was closed. That meant that we needed to get our communion bread from someplace else. It was good bread, don't get me wrong. One of my theories with communion is that, if you're not going to use real wine you should at least make sure you have good bread and real grape juice. This was bread from another bakery in Anchorage and was a great loaf of bread. It was dense. It was round. But, it was mysterious.

I didn't understand this bread. It was heavier than I was used to. It was a different shape. And when I started breaking off pieces to serve the gathered congregation it broke in odd shapes. Usually I don't have to think much during communion. I just get to enjoy and bask in communion. But this past week I had to think.

The bread, as usual, was broken in two pieces at the start of communion. And, more or less, each half should feed one half of the church. However, as I finished with that first half of the loaf, I wasn't yet done with the first half of the church. Thereafter the pieces were smaller. And I felt bad for the kids who were coming up, eager to get their "big piece" and I couldn't provide.

God still provided. We've never run out of bread during Holy Communion and we weren't going to start last Sunday.

However, it is interesting what goes through the mind of an officiant at the communion table as we try to fulfill our responsibilities in serving a congregation with the body and blood of Christ.

This past Sunday our focus was on World Communion Sunday.  I know most churches do this back in October.  But we had stuff going on.  Now's when it fit our schedule between sermon series.  And, regardless of the timing, it was a day to remember what communion means for our little church and for the Body of Christ around the world.

This is about uniting Christians.  This is about keeping the memorial feast of Christ.  This is about being fed and feeding the world.  This is about community.  It's about communion.  We are made for it.

Well, the sermon was done.

The confession was done.

We had taken up the offering.

And now we were into communion.

I've said, this is the high point of my Sunday.  I love it.  I love presiding.  I love serving.  I love partaking.  I love being at Holy Communion.  And, in particular, I love the way we do it at Girdwood Chapel, where everyone's welcome...especially the kids.

Well, on Sunday one little girl decided to come up on her own.  She's only about one and one-half years old. She didn't want to wait for her mom for the bread and so she walked on down the aisle, following dutifully after some of the other kids.  I leaned down and handed her a piece of bread and said, "This is the body of Christ, broken for you."

Now, this is where the story ends for most 2-year-olds.  We try to have real good bread during communion and most kids of that age just like to have the bread and go.  And that's fine with me.  I think it's wonderful. I think it's holy.  What's funny is that the little one stared at me as I was ready to move on to the next person in line.  She stared at me with a look that said, "There's more."

She wasn't "done" with communion until she dipped the bread in the juice.  After that, she was content to go back and sit with mom.

What's so great about this story is that it shows how the practice of Holy Communion shapes us.  There's memory associated with it.  There's a ritual that even a little girl who's not even two years old can pick up and learn and participate with the grown-ups.

I know that there are many denominations where a "closed" communion is practiced and the thought of having kids this young come up would be completely foreign.  But for us, this fits right in with who we are.  And, my prayer is that, as this little one grows up, it will fit right in with who she becomes.  I pray that, wherever she finds herself twenty years down the road, she'll see bread and cup lifted up and know that it's God free gift of salvation for her.

Thank you ASBOJesus

This past week I commented on a blog post over at Internet Monk about communion, whether it should be open or closed.  In light of the fact that I'm talking about communion in church today, I thought I'd post my response:

From over at Tony Jones' blog.  This was a great article as we discuss full and part-time salary here at Girdwood.

Less and less clergy in the future will draw 100% of their income from ministry.   Seminaries had better prepare their students for this reality, or else they aren’t really in the business of preparing seminarians for reality.

Our church website has been updated to include a PDF Newsletter you can download to get an update on the construction and mission and ministry of Girdwood Chapel.

This is a big part of who I am.

While I won't say that it's TRUE, it does appear to have some truth to it.  I thought this was a funny post for a Sunday as I head off to a worship service with some Catholics, some mainline liberals, some evangelicals, a charismatic or two, and at least one reformed.  And yet we're all able to come together at Girdwood Chapel.

Ahh, the beauty of grace.

From over at Thomas The Doubter Church.

I frankly didn't know how to title this post except "Brilliant Cartoon By NakedPastor." For those who just clicked here because you saw "Naked Pastor" in the title, I'm happy to point out that David is a former church leader, who now calls himself a "graffiti artist on the walls of religion." The nakedness he refers to is the baring of his soul and personality through his posts and drawings. He writes over here.

Anyway, this cartoon just blew me away. It's called "Sisyphus Revisited," recounting that famous Greek myth about a king who is forced to roll a big boulder up a hill only to see it roll back down, time and time again. It's a metaphor, perhaps, of how we struggle in life only to be faced with more struggles again. It's a metaphor, perhaps, for human pride in our accomplishments, which vanish away.

Regardless... This blew me away this morning.

How much over the last 11 years have I struggled for this church and how often has it felt as if God was pushing us back down...perhaps to make us realize we only build if he build and we only grow if he grows us?

How much to we try to lift up the church, here and around the world, only glorifying the church and not our God?

How do we give up the struggle and allow God to lift us up?

For me...

this morning...

this is brilliant.

Today is September the First.  When I was a kid, my mother used to tell me that if you said "RABBIT" on the first day of the month it would bring you good luck.  While I had no idea where in the world she got this, a quick Google search pulled up that it's a tradition from Great Britain and that it's still found in parts of Massachusetts, Nantuckett, and Vermont.  That would make sense since I spent the first five years of my life in Massachusetts.  (You learn something new every day...)  Apparently the tradition is to say "rabbit, rabbit, white rabbit" or "rabbit, rabbit, rabbit" but we never felt a need to say it more than once.

Growing up, September was always a big time of transition.  It was, of course, the time we went back to school...usually right after Labor day.  And for a kid there's almost no transition with a greater impact on your year.  It meant seeing old friends.  It meant new friends.  It meant new teachers.  It meant a return to the whole "school schedule."  For me it also meant that I could get back into the swing of choir (and, later, "swing choir") and plays which were always fun for me.  And, it also meant a return to scouting after a summer off.

In New York our "Fall" didn't really start until October sometime, so we still had well over a month of Summer to enjoy the days.  Yes it was getting dark a little earlier, but the days were still long and we got to go outside and have a game of "catch" after dinner was over.

It was a time of transition at church as well.  It's at this point that our youth group would start meeting again.  The youth leaders would call us all together for a planning meeting and we'd map out the schedule for the next 8 months or so.  Sunday School would start up again a -- never quite the selling point with my friends that youth group was, but I enjoyed it.

At this season of my life, September is still a time of transition.

Our kids have already started back at school.  They've been there for two weeks already.  But now they are getting into the groove.  Our little ones are at Daycare again.  We'll get to kick off the month of September on Labor Day by going to the State Fair--something the little ones are all excited about.

All of our church programing begins anew this month.  We have a Tween group beginning tomorrow.  We have Youth Group beginning on Sunday.  We have Sunday School and a Discipleship Class beginning in a week.  We have a Food Pantry that's going to start regular hours for a month.  It's a big month.

And it's an important month for our congregation as we look at our finances and what we're going to be able to afford (or not afford) for the coming year.  A lot of decisions will be made in October so our September will be important for this congregation as well.  I just came back from a meeting with a layperson as we explore how to have this conversation in our congregation.

I'm not a believer in luck and I'm certainly not a believer that saying "RABBIT" will bring you good luck.  But is it any wonder that I started off my day by saying "RABBIT" today?

Have you said, "RABBIT" yet?

I'll close with "Try to Remember" from The Fantasticks.

Sunday as we looked at our financial difficulties at Girdwood Chapel...as we discussed discipleship and giving and stewardship and building needs and work teams and benefits and pastoral compensation and...  Well, we covered a lot.

As we looked at all of this I wanted us to celebrate the wonderful, loving, world-changing, disciple-making things that we're involved in in this community and in the world.  And I wanted to remind them that, while our financial realities are important and can affect ministry, I didn't want it to define us.  I want persons to hear about the love of Christ first and foremost...and not our need for funds.  I don't like the pastor I become when the "trees" of our financial commitments obscure the "forest" of God's grace and love.

I don't want to be the church in the Naked Pastor cartoon above.