From the Pastor's Desk

I’ve been thinking a lot about my mother-in-law the past few weeks as she nears her 100th birthday on February 29, (25 in leap years). While I have many years of ‘memories’ involving her, there is one particularly pleasant experience of her that stands out.  In good St. Paul’s and Lutheran tradition it involves food.  One of my favorite meals, which in years past she enjoyed preparing for me on special occasions, was eye of sirloin marinated in a magnificent blend of spices.  What made it so good was the marinade.  All I have to do is think about it and truthfully I believe I can still taste it. 

If you have ever been a leader, whether it be at work, on the athletic fields, in a band or chorus or in your family, then you probably already know that the ‘marinade’ you choose to soak in will influence you and those around you.  And while there are many ‘flavors’ in a good marinade, I have found the most important ingredient of all is hope.  I am convinced that at St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church - hope is in the marinade.  I believe ‘we’ are like a family recipe that has that ’special’ ingredient that brings out the richest of flavors, each equally important for the meal to be at its finest. 

In Gifts of an Uncommon Life, Howard Friend writes, “Hope that cannot look fully and courageously into the face of reality is not worthy to be called hope.”  Courageous hope mandates choosing.  Friend doesn’t talk about hope as logic – thinking our way to a new living.  He believes hope isn’t a feeling or a place to arrive, or that the presence of hope will ensure the outcomes we desire.  In fact, he asserts that hope doesn’t depend on outcomes at all.  The kind of hope he talks about is experienced in doing.  Hope begins where we choose to look.  Marinating in this hope influences an attitude that shapes behavior. 

There are so many people out there who are asking, "Where is the hope?" At the very beginning of the song "Heaven in the Real World", written and sung by Steven Curtis Chapman, is a short speech.  Chuck Colson gave the speech and here is what he said.  "Where is the hope?  I meet millions of people that tell me that they feel demoralized by the decay around us.  Where is the hope?  The hope that each of us has is not in who governs us, or what laws are passed, or what great things we do as a nation.  Our hope is in the power of God working through the hearts of people.  That's where our hope lies in this country.  And that's where our hope lies in our life.”

I’ve spent more than half of my life believing that developing and leading congregational systems is mostly about listening to God and to each other.  I have never believed in a quick fix for the concerns we experience in twenty-first century congregational ministry.  You have played a significant role in teaching me that listening to God can be exhilarating and not exhausting.  In the richest and deepest of God-centered communities, I believe you will find a convergence of asking purposeful questions and using participative processes where all are invited to pray, read scripture and share what they see God doing and hear God saying.  With you I have discovered that working playfully often results in seeing possibilities that before were unable to be seen.

It has been for me a conscious choice to think and act according to these practices. While all are important, lately I have been thinking a lot about the first practice - asking purposeful questions.  The art of asking purposeful questions is foundational for all who work in profit and non-profit organizations.  At least two principles are at play.  The goal of a question is not so much to give information to others, but rather to draw information from others.  The goal of the process is not so much to discern the desires of others, but rather to help others discern their desires.  Purposeful questions lead others to clarity and a deeper understanding of their desires.  Additionally, they create opportunities for fulfilling basic human needs such as achievement, influence, and vitality. 

I believe St. Paul’s has a bright future, yet more importantly I believe we are a rich and vibrant community of Christ followers right NOW.  We are healthy at our core, even though there is much left to be done and many things to do more ably.  I believe we are sustainable to the degree our purpose is making each tomorrow possible.  We are more intentional than ever at taking seriously our purpose statement and measuring our action plans against our guiding principles.  And I believe we are growing closer to God and to one another because we engage God’s work and world with passion.

I don’t know about you but that’s what I want soaking through my thoughts, behavior and being.  The commitment of our staff and Congregation Council to encourage and develop totally devoted disciples of Jesus Christ is resolute and determined. Their hope is broad, deep and courageous.  What our leaders teach and our members share are worth soaking in.