Preaching in Times of Interim Transition: Year B Proper 17 (22) Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost

ShortStop is dedicated to life's transitions experienced in congregations, personal life, and families.  Transitions and what churches call "interim ministry" are "short stops," on the journey to new beginnings.  The ShortStop Lectionary Blog is one way to help preachers in the transition times to find ideas from the Revised Common Lectionary.  Each text will be considered but the focus each week will be on the text(s) that will be most helpful for preaching during an interim transition time. The preacher will be able to "connect the dots" creatively with themes of the lections.

Year B Proper 17 (22) Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost

Song of Solomon 2:8-13

Struggle with the Song is good exercise and like good exercise, it is easy to procrastinate! So I did.  There is something here for interim ministers.  This lection, as with the entire Song of Solomon, is full of the celebration of sensuality and sexuality.  One approach is to use it solely as a metaphor of Christ’s love for his Church but that seems a little rigid.  Actually, for me, at least, it is tough to use for preaching in a sense that has integrity.   What if we wove the images together?  Yes, the divine love for the Church, the Bride of Christ is deep and passionate. But that very love seems to be communicated in the Song as a love that we can understand through the lens of our own blessed humanity of love and sensual passion that creates an almost sense of the sacred.   

Many interim ministers have served congregations that have suffered the pain of a leader (pastor or lay person) who neglected the sacredness of human love, sensuality and passion. Many transitional pastors are informally called  “after pastors” because they arrive after a pastoral leader betrayed the boundaries and trust of a congregation.  The Song gives opportunity to speak to healthy boundaries, healthy and healing touch, respect and dignity for the sacredness of our human sexuality.  It is also a time to speak about the sin of transgressing those boundaries and it’s pain.  In one sermon, I preached about healthy touch as part of the idea of the Hebrew blessing of another.  That simple statement became an invitation for several to approach me during the week to seek counsel and prayer for the pain of betrayal they experienced in their lives.  

Deuteronomy 4:1-2, 6-9

We enter the second telling of the story of God’s wonders with Israel.  Narratives always bear repeating “to all generations” for it is the narratives (the stories) of our lives in which we create meaning.  Israel does that as the law and story of God’s call is repeated over and over.  In the telling and re-telling fresh commitments are made to the covenant, to God, God’s word, to justice, community, respect for one another and more.  The commands are a way of life, a “light to our path” (Ps. 119:105) and they are the very words that form faith and loving kindness in us.  

Stories and themes repeated also remind us about who we are and where we are going – whether we like it or not.   In one transitional congregation where I was the interim minister, a member came to me after the worship service and said, “if I hear that word, ‘interim’, once more, I am going to vomit!”  We talked about it and a teachable moment ensued.  She recognized her own dissonance with the reality of a pastoral loss and her vision that “everything is the same as it always was”.   Her comment taught me that I was doing my job as a transitional leader – the message was being heard.  But it also taught me to broaden my vocabulary so that the “re-telling” of the narrative would not shut people down but open their ears to new possibilities.

Bob Anderson

Interim Ministry Specialist

Life Coach for Ministry Professionals

Toledo, OH

http://shortstopblog.blogspot.com/ 

www.breakthroughlifecoach.org

Interim Transition Preaching and Worship Year B Proper 16 (Ordinary 21) Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost

ShortStop is dedicated to life's transitions experienced in congregations, personal life, and families.  Transitions and what churches call "interim ministry" are "short stops" on the journey to new beginnings.  The ShortStop Lectionary Blog is one way to help preachers in the transition times to find ideas from the Revised Common Lectionary.  Each text will be considered but the focus each week will be on the text(s) that will be most helpful for preaching during an interim transition time. The preacher will be able to "connect the dots" creatively with themes of the lections. 

August 26, 2012

Year B Proper 16 (Ordinary 21)  Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost

 

1 Kings 8:(1,6,10-11), 22-30, 41-43

Solomon prepares the people for a new future that begins with the centering of worship.  Preparing of a new future is a crucial dynamic in life transitions.  We don’t always know what that future may be in detail, but the promise if of God. Solomon reminds the interim transition congregation to keep worship central.  Our worship as the people of God is that continuing ritual that serves as a keel and a rudder as we sail the tumultuous seas changes of transition. 

In our worship of God we choose the one we will serve (see the alternate OT lesson in Joshua 24:1-2a, 14-18, “choose this day whom you will serve”.  In worship we center ourselves in the presence and glory of God pictured in 1 Kings.  The worship response moves outward to witness, embrace and include all peoples. 

Ephesians 6:10-20, John 6:56-69

Transitional interim congregations and individuals in transition grapple with issues of identity.  Who am I now that my kids are out of college, married, etc?  Who are we as a congregation after Rev. Beloved Pastor retired after thirty years? 

Identity issues are elusive. We don’t become “new” but change and transition do create opportunities for new parts of our lives to come to the fore. A couple years after my father died, my mother was still the same woman but she was showing fresh new life that was startling (and refreshing) to me and my siblings. Who are we now that we have died and risen with Christ?   Putting on the armor of God is part of our identity as God’s people. Though very different in image, we are reminded in the Gospel text of John that faith binds us to Christ in such a way that we “abide” with him. Our identity is shaped and formed in this communion. 

The armor of God is an unsettling image to many. For Ephesians Christians the armor was something they saw everyday on Roman soldiers who populated the city.  The Ephesians also knew first- hand the principalities and powers of evil. Acts 19 relates that Ephesus was a city steeped in Roman and Greek idolatry.  The idea of spiritual armor was an apt metaphor.  

The Ephesian congregation in Acts 19 was very counter-culture. Their unique identity cause havoc to the local idol maker economy because of the vast number of people who began to turn from idol worship to following Christ.   I sometimes wonder what it would be like if the Church today had such a vibrant faith and caused so many people to turn to follow Jesus that it had an very positive and visible impact on our culture. Living the Paschal mystery of Christ requires appropriate spiritual “tools” for living in righteousness.

Bob Anderson

Interim Ministry Specialist

Life Coach for Ministry Professionals

Toledo, OH

http://shortstopblog.blogspot.com/ 

                                          www.breakthroughlifecoach.org

Worship in Times of Transition: Proper 15 (Ordinary 20) Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost

ShortStop is dedicated to life's transitions experienced in congregations, personal life, and families.  Transitions and what churches call "interim ministry" are "short stops" on the journey to new beginnings.  The ShortStop Lectionary Blog is one way to help preachers in the transition times to find ideas from the Revised Common Lectionary.  Each text will be considered but the focus each week will be on the text(s) that will be most helpful for preaching during an interim transition time. The preacher will be able to "connect the dots" creatively with themes of the lections. 

Proper 15 (Ordinary 20) Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost

1 Kings 2:10-12; 3:3-14

David’s reign was longer than most pastors’ terms – 40 years in one congregation is not a norm!  The transition to new leadership was helped by the fact that the monarchy was based on the family line and Solomon was waiting in the wings.  Solomon’s conversation with God as it is given to us is laudable. He is humble (but a child), asks for help (knows his weaknesses) and finally, Solomon seeks wisdom that is a cut above the average.  As he begins his inherited reign, Solomon prepares for this new future.

One of the transitional dynamics congregations experience is “preparing for a new future/a new pastoral leader”.  Solomon was, at least, being intentional about his future and that of the nation.  That makes me wonder what it would be like to use a sermon path that held Solomon’s intentionality as a guide for a congregation to intentionally prepare for a new pastoral relationship. What would it look like for a congregation to intentionally pray as a body to seek wisdom for a future vision and for building a relationship with a new pastoral leader? 

Proverbs 9:1-6;  Psalm 34:9-14; Ephesians 5:15-20; John 6:51-58

Each of these texts continues the thread of preparation to be a particular kind of people. 

• ·         Proverbs pushes us to maturity and insight (9:6).

• ·         Psalm 34 teaches how to live in the fear of the Lord: Depart from evil, and do good; seek      peace, and pursue it. (turning from evil is rooted in our baptism promises as well).

• ·         Ephesians 5:15-20 challenges the congregation in verse 15 to  Be careful then how you live, not as unwise people but as wise…

• ·         John 6:51-58 continues the theme by reminding us that Good News for our life as God’s people is in Jesus as the bread of life that is eternal … our future vision as a congregation will thrive when we nourish our lives with this bread of life from heaven.

Through 25 years of interim ministry, intentional planning, praying and spiritually forming I preparation for a new relationship and partnership with a pastoral leader seems to be a “tag along”.  Gaining new members who give financially, trying to be open to younger generations or creating new programs to attract new people seem to snag the spotlight.  At the bottom line is the typical, “once we get a permanent young pastor, all will be well.”  These texts remind us that only “transformed lives” make a difference for God’s mission in our world.

Bob Anderson

Interim Ministry Specialist

Life Coach for Ministry Professionals

Toledo, OH

http://shortstopblog.blogspot.com/ 

www.breakthroughlifecoach.org

Year B Proper 14 (Ordinary 19) Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost

ShortStop is dedicated to life's transitions experienced in congregations, personal life, and families.  Transitions and what churches call "interim ministry" are "short stops" on the journey to new beginnings.  The ShortStop Lectionary Blog is one way to help preachers in the transition times to find ideas from the Revised Common Lectionary.  Each text will be considered but the focus each week will be on the text(s) that will be most helpful for preaching during an interim transition time. The preacher will be able to "connect the dots" creatively with themes of the lections. 

Year B  Proper 14 (Ordinary 19) Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost

Psalm 130

One of the final Psalms of Ascent, the poet reminds us that we have come a long way on our journey to the Holy City of Jerusalem.   Our journeys of life transitions seem endless when we are moving through their cycles.  We, and our congregations, will confront times when we must wait for God to bring us to the endings and subsequent new beginnings.  The psalm reminds us that our waiting is almost over.  

The Psalm reminds us that intentional interim ministry is eschatological.  We wait for a new beginning to emerge as we say goodbye to a beloved (presumably!) pastor and wait to engage with a new pastoral leader whom we know is on the way.  This quality of the “already, but not yet” is pervasive during transitions as the future emerges in the midst of our endings.  Holly Whitcomb’s small book, Seven Spiritual Gifts of Waiting (Augsburg, 2005) probes waiting with a humility of spirit that leads to love, honoring others, living without judgment, patience, gratitude, living in the present, and trust in God as we make honest assessments.   

The promises of God for a new future are embedded in our “waiting places”.   So, we wait expectedly, even as the sentry guards the city expectantly waiting to announce the sunrise.

Ephesians 4:25-5:2

Times of transitions mark a significant change in our life and world.   One’s identity shifts with the loss of a relationship to someone close to you.   In the same way congregations examine and renew their sense of “self” identity when they are no longer “Rev. Beloved Pastor’s Church”.   A critical aspect of identity that is easily overlooked (because it is “assumed”?) is our spiritual identity. 

Paul encourages the Ephesians to look to their future as a people with Christ-like behaviors and character.  One possible sermon path might be to explore what it means for a congregation to live as “imitators of God”.  The people of God live in the same love as Christ – I wonder how a congregation lives that is a “fragrant offering and sacrifice to God”?

Bob Anderson

Interim Ministry Specialist

Life Coach for Ministry Professionals

Toledo, OH

http://shortstopblog.blogspot.com/ 

www.breakthroughlifecoach.org

Interim Transition Lectionary for Proper 11 (16) Eighth Sunday after Pentecost

ShortStop is dedicated to life's transitions experienced in congregations, personal life, and families.  Transitions and what churches call "interim ministry" are "short stops" on the journey to new beginnings.  The ShortStop Lectionary Blog is one way to help preachers in the transition times to find ideas from the Revised Common Lectionary.  Each text will be considered but the focus each week will be on the text(s) that will be most helpful for preaching during an interim transition time. The preacher will be able to "connect the dots" creatively with themes of the lections. 

Proper 11 (16) Eighth Sunday after Pentecost

2 Samuel 7:1-14a

The shepherding theme catches my imagination this week.  It runs through the Old Testament lesson in 2 Samuel or the alternate in Jeremiah. The Psalter carries the theme with Psalm 23. 

The cry of God for a “home” marks a turning point in the history of God’s people.  Up until this point the portable Tabernacle was the “home” of God’s Ark and holy presence.  I’m reminded, believe it or not, of the Life Cycle of Congregations.  Israel is moving from “adolescence” to adulthood and “Prime Time” at the top of the Life Cycle Bell Curve.   Many of our historic stream of churches are on the dying side of the life cycle curve.  

A sermon move doesn’t need to teach the life cycle of congregations. It could, however, work from the concept to speak of the seasons of a congregation’s history and life.  Perhaps the liturgical seasons could become part of the expression of God’s faithfulness in the ebb and flow of our lives.  We might ponder homiletically what questions God is asking of us today.  A key point is that God is always about the new beginnings – the resurrections of our lives as God’s people.

Jeremiah 23:1-6

Baaack to sheep (sorry, sometimes I can’t help myself).  I can’t help but take this text out of the larger prophetic picture and make it personal.  Reading the text, my reflections became intensely personal.  What kind of shepherd am I?   What’s the quality of my faithfulness?  Which sheep get lost or left behind during the interim transition journey?  I can also think about this as who gets left behind or is untended during my life changes of education, family, or moving about the country as an interim pastor? 

In my practice of interim transition ministry, several congregations grappled with the reality that they needed to “clean” the membership rolls.  The thought occurred to me that these “inactive” members may be the lost sheep of which Jeremiah speaks.  They wander off during pastoral changes, building programs or capital campaigns.  The older members are often among those lost sheep.  Unable to attend regularly because of illness or disability these dear ones often “fall between the cracks” of pastoral changes, moves to retirement communities and more.  When we do discover them in the hospital or the supermarket, they are quick to say, “I’m a member of your church”.  Their sense of spiritual home, their “sheepfold” is our congregation – even though they haven’t been in worship for 20 years.  I have to ask myself, what does Jeremiah say to me?

Bob Anderson

Interim Ministry Specialist

Life Coach for Ministry Professionals

Toledo, OH

http://shortstopblog.blogspot.com/ 

www.breakthroughlifecoach.org

Year B Proper 10 (15) Seventh Sunday after Pentecost

ShortStop is dedicated to life's transitions experienced in congregations, personal life, and families.  Transitions and what churches call "interim ministry" are "short stops" on the journey to new beginnings.  The ShortStop Lectionary Blog is one way to help preachers in the transition times to find ideas from the Revised Common Lectionary.  Each text will be considered but the focus each week will be on the text(s) that will be most helpful for preaching during an interim transition time. The preacher will be able to "connect the dots" creatively with themes of the lections. 

Proper 10 (15) Seventh Sunday after Pentecost

2 Samuel 6:1-5, 12b-19

Episcopalian friends joined me in a visit to one of the Presbyterian churches for which I had oversight in my interim governing body executive capacity.  One recognized the organist as a neighbor and approached the chancel steps and spoke across the chasm to greet him.  He invited her up closer but my guest stood back, aghast to be asked to go into the “holy place” of the chancel area. The musician chuckled and said, “we are Presbyterians, nothing is holy up here”.  

The Ark of the Covenant for David’s kingdom was the place of God’s abode. It was so holy and sacred that to touch it was to die.  It had been “lost” in battle, was now found and on its way to being the center of holy worship again.  I can’t help but wonder how, during the interim transition, the interim minister might introduce the holiness of God along with the meaning of being God’s holy people?  

In a parallel account in 1 Chronicles 13:12-14, the Ark was stolen by an enemy of Israel and then restored. On the way to Jerusalem, the soldiers were ambushed and the Ark was taken to the house of Obed-Edom for safe keeping.  Obed-Edom household was blessed by the holy presence of God represented by the Ark.  Here is one more path for using the transition “lens”.  Here, the transition journey “home” to Jerusalem was one that brought blessing and joy because of God’s holy presence in the household.  This is a worthy exploration for the interim ministry preacher and worship leader.  

For some of our traditions, nothing may be holy but then, aren’t all things holy in that God created them and we use them for God’s glory?  In that spirit of reverence perhaps we will catch our “spiritual breath” and rediscover the presence of God that is so critical to the future leadership of our congregations.  We can give a radical twist to the interim developmental task of renewing congregational identity.

Ephesians 1:3-14

The identity theme of God’s Holy People continues in the Epistle lesson for this Sunday. For the interim minister and preacher, this text could become a series sermons focusing on our identity.  We are blessed by God, made to be a blessing, adopted, heirs, redeemed, made righteous and much more.

As an interim pastoral leader it is too easy to stick with the technical organization concepts of church size, our style, or our place on the theological spectrum of evangelical – progressive.  Or, are we simply a “friendly” church that is a civic leader or servant “non-profit” outreach?  One of the challenges of the interim transition can be to stretch the congregation’s theological thinking about who we are, why we are, and whose we are. 

As poetry and hymn, there is ample opportunity to continue the theme of worship and praise.  One could reflect on David’s praise in 2 Samuel.  David’s exuberance is a bit over the top for our (often) intellectualized worship. An interesting preaching approach using both texts might be to reflect on the the (proper?) place of emotion in worship. As a friend of mine told me, “we are Presbyterians and we need to learn to worship with decency and ardor!

Bob Anderson

Interim Ministry Specialist

Life Coach for Ministry Professionals

Toledo, OH

http://shortstopblog.blogspot.com/ 

www.breakthroughlifecoach.org