clergy freak

Is the Church Still Relevant?

2012-01-14T05:31:00.000-08:00

Is the United Methodist Church – as an institution, as a method by which the gospel is spread – relevant in Postmodern America and furthermore, in our Global United Methodist family?

According to a 2007 Research Study by the Barna Group, young Americans (16-29-year-olds) are significantly more critical of Christianity than precious generations. Barna notes that only 16% of non-Christians in their late teens and twenties said they have a “good impression” of Christianity. The common negative perceptions conclude that Christianity is judgmental (87%), hypocritical (85%), old-fashioned (78%), and too involved in politics (75%).[1] These criticisms, whether justified or not, make our outreach to youth and young adults not only challenging but also imperative. The question is not, how can we defend our faith, but how do we respond to this criticism? How do we embody the love, mercy and compassion of Jesus Christ in a new way to a new generation? To further complicate the issue of the Church’s relevance to this new generation is their inherent mistrust of institutions. It is my assertion that we must create new models of “doing church” to address the needs of a new generation.

What do you think? Is church still relevant to young people - in America and in other countries - throughout this crazy world?

[1] “A New Generation Expresses its Skepticism and Frustration with Christianity,” September 24, 2007 found on http://www.barna.org/teens-next-gen-articles/94-a-new-generation-expresses-its-skepticism-and-frustration-with-christianity

Witness to the birth!

2011-12-13T06:24:00.001-08:00

"Lo, How a Rose ere Blooming" by James Janknegt

Isaiah 52: 7-10: ⁷How beautiful upon the mountains  are the feet of the messenger who announces peace,  who brings good news,  who announces salvation,  who says to Zion, ‘Your God reigns.’  ⁸Listen! Your sentinels lift up their voices,  together they sing for joy;  for in plain sight they see  the return of the Lord to Zion.  ⁹Break forth together into singing,  you ruins of Jerusalem;  for the Lord has comforted his people,  he has redeemed Jerusalem.  ¹⁰The Lord has bared his holy arm  before the eyes of all the nations;  and all the ends of the earth shall see  the salvation of our God.

This season, we celebrate the birth of the Prince of Peace, Emmanuel, God with us! As we celebrate Gods' presence among us, the incarnation of our Lord, we are charged with spreading the Good News. "Go tell it on the mountain, that Jesus Christ is born!" we sing, but many of us would like to be silent. After the busy-ness of Christmas is over many of us would like to climb into the protective shells of our beds, pull the covers up over our heads and hibernate until Easter. But God calls us to be 'messengers.' That means we GO and TELL!

But, we should be relieved to know, we are not the only messengers proclaiming the glory of God! Gods' amazing work is everywhere! In the ruins of Jerusalem, in the eyes of all nations, to the ends of the earth. Let us proclaim the love of God to the world, and as we do, may we be witness to the world proclaiming Gods' glory to us!

i went to the top of the world

to offer up my prayer.

i came with a collection

of concerns and worries

problems and everyday pains

i went to the top of the world to pray

and instead the world prayed for me.

i heard it in the wind

pounding in my right ear

and a gentle guitarsong whistling in my left.

i heard it in the language of the crickets,

calling and answering from either side of the path.

i heard it in each footstep that followed me,

or was I following them?

i heard it in the passing of the cars on the highway.

i heard it in the silent tears of strangers.

i went to the top of the world to pray

and instead,

the world prayed for me.

- ksg2000

The Day I Met Santa Claus

2011-12-07T02:16:00.000-08:00

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers. (Galatians 6: 9-10)

At this time of year, many Christians are torn between the sacred celebration of the birth of Jesus and a secular celebration that focuses on gift giving, carol-singing and Santa Claus. Our modern version of Santa is based on Saint Nicholas of Myra, a 4th century Greek Christian bishop of Myra, now in Turkey. Nicholas was famous for his generous gifts to the poor, in particular presenting the three impoverished daughters of a pious Christian with dowries so that they would not have to become prostitutes. He was very religious from an early age and devoted his life entirely to Christianity. On Niklaustag (Dec. 6) in Germany, children receive small gifts from the historical Saint. Caring for others, recognizing those we love, those who need us and those we need: all of these are Christian values! At Christmastime, we celebrate generosity of spirit. We celebrate the blessings given to us by giving to others! If we do so in the spirit of Jesus, who went above and beyond for others, we celebrate the birth of our Savior and we embody the spirit of Santa Claus.

I was seven years old when Santa Claus appeared on my doorstep - long white beard, skinnier than I imagined and dressed in 'normal clothes' (perhaps he was going incognito for Christmas morning). But there he was! Carrying a package just for me!

My parents were delighted and looked relieved, and I was overjoyed to receive a handmade SASHA doll that Christmas! What a joyful day!

As I grew up, I recognized Santa Claus in our small town. He worked in a shop called the Folk Music Center and was known-in his Claremont, California home - as Charles Chase. Mr. Chase (my Santa) made appearances throughout the year at the shop that sold those special dolls, along with guitars, ukuleles, banjos and drums, music from all over the world and the most fascinating coloring books I'd ever seen. The Folk Music Center, I imagined, was the southern California outpost of Santa's Workshop, specializing in all-things-hippy.

Later in my life I heard the story from my parents’ perspective. As they were doing their Christmas shopping at the Southern California outpost of the Santa's Workshop. they mistakenly picked up the display model container without the doll inside. They did not realize the container was empty until Christmas Eve when they were wrapping up the gifts for the grand unveiling on Christmas morning. Panicked, they phoned Santa at his home late Christmas Eve and asked him for some help. Instead of a cranky daughter who would open an empty package on Christmas morn, they woke to a delighted and amazed little girl who'd been privileged to a personal visit from Santa himself.

Mr. Chase, in his decision to help out a frazzled and panicked set of young parents, is the embodiment of Paul's words in Galatians 6: 9-10:

⁹Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. ¹⁰ Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.

If we sow the seeds of love, joy, peace and hope in the busy holiday season, we will reap the harvest of the gospel of Jesus Christ! Conversely, if we sow the seeds of anxiety, distraction, stress and dysfunction, we will reap the harvest born of those negative things.

In our franticness and stress have we given up trying to do good? When does our frantic activity become a spiritual detriment? How can we be the embodiment of the good news for others this season? May God bless your Advent and Christmastime!

Ministry with*

2011-10-27T08:49:00.000-07:00

There is a new campaign in the global Methodist Church that is called “Ministry with.*” According to it’s website, Ministry With* is a United Methodist campaign to raise awareness, educate, and inspire people around ministry with the poor. “By establishing the website with a place for blogging, sharing experiences and resources, the campaign attempts to create a space for visitors to encourage, share with, and challenge one another as they transform how to view and talk about "the poor" and to motivate others to go out and transform their communities. (1)

This campaign seeks to bridge the gap between those who “have” and those who “have not” and I support the philosophy wholeheartedly and yet it maintains this idea and we are different - I am not like them, they are not like me. But I approve of any program or campaign that seeks to immerse us Christians in the lives of others, opening our eyes to the ways we can help others in service to God and God’s people.

This past week, I have been immersed in an experience of immigrant life that is unusual for me: Der Fachbereich Ausländerangelegenheiten des Fachamtes Einwohnerwese. I only am required to go to the Immigration office every few years to renew my VISA and each time I’ve gone, I have had no problems renewing my American VISA for work. Once I have collected the proper documentation, my visit is smooth and my interaction with the office staff is cordial.

But I have witnessed others who’ve had a much harder time. As I stand in line waiting for a chance at an appointment, I stand with families from Turkey, couples from Ghana, a Japanese student, mothers with infants, groups of young men, the elderly and the babies who are trying to make Germany their home. I am immediately struck with the sheer volume of humanity gathered in such a small office. “Why is this?” I ask myself. “Why are so many people gathered?”

For one reason, the staff can only see a specific number of people per day and the sheer number of immigrants is overwhelming. For example, my first attempt at an appointment went like this: I went to the office at 10:30 on a Monday morning, to wait in line at the Information desk for an hour and a half, to find once I’d reached the desk that all the appointments – symbolized by a “now-serving” numbered slip - were long gone. So, I was determined to get an number the following day. I arrived at 8:30 (30 minutes after the office had opened) to find the numbered appointments for the whole day were already gone. (On Friday I will try to get there at 7:30 before the office opens to see if that makes a difference. I haven’t done this since I waited for tickets to see “Return of the Jedi” in the move theater – in 1983.)

In this context, I think about the Ministry With* campaign… In such an environment, I dream of a way to reach out to my fellow immigrants waiting for news that they are accepted into this country: I dream of a way to reach out and calm their nerves, ease their minds, tell them they belong, show them they are loved… but I come up short. How can I be in ministry with immigrants when I do not speak their language or understand what circumstances have propelled them to Germany and what circumstances they face living here in Hamburg.

And so I wait with them, realizing that despite all our differences, we have the same dream: to belong. We all want to make Hamburg our home whether it be a permanent home or a temporary home, we are literally all the same in our wish to belong here. I may not be able to speak words of comfort but I am able to stand in solidarity with them. At least until we all get an appointment.

1. http://www.ministrywith.org/

Glimpses of focus in the fuzziness

2011-10-18T12:49:00.000-07:00

It all seems a bit fuzzy. The watercolor future that drips color over the vast expanse of time… What am I supposed to make of these splashes and swaths? And suddenly something clear emerges… a little bit of the future.

Now I see in my future (or the little bit that is in focus) is work with Third Culture kids.

In their formative text (1), David C. Pollock and Ruth E. Van Reken define the term: “A third culture kid is a person who has spent a significant part of his or her developmental years outside their parents’ culture. The third culture kid builds relationships to all the cultures, while not having full ownership in any…. TCKs [Third Culture Kids] are raised in a neither/nor world. It is neither fully the world of their parents’ culture (or cultures) nor fully in the world of the other culture (or cultures) in which they were raised.”

Last year I went to the TREK conference in London, facilitated by Youth Compass, an organization that addresses the needs of third-culture teens and their supporting adults. It was an introduction to the community of globally nomadic youth and families and the specialized challenges they face. In the summer I was the featured speaker at the family-camp of the Zimbabwean Methodists in the United Kingdom, dealing with issues of the second generation Zimbawean youth growing up in the UK. Last week, I travelled to Düsseldorf for a day-long meeting with featured speaker Christopher O’Shaughnessy and a group of youth workers and others working with international youth in Germany. It was inspiring and re-affirming of my call to work with the international population and their children. To unite people in the one family of God.

What makes this community so compelling? They are from all parts of world, speak a variety of languages, have a vast experience of cultures, and they are a vision of both the global-culture of the future and of God’s Kingdom.

And Third Culture, second generation, multi-racial, mulit-cultural, multi-ethnic youth are a unique and vital population that will be (and are now!) a POWERFUL FORCE in our future. I want to be a part of that future.

And if you’re wondering if you may be a Third Culture Kid (TCK):

You know you’re a TCK when ...

“Where are you from?” has more than one reasonable answer.
You flew before you could walk.
You speak two languages, but can’t spell in either. 
Your life story uses the phrase “Then we moved to…” three (or four, or five…) times. 
You wince when people mispronounce foreign words. 
You don’t know whether to write the date as day/month/year, month/day/year, or some variation thereof.
You own personal appliances with 3 types of plugs.
You believe vehemently that football is played with a round, spotted ball. 
You consider a city 500 miles away “very close.”
You get homesick reading National Geographic. 
You cruise the Internet looking for fonts that can support foreign alphabets.
You think in the metric system and Celsius.
You have frequent flyer accounts on multiple airlines.
You speak with authority on the subject of airline travel. 
You’ve gotten out of school because of monsoons, bomb threats, and/or popular demonstrations. 
You know how to pack.
You have the urge to move to a new country every couple of years.
You have friends from 29 different countries.
You sort your friends by continent.
You realize what a small world it is, after all.

For more information on Chris O’Shaughnessy: http://www.chris-o.com/

For more information on Youth Compass: http://youthcompass.org/

1. Third Culture Kids: Growing Up Among Worlds (Boston: Nicholas Brealey Publishing, 1999.)

I miss India.

2011-10-06T12:26:00.000-07:00

I left a piece of my heart in India.

Somewhere between the overnight train ride from Dehli

and the bustling Mumbai streets;

Maybe with the chai sellers roaming the train compartments

or the ladies that work in the kitchen of the Padhar Guest House;

Maybe I left it with the little orphan girl whose smile and spunky -ness charmed me;

Perhaps I left it with the blue-uniformed students at the Mission School.

I left it there.

So that I can return to collect it.

Distracted by Dancing Leaves

2011-09-28T05:58:00.000-07:00

¹ The heavens are telling the glory of God;
   and the firmament proclaims his handiwork.
² Day to day pours forth speech,
   and night to night declares knowledge.
³ There is no speech, nor are there words;
   their voice is not heard;
⁴ yet their voice goes out through all the earth,
   and their words to the end of the world.

Psalm 19: 1-4

I try to write.

I try to think of something interesting to discuss, some new bit of information, some insight into why I believe in God.

I sit overlooking the Alster as the rippling water reflects little sparks of light, as the single yellow leaves detach from their tree-homes, dance on the wind and float away,

as Hamburgers bask in the rare sunshine and tourists smile and snap photos.

I try to write. There are certainly problems to address, concerns to lift in prayer, people to contact, phone calls to make, meetings to schedule, biblical texts to exegete, sermons to write.

But the yellow leaves are dancing,

the sun is shining,

the cool breeze is breathing new life into this stale city.

I try to work, but the yellow leaves are dancing.

I try to work, but the Hamburgers are smiling.

I try to work, but the Alster is shimmering.

I try to do God’s business, but I am distracted.

By God.

I intended to write an article for the newsletter. I intended to be wise and learned. I intended to be witty and insightful, offering many facts and figures. I intended to demonstrate my vast knowledge and my extraordinary education.

But the yellow leaves are dancing.

The heavens speak of God and the stars shout His praise! The leaves describe his gentle nudging to pause, to stop and look at God’s work - not in my paperwork, in my meetings and phone calls, but outside my office, in His world.

Caught up in daily-life, in meeting people, in speaking, in thinking, in helping, in building community, Jesus went to a solitary place to pray (Luke 5:16). He pushed aside his stacks of memos, tore up his “To Do” list, ignored the clamoring crowds pleading - “We need this!” and “We need that!” - because the yellow leaves were dancing.

and Jesus saw them

and heard their call proclaiming God’s handiwork.

and he - like I - recognized the need to pause and witness the work of God in the trees, in the sunshine, in the breeze and the smiling people.

The yellow leaves are dancing

and nothing I write, or say, or create can declare the work of God better!

Finding Joy

2011-09-15T01:42:00.000-07:00

II have been doing some Facebook experiments to connect with the optimism that is sometimes hard to find in this world. The first experiment was this: For one full week I would list things that make me happy on my Facebook status. Each day I would come up with seven new things. Here is the list:

Day 1: sunshine, butterflies, iced espresso, the Dixie Chicks, the empty laundry basket after I finish the ironing, vanilla scented candles and Lonely Planet travel guides. :)

Day 2: sunflowers, the moment I realize my sermon is done, singing Bob Dylan songs loudly, making others laugh (especially kids), mint chip ice cream, helping, the smell of flowering jasmine.

Day 3: after church naps, when the chapel is full of excitement and kids, homemade tortillas, grilled cheese sandwiches, daisies, accents, the smell of cinnamon (zimt.) :)

Day 4: Blue Ball jars, making candles, hot strong coffee, room-painting, having a whole day off, on-time and easy public transportation, and golden retrievers.

Day 5: a comfy blanket, slippers, blooming violets, wildflowers that sprinkle hills with color, wild bunnies, Jon Stewart, smiling. (It's my favorite.)

Day 6: Niceties from German ladies, When people recognize me at restaurants, the grocery store, etc..., avocados, Yankee Candles, hydrangeas, my parents, Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Day 7: pajamas, open-air festivals in Hamburg, payday, wearing sandals, journal-writing in a coffee shop in Rome, Paris, London, Mumbai or Hamburg (or really any city...), home decor magazines, my friends.

What I learned: Sometimes it is easy to find the positive. Somedays it is not. I was struck the few days I was in a grumpy mood how long it took for me to complete the list.

I was also surprised to find myself –during the day – noting in my head things I would put on my list for the day. It was like I was extra focused on the things I love –color, beauty, smells and feelings, art and laughter, flowers and butterflies. It helped me focus on the wonderful things in life rather than on the negative.

I was also struck by my 5 friends who followed my lead and repeated the exercise. It seems people like joy and want to focus on it. Who knew?

(I am currently involved in an experiement to find one positive news story per day from the myriad of stories that come my way via internet news on MSNBC, CNN, Der Spiegel, Sky News, the LA Times, etc... I'll let you know how that one works out...)

Setting up for the party

2011-09-14T07:45:00.000-07:00

“This seems familiar,” I said to myself as I waited in my newly cleaned house surrounding by appetizers and beverages all set out to greet the guests that hadn’t come. It seemed familiar because it happens all the time in ministry: I come up with a great idea, a wonderful way to gather people in the church together in community, an interesting topic for a talk or a book study or a way to connect with our scriptural heritage. So I invite people, clean up the house, prepare a lesson, dream up the menu… and wait, and wait, and wait.

And people don’t come.

In the beginning of my ministry, I wondered “What did I do wrong? Is it because people don’t like me or my ideas? Did I choose the wrong day or time? Is the topic something that doesn’t appeal to anyone except me?”

Now I consider, “Maybe this isn’t the right audience… Maybe I should invite members of neighbouring congregations. Maybe I should invite colleagues who’d like to do a bible-study in English? Maybe I should open this opportunity up to the public?” Like the King in Jesus’ parable of the wedding feast, I look at the empty chairs and think, “The wedding is ready, but those invited were not worthy.” And I wonder if I too should, “Go therefore into the main streets, and invite everyone you find to the wedding banquet.” (Matthew 22: 8-9)

Moreover, I have come to realize that this scenario is one that recurs - and will recur – forever.

It’s what we do:

• We invite. And sometimes people show up and sometimes people don’t.

• We invite. And even if the idea is applauded and hailed as cutting edge, the chairs are empty.

• We invite. And people cancel and then don’t show and each time our hearts break a little.

But still we invite.

It’s what we do. It’s what we must do. Even when we are disappointed; even after heartbreaking, ego-crushing failures; even when are best ideas are rejected outright… we must keep inviting, thus leaving ourselves open to be hurt again and again.

Jesus calls us to open the door, to set the table, to prepare the food and to welcome the people into the family of God. This is a lifelong-call to hospitality. One that – even though it is difficult – I accept gladly.

Annual Conference Preacher.

2011-06-27T01:42:00.000-07:00

I never thought I would add that title to my CV: Annual Conference Preacher. A few months ago, my district superintendent asked me to preach at the Opening Worship. It was a great experience and I thought I would reflect on it a bit.

Reflection 1: While an honor and a privilege, I was initially concerned because I speak in a language that is not the native language of the congregation gathered... but the planners knew that I preached in English when they asked me, so I accepted. If they were willing to take a chance on me, who am I to decline? AND, it worked! With the aid simultaneous translation equipment and a colleague who translated my manuscript into German and preached it simultaneously for those who only speak German, we all - Germans, Ghanaians and Internationals - all heard the same sermon! Amazing.

Reflection 2: The leadership of the North German Annual Conference showed tremendous courage in the selection of a non-German speaker as the "Opening Act"! Instantly, those who are normally in-the-know picked up translation equipment and with earphones on, became those who were NOT in-the-know! That is a dangerous move, but with good-humor and a adventurous spirit, it worked!

Reflection 3: I have never had so many people come up to me and thank me for a sermon! And I found it fascinating that it was mostly German lay people and clergy with whom I'd been acquainted, but never shared any significant conversation... Perhaps by being on that stage, in that position, somehow I became a part of the Conference, not just a guest...

Some observations:

1. Because I was trying to speak slowly for the translator and for the non-native English speakers to understand my words, I found the spaces difficult to fill. Apparently my body though I should act out my sermon in those gaps. I gestured, made facial-expressions, teetered on the edge of the step, etc.... to my surprise. At one point I actually thought "What are my hands doing?"

2. The German youth delegates were instantly my friends because they (having learned English in school) could understand me clearly, even if the adults could not.

3. Preaching with a translator is a learned skill and after 10 years in the ministry, I think I'm learning how to do it.

4. People always comment on how clearly I speak. I don't know if this is a comment about the tone of my voice (which I can just thank God for... not my doing.) or my "simple" speech. Apparently people don't like it when preachers use complicated language.

The text for my sermon is available here in English.

The text for my sermon is available here in German (thanks to Joachim Georg for the translation!)

I also will preach it at HIUMC on July 3rd. If you're in town, come and listen. I don't think it was my best sermon, but it will always be special because of the reaction from my colleagues and fellow-workers in the vineyard in the North Germany Annual Conference. I am humbled by the offer and by the inclusion of this family of God.

Changing the model

2011-06-24T07:34:00.000-07:00

Skype is one reason I am a missionary. Skype (the internet video-call program) allows me to chat with my parents every night, contact my brother and sister, see my nieces and nephews grow and change and connect with my friends regularly. Because it is free when both parties have Skype, it is much more cost-efficient than a long-distance phone call and more fun: a few weeks ago, my 6-year-old nephew read me a story via Skype, showed me the pictures and could see my reactions. What a joy!

In April, I had an epiphany: since Skype has been a God-send to me in my personal relationships, why not use it to enhance my mission relationships? So I sent out an invitation, created a flyer and sent it to my mission churches, to my home conference, and posted it on my personal blog, my Facebook page, my church website. Many people posted comments reflecting what a good idea it was. My contacts in the General Board of Global Ministries hailed it as a forward-thinking innovation. But to this day, I have not had one request; not one person or church or youth group or mission committee took me up on my offer. Not one.

So, why? If it is such a good idea, why has the idea not CAUGHT FIRE with those on the other side of my mission relationships?

I think it is because we have retained the same model of missionary work for generations. A missionary goes out to do the work assigned and periodically sends newsletters, and then when they return home, they talk about what they’ve done. The church in return supports the work of the missionary financially.

This reminds me of the relationship with have with a charity: The Red Cross, or Feed the Children or some such program where we send money, satisfied with our participation and that is that! But for those of us in the field, we think differently about our relationship with our supporting churches: Many times I have explained my position as a liaison between the Methodist churches back home and the Methodists in Hamburg, Germany. I provide a face for the American churches when I am here in Germany and a face for the Hamburg International UMC when I am in America… But a relationship is more than a once-every-three-years catch up and some financial donations.

We need connection. We need to get to know each other. We need to share our values, beliefs, dreams and the workings of God in our communities with one another. We need connection if we are to consider ourselves a true global community.

Will you accept my invitation?

Adopted.

2011-06-03T02:51:00.000-07:00

This past week, I was the featured speaker at the Family Camp of the Zimbabwean Methodists in diaspora in the UK. 150 adults, youth and children gathered in a country-campsite in Kent for a four-day intensive on “Teaching, Parenting and Being Global Nomads” and while the children played and swam, the youth met for discussion, fellowship and activities, I met with the adults. I met with the parents and discussed multicultural parenting their second-generation kids; I met with the Sunday School Teachers and Church leaders to discuss the Zimbabwean Methodist “church of the future” ; I met with the adults and youth as the young people shared their needs with their parents.

We sang together (I love African church singing! There is a tone achieved when when voices are mixed that says “home” to me), ate together (what’s a vegetarian to do in a meat-eating culture?!), laughed, played and drew pictures together. For a few days, I was adopted into the warm family of Zimbabwean Methodists!

A few reflections:

The campsite had little phone service and no internet connection. While frustrating at first, I actually came to appreciate the limited options. After working all day, and napping, I spent the rest of my day sitting and talking with people. I just sat down and joined in their conversations. It wasn’t work-related, it was just personal contact.

On the second day, one of the rambunctious twins went missing on the way to the swimming pool. (It seems she doesn’t like to swim, so she went into someone’s room and hid, then fell asleep...) For about an hour, the whole camp stopped and looked for her. When she was found there was an audible sigh of relief and a reminder that we need to keep on eye on one another and be tuned in to each others’ fears, needs and presence.

When I was leaving a little boy approached me, hugged my legs and said. “I don’t want you to leave.” I told him I needed to return to the church at which I am the pastor. “Who is the pastor at your church?” he asked. “I am.” I assured him. “But who is the pastor when you are away?”

The session we had with youth and adults caused a stir, one I think they will be dealing with for a long time. I found it fascinating that these youth (most born and raised in the UK) are so desperately trying to distinguish themselves from their parents, the first generation of immigrants from Zimbabwe. They voiced their wishes and their tastes - some of which went directly against the songs, worship language, and tastes of their parents. And I realized, no matter the culture, first and second generation immigrants consistently have these conflicts. Maybe we’re not so different after all.

Changing the World

2011-05-25T12:32:00.000-07:00

May 14 & 15 was a weekend of mission for thousands of United Methodists. According to the Rethink Church website, “In 15 countries, United Methodists reached out to their neighbors through more than 2,000 projects.” (1)These projects included efforts to clean up playgrounds, raise money for mission projects, offer childcare or food vouchers for single mothers and collect food for the hungry in their communities. In Hamburg, our church partnered with the youth department of the Hamburg district of the German Methodist Church and spread the joy of Jesus Christ to others, with the help of balloons and red clown noses. Over 2,000 mission projects in one weekend: by all accounts, the program was a tremendous success!

As I reflected on our activity and looked at the map on the Rethink Church website (seen above), I noticed that this “global event” did not look so global when viewed with pins denoting each Change the World (CTW) activity or project registered.

Obviously the majority of the CTW activities happened in the United States with only a sparse offering from Europe, Asia and Africa. This map may lead us to believe that there are only a handful of United Methodists outside the United States. But that is not true.

In 2008, total United Methodist Church membership was estimated at 11.4 million, with about 7.9 million in the U.S. and 3.5 million overseas. (2) Significantly, about 20% of the conference delegates were from Africa, with Filipinos and Europeans making up another 10%. By 2012, it has been estimated that Africans will make up at least 30% of the delegates at General Conference, and it is also possible that 40% of the delegates will be from outside the U.S.

So why doesn’t the map reflect the growth of United Methodism outside the United States? Perhaps the Change the World program was not communicated to those outside the US; Perhaps the relationship between the US church and those of us “in the field” is not yet well-established; Perhaps the language differences present challenges that are too great, too daunting, too much.

Hamburg’s International United Methodist Church is a partnership between the United Methodist Church in the USA and the evangelish Methodistiche Kirche in Germany. We are a bridge between those in the USA wanting to support international church work and us international Christians in need of a church community. Our mission is in developing relationships; reaching out to those who are need in our community and throughout the world; reaching out to one another in our church family; reaching out to other Methodists in Germany and in our extended Methodist family. We are an example of how we as a human family can interact in a multi-cultural, multi-lingual, truly diverse community. We are a bridge between those pinned areas on the map and those that remained un-pinned. May we continue to be an example of the Kingdom of God that is possible here on earth.

1. http://www.rethinkchurch.org/article/change-world-weekend-lives-were-changed

2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Methodist_Church

“Möchten Sie ein Luftballon?”

2011-05-17T12:07:00.000-07:00

“After this the Lord appointed seventy others and sent them on ahead of him in pairs to every town and place where he himself intended to go. 2He said to them, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. 3Go on your way. See, I am sending you out like lambs into the midst of wolves.” (Luke 10: 1-3)

Two by two, the early followers of Christ went into an unknown world to prepare the way for Jesus. On their journey, surely they met resistance and opposition as well a kindness and joy upon receipt of the good news.

On May 15, as a part of the global “Change the World” event, a small group of Methodists from around the world gathered to be sent out like lambs in the midst of wolves. Methodists from Hamburg’s International United Methodist Church and from the Evangelish-methodistische Kirche (The Methodist Church of Germany) joined together to learn about one another, to partner together and to go out into the community to share the joy of Christian life with others. Under the direction of Beate Klähn-Egbers, the Children and Youth Coordinator of the Hamburg district of the emK, we prepared our balloons, donned our costumes (red clown noses!), practiced our cold-approach and teamed up to go to the park to see who we could find.

We found children walking with their parents, elderly people sitting on a bench, joggers and bicyclists, drunk young adults hanging out, youth playing football; all out on a Sunday afternoon. As we approached, we’d smile and ask, “Möchten Sie ein Luftballon?” (Would you like a balloon?) and when asked “Why are you doing this?” We’d say, “Um Ihnen Freude.” (To bring you joy.) We faced quizzical looks, shaking heads and as well as smile and hearty thanks!

One woman tried to pay us for the balloon. Two elderly gentlemen laughed as they chased their balloons when the wind carried them away. One young woman sat and smiled at her balloon, looking at it with reverence. One young woman, who had been drinking with her friends, shouted “Hey! I want a balloon!” and was happy to receive her gift.

We decided that in sending the disciples out two by two, Jesus knew what he was doing: there is safety in numbers and it is good to reflect on one’s actions with a partner. Working together we can change the world, bring Christ’s love to others and bring a smile to the faces of God’s people. May it be so.

After Osama: South Park Theology and Cake-eaters

2011-05-05T02:38:00.000-07:00

I never thought I would be using "South Park" the 15-year old controversial and inflammatory animated program, to describe my theology. But more and more often, I find myself going back to themes the creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker explore: evolution and atheism, war and peace and the reflection of America through the eyes of four foul-mouthed children.

As the news proclaimed the death of Osama bin Laden, I - like many of my homeland - felt relieved, surprised, and joyful that we as a country, and we as a human family, finally can close the book on this part of our human story. I don't think I would have gone out to celebrate among the crowds at the White House or Ground Zero, but I certainly understood the impulse. After ten years of a national nightmare, finally we are able to move on.

And then I started receiving messages - emails and Facebook status updates - expressing dismay and disgust at the American reaction to bin Laden's death: How dare we celebrate the death of one man? (Especially interesting to me: a conversation with a German colleague during which he expressed how distasteful he thought the celebration was -and more fascinating, the absolute defensive posture I took. Also of interest was the partially-fake MLKjr. quote used to express this opinion.)

This is where I was reminded of "South Park." The seventh season of "South Park" premiered at the beginning of the Iraq war. In the show's 100th episode, the town's citizens are divided between the rock'n'roll protesters and the country-loving warmongers. This leads Cartman to travel back in time to 1776. Benjamin Franklin shows up, as voiced by famed TV producer Norman Lear, and explains that the new country must not seem to be a war-monger to the rest of the world; at the same time it cannot seem to be weak either. Therefore it must go to war, but allow protests. The United States will go to war on one hand, and use protest to oppose the war on the other. He refers to the this as "saying one thing" and "doing another". (From the Wikipedia entry)

We want a strong military, but we don't want to be seen as bullies.

We want peace, but we certainly don't want to look like wimps.

We want to be people of peace, but we appreciate being seen as the strongest nation in the world, able to smush you like a bug if you hurt us.

We want to have our cake and eat it too.

For me, I am still processing. I am proud of those in our military who do their job so well. And I dream of a world where violence is NOT the only answer. I feel joyful at the end of that chapter and embarrassed at how joyful I feel. I don't want to celebrate the death of any person, and yet I celebrate a world free of that man.

That cake tastes good, doesn't it?

We are risen, indeed!

2011-04-23T09:52:00.000-07:00

This Easter, I am recreating a project I did a few years ago (Click here to see the originals). This Sunday, each church bulletin (the guide that tells what songs to sing, when to stand and sit, etc... during worship) will feature a butterfly, with photos of people in our church community as their wings. In this way, I am trying to emphasize we each are transformed and given new life! So, this week, I began my project!

First, I pulled out some old photos from my file cabinet - pictures from the "old days" of our HIUMC community, and pictures that I had used for our bulletin board.

Then, I traced the pattern of the wings on the photos. I had to make 50 bulletins, so that is 100 wings!
Then I went through the directory and made sure I had at least one picture per family that just may show up.... not quite a picture of every person because I couldn't be that accurate because I found I didn't have a picture of every person in the church, but I did my best.

Then after printing the bulletins, I pasted the wings on each butterfly. As I did, I thought about each family, each memory, each person in our community - thankful for the blessings they are to the me, to my work and to the Kingdom of God.

Happy Easter to you and yours!

(Good) Friday.

2011-04-21T22:50:00.000-07:00

"King of the Jews" by James B. Janknegt, contemporary

Only one end of the threads, I hold in my hand.

The threads go many ways, linking my life with other lives.

One thread comes from a life that is sick; it is taut with anguish

and always there is the lurking fear that the life will snap.

I hold it tenderly. I must not let it go ...

One thread comes from a high-flying kite;

it quivers with the mighty current of fierce and holy dreaming

invading the common day with far-off places and visions bright ...

One thread comes from the failing hands of an old, old friend.

Hardly aware am I of the moment when the tight line slackended

and there was nothings at all -- nothing ...

One thread is but a tangled mass that won't come right;

Mistakes, false starts; lost battles, angry words - a tangled mass;

I have tried to hard, but it won't come right ...

One thread is a strange thread - it is my steadying thread;

When I am lost, I pull it hard and find my way.

When I am saddened, I tighten my grip and gladness glides along its quivering path;

When the waste places of my spirit appear in arid confusion,

the thread becomes a channel of newness of life.

One thread is a strange thread - it is my steadying thread.

God's hand holds the other end ...

"The Threads in My Hand" by Howard Thurman, (1899 – April 10, 1981) influential American author, philosopher, theologian,educator and civil rights leader. He was Dean of Theology and the chapels at Howard University and Boston University for more than two decades, wrote 20 books, and in 1944 helped found a multicultural church in San Francisco, California.

Remember with Love

2011-04-20T23:18:00.000-07:00

Today is Maundy Thursday, a day in Christian denominations throughout the world that commemorates the Last Supper when Jesus shared his last Passover meal with his disciples.

The term “Maundy” is derived from the Latin word mandatum, meaning "commandment," and apparently refers to the commands Jesus gave his disciples at the Last Supper from John 13: 34-45.

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

In contrast to joyful Easter celebrations when Christians worship their resurrected Savior, Maundy Thursday services are typically more solemn occasions, marked by the shadow of Jesus' betrayal.

I often wonder how to approach Holy Week – a week that honours and commemorates the last week of Jesus’ earthly life – in a world filled with bad news. Throughout my ministry I have heard critiques of solemnity in church: “I come to church to feel better and that just bummed me out!” Okay, maybe not in those words, but the sentiment is the there: Church should offer hope and happiness and joy for living. And Holy Week is all about betrayal and sadness and guilt and grief.

Of course, the story ultimately does have a happy ending – if people stick around for it. If we go through the whole week, we get to the joyful part on Easter morning…. But many people get lost in the Church’s forced solemnity.

So, as I read the story of the Last Supper today, instead of focusing on the “last” part… I will focus on the “supper” part. Jesus gathered his friends together to celebrate a meal – when I do such a thing, it is always a joyful time, full of love and laughter and blessings in abundance.

I can think of no better way to honour Jesus this day than to love your friends.

Happy Maundy Thursday to you.

After Hiatus

2011-04-17T12:07:00.000-07:00

My blog hiatus is over. Thinking it was too much - too much work, too much trouble, too much information in the cyber-world, just too much - I stopped. I thought, "You know, no one really reads my thoughts or really cares about my ramblings" and so I stopped.

But then, I sort of missed it. I read through my posts a few weeks ago, evaluating the pros and cons of restarting, and looked at the photos and checked out the design and I thought... "Hey, I kinda miss this."

So, as I am going on a Facebook fast for Holy Week, I thought I would try to develop my blog. When I began (pre-Facebook) it was a way to communicate the ordinary things that happened in my life - and it was especially interesting when I moved from California to Germany, discovering the intricacies of a new culture. But now, Facebook takes up some of that space. So, I will try to discover where my blog fits in.

But for now, I shall just say, "Hello! I am back."

Rules for Reading Day

2010-09-15T12:18:00.000-07:00

As I begin a new 3-year term as a GBGM missionary in Hamburg, I have vowed to make an effort to improve my self-care. That includes a monthly retreat-day in which I read: all the books I've put aside thinking "I'll read that later." Since I just completed my first "Reading Day" and I thought I'd add some reflection, rules, and advice for me and for any others attempting a Reading Day.

First, a reading day is not a writing day. It is not a time to do work, to write a sermon, it is a time to read, think, reflect and pray.

Bring many reading options and some snacks. I read one book for work (This Hebrew Lord by John Shelby Spong) and one book for my ministerial self (An Undivided Heart by

Sean D. Sammon).

Put yourself in a secluded place. The hotel I chose was as much like a monastic cell as possible. It was not really my intention, it just worked out that way. But it did help me to focus without the distractions of my normal life, including...

No computer for 24 hours! It was good to be away from the attachment of the computer. On it, I scan Facebook to see what my friends are up to, I watch TV programs and check news sites and blogs, I spend hours stewing over emails and I use it to Skype with family and friends. Because I use it for so many things - work, nurturing relationships, entertainment, mindless time-wasting - my computer is important to me. But while I love the positive aspects of it, I am obsessive and can't turn it off... therefore I live my cyberlife, rather than my actual life.

Does anyone else take a reading/retreat day? What other suggestions do you have for me?

Celibacy in the headlines part 2

2010-09-13T22:36:00.000-07:00

With the impending Pope's visit to the United Kingdom and the recent revelation that the "clergy sex scandal" affects churches, children and priests in Belgium, celibacy is in the news again. As a celibate clergy woman and one who has advocated for choice in clerical sexual and vocational decisions, I find this article from Sky News in Britain interesting.

An excerpt:

"Enforced celibacy has long set Catholic priests apart from their counterparts in other churches, but there is a growing demand for clergy to be given a choice. Pope Benedict recently called it a sign of "full devotion to the Lord". But with a decline in the number of priests and the abuse scandal, which some have linked to sexual frustration, some belive there is scope for a rethink."

Click here for the article.

I Know What I Did This Summer

2010-07-06T09:33:00.000-07:00

I am heading back to Hamburg today and had the desire to put up some statistics on how I've spent the last 8 weeks. This trip to the states was my first term of "home assignment": a time in which missionaries travel throughout their supporting conferences and talk about their work. Thankfully my family lives in my home conferences, so I was able to squeeze in some good family time among all the speaking gigs. This is what I've done this summer:

Flew 16,372 miles

(5635 miles from Hamburg to Los Angeles, 2551 from LA to Honolulu and 2551 back, 5635 miles from

LA to Hamburg)

Preached to/ spoke at 1850 people

9 sermons preached (over 6 Sundays)

17 programs given

Celebrated 5 big family celebrations (birthdays, graduations, etc…)

Spent 5 days in Hawaii

Drove 2889 miles in Southern California

Sold 25 copies of “Every Bunny’s Welcome”

Packed and shipped 427lbs. of possessions to Germany

1 new computer purchased

1 old computer sold on eBay

Enjoyed American big food

6 visits to El Merendero (Mexican Restaurant)

3 visits to The Chessecake Factory

5 visits to California Pizza Kitchen

Watched innumerable hours of HGTV

New favorites: Holmes on Homes, House Hunters, Yard Crashers

Enjoyed 1 spa day

with Massage, Facial, Manicure and Pedicure

Spent hours of quality time with my family: cooking with Mom, laughing with Dad, playing with and reading to Trygve and Annika, hanging out with Mark and Berit, Eating with the Thompsons, goofing off with Erick and Hannah, playing catch with Oliver, having in depth conversations with Colleen and Philip, making plans with Molly, catching up with Erika, Joel and Kat and seeing long-time friends again. I have enjoyed it and now I am back to "real life". and I enjoy that too.

mission-talk (speech given at Missionary Luncheon of Cal-Pac Annual Conference)

2010-06-30T08:36:00.000-07:00

I am a missionary.

I am a pastor.

I am a partner in creation, in building a home for strangers in a strange land.

I see my mission very clearly: to create a spiritual home for wanderers, foreigners, immigrants and refugees, like myself.

Hamburg’s International United Methodist Church is a congregation of about 85 people, averaging a weekly attendance of approximately 40 people. Being an international congregation, we are home to people from all over the world: Germans married to an international spouse, Germans who feel comfortable in an international environment, South Africans, Ghanaians, Nigerians, Kenyans, people from Northern Ireland, England, Wales, Singapore, the Netherlands, South Korea, Iran, Kazakhstan, India, Canada and the United States.

Most of our people speak German and could function fairly well in a German-speaking church. But they choose to worship in English. As Nelson Mandela said: “If you talk to a person in a language they understand that goes to their head. If you talk to them in their language, that goes to their heart.” English is the tool by which we are all able to communicate, but that is where our obvious similarities end: we are different denominations, come from different cultures, different backgrounds, different class structures, we don’t share similar political opinions. But we are the church of God, the family of God.

The church is (or should be, in my opinion) in the business of creating family: bringing strangers together to create a new kind of family. And in doing so, we have the chance to be in the company of truly remarkable and interesting people. As the wise author of the book of Hebrews wrote in chapter 13, verses 1-2: “Let mutual love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it.”

I am often asked, “Why do we need a missionary in Germany?” This is a valid question, especially when there are so many needs in the world; so many missionaries doing the work of God with God’s people.

We need a missionary in Hamburg, because everyone deserves a spiritual home and through this partnership between the GBGM and the German Methodist Church, we focus our resources on making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world – in a new part of the world.
We need a missionary in Hamburg because – through connection with diversity – we encounter the presence of God.
We need a missionary in Hamburg because – throughout the world – God’s people are HUNGRY for God and through the work of the GBGM in partnership with the German Methodist Church – we have the privilege to be a partner, a co-creator with God in the building of God’s Kingdom.

Observations from the field

2010-06-16T07:47:00.000-07:00

I have been the VIP guest at 15 special events in the last six weeks. I show up, eat and present my program about the work of Hamburg's International United Methodist Church to various groups: Potluck dinners, Dessert gatherings, regular UMW, UMM and Youth Group meetings and gatherings in which groups, churches and factions came together to participate in hosting - as one woman called me - a 'real-life' missionary. Here are some things I have observed from these gatherings:

1. Potlucks rule: We love to eat together and the happiest gatherings happen around food. "You should try so-and-so's potato salad." "This lady makes the best homemade rolls!" We love to eat and a potluck brings all our special dishes and our special gifts together to share.

2. Every UMW is lamenting the absence of younger members: I can't even count the number of conversations I've had with United Methodist Women frustrated about the aging of their local church women's group. "Why don't young women come to UMW?" they ask and I give my spiel about how it's not part of the culture, young women are working, etc etc... It is apparent that church women's groups will not extend into the future if they continue to function in the same manner as they have. There needs to be a new approach, a new vision for new generations of women.

3. Head tables isolate: I know it is meant to be a compliment, like, "You're so important, you shouldn't sit with us 'average joes'" but sitting at the head table is pretty sad. At a head table I sit - most often - by myself because the pastor is running around organizing (as we do) and the other VIPS are busy doing stuff... So I get my food first and sit alone and eat. So sad.

4. Large church does not mean large event (and conversely small church does not mean small event!) Well-attended programs have been, not at "powerhouse" churches in the Conference, but at small and mid-size churches. You don't have to be a big church to care about mission!

5. Multi-group or multi-church gatherings really work! In fact, those who make a visiting missionary an "event" - and invite others to participate- end up with a true happening in which various factions come together to be the people of God. Three of my programs were UMW events hosted by one church who then invited other groups in the region to attend. After one such gathering, a woman expressed the feeling of community by saying, "We should do this more often!"

I am grateful to all who have hosted me and as I prepare to go back to Hamburg, I take you all back with me: united by a common mission, to be the people of God.

5 Things I can't help but love about America

2010-06-07T10:37:00.000-07:00

I can't help it but I love some things about America. Being back home reminds me of the good things about life in the States, and in particular Southern California. Here is a list of things I can't help but love:

5. Classic cars - I know they are gas guzzlers. I know they are big and loud and occasionally garish, but I love them: the classic coupes, the old Mustangs, the souped-up and shiny, the barely-running and put-putting... I love 'em all.

4. Freeway wildflowers - I don't love driving. This is one thing I am very aware of, as I travel hundreds of miles per day, traveling from church to church to speak about my work. But I do love the Southern California wildflowers that bloom on the sides of the freeway. My favorites are the happy yellow Black-Eyed Susans (seen here) and the bright orange California poppies.

3. HGTV - Apparently "Home and Garden TV" is an addictive substance and I get sucked in and end up watching show after show of "House Hunters," "House Hunters International," "Designed to Sell," and even "Divine Design." My favorite lately appears to be "Holmes on Homes" during which contractor Mike Holmes fixes disastrous remodel jobs. At the end, the bathroom or window or garage is all better and everyone is relieved and grateful for the help. I love a happy ending.

2. My parents Magic Garden - Where else can one read in the treehouse, pluck boysenberries from the vine, sit on the deck and play cards in the glow of the camping lantern, use homegrown onion, lettuce and radishes to make a fresh salad and have enough room to run around chasing bubbles? My parents' backyard, that's where.

1. This is where my family lives. The proximity is invaluable. In the next two weeks I will be here to celebrate my nephew Trygve's fifth birthday, my Dad's birthday and Father's Day, My nephew Erick's graduation from high school, My best friend Colleen's graduation with her PhD and her commissioning as a deacon! What a joy to be close for such times. I am blessed.

stuff

2010-05-21T08:41:00.000-07:00

How much stuff does one person need? This has always been a primary question to me, being an itinerant and one interested in simplicity. And I go back and forth: from thinking one is not defined by their possessions and able to throw away the "excess baggage" that comes with excess baggage.. to one who yearns for her own dishes, her own books, her own art. When I moved from my four-bedroom parsonage in Los Angeles, I sold and gave away all of my furniture and much of my accumulated stuff and now I only have books, dishes and art. (oh, and files...)

But do I really need to ship this stuff to Hamburg? I have lived for three years without it and done pretty well, except for periodic times of longing bordering on obsession. I do value simple living (even as I live in a posh huge apartment filled with stuff - mostly other people's stuff...) and wish to embody the belief that one doesn't need stuff to make herself happy. As Duane Elgin, author of Voluntary Simplicity says, simple living is "Living in a way that is outwardly simple and inwardly rich."

But I want my stuff: the theological library I've collected over my 13 years in ministerial life (seminary and work), the art I've made and the art I've selected which brings beauty and color and joy to my life, the dishes I chose and I've been given... I want it all. So it looks like I will ship it to Hamburg. (paying for most of it myself as the Board only pays for a certain weight limit...) But I think, even missionaries need stuff.

itinerant

2010-05-17T17:59:00.000-07:00

This weekend was the debut of my traveling preacher-show (or traveling circus as Mom called it...) On Sunday morning, I packed up my magic bag (with photo albums, various brochures, business cards, discs and backup discs) and loaded up my rental car and hit the road. I preached that morning at Garden Grove UMC - one of my supporting churches. It was refreshing to have no other responsibility but to stand up and preach... and it went pretty well. People were responsive and I felt good about it. After a nice reception, continental breakfast provided by the United Methodist Men and a brief question and answer period, I packed up again and headed toward San Diego. After a two hour road trip, I ended up getting to San Diego early, so I found a Starbucks and hung out. I arrived at Lemon Grove UMC around 4:00, but no one was there. Thinking I got the wrong date or place, I went to meet my friends, then later the pastor called and let me know it started at 6:30... oops. I arrived just in time and gave a brief talk about my work and my call. The people were very gracious and I am glad it all worked out. One of my friends from seminary showed up to see my presentation and we went for tea afterwards. I also hung out and stayed with friends Matt and Molly overnight, got a good sleep and returned Monday morning to Claremont.
Some random thoughts:

I'm not used to driving for long stretches anymore... that's a long 2-hour drive to and from San Diego.
I still know where all the drive-thru Starbuckses are and choose my route based on their locations.
Some equipment is necessary when you drive: a travel mug, sunglasses, some device to play my iPod through the car stereo... all of which public-transportation-lover-me does not have...

Sweet heartbreaking question of the week; After I blew off working on my sermon on Friday and went with the Givenses to the Arboretum, we came back to Grandma and Grandpa's house for dinner, reading stories and playing. Trygve and Annika (Almost 5 and 3 respectively) were so cute all day and we were having such fun. When they were getting ready to leave, Trygve asked me, "How long will you be here THIS time?" It is hard to be an itinerant, especially when your comings and goings affect others. I was happy to tell Trygve I was going to be here for 7 more weeks - including his birthday. But I do not look forward to saying goodbye again.

adjusting

2010-05-13T21:08:00.000-07:00

Today, I drove for the first time in a year and a half. Now a pedestrian and a lover of public transportation in Hamburg, I will need a car to travel across Southern California for the next 8 weeks. But I am always surprised at the muscle-memory, the reflexes, the mannerisms and attitudes that just come back when one sits behind a steering wheel. I was amused that the first thing I thought of was turning up the radio and singing in the car. My second thought was "Now, where is a drive-thru Starbucks?"

I am slowly adjusting my Circadian rhythm, but my early morning awake periods have been good to get some work done. I am finishing up my sermon for Sunday morning and slide show presentation for Sunday evening. It will be a busy weekend, but I am looking forward to getting started.

AND check out my parents' artichoke plant at the community garden? delicious.

First things first

2010-05-13T05:51:00.000-07:00

Mexican food and family! The beginning of my itineration....

KSG in LA

2010-05-11T16:03:00.000-07:00

Day One: Travelled from Hamburg through Munich to LAX
I didn't think we'd fly, due to the reappearance of the Icelandic ash-cloud, but after some preliminary worry, the flight was calm and uneventful - full with standby-passengers whose flights were cancelled the previous day, busy with cute kids and crying babies and occupied with 4 pretty good movies. Mom and Dad met me at the airport and it was so great to see them in person! We got home late, had a snack and went to bed.

Today: I again am a licensed California driver! Spent the afternoon at the Pomona DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles) and renewed my driver's license - a must for car-rental for visiting missionaries. The DMV is an amazing mix of the American populous and Pomona is quite an amalgamation of ethnicities, languages, religious dress, prison tattoos, bare midriffs, people on the verge of grouchiness, craziness and rudeness. I enjoyed my 2 hours there people watching and getting my business taken care of.

I also did some unpacking and hanging out with my parents (definitely the most fun part of the trip so far) and this evening we'll meet up with my sister's family and brother's family (and my beloved nieces and nephews) tonight for Mexican food! My cup truly runneth over.

Easter thoughts

2010-04-05T00:52:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter to you! It has been a long winter and a long journey through Lent, but I am pleased to say we are on this side of Easter. Since it's been a while since I've blogged (I blame Facebook) and much has occurred in my life and ministry, I thought I would spend some time, this Easter Monday, catching you up on the happenings.

A Long Winter: In all my 42 years, I've never experienced such a harsh and painful winter. It was, of course, a long winter for all of us in Europe - in a city which usually sees the snow fall and melt immediately, we were inundated with 3 months of snow. And although it was pretty at times, it was perilous, sorrowful and affected everyone - especially those of us from warm climates. Our church community suffered from bouts of depression, illness and serious longing for warmer weather. It affected our church attendance as people opted to stay inside instead of venturing out on Sunday mornings. Thus it affected me. When my people hurt, I hurt. When my people suffer, I suffer. When my people don't show up for church, I think something's wrong... I am just empathetic enough to feel the pain of others and I'm afraid I can't "brush off" their problems and go on with my life and work as easily as I used to. So, as the sun came out, as the snow melted, as the people returned to church, my mood lifted too. It was a long winter, and Spring feels SO good!

A Happy Easter: Easter morning was a great one for our little church in Hamburg. Our holidays are unique and usually low-attendance as many of our international folks go "home" for the holidays. We have many of our South Africans (our largest population) in South Africa and others in Scotland, Malta and in warmer climates for the easter holidays. But this year, our small church (with an average of 34 weekly) had over 51 in worship! We have 2 new families (of 5 each) and many visitors and guests. It really was a wonderful day.

Looking to Summer: This month will be crazy for me personally as I try to prepare myself and the church for May and June. I am doing my first itineration as a missionary, meaning I will be in the US visiting churches, United Methodist Women and United Methodist Men and youth groups in Southern California and Hawaii. So before I leave there are preparations to be made for my slate of guest preachers (some of whom will be staying at the parsonage) and preparations for myself: to make I am ready to be gone for 8 weeks. I am so looking forward to spending long periods of time with my family and friends, knowing that the church is cared for and I can relax and renew.

That's it for now. I wish you a happy Easter-season!

Celibacy in the headlines

2010-03-12T11:29:00.000-08:00

During the past few weeks, revealtions have surfaced illuminating the sexual abuse of minors by Catholic priests in Germany during the 1970's and '80's. The allegations center on 19 of Germany's 27 dioceses and, most notably, the Domspatzen, a famous boy's choir of the Regensburg cathedral school.

When allegations of sexual misconduct arise focusing on the Catholic clergy, celibacy immediately comes under fire. Counter-cultural and misunderstood by many, celibacy is an easy scapegoat, but is not necessarily to blame. Freely-chosen celibacy (rather than mandated celibacy) can be a spiritual gift, and if used in loving service, can be a gift to the church, the world and the individual.

As the Pope said, celibacy is "the sign of full devotion, the entire commitment to the Lord and to the 'Lord's business', an expression of giving oneself to God and to others". But celibacy must be freely chosen, not forced upon us, from the institutional hierarchies that demand the suppression of sexuality in all forms.

But I agree with Cardinal Schoenborn who clarified his comments saying it would be wrong to say that celibacy was a prime cause of sexual abuse. "If celibacy is the problem, then without celibacy there should be no sexual abuse but unfortunately this is not the case. We know about cases inside the family," he said. "I think the problem is deeper. It has to be seen as a question of personal maturity, how someone relates to his personal development."

Celibacy - freely chosen - requires support and understanding and acceptance to be lived out. Take it from me.

Click here for the full BBC article

Click here to read the article about the Domspatzen scandal

Why a pre-teen Youth Group works...

2010-02-19T07:08:00.000-08:00

About a year and a half ago, we started a "Youth Group" at our church.

I have always done Youth Work. Even before I worked in the church, I taught Dance to various high school groups for 15 years. Working with teen-aged girls: that's was my thing. So when faced with the absence of a Youth Group and a momentary surplus of teens, I organized a meeting. We are a small church, so I expanded the age limit from just teens, to the older kids too. From 10 years and up. Soon, as it goes in the international church, families moved away, new people came and suddenly the main participants in our youth group were those aged 10-12. Most of these children have younger siblings, so the idea of doing something special for them seemed okay to me, so we continued.

It turns out that it really has surpassed my expectations!

We function very simply: since our people live in different areas of the city, and weekdays are filled with school and extra-curricular activities and sport, we meet once a month after church and go to lunch together. There is a great bagel shop near the train station that allows us to sit for periods of time and the kids have developed their "favorite meals" (even when I attempt to cook at the church or change restaurant, they rebel. They like their Bagel Brothers!) So we eat, then we talk and do a lesson or activity or game or a combination thereof.

But why does it work? For some, it is the first time they are on their own: no parents, no younger siblings, they have the chance to order from the menu, to pay from themselves, to make decisions about who the are and what they want. Last Sunday we had one boy who has just aged-in to Youth Group. He turned ten last month and now can come with us for the fun! From his demeanor, you could tell, he'd never done this before. It was amazing. Another boy on Sunday, took the train home by himself for the first time.

Today two of the mothers agreed that "We have to come to church the days that there is youth group. The boys love it so much!" What an important time in their personal development. I am happy to have the chance to be a part of it.

Off-site "Office" hours

2010-02-15T02:15:00.000-08:00

I have for a long time, wanted to have "office hours." But since I work from home, my office is just another bedroom in my flat and it is not practical nor comfortable for people to "drop in" to see me. Or not as comfortable as it is when a pastor has an office separate from their home.

In the International Church, our bible studies, prayer groups and fellowship opportunities happen in our members' homes and many of our events happen in the west of Hamburg, which is about 45 minutes from the city center. But many of our people live in the North of Hamburg and the 1 1/2 hour-drive or the convoluted public transportation route discourages those people from participating in our various groups and activities. SO I decided to begin "office" hours in the north of Hamburg at a local Starbucks in a new mall. The meeting area is large and open and nobody keeps track of how long you sit in their chairs and how many drinks you order...

So, after my first "office" hours I made the following observations:

In Germany, Starbucks doesn't open until 9:00... how much business happens in the US Starbucks' before 9:00... probably most of it!
I got to the mall pretty early and as I set up at one of the tables and waited for the Starbucks to open, I watched the cleaners at the various stores. It was fun to see them “line the field”, getting ready for the day.
"Oh" I thought, "They opened a new Apple store downstairs."
Like many coffee shops, I like to witness the mix of regulars and transient visitors
I sat and worked for about two hours, people watching and working on my sermon, expecting to run into someone I knew... When one of my people showed up I was surprised. "Hey, someone came to visit me!" It was a good feeling.

In this manner, I will continue to meet with people in my off-site "office."

Self-Published.

2010-01-23T09:37:00.000-08:00

Just a note to let you know about my two self-published works available through Lulu.com. For those who do not know, Lulu is an online opportunity to upload your book (picture-book, cookbook, doctoral thesis) and bind in with a professional-looking cover and post it online for others to buy if they want to. I first did this with my doctoral project.

I spent two years working on the issue of clerical celibacy in the United Methodist Church: the historical and theological justifications of such a requirement, the ramifications of such a policy and the the reality of the practice. Are single pastors really celibate? Should they be?

Click below for Lulu's marketplace:
A Choice For Whole Love: Single and Celibate in the United Methodist Church

The other book available is a bit different. I spent this past year writing a children's book for my nieces and nephews called:
The Case of the Open Windows. It was really a gift to them, a way to connect to them as I am so far away and to share an international experience with them. I used some stories and photographs from Nigeria, Rome, Latvia, India and Greece and fused that with a mystery "trying to get home" story with the four children at the heart.

It's nice to be a published author. You can do it, too!

snow joy!

2010-01-18T08:38:00.000-08:00

I never saw falling snow until I moved to Germany in 2007. I never built a snowman until I stepped onto German soil. This is the first year I've worn my snow-boots (purchased when I got the assignment in Hamburg) more than one week during the year.

I am a Californian. Born and Bred. My only experience living outside California was living in Hawaii, a paradise with a year-round warm climate in the 80's Fahrenheit (high 20's - 30's Celsius) Heavenly!

But each time snow falls, I do the happy-snow-dance, singing "Schnee! Schnee!"
So, as a newbie, let me share some observations about what I love about snow:

The crunch of freshly fallen snow under your feet.
Placing the first footprints in a new blanket of snow.
How everyone looks beautiful with snow in their hair.
Gusts of snow wooshing off the car-roofs as the cars drive by.
The variety of size, shape and velocity of snowflakes falling.
The diagonals created when snow falls, changing with gusts of wind.
German kids on sleds as their parents pull them through the streets, on their way to parks, school, the market.
Adults turning into giggling children as they throw snowballs at one another.
The way the snow falls off the roof in sheets

There are plenty of reasons that I dislike the cold weather, but I choose to focus on the positives. :)

The Bread of Life

2010-01-14T09:34:00.000-08:00

There are people in the world so hungry, that God cannot appear to them except in the form of bread.
Mahatma Gandhi

For about a year I have been baking the Communion bread for our church. Although an occasional bread baker, I have not adopted this practice for the church primarily due to the availability of King's Hawaiian bread, the delicious soft sweetbread found in every supermarket in the States. German bakeries are abundant and wonderful, but the breads are often too dense. It crumbles and flakes and there is a lot of cleanup after Communion. So I started baking... and after trying a few recipes, this one is the best. (It is adapted from Betty Crocker.) I love the smell of fresh bread and the idea that I created something from nothing.... and the gift of bread, symbolic and real.

Basic White Bread

Ingredients:
2 packages dry yeast

¾ c. warm water

2 c. lukewarm milk (or soy milk)

3 tablespoons sugar

3 tablespoons shortening (or butter/margarine)

1 tablespoon salt

7 to 8 cups flour

margarine or butter

Step 1: Empty yeast into a bowl. Mix in water and sugar. Let stand about 5 minutes, until the yeast is activated. (It will bubble and froth a bit)

Step 2: Warm milk on low heat. Stir in shortening and salt.

Step 3: Combine Milk mixture with yeast mixture and stir in about 4 cups of flour. Mix well, until dough is less sticky and able to come out of the bowl rather easily.

Step 4: Knead dough on a floured surface, adding flour when it gets too sticky.

Step 5: Form the dough into a ball and place into a buttered/greased bowl. Cover with a cloth and place in a warm place to rise.

Step 6: Punch down dough and separate into two parts. Butter/Grease two loaf pans. With a rolling pin, roll out each half on a floured surface.

Step 7: Roll dough tightly into a thin cone-shape. Pinch seams and tuck ends under.

Step 8: Place in loaf pans and dot top with butter.

Step 9: Place Loaf pans in a warm place and let rise.

Step 10: Bake at 425 degrees F for 25-30 minutes, until, when tapped, you hear a low thump.

So... the final countdown

2009-12-17T23:10:00.000-08:00

What I love about Christmas in Germany:

10. The Christmas Market
9. Real Candles on the Christmas Tree
8. The Incense Man
7. Snow (or the possibility of snow!)
6. The Food of the Christmas Market
5. The HIUMC Children's Nativity Play
4. The United Methodist Women across America sending me Christmas Cards
3. German Paper Lanterns
2. Singing in the Choir during Christmastime
1. Sharing the joys of Christmas with my church family

Disclaimer: There are many things I love about Christmas, but I tried to focus on what is unique about Christmas here. If I were doing a list about what I love about Christmas period, or Christmas in California, or Christmas in Hawaii... it would look a bit different. Happy Christmas everyone!

Countdown to Christmas (part 4)

2009-12-17T22:58:00.000-08:00

And the final two selections in my Countdown to Christmas!

What I love about Christmas in Germany - Number 2: Singing in the choir at Christmastime!

Today was our Service of Lessons and Carols and it was filled with joy as we, as John Wesley instructed, sang lustily and with good courage! This church is a great singing-church: no matter how few we are or how many, the people of Hamburg's International UMC sing well, often in parts, often with the gusto of a much bigger group. It is amazing to sing "Alleluia" and feel like it's a real "Alleluia!"! This is also my first experience being in the choir and it continues to be joy to sing alongside people willing to share their gifts so readily. We are a small choir, so there is no hiding - if you sing the wrong note or miss an entry, you're heard. But when it's right, when the parts work, when the harmonies work together, I feel my heart shout "Glory to God in the Highest!"

And.... drumroll please.......

Number 1: Sharing the joy of Christmas with my church family!

I love Christmas: the songs, the foods, selecting the perfect present for people I love, sewing my Christmas bags to wrap presents, writing and sending cards, baking cookies: all of it! And it is truly a joy to share my love of Christmas with others, and to experience the season with those in my church family. So far this season I've baked cookies along two young expert-bakers, crafted the Advent Wreath for church with a festive group of church friends, shared in the joy (and Gluhwein!) of the Altona Weihnachtsmarkt with members of the choir, hosted a Christmas Open House for members of the church and for those in our extended family (pastors and members of our partner-churches in Germany) and shared in the Youth Christmas Party and gift exchange. I look forward to Christmas dinner with one of my substitute families and a New year's gathering with the church! These activites, whether they are shared with one person or a large multi-generational group, reinforce my call to be a part of this wonderful community of immigrants. We are constantly working to "sing the songs of the Lord in a foreign land" and that work is strengthened by our sense of connection with one another. During this time of celebration, with those of us away from home, I celebrate the joy of the holiday hand in hand with those I call my Hamburg family.

Countdown to Christmas (part 3)

2009-12-11T11:47:00.000-08:00

Continuing my Countdown of the things I love about Christ in Germany:
Number 4: The United Methodist Women group across America sending me Christmas Cards.
The UMW has a practice of sending Christmas cards and birthday cards to missionaries and it is so wonderful to get a little taste of home when you're far away. even from strangers. reminding me that we're all part of the same family. I have so far received cards from Florida, North Carolina, New Jersey, Iowa, Ohio and Illinois. Thank you, UMW!

Number 3: German Paper Star Lanterns!

This tradition reportedly comes from the Moravians in Southern Germany, as far back as the 1830's. The tradition has been adopted as a symbol of Advent and these stars hang in the windows throughout Hamburg and in the stalls of the Weinachtsmarkt all over Germany. Today, witnessing the stars in the windows that lined the route of my morning busride, I decided to go the the Christmas Market and purchase my very own. There was such a diversity in styles: white and yellow and orange and red, different shapes and sizes, various inserts and patterns. I decided on a red star, placed high in my office window, beckoning out to the people walking past! Rejoice, people! Rejoice! Perhaps someone will be cheered by my red star. I sure am.

For more info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moravian_star

Countdown to Christmas (part 2)

2009-12-07T00:45:00.000-08:00

Continuing my Countdown of the things I love about Christmas in Germany...

No. 6: The Food of the Christmas Market
Last Friday I went on a mission to sample the food of the Christmas Market. Being a vegetarian and a non-alcohol drinker, I thought the options would be limited, but I didn't consider the sweets available! I started with a Crepe mit Zimt und Zucker (with cinnamon and sugar). It was delicious but the amazing thing was the process. In a booth set up specifically for the Christmas market, two men stood before two large electric skillets and they poured the batter over the circular skillets, they spread it evenly and thinly over the circle. They flipped and folded and ended with this! It doesn't look as delicious as it tasted... but it was good.

I then moved on to cookies. I waited in line at a bakery booth, featuring all kinds of cookies including Pfeffernüsse, which I had sampled before and liked very much. But after waiting a while behind a couple who had come all the way from Berlin to sample the Hamburg Christmas Market, I decided to venture on...

I finished up my sampling with carmel-covered almonds, 100 grams of Mandeln. I have since learned there are many other sweet German delicacies I need to try. Maybe another visit is in order.

No. 5: The HIUMC Nativity Play!

This is my third Christmas in Hamburg and I am never more surprised and delighted than seeing our children participate in worship. They play musical instruments - violins, piano and flutes - for the prelude, offertory and special music. Our Sunday School Coordinator directs the play and the children and teachers work all during November to memorize lines and practice songs and they were great!

It's crazy and lively, toddlers dance in the aisles and try to be a part of the play, kids laugh during their lines, little boys with facial hair and little girls wear angel costumes. It may be a bit chaotic, but there is something so beautiful about kids from all over the world singing about the Prince of Peace that unites us all.

Countdown to Christmas

2009-12-04T01:50:00.000-08:00

As we begin the Advent Season, as we countdown each day with our Advent calendars and light each candle on our Advent wreaths, I am doing my own countdown of sorts: a list of things I love about Christmas in Germany. It is a way for me to focus on the positive and beautiful aspects of the season in this wonderful country. And not to focus on the homesickness I often feel at this time of year.

So, without further ado... the 10 things I love about Christmas in Germany:

No. 10: The Christmas Markets!
Each village and town sets up booths and outdoor food places and people gather to buy gifts, to drink Glühwein, to play games and to just have a good time. Street musicians play, kids frolick, good smells waft... overall it is a good time. (I would like there to be more handcrafted items for sale, more Fairtrade items, but I still like the atmosphere.)

No. 9: Real Candles on the Christmas Tree!
It sounds crazy. It sounds absurd. But it is awesome.
The Germans have a very logical and very practical attitude about Christmas trees. (Certainly more practical than mine!) My practice with the Christmas tree goes like this: Get the tree as soon as possible! Try to keep it alive as long as you can, but just accept it is going to die around the 12th and it will be dry and gross toward the end of the season. But because we only have Christmastime for a short time, try to make it last as long as you can. This attitude is very unpractical (and a bit obsessive!) because cutting down a live tree and bringing it inside and putting it next to the heater all day, then wrapping it in electric lights, is sort of insane. The Germans get their trees the week of Christmas. Some of my German friends even leave it outside in the weather until Christmas Eve, when the family does the decorating. Then, the children light the candles on the tree and the family keeps watch as they burn. It is a beautiful thing. Maybe something I should think about. But not this year....

Number 8: The Incense Man!
Friends gave me this charming incense burner two Christmases ago and I am still amused and charmed by him. You light the small cone incense and place it inside the man's wooden body, then the smoke comes out his mouth! It is awesome.

Number 7: Snow!
(or the possibility of snow) Being from Southern California, I am still in awe of snow, sleet, hail... basically any weather that is not sunshine. Living in Hamburg - a rainy and gray place - somehow snow makes all the grey worthwhile!

That's it for now.... Look for more, as I am planning to explore the Christmas Market today to sample some German christmas food. (but nothing alcoholic or meat-based.... is there any?)

Happy Advent!

the walls come tumbling down

2009-11-08T10:53:00.000-08:00

This week we commemorate the great miracle in modern life: the fall of the Berlin Wall – the wall that stood as a barrier between East and West Germany, between confinement and freedom, between separation and unity. Chancellor Angela Merkel, a native of the DDR (East Germany), made news this week when she announced where she was when the wall fell: in the DDR, having a sauna and a beer! The following day, she and her sister made a trip– a pilgrimage – to the West, to a department store. I was in California, going to college and teaching, mostly oblivious to the miracle that was happening half-a-world away.

The wall was created seemingly overnight to stop the flood of exits – 20% of East Germany’s total population had emigrated by 1961 (about 3.5 million people between 1949-1961), and most of those were the young, the educated, the professionals—engineers, technicians, physicians, teachers, lawyers and skilled workers. So the wall was built to stop the flood of migration. But the Wall represented much more than the separation of people; it was the sight of lives sacrificed, people killed, opportunities lost, families divided. Such are the barriers we erect to keep some outside and keep some inside.

We create similar walls today: in Israel and Palestine, in North Korea, at our countries' borders and boundaries all over the world. But we also create walls that seem more pliable, walls not made of brick and mortar, but walls that separate us one from another: walls that divide us by class, status, culture, wealth and power.

And standing on each of those walls – crying for the destruction of the barriers that separate us… is Jesus. Jesus shows up, sometimes unexpectedly, at our walls with a hammer and a chisel, ready to start the dismantling, ready to start making trouble. The Lord dwells with us there at the walls. The Lord dances with us and sings with us, when we stand in opposition to those human-built walls that separate us from each other. And the Lord rejoices when we break through those walls and begin to dance with each other.

Reflections on Greece

2009-11-04T11:52:00.000-08:00

In October I had the chance of a lifetime to travel to Greece on holiday: to visit ancient sites often reviewed during past Art History classes, to stand in the footsteps of the Apostle Paul and imagine the bustling city of Corinth, and to experience the sites and sounds of the rural and the urban cultures of Greece.... and to experience all of that with my dear friend Molly.

Molly and I have known each other for 10 years, through seminary and first jobs, and thankfully she is a mucky-muck with the World Council of Churches and had a meeting on the island of Crete and asked if I could join her for some touring when her meeting was done. Of course, I jumped at the chance: flights from Germany are very cheap and the chance to visit Greece - again... dream come true... So I hoped on a plane and travelled from Hamburg to Zurich, then Zurich to AThens, then Athens to Heraklion. Unfortunately, Molly and I hadn't communicated very well about which airport I would be waiting for her so as she waited in Chania and I waited in Heraklion we each enjoyed the sites of our respective airports, knowing all the while, deep down, we'd be together. Only through wall posts on Facebook were we able to finally connect.

We spent the first four days of our holidays on Crete, experiencing the rural life of small-beach-town Plakias, where we shared a studio apartment with a nice balcony. It was cloudy, but warm and we spent those beginning days transitioning into holiday mode. Many naps, relaxing on the beach, travels to monasteries and visits to various tavernas and to our favorite ceramist.We then travelled to Athens and after checking into our super-cool hotel (called the Fresh Hotel), went to see the Acropolis - literally "the High city"... the center of Ancient Athens' political and communal life. We saw the Parthenon, the Propylaea, the Erechtheum and a bunch of random columns and capitals and old-looking paving stones just strewn about.

We also made a day-trip to Corinth, travelling by train, bus and taxi to get there, but once there, we were allowed to just wander around the ancient structures.The were collanades where marketplaces once stood, stalls used for oil storage, housing quarters and ancient baths. Molly was interested in the first public toilet which was supposed to be there, but we never found it. I kept expecting to see a white porcelain toilet bowl standing randomly among the ruins, but never saw anything like that... It was fascinating to imagine Paul there speaking to the people of the Corinthian church.

Between the day trip to Corinth, the excellent meals (mostly including Greek yogurt and honey), and the shopping for souvenirs and handcrafted art, I enjoyed being a tourist in Athens. I am a big-city girl and love the hustle and bustle of a new city.

I am also a hotel-nut and the Fresh hotel was absolutely the best! The staff was so nice to us, giving us directions and helping us find our way. There was an awesome restaurant and coffee bar on the rooftop and I spent many afternoons there, relaxing in the cushy couches, enjoying the sunshine, drinking expensive but delicious cappuccinos and writing in my journal.

Moreover, it was great to be away from work and stress, enjoying the adventure of a new city, learning the streets and sights and smells of a new culture. It renewed my love of travel and my wanderlust - and luckily, I am fortunate to be in a perfect location and a perfect church to facilitate such wanderlust. I can leave the church for 10 days with the knowledge that they are self-sufficient and taken care of and during this time, I renew my SELF. What a blessing!

Social media: good or evil?

2009-11-03T08:30:00.000-08:00

For as in one body we have many members, and not all the members have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another.
Romans 12:4-6

While listening to a BBC podcast, I was dismayed at the prediction of an esteemed “expert” about the ways in which we will communicate with one another in the near future. In a discussion about the recent strike of the Royal Mail, Ian Senior, a postal economist decried, “Letters are a sunset industry. I reckon that there will be no letters as we understand them ten years from now, or twenty at the very latest.” (1) I myself am a letter-writer. My mother is a letter-writer. Until just recently I have written letters regularly, but with the emergence of social media and the popularity of blogging, I find my letter-writing has diminished and I fear Mr. Senior’s prediction, based on my own experience, will come true.

Letters are individual, personal and intimate. The type of paper and pen and each word is specially selected. These choices are unique; a one-and-only gift from person to person. It takes time and concentrated thought to write a letter and in our busy lives, we can’t seem to find the time to sit and write, preferring instead to send out an easy and quick email or text message.

With the rising use of social media like Facebook, My Space and Twitter, some may even find email too archaic. According to recent Facebook press releases, there are currently 300 million active Facebook users in over 70 languages.(2) Facebook, like other social media, can be used to connect people to one another easily and quickly. But some find social media, using the internet to connect with people, dangerous and scary. It can be, because one never knows who is sending you messages. People can use the internet for evil, as people have used other forms of media (films, photographs, magazines) for evil. But, social media can also be used for good. In June, Twitter users reported the after-effects of the Iranian presidential elections, including protests whose coverage was blocked by “mainstream” media. “While the front pages of Iranian newspapers were full of blank space where censors had whited-out news stories, “ Time magazine reported, “Twitter was delivering information from street level, in real time.” (3) But can social media really be used to spread the gospel, to work for change in the world or to bring about the Kingdom of God, as one article in the Interpreter magazine asked, “What would Jesus Tweet?”

Twitter, Facebook, email, text messages and even handwritten letters are tools: tools to help us maintain, foster and grow our relationships with one another. These tools are neither holy nor inherently evil; they are merely tools. We can tweet the Psalms; we can use Facebook to mobilize prayers from all over the world. Or we can use the tools for destruction.
What is most important about any form of communication - written letters or digital correspondence - is the relationship built. For as Paul says in his email letter to the Romans, we are all part of the same body. Connection with the rest of the body can be made easier with the use of social media, but it is merely a tool to foster that relationship. As we connect with one another, whether through the written word, through our face to face contact or in the ways of our 21st century lives, let us use our tools to build meaningful connections, deeper bonds with friends and family and to reach out to those in need.

1.     Ian Senior, Newspod: 30 Oct 09, on BBC podcast.
2.     Found on http://www.facebook.com/press/info.php?statistics
3.     Iran Protests: Twitter, the Medium of the Movement, by LEV GROSSMAN Wednesday, Jun. 17, 2009, found on http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1905125,00.html

I am going on a Facebook fast.

2009-09-29T00:43:00.001-07:00

I used to be a great letter-writer... preferring the written word, the choice of pen and paper, the options in special sealing wax and metal stamps, even... I know... stickers. Writing a Christmas card was a production of what sparkly pen to use, what thoughts to put into words, which decorations to use... and then I moved to the email for my communication....

I used to be a great email - writer, choosing the right turn of phrase to connect with friends and family. Every few weeks I would sit down and draft a letter to my friends, sometimes pouring out my frustrations and sadness, sometimes explaining the joys and happiness my life brings... and then I moved to facebook for my communication.

Facebook allowed me to connect with a vast community of people, and this has been a joy and a surprise. Contacts from high school, from my colorguard days, from seminary, colleagues from ministry, youth from my "old" youth groups, former students all grown-up with families of their own. But I notice my communication is no longer thoughtful and focused; Facebook has encouraged my to be trivial, recording my daily thoughts and activities, instead of truly connecting with friends. Instead of writing a personal letter or even and email, i will write a pithy "I miss you" statement on someone's wall....

I understand one can use Facebook as a way to connect - I have enjoyed seeing what people do and think every day. But I miss the depth of relationship I seem to have given up.

So, I am going on a fast. And perhaps I will find I can live without Facebook. Perhaps I'll come back with a new attitude.

If you'd like to keep in touch with me, please send me your email address and I'll be happy to continue our cyber relationship that way. Otherwise, ciao for now.

london calling: cool art!

2009-09-26T09:02:00.000-07:00

My first day in London was highlighted by a terrific show at the Hayward Gallery. I guess it wasn't really a show, it was only one video, but it was so impressive, so amazing, that it made quite an impact. Fortunately, you can also see it, when you click on Martin Sastre's home page. The piece I saw was called "Kim x Liz" and is about two of the world's most famous icons, Kim Jong Il and Elizabeth Taylor, and their "love story". I love that it is available on line, so you can share in my love of Martin Sastre's video art, too! Enjoy!

london calling: small talk

2009-09-20T21:38:00.000-07:00

Living in Hamburg for the past two years has been amazing. I love my work and the city. I love the people I am in ministry with; I love walking and giving up car dependency; I love living in Europe. But there are some things I miss about living in the States. One thing I didn't know I missed was small talk. It's something we take for granted: the ability to chat casually to the people at the grocery store, or a cafe, the couple that runs the restaurant or the workers at the post office. Living in Germany I recognize that my interaction with German-speakers is such that I go into an interaction hoping no one will talk to me: at the post office, I bring the correct change, the proper documents, I know the right words to say to get what I want... all the while hoping no one talks to me. If someone tries to converse I just smile and give the occasional "ja, ja", which is often inappropriate. While in London, I went to the post office to buy stamps. The customers in line chatted to one another and greeted the postal workers warmly. When I got to the window, the postal worker and I chatted about the weather and my purchase and I went away feeling like I belonged, like I was really welcomed. When I returned to Hamburg, I tried to chat with a worker at the Lidl (a grocery store): I was rebuffed... and at Saturn (an electronics store): "Wie geht es Ihnen?" I asked... she said, "Wie Bitte?" and I repeated my question, "How are you?" She squished up her face and said "Ja, gut." with an air of "why do you care?" I guess chatting will be difficult for me here...

london calling : free museums!

2009-09-20T10:02:00.000-07:00

Last week I went on holiday to London! For four days, I wandered around the city, finding good places to have a cup of coffee and some lunch, taking time to write in my journal, visiting sites and scenes... getting a feel for the city. This is the second stop in my 3 part European plan: I have planned to visit one European city each year while I am stationed in Hamburg. Last Year was Rome; next year is Paris, this year was London.I had a series of epiphanies while in London, so I thought I would write them down here to share with you!

My first epiphany was about the miracle of free museums. My first experience in a London museum happened to be on a very rainy day.I had been walking around Parliament Square in the rain and walked up to Trafalgar square and I was soaking through and through, so I decided to "pop in" to the National Gallery. I didn't really plan to go to the National Gallery, but it was there, I was wet and it was free. But I was not the only one who decided to "pop in." It was packed!

Throngs of people- tourists and non-tourists - were there: students taking notes on paintings, people sitting and meditating on Monets and Gaugins. All museums in London are free.... no entrance fee! I also visited the British Museum and the Tate Modern and each museum I visited was packed! Is there a correlation? I don't know... but if we want people to participate in art, shouldn't we provide them an opportunity?My other thought was this: Why do the museums watchdogs care if I take pictures of the art? I understand why they don't want me to touch the art or use a flash on my camera - body oils and light can damage the art and preservation and blah blah blah... But why do they care if I want to take the art home with me and remember it? Shouldn't they WANT me to take pictures of the art?

the early bird gets the worm

2009-09-09T19:42:00.000-07:00

Greetings, blog friends, on this beautiful morning! I am writing to you before 5:00AM on a Thursday morning, after a few days of sickness, feeling better and more like my old self. Why 5:00AM? I'm not sure. I have always been a morning person; I get a lot done before noon, then usually I go through a mid-afternoon drag, and then I kick in again in the evening. This is one of the reasons I write my sermons each week on Saturday mornings - I can sit down and power through 5 pages quickly... and if I run into problems (a blank mind or a slow-moving sermon-writing pace...) I still have the evening hours to pull it all together before Sunday morning.

My early morning work hours began back in high school. My after-school time was spent at rehearsal, when I was a part of the Drill Team/Color guard and our rehearsals usually lasted until 6:00PM, but sometimes during the spring until 9:00PM so I came home late and tired and would eat dinner, maybe watch some TV and go to bed. Then I'd get up early (4:00AM) and do my homework for that day. After high school my morning hours became a time to think and reflect, write letters, work on craft projects, wrap Christmas presents or just have some time for myself.

Since moving to Germany, I have not been such an early riser... in fact my early morning schedule has been all-but-lost since I've become a pastor. Perhaps it's age. Perhaps it's a matter of wearing myself down and needing more sleep. I don't know why... But I am up early today. Early enough to blog, to drink some coffee, to enjoy the quiet house, to greet the morning. That feels nice.
Have a good day, blog friends!

Summer vacation

2009-09-03T10:57:00.000-07:00

Summer is over, I guess and a good summer it was. Summer is an interesting time in the International Church, because much of our congregation "goes home" for a long period, so the pastor had some space and time for summertime activities.

Mom and Dad were here to visit during most of August. We celebrated Mom's birthday in Hamburg at a wonderful Thai resteraunt. We visited museums, Mom and Dad saw botanic gardens and beautiful parks as I worked, we took a trip down the Rhein River and to the Black Forest.

But...now...the winds change, the chill comes, and kids go back to school and my parents have to return to their own lives in California. But it was good while it lasted.

summertime projects

2009-07-15T13:29:00.001-07:00

Summertime opens up the calendar, allowing for opportunities to explore new things, new conquests. In our small church, much of our congregation travels back to their homeland or journeys to exotic dream vacations and while people are coming and going, in and out of Hamburg, their pastor’s days and weeks are a bit quieter, a bit more flexible than usual.

For me, this summer has been filled with dinners at the parsonage, German language lessons and Pilates classes.
In June I decided to host a dinner gathering each Friday in June, gathering small groups together – new folks to the church mixed with some church “regulars” - and, over a vegetarian meal, we shared in good conversation, good food and good times.

With the openness in my summer schedule I decided to get back to my German lessons by using the Rosetta Stone software. Each day for an hour I use the computer driven program, practicing my pronunciation and increasing my vocabulary.
I have also been going to Pilates for 3 weeks now. Joseph Pilates described the importance of maintaining one’s physical self in this way:

Physical fitness is: "the attainment and maintenance of a uniformly developed body with a sound mind fully capable of naturally, easily and satisfactorily performing our many and varied daily tasks with spontaneous zest and pleasure”*

Zest and pleasure. That’s what I’m after in my life. Especially when it comes to my physical self. I used to be a dance teacher and taught Pilates to my students, but the last ten years have been filled with a lot of intellectual and spiritual work and less work on my body. So, I am back to working on my self: my language abilities and getting in touch with who I am inside and out.

And I feel great. Happy Summer to you.

* http://www.everything-about-pilates.com/joseph-pilates-quotes.html

Summertime and the living is easy...

2009-07-01T10:50:00.000-07:00

What do you get when you combine a cute baby, some tofu hot dogs and the illusive Hamburg sun? A mighty-fine weekend, that's what! Last weekend was our Annual Choir BBQ in Stuvenborn, a quaint small country-town north of Hamburg.

We all gathered and spent some quality time in the sunshine. In Hamburg, the sun rarely makes an appearance and so on the rare occasions it does, it's nice to share it with friends. Of course, there was some making-fun of the vegetarian pastor and her tofu dogs. I couldn't even convince one person to try them. And they were actually pretty good. :) I did teach my British, South African, Singaporian and German choir colleagues how to make and eat S'mores - that traditional American BBQ staple.

The next day we had a blessing for one of the many babies in our congregation. Baby Frederic was a great sport, even though he wasn't feeling well. He smiled and cooed during the blessing and let all his unofficial Aunties and Uncles hold and fawn over him.

It was a super weekend with good friends, warmth and sunshine and the welcome of a new child of God! What a gift!

HIUMC English Tea Fundraiser!

2009-06-15T00:19:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday our little church in Hamburg hosted a British Tea to raise money for the Hillcrest AIDS Centre in South Africa. Hillcrest is a hospice care facility for people with HIV and AIDS, but so much more: the facility offers HIV education, counseling services to patients and their families, home-based and respite care, a feeding program, and horticulture and hand-craft programs that help people earn an income to support themselves and their families.Thankfully, it was a beautiful day in Hamburg. A bit overcast but after a week of serious rain, the small bits of sunshine were warmly welcomed! We all dressed to the nines, adorned with hats, men in blazers and women in their finery. Flowers bloomed in the garden and as we sat and mingled with our tea cups in hand, we enjoyed the company and the connection with our brothers and sisters in South Africa.

There was on outpouring of generosity: an abundance of freshly-baked cakes and scones and biscuits, donations for second-hand books, and a collection of over 700 Euros for the Hillcrest AIDS Centre!

It was a truly amazing gathering! For more information about the Hillcrest AIDS Centre, click here

Getting Ready for Tea!

2009-06-08T06:35:00.000-07:00

This Saturday, our church is hosting an English Tea Fundraiser. Dressed in fancy garb, we will gather to raise money for Hillcrest AIDS Center in South Africa, a Methodist-run hospice and care center for victims of AIDS and their families. Today I went hat shopping and settled on a black, medium brim, squarish top straw hat. I love hats and am glad to have a reason to wear one.

projects

2009-05-18T22:25:00.000-07:00

I love to have a project. a non-church, non-work project to occupy my mind and keep my hands and my creativity busy. For the past month, since Easter, I have been painting my apartment. This may sound like treachery, or busy-work, or mindless drudgery, but to me... it is heaven.

I love to get lost in a project in which the results are immediate and gratifying. Quickly after beginning, holes in walls vanish; scuff-marks from years past are covered; dingy white paint makes way for bright colors, subdued sandy shades and vibrant hues of blue.

I have been surprised at some of the comments I received after posting pictures online and talking about my projects. It seems not everyone likes to paint as much as I do. And many people have asked, "You did it all by yourself?" This weekend I painted the hallway and the coat closet. (Which sounds like an easy job, but the 7 doorways in the area....crazy.) And after such a great weekend of painting, I'm a bit tired.

Signs of Growth

2009-05-11T03:54:00.000-07:00

Spring has come to Hamburg and with them signs of growth all over. The weather is certainly better for this California-girl (with only splashes of cloudiness and rain and a bit more sun than usual) and I finally get to wear my sandals! There are beautiful blossoming trees and birds singing outside my windows.

As a church, we are growing too. Two weeks ago, we accepted nine new people into our church family... not including their many children! We have grown from an average of 20 people in worship to an average of 37 each week! God is working in the world, and in our little piece of the world in particular, God's blessings are over-flowing.

making it mine

2009-04-22T03:31:00.000-07:00

After the busy time of Easter, and the draining experience of Annual Conference, I thought I would lay down on the couch and veg out for days.. watch some movies, take copious naps... instead I decided to repaint my living room. FYI I love a project - especially projects that are not work-related. I have great memories of painting my bathrooms in the small apartment I had in Hawaii, painting my offices (home and church) in LA and now I have begun my painting work in Hamburg.

The first task was to get supplies: 2 10 liter tubs of paint and supplies (brushes, rollers, etc..) because the cellar only had a few brushes and some drop cloths. Thankfully there was a nice girl at the Bauhaus (Germany's Home Depot) who spoke English and helped me a lot. The girl at the paint counter also spoke English and helped mix my paint. Then I took a taxi home with all my stuff.... much easier than expected.

I then got to work on Monday afternoon and did the trim and painted the white trim. Interesting note: they still use oil-based paint for the trim here in Germany. I told the girl I wanted semi-gloss... which she didn't understand, so I said a little glossy...) and she gave me semi-gloss oil... which worked okay, but is not my preferred paint.

So I worked all day on Tuesday and finished at about 4:00pm. It is a little more "teal" than "slate", but it turned out great.

easter fun at hiumc

2009-04-13T04:11:00.000-07:00

At HIUMC, many in our congregation travel during the holidays, so our “big” Sundays tend to be the Sundays before the actual holiday. So Palm/Passion is a big celebration with the kids leading the Palm parade, music by the children and the choir and a dramatic reading of the story of the Passion.Good Friday
Marion and I joined the Hamburg Kreuzweg: a walk through Hamburg to highlight the plight of refugees in Germany. We began at the Katerinkirche in downtown Hamburg and walked to seven stations, each commemorating the walk of Jesus as he carried the cross to his death. We have been experiencing some extraordinarily warm and sunny weather lately and on Good Friday it was a beautiful day in Hamburg. So we walked, about 80 of us, along the river into the “bad” part of town, praying and singing. We encountered the people of the city, whose reactions varied from amusement to anger as we disrupted their afternoon sunbathing.

We had a wonderful Family service on Easter morning with stories and music and lots of children (toddlers galore!) and a special celebration of the resurrection.

Country-living

2009-04-13T04:02:00.000-07:00

During Holy Week I had the great fortune to spend a few days house- and cat-sitting in the country. Samuel greeted me warmly and he and I had a great time together. Stuvenborn is a small village north of Hamburg, filled with farm animals and dairies and horse-ranches. The beautiful weather highlighted the blooming daffodils, and encouraged me to take walks and enjoy the beginning of Spring in the country. Across the street, I witnessed four new colts with their mama-horses. It was a nice and relaxing beginning to my Holy Week, a time to get away from the city (and appreciate public transportation) and spend some time reconnecting with sweet animals.

butterflies

2009-03-28T04:38:00.000-07:00

Recently I was astonished to discover the story of Jean-Dominque Bauby, the French editor of Elle Magazine who suffered a stroke at the age of 43. His memoir was written while he was in the hospital after the stroke and was called Le scaphandre et le papillon, translated into English as The Diving Bell and the Butterfly. The book describes what his life was like before and after suffering a massive stroke that left him with a condition called locked-in syndrome.

On December 8, 1995, Bauby, the editor-in-chief of Elle magazine, suffered a stroke and lapsed into a coma. He awoke 20 days later, mentally aware of his surroundings but physically paralyzed. The only part of his body that worked was his left eye. With the help of a Speech Therapist, they developed and used a method of communication that worked and allowed Bauby to communicate with others. The therapist, and later his friends and family, would recite the alphabet slowly and he would blink when they reached the appropriate letter. Words were constructed, then sentences, then paragraphs, pages, chapters, until the whole book was finished in August 1996.

The Prolouge of that book begins like this:
“Through the frayed curtain at my window, a wan glow announces the break of day. My heels hurt, my head weighs a ton, and something like a giant invisible cocoon holds my whole body prisoner. My room emerges slowly from the gloom. I linger over every item: photos of loved ones, my children's drawings, posters, the little tin cyclist sent by a friend the day before the Paris-Roubaix bike race, and the IV pole hanging over the bed where I have been confined these past six months, like a hermit crab dug into his rock. No need to wonder very long where I am, or to recall that the life I once knew was snuffed out Friday, the eighth of December, last year.”

Before his stroke, Jean-Do as his friends knew him, was a player –sauntering through the most elite circuits of the fashion world, the father of two children and the debonair bon-vivant that attracted women and friends to him. He lived a life of luxury, but after his stroke, his circle of contacts became smaller, his focus became maintaining what made him human – the relationships with those he loved and his ability to communicate. In his memoir he wrote,

Today is Father's Day. Until my stroke, we had felt no need to fit this made-up holiday into our emotional calendar. But today we spend the whole of the symbolic day together, affirming that even a rough sketch, a shadow, a tiny fragment of a dad is still a dad.

The 2007 movie adapted from his book was given to me by my folks as a gift and I put off watching it for a long time. Perhaps I knew it would be too heavy... death, stroke victim, it all sounded like a real downer. But to my surprise, it is really a story of perspective - both visually (directed by one of my favorite painters Julian Schnabel) and perspective on life. LIVING is more than doing, more than accomplishments, its about relationships. Whom we love, how we love and how we let ourselves be loved.

California Dreamin’

2009-03-26T01:37:00.000-07:00

For the first time in almost 2 years, I was back in California... for two weeks of rest and relaxation, visiting with my friends and family and connecting my new life with my old life. It was great to see people, and meet new babies, see friends who are now pregnant, check in with my beloved nieces and nephews.
One can measure the time I have been away from California by the growth of the children in my life. While I was away, my niece Annika – who was 6 months old when I left for New York and Germany) turned two years old! Trygve who was a just a toddler is now a boy in preschool! Hannah has grown into herself and each day grows more and more confident each day and Erick is now a 17-year-old young man. My friend Oliver turned 5 years old while I was visiting and celebrated with a “Knights”-themed party. And I got to meet Baby Kat, the new baby of my good friends, who is quite a charmer.

It was also great to be in the sunshine for a few weeks – especially the weekend I spent in Palm Springs (85 degrees F!) with my mother, my sister and my niece Hannah. We sat in the sun while Hannah swan, Mom and I enjoyed the Spa (with a great massage, a facial and time in the mineral waters), and we all had a great Mexican dinner in downtown Palm Springs.

While in California I also preached at Claremont UMC and connected with friends there, watched plenty of American television, played cards with my parents often, and enjoyed most of my favorite foods: plenty of burritos, Pad Thai, veggie burgers and all of my mother’s cooking!
It was good to be in California and it is good to be back in Hamburg, adjusted to my work and my apartment, even if it is snowing when it’s supposed to be spring, even though I miss my family and friends, even though my DSL is broken. It’s still good to be home in Hamburg.

Life without DSL

2009-03-26T01:34:00.000-07:00

Last week my DSL stopped working in my home. Frustrated with my DSL situation (my inability to communicate with the German-only customer service and their reluctance to help) I went into the Telekom-shop and requested that the whole thing be revamped! New account, new DSL box, new everything! Each day brings a new development in my DSL situation. First, the telephone account needed to be changed from the former named customer to me. The next day, the DSL account needed to be cancelled. Each day brings me another step closed to a new DSL life.

Practically, it means I have to find DSL somewhere else. Thus many of my days have been centered on when I can get to Starbucks, as it is a T-Com Hotspot. I’ve actually tried other coffee shops, other locations, but I keep returning to Starbucks – my favorite one, where everyone knows me, knows my favorite drinks, were everyone speaks with me in English or tolerates my rudimentary German. I have also frequented my local Internet Café in which I can use the computer for 1 Euro per hour.
This means I need to be organized: I need to prepare all my “attachments” at home and save them in a special “To be Sent” folder. But it also means the rest of my day is empty of the random surfing, the endless Googling of often-insignificant inquiries, the constant updating my Facebook status and “Facebook-stalking” others , frequent checking of the BBC and LA Times websites to check on news stories I may have missed. Suddenly I have time for other things. I have space in my brain for other things. And yet, I have not found something meaningful, constructive or fun to fill up that time and space. I enjoy having that time; I want to protect and keep it, even when my DSL situation is back to normal.

But how to protect that time and space, and practice some self control when it comes to random Internet use?

Things I like about my life in Hamburg...

2009-03-11T11:14:00.000-07:00

While on vacation I was asked if I liked living in Hamburg, what I missed about Germany while in the USA and when I returned I was asked, "Did it make you want to stay?" I could come up with a million things I miss about the States (my friends and family and Mexican food being at the top of the list) but that kind of thinking is not good for my well-bring. In the interest of sharing with you, my blog friends, and affirming my call to Hamburg, here is a list of things I like about my life in Hamburg:

1. Public Transportation - While in California I rented a car and spent some time (quite a lot of time) driving the freeways of LA. While I do miss singing in the car (one of my favorite things in the whole world - you can sing loud with no interruptions) I DO NOT miss driving. Plus, the public transportation is Germany is top of the line. German trains are notoriously on-time, clean and efficient. And the bus lines are easy, come frequently and are quite comfortable. I love to take the bus to Altona (where the church is located). It is a 45 minute ride, in which I get to travel over the canals and through the sites of the city. Such a good ride!

2. Proximity to Dream-Locales- Hamburg itself is a beautiful city and I never get tired of walking down a new street, taking a new bus into an unexplored part of town. But one of the greatest things about Hamburg - for me - is its proximity to other places. It is 462.71 miles from Hamburg to Paris, 812.47 miles from Hamburg to Rome, 503.11 miles from Hamburg to Stockholm. (For reference, it is 954 miles from Los Angeles to Seattle, 820 miles from Los Angeles to Portland, 502 miles from San Diego to San Francisco.) So everything is so close and anyplace I'd want to go, I can fly really cheaply or go on the train. Awesome.
3. Working from home - I love my upstairs office, which looks over the street and the happenings of the neighborhood. And I love the freedom of making my own schedule and working in my pajamas if I want to.

4. Hamburg itself - Hamburg is beautiful on a nice Spring day. And we spend all year waiting for those 3 weeks of Spring/Summer before the rain starts again...

5.My work with the the people of HIUMC - I love my work and the people with whom I work. The community is filled with people whose gifts are overwhelming and freely given and I feel truly blessed to be in ministry with them.

All this is why I am glad to be here.

choosing hope over fear

2009-01-20T09:11:00.000-08:00

I am proud, today, to be an American, even on foreign soil. God bless our new president and our country and our fellow-Americans, wherever we lay our head.

home in hamburg

2009-01-19T02:01:00.000-08:00

Happy 2009 to you! Again, I return from a lapse in my blogging. I go through phases I guess, in which some times blogging is my link to the rest of the world, then phases i which I can't think of anything to say. I must also admit, Facebook has taken on a new role and I think it has diminished my desire to blog. But today, I felt compelled to check in with you, my blog friends. So, Happy New Year.

Christmas was a quiet time here in Hamburg. Unlike churches of the US, and the German Lutheran and Methodist churches, the international community all "goes home" for Christmas, so our small congregation gets even smaller. Fortunately, this year, we had twice as many people as last! Our Christmas Eve service had 13 people attending and we sang and lit candles and shared the story of that joyous night! Our Christmas morning had 20 people, visitors and regulars together! Both services were Spirit-filled and joyful. I joined the Kreusch family for Christmas dinner (as I did last year) and spent the evening eating delicious food, listening to the children play their instruments and sharing memories of our trip to India, as many guests at the dinner were fellow-travelers. This is a photo of me with Caroline, who worked on the mural project with me and Sunny, the son of Bajirao, who is the administrator of Padhar Hospital. (see the following blogs for an account of the trip to India.)

It is currently COLD in Hamburg, between -1 and 5 degrees Celsius. It has been colder, but still, pretty cold (at least from a Southern California girl.) I have been nesting lately, redecorating the flat, getting new linens for the guest room, baking and cooking, sewing projects.
All of this helps me to feel at home. And I am loving living here in Hamburg, after a year and a half. I love my work and the people with which I do that work. I love the city and exploring the various locations. I love traveling to other parts of Germany and throughout Europe. But I do miss my family and friends in Southern California. That is why I am so glad to be making my first trip back to Cali in February. It will be good to see family and to just "hang out" and reconnect in person with people I love. All my best to you this 2009!

Christmastime in Hamburg

2008-12-18T06:36:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas from Hamburg! Just a few images to fill you with some Christmas spirit. I have been fighting a cold lately (the one everyone seems to have) and realized I have been lax in my blog updating. I apologize, but as all pastors know, the weeks before Christmas all insanely busy. Hamburg is awash in Christmas spirit, as Hamburgers have dressed it up for the Weinachtsmarkt (the Christmas Market). As soon as the weather changes and the chill freezes noses and fingertips, hundreds of booths appear and suddenly the streets are filled with shops and bakeries, handmade candles and improvised bars. Germans love their glühwein, a warm mulled wine and their lebkuchen hearts, made of gingerbread with sayings written in frosting: "Ich liebe dich" and "Frohe Weinachten" and the such.The weather has been crazy as well, very cold but not too much snow. Except for a few days of white fluffy flurries, what my friend Evelyn calls "Winter Wonderland" snow.
I have been doing some Christmas baking as well, to get me in the mood, to share good times with friends and to give homemade gifts to folks. One new favorite: pumpkin pie tarts!

The church has been busy with Christmasy-things too. The Sunday School presented the Nativity play on the Second Sunday of Advent. Angels danced, choirs sang, the innkeeper and narrators read lines and presented the story.It was a wonderful witness to the love of God in the gift of a child!

Happy Christmas to you! Love from Hamburg to you and yours,
Krista

the taj on fire

2008-11-27T22:48:00.000-08:00

One of the most famous hotels in the world. A wooden 105-year-old wooden structure, filled with antiques and luxury stores. The flagship of the Taj hotels in India, located next to Mumbai's famous Gateway to India. To me, it is the place I went for a cup of coffee and a piece of truffle cake; food enjoyed while i wrote my postcards on the deck of the luxury pool, watching the American business people meet, the british children play, the Indian workers kindly interact with the guests.
It is the place where my friends and I went on our last day in India to get pedicures, haircuts, a facial. As the hostage situation calms down and hopefully the terrorist attacks come to a close, my prayer is for the people who rely on the Taj for their livelihoods: all the workers i met and those whose families depend on the paycheck from the Taj Hotel. And for the structure itself. How sad it would be to see it burn.

my home in mumbai

2008-11-26T11:04:00.000-08:00

i am writing this post as i listen to the reports that gunmen have invaded 7-8 sites - hotels, hospitals, the main train station, a cafe frequented by international tourists - and shot automatic weapons and launched grenades. Perhaps as many as 80 people have been killed, many injured. My heart is flooded with grief and sadness for the people of Mumbai and the city I called home for a few days only a month ago.Our stay in Mumbai was 4 days long and in those 4 days, I was enraptured with Mumbai. It was loud - cars honking, people laughing and speaking loudly, music blaring from open windows. It was smelly - the wafting of Indian spices cooking and the smells of millions of people. It was overwhelming - the colors of cloth and food and people and cars. it was beautiful.Our time in Mumbai was limited, but all holiday. In between our scheduled gatherings, dinners with friends and shopping, I had a chance to walk the streets, shop at my favorite shops, eat at my favorite restaurants and lounge at my favorite coffee shops. I felt at home there. Strange when you encounter a place so far away from the place of birth and yet, feels like you've been there before, you know your way around, you feel comfortable walking the streets. I pray for those in Mumbai affected by the attacks (the latest reports say 80 killed and 250 injured). I pray for my Indian brothers and sisters. May God be with you.

a smile's a smile

2008-11-23T10:48:00.000-08:00

There were 27 of us. 27 in our group of German, Americans, Indian/Canadians, Spaniards. Most were doctors and most were there for a specific reason: to perform surgery on children with cleft-lip and cleft-pallette issues. The Friends of Padhar Germany is an organization that partners German dentists, maxillofacial surgeons, orthodontists, and all variety of medical folks with the doctors and staff of Padhar Hospital to perform surgeries for those in need for 5 days.
The first thing we did after we arrived in Padhar was to tour the facility and the doctors got an overview of the patients. The four large rooms were filled with patient beds and on each sat a child, some with obvious deformations, some with apparently no abnormalities. Each child smiled as the crowd of doctors examined and the rest of us trailed behind, taking pictures, amazed at the sites. Each child was just a child - each smile was heartfelt and warm, even with abnormalities, missing or misplaced teeth. A smile is a smile. Also on each bed was a parent or two, siblings and relatives hovering, and it became obvious that whole families made the journey to Padhar to ensure their child attained quality surgical care. The cleft-lip camp is a once a year opportunity, but the partnership has been so successful that the Indian doctors working in Padhar now have the ability to do the surgeries all year round, but the camp remains a special time of research, partnership and good work. On the final day, after 75 surgeries on cleft-lip patients, we gathered with all the patients for the annual portrait. There were fewer smiles, as children recovered from surgery with black stitches in lips and anesthesia still in their systems. But their sweetness remained, and the love of their hovering families, never far from their young patient. Such devotion, such warmth, such love from doctors to patients to family members. What a joy to witness.

mural mission

2008-11-10T02:46:00.000-08:00

While we were in in India, i was charged with a project: to paint a mural at the mission school. This sounds like an easy task, a few days worth of work, but in rural India, where materials are sparse. water comes pumped from a well and visitors from Germany are a once-in-a-long-while kinda thing, it was quite a project.

There were 7 of us on the team:myslef, two teenage girls from Germany who spoke English very well, 2 German kids who don't speak any English, and 2 kids from my congregation who are semi-residents in India, with trips once a year to Padhar.

We began with a mural - a 5 foot by 8 foot wall that the school had prepared for us. They'd chosen the spot and prepped the wall, so it was ready. As we looked over the school, the teen-aged team-members convinced me (they did have to do some prodding) to exapnd our project to include not only this 5X8 wall, but all the adjacent to it! So, we got to work! We painted all the walls white - until we ran out of white paint. We blocked in the grass and the sky of the mural. I would draw shapes of flowers and leaves on the mural and mix the paints and the younger kids would fill in the blanks like a big paint by numbers. They did well, too. No big paint drips, no messed up areas. They did well.

Each day we'd arrive while the students were already in class, but as soon as recess came, crowds would gather to watch us. This was flattering and yet uncomfortable, especially to the teenaged team-members. "Why are they staring at us?" one asked. and I tried to explain it was unusual for people to come to their school and they were interested in what we were doing.After the first day, we began to get the kids involved. We painted each students' hands then placed them on the walls to make butterflies. So, on all our white walls, now fly these beautiful butterflies of each child, adding beauty to the world each in his/her own way.The Mission School is actually 2 schools. One wing is a primary school which serves 250 kindergarten-3rd grade students. Our wing was a High School which serves 250 4th-12th grade students. Before we left, I came up with a phrase from the bible, but it was a little long, so the team came up with "God is within you." to put on the wall. I thought that was appropriate, thinking of the incarnate aspect of God, of the idea that God can be found if our eyes are open, that God exists within community, within the individual you and the collective you. In the morning, sight-, hearing- and physically-impaired students from the Blind School come and take classes with the "normal" children. So we translated the chosen phrase into Braille and put the phrase on the wall using plaster coated gauze strips.On Saturday, the day before we left, the mural project was inaugurated with a festive assembly. The doctors from the project came and checked out the finished project, the school children snag, we had snacks and Masala Tea together, speeches were made and new bonds of friendship were forged between the peoples of Padhar and Hamburg.It was an amazing trip, and because much of my time was spent at the Mission School, with my team and with the teachers and students there, that experience is INDIA to me. Their hospitality, their incredible sense of wonder and gratitude for so little, and our response to such warmth and love. It (and they) remain in my heart, even as I am far away from India.

small and mighty

2008-11-04T10:01:00.000-08:00

She is small, but one tough girl. I don't know her name, but her face is etched on my heart. I may never meet her again, but she made quite an impact on me, one that is not easily forgotten. This is the little girl whose face I'll think of when I remember Padhar.

Who is she? I don't know. What I do know is that she is deaf and she is small. She is about half the size of her peers, and doesn't speak, but with her use of sign language, she tells the other girls what is what, she moves them around, she even tells guests what to do... and we're so charmed by her, that we follow her directions!

She lives at the Blind School in Padhar. The Blind School is home to 170 students, some are blind, some are deaf, some are disabled and some are a combination. Many are orphaned, only a few have families who come and visit. But at the Blind School they are cared for by wonderful teachers (who are paid a meager salary), fed (little... but fed) and housed (in simple facilities, but housed nonetheless...). When we went to visit she stood with a group of girls and instructed me to take her picture. I would, being compelled by her charm and sweetness, and then I would show her the photo on my digital camera and she'd laugh, then instruct me to take another - this time with her friend in the yellow dress. I would, show her, then she'd instruct me again. This went on and on until I took pictures of her with various groups and individuals. Finally I had to be practically pulled away to travel to the next area and we waved goodbye for the evening.
The next time we visited, she remembered me and I of course remembered her. One in our group, Caroline, brought her violin to play for the students and they gathered in the hall and sat down on the floor to watch. The deaf students guided the blind students to their places on the floor. They sat in rows, my friend right up front. As Caroline played, the blind students laughed as they listened to the beautiful sounds of the violin. My friend and her compatriots mimicked Caroline's finger movements and the way she moved her bow so elegantly. They each "heard" in their own way.
Smiling, she embraced her friends as if they were the most important people in her life. Smiling, she opened her heart to others and welcomed them into her life. Smiling, she communicated the joy of life without speaking a word. What an example to follow.

home is where your heart is

2008-11-03T06:24:00.000-08:00

It is 10+ days since I've returned from India. Quickly immersed back into work and Hamburg-life, it has been difficult for me to sit down and reflect on my experience there: perhaps if I think about it, I will miss it too much; perhaps my ability to love the third-world and live in the first will be damaged; perhaps I will find it too complicated with my heart in India and my feet in Hamburg. Whatever the difficulties, I thought I'd reflect on them and on the trip as a whole, here on the blog.
Why go to India? Why travel on a plane for 8 hours, on a train for 16 hours, to a small town in Central India called Padhar? I went for a variety of reasons, but mainly because my heart is in the third world. (I don't like that phrase, maybe I should say the 2/3's world - two-thirds of the world lives in poverty.) Anyway, that's where my heart is. When I went to Nigeria and faced it in person for the first time, I felt God and God's people, hanging on to me, encouraging me to stay. In fact, the leader of our group from the California-Pacific Annual Conference of the UMC later told me, "I didn't think we were going to get you on the plane home..." I cried as I flew back, knowing it would be a long time before I returned. This conviction is the core of my call to ministry - both a call from the 2/3 world and from God. So what should I do when the 2/3 world is calling and God is calling? The only response is to go to where my heart is, and even though I had never been to India, the people seemed familiar, the cities exciting and breath-taking and the village of Padhar felt like home. My challenge is this: how do I reconcile my love for my work and my life in Hamburg (which is as real as anything) with this tug I feel from the 2/3 world? I must note that one of the benefits of being in Hamburg is my connection to our global family all in one place. In our congregation there are representatives from all over the world, and our collective hearts are in ministry to the global community. But how to function with my heart in one place and my feet in another?

Images of India

2008-10-24T23:24:00.000-07:00

I just got back from India and am suffering a bit of jet lag, but I wanted to post some pictures from the trip.

More later from my amazing experiences...

getting ready

2008-10-09T09:08:00.000-07:00

On this beautiful fall day in Hamburg, I am getting ready to go to india. I leave tomorrow afternoon for two days of constant travel to get to Padhar. First, a flight to Munich, then a flight from Munich to Delhi. Then much of the day in Delhi we will spend sightseeing, then we catch a train from Delhi to Nagpur. It's an overnight train - 16 hours... but we have sleeping compartments. (I keep thinking of those Agatha Christie movies on the train) When we get to Nagpur, there is a 4 hour jeep ride to Padhar. So we leave Friday afternoon and get there Sunday afternoon. whew!

My biggest dilemma today involves packing my stuff. I don't really have THAT much to take, but more than my new backpack - the backpack I bought for this trip specifically - will fit. Darn. I guess I just have to get over the disappointment and put it away for the next trip.

Well, wish me luck! I am off!

what one person can do...

2008-10-03T03:51:00.000-07:00

How proud I am of my brother today. I am proud of him every day, but today even more. My brother is the editor of an online Magazine called MungBeing and it features the work of artists, poets, musicians, critics, comic artists and others. My brother, himself an artist - and a darned good one at that - is passionate about art, and the freedom necessary to express oneself.

Michael Dickinson, a British artist whose worked appeared in MungBeing, was charged with insulting the dignity of Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan in an art piece Dickinson displayed in Istanbul and faced up to two years in jail if convicted. The work, called "Best in Show" depicts President Bush placed a medal on the figure of a dog, with the Turkish Prime Minister's head superimposed onto the dog's body.

Upon the arrest of Dickinson, Mark became involved. According to an article in the Inland Empire Weekly, "After hearing of Dickinson’s plight, Mark Givens of Pomona, editor-in-chief of MungBeing, decided it was necessary to start an online petition on the artist’s behalf. Now, Givens’ “tremendous support” in publicizing the case is being credited for galvanizing the necessary publicity to tip the verdict in Dickinson’s favor."

The petition collected only 600 signatures, but among them were some very influential names in the art world, and because of the support of those people, and the effort of Mark to inform the online community of Dickinson's plight, Dickinson was released and is free to pursue his artistic endeavors.

In this era of censored speech and silenced opposition to the people in power, it is refreshing to hear how those who actually confront injustice can win.

Click here for the full interview in the Inland Empire Weekly.

the thin line between cautious and reckless

2008-10-02T10:09:00.000-07:00

(Photo by Henning Alberti)

hello blog friends! pardon me for my extended sloth, but my travel schedule has been hectic (oh, the life of a missionary...) and as soon as my travel was finished, I got a cold and have been down for the count for a few days. but i'm feeling a bit better and getting ready for my trip to India.

I am fortunate to be in a congregation with people who feel called to mission in a variety of ways. In my congregation is Professor Dr. Thomas Kreusch, who leads a medical mission to Padhar Hospital each year. Since 1976, Dr. Kreusch and a group of dentists, oral and maxillofacial surgeons, anesthetists, nurses and helpers travel to Padhar, India to work with local physicians to perform one-week's worth of cleft palette surgeries. Additionally, there is a group who tends to the schools in the area, one for blind and partially blind students. Padhar hospital was established by a Christian missionary (an Evangelical Lutheran from Germany) and remains a Christian facility. I will go to wear my two hats: for the week, I will lead a group of 4 young women, to paint a mural in the blind school - attempting to do some tactile work on the wall - and then on Sunday, I'll preach for the worship service. I've been looking forward to this opportunity for a long time and the trip does so much good in so little time: it is really a remarkable endeavor.

But the trip came dangerously close to being cancelled this week, As you will read here India has been wrecked by bombings lately, several bombings in the last month in the western states of Maharashtra and Gujara, in the capital Delhi and the latest happened on October 1, just 9 days before we leave.

At one point last week, considering the safety of our team, 6 of whom are children and teens, the leaders almost pulled the plug. After calling some friends and getting reports from the ground, they reassured us that it is safe to travel, that the police and military are on alert, and we are indeed going.

I, for one, am glad. I remember when I was getting ready to go to Nigeria in 2003, there were stories about local unrest that worried the leaders of the group. But we went anyway and had no problems in that respect. I understand the caution and when considering the fate of the whole group, one must be cautious.

But I'm glad we're going...

More later! Krista

Click here for more information on the Friends of Padhar. The site is in German, but I encourage you to look at the Fotoalbum section with beautiful pictures by Henning Alberti, who is going on the trip again this year.

traveling...

2008-09-25T12:11:00.000-07:00

Have I got everything? Am I ready to go?
Is it going to be wild, is it gonna be the best time?
Or am I just a-saying so-o-o-o? Am I ready to go?
What do I hear when I say I hear the call of the road?
- Dar Williams, "Traveling Again"

It's been a crazy few weeks in my life - crazy and GREAT! LIFE-CHANGING even... In mid-September i finally took the birthday trip given to me by my congregation: a trip to Rome. So I took off on Monday, spent 2 days walking around Rome - complete with Lonely Planet in hand - to see ancient sites, art and architecture, enjoying the colors and sounds of Rome. I saw St. Peter's square, the Vatican Museums, the Colosseum and areas around, Spanish Steps, never did find the Trevi Fountain (next time...) and the Pantheon. It really was the trip of a lifetime, then on Thursday I was back in Hamburg for the weekend, for worship and singing.

Then, the following Monday I was back on a train to Frankfurt, to go to visit friends and to attend a meeting of the ICUMC (International Council of the United Methodist Church: kind of a task force for the International Methodists Churches in Germany) Then on Thursday, back to Hamburg for the weekend... While I was in Frankfurt, my friend Carol and I went to visit the Benedictine Abbey of St. Hildegard and it was just amazing. (for more info about the abbey, including a photo tour click here.)

As we approached around noon, the afternoon service was just beginning, and a nun, dressed in traditional long black habit, passed us quickly. "Guten Tag!" she said in friendly voice, and rushed away. We followed her and snuck into the chapel as the service began. The nuns were gathered upstairs in the balcony and they sang the afternoon liturgy, including psalms and prayers , and the sound echoed marvelously through the space.

What an amazing place, peaceful and serene and filled with dedicated women-religious. It will take me some time to digest all that my experience there revealed...

but it will need to happen quickly, because I leave for India in two weeks!!!! oh, the life of a missionary...