| T.R | Title | User | Personal
Name | Date | Lines |
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| 381.1 | the Ordination Paper | OLDTMR::FRANCEY | USS SECG dtn 223-5427 pko3-1/d18 | Sat Jan 04 1992 16:03 | 610 |
|
December 10, 1991
Ordination Paper
Ronald W. Francey
Introduction
This ordination paper contains my theological perspective and
understanding of the development of the historic Christian
faith. The second part of the paper addresses my understanding
of the foundation of the United Church of Christ, its polity and
practice and how my ministry shall be ordered within its identity.
The third and final part of the paper is a statement of my faith
journey, how it led me toward seeking ordained ministry.
My Theological Perspective of Christian Faith
Christian faith is the story of a journey, a journey out of
darkness and into new light. It is a story of people who once
were lost and now have been found. It is a story of a people
who once were no people and who now are God's people. "You are
my people and I shall be your God. Love no other God than Me
for I am a jealous God." Christian faith encounters a jealous
God and is transformed by God's abundant and never ending love.
In the beginning was God who created all things and who gave
birth to humanity, a humanity born in the image of God, born to
care for all of God's creation, born to walk with God through
the centuries nurturing and being nurtured. But something
happened which caused God to groan and to weep.
The story of the fall is the story of darkness which swept over
humanity for it tells of our separation, our turning away from,
our God. God's gift of freedom to choose God's way was hurled
back toward God as a destructive ball of fire. The Satan had
entered our very being and held before us the image of the
succulent apple. We sniffed, we tasted - and we thought the
taste was good. God wept.
Our Jewish heritage is rich in stories of God, of God's chosen
people, of conflict, of love, of idols. The Exodus story, God's
inspired word, is a portrait of humanity being led out of
bondage, being led to the promised land. It is a story of the
people's rebelling against God's persistent love but it is also
a story of a tough love, of a love that never quits, of a well
that never goes dry.
Scripture grounds us to our heritage providing us with pathways
toward a better understanding of God. Scripture, written by
people like you and like me, by people inspired by God, takes on
fresh meaning and springs to life over time.
From Scripture we learn about families, family relationships, of
nation struggling against nation, of wars, justice, law,
discrimination. We learn of what it means to be an individual
and to be in community with others. We read of Qoheleth, the
Teacher, who seems to be a person worn out from the trials and
tribulations of life, who sees no benefit from being any
different from the robber. All who live die under the sun.
Every reading of Ecclesiastes causes me to grit my teeth in
disgust at one who seems so weak, so unable to grasp the notion
of hope. And yet, in all fairness and truthfulness, I cannot
count the amount of times I have also given in to questioning
what it all means, this apparent living among the beasts, this
living in a world where injustice runs rampant scarring the
hearts of the innocents, of those who are the have nots of
society. And so it is to the reading of Scripture one day that
I turned, to the reading of Psalm 73, during which I was so
closely identifying with the Psalmist as the Psalmist perplexed
over the injustices of the world, of the results which so seemed
to favor those who dealt without fear, without care for their
neighbors. The Psalmist writes:
"Truly God is good to the upright, to those who are pure in
heart. But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled; my steps had
nearly slipped. For I was envious of the arrogant; I saw the
prosperity of the wicked. For they have no pain; their bodies
are sound and sleek. They are not in trouble as others are;
they are not plagued like other people" [Psalm 73: 1-5].
And then the following verse lifted itself out of the pages and
resonated with the very core of my being:
"But when I thought how to understand this, it seemed to me a
wearisome task, until I went into the sanctuary of God" [Psalm
73: 16-17].
Christian faith over the centuries finds comfort, wisdom,
guidance in Scripture. It finds food for the Soul when it opens
the doors of the Sanctuary and enters, when it so lets itself be
touched by the Spirit that dwells therein.
For a Christian, the sanctuary of God is the dwelling place of
God where God makes Godself known. The sanctuary is the church
of God which exists in places far wider than the confines of a
building. It is a place where one meets God and worships God's
Holiness. It is a people coming together to know God
intimately. The sanctuary lives among her people engaging them
to feed the hungry, to clothe the naked, to give shelter to the
homeless.
As we sift through the rich imagery and the abundant stories, we
learn about God's unrelenting love and about God's charges to
humankind. What about the story of Abraham and Isaac? We hold
Abraham in high esteem for he went straight away to obey the
commands of God and to slaughter his only son Isaac. Abraham
went away without even saying goodbye to his wife. He went to
the mountain top and was with the knife held high without ever
asking Isaac what he thought of the sacrifice. Kierkegaard
writes of Abraham's leap of faith; yet, Kierkegaard cannot be
sure if Abraham was purely obeying God or was a coward.
Christian faith develops from our letting God break into our
lives through the intense struggle with the understanding of
Scripture.
We are called to two tasks above all others: to love God as the
one true God and to love others as we love ourselves. But we
are a fallen lot who continues to turn away from God, who
creates false images, images of material worth, images of pride,
images of a false sense of security. Instead of fearing God, we
fear death, pain, suffering. We work for self. We spin; we spin
aimlessly, randomly - all the while seeking to find ourselves,
all the while carrying a frown on our heads, spinning, spinning
into the depths of darkness.
And so God came to live among us, with us, to reconcile the
world unto Godself. Our fully divine God became fully human,
took on flesh. Jesus, the Messiah, God-with-us, prophet, king,
servant turned the world on its head. Jesus broke with custom,
with the tradition as it was known, and lived and visited among
the poor, the adulterers, the tax collectors, the sinners. Jesus
told us of a new wealth, a wealth beyond our wildest dreams, a
wealth showered over all of us, a wealth that was God's grace.
Jesus, in the midst of his being tricked into answering
questions against the Romans, in the midst of being falsely led
into speaking against God, suddenly took time out from his
charges to see the poor widow with her two mites giving all that
she had. In the midst of all that strife, Jesus saw beauty.
And in the garden where we would have been terrified, where we
would have given up, where we would have succumbed to our fears,
Jesus responded with "nevertheless, Thy will be done." And so
Jesus was nailed to the tree. "It is finished." "Lama sabathani,
lama sabathani." Jesus had died for our sins, for our
transgressions.
But, Jesus had promised that "Lo, for I shall be with you until
the end of the ages" - and in three days, Jesus rose from the
dead. The broken heart of God had mended itself with suffering
love. Scripture has different accounts of his being raised from
the dead and of his being seen and being recognized. As surely
as the stone was rolled away from the tomb and the tomb was
found empty, as surely as Jesus was recognized on the road to
Emmaus, as surely as Thomas became a believer, we, through Jesus
the Christ, have been forgiven of our sins and have been given
new life.
We have been set free; now we need the courage to be, to respond
to the call to conversion. Jesus saves us from our earlier
errant ways; but, Jesus does more than save us "from" for he
saves us "for", for a time when he will come again, a time when
we will be judged, a time when the lion will lay down with the
lamb, a time when there will be a banquet, a time when there
will be a mansion with many rooms, a time when Shalom will
finally come to fruition.
Through the love of Jesus we are transformed and transforming.
Jesus calls us into metanoia, into turning from things of this
world, from sin, evil and death and turning toward God. We are
called to work with God to establish a kingdom on earth as it is
in heaven, to work for a time when the world will know peace,
when the lion and the lamb shall lie down together. God the
Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit, God the Creator, the Redeemer,
the Sustainer lives with us.
We participate in the outward signs of God's inner grace when we
partake of the holy elements during Baptism and Holy Communion.
Baptism, a rite of initiation into the church, is a time for
celebration, a time for community to gather around one, a time
for commitment toward God and toward each other. Baptism
signifies the beginning of a journey that transcends time and
space. Holy Communion is a re-member-ing of Jesus; it is the
gathering of community where when two or three are gathered, so
too is Christ gathered with them. The gathering during Holy
Communion is done in remembrance of Jesus who provides us with
new life, with hope for the future that knows no end; Holy
Communion is participation in things yet to come; it is a taste
of the Holy Banquet. Come, taste, see that the taste of God is
good.
My Understanding of the United Church of Christ
Now the whole earth had one language and few words. And as men
migrated from the east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar
and settled there. And they said to one another, "Come, let us
make bricks, and burn them thoroughly." And they had brick for
stone, and bitumen for mortar. Then they said, "Come, let us
build ourselves a city, and a tower with its top in the heavens,
and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered
abroad upon the face of the whole earth." And the Lord came down
to see the city and the tower, which the sons of men had built.
And the Lord said, "Behold, they are one people, and they have
all one language; and this is only the beginning of what they
will do; and nothing that they propose to do will now be
impossible for them. Come, let us go down, and there confuse
their language, that they may not understand one another's
speech." So the Lord scattered them abroad from there over the
face of all the earth, and they left off building the city.
Therefore its name was called Ba'bel, because there the Lord
confused the language of all the earth; and from there the Lord
scattered them abroad over the face of all the earth.
Genesis 11:1-9 (RSV)
Imagine all the people of the earth coming together. Imagine
their being strong willed, independent people, people on a
mission, whom the Lord saw fit to confuse and to whom the Lord
gave many tongues. Imagine all the people staring at each other,
babbling at each other having tension filled anxious wrinkled
foreheads. Now imagine the people with a new vision, a vision of
Shalom, a vision of the glory of God, of peace, of tranquillity,
of justice, of love. This new vision lives in the roots of the
shaping of the United Church of Christ.
Trusting in God and in the love of Jesus Christ, this new united
and uniting body of four mainline denominations bonded together
through the sharing of a common "Statement of Faith" prior to
the establishment of its "Constitution and Bylaws." Many
differences existed among the four streams prior to the merger.
The Congregational Christian churches emphasized preaching and
teaching; "pulpit" worship focused on the sermon and on the
edification of Scripture and its relationship to proper or right
living. The congregation participated only in the singing of
hymns and in praying the Lord's Prayer.
The Congregational Christian churches expected, nay demanded,
autonomy - the right to decide and to live out proper Christian
lives, not being constrained to such vessels as the Book of
Common Prayer. No liturgy was "the" liturgy, no prayer was "the"
prayer. No one person was set above the others but all were part
of the priesthood of all believers. Today many people have lost
sight of the early understanding of autonomy. Today many people
stress the importance of the individual voice, the right to go
it alone, the right to be separate. This is in error. The right
of autonomy is the right to choose to belong, the right to
engage with others in the communal movement, in the journey
through life with God.
The Evangelical and Reformed churches emphasized the liturgical
life of the church and the pastoral role of the minister;
"altar" worship called for the pastor and the people to join in
responsive prayers to God, to offer thanksgiving to God for
God's gift of grace and for Jesus' spiritual presence;
confessional prayers were followed by prayers of absolution. The
Evangelical and Reformed churches wished for uniformity, for
churches to gather together in harmony, for a movement toward a
statement that would be followed by all.
One would tend to think that the basis of the union of the
Congregational Christian churches and the Evangelical and
Reformed churches required extensive compromises in order to
form the United Church of Christ. It is significant that such is
not the case. It is out of a hope for the future, it is out of a
resurrection theology, it is out of Christ's presence that a
merger became a possibility, a reality. It is through a united
and uniting church that we see the possibility of order
overcoming chaos.
We have cause to celebrate our differences, our uniqueness, our
gifts of life poured out on us by our Creator and Creating God.
Today we are enriched by our combined heritages. Today we are
strengthened by national and state offices, by resources shared
by all within this United Church of Christ. We come to the table
together to share in the universal meal of fellowship, of love,
of promise.
We come together not that we must but that we may. We join
together in heart and hand helping each other to come into the
glory of God, into the promised land, into the promised land
where peace and justice embrace. We come together singing out
choruses of "Praise be to God."
We live in a pluralistic and an ever increasingly secular world.
Ministry today is challenged on many fronts by the calls for
participation in ecumenism. These United States are no longer
"congregational", nor are they "Protestant", nor are they
"Christian." The church is in crisis. Many questions are being
asked as country continues to overpower country, as thousands of
people starve in countries where food piles rot, where nuclear
testing is permanently affecting our climate, where our
increasing seniors population is losing its ability for housing,
healthcare and dignity, where children are eliminated as a
method of birth control.
These questions and more are those which God calls me to address
during my ministry. God calls us toward Shalom, toward a peace
beyond understanding. Honoring God's call is a challenge for it
is at once a blessing and a burden. But for all who labor and
are heavy burdened, we are reminded of those familiar words:
"Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give
you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am
gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your
souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."
Matthew 11:28-30 (RSV)
My Faith Journey
When I was a child who had not yet reached second grade, my
parents were on their second marriage. It was a mixed marriage
with my mother being a non-attending Protestant and my father
being a non-attending Roman Catholic and my being a simply
non-attending anything. I remember a time when I wandered away
from my home in Brockton, walked a few miles into the city
proper and ended up walking into a large (to a small boy) church
where a service was about to get underway. It was a kind of
spooky experience. All that strange music coming out of, all
those strange people, all those strange hats, going into, that
building. Why have I always remembered this episode? What was so
special about that day, about that event? I had no idea then
about the church and how it would touch me so significantly as I
walked through my journey of life. I may not have known then
about the significance but now I just love to smile and wonder
about that early trip. Do you think God was calling me,
beckoning me, coaxing me into that church? I think now that it
must have been God's grace touching me and must have been my
first experience and unknown acceptance of that grace.
During the following summer my mother died. My father was an
immigrant from Lithuania who had very little income and
unfortunately spent a good deal of that income at his local
Lithuanian bar. As a result, he could not manage to take care of
me, to keep me with him. An arrangement had been made by my
mother and her "successful" sister for my care. I moved out of
one of the poorer neighborhoods of Brockton and into a much
better area in Lexington where I lived with my aunt and uncle. I
lived with them until the day I graduated from High School. I
remember those traumatic days, those early years when I really
felt rejected, when I was "turned over" to live with my aunt and
uncle, when my own family wouldn't keep me. Where was God for me
then? I had lots of questions about life, about families, about
values, about the future. Where was God for me in all this?
Perhaps, God was there helping me to form the questions, to form
the questions that could only be answered after time, and like
the Psalmist, only after entering the sanctuary of God.
I see things differently now. Imagine the bond that existed,
sister to sister - one living, one dying - one asking that care
and love be given to me in a Christian setting. It was God's
grace that lifted them beyond the despair of the moment to a
hope for the future, to a hope extended for a beloved son.
During my adolescent days I was active in church Sunday school,
church choirs, church youth groups. Do not get the sense that I
was holy or thought that I was holy or that I was a sweet little
kid growing up "properly" in the church setting. I was terribly
angry in those days, feeling totally rejected, feeling totally
unloved. I can clearly remember sitting in the sanctuary at
Hancock Church and challenging God as I so often did. "If you
are so powerful, God, come down now right through those big
wooden beam structures and blast me away! You're not so powerful
- you're not even there!" Little did I know that God was already
there sitting beside me in the midst of my turmoil.
Although I was not at the time aware of it, many stimulating and
memorable events were occurring in my life, shaping my inner
being. Those were the formative days when people and events were
influencing my life in ways not understood by a child.
It is through the church that I grew to love music. I remember
the days of my youth when I had such a high clear descant voice
and joined in with all the choirs of the churches in the area to
sing out in Thanksgiving celebration. I remember the days when
my uncle and I played trumpet duets in church during Easter and
other special occasions. Where was God in all this? I am sure
that I had absolutely no idea! And now, I remember times when I
have been spiritually moved, spiritually touched by the joining
of the Holy Spirit with the organ's pipes, by choirs singing to
the Glory of God. Where was God in my early days in church?
God was equipping me with ways to communicate with God,
equipping me with ways to offer praise, equipping me with ways
to share with others from many different walks of life. Praise
be to God.
Later in my life as my children were growing up, my family had a
few intermittent periods when we attended church as "faithful"
Sunday worshipers; but, we had several years when we did not
attend church at all. It wasn't until my youngest daughter, who
was at that time in first grade, decided on one fine Sunday
morning to get dressed up in her finest clothes while I was
still in bed. She walked across the street that morning to
attend worship service at the local church, a United Church of
Christ. That event caused me to begin attending church once
more. My daughter, you see, came home with the pastor from the
local church after the church service.
And so my involvement with church began in earnest. I became
active in choir, adult fellowship, Bible studies and was elected
to the diaconate. I remember the times I would gather with the
pastor and ask him all kinds of questions about God, about life,
about faith. I asked some tough questions and was searching for
ways to understand who God was.
The pastor did something which I had no idea would have such far
reaching implications: he gave me a copy of Hans Kung's Does God
Exist?, a book which took me almost one full year to complete.
Little did I know that a few years later Hans Kung would be my
systematic theologian whom I studied during a full year of
Systematics at Andover Newton.
Where was God in all this? It is beginning to be a little
clearer, it is as though I am beginning to see through a glass
dimly. The reading and studying of Kung whetted my appetite and
it was shortly thereafter that I began in earnest to read the
Jerusalem Bible cover to cover. The Bible went with me
everywhere and I could hardly put it down. The use of the
annotated pages, the cross references, the Apocrypha had such a
wealth of information. The stories of individuals, families,
nations helped me feel the presence of God. Bible studies
became so much more meaningful to me and now I could finally
contribute, could engage in dialog with others.
During the next few years, my entreprenurial spirit took hold of
me and I entered into a vocational change. The idea of
fulfilling the great "American Dream" of owning your own
business, of getting rich quick lured me to new and dangerous
vocational waters. It was not long after beginning this new
venture that financial success turned on its head and became
financial disaster. Suddenly the family that was used to upper
middle class life found itself immersed in scratching for
resources, found itself living in a large home, a large unheated
cold home where the family gathered around the wood burning
stove during the winter months.
The move out of the suburban life to city life did not fare well
with every member of the family. The lack of finances also did
not fare well with everyone. Several years have passed since
those troubled days and the nuclear family of old is different
than it was before.
I'm not sure that there is any one single event that led me to
seminary. Most likely God touched me in many ways and many
times. The church and her people became a vessel for me into
other people's lives. Mission committee work helped me with a
much better understanding of those less fortunate than myself
and helped sensitize me to the effects that a dedicated church
body can have on the outcasts, the impoverished.
The daughter who earlier came home with the pastor is also the
daughter that came home from school one day and asked for me to
bring a pie to the kitchen for Thanksgiving, the soup kitchen.
Sometimes it is the simple things in life that have such a
profound and lasting effect in one's life. Such was the case
with the delivery of that pie. For many years thereafter I
became a regular volunteer at the soup kitchen serving and
visiting with those of the street. I became a spokesperson
within and beyond the local church as an advocate for lessening
the burden of those on the street. I sat on committees for
planning money raising events, for planning training events for
volunteers, for seeking capital improvements.
Perhaps it was passion for some of the street people who were in
and out of jail so often that planted a seed in me which led me
to prison ministry. The first time one sees the thick iron
bars, hears the slamming shut of heavy prison gates - behind you
- the first time one is escorted past row after row of jail
cells - these are visions that will remain with me for life.
The waiting room in prison outside the gates filled with smoke,
filled with children, women, wives, mothers touched me deeply.
Where was God in all this? The shepherd who watches over the
flocks by night. And it has been and is night for so many in
our midst. Suddenly there was darkness which covered the earth.
God has touched me, has created in me an insatiable hunger to
spread the Good News that there is a Light which has overcome
the darkness, a Light which surrounds us, that there is a
promise that Jesus will come again and that there will be a new
day, a glorious day.
The simplicity of God's Grace. From the time a child was called
into that strange church, with all those strange people and all
those strange sounds, from the time when another child, my
daughter, was moved to walk into a church all alone, perhaps
called by the chiming of the church bells, and by the Grace of
God came home with the pastor, from these times and so many more
my life was to take a turn.
I am pleased to have the opportunity to stand before the Church
and Ministry Committee, to be examined for fitness as one called
by God and by God's people for God's people, for God's Church as
one seeking Ordination. My call is to share God's Story, to
shepherd God's people, to work toward Shalom, when there shall
be a Kingdom on earth as it is in Heaven.
And so my call to ministry is a response to the words:
"Ministering in his name, we give you the bread of life." The
wholeness of life, poured out for us, is the cause for all
celebrations. It evokes an active response, a participation of
sharing the Good News of Jesus the Christ. We are renewed in
Christ Jesus. There is a story to tell the nations, a story to
tell the world. It is a story of freedom, of liberation. It is
a story that ends with Shalom. Taste and know that the Lord is
good.
Andover Newton has prepared me for the ordained ministry; now I
am accepting the challenge. Now I am charged to journey with
other people - to walk with them through their lives, to visit
with them and tell them about the Good News of Jesus Christ,
about his constant presence, about his renewing a right spirit
within us, about our freedom from our earlier ways and our
freedom for new life. Praise be to God!
|
| 381.2 | May God bless your efforts | CSC32::J_CHRISTIE | Peace: the Final Frontier | Mon Jan 06 1992 20:02 | 92 |
| Note 381.1
Ron,
First of all, let me say that if I were in your position I'd be
a nervous wreck. The thought of being scrutinized by a panel of concerned
elders whose judgment could alter the direction of my entire life causes me
to break out in a sweat! I realize that such things are not intended to be
adversarial. Still, I think I'd possess a sense of urgency to win them over
and win them over decisively.
Secondly, allow me to say that I think you've got a solid foundational
document here. I've made some pretty nit-picky comments. Nothing leaped out
at me as a glaring error. I thought it flowed nicely and demonstrated
consistency in your thought process.
I'm glad to see you've made peace with the author of Ecclesiastes. ;-}
I particularly liked how you translate your theology into action; your
thought into practice. I personally appreciated your emphasis on the "great
commandment." Someone else might prefer more of an emphasis placed on the
"great commission."
I found your description of the polity of the UCC rather vague.
Perhaps for your purposes it is adequate.
Keep in mind, these are simply the opinions of a humble sinner.
Peace,
Richard
> Christian faith is the story of a journey, a journey out of
> darkness and into new light.
I might question your use of the word "new," but not severely. I might have
used the words "the true light" instead.
> The story of the fall is the story of darkness which swept over
> humanity for it tells of our separation, our turning away from,
> our God. God's gift of freedom to choose God's way was hurled
> back toward God as a destructive ball of fire.
Ball of fire? You're speaking metaphorically, right?
> The Satan had
> entered our very being and held before us the image of the
> succulent apple.
Apple? Sure it wasn't a pomegranate? ;-} I might use the simile: "an image
as succulent as an apple."
> Scripture grounds us to our heritage providing us with pathways
> toward a better understanding of God. Scripture, written by
> people like you and like me, by people inspired by God, takes on
> fresh meaning and springs to life over time.
Oooo! I *like* this!
> We are called to two tasks above all others: to love God as the
> one true God and to love others as we love ourselves.
Excellent!
> a time when the lion will lay down with the
> lamb,
I always thought the "lion and lamb" image was literally from the Bible, but
I've never found this exact verbiage.
> God calls us toward Shalom, toward a peace
> beyond understanding.
Eirene is the Greek word frequently translated in the NT to "peace". It
varies from Shalom in that it refers more to inner peace. You may already
know this.
> Sometimes it is the simple things in life that have such a
> profound and lasting effect in one's life. Such was the case
> with the delivery of that pie.
So true.
> Where was God in all this? The shepherd who watches over the
> flocks by night. And it has been and is night for so many in
> our midst. Suddenly there was darkness which covered the earth.
> God has touched me, has created in me an insatiable hunger to
> spread the Good News that there is a Light which has overcome
> the darkness, a Light which surrounds us, that there is a
> promise that Jesus will come again and that there will be a new
> day, a glorious day.
Alleluia! Amen!
|
| 381.3 | Wishing you well! | ATSE::FLAHERTY | That's enough for me... | Tue Jan 07 1992 09:20 | 10 |
| Ron,
Just wanted to let you know that my schedule does not permit me time to
review your paper. Having read your writings in the past though, I'm
confident that it is inspired.
Love and prayers for you on your path,
Ro
|
| 381.4 | | AKOCOA::FLANAGAN | waiting for the snow | Tue Jan 07 1992 12:55 | 8 |
| Ron,
I read your paper and liked it. Good luck. I would have liked a
little more information on the UCC but agree with Richard that for your
purpose addressing a group within the UCC perhaps you said enough.
Pat
|
| 381.5 | very nice | TNPUBS::PAINTER | let there be music | Tue Jan 07 1992 18:25 | 4 |
|
Well done, Ron.
Cindy
|
| 381.6 | | LJOHUB::NSMITH | rises up with eagle wings | Wed Jan 08 1992 08:07 | 7 |
| Ron,
I sent you comments via mail. I enjoyed your paper very much!
May God bless and be with you today in your interview.
Nancy
|
| 381.7 | Exam rescheduled to Jan 15th, etc. | OLDTMR::FRANCEY | USS SECG dtn 223-5427 pko3-1/d18 | Wed Jan 08 1992 08:59 | 31 |
| What love exists within this conference!
Thanks for all your comments, words of encouragement, prayers,
editorial enhancements.
Last night I received a call (wish I could stop the sentence right
here!) from my Conference Minister who said that the Chair of the
Church and Ministry Committee had an emergency come up at work and that
my Examination Meeting is now scheduled for 2:00pm next Wednesday, Jan
15th. Perhaps this is a blessing in disquise.
My wish is to use this next week to address points in my theological
section, which is the section critiqued more substantially by people of
this conference and others who have read the paper. The narrative
style I used in the paper is one that evokes questions from readers and
that is intentional on my part for I really do wish to be as thoroughly
examined as the Committee and later, the Ecclesiastical Council,
wishes.
The topics that I would like to address are primarily doctrines. Many
of these topics, maybe all of them, are covered in other areas of this
conference but it would be helpful to me to address them as they relate
to my paper and thus to my understanding and belief. Should you find
that my comments on these subjects seem to contradict elements in my
paper, please alert me to that fact so that I can have an opportunity
to reflect on those observations.
Shalom,
Ron
|
| 381.8 | | CARTUN::BERGGREN | Grab yer candle and dance! | Wed Jan 08 1992 11:06 | 7 |
| Ron,
My work schedule has been such that I have not been able to read
the contents of your paper. I hope to soon. But I do wish you the
*very* best.
Karen
|
| 381.9 | on Atonement | OLDTMR::FRANCEY | USS SECG dtn 223-5427 pko3-1/d18 | Wed Jan 08 1992 12:20 | 40 |
| On the subject of Atonement:
The reconciliation made between God and humanity.
Three general treatments of this subject seem to exist: an act made
specifically by God, in Jesus' suffering and dying on the cross for our
sins. This holds the Divinity of God as the only important factor in
the doing of the Atonement. This approach also requires the
Incarnation of God, God made Flesh in the body of Jesus the Christ, for
it was only possible for God to have the power to reconcile the world
unto the Divine Being.
Another approach emphasises Jesus' Humanity and his paying the duty for
our sins. Jesus is still Divine but his Humanity is the key in this
approach.
The third and most liberal approach is that it is up to humanity to
turn from their errant ways and to turn toward God. In this view,
Jesus is seen as an important person, a leader of the community, an
inspiration for others. Jesus' Divine nature is not claimed or
necessary.
My belief is that of the first choice holding God's Goodness and Mercy
as the only way for Atonement. God could have chosen any way God
wished to attain the reconciliation; however, God did so choose to
become Flesh, to live, to be scourged and to die for us, so that God
could reconcile the world unto Godself. It is by God's Grace that we
have been set free, free to become all that God wants for us to become,
free to choose life or death.
Yes, we are called, each one of us, to turn from our errant ways, to
turn toward the God of Love. We have been set free to make that
choice. It is, however, not our turning which so influences God, it is
not by our works which so influences God, but it is by God's Grace
alone that we are reconciled to the Great One.
Shalom,
Ron
|
| 381.10 | Some more feedback from a UCC'er | ROYALT::GOODWIN | | Thu Jan 09 1992 16:21 | 178 |
|
Ron,
I was pleased to see that your meeting was put off - not because
it added anxiety to your week, but because it gave me some time
to add my comments to this process.
Let me describe the point at which I enter this conversation. I, too,
am a member of the United Church of Christ. I, too, am heading
towards ordination. I graduated last June from Harvard Divinity School
and am taking this year off to replenish my bank account and make
applications to Ph.D. programs. I will begin my in-care process and
subsequent ordination process towards the end of that schooling. I
have long been active in the Massachusetts Conference on various
commissions and committees and have been a part of the diverse UCC
dialogue for quite some time. It is with that eye and that ear that I
read your paper and it is with that background that I dare to make
comments.
First of all, I love the narrative style you use in telling your story.
Afterall, if it was good enough for the evangelists... :-) I also
applaud your consistant and thoughtful use of inclusive language. What
follows are some things you might want to give thought and words to -
not necessarily in the paper itself, but to prepare for possible
questions from the panel.
>>>Christian faith is the story of a journey, a journey out of
>>>darkness and into new light. It is a story of people who once
>>>were lost and now have been found. It is a story of a people
>>>who once were no people and who now are God's people. "You are
>>>my people and I shall be your God. Love no other God than Me
>>>for I am a jealous God." Christian faith encounters a jealous
>>>God and is transformed by God's abundant and never ending love.
...
>>>Our Jewish heritage is rich in stories of God, of God's chosen
>>>people, of conflict, of love, of idols. The Exodus story, God's
>>>inspired word, is a portrait of humanity being led out of
>>>bondage, being led to the promised land. It is a story of the
>>>people's rebelling against God's persistent love but it is also
>>>a story of a tough love, of a love that never quits, of a well
>>>that never goes dry.
You freely assume the promises of Yahweh and the relationship of
the Jewish people to Yahweh are to be enjoyed by Christians. How and
why do you make this assumption? What of the question of
supercessionism?
>>>The Satan had entered our very being and held before us the
>>>image of the succulent apple.
What is your view of Satan? And the larger question - what is your
view of evil?
>>>We read of Qoheleth, the Teacher, who seems to be a person worn
>>>out from the trials and tribulations of life, who sees no benefit
>>>from being any different from the robber. All who live die under
>>>the sun.
and...
>>>Kierkegaard writes of Abraham's leap of faith; yet, Kierkegaard
>>>cannot be sure if Abraham was purely obeying God or was a coward.
>>>Christian faith develops from our letting God break into our
>>>lives through the intense struggle with the understanding of
>>>Scripture.
In both these instances, you might want to footnote (either
formally "elements of style"-ish or parenthetically) the source and/or
Scriptural reference.
>>>Christian faith over the centuries finds comfort, wisdom,
>>>guidance in Scripture. It finds food for the Soul when it
>>>opens the doors of the Sanctuary and enters, when it so lets
>>>itself be touched by the Spirit that dwells therein.
Christian faith has also been the cause of pain, persecution and
death over the centuries. Comments?
>>>Jesus broke with custom, with the tradition as it was known,
>>>and lived and visited among the poor, the adulterers, the
>>>tax collectors, the sinners.
Jesus broke not so much custom and tradition (the Decalogue speaks
of such things; Jewish law and custom always sought to include the
"alien within your gates". Jesus broke with the patriarchy and power
of the established faith. Such action today (the bringing in of the
marginalized) seems just as foreign to some factions of the 20th
century Christian church.
>>>Jesus had died for our sins, for our transgressions.
...
>>>The broken heart of God had mended itself with suffering
>>>love.
Your comments in the previous reply (about atonement) begin to
answer my questions of how the death and resurrection of Christ does
these things. As a spirit-filled, born-again Christion, I have
experienced your statements and understand them on a spiritual level.
As a theologion, I seek ways to explain the phenomenon on the mental
and scholarly level.
>>>God the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit, God the Creator,
>>>the Redeemer, the Sustainer lives with us.
I think you are building a parallel construction from the
traditional male imagery to an more inclusive description of the
Trinitarian Godhead. Perhaps there needs to be an introductary
statement or something - the "Father, Son" language really jumps out.
>>>It is through a united and uniting church that we see the
>>>possibility of order overcoming chaos.
What do you say to and about the differing groups within the UCC
that find it difficult to dialogue? I am thinking specifically about
the tension between the Biblical Witness Fellowship and the
denomination, and the call by recent BWF leaders to leave the covenant
of the synod and start their own. Comments from the Christian
perspective?
>>>These United States are no longer "congregational", nor are
>>>they "Protestant", nor are they "Christian."
Is that good or bad? How do Christians following one who claims to
be *the* way fit into a pluralistic society and/or denomination?
>>>...healthcare and dignity, where children are eliminated as a
>>>method of birth control.
>>>These questions and more are those which God calls me to address
>>>during my ministry. God calls us toward Shalom, toward a peace
>>>beyond understanding.
Volatile topic! Any talk of abortion within the UCC (especially
the Massachusetts Conference) raises flags. As one who agrees with
your point of view, I would ask you to ponder: How would you address
such issues during your ministry. How do you move towards Shalom in
such a place? Whose Shalom?
I've gone on and on here and have been interupted several times by real
work (imagine that!). I hope you take my comments, churn them over and
make of them what you will. If you would like to talk about it more,
please feel free to give me a call or send mail. Maybe I can give more
insight once I know which Association, etc., you are coming before.
I join with others here in wishing God's blessings on your calling. I
will keep you in my prayers.
In Christ,
Sue
|
| 381.11 | On Judgment | OLDTMR::FRANCEY | USS SECG dtn 223-5427 pko3-1/d18 | Fri Jan 10 1992 13:21 | 34 |
| On Judgment:
Others may believe that on Judgment Day, God will sit on his throne and
people will aproach the Pearly Gates in a single column. God will this
allow some to pass into the world without end and others will be
directed to the other lesser world, the pit, also without end.
Still others may expect to be questioned, be examined by God and then
allowed to enter or be rejected.
Certainly one can find many different treatments and biblicly prooftext
one's favorite scenerio.
My belief approaches the Universalist, as I understand that, approach
as I believe we will all make it into that new world without end, into
that new relationship with God. God will reveal Godself in such a way,
still allowing us thr freedom to choose or not to choose, that all will
choose new life with the one true and everlasting God.
I believe God is Love, God created Goodness, God thru God's Grace gave
us freedom to choose God's way. Through the Atonement, God's Gracious
act, we can choose At-One-Ment with God.
For God to finally say "No!" speaks to a God who is despotic, who lacks
Goodness and Mercy, and who lacks the ability to fulfill God's own
Divine Plan for a Peace to breath new life into God's created and loved
world.
From the perceived worst, such as Hitler, to the perceived best, such
as Mother Teresa and Ghandi - all will be moved toward the new light
that will forever drive out the darkness - and there will be darkness
no more.
How are these things possible? Thank God for God!
|
| 381.12 | A not-very-systematic opinion | LJOHUB::NSMITH | rises up with eagle wings | Fri Jan 10 1992 14:17 | 31 |
| Hi Ron,
(We have corresponded offline re: Atonement.) I don't have much to say
re: Judgment in terms of what you have written. I don't find any
"holes" in your logic.
I do personally see it a little differently, though, and thought I'd
share that difference here. (I don't have a very systematic theology
on this because I don't consider it -- this part of theology -- important.
I don't believe in a traditional Hell and I trust God with all
eschatological matters!)
> God will reveal Godself in such a way,
> still allowing us thr freedom to choose or not to choose, that all will
> choose new life with the one true and everlasting God.
This point of view seems contradictory to me. If God can do this, why
wait till then? The meaning of freedom IMO is that there is a real
possibility -- and a likelihood on the part of some -- of still saying
'No' to God!
I also *speculate* that perhaps it is possible to say No so repeatedly
and so consistently that one's "heart is hardened" and it becomes
extremely difficult ever to say Yes. That leaves me wondering whether
such souls sort of float around in misery for eternity or whether they
might eventually die (sort of waste away spiritually).
In any case, to me 'hell' is separation from God and is "achieved" only
by our own choice, never by God's choice or fiat!
Nancy
|
| 381.13 | the "whole" of my logic | OLDTMR::FRANCEY | USS SECG dtn 223-5427 pko3-1/d18 | Fri Jan 10 1992 15:17 | 23 |
| re .12
Nancy,
Why wait till then:
because in that endtime which is the new beginning time I believe God
will so reveal the full purpose of God's plan that we will *completely*
know and feel what true and pure Love is all about. Until that time,
we are given the freedom to work toward the light that emanates from
God. Being "perfect" humans, ie. sinners that we all are and being
less than God's wish for us leaves room for that final ecstasy.
Then you may find the really "whole" of my logic.
I also agree with you that the end time is really nothing for us to
worry about or concern ourselves about as God's plan for us is
something that is born out of pure Love. This might be why Augustine
said something like, "Love God and sin bravely."
Shalom,
Ron
|
| 381.14 | | LJOHUB::NSMITH | rises up with eagle wings | Fri Jan 10 1992 15:43 | 12 |
| > This might be why Augustine
> said something like, "Love God and sin bravely."
I think that was Paul "(If you sin, sin boldly.") But I don't know
the reference and I may be wrong.
Didn't St. A. say, "Love God and do as you will" or something to that
effect?
What's your next topic for us? :-)
Nancy
|
| 381.15 | your penetrating questions | OLDTMR::FRANCEY | USS SECG dtn 223-5427 pko3-1/d18 | Fri Jan 10 1992 17:11 | 16 |
| Let's say you're sitting there as either clergy or as laity during the coming
examination; you've read my ordination paper and some questions exist that
you're just dying to ask. Let's say, for the sake of brevity, that I've already
answered some questions (which would be the ones carried so far in the
responses of this base note) so that your q's cover new ground.
What are those q's?
Shalom,
Ron
ps: the nice thing is that you cannot see the sweat developing over this link!
;-)
|
| 381.16 | Non-theological questions | CSC32::J_CHRISTIE | Peace: the Final Frontier | Fri Jan 10 1992 20:09 | 29 |
| Well, Ron, I have a few burning questions for you to start with. Mind
you, not one examines your theological perspectives. I hope that's okay.
Why do you want to pastor a church (assuming that's what you want to do)?
What would you do if someone in your congregation took strong exception
to your theological outlook? What if it was a vocal faction of significant
size within your congregation?
If you felt God had laid it upon your heart to preach boldly on some very
sensitive issue, one which you know would have congregational repercussions
for you, how would you proceed with it?
How do you feel about committee and board meetings?
How do you feel about potlucks? :-) :-)
How do you feel about maintaining some really crazy hours? How do you intend
to provide your spouse and family the time and attention they deserve? Have
you discussed this matter with your family?
To you, what are some of your most important responsibilities in serving
as pastor?
Have you considered institutional chaplaincy or missionary work or serving
in some way beyond the local church?
Peace,
Richard
|
| 381.17 | A mouse-hole question | LJOHUB::NSMITH | rises up with eagle wings | Sat Jan 11 1992 12:33 | 13 |
| If either you or your spouse should decide in the future to discontinue
formal ministry and, in fact, felt you had to remove yourself from the
church -- yet still supported the other spouse in his/her ministry and
church involvement but wanted no part of it,
what would you do? would the other feel (emotionally) able to continue?
This happened to us.
(Sorry, Ron - this has nothing to do with your examination, so feel
free to table it till after next Wednesday! :-) )
Nancy
|
| 381.18 | on nontheological q's | OLDTMR::FRANCEY | USS SECG dtn 223-5427 pko3-1/d18 | Sat Jan 11 1992 18:05 | 370 |
| re: .16
Richard,
Thanks for the q's. I needed an excuse to stay at home today, anyway!
Your q's are probably right on the money as they are high candidates
for the Examining Committee! Thanks again, and I'm pooped!!!
Shalom,
Ron
-----------
1. Why do you want to pastor a church (assuming that's what you
want to do)?
When I first entered seminary some seven or so years ago, I
think it was for me a "head" trip, a place to learn "facts"
about God, a place for the rational mind to find food for its
satisfaction. I don't think (you know what I mean when you let
your inner self dialog with your outer self in the privacy of a
safe setting) that I really thought seriously that I would be
heading for Ordained Ministry. "Not me!", said the inner self
to the outer self. The outer self was pretty relieved to not
have to seriously ponder over questions like that!
And then there was that time, about three or four years into my
study at seminary when some extraordinary "events" (you know
what I mean by this kind of event, don't you? the kind of event
that isn't really an "event" as such except that during this
period something really happens to you - because God and you
have seen each other face to face, because you had an intimate
experience, one that is written not only in your head but on
your heart, forever and ever! Thanks be to God!) happened.
The setting was a nursing home. I, engaged within the required
Field Education program as a Minister-in-Training, had been
given a list of five names to visit by my supervisor, the pastor
of a little community church near Lake Winnipesaukee. I had
never "visited" anyone before and was pretty, well actually
very, apprehensive about the visit.
I remember driving up to the nursing home, getting out of the
car and walking toward what seemed to be that huge door in front
of me. As I entered the building and began the long walk to the
nurses station, the first sensation I had was of the different
smells that took hold of my senses. The smell of medicines,
waste not yet attended to, the trays of hot food being brought
to each room, of flowers oozing their fragrances, of perfumes
from visiting relatives and friends grabbed my immediate attention.
When I found the nurses' station, I handed over the slip of paper
with the five names on it and mentioned that I was a "minister"
(how strange that sounded, and how weird I felt!) from the local
community church and wished to visit these people. The nurse
took the paper, looked it over, grabbed a pencil and scratched
one name from the middle of the list out. "Sorry Pastor, but
you're a little late for visiting him. He died an hour ago.
His wife was with him but she left a few minutes ago."
Many things happened to me in those brief seconds when that name
was scratched out of existence. I wondered what I would have
done if I had been in the room with his wife and him during his
last moments, when he expired from his earthly life. I wondered
about his experience with the journey through life and of his
preparation for this rite of passage. I wondered about his
wife, her sorrow, her life that was yet to be.
And so I went to visit a woman, crippled at any early age with
polio, an inhabitant of the nursing home at the early age of 52.
After I introduced myself to the woman in the wheelchair as a
"minister" from the local church, she reached up to me from the
table where she had been busily writing a letter to one of her
friends, and her first words were: "Do you know that Mr .X died
just a little while ago? I was with his wife and we hugged a
little. I just walked her out to the door (and her in her
wheelchair!)a little while ago. Perhaps you'd like to call on her
later."
Here before me was what ministry was all about. Was that woman
in the wheelchair concerned with fear of ministry? No! She
cared for others in powerful and meaningful ways. Now, looking
back to that moment, I am not surprised that she responded with
bowed head when I asked her if we could pray for a moment.
There were countless times during that year as Minister-in-Training
when God presented ways for me to grow, to grow spiritually, to
grow as preacher, as youth group leader. I met with families
for Sunday dinners and we shared many things about our lives,
about our understanding of the world, about God's purpose for us
and others.
There were times of joy when children's birthdays were celebrated
on a Sunday afternoon, when I took the youth group for mountain
hikes, when we gathered at church for worship, for pot-luck
lunches and suppers. There were periods of concern, of crisis,
when visiting with suicidal patients, church people who were
unable to cope with the unfair blows dealt to them.
And so, Richard, you ask why I want to be in Ordained Ministry.
People need to know there is a God out there, a God who loves
them so, so much that absolutely nothing - nothing - can
separate them from the love of God for them. People need to
know that there is Hope out there, that there is a promise made
to us for a new life, a new relationship with God, to a world
without end. I feel God has so touched me throughout my life
(many times without my immediate awareness at all), that God has
given me gifts to use for pastoring God's children.
We all have gifts given to us by God and mine are no more special
than anybody else's. We all are the body of Christ. We are all
ordained into the priesthood of all believers. To me, Ordained
Ministry is the calling by God of one who is gifted to preach
and teach God's Holy Word, to administer the Sacraments, to care
for God's people and her Church.
2. What would you do if someone in your congregation took strong
exception to your theological outlook? What if it were a vocal
faction of significant size within your congregation?
Attack!!!!!!!! Hardly!
The first thing to do with the people in my congregation is to
grow to love them, all of them. I should avoid their "perception"
that I have singled them out, that I have attempted to make
fools of them, during sermon delivery or during different events
of the church.
I believe people offer the best solutions to living out their
individual lives as they are capable of at any particular moment
in time; this includes their expressing (strong) differences of
opinion regarding theological issues. Although a preacher
(myself) might long for "instant" change within the hearts of
certain congregants, often a preacher implants nothing other
than a seed which one hopes is planted in fertile ground.
My wish is to cultivate a style of sermon delivery that presents
choices for the parishioners, informed choices. It is no good
for me to direct the congregants to believe this or to believe
that; they are the ones who own their choices, who will live out
their lives based on the foundation from their selected
material.
Gabriel Fackre, a noted Systematic Theologian from my seminary,
wrote a book called "In Word and Deed." My theological words
are only words, and words without substance, until the time
comes that I live out the words that I preach. In prison
ministry I learned from the prisoners that: "You can't con a
con! You need to 'walk your talk'". What better way to influence
those disagreeing with my spoken theology than with my
incorporating those beliefs into action!
From another viewpoint, I need to add that my theology is still
developing. The book is not closed but is still being written.
I give thanks to a God who so inspires people to claim different
understandings of the Creation and to share them in the same
first book of Scripture. I give thanks to God who gives us Freedom
to choose, who excites us to seek right living. I thank God for
those who speak out for the "Right to Life" and for those who
speak out for the "Right to Choice."
Freedom, the right to choose between the lesser of two evils,
gives birth to the need to address significant issues before us.
No wonder that others may have a different theological viewpoint
than mine. Thanks be to God that God loves us so!
3. If you felt God had laid it upon your heart to preach boldly
on some very sensitive issue, one which you know would have
congregational repercussions for you, how would you proceed with
it?
The first thing to do with the people in my congregation is to
grow to love them, to care for them deeply. I don't believe my
job is to be the person to take action on each significant position,
to make the decisions for others; rather, I do believe my
position as Pastor is to enable others to make informed decisions
about life, about loving others as they love themselves.
In "Generation to Generation", by Friedman, the triangular
structure of interfamily relationships and the strength of that
tensioned bond are dealt with instructively. Methodologies exist
which help move one from being "stuck" in a relationship to one
who is drawn into the light of a new and clearer vision.
Powerful, inspiring sermons are not those which divide but ones
which find ways for God's people to become more fully what God's
intention for them is. And so let us be reminded of the
familiar words: "Oh God, let the words of my mouth and the
mediations of each of our hearts be acceptable unto thy sight,
Oh Lord, our Strength and our Redeemer."
Perhaps a sermon on the meaning of the above quote might be in
order for a congregation venturing into the wilderness of life.
Thanks be to God for the Love given to the Created Ones.
4. How do you feel about committee and board meetings?
The meetings, including all-church meetings (like the Annual
Meeting), are opportunities for church growth, for the church to
claim and own the mission of the church, to live out the "missio
dei", the mission of God. Through meetings beginning with
prayer (not necessarily led by the Pastor), embraced by the Will
of God, empowered by the Holy Spirit, dealing with issues of the
local and wider church, the Body of Christ can work toward and
for the Glory of God.
The role of the pastor is to help the people of the church to
see a vision, to break down the barriers which tend to shut
people out, to find ways for God's people to love others - and
in so doing, to love themselves. The United Church of Christ is
a body whose vision is a united and uniting church.
For me, meetings have also been on my growing edge. Many times
I have gone into different meetings with my own agenda, my own
expectations of what would, of what should be addressed in said
meeting only to leave the meeting somewhat frustrated by the
outcome. I believe now that my "expectations" for a meeting
should be similar to the expectations I've learned to have when
preaching before the children during the "Children's Talk." I
never did grow to love the children any less for all their
antics and interruptions during my so carefully delivered
"mini-sermon"; in fact, I think I grew to love them more - so
too, have I grown to love the people of the meetings.
5. How do you feel about potlucks? :-) :-)
At my local church, there's a group of women in their late
eighties and into their nineties that I swear keep trying to
steal me away from my wife! And with the pies they bring ...
hummm!
What a great way for intergenerational gatherings! What a great
way to share a common meal! What a way to find out about the
"missing", about the people's caring for the missing as they
discuss sicknesses, separation, of one's losing one's job, of
parents called away to their children's school and athletic
events, of families visiting with their families of origin.
What a great way to put on weight! Ask my wife!
6. How do you feel about maintaining some really crazy hours?
How do you intend to provide your spouse and family the time and
attention they deserve? Have you discussed this matter with your
family?
My family, which is my spouse and myself at this point in our
lives, already keep some pretty crazy hours; but, those crazy
hours are pretty much spent with each other. Currently, she's
attending seminary with six courses to go and last semester had
one evening course which I sat in with her during the semester.
That was great! I learned something about preaching methodologies
and she had to do the work!
I'm currently a member of the Pastoral Search Committee for our
church which is seventy miles from home. When there is an
evening meeting my spouse comes along with me, often with a book
in hand, and reads until she wishes to discuss some points.
"What do you think about ... ?" "You're crazy! How could you
possibly believe that???" "Gee, this seems to be something our
church could really use. What do you think?"
And so our goal is (and we hope God blesses us with a call to)
shared ministry. We each have gifts which complement each
other's gifts and believe that the combination of same will be
right somewhere.
Our personal free time is spent sailing New England ocean waters.
We have a twenty six foot Pearson sloop named "Yin Yang" and she
is a thing of beauty. A few years ago I was transferred to RI
and so we sailed from Portland, ME to Narragansett Bay. That
first summer we sailed from Providence to the Statue of Liberty
via Long Island Sound. Later we sailed from Providence to Bar
Harbor and back doing our first all nighters sailing four days
straight into the thick fog surrounding Bar Harbor.
We have been in and around harbor seals, dolphins, have sailed
within five feet of whales for hours at a time. We have seen
seal cubs feeding off their mother, have spent late evening
watches of Aurora Borealis, seen stream after stream of shooting
stars, have walked on trails of unpopulated islands and were
visited by the inquisitive eyes of those deer populated islands.
We have met people who came out of their elegant summer homes
inviting us to take refuge with them during this past season's
Hurricane Bob. We shared in the watch for a lost fisherman a
few minutes after his being taken overboard by the lines of his
string of lobster traps. We have prayed together amidst the
evening winds and in the breathe and breadth of each new day.
God has been kind to us, has made known to us of God's ever
abundant love for each of us, for us together. We give you
thanks, most Dear God.
7. To you, what are some of your most important responsibilities
in serving as pastor?
To preach and teach God's Holy Word effectively and to administer
the Sacraments of Holy Communion and Baptism and to care for
God's People. Although worship service represents the one hour
when the people of God come together and may be the most
important hour for the pastor to reach out and touch most
members of the congregation, other events may asynchronously
interrupt the pastor's preparation of said hour.
The pastor (my wife and myself) needs to be there for the people
of the church. When one gets the late night call, one gets out
of bed and goes to the home or to the hospital. When a mother
calls about her husband's suicide or when a family is burned out
of their home, a pastor's place is with the people.
An important and essential responsibility is to maintain confidentiali
to not expose things of a personal or private nature.
The pastors role includes visiting people in their homes, in hospitals
in nursing homes and visiting well people as well as the sick
and downtrodden.
The pastor is to encourage others to relate their faith to their
daily lives, to help them become fully what God intends for them
and to help them discern those possibilities.
The pastor should encourage the church to engage in the wider
mission of the church as well as encourage local mission.
My role also is to have a commitment to and for the youth of the
church, to work with youth through the trying adolescent years,
to work with the youth of single or broken families, to work
with the youth from as they approach Confirmation. The youth
are the next generation of the church and without them there
will be no church.
8. Have you considered institutional chaplaincy or missionary
work or serving in some way beyond the local church?
My first patient during my summer of CPE (Clinical Pastoral
Education) was a young man suffering from AIDS in a hospital and
in a town where AIDS and homophobia were not yet grasped by
many. The patient was on the outs with his mother; she couldn't
understand why he could have lived such a life. I worked with
both of them for several weeks and was pleased to see the
progress of the rebuilding of their loving relationship. Where
at first the mother, during her daily visits, would simply sit
in the shaded room gazing out the window without focusing on
anything you or I would see to the later weeks when she would
hold her son's hand, the Grace of God was invisibly working to
unite the two in love.
Working out of the guidance of the clinical setting I learned
many skills in that hospital that will help me to be a better
equipped pastor. Other work as Chaplain with the Concord NH
State Prison for several years also taught me skills and exposed
me to family turmoil at its worst. I thank God for those
serving as Chaplains in hospitals, nursing homes, prisons,
colleges and I expect that our paths will cross many times in
the future.
A problem with serving beyond the local church if one also is
serving at the local church is one that needs to be addressed.
It is all too easy for a person like myself to run off and try
to be the "Savior" of the world. Jesus is the Savior, not me.
God also calls me to be a steward of resources, of my gifts, of
my physical, mental and spiritual self.
When God caused manna to be placed before the people, there was
enough for everybody; yet, some people deemed it necessary to
grab for themselves more than the day's supply. So too does God
still spread the manna before us, the manna of kindness, of
caring. There is enough for each of us to share in that common
lot. When we overdo, when we have gathered more manna than can
be consumed, the manna will spoil and rot.
And so we hope to serve a church and her people. May God so
bless us.
|
| 381.19 | no cats in this house! | OLDTMR::FRANCEY | USS SECG dtn 223-5427 pko3-1/d18 | Sat Jan 11 1992 19:01 | 67 |
| re .17
Nancy,
Your q seems very relevant and one which causes me to explore what
could become reality for us as well. Mice are quiet aren't they
especially when they don't know the whereabouts of the cat. I wonder
where yours is.
It's often difficult to know what one would do if ... Hopefully my
spouse and I will early on find a regular Pastoral Councillor or some
other form of therapy, a source for expressing oneself within a
clinical setting. The counselling should probably be individual
counselling and with different counsellors so that one would not be
"perceived" as having power or knowledge over the other counselee.
Some people may regard therapy as weird, whacko or as a mark that one
is not fit for Ordained Ministry. I view it as essential.
Another thing we would hopefully have in place prior to the happening
of your case would be our involvement with a clergy group, a group of
peers who can hopefully covenant with each other to support one another
in defenseless ways. Other resources also exist within the UCC as one
has a relationship with the Conference Minister which can be
cultivated. The Office of Church Life and Leadership is also a
harbinger of further resources such as people and printed material.
There are probably many reasons that would lead to such a scenerio as
you describe and the way one would deal with these different cases
depends on many things, some of which might be:
whether one was being thrown out of the church or chose to leave
whether one felt called to something else or no longer called to
Ordained Ministry
whether health circumstances meant a requirement to change from the
hectic lifestyle of one engaged in the previous ministry
whether one was willing or able to let go of the earlier established
special relationship of the shared or otherwise twin ministries
whether one felt betrayed by the other
whether one felt that the change was a substantial way to contribute to
the growth of the other
For myself personally, I love working on issues around ministry with my
spouse. My expectations are that we are going to be very busy people
and I cannot imagine our not doing this stuff of ministry without each
other being in the thick of it. I think this is where being in therapy
would be invaluable. Sometimes it is important not to try to do things
alone. Sometimes we need support from others. Thanks be to God that
some people have been tuned as fine craftspeople and offer that gift
for our consumption.
I'm not sure that I've been able to get close enough to answering your
q's or providing food for thought. Perhaps you would like to add some
comments so that we might zoom in to have closer scrutiny in an area
you wish to explore. Of course I'm interested in your own life
experiences and am there to share and be there for you in any way you
wish.
Shalom,
Ron
|
| 381.20 | pushing a bit harder | LJOHUB::NSMITH | rises up with eagle wings | Sat Jan 11 1992 19:55 | 85 |
| <<< Note 381.18 by OLDTMR::FRANCEY "USS SECG dtn 223-5427 pko3-1/d18" >>>
-< on nontheological q's >-
> 1. Why do you want to pastor a church (assuming that's what you
> want to do)?
What great experiences! Thanks for sharing them here!
> 2. What would you do if someone in your congregation took strong
> exception to your theological outlook? What if it were a vocal
> faction of significant size within your congregation?
>
> I believe people offer the best solutions to living out their
> individual lives as they are capable of at any particular moment
> in time; this includes their expressing (strong) differences of
> opinion regarding theological issues. Although a preacher
> (myself) might long for "instant" change within the hearts of
> certain congregants...
What if Richard's proposed "faction" is anxious for an "instant" change
in *you* -- "or else"? What if that faction should work destructively
(i.e., "behind the scenes") to spread discontent and get you fired?
> 3. If you felt God had laid it upon your heart to preach boldly
> on some very sensitive issue, one which you know would have
> congregational repercussions for you, how would you proceed with
> it?
Ron, I didn't feel satisfied with your answer to this one...
> The first thing to do with the people in my congregation is to
> grow to love them, to care for them deeply.
Just for the record, I agree. You don't go into a congregation with
the purpose of changing them or activating them, regardless of "where
they're at" or what their needs are.
> I don't believe my
> job is to be the person to take action on each significant position,
> to make the decisions for others; rather, I do believe my
> position as Pastor is to enable others to make informed decisions
> about life, about loving others as they love themselves.
Here I think you're avoiding the question -- or not being complete in
your answer. Of course it's not your job to make decisions for others
-- but if there is to be any prophetic element in your ministry at all,
surely there will be times when you must clearly state your *own*
decisions about sensitive and controversial issues.
You may not feel called to even consider doing that just
yet. It's also true that there is probably a large number of pastors
who manage never to be in that situation. Maybe God has not laid that
kind of burden on your heart -- but it may happen some day.
So, to use your own words, *how* would you "enable others to make
informed decisions about life" in regard to abortion, capital
punishment, and even all the "issues" that will come up in the
Presidential election -- employment, international trade relations,
etc.
> Powerful, inspiring sermons are not those which divide but ones
> which find ways for God's people to become more fully what God's
> intention for them is.
Some pastors *never* preach on such subjects
and try to maintain a distinct boundary between "religious" and
"political" issues. Is it your conviction, also, that these areas
should be kept separate?
> 4. How do you feel about committee and board meetings?
>
> The meetings, including all-church meetings (like the Annual
> Meeting), are opportunities for church growth, for the church to
> claim and own the mission of the church, to live out the "missio
> dei", the mission of God.
Have you thought about how you might deal with a situation where one
individual is a constant troublemaker in *every* meeting and causes
other, more effective, church officers to resign?
Nancy
|
| 381.21 | Well, let's try it *this* way: | LJOHUB::NSMITH | rises up with eagle wings | Sat Jan 11 1992 20:17 | 65 |
| Ron,
Hmm, I had to go back and read my question again when I read your
answer -- I didn't understand the mice thing. But I had felt I was
sidetracking your examiniation preparation -- but not quite enough to
call it a full-fledged "rathole" -- hence the "mouse-hole." That's all
I meant by the notes title. :-)
Also, I was sort of thrown by your reference to counseling. I didn't
mean to imply that the situation need cause marital discord!. In my
situation, perhaps similar(?) to yours, part of our love and choosing
each other to marry was to share ministry. I intentionally set out to
date pre-ministerial students so that the likelihood of marrying
someone with a calling similar to my own would be increased. Likewise,
my husband did not want a traditional wife (we met in 1958 and married
in 1962) but a partner.
About ten years after we married -- and after seeking counseling on it
himself -- my husband decided to leave both the pastoral ministry and
the church. He said he felt God called him to leave just as strongly
as he had felt that God called him into it. I understood my husband's
issues and, though they were not *my* issues, I supported his decision.
There was no marital disagreement involved. It was between him and
God. Although I sought to marry a minister, I fell in love with, and
married, a specific man, and my vows did not suddenly change because of
his own struggles and decisions.
Nevertheless, it certainly had an impact on me emotionally and on
how I could relate to the church.
(BTW, we had joint counseling at a different point in our marriage, so
I'm not down on therapy at all!)
So... suppose one of you remains comfortable and committed to ministry
and the other one feels called to leave it for secular work -- and to
withdraw from participation in the church, as well. Furthermore,
assume that:
- no one is being thrown out of the church
- the one leaving feels as I described
- health issues are not involved
- neither spouse feels betrayed by the other
- the one leaving is doing so because of his/her own need and
"contributing to the growth of the other" is not part of the picture
> whether one was willing or able to let go of the earlier established
> special relationship of the shared or otherwise twin ministries
ok - *this* is part of the question I'm asking *you*!
> and I cannot imagine our not doing this stuff of ministry without each
> other being in the thick of it.
I don't mean for my question to in any way dampen your joint commitment
or your joy in that!! It just happens to be something that happened
to us and forced me to consider, "NOW what do I do?"
Frankly, I don't think a person is likely to be able (nor should s/he
be expected) to have an answer for this "what if." Perhaps it is
enough to be aware that such is a possibility...
Peace,
Nancy
|
| 381.22 | re 381.20, point 2 | OLDTMR::FRANCEY | USS SECG dtn 223-5427 pko3-1/d18 | Sun Jan 12 1992 21:25 | 46 |
| > What if Richard's proposed "faction" is anxious for an "instant" change
> in *you* -- "or else"? What if that faction should work destructively
> (i.e., "behind the scenes") to spread discontent and get you fired?
My mentor during my Field Ed days talked with me a few times during my
years stay that it was very important for me to work hard at choosing the
right church for myself. He told me about his history as a successful
pastor in the churches he had been associated with over the years and
talked with me about choice, luck and God's Grace.
He supported the ministry I had done over the year and was glad for me that
I had been so well received and respected, that the people of the church
had so affirmed my role and growth as Minister-in-Training.
Since that time some four years ago, I have witnessed several "deaths"
of many ministers in mnay churches. Often the ministers were dealt ]
what seemed to me to be unconscienable blows, (very) unChristian blows.
One Baptist Pastor was being worked at from underground and shortly
after he found out what had been happening called me into his office,
closed the door and cried. A few months later he left the ministry
all together.
Another minister from a very large church (900 people), who spoke
out in sermons for the marginalized, for the more well off to take
affirmative action for the less well off in the city was forced into
defending himself with legal counsel as both sides went at it in a
publicly announced all-church meeting during which the "vote" was
taken. He won by a 2/3 vote of affirmation and within a year resigned
from that church.
Another pastor who graduated a few years ago took his first pastorate
and within two months was asked to significantly change his ways or
he would be out of a job in short order. The person who instigated
this statement was none other than the co-chair of the pastoral
search committee.
I think the best one can do is to be as careful as possible with the
church one agrees to serve, take the time to be able to love the people
of the parish before trying difficult stretching sermons with them
and make sure as possible that they know you love them. One also
needs to develop a strong ego, look to God for guidance and spiritual
renewal and replenishment of used resources. Finally, one needs
to know when to sharpen up the resume and begin the search for the
next position.
|
| 381.23 | more responses to 381.20 | OLDTMR::FRANCEY | USS SECG dtn 223-5427 pko3-1/d18 | Mon Jan 13 1992 13:20 | 165 |
| Nancy,
enclosed are my attempts to answer your other q's which stem from Richard's
q's of note 381.20.
I've added |
Ron
---------------------
> I don't believe my
> job is to be the person to take action on each significant position,
> to make the decisions for others; rather, I do believe my
> position as Pastor is to enable others to make informed decisions
> about life, about loving others as they love themselves.
Here I think you're avoiding the question -- or not being complete in
your answer. Of course it's not your job to make decisions for others
-- but if there is to be any prophetic element in your ministry at all,
surely there will be times when you must clearly state your *own*
decisions about sensitive and controversial issues.
You may not feel called to even consider doing that just
yet. It's also true that there is probably a large number of pastors
who manage never to be in that situation. Maybe God has not laid that
kind of burden on your heart -- but it may happen some day.
So, to use your own words, *how* would you "enable others to make
informed decisions about life" in regard to abortion, capital
punishment, and even all the "issues" that will come up in the
Presidential election -- employment, international trade relations,
etc.
|One is not effective if one's style polarizes the assembled congregation. So
|at least one of the secrets or perhaps part of the art of reaching the
|gathered community could be preaching with a style that reaches the hearts
|of the people and calls them to act as people of Faith as they leave the
|sanctuary and prepare for the following week.
|
|Let me try to be a little more concrete. Let's say that I was against death
|and destruction of war. Let's say I also wanted nuclear arms to cease.
|Perhaps I might develop some rich imagery for use during the sermon which
|graphically presented images of death, destruction, children's body torn and
|scattered over a war torn wasteland. Perhaps I might use such an image as
|the one I will never be able to forget, maybe you've seen this. I'm
|referring to the song ringing out from Satchmo's trumpet (the name of the
|tune is something like "Oh what a lovely day its been"), a song of hope,
|of goodness, of valuing people and life. The song is the background music
|in "Good Morning Vietnam" and is used as the war crashes in on innocent
|babies, mothers, and others caught as victims of that terrible war.
|
|And then I might paint a picture for the congregants that offered hope,
|prosperity, a new life. Perhaps a picture of Christ Jesus, blood dripping
|from the cross might be used to show how we can make his suffering an act
|of love we cherish or one that is wasted.
> Powerful, inspiring sermons are not those which divide but ones
> which find ways for God's people to become more fully what God's
> intention for them is.
Some pastors *never* preach on such subjects
and try to maintain a distinct boundary between "religious" and
"political" issues. Is it your conviction, also, that these areas
should be kept separate?
|Last week I marched with approximately 5000 other Christians, Jews, Moslems to
|the State Capital Building of RI to demand "RIght Now" (the title of our
|theme) that those in State Government positions begin to act ethically,
|morally in their positions of power, in the ways they conducted themselves,
|in the very acts (bills) they sponsored. We demanded that the governments
|ways were to change RIght Now. Preachers, Rabbis, people of Denominational
|distinction preached, prayed, sang to these subjects. After the worship
|service we circled the capital building about six people deep and held hands
|and prayed that God might hear us and so touch the hearts and minds of those
|in positions of political power.
|
|Then, yesterday the people of the congregation were told about the group of
|people, yes, even that there were several from our church, that had marched
|to the capital building last week.
|
|This is a way to reach the others who did not march. This is a way that
|shows that people care to take a position and take part in that position
|actively.
|
|Another way that I might try to make a statement would be to present the
|position made in "The Naked Public Square" (the author's name escapes me)
|who rightly claims that people have stopped pushing for justice and peace
|in the public sqaure of life but yet people had urgent needs that were
|not being met. The book claims that what will happen is that the void in
|the square will be filled - filled by others who grab the space and force
|issues their way. The point is that we must reclaim this naked public
|square before it is too late.
> 4. How do you feel about committee and board meetings?
>
> The meetings, including all-church meetings (like the Annual
> Meeting), are opportunities for church growth, for the church to
> claim and own the mission of the church, to live out the "missio
> dei", the mission of God.
Have you thought about how you might deal with a situation where one
individual is a constant troublemaker in *every* meeting and causes
other, more effective, church officers to resign?
|I've been involved with a rapidly declining church for the past three years.
|In fact, I chose to become a member in the church to get experience in issues
|similar to what you raise. My somewhat selfish thought was to get experience
|in somebody "else's" church before I got experience in my own! Actually,
|it's not that selfish as I was to become an unpaid Licensed Minister for
|the church and support the acting Pastor.
|
|One person in the church has been an active member for thirty or so years. He
|has a heart of gold and is well liked by the senior members of the church.
|The only problem is that you've got to do things his way or else! His way
|includes removing the Mission dollars from being a line item on the budget. He
|insists that no money be sent to the UCC Conference Office for them to
|distribute money to those "Commie, Pinko Organizations!!!!!"
|
|Almost all the others see the Conference as a positive group and one that
|our church should support. He says, "Don't send 'em a dime, not even for
|Basic Support, not even for Conference Dues!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
|
|Every year at the annual mtg, he shows up to make a motion for a vote to
|get our money "the Hell our of the UCC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
|
|So you ask what my role in all this is. I asked to become a member of the
|Mission Committee and shortly thereafter was made Co-director of it. I
|sponsored the generation of a church statement on the purpose of the church,
|the role of mission to the local and wider community. I asked "the" person,
|to join me on a task to support mission work for another local church. My
|intention was to get to know the person better and to have him get to
|understand what his actual discomfort was all about.
|
|This approach failed. The person would come to our meetings but the meeting
|always got to "the" subject rather than the events that were planned for the
|meeting.
|
|At last year's annual mtg, he got so angry and acted so intensely and
|vociferously upset that he literaly drove two new families straight out of
|the church. They never came back after that mtg.
|
|I contacted the UCC Regl Office for Church Life and Leadership and got several
|publications on conflict resolution. I studied the material and presented
|some bible studies on conflict management to the remaining Mission Committee
|members. Other things were also tried during the year but there was a kind
|of sickness that has permeated the church over the shouting in the halls of
|the church.
|
|Next Sunday is this year's annual meeting. Although "he" has not come to
|worship service for the past year, "he" will absolutely be back for the
|annual vote again, and again, and again.
|
|Reality is that one person in a church can cause such a rift in the church
|that it may finally have to close its doors or at least case the pastor to
|look elsewhere for a pastorate.
|
|Do I have the answers? Not in a long shot. But would I take a church with
|such a history of problems? Not if I had done my homework carefully, had
|consulted my local Conference Minister and other area ministers, had been
|able to get a feeling of a lack of support from the church to which I was
|applying.
|
|Would I take on this church as an Interim Pastor? Absolutely. The church
|shows that it needs to go through a period of healing. Many Interim Pastors
|specialize in such territories.
|
| 381.24 | on therapy | OLDTMR::FRANCEY | USS SECG dtn 223-5427 pko3-1/d18 | Mon Jan 13 1992 13:36 | 35 |
| re .21
Nancy,
I wondered what your "mouse-hole" was about and am pleased that you
were not suggesting that you were one to hide away in some dark hole
someplace! ;-)
Your comments throughout this notesfile confirms my assertion!
Anyway, my suggestion for theapy isn't because there "is" a family
problem but is a way to help one so there won't be an irreconcilable
problem in the future. Take myself for instance. Who can I really
talk with about anything and everything?
Will it be my wife and co-partner in the pastorate? Sure, for most
things but maybe not for all things. Will it be a parishioner? Not
likely. How about the Conference Minister? Or other local pastors?
Therapy is a tool for use in helping one grow.
And so you ask what I might do, given the scenerio you describe.
Probably a lot of praying, maybe a weekend alone at the Weston Priory
(Benedictine Monks), maybe a weekend alone for my spouse, maybe some
therapy.
I believe that you are right in that noone can really have "the" answer
but can only be aware that the possibility exists. We have talked
about many different kinds of ministry and look forward to the time
when we can officially begin the search.
Shalom,
Ron
|
| 381.25 | Sounds good... | LJOHUB::NSMITH | rises up with eagle wings | Mon Jan 13 1992 16:07 | 3 |
| You sure have good answers, Ron! You should do well -- God bless you!
Nancy
|
| 381.26 | | LJOHUB::NSMITH | rises up with eagle wings | Tue Jan 14 1992 16:13 | 3 |
| Tomorrow's the Day, isn't it?
What time?
|
| 381.27 | the bell tolls at two | OLDTMR::FRANCEY | USS SECG dtn 223-5427 pko3-1/d18 | Tue Jan 14 1992 16:29 | 15 |
| 2:00pm tomorrow!
I'm really looking forward to it! It'll be a great way to clean out
the old pores, a new way for cleansing, a reverse Baptism. I wonder
how the Committee's going to feel when they see the drip, drip, drip -
running off my brow, down my nose and spashing on my Ordination Paper.
Actually, you know I'm smiling from ear to ear!
Maybe, just maybe God is too!
Shalom,
Ron
|
| 381.28 | hooray, hooray, hooray!!! | OLDTMR::FRANCEY | USS SECG dtn 223-5427 pko3-1/d18 | Wed Jan 15 1992 20:28 | 12 |
| hooray, hooray, hooray!
Now the search can begin!!!
Thanks be to God!
Thanks for the power of prayer, for friends, for family, for spouse! <<< Note 381.27 by OLDTMR::FRANCEY "USS SECG dtn 223-5427
Shalom,
Ron
|
| 381.29 | Great News, Ron! | LJOHUB::NSMITH | rises up with eagle wings | Wed Jan 15 1992 20:29 | 1 |
| Now tell us more about what they asked...!!
|
| 381.30 | | CSC32::J_CHRISTIE | Peace: the Final Frontier | Wed Jan 15 1992 20:46 | 7 |
| Ummmm.......Praise God from whom all blessings flow.......and congratulations
to you!
After you calm down a little, would you tell us what the experience was like
for you? ;-}
Richard
|
| 381.31 | congratulations | AKOCOA::FLANAGAN | waiting for the snow | Thu Jan 16 1992 11:48 | 4 |
| Congratulations. I too am looking forward to hearing about the
experience.
Pat
|
| 381.32 | on the interview | OLDTMR::FRANCEY | USS SECG dtn 223-5427 pko3-1/d18 | Sat Jan 18 1992 23:39 | 170 |
| The wait outside the Conference Room was an occasion for what had been my
steady nerves to lose the tug-of-war with my not-so-steady nerves for a few
moments. And so I called on a form of meditation, mantra, learned and first
used by me at seminary. As described to me, one is to touch a part of one's
body; it may be any part, a knee, an ear, in my case I put my hands together
in praying fashion, extend and touch each index finger together and do the
same with each thumb - this forming something like a little church with a
steeple. One is then to think of a word or a phrase, to eliminate all other
thoughts, all other busyness creeping into one's head and to close one's eyes
and focus only on the word or phrase which is repeatedly issued from within.
Although people were told they could change the place of touch and/or the
word from time to time over different uses of this mantra, my touch has always
(for the past five years) always been the same and my phrase also remains
unchanged, that being "God is Love." And so my nerves were calmed as I
centered and locked on to this effective way to relax and communicate
peaceably with God.
The Chair of the Church and Ministry Committee came out of the closed room
and warmly greeted me. He said I should expect a short stay of about a half
hour. About ten people were sitting around the two large conference room
tables; two people were new to the committee and to me. One of the new
people was my spouse's In Care Advisor prior to my spouse's divorce four
years ago. The other new person is my new advisor for my Licensed Ministry
program.
After introductions, the Chair said it was custom for the candidate to take a
few minutes to comment on the Ordination Paper. I emphasized the value the
Faith Journey section was to me for its development put me in touch with my
own faith development and reconciliation with family members. The distance
in time from my early childhood though my adolescent days, through the years
my children grew to adulthood, to now, gave me an opportunity to reflect in
a way I had not previously done. The development of the paper gave me a
chance to see God's presence in my life in times when I had no idea of that
presence at all.
And so I told them of early years. I lived in Brockton, Ma with my Mom and
"Stepfather" until she died when I was eight. She had suffered with cancer
from the time I was born. My "Stepfather" was an immigrant from Lithuania,
had his highest income of $4400 per year, and was not able to take care of me
and to have us live together. He moved to the Lithuanian Village and I moved
from a poorer neighborhood to be with my aunt and uncle in Lexington, Ma. -
this being prearranged before my Mom's death.
The relationship soured forever when I turned down their request to be adopted,
to take their name for myself. You see, to me, my name was Francey and I was
on a life long mission to cure the name "Francey". I had been told that my
father was a drunk, that he left my mother in a terrible situation, that he
simply was no good. So I began in earnest to make the name Francey honorable,
to lift the image so that my mother's name would no longer be tarnished.
I worked hard in those early years always pushing to be the best, always with
this mission driving me on. It wasn't until I was nineteen and during a time
when I went to visit my stepfather in the village that I became stunned,
became breathless. I went to one of the local village bars where my stepfather
spent time on both sides of the bar during most of his time. I spoke to a
swaggering drunk who was blocking the doorway and said I was looking for my
stepfather, Joe Svirsky. He swung a look a me and slurped out: "He's not
your stepfadthaa, he's your fadthur."
And so I pointed out to the committee how it is with so many people in life,
so many people living out what they believe to be the truth in life, so many
people on a mission. I mentioned before the pastors and lay people about this
serious "stuff" that exists in so many families within the church, brother
against brother, mother against son - and yet all loved by God. Praise be to
God!
I mentioned the tenderness of the moment on the day I finally was able to go
to my dad and so "Father." We cried together that day in love.
I was asked about my current work and plans for the future. I mentioned my
current work at church and plans for a shared ministry with Dot, my spouse.
They asked what the people at Digital thought about the plans for ministry.
So, I removed two stapled stacks from my folder: one of an extract of this
base note and another (thicker) from a running dialogue with several people
who decided to contribute privately rather than through the public eyes. I
told them how I put my Ordination Paper on line and that I asked for critiques.
I mentioned how some of you pushed and pushed and pushed and that this was a
thing of beauty and love. I mentioned that we discussed practical things
about ministry, theological points such as Atonement ...
And so the noted theologian in the group said, sounds like a good place to
start, like right now! My beliefs within that doctrine, stated within this
base note, almost came out the way I believe.
The Conference Minister pushed me on how I dealt with anger. The Chair also
said how he thought I had a lot of courage to be here based on my childhood, a
self-owned and managed business that sucked the family resources dry. He
thought many people would have committed themselves to a mental institution
somewhere along the line. Another minister in the group recalled that I had
also had some difficulty, had been treated "unfairly" by another Conference
of the UCC.
So I told the story how I had been denied "In Care" status and told that the
decision was permanent, was irrevocable, that they were doing this for my
"good" and that I should probably drop seminary! I mentioned how I asked for
the basis of their conclusion and never got a straight answer. [Friends of
this notesfile, this BTW never happens. This is the first level of examination
and generally occurs shortly after beginning seminary.]
I mentioned the ride home from Concord NH that night with tears flowing down
my cheek - and I mentioned the song that came on as soon as I put the radio
on: "Leaving on a jet plane".
So how did I deal with anger (and with hurt)? I thought about the decision
for several months knowing that the people of that committee were good people,
were doing what they thought to be correct and to be caring. I decided to
continue with seminary as I really enjoyed studying and learning more about
Christian history, Faith, God, ministry in general. I also decided to give
myself one more opportunity for considering Ordained Ministry. I would enter
the one year course in Field Education as a minister-in-training working ten
to twenty hours per week in a church setting while continuing my fultime work
as an independent consultant.
That year was the year for my development and affirmation as minister. It was
the best year I've ever had, the most enjoyable, the one contributing to my
worship, pastoral care, youth development skillsets. It also was a year that
I met my mentor, the pastor of the Community Church. He simply asked me what
I wanted to do for the year. It was to be my year and he would help me in any
way possible. He gave me unrestricted yet supervised freedom. He pushed me.
I pushed him.
We had sessions on love, hate, "just wars", the life of Jesus, group dynamics,
worship styles, hiking, sailing, confidentiality ... I visited well people,
old people, sick people, did Baptisms, Communion, worked with the youth
group, counseled those contemplating divorce, those divorced ...
I mentioned to the committee my fervor for making this work be part of my life.
I thought and felt then and do now, that I can help people to move from being
"stuck" in the troughs of life, can help them reach for the Hope that exists
through God's Grace. I also wish to share in people's joys, to share in the
pivotal points of their lives.
And the committee pushed further on how I dealt with anger until I finally
mentioned that although I didn't do it in public, yes, sometimes when driving
in my car by myself, sometimes I would let out a primal SCREEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAM!
(I thought about letting one out then, joking of course, but decided against
it!) The Conference Minister seemed pleased when I finally mentioned the
scream. No more questions on anger.
It was one hour, fifteen minutes after the exam began that I was asked to
leave the room while they deliberated. Ten minutes went sloooooowly by and
then the Conference Minister came to escort me back to the room. They
congratulated me and clapped as a sign of acceptance.
"Ron, your status is 'Approved for Ordination subject to a Call'. You have
the authorization to proceed with the development of your Profile and its
distribution."
There were other things discussed during the meeting and they seemed to always
come back to a common theme that I was before a committee that was intentional
about being supportive to me and my plans for ministry. Many people commented
on their interest in reading my OP and in its style. The Chair talked
about his difficulties with Ecclesiates (hello, Richard!) and his resolving
those difficulties due to his closer reading of the end section of that book.
Prior to the meeting I attended a Digital Women's Series Seminar on "Alterative
Work Styles"; this may become important for me depending on the Call. It's
really great to work for a company that listens to business proposals from
individuals.
After the meeting, I drove straight to Andover Newton, walked directly into
the middle of my spouse's class and planted a big kiss on her mouth. "Guess
what?", I said and left for the cafeteria and for her class to end.
And so Richard asks about the value of C-P?
Shalom,
Ron
|
| 381.33 | | CARTUN::BERGGREN | Each a piece of the puzzle | Mon Jan 20 1992 09:17 | 6 |
| That's terrific Ron! Thanks for sharing your inspirational story.
Congratulations and very best wishes to you; fortunate are those
who will be touched by your ministry.
many blessings,
Karen
|
| 381.34 | | TNPUBS::PAINTER | let there be music | Mon Jan 20 1992 12:14 | 6 |
|
Wonderful Ron! Yes, best wishes to you always!
May God bless,
Cindy
|
| 381.36 | Great, Ron - Thanks! | LJOHUB::NSMITH | rises up with eagle wings | Mon Jan 20 1992 16:21 | 1 |
|
|
| 381.35 | | CSC32::J_CHRISTIE | Peace: the Final Frontier | Mon Jan 20 1992 17:10 | 17 |
| Note 381.32
>The Chair talked
>about his difficulties with Ecclesiates (hello, Richard!) and his resolving
>those difficulties due to his closer reading of the end section of that book.
Hello, Ron! :-}
Have you read Rabbi Kushner's book based on Ecclesiastes? (Can't remember the
title)
>And so Richard asks about the value of C-P?
I'm very pleased that C-P has been an instrument of God's blessing for you.
Peace,
Richard
|
| 381.37 | re: "447.1" | OLDTMR::FRANCEY | M/L&CE SECG dtn 223-5427 pko3-1/d18 | Wed May 06 1992 14:04 | 40 |
| re: 447.1
|Ron, how much of your interview focused on in what your paper said?
|100%? 50%? 10%?
Richard, most of this is covered, in my usual lengthy stylem in 381.32.
I'm responding here so that my spouse's critque/comments will live
within her base note 447.
In summary, I heard from my Incare Advisor a few weeks ago that before
I went into the examination meeting a few of the people on the Church &
Ministry Committee had some q's on the contents of my paper. He said
that they were never asked as my enthusiasm and handling of answers to
other q's and my inserted remarks on things not asked convinced the
people that things were very much in order for me to be granted
standing as "approved for ordination subject to a call".
BTW, there is a UCC church in Maynard that is the closest building to
the mill that is looking for a fulltime pastor. We're crossing our
fingers that our profiles will be ready prior to their closing
acceptance of profiles. Dot goes before the Church & Ministry Comm. on
June 10th. We believe this would be a great opportunity for everyone.
For us, it would be our first church and is a one point charge (call).
Dot could work 3/4 time and I could work the other 1/4. This way I
could maintain my position w/Digital as we gained experience in the
church and as we learned to sort thru shared ministry dynamics.
Dot's interview may be very different from mine. She likes and is
comfortable with introvert manner. She is a better listener than I am
and when she speaks, she often has more power and sense of conviction
for her stated position.
My style is as an extrovert that works, sometimes not hard or well
enough, at not responding to or reacting to that which I observe or am
part of in meetings and in other forms of communication.
Shalom,
Ron
|