Graduation 2008

The senior class has graduated and many have left for call already! Sunday was a beautiful day to be downtown. The weekend’s storms made the air heavy and the sky changed its mind several times. Both dark, whipping wind and bright sunshine decorated the backdrop of photographs being taken outside Central Lutheran Church.

We stood in the crowded basement, lined up like ducklings before the service. Each row giggled and reminisced once more before filing in to receive our honors. I gasped walking in – the sanctuary was filled with pastors, mentors, families, friends, faculty and classmates singing praises. Giant golden decorations danced on poles up front, guiding us toward our seats and reminding the flighty ones caught in the rush of May (ah hem): this is a big deal.

My godmother had no shame and stood taking pictures even after everyone was politely asked not to. Our loved ones oozed pride and excitement. Our voices boomed in song, giving me a taste of heavenly choirs. Our beloved, Scott Nocton, gave sending words of grace to our class and to the community.

Scott has been a role model and friend to so many, pushing himself academically and leading through class discussion. He teaches his peers about evangelism and mission through his actions and bold ministry. He loves the call God has given him. Scott is the heart of this Mdiv class, fighting leukemia with every fiber of his life, stubbornness and faith. His presence and words were emotional, providing pastoral care and a faithful witness to every soul in that sanctuary.

I thought I’d pulled myself together by the time we recessed, but it was deeply symbolic to be walking back down the aisle toward heavy doors opened and busy streets outside. They were sending us into the world and this was it! Then I saw her waving with frantic pride from end of her pew. It was Wedge Stewart, a saint from my internship year in Arizona. I had to stop and hug her because it was all too sweet. God had sent people from every walk of my life to celebrate the day.

It is so good to be surrounded and sent.

From one marathon to another

My second year at Luther Seminary is complete, and it's a little hard for me to believe. The spring 2008 semester seemed to fly by even faster than the semesters before it. And as last week's marathon of final papers neared its end, I found myself looking around the seminary campus in amazement: "I'm already halfway done with seminary, and I'm done with this place for 15 months. Wow."

The 15 months, of course, will be filled with Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) and internship elsewhere in the Twin Cities, so I'll still be plenty busy. And there isn't much time to catch your breath when you complete one marathon only to begin another.

Oddly enough, my current 10-day breather between the last day of finals (May 16) and the first day of CPE (May 27) included another marathon. But this marathon was actually kind of relaxing in its own weird way. Just hours after I e-mailed in my last final paper on Friday, I returned to ComedyCity, my old improv troupe in suburban Green Bay, for the 28-Hour Marathon of Comedy. The marathon was one of my favorite events back in my day as an improvisational comedian, and for the last three years since a couple troupe-mates and I reorganized it, the event has benefited two Green Bay-area charities that serve the families of local children with cancer. Tired as I already was from finals, I wasn't about to miss it.

Although I'm effectively retired from improv, my friends invited me back to resume my role as the Jeff Probst-like host of our "Survivor" show. It was our 20th such show, in which audience members vote a comedian off the stage after each round. It's a rare ComedyCity show in which the gimmicks go over just as well as the improv games. The Hostess Sno Ball-eating tie-breaker (shown right), for example, has become somewhat legendary. As usual, the "Survivor" show went well, and, with that, I figured I could pretty much sit back and relax for the remaining 24 hours of the marathon.

That was mostly true. Although I was signed up to play the midnight-to-3 a.m. shift and a good chunk of Saturday afternoon, there was a healthy turnout of performers, and I had plenty of time to sit around and catch up with old friends, meet a whole bunch of new people and even sleep four hours (a personal record high). But, to my surprise, I also ended up playing in the "American Idol"-parody "Improv Idol" show. Even more to my surprise, I won the show.

I think I was more shocked to win than David Cook. (I don't know ... maybe David Cook wasn't that shocked. I don't watch the actual "Idol" show.) My performance certainly wasn't dazzling. For one thing, our Randy, Paula and Simon were likely being nice to me as the out-of-towner. And in the final vote via text message by the audience, I can only thank Jesus. It's less of a cliché than it sounds: We as contestants were supposed to wear clothes that fit our personalities, and I luckily had brought along my "Jesus loves this guy" shirt, which seemed to be a big hit. I think the evangelical vote pulled me through. (For the record, the other finalist was wearing a Spam shirt.) So call me a commandment-breaker for becoming a false "idol," but Jesus was clearly my accomplice.

The comedy marathon was a big success. It once again raised several thousand dollars for the charities, thanks largely to some Green Bay Packers raffle items including a football autographed by Brett Favre. But it was also exhausting, and I wasn't about to try to squeeze in another marathon the next day—the Cellcom Green Bay Marathon was also last weekend, but I went to church instead.

It was a great way to cap my second year as a seminarian, but it also made me a little sad. The deeper I get in the life of ministry, the harder it gets to return to such facets of my pre-seminary life. I know I'm going to experience that even more in CPE and on internship. But Jesus does love this guy, and this guy is happy to live this new life—to run these marathons of ministry—out of love and thanks.

What are YOU doing next week?

Classes are over. Papers have been turned in and finals completed! Soon summer CPE, internships and graduation will take place. But what about this next week?

If you’re a student and have a flexible schedule next week, consider volunteering at the Festival of Homiletics in Minneapolis. They are looking for helpers to help assemble welcome packets on Monday and would love to have you! I hear that payment would be involved and, in addition, you could attend the festival (which costs a pretty penny for anyone on a student budget) for FREE.

For more information, email Brandy: bgerjets001@luthersem.edu.

Make some dough and soak in sermons, lectures and workshops with the finest preachers around. This is a great experience and it’s right in our neighborhood this year! Take advantage of this opportunity and contact Brandy ASAP.

Mothers' Day - Not For Everyone

I'm blessed to have a great mom. She's always been there for her kids, she an enthusiastic and supportive parent, and she deserves the love and attention that Mothers' Day bestows.

But not everyone gets warm fuzzies on Mothers' Day. Some don't know their mothers. Some have lost them to illness or death. Some have had bad, abusive or absent relationships with their moms.

Others have wanted to be mothers their whole lives and can't conceive. Some are patiently waiting for adoption papers to go through and can't bear watching others celebrate what came so naturally. Some have lost children or been rejected by their own. Mothers' Day isn't a blast for everyone.

I've been thinking about that since I read Heidi Newmark's book Breathing Space. She talks about a Mothers' Day lunch she had with her parishioners every year - a safe place for women who didn't get the warm fuzzies that day - to come together in mutual apathy and support for each other. Some would share their wounds, but mostly there was talking and eating and loving at the lunch. Just what those women needed most.

I am blessed, and perhaps you are too, but not every woman and man looks forward to tomorrow's celebration. As our nation scurries about buying greeting cards, flowers, chocolate, jewelry and other tokens of celebration, pray for them. Pray for the women who feel their emotional and physical scars on this day, who wish for their sadness to find an acceptable place.

And shouldn't it be the church?

Lutheran Health Care Bangladesh

This Thursday, May 8 at 12-1pm in OCC Seminar Room 2.

Bring your lunch!

Welcome to Lutheran Health Care Bangladesh. For more than ten years, this clinic has functioned as a home base for ministries that heal, equip and empower the

people of southern Bangladesh.

I know we're busy this time of year. I know that organized conversations and presentations during our lunch hours are not a top priority during finals and spring. But I invite you to consider spending this Thursday afternoon learning more about this unique partnership between Minneapolis Area congregations and the hope-filled people of Dumki, Bangladesh.

Here's a sneak peak:

LHCB provides healthy and safe care to pregnant women and their newborns. This hospital has grown to include a mobile clinic and serves women, men and children in affordable ways.

There is an ESL program and a preschool on the clinic campus.

Dumki Lutheran Church knows how to party on Christmas. Christians make up .03% of the Bangladeshi population and many have found a home and vocation here at LHCB.

Women in villages near and far have been equipped to form economic savings groups, providing greater opportunities and stability in their families and communities. Many have strong economic skills and have started their own businesses. These villages are also learning about arsenic poisoning that dramatically affects their health and society. Deep tube wells continue to be installed through the support of Lutherans in the Twin Cities.

I visited Bangladesh for the first time in 1997 and most of the men in the villages were not comfortable with their wives and daughters participating in these savings groups. Today these men look on with pride, supporting the women in their lives and excited about the changes they see in the village.

Bangladesh is the size of Wisconsin, but is home to more people than Russia. It is the third largest Muslim country in the world. It is a young country, born from political strife in the 1970s. The snows from the Himalaya Mountains melt and flow into these flood planes every year causing devastation and disease, but there is hope.

Come learn about mission in Bangladesh and the wonderful things God is up to there. Sit back, eat your lunch, look at pictures and hear tales from this place. Come when you can, leave when you must. Be inspired by LHCB's story. Share their hope with your congregations and go out into the world with a passion for the beautiful nooks and crannies of God's creation.

This Thursday, May 8 at 12-1pm in OCC Seminar Room 2.

Bring your lunch!

Blog-worthy living...

Good morning friends. It’s been many weeks since I posted a blog. In the last couple of months I have been working, taking classes, and doing very little else. I’ve learned a lot on campus and in my work life—I’ve even had moments when I really enjoyed what I am learning both on campus and at work. But mostly it has been a too full plate and too little time for being still or being social. I have found comfort or at a minimum rationalized that this kind of living in very tight space is only for a season. Living as I have the last couple of months has meant, unfortunately, there has not been much in my living that is blog-worthy to share with you. That is until last Saturday.

Typically Saturday finds me trying to do all the stuff I need to so that Monday – Friday runs smoothly (reading for class, doing household chores and running errands). But about this time last week I saw one of my neighbors and I remembered she previously asked if I would take a look at her daughter’s history project. I asked if she and her daughter were still interested. I was pleasantly surprised when she said yes. I went home and grabbed my grocery list, dry cleaning and figured I would stop in for a short stay and then run errands. My short stay turned into spending a couple of hours with an amazing 17 year old. In addition to her normal school work my neighbor has been researching Fannie Lou Hamer. Arriving at my neighbors’ house I found their living room floor was covered with a large beautifully crafted tri-fold display stand. Pictures and words from Mrs. Hamer and other civil rights heroes were carefully arranged. The 17 year old spoke with such passion and knowledge about Mrs. Hamer’s life. A couple of times her parents and I exchanged knowing glances as if to say, ‘What an amazing young woman!’ Spending time like this with my family and friends is important to me but lately I have not had as much of this time and I really miss it.

I found a sense of community that has been seemingly illusive this semester. I am sure there have been other moments this semester when an opportunity to meaningfully connect with others was at hand and I missed. I’ll keep my eyes open and if there are other blog-worthy moments this semester you will hear about it.