My Lenten Practice

Have you chosen a Lenten discipline yet? My advice to you is this, don't give something up this year. Add a practice instead. Because after Lent, if you give something up successfully, all you will have is a story to brag about. (Or, more likely, something to feel bad about not being able to sustain.) Will power is important, so let's channel into doing something that will add to your life once Lent is over.

My discipline this year is that I am going to engage in a time of examen every evening. In the examen, you simply share with God things you are thankful for, then things you are struggling with, and then talk to God about them. For a simple guide, go here or here. Engaging in this discipline will help you to begin "listening to your life" and learn to see God's presence in your everyday activities.

Whatever practice you choose, may God bless your discipline this Lenten season.

A Very Relevant Book

My first memory of the guy is how dignified he looked while walking his dogs. Louis Weeks was the president of Union-PSCE while I attended there. He certainly looked the part. Wasp-y. Distinguished looking grey hair parted on the side. Always dressed like he just stepped out of an Orvis catalogue. When I first saw him, I thought, man, this guy really looks the part.

It didn't take long for my initial positive impression to change to one of dissappointment. Maybe it was his thick southern accent. Or perhaps it was the fact that he never learned my name despite having met him many times. Or maybe it was how he ran the school. I can't remember exactly why he annoyed me so much, but I was definitely not a fan.

That's why my enthusiasm for his new book is so strange. It is strange because not only am I not a fan, I am even less fond of church administration. Let's face it, administration is not the reason anyone goes to seminary. This is not the call they are answering. "My child, please serve me...in endless committee meetings."

Yet, I have come to discover that this is what actual day to day ministry entails. Ministry consists of thousands of little decisions and projects that in the midst of them don't seem very holy or meaningful. These are the jobs that Weeks calls "scutwork" and the ones that he holds up as vital for church workers to reclaim.

For a nice teaser of Weeks' argument, check out his short piece in the January 27, 2009 issue of the Christian Century. The book this article is promoting is called All for God's Glory: Redeeming Church Scutwork. It is published by Alban.

VBS Open House

The Resource Center is hosting a VBS Open House on Tuesday, February 10 from 4 to 8 PM in the Resource Center. Come and see for yourself the PCUSA's Discovery Canyon, Cokesbury's Camp EDGE, Group's Rome: Paul and the Underground Church, Habitat for Humanity's Under Construction, and (if it gets here) Gospel Light's SonRock Kids Camp. One lucky church will win a free copy of Camp EDGE!

Watch NOOMA Flame Online Today!

The good people at NOOMA have put the entire Flame DVD online. Running time 11:07. I'm not sure how long it will last, so check it out soon. This a powerful one dealing with romantic and sexual love. Click here to watch.

Advice on Running Meetings

If there is one thing Presbyterians know, it's meetings. People are in and out of the Presbytery office for multiple meetings a day. And that's on top of all the meetings they have at their individual churches. A question that many who sit through these meetings have is whether their time is being used efficiently or not. Reid Hastie's New York Times article this week addresses how to run an effective meeting and use the time of everyone involved wisely. I can't think of a more timely topic for Presbyterians.

Lenten Preaching Help

Need some help getting ready to preach this Lenten season? The Presbytery of Carlisle has your back. On February 12 from 10 AM to noon at the presbytery office, Lancaster Seminary professor Julia O'Brien will be leading a seminar to help you think about some of the issues in the lectionary passages for Lent. Please call 717-737-6821 to RSVP. Click here to see a publicity flyer for the event.

Getting to Know Alban

Are you familiar with the Alban Institute? The Alban Institute is an independent center of learning and leadership development with a focus on congregations. Alban stands at the forefront of knowledge and experience regarding congregational vitality and positive trends across denominations and faith traditions.

The Presbytery has an Institutional Membership with Alban, which means that we get a copy of each of the practical, congregation-focused books they publish each year. If you need practical help on a congregational issue, chances are Alban has something for you. And your Presbytery Resource Center is the easiest place for you to access this wealth of useful information. Click here to see a list of new and forthcoming titles.

Songs for Christmas

If you think about it, blogging is an act of giving. So, in my last post of 2008, I give you a special gift, Sufjan Stevens Christmas songs. These songs come from Sufjan's excellent Christmas box set, Songs for Christmas. Watch the video for "Put the Lights on the Tree" or download two fantastic original Christmas songs, "Sister Winter" and "That Was the Worst Christmas Ever," by right clicking on the links and saving them.

Merry Christmas! See you on Wednesdays in 2009.

Princeton Young Adult Conference

Princeton Seminary is holding a conference on ministering to young adults (especially those aged 18-29) on May 14-16, 2009. Jeffrey Arnett and Rodger Nishioka will be the lecturers. Contact either this site or (609) 497-7914 for more information.

East Regional APCE

The East Regional APCE will be held April 27-29 in Chambersburg. The keynote speaker wil be the Rev. Dr. Joyce Ann Meyer. The theme will be "We Can't Talk About That!" For more information, contact Deb at dmadden@fpcal.pa.net. Mark your calendars!