Hi gang,
for those of you who have been following this blog while I've been in seminary, good news... seminary is DONE! I'll be transitioning into a new blog, but until the new blog begins, you can follow me on Twitter. To make it easy, I've included a link to my web site where you can see my tweats and then link to my Twitter page if you like to follow.
I look forward to blogging more in the coming months, stay tuned to my web site for details.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Monday, April 13, 2009
39 days until...
With graduation looming some 39 days away, this blog will soon be discontinued. I'll probably replace it with something eventually (don't worry, I already have some nifty blog titles reserved) but in the mean time I've mostly been using Twitter to do micro-blogging. You can read these posts on the front page of my web site.
If you want to check out a new web site I'm helping a friend design, check out his site and let me know what you think so far.
39 days until graduation. Seminary has been a fast paced, intense and challenging experience. I still marvel at the speed of the process, countered only by the waiting for the next step.
Peace to you in this season of Easter.
If you want to check out a new web site I'm helping a friend design, check out his site and let me know what you think so far.
39 days until graduation. Seminary has been a fast paced, intense and challenging experience. I still marvel at the speed of the process, countered only by the waiting for the next step.
Peace to you in this season of Easter.
Saturday, February 21, 2009
A response to questions about the Emerging Church
I refer you to a new friend's blog for the context of my response below, even if you don't want to take the time to read his blog, you may find this helpful.
This is a very thoughtful reflection on EC and its interrelatedness with what the majority of us are "comfortable" with. You hit it on the head when you said that the EC is, if nothing else, contextual. It's a lesson we all can learn for ministry. EC is NOT a "packaged next great thing" that we should all adopt, far from it. What we should adopt is the uber attentive nature to context, context, context. The biggest problem that faces the Lutherans of today (and most other mainline denominations) is a desire for sameness, but beyond that, an ignorance regarding the surrounding context for ministry. Even churches that have undergone extensive research and evaluation in a context, such as a mission start or hopefully an established congregation, miss the mark if they aren't in a continual process of renewal and investigation as to the intersection of God's Kingdom crashing in and the streets that run in front of the church buildings where they are planted. Churches, even EC's, need to perpetually wonder with God what it means to say "God's work, our hands" (credit to a great tag line by the ELCA).
After spending a month in Seattle observing EC communities of all flavors, I'd say that the one thing that is certain for me is that I cannot get on board with all of them. For anyone to make an assertion based upon one experience or even upon reading a few books, may be to judge too broadly. Some of the churches I visited really dragged me into deeper conversation and reflection, while others were so far from my understanding of "church" that I could only shake my head and give credit to context for making them what they were.
Now that I've co-opted your blog space instead of using my own, let me just add one more book for folks to read, it's brief but excellent (apologies if you've already recommended this book) - Emerging Ministry: Being Church Today by Nathan C.P. Frambach. It's a small paperback in the Lutheran Voices series.
peace,
Paul :o)
This is a very thoughtful reflection on EC and its interrelatedness with what the majority of us are "comfortable" with. You hit it on the head when you said that the EC is, if nothing else, contextual. It's a lesson we all can learn for ministry. EC is NOT a "packaged next great thing" that we should all adopt, far from it. What we should adopt is the uber attentive nature to context, context, context. The biggest problem that faces the Lutherans of today (and most other mainline denominations) is a desire for sameness, but beyond that, an ignorance regarding the surrounding context for ministry. Even churches that have undergone extensive research and evaluation in a context, such as a mission start or hopefully an established congregation, miss the mark if they aren't in a continual process of renewal and investigation as to the intersection of God's Kingdom crashing in and the streets that run in front of the church buildings where they are planted. Churches, even EC's, need to perpetually wonder with God what it means to say "God's work, our hands" (credit to a great tag line by the ELCA).
After spending a month in Seattle observing EC communities of all flavors, I'd say that the one thing that is certain for me is that I cannot get on board with all of them. For anyone to make an assertion based upon one experience or even upon reading a few books, may be to judge too broadly. Some of the churches I visited really dragged me into deeper conversation and reflection, while others were so far from my understanding of "church" that I could only shake my head and give credit to context for making them what they were.
Now that I've co-opted your blog space instead of using my own, let me just add one more book for folks to read, it's brief but excellent (apologies if you've already recommended this book) - Emerging Ministry: Being Church Today by Nathan C.P. Frambach. It's a small paperback in the Lutheran Voices series.
peace,
Paul :o)
Friday, February 20, 2009
We've been assigned to....
Region 9 of the ELCA. We'll find out soon which synod within the region we will be assigned to. Watch for those details coming soon!
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Assignment Day Is Almost Here!
Just a quick note to let those interested that this Wednesday, February 18th, is the day we find out where we will be assigned. This is simply the region, 1-9, which will tell us a general location in the U.S. for where we will serve the church. Prayers are always appreciated. :)
Sunday, January 04, 2009
Hurry up and wait...
Well, it's a new year, 2009, and this is the year I graduate from seminary. It's hard to believe the time has flown by so quickly, but as you can probably imagine from the scarcity of blog posts, I've been too busy to notice!
The title of this post is "hurry up and wait" and that's exactly what it feels like to stand in the middle between having submitted the paperwork for assignment as a pastor in the ELCA and actually receiving the news of where we will be assigned. Lorice and I are in constant conversation about our future, it seems, even as we box up stuff and take these boxes to our storage unit. There is a deep wonderment that pervades life when your future is to be determined by the gathering of others around a table in another city. And so we ask for your prayers for these people who make such decisions and for us as we wait.
peace be with you,
Paul :o)
The title of this post is "hurry up and wait" and that's exactly what it feels like to stand in the middle between having submitted the paperwork for assignment as a pastor in the ELCA and actually receiving the news of where we will be assigned. Lorice and I are in constant conversation about our future, it seems, even as we box up stuff and take these boxes to our storage unit. There is a deep wonderment that pervades life when your future is to be determined by the gathering of others around a table in another city. And so we ask for your prayers for these people who make such decisions and for us as we wait.
peace be with you,
Paul :o)
Monday, August 25, 2008
Senior year and freshman year
Greetings All,
Today is a historic day in the Amlin family. Taylor, beloved son, begins his college career at the University of Dubuque in the Flight Operations program. I haven't started my senior year yet (technically) so Taylor is a freshman before I'm a senior. I think he's looking forward to this new page of his life story, I'm excited for him and hope for the best in all that he does. Flight, particularly helicopter flight, is important to Taylor and it's great that he's on the path to fulfill his dreams for a career.
In other news, Lorice and I are currently discerning how to complete our paperwork for the February draft, er, um, I mean "Assignment Process" which determines where we will land following school. Of course we'd love to get back to Florida, but we are also trying to decide how to complete the other two options for requests. We can select three preferences for assignment, it doesn't mean we'll get any of them, but we can at least have some voice. Please pray for us and for Taylor too!
- Paul :o)
Today is a historic day in the Amlin family. Taylor, beloved son, begins his college career at the University of Dubuque in the Flight Operations program. I haven't started my senior year yet (technically) so Taylor is a freshman before I'm a senior. I think he's looking forward to this new page of his life story, I'm excited for him and hope for the best in all that he does. Flight, particularly helicopter flight, is important to Taylor and it's great that he's on the path to fulfill his dreams for a career.
In other news, Lorice and I are currently discerning how to complete our paperwork for the February draft, er, um, I mean "Assignment Process" which determines where we will land following school. Of course we'd love to get back to Florida, but we are also trying to decide how to complete the other two options for requests. We can select three preferences for assignment, it doesn't mean we'll get any of them, but we can at least have some voice. Please pray for us and for Taylor too!
- Paul :o)
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