Category Archives: Seminary

What does graduation mean?

30 Tuesday May 2017

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Now that I’ve had a bit over a week to soak in my new reality, it’s time to reflect.  I graduated on May 19th from Seminary.  I spent five years of my life focused on seminary.  It’s determined so much of my comings and goings.  It’s afforded me and my family some amazing and life changing experiences.  Because of seminary, we got to live in Finland for a year.  And now seminary is over.

Ordination is next for me – this coming Friday.  Right now I’m in this in between stage – graduated, but not ordained.  It’s a waiting time.  It’s a time of relaxation and rest, but also anticipation of what comes next.  In a way it feels much the same as when we had our first child while still in the hospital.  We had the baby, but there we were, still in the hospital.  The really scary part was when they let us walk out the door of the hospital. At that point, bam, it was just us.  But while in the hospital, we were in this weird waiting time.  Parents, but not quite on our own yet.

Graduation means the completion of a goal, the commitment to the next stage of life.  Graduation means it’s time to start paying back the student loans too.  Graduation means a great deal.  Graduation from seminary feels different from graduation from college – that’s not a statement of good or bad, rather a statement of fact.  And maybe it should.  It’s been 19 years since I graduated college.  The world was at my fingertips then. So many possibilities and ways life could go.  I was living the dream of living and working on Capitol Hill in DC.  Now, the openness doesn’t exist – at least not in the same way. And that’s ok.  I don’t need it to.  I see where the next steps are and I am content.  I have joy in knowing what lies ahead.  I am ready.  And I can’t wait to start.

Lastly, I can’t help but say that graduation means one more thing.  Being a part of the last graduating class of Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg means that I am tied to the many men and women who have gone before me from this fine institution.  The 191 year history of LTSG ties us together.  Yet, much like all these other graduates, we don’t have time to dwell on the past.  There is much to do.

Graduation means it’s time to get to work.  It’s what I’ve been waiting for five years.  Actually, God has been preparing me for this all my life.  Just like God has been preparing you for just this moment.  Let’s go.

The last two weeks of my life…

24 Wednesday May 2017

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The last two weeks of my life have been unlike any other two weeks that I can recall.

Two Mondays ago, I left my home in the morning, met up with several other students, got on an airplane and traveled about 30 hours (flying time and layovers, etc) to Windhoek, Namibia.  We were heading to the Lutheran World Federation Assembly there.

We stayed there for 7 days and then jumped on some planes last Tuesday and arrived back in Pennsylvania last Wednesday – tired and exhausted, but happy about the trip.  I promise that I’ll be writing more about the trip in upcoming posts – along with some pictures too.  I’m still processing the trip.

I got a nap (mostly because I don’t sleep well on long plane rides), got to use a real sauna, and got a shower.  I was then ready for the senior banquet – a fun even for seniors at the seminary who are ready to graduate.

Then on Friday of last week there was graduation.  A truly historical event in its own right.  First, every graduation is historic because the graduating class is added to the history of the institution.  Second, this would be the last graduation of Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg.  The seminary will be merging with Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia come July 1 to form United Lutheran Seminary.  It’s been a long road for LTSG.  I’m proud to be a part of the last class.  Again, there are lots to process here.

Then on Sunday I had my call sermon – and the congregation voted to call me as their pastor.  Beginning June 26th, I’ll be pastor of St. Stephen Lutheran Church in New Kingstown, PA, USA.  I’m pretty excited about this.  And again, there’s plenty for me to process.

Because of all of these things, it’s taken me a bit longer than normal to get back to any type of routine with posting materials on social media and online.  I haven’t been able to post a daily prayer or do my usual tweets about made up bible passages or do travel or theological posts here on the blog.  I finally unpacked from Africa two days ago and I’m still working on going through the piles of paper on my desk to clear that off.  I hope to start posting again tomorrow, but give me a little slack if I don’t – I’ll get there.

The next big thing is ordination – next Friday, June 2.  Again, that will take some processing on my part.

And the biggest thing – figuring out the new normal.  Classes are done, but I don’t start as pastor until the end of June.  There is work that needs to be done around the house that I have been putting off for some time.

Let’s see what tomorrow holds.  Blessings.

The next two weeks

05 Friday May 2017

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A lot will happen starting Monday.  I’ll be part of a group from the seminary going to Namibia to attend the Lutheran World Federation Assembly.  We’ll be there about a week and a half.  Then we’ll return and two days after returning I’ll be graduating from Seminary.  All while this is going on, I’m in the call process with a congregation, and so soon after graduation, there is a possibility that I will be called as pastor.

That’s a great amount of change in a short period of time.

Yet, when I turn inward, I’m not sure what I feel about all of it.  I’m mixed about traveling.  I enjoy traveling.  I’m not thrilled with the long flight to get to Namibia though.  I’m sure once I’m there I’ll love it.

Part of the issue is that I’m in the process of finishing up my class work for the semester – so this has taken most of my attention.

I’m excited to graduate.  This was my fifth year of seminary.  That’s long enough.  It’s time to get out and get going and doind ministry.

I’m excited to complete the call process.  It’s gone great and I look forward to serving the church and God’s people.

I’ll see you on the other side.

Sermon on the Beatitudes

30 Monday Jan 2017

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(This is an edited version of what I preached yesterday – close, but not exact.  I’ve added in some things after some reflection).

Matthew 5:1-12 – The Beatitudes

When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:

‘Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

‘Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

‘Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

‘Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

‘Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.

‘Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

‘Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

‘Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

‘Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

This past week and a half, I’ve been taking a January term class at the seminary on science and religion.  It’s been fascinating.  We’ve covered every major scientific topic you can think of.  The professor is very engaging – he’s a theologian who has been in conversation with scientists for over 30 years and he know both science and theology very well.

An important point he made during the class was that there are different models for how science and religion interact with each other – some are based on a warfare model seeing that the two are at odds with each other.  Other models start with an assumption that science and religion are not at war with each other.

Also during the course we talked about digging down to actual science.  Often the debate that occurs is not even about science, but rather, other things.  Take evolution for example.  There’s the science evolution, and then there is a whole lot of other things that claim evolution as a foundation that have nothing to do with science.  A good example would be Social Darwinism.  The difference is that science deals with what is.  Ideology, philosophy, and even theology deal with what ought to be.  Social Darwinism is not dealing with what is, but rather what ought to be by its proponents.

Social Darwinism isn’t really talked about directly in our culture, but it’s been around for some time.  It’s an ideology that claims survival of the fittest as its mantra.  It believes that might makes right, that the unfit don’t deserve anything and we shouldn’t care for them.  I think you could even make an argument that the Prosperity Gospel message is related to Social Darwinism too.  The Prosperity Gospel is a message that says that we can see who God has blessed based on the amount of wealth they have.

This whole mindset proclaims a message of what the world blesses – wealth, power, strength, might, force, ruthlessness, conquerors.  Want evidence of this?  Look at who our statues and monuments are dedicated to – generals and politicians – the “leaders” of our world.  We pay the powerful and the mighty a lot of money because our culture tells us that worth and value is measured in monetary terms.  And so our VIP’s are worth more than other people.

That’s the world outside the doors of the church.  Yet we come inside and hear a counter cultural message today – the Beatitudes.  This is Jesus’ sermon to his disciples and those that overhear it on who God blesses.  Jesus’ sermon calls us to take this message with us when we leave, and to bless those the world finds unblessable, worthless, not valuable, unfit, and not deserving life.

Do you want to know who these people are that the world has deemed unfit?  You don’t have to go far.  Head over to one of the local food pantries – there are plenty of “unfit” people in the world’s eyes.  There is plenty of judging and condemnation to go around.  “why don’t they get a job, or work harder?”  “They have it so easy – they are given food.”  Let that sink in for a moment – do you really believe that being poor is easy?  Do you think anyone in that line really wants to be there?

If the food pantry isn’t your cup of tea, how about a visit to a hospital.  The world says that the terminal ill are unfit – they are only sucking up resources that could be used for healthy people.  They cost too much.

How about a children’s hospital?  I was working out at the Y the other day and the TV’s were on.  One station had politics – all the VIP’s making decisions.  Another station had sports – all the VIP sports figures making millions.  And the third TV has a commercial for a children’s hospital.  The children imaged were in wheel chairs, had disabilities, and were deformed.  You can bet a politician’s salary that these kids are considered a drain on society according to the world’s standards.

Too sappy for you – how about you head on down to the local nursing home.  There are plenty of people who are just sitting around waiting to die, are lost, forgotten.

Don’t like that – how about finding homeless people in any city large or small.  You might want to check some of the storage facilities – there are usually some homeless vets who survive in these.

How about the handicapped who can’t work?

The list can go on and on – I’m sure you can add to it if you think about it, especially in light of this past week’s events.

The problem with Social Darwinism, the prosperity gospel, and all of these ideologies that place human value in terms of financial resources or other immaterial things is this – at some point every single person becomes unfit, unblessable, and costing more than they are worth. Every person!  This includes those who adopt this ideology.  There are no exceptions because are all going to either get sick, get old, get injured, or something else that knocks us down from our prime.  That’s the reality of life for everyone.

Thankfully, this false message is not the only message we have.  Jesus presents an alternative message – one that is available right now, not sometime in the distance future.

“Blessed are the poor in spirit” – meaning the poor – those having nothing.  To be poor in spirit is to recognize that there is nothing we can do or have that will earn us God’s love or salvation.

“Blessed are those who mourn” – You mourn because you have lost something or someone dear to you.

“Blessed are the meek” – Another word for meek is gentle, or not using force.

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness” – or justice.

“Blessed are the merciful” – those that are compassionate to others.

“Blessed are the pure in heart” – or clean in heart.  This is a whole being thing, not just the organ in your chest.  It’s the idea that every part of who you are moves towards being pure, not just going through the motions.

“Blessed are the peacemakers” – Those making peace.  Again, this is a way of life, not a destination.

Jesus presents us with an alternative, a counter cultural message today, feeds us, and sends us out to bless those whom God blesses, to love those whom God loves and favors. To be a fool in the world – according to St. Paul.   Because the beatitudes are foolish if we listen to the world.

But if we listen to the world, we better be prepared to be declared “unfit” or a drain on resources at some point.

Jesus opens his arms to us, calls us in, and blesses us, regardless of our abilities or what the world thinks of us.  Because our value is not in what we have or even what we do.  Rather our value is in who we are – blessed Children of God.  Thank God for that. Amen.

Goals for 2017

03 Tuesday Jan 2017

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We’re three days into the new year.  It’s time to declare my goals for the year.  Only, this year is a bit different.  I have goals, but the goals a bit different.  They are more like themes that will guide me.  Or maybe it’s the idea of setting up systems that will help me accomplish what I am setting out to accomplish.  To keep it simple, I’ll keep calling them goals.

I actually took some time over Christmas break and mapped out these goals through 2022.  Let’s get real for a moment.  Do I expect everything to go according to plan?  Of course not.  In fact I expect that there will be changes along the way.  Graduating in May and then being ordained, and starting ministry will definitely bring some changes – changes I can’t even foresee.  But that doesn’t mean I just sit around and wait.  Instead, I can try some things out, see how they work, and determine if they are something I will continue with.

So, here’s my goals, or themes, or systems, or whatever you want to call them for 2017:

Health – Run two half marathons in 2017.  I feel as though all of my injuries from 2016 have finally healed up.  I’ve been to the Y two days in a row, doing different workouts – running, cycling, lifting some weights.  I’ll be getting back to outdoor running soon.  The system here is that I created a schedule for myself, with what I’ll be doing each day.  Part of this is also eating healthier as well.  I want to weigh 165 lbs – which means as of yesterday, I will drop 14 pounds.  I’d really like to drop a pound a week, which means I eat considerably less and healthier.  I started this yesterday and already feel healthier.  I’m glad the holidays are over for one simple fact – better eating is easier now.

Career/calling – graduate in May and be ordained.  My last semester of seminary starts soon.  I’ve heard from the registrar that as long as I pass the classes I have signed up for, I will graduate in May.  After graduation – then it’s ordination.  I’m looking forward to seeing where God will be putting me to work.

Family – several things here.  Take a trip with the family for up to two weeks after graduation.  We’re looking at a few options of where this might be and I’m really excited about the possibilities.  I also want to play more games with them and spend open time with each one and as a group with nothing at all planned – just being present with them.  Also, I’m committed to cooking a nice meal once a week – my hope is that I find enough recipes that are unique and that I learn some things from this.

Writing – yes, writing gets it’s own section.  There’s a lot of things I want to write about.  I’ve actually created a schedule for writing.  This may be over the top, but I’ve got five different ideas that I want to write about.  Here’s the thing – I don’t expect that I’ll be writing about all five by the end of the year.  I do expect that I’ll be writing about three of them.  I’m not sure what they will lead to, and frankly, I don’t care.  I just want to write about these ideas.  The topics include church, politics, and prayer.  Also, I’ve been doing a bunch of social media stuff (twitter, blog, etc) that are all very focused.  I want to determine what I’m keeping and what I’m shedding and then some direction of where it might be taking me.  In other words, narrow in on a focus for this – probably in line with the topics I will be writing about.

That’s enough to focus on for the year.  What are your goals for 2017?

End of Semester Hiatus

04 Sunday Dec 2016

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It’s that time of year – the end of the semester.  For me that means I’ve got a crap-load of papers, projects, and sermons to prepare, turn in, deliver, etc. by Dec. 15 and the all important Approval Interview from my candidacy committee.  That doesn’t give me much time.  But it is doable.

So I’m taking a two week hiatus from blogging and tweeting.  I have a couple of last tweets that are ready to go and if you follow my twitter accounts you’ll see them, but then after that, I’m taking a short break to focus on finishing up the semester.

The only thing I will continue to do during this time is the daily prayer that I post on social media.  That’s just as much for me as it is for anyone else who reads it and prays along with me.  I need that.

Otherwise, I’ll see you in a couple of weeks.  Pray for me – I need it.

Challenges that are good for you

09 Friday Sep 2016

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Yesterday I wrote about finding the new normal.  Really, there isn’t such a thing.

Today I write about challenges that are good for you.  Really, it all depends on how you view these things.

My challenge is this – how do I make it all flow?  How do I get done all the things I need to get done in a week?

Here’s the challenge:  I have six classes.  They all have selected readings, papers, projects, etc. that are due over the course of the semester.

I am a vicar at a small congregation.  I have to have a sermon prepared for every weekend, prepare a bulletin, and do other pastoral things.

I have other responsibilities at the seminary as well – preaching and prep for that preaching from time to time, serving on a committee, etc.

And then there are family obligations – wife, children, activities, sports, music, concerts, homework help, spending time together, etc.

I also have a pretty steady commitment to social media postings on this blog as well as a daily prayer, and two Twitter accounts.

And there is free-time.  Yes, I get some free time from time to time.  I usually exercise in that time (when I’m not nursing an injury).

So how does it all happen?  Great question.  I’m figuring it out as we speak.  The point is this – there is no magic formula for getting things done.  Your context matters.  What you determine is important matters.  How you use your time matters.  It’s no different for me than what I learned when I was managing political campaigns.  Every campaign is a bit unique – you’ll have varying levels of resources of money and people.  Yet every campaign is the same in one regard – how much time everyone has.  How you use that time may very well determine the difference between a campaign getting ready to transition into office and a campaign transitioning to the bar for a round of drinks to wallow away in misery.

For me, that imagery keeps me going.  You’ve got to find our own.

The best part about all of this is that this challenge of figuring it all out is good for me.  It keeps me thinking and improving, testing and tinkering.  It will never be a completed project though because just when I think I’ve got it figured out, the whole thing will change.   But that’s what life is all about – change.  It’s constant and dependable.

I won’t be posting next week, here’s why…

13 Saturday Aug 2016

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  1. We’re moving, so you know, we’ll be a bit busy.
  2. Since we’re moving we won’t have internet access for a few days.
  3. I just want a break from posting – so think of this as an internet vacation.  Even though I’ll be doing plenty of work.
  4. Besides moving, I am working on my Approval Essay.  This is one of the most important “essays” I will ever write.  It’s one of the last key things in my seminary experience.  So, I kind of need to focus to finish it up.

See you on the other side.

Moving on…

12 Friday Aug 2016

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Sunday will mark the end of my internship at the church I’ve been assigned for the last year.  I will have completed four years of seminary (I started part time, so as far as the seminary is concerned I’ve completed three years).  I have one year of classes.  Actually I have two semesters.  I graduate on May 19, 2017.  That’s not too far away.  We’re in countdown mode here in the Best household.

The end of the internship means that we move.  We move back to our home.  We’ve been packing all week in preparation.  We have mixed emotions.  We’re excited to get back to our home – the home we left just over two years ago.  We are excited to be in the daily lives of family and friends that we left two years ago.

We’re also a little anxious about it – we left two years ago.  A great deal has changed in that time.  We’ve changed.  They’ve changed.  The world has changed.  We don’t know what to expect.  We do know that it won’t be just like it was when we left.  It can’t.  It never is.

We’re also a bit sad.  We’ve experienced this before.  We felt the same way when we left Finland last year.  We are sad to leave a place that we’ve called home for a year.  We’re sad to leave the friends we have made along the way this year. We’re sad to make the kids move yet again and have to establish and re-establish new friendships all over again.

But we knew this was deal when we signed up.

We’re also feeling a bit of something else.  We feel the closeness to the end of this journey of seminary.  By March we’ll know what region and synod we’re being assigned to.  Will it be our home synod?  Will it be the synod we’ve been in for the last year?  Will it be somewhere else that we have never thought of?  We don’t know.  The whole journey of seminary is full of great big giant question marks.  Going through this process is not for everyone.  You get comfortable with not being in control, with only knowing what the next year holds.  I think it’s actually a grace that seminarians experience.  When we don’t know, we turn to the one who does – God.  We are given faith to trust that God has our best interest in mind and will send us where we need to be at any given time.  It’s a leap of faith.  It’s also scary.  Yet here we are, following a path where I can’t see very far down the road.

Moving on is not easy.  It can wear you down.

Moving on is not easy.  But there are benefits.  Benefits like figuring out that we have a lot of stuff that we can get rid of.  For the last two years we have had to live in small spaces.  Which means you make decisions about what is truly important to keep.  We’ve found that the prints and pictures that we have are some of the most valuable things we possess – they remind us of our times in the locations we have been.  They remind us of the people we have gotten to know.  They remind us of how small the world is.  They remind us to pray for the people in these locations.

Moving on is not easy.  But it’s what we are called to do this weekend.

We’ll start unpacking on Sunday, arranging our house.  We’ll familiarize ourselves with our house.  We’ll re-establish long time relationships in person.  We’ll settle in to a routine in a short while.  There will be a new normal for us.  Then again, some of the old normal will stay with us – the normal of recognizing that we aren’t ultimately in control.  And we’ll take comfort in the trust that we have, in the faith we have been given.

Moving on is not easy.  But it’s what makes up life.  There’s a popular saying that the purpose of life is to be happy.  I don’t agree.  Think that’s a bunch of BS.  The purpose of life is to experience as much as possible and to be who we are called to be.  If all we pursue if happiness, then we miss out on so much of what life has to offer.  We should experience the “bad” things too.  We should experience sadness, anger, sorrow, pain, and more.  Not because they are enjoyable, but because they remind us of what and who are truly important in life.  And yes, we should experience the “good” things of life too.  They make life enjoyable.

Moving on is not easy.  But it is an important part of life.  And I wouldn’t have it any of way.

To the good people of Duncansville, Hollidaysburg, and Altoona, Pennsylvania I say thank you from the bottom of my heart.  I do not say goodbye, because goodbye means we’ll never meet again – and we can’t be certain about that.  We don’t know what the future holds.  Thank you for allowing our family to be a part of your lives – through the good, the bad, and the ugly.  You’ve blessed us in ways you can’t imagine.  We’ll take that with us as we continue our journey.  We hope you’ll take the blessings we have given you in your journey.  Thank you, until we meet again.

Pushing the Limits

17 Tuesday May 2016

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On Sunday I was given what I thought was a compliment after my sermon – “You sure know how to push the limits don’t you?”  It was said from someone who meant it as a compliment, not a criticism.

Yet, today I’m wonder if it really is a compliment or is it something else.

What caused the statement to be said to me.  I’m guessing it was a part of the sermon where I defended LGTB individuals as people.  Sounds radical doesn’t it?  I used something I blogged on this past week and added it to the sermon.  Or maybe the statement came from the story I also used in the sermon about four women who went into a strip club to minister to the women who work there – women who no one else cares about.  Regardless, the statement came.  And since yesterday, I’m left wondering.

That’s because my supervisor and I are at the Festival of Homiletics.  There are some amazing pastors and preachers here.  Last night we heard two – one a pastor and seminary professor and the other a journalist.  The sermon and lecture were simply amazing and they preached the Gospel – well beyond pushing the limits.

Partly that is because this is a group of pastors and soon-to-be pastors – you can go beyond pushing the limits with this group.  What I realized is this: If the Gospel message is so life changing as pastors and soon-to-be pastors claim, then that means it is a message that doesn’t just push the limits, but breaks through the barriers completely.  It’s a message that can’t be contained.

As we heard from Anna Carter Florence, we all want to find where Jesus has been carried off to (John 20 – Mary at the tomb trying to find Jesus on Easter morning) to we can find him and put him back in the tomb.  That way we’ll be in control.  But that’s not how Jesus works.

Likewise, we heard from Leonard Pitts, Jr.  We heard an amazing message that touched on every issue we face today from anger to division and everything in-between.  He talked about the radical nature of Christianity versus the less-than-radical thing going around in politics that wraps itself in a Christian label.  What’s the radical nature of Christianity – doing what Jesus told us to do – feed the poor, wash the feet of the other, welcome the stranger, visit the sick and those in prison, etc.  When you do these things instead of blame people and judge others, you will receive criticism.  What a mixed up world we live in.

So I’m wondering, is pushing the limits enough?  Tough to say.  There’s no gauge standing next to you as you preach to let you know when you’ve gone too far.  The context of the audience that is listening is unique.  What would be too far at one location is only pushing the limits at another.  And what is pushing the limits at one place is not even touching the issue at another.  You just have to preach where the Spirit leads you to.  Because in the end, it’s not me that is the one who changes people, but rather God.  There’s a place and a community to everyone, but not everyone will fit into every place and every community.