Christmas Gifting in a Time of Financial Uncertainty
Pastoral Pondering by Pastor Keith Larson

It’s been happening in our family for a few years now. Some of you have talked about it happening in yours. And it will be happening in many more families this year out of necessity and the changing economic times. People are evaluating the role of gift-giving at Christmas. Gifts will always be a part of Christmas. After all, the magi or Wise men brought gifts for the Christ-child. And the baby Jesus is seen as God’s great gift for humankind.

But in recent years – well for most of our lifetimes, Christmas has been ruled by commercial forces. Christmas has been the time when many retailers actually made profits during the year. Advertising and commercialization linked Christmas with buying and giving things. It has been in November and December that new toys have been touted and long lines have waited and even fought over artificially scarce “in-gifts.” All of this really has little to do with the gift of God’s gracious and forgiving love for all of humanity that was born in Jesus.

Our gift-giving ought to reflect that love – so gifts ought to be life-giving - reflecting the unique gifts and personalities of our children and grandchildren. Gifts ought to encourage interaction and relationship with others and exploration of the world God created, rather than causing others to become focused only on themselves. Gift-giving also ought to reflect a care and love for creation. A really great invention has been reusable gift bags (they are a lot easier for folks with clumsy fingers who end up taping themselves to wrapping paper and gifts). A great sadness for me has always been seeing curbs piled high with garbage the day after Christmas.

As we consider our lives, many of us look around and see that we have all that we need. We look at our children and grandchildren and see that often times they have all that they need. Some families have made pacts with themselves to limit gifts or even eliminate gifts and use the time at Christmas to be together in other meaningful ways. Some families pool the money or some of the money normally spent on gifts to help people less fortunate. Some actually go shopping together to buy gifts for angel tree projects or other agencies that provide gifts for families. Our ELCA Hunger Appeal provides funds for people in need around the world. The ELCA website has a list of Good Gifts for persons who want to contribute to special projects. The local food pantry reports increasing numbers of new people using it each month.

Christmas is a time of sharing gifts – even as God shared the gift of Jesus. May our gift-giving reflect God’s love for all people and all creation.

From Fear to Hope and Community

Just when we think the world cannot get any more complicated, that there can be any more problems, we hear stories of being on the brink of world economic collapse. On one hand, we fret and worry. On the other hand, we wonder how much is news “hype.” But we see the stock market wildly fluctuating up and down. We notice world leaders frantically meeting together. Those who keep track of pension and retirement funds see them losing ground instead of increasing in value. And more and more, we learn of people losing their jobs or homes.

What are we to do in such troubling times?

First, we continue to be mindful of the poorest and most vulnerable in our communities and world. We look at our own financial situation and quickly recognize there are many who live in much more desperate situations than we do. We continue to share our resources with those in need.

But more importantly we learn about the complexities of the economic and political systems that seem to keep some people poor and allow others to seemingly take advantage of others. If nothing else, in the last month we have become more aware certain business practices which at best seem unfair. Being aware of these inequities and questionable practices, we work as God’s people to reform our systems so that all people can live and work on a more level “playing field.” Our ELCA Conference of Bishops recently released a statement “On the Current Financial Crisis” (October 7, 2008). They wrote, “Any economic system should be measured by the degree to which it serves God’s purposes for humankind and creation. Those who have been blessed by the fruits of the economy are called to be generous in giving to those who have lost much and to advocate for accountability and appropriate regulation in this system.”

We do not despair. God “calls us out of fear into hope and community” (Bishops’ Statement cited above). We recall difficult times we have experienced in the past and know that God has not forsaken us. I am certain we can all say that we never have known a time when God has not provided what we needed. Even those who lived through the Great Depression or those who have weathered bankruptcies can often speak about how God has provided.

God “calls us out of fear into hope and community.” We are not in this alone. God provides us with community. We have each other. If indeed, economic life as we know it changes significantly, we can assist one another. Some remember the Great Depression and many others were shaped by that era. Many of us know how to live quite simply and can even “live off the land,” if needed. We can provide guidance and assistance for those who do know about some of these skills. In community, we can share resources when necessary. And living together in faith we can remember one another in care and prayer.

Finally, if you or your family personally experience financial difficulty, I invite you to share that with me. While I am not a financial counselor, and while our congregation has a few, but limited resources for assistance, it is important that we learn not to suffer alone. Know that I will always help you maintain your anonymity if that is important, but I will also seek to connect you with people or groups that can provide assistance. However, mostly I will seek to help us find God’s presence in the midst of whatever we experience in life.

The full text of the statement by the ELCA conference of Bishops is found at
http://www.elca.org/Who-We-Are/Our-Three-Expressions/Churchwide-Organization/Synodical-Relations/Conference-of-Bishops/Pastoral-Letters/

Children of God Meet Children of the Corn

Pastoral Pondering
by Pastor Keith Larson

I have been “hanging out” on Main Street this week watching them film a movie. I agree with the person who said that watching them film the movie was about as exciting as watching paint dry – to a point. The times I watched, they shot the same 5 – 15 second scene 6, 7, 8 or more times. Over and over again. When they finally got one scene right, they set up for the next scene. Moving all of the equipment even 20 yards seemed to take up to an hour. So yes – that part is boring. Things promise to get more exciting when the battered vintage car will be “exploded” on Main Street.

But what I have enjoyed is seeing the process. Some of the routines are as old as movie-making itself. From someone calling out “Quiet on the set,” followed by “Ready. Action. Roll.” And the person holding the little click board saying, “Scene 23. Take 6.” And then he clicked the board together and jumped out of the way. But other processes are much more technical. One man told me he was the computer tech person who was going to digitally replace Union Presbyterian Church which was in the background of many shots and replace it with something else. Dozens of people worked with the set and props. Corn stalks were perpetually being moved from one scene to another. I think some of them were going to have more mileage on them than if they had been turned into ethanol.

I also have very much enjoyed visiting with the people – some as local as the Quad-Cities and others all the way from Hollywood. One person talked to me as if he knew me, and finally said, “You don’t remember me, do you?” I said, “No, I don’t.” And he said, “I visited with you at the Synod Assembly. Pastor Lynn (Thiede) is my pastor.” So there are even Lutherans in the movie business.

Members from both churches have introduced me to people they had met in pre-planning. Lots of folks have done “business” with the movie folks as our communities have fed the cast and crew at both the OJ and LN Legion halls, as various community boards have granted permission to use property and equipment, and local citizens from our churches have loaned buildings and space. Our communities’ racial balances became a little more diverse for these weeks. We certainly became more diverse as far as clothing styles, and hairstyles and hair colors definitely were more varied than we usually see on the streets of Lost Nation and Oxford Junction.

But what I really noticed was the same thing I noticed during the Olympics closing ceremony as athletes from around the world jubilantly entered the stadium. As human beings, we really have a lot more in common with each other than is different. While some of the movie people are in Iowa for the first time, we have so much in common. They, like we, enjoy talking about what they are doing and how they enjoy what they are doing. They like to have a good time. They are polite, considerate, and grateful. They enjoy a good meal when they are hungry – even though some Californians had never experienced scalloped corn. I have to say I have not had so much fun on Main Street since RAGBRAI rode through. I’m glad we got to share our good local hospitality with a bunch of other neat human beings.

Some have asked, “Pastor, what do you think about them filming that movie in our town?” Well, if we could have had a choice of movies set in the middle of a cornfield, “Field of Dreams” would have been preferable to “Children of the Corn.” I do not enjoy horror movies. I also believe to some extent regular heavy exposure to anything violent, whether in real life or in the media can be harmful to some people. So if you let your children watch this movie when it comes out, it prob-ably will not do irreparable harm to them unless they want to see it over and over again. But you may have to deal with them having nightmares for awhile.

I am also aware of the conversation Jesus had with people about whether eating certain kinds of food could harm one spiritually. Jesus replied that what comes out of a person’s mouth is more important than what goes into a person’s mouth. In other words, what we say and do counts for more than what we eat, in a spiritual sense – or the kind of movies we watch. I know I will much longer remember with joy some of the people I met during the filming of the movie than I will enjoy watching the movie.

After Internship - What's Next?

Pastoral Pondering
by Pastor Keith Larson

We did it! We were the teaching site for an intern for one year! Moreover, I believe we were a good site for an intern, if I may say so myself. So how did it go? We have talked about it at Council meetings. Others have shared their thoughts with me. Some have started out by saying, “I wasn’t very much in favor of it to start with, but I changed my mind during the year.” I now offer my public reflections.

Although I was the first contact when the seminary asked if we could be a site for an intern with special circumstances, and although I was open enough to bring it to the Councils, that does not mean I too, did not have qualms and misgivings. I certainly knew always that we didn’t “need” an intern. And from the perspective of a pastor, I wondered if I might not be too much of an “old-style” pastor to have anything valuable to share with an energetic seminarian. I wondered if we would have enough variety of experiences for an intern to get a good taste of what it was like to be a pastor.

Many have said that it turned out fortuitous that we had an intern for the year, given the fact that Pastoral Associate Barb’s recovery from hip surgery took her longer than she expected. And I am indeed grateful I had someone to share the workload with during those 5 months. Apart from the help Intern Paul provided when we were shorthanded, I am very glad we were an internship site, for many other reasons.

I am proud that we rose to the occasion of serving the greater church in this special way. I firmly believe that we at Bethlehem and St. Mark have something important to share with the church and with future pastors. Many new pastors will likely serve congregations like ours. But even if Intern Paul never serves a congregation in the heartland or in a congregation in small towns or rural areas, his perspective of the ELCA is enriched because of his time with us. And any congregation is enriched when there is a variety of voices proclaiming God’s Word and when there are a variety of personalities available for conversation and counsel. We were indeed blessed. I often was reminded of a frequent comment made by Herb Rehmke of St. Mark’s when he was living. Many times, he would say following worship when both AIM Barb and I were involved. “Many times we wondered if we could keep this church open and have a pastor, and look at us now. We have two ministers. Who would have thought?” And if Herb had been alive this last year, he would have been incredulous – with three ministers.

I am grateful for the chance I had to be a supervisor because I feel I also learned a lot in the process. I have never been opposed to technology. I was one of the earlier pastors to have an e-mail address and I have been part of a “cyber” church community for over a dozen years, but it was e-mail based as opposed to web-based (there’s a difference). Intern Paul encouraged me to become a little savvier about the ”web.” And I now know a few things about blogging and podcasts. I also now own a gadget called an mp3 player (I-pods are one brand most are familiar with, but mine is a Zen) that I find it hard to be without.

But an intern also, necessarily ought to help keep a supervisor somewhat fresh and current with what’s new in theology and church resources. Although, I have always tried to keep up and keep abreast of what is new, it can be easy for me or for anyone who does the same thing year after year to get stale. Having an intern helped keep me fresher and more on my toes.

I was aware, somewhat, that internship would not be just a year with an “extra pair of hands.” But I don’t think I fully comprehended how much time needed to be involved in teaching, supervising, evaluating, and the like. Incredible amount of time and energy also needed to go into communication when there was a professional staff of three besides secretaries and organist. All that was “new” territory for me.

Would I want to be a supervisor again? Sure! Why not? But I am glad for a break. I admire congregations and supervisors who have one intern after another. I think the fare welling and welcoming all in a matter of weeks or days would be an incredibly difficult emotional task. I also am aware that we were fortunate to have a most capable and mature intern. I am also aware that some interns sometimes are more of a challenge for supervisors and/ or congregations.

What next? There are a couple of possibilities.
• We can thank God for a good year and that we had the opportunity to experience internship, once.

• We can be open to the possibility of being of service to Wartburg Seminary when they have need for placing an intern with special circumstances. This would take no action now but the councils and congregations need to be ready sometimes to make decisions on rather short notice. “Special circumstances” might mean the intern needs a site close enough for the intern to live in Dubuque or some other area location for some special reason, or might need to be placed close enough to Dubuque so a spouse could commute there for work. Often when interns request special placement, they forego a housing benefit, saving the internship site the cost of providing housing for a year, but also they miss the aspect of living in the community of the congregation. If you have thoughts regarding this option, of being open in the future, share your thoughts with council members. The actual decision to be a supervising congregation always involves a congregational vote.

• We could decide that we should regularly request an intern from Wartburg or some other seminary as an important part of our mission and ministry. If this were an option we need to be aware that such a request on our part would mean that we normally would be expected to also provide housing for a seminarian (and family when applicable) for the year, significantly increasing our financial obligation. Such a decision would be a matter of many months of serious discussion and deliberation.

The Trip That Wouldn't End

It is good to be back home after vacation. I think it is a successful vacation when I can have a delightful time away but then to be happy to be home. But this was a trip from which we wondered if we would get home. It seemed like it was never going to end.

We flew to northern California for a gathering of Ginger’s family at her sister’s home near Trinidad. You have heard many say that flying is not what it used to be. The seats are tiny, the planes are usually 100% full, and they seem to go more when they want to rather than when they are scheduled. We began the trip by arriving at the Moline airport at 5:00 a.m. for a 6:05 a.m. flight, only to learn the flight had been canceled and we had been rescheduled on the 3:00 p.m. flight. Somehow, after a flight of 3 legs we still got there by midnight.

We had a delightful time with Ginger’s family – with her parents, sisters, some nieces and nephews, their kids, and our own grandkids. Lots of conversation, time on the beach and walking in redwood forests.

Then it was time for the trip home. The flight from Arcata to San Francisco was fine – as far as flights on noisy twin propeller planes go. However, when we got to San Francisco we learned the next leg to Denver had been delayed. I believe our flight got into Denver about the same time our flight (the last one) to Moline left. We still dashed (well at least as dashingly as a 57 old guy with a backpack can dash) 20-some gates to see if by chance the plane was still there – but alas just an empty gate. Then it was back to the customer service counter so we could stand in line behind half a plane full of folks trying to get to places like Moline, Cedar Rapids, Fargo, and the like. The delay was airline-related instead of weather-related so they put us up in a hotel in Denver (without our luggage, of course) and off we went to the hotel bus stop for some more waiting. There were so many folks that we did not all fit in the first van so we had to wait for the next one – getting to the hotel about the same time we should have been getting to Moline – just past midnight.

The next day there was no room on the Denver - Moline flight so we were routed to Moline via Chicago. As we began our descent into O’Hare we encountered some turbulence significant enough to cause a collective audible gasp from the passengers. After circling and bouncing for a while, the plane started up and the captain announced that O’Hare had to shut down and we were going to Ann Arbor, Michigan for some more fuel – and to wait out the storm. So we had afternoon pretzels (5 tiny ones come in the little bag) and water in Ann Arbor – now our 4th time zone in 24 hours. Then it was back to O’Hare a few hours late and then to Moline – only about 19 hours late.

That trip home and I think flying in general these days is a lesson in patience. One can get angry and holler and scream at the attendants at the service desk or at your spouse. I heard people do that. Or you can sob and cry. I saw people do that. I overheard one man telling an attendant that he simply had to be to Rochester, New York by 7:00 or it would be the end of the world. He wasn’t and it wasn’t.

With a little patience and kindness, a bit of community can develop among strangers. A young woman and her mother were in line with us at the service counter in Denver. They remembered us getting on in Arcata and we ended up going with them to the hotel. They were on their way to Fargo. Another young woman was waiting in line for the hotel shuttle with her tiny baby. She was on her way to her mother’s funeral in Arkansas and was worried she might not get there in time. We made sure she got on the first shuttle bus to the hotel.

Not to be trite, but vacations by air are a lot like life. There is much to celebrate – families and friends to enjoy, a wonderful world to explore. But life, like air trips, also has its delays and unexpected stops and unscheduled nights in hotels or airport lounges. We like to have our life planned out, so all of the reroutings and delays and unscheduled stops of life can be frustrating. But we can make the most of those unexpected times remembering we are not alone, but in the end God will get us home. In the meantime, we work hard at treating fellow travelers of life with love, care and forgiveness. A kind word, a word of thanks, asking a question out of genuine concern goes a long way in developing community even in the middle of the night in an international airport. These actions can do even more in our neighborhoods and congregations.

Pastoral Pondering

by Pastor Keith Larson

Last night was a “perfect” summer evening. I went for a bike ride and riding into Rustic Park, I realized there was an elementary girls’ softball game. I stopped and visited with folks under the shade trees while parents, grandparents and friends got excited about base hits and great defensive plays on the field. When I got home, Ginger and a friend were sitting talking together on the front porch swing. Later another friend dropped off a some books for me and together the 4 of us sat in good conversation on the porch for another 90 minutes. That was an idyllic evening of picture postcards and the “good old days.”

All of this was in stark contrast to a trip I made to Iowa City on Thursday, June 12. I can only describe that day as surreal. Driving through rain, thunder and lightening, the radio station was in “emergency” mode. There was one announcement after another about evacuations and road and street closures. A short distance ahead of me, the flashing lights of an ambulance headed towards Cedar Rapids added to the direness of the day.

I met with other conference deans and the Bishop. This was our last regular meeting with Bishop Hougen. Most of the meeting was reporting about the effects of flooding on all of us. The conference dean from the Cedar Rapids area is pastor in Vinton, so talked to us by phone as the Cedar River was cresting in Vinton as he was on the streets with his members. We spent more time on the phone with our local representative with Lutheran Disaster Response. When I headed for home, they closed Highway 1, just as I approached the Cedar River and reports and rumors were that others roads were closing. So for a short while I actually wondered how I was going to get home. (And that is amazing as I pride myself in knowing more routes to Iowa City than most anyone else around knows. In another 24 hours, there literally were no routes between here and there – well there was one “short cut” on gravel roads on high ground between the Cedar and Iowa Rivers that no one talked about).

We wish all our days could be like Monday summer evenings on the front porch, instead of Thursdays in the midst of disasters. Yet we live in a world that has as many Thursday disasters as Monday evening porch times. I am reminded of our brothers and sisters on the Palestinian side of the wall in the Holy Land who live with constant road closures enforced by soldiers not because of natural disasters but because of political decisions. Losing home or business or crops to floods is indeed horrific, but millions daily live with the fear of missiles, bombs, and gunfire destroying their homes, businesses, and lives.

Many of us know people who were severely impacted by floods and tornadoes, and some in our church family have been temporarily displaced and have difficulties enough. While we do not know people in other parts of the world who suffer from disasters – natural and human-generated, each of them shares with us the same core of humanity that would prefer the comfort and joy of a relaxing evening on the front porch with friends. May God provide for us enough calm front porch time to give us strength to face the hard times when they come and to provide aid, support, and comfort to those who face the hard disaster times of life.

I have been terribly distracted for the past several weeks – I mean really distracted. The source of the distraction was the election of bishop in our synod. Our system of electing a bishop involves each of the almost 500 voting members being able to vote for any pastor in our church. In the last months, several people had asked my wife if they could nominate her. Ginger consented.

People always ask, “Did she want the job?” There is no easy answer to that question. One would hope that one would not say yes to being nominated if the person did not in some way want the job. To consent to being nominated is to also consent to serve if elected. Once a person consents to being a part of the process, that person necessarily must begin thinking about what is important, what one wants to accomplish, all the time knowing that one may not be elected, but could be elected. The person needs to be confident of his or her gifts and talents, at the same time recognizing that if God’s Spirit brings about an election, the same Spirit will also provide the other gifts needed to do the task. At the same time, one also knows the task of synod bishop is a daunting one with high demands and a very public face. I do not know if she could have been pinned down to a simple yes/no answer to that question. She agreed to be a part of the process and would have considered it a call from God to be elected.

Well when Ginger consented to be part of the process, I became part of the process. I am perhaps my wife’s biggest fan – along with her parents and our sons. I have the highest regard for her gifts and talents as a pastor and leader in the church. I have thought (and still think) she would be good bishop. But if she necessarily had to begin thinking about the possibility of being a bishop, I, also, had to imagine what that would mean for me. And I have a vivid imagination. The upshot of it was that for some weeks now it was difficult for me to think concretely beyond May 17.

The whole process exacts an enormous emotional toll on the candidates (and spouses). Retiring Bishop Hougen, in thanking everyone who allowed themselves to be considered (over 60 persons were nominated – including me; 34 persons allowed their names to be considered – not me), reflected on cost of being in the process said, “It messes with peoples’ heads.” Ginger and I both have a ways to go to get ourselves “back in the groove.” It will take me less time because I was not as personally involved – I didn’t have to address the Assembly and in 5 minutes spell out my dreams for the synod and tell them who I was – even still I still hardly slept the night before.

The synod Assembly is past. We have a new bishop. We all look forward to getting to know him. It is not particularly common for synods to elect someone they barely know. And I can begin thinking more concretely about the future.

We each get asked in many ways to serve God in the church and community – whether it is to be nominated for congregation council, to teach Sunday school or Bible school, to serve as an Women of the ELCA officer, to be an usher, to run for city council or school board. Just being asked takes an emotional toll as we weigh the costs and responsibilities. But we are grateful for all who say yes. God’s kingdom needs willing workers to perform a variety of important tasks in the church and in the world. Thanks to all who seriously consider serving when asked, and thanks especially for those who agree to serve in many ways.

Pastoral Pondering

by Pastor Keith Larson

Every day we notice how much fuel and grocery prices go up. Those people counting on interest income or money from investments don’t have as much to count on. The endowment committee realized when they began working on a budget for 2008-09, that Bethlehem probably has about $10,000 less to give away this year. We regularly read or hear about companies going broke or people being laid off. We see so many pressing crushing needs and at the same time realize how many millions of dollars are spent each day now for 5 years on a seemingly never-ending war in Iraq and Afghanistan. It can be scary times.

But at the same time, we look back at the past and we realize we probably have all faced some difficult times in the past. Some are still living who remember the Great Depression. Many more remember stories told by parents and grandparents about those days. Others remember rationing and other difficulties during World War II. Still more remember the farm crisis of the 70’s and 80’s. And just about all of us can say with certainty and conviction, “How blessed we are! God has not forgotten us.” Indeed when we stand together on Sunday and say, “I believe in God the Father Almighty…” we are saying in part, “I believe that God has created me together with all that exists… God daily and abundantly provides shoes and clothing, food and drink, house and farm, spouse and children, fields, livestock and all property – along with all the necessities and nourishment for this body and life” (from Luther’s Small Catechism, meaning of 1^st Article of the Apostles’ Creed).

Even while this is happening in our lives, many are filing income tax returns. Some realize they have paid too much in taxes and are getting a refund. Our government has promised most people will receive some amount of “economic stimulus” later this spring. Some are beginning to make plans about how to use this money. Have you considered sharing a portion – 10% or more with God through the church or some other worthwhile agency of the church?

Some members also must consider how to dispose of their assets at the time of their deaths. Some want to leave all or a portion to God’s work. Our congregations have been blessed many times over by persons who have made bequests – large and small. Almost 40 years ago, in the congregation where I grew up, a woman left a portion of her estate to the congregation. The endowment was quite substantial then. I was the beneficiary of some of that gift as my congregation helped support me as a missionary in Madagascar and then assisted in paying my seminary tuition. However, as interest rates are currently very low and prices of many things so much higher, their endowment fund now seems quite modest. While it might seem hard to believe, it is possible, even Bethlehem’s Endowment could seem rather modest in another 40 years.

As we all consider not only our current giving to God through our congregations, we can also consider how to plan our final or ultimate giving. Do we want to remember our congregation by giving to an endowment fund or general fund? Do we want to remember some institution or agency special to us? EWALU, for instance is still looking for 1 or 2 or 3 major donors to complete the 2^nd or “bonus” phase of the “All Are Welcome” Appeal. Wartburg Seminary can always use major gifts to endow certain teaching positions or scholarships. The ELCA has a “Fund for Leaders,” that if grown sufficiently could provide assistance or eventually full tuition for all seminarians. These are but a few examples. Many of your financial advisors can assist you in planning such gifts so they help the agency and institutions as much as possible and still provide for your final years or for other family members. Agencies and institutions also have representatives who can help you. If you are uncomfortable with any of those options, I can at least help you get started making some of those plans and perhaps suggest some people who could be helpful.

After a long hard winter – a winter of cold, snow, and ice, but also a winter of difficult economic news and events, we celebrate the joy of sunshine, warmth, spring, and new life and declare again, “How blessed, I am. Thanks be to God.”