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I know this will sound like an old person reminiscing about the “good ol’ days.” Indulge me. When I was a child we were required to exercise imagination to a much greater degree than children today. While channel surfing the other night, I came across a Little League baseball game on TV. I was amazed. I wouldn’t in my wildest imagination have considered anything we did as children worthy of being televised. And this wasn’t even the Little League World Series—only one of the playoff games leading up to that. The couple of summers I played Little League baseball, we didn’t have uniforms. I was in awe of just having real bases, chalked foul lines, and an umpire. Since for the most part the only baseball games I ever saw on TV were World Series games (featuring mythic baseball teams like the New York Yankees and Brooklyn Dodgers), the idea that boys my age would one day be playing baseball on TV was something far beyond fantasy. Most baseball I played growing up were pickup games in the neighborhood with no adult supervision. Rules were invented and argued. Younger players were sometimes given an extra strike. Having only three or four players on your team created logistical problems that had to be improvised. Looking back, I wonder now whether we didn’t perhaps learn more about negotiation and compromise than we did about playing baseball. Children today appear to have many more opportunities to develop skills and talents. Whether the interest is sports or music or dance, there are avenues for training, equipment, supervision, venues, and competition. Watching the Little Leaguers on TV left me no doubt that they were far more advanced baseball players than any of us ever were. Most of this appears to be because of active adult involvement. Despite a “stay-at-home” Mom, as far as I can remember there was very little adult involvement in our play as kids. In the summertime, we would often leave home in the morning and, other than checking in for meal times, might not see much of our parents until bedtime. Others my age with whom I have talked to about this have similar memories. Today, despite busy schedules, parents frequently are much more involved in the day to day activity of their children—if nothing else, in spending time in the car with them as they shuttled them back and forth to various organized activities. I raise this issue not to debate which is better, but rather to reflect on what effect, if any, this may have in congregations. I admit that I have zero data to support this hypothesis. Perhaps, as I said to begin with, this is just reminiscing about the good ol’ days. Even if true, I’m not sure what one could do about it—other than to lift up the strengths of the different generations as being equally important for the church. It is important to have high expectations for the way we do church and to avail ourselves of the many external resources that today are available to become more proficient about what we do and the way we do it. It is also important to be patient with imperfections, learning to adapt, compromise, and work together to find solutions. Services available through Partners in Caring: Pastoral Care Case Conference---a clergy group which meets monthly to discuss pastoral care encounters brought by group members Team Workshops—staff retreats for church staffs Sabbatical Facilitation—consultation for clergy and congregations considering a sabbatical leave for a worker Disaster Preparedness—a training resource for congregations to prepare for disaster and for groups interested in the ministry of disaster response. Miscellaneous Quotes R.I.P.= Retirement in Place Dogs don’t bark at parked cars. The Dali Lama was asked if he ever got angry. He replied “Only if it was helpful.” If you want to know how you are doing, why stick the thermometer in someone else’s mouth? J,E,D,P & BB Biblical scholars believe they have detected the existence of yet another document source redacted into the text of the Bible. The have named this new source BB. Here are the fragments they have discovered that seem to fit together in a compelling way: In the big inning (Gen. 1:1), the children of Benjamin went out (Jdg 20:31) into the field (Num. 22:23). Behold, Rebecca came forth with her pitcher (Gen. 24:45). “Thou shalt fan them,” (Is. 41:16) Joseph said (Gen. 42:14). And Abram went down (Gen. 12:10). Jacob was (Gen. 31:36) out at the base (Lev. 4:18). The children of Israel asked,. . . “Who shall go up for us . . .against the Canaanites?” (Jdg 3:15). Saul, son of Kish, was chosen (I Sm. 10:21). And he delivered up (Num. 21:3) and the young man ran (Num. 11:27), turned and went back (Jdg 18:26), and fell facedown (Gen. 17:3), for it was an error (Num. 15:25). And Saul went (I Sam. 14:20) to second and third (Gen. 6:16). And Joseph spoke concerning the error (Lev. 15:18), “Make an atonement for thyself!” (Lev. 9:17). Then Joseph commanded to fill…the…sacks (Gen. 42:25). Enoch walked (Gen. 5:24). Noah walked (Gen. 6:9). Moses…glancing this way and that (Ex. 2:11-12), smote…and it was foul (Ex. 7:20-21). And Moses lifted up his hand and with his rod he smote (Num. 20:11) the hide (Lev. 9:11) a long blast (Josh 6:5), outside the camp (Jdg 7:17) for an ‘omer (Ex. 16:36). And the men of Israel and of Judah arose and shouted (I Sam 17:52). In Christ's Service, Roger Kruger This e-mail newsletter is an endeavor of Partners in Caring, Lutheran Family Services of Nebraska, Inc. I envision it as a way to share ideas, resources, and conversation about the joys and struggles of ministry. I welcome your input. Feel free to pass it on to friends.
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The Lessons of Play
Is it possible that young leaders today have highly developed skills and high expectations about the “professionalism” with which congregations should be run, but have lesser capabilities when it comes to the ability to compromise, work with dissenters, negotiate disagreements, and imagine creative solutions? Is it also more likely that they will more quickly seek “adult” intervention, looking to judicatory officials and other outside sources for solutions rather than to seek to work out their own difficulties?