Campus Ministry at Western Michigan University

So it came to pass recently that I became the President of the Board of Lutheran-Episcopal Campus Ministries at Western Michigan University. Pretty exciting stuff, especially in that I don't entirely know what I've managed to sign myself up for.

Of particular interest is the impending lecture series LECM is sponsoring with the Department of Comparative Religions at Western on Religious Perspectives. This year the series focuses on Islam, and our first speaker from a Sunni perspective will be at Fetzer Center on Friday October 14th at 7pm. See the LECM link above for details. These days it is vitally important for people of faith to learn from one another.This series provides an excellent chance for us to learn about our brothers and sisters of faith as well as to meet people from a variety of backgrounds interested in interfaith efforts.

Also exciting is LECM's Sunday evening worship, featuring music from the Taizé community in France in a contemplative celebration of the Eucharist. Another time I'll tell the story of how centrally formative Taizé has been in my own spiritual life, but for now suffice to say you should check this out. We at LCS will be worshiping in a Taizé style on Wednesday evenings during Advent, and I am very excited for that opportunity as well.

Hearing the Cries: Faith and Criminal Justice Study at LCS

What does our faith have to do with the criminal justice system? No, really, I’m asking for your opinion: Hearing the Cries: Faith and Criminal Justice is the ELCA’s new study on faith and the criminal justice system. Each of us has been affected in some way by our criminal justice system, yet too often we do not feel welcome to be honest about our feelings and experiences. The study seeks comments from every angle, including ex-offenders, victims, law enforcement and judicial personnel, and family members of those affected in some way by our criminal justice system. In short, this study needs you. 

We of Lutheran Church of the Savior have a unique opportunity to engage in this conversation with the entire ELCA. We will begin by offering a four-week Sunday morning Adult Faith Formation class to look at Hearing the Cries, at 9:00am on starting on October 16^th and ending on November 6^th. After our final meeting we will offer feedback to the ELCA Task Force on Criminal Justice by November 11^th, who will use our feedback along with that of other congregations and members to draft a Social Statement for the whole church. In this way we will be contributing to an ongoing nation-wide conversation about criminal justice among people of faith. 

On Saturday, October 29^th we will supplement our group discussion with a visit from the ELCA Director for Racial Justice Ministries, Judith Roberts. Judith will provide context on both the church and wider society for the study, and address questions we come up with in our Sunday morning talks. We are very lucky that Judith will be able to join us from Chicago to enhance our discussion, and this event will be open to the public and publicized to local congregations, the synod, and the synod anti-racism team. Our hope is that even those unable to join the group on Sunday mornings will have the opportunity to engage this study and offer feedback. 

I sincerely hope you are able to join us for these important conversations, on Sunday mornings at 9:00am starting on 10/16 and/or at 10:00am on Saturday 10/29.

Link: Millenials and the Church

Yeah, yeah, I know I've been away too long. Things have been crazy, but once I finally can get online at the new place I'll be back to blogging like I mean it. In the meantime, if you are interested in the relationship between young people and the church, read this article. Then, as I said on the LCS Facebook page, read it again.

ELCA Churchwide Assembly 2011, ctd

Now that the 2011 Churchwide Assembly of the ELCA is complete, I think would like to share a couple of resources that can help us to understand the work this church has done in that place and continues to do around the country and the world. I did follow much of the Assembly online, and used and followed the Twitter hashtag #cwa11 like it was manna from heaven. I had the privilege of representing the European American Lutheran Association all week on Twitter, supporting resolutions related to immigration.

Presiding Bishop Mark Hanson set the tone for the week with his sermon at opening worship, which you can watch on the archived videos or read at LivingLutheran.com. I strongly encourage everyone to check out this sermon, which I believe started the week's path toward consistent post-Assembly feedback that this Assembly demonstrated that this church, the ELCA, finally knows its identity for the first time since its conception in 1987.

My Second Calling, ctd

For your amusement, I will post here a link to the radio interview about roller derby I did today on The Yard, 1600 FM The Fan. Sean, the host, goaded me into talking about my wedding plans more than I would've liked, but overall it was quite a fun time. Thanks, Sean, and I hope to see you Saturday night at Wings Stadium for KDD's final bout of the season.

ELCA Churchwide Assembly 2011

Today begins the biennial Churchwide Assembly (called CWA11 by us church-nerds) of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Even though today is my day off, I've spent most of my recent hours watching opening worship on the ELCA's live stream. Bishop Mark Hanson's sermon on Mary's Song from Luke was very powerful, and I hope it will be available to watch later online. I am enjoying hearing some of my best people making music for the Assembly as well.

If you want to keep up with CWA11, in addition to following the live stream, go to Twitter and search #cwa11 - the official hashtag of the event, to hear what everyone is saying about it. You needn't join Twitter to do so, but of course it would be awesome if you did (and if you followed @AndrewTengwall and @EuroAmLuthAssn).

Also, the European American Lutheran Association (EALA) is active at CWA11, supporting the resolution on immigration that got me all riled up in my sermon this past Sunday.

So come and see what God is up to through the ELCA this week!

August Newsletter Article

Joyful, Joyful we adore thee,

God of glory, Lord of love!

Hearts unfold like flow’rs before thee,

praising thee, their sun above.

Melt the clouds of sin and sadness,

drive the gloom of doubt away.

Giver of immortal gladness,

fill us with the light of day.

- Henry van Dyke, “Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee,” ELW 836

As you have likely heard by now, I am getting married at the beginning of September. My fiancé, Sarah Friesen-Carper, is the pastor of Peace Lutheran Church in Charlotte, Michigan, where she has served since 2007. We met at the Lutheran School of Theology in Chicago during her senior year and my “Lutheran Year,” the extra year of seminary I was required to do because I had earned my degree at a non-Lutheran school. She laughs easily, cares deeply and doesn’t put up with too much of my foolishness. I am blessed to have her in my life.

Our wedding will take place in her parents’ backyard in Valparaiso, Indiana. It amuses me that the two pastors are to be married in the backyard rather than in a church building, but we are still having full church with a baptismal font, processional cross, hymns and communion. Our Bishop John D. Schleicher has graciously agreed to preside over the marriage parts of the gathering. Preaching and presiding at communion will be Sarah’s mentor from LSTC, John H. Tietjen Professor of Pastoral Ministry: Worship and Church Music, Emeritus Rev. Mark P. Bangert. We are very excited for the presence and participation of each of these church leaders in our ceremony.

We are also excited for the music at our wedding. Sarah’s father Dennis Friesen-Carper is composing a setting of Song of Solomon 8:6-7 for the service featuring choir, solo mezzo-soprano, and viola. Some of you may know of him from the Glory to God of ELW Holy Communion Setting Eight that we frequently sing on Sunday mornings. Sarah’s brother Paul is setting Psalm 98 for us to sing as a congregation as we have begun to do now on Sundays.