The Melheimian Sabbatiblog

Roos

Aussie Week 2

Here's a shot of me and my conference host, Mark Hansen, at the Lutheran immigrant museum church near Handorf, Australia. It shows the church's weekly schedule. Every Tuesday was set aside for the Pastor to teach the Catechism class... to parents who would return home and teach it to their kids!

Last night we drove north of Sydney about 4 hours on the coast. We shish babobed and watched late night Aussie soccer (they lost!) and home-made soap operas. Joseph and I went out for butter and came back to see a wild wallabye on the road in front of us. Today the kids woke and walked down the to beach to see a dozen dolphins surfing in a row. Literally. It was spectacular.

More tomorrow.

FINK Down Under

We have had an absolutely marvelous week of Australian hospitality here in Adelaide, hosted by Rev. Mark Hansen, the Lutheran Board of Youth and Family Ministry, and the South Australia District. They are looking to rethink confirmaiton models and resources, and flew Arlyce and me over for a three day "FINK University" training. The group who flew in are a lively, fun, upbeat bunch of leaders from all six states, plus a stray Presbyterian from New Zealand and a wonderfully intelligent and warm Pentecostal from an internet connection.

Here's some photos. I'll give you an audio report tomorrow... if I can find a high speed link.

I Know Your Rising

Here's an infectious little ditty I wrote for Bible Song and handed to the amazing Rick Barron to interpret. It came back Reagee... or however you spell it.

Anyway, it's from the second volume of Bible Song, "Into the Promised Land."

Just got the covers back from the boys at Lookout Design and I think they look great.

Off to Australia tomorrow. I'll try to keep posting, and maybe even send some shrimp for your barbie.

Rich

Are You the One?

Here's a little ditty Pastor Mike Lee and I wrote one morning in Seattle on after sleeping on the wooden floor above Karen Ward's Tea House.

Mike's a crazy pastor who's trying to change the world from Lodi, WI (no, he's not stuck there) and doing some mighty fine music along the way.

The song is sung by Lauren Redpath and arranged/engineered by Todd Ernster.

For as the Rain

Here's a little piece I wrote using Isaiah 55:10-11 for the lyrics (NRSV). Jonathan Rundman interpreted it in classic Beatles-style, complete with authentic instrumentation and "oooohs". It will show up in semester five of our new Bible Song Sunday School.

Speaking of Jonathan, his new Protestant Rock Ethic album is really rather marvelous. Plus he's got a fun new video on his website at www.saltlady.com. Check him out and tell 'em Rich sent you.

Arne's Arguement

Every once in a while I get a message that is worth responding to. Here's an exchange on The Fifth Church and the future of how the American Mainliners are about to become Flat Liners.

Rich, musing over your thoughts on fifth church I was struck by your thoughts of the death of the mainline church and your observation that we have lost the ability to reproduce. I would suggest that the whole Christian church has lost that ability. If you read the research by Patricia Killen in "the None-Zone" you will find her conclusion that no one is really reproducing the faith. the growing churches are not really impacting the unchurched, they are not reproducing but rather borrowing members from other church bodies. (implication mainline) Over 100 years of statistics in the  show a fairly steady rate of unchurched population. To the extent that this is true then the faithful are not growing or waning but rather moving. I wonder if this is cyclical and we can expect a movement back from the "contemporary" to the "traditional" I wonder what is good about our traditions that we sjhould cling to and continue to make the case for. Just a few thoughts. Thanks for your ministry.

Peace be with you, Arne from Washington State

Hey Arne,

Christianity dying? Not a chance. Check out Indonesia and Sub-sahara Africa and China and parts of Latin and south America where the holy spirit is moving and the church is growing leaps and bounds.

Maybe the kabod yahweh has left the building, but it hasn't left the planet.

God will build the church. No question about that. The only question is, will be there when it happens?

As Winston Churchill said, "There are basically three kinds of people:

    Those who make things happen.

    Those who let things happen.

    Those who don't know anything has happened.

Sad to say, I think the bulk of the American mainline falls squarely in the final column when it comes to seeing the handwriting on the wall.

What to do?

Let's work on it. I think the answer will have something to do with getting the WORD in, and getting the WORD out. With faith from the family up rather than faith from the church on down. With opening the kid before try to open the book. With faith formation rather than mere information in education. With engagement and player coaches rather than sages on the stages who demand spectators who are to sit quietly, applaud when appropriate and refrain from throwing things.

It will be a back to the future church, and look more like the second chapter of Acts than the current institution. And it will be marvelous in God's sight. After all, God's already designed it.

We just need to figure out the design.

 

Nietchze's Dead

A Poem

"God is dead!"
Nietchze said
His faith could not allow
Belief in God
But he's turning sod
I believe he believes in God
Now

Speaking of belief in God, here's a little ditty I wrote from Isaiah 40:28, 30-32 (NRSV verbatim) while sitting down at the Nordhagen baby grand piano one fine morning during my sabbatical in Colorado last year. It is sung by 14 year old Jesse Ernster of our FINK Music Guild, and appears in both the new confirmation and Bible Song Sunday materials.

Enjoy.

Taste and See

Lauren Redpath recorded a little song I wrote fpr our new Bible Song Sunday resource using one of my favorite Psalms (34:1-8) Todd Ernster did the arrangement, plus the George Harrisonish zitar.

When I wrote "Welcome to the Lord's Table" for Concordia Publishing (The little book with great theology and the second ugliest cover in history) this was the one Bible verse they edited out of my description of Holy Communion.

Too "sensual" they said.

Bread. Wine. Body. Blood. Too sensual?

Go figure.

Hear This

I'm debuting my little podcast world with a little preview of one of the songs I wrote for our new Bible Song Sunday School resource coming out in August. It's from my favorite minor prophet, Amos (Amos 8:4-10) and is sung by Jeff Down of the Killer Hayseeds, arranged by Todd Ernster.

Way to go guys!

There are 120 NRSV scripture songs verbatim, ranging from this edgy bit of rock, to gospel, to folk, to even some hip-hop by our friende Agape. Enjoy!