Way to Go Buffy!

Congrats to my old ship, USS Buffalo on winning the Submarine Squadron 15 Battle "E" for 2008. For those not familiar, it is presented to one ship in each squadron every year for overall excellence in doing the job we get paid to do. Unfortunately, I don't get to share in this award as I transferred a year too early. It seems that I leave ships the year before they win the award. For a list of all other winners in the force and the individual category winners a blogger named Blunoz has both lists for everyone to view. Again, good job to my old shipmates and keep up the good work. You have deserved this for a few years now.

Jack of All Trades, Master of None

For all the submarine type readers, I have to disappoint you in this post as the title actually describes my estimation of the PCUSA denomination. There are many similarities between the two behemoth organizations and I will mention a few of them here. I spent the last few days at the Montreat College Conference and got to hear an amazing keynote by Congressman John Lewis. His book just doesn't do justice to hearing his powerful story in person. What an amazing man with a phenomenal story that evokes confidence and hope in humanity.

I don't want to focus on his story, because I could never do it justice, but a common thread I noticed in listening to two leaders of my denomination. One was the moderator and the other the head staffer of the church for Campus ministry. Many people think the denomination will fracture and split over issues that are in the press for all denominations. However, after following the discussion for a few years and applying some good old submarine thinking of root causes. I think the root cause is a lack of denominational identity.

Whenever a proposal or issue rises to the top of the denomination at the General Assembly, it seems the PCUSA decides to take it on and study the issue. They then release a report and say it is on their radar. There are a myriad of issues which follow this pattern. What happens is that precious resources of time, talent and money are thrown at all sorts of issues and all of them important to some group of people. I appreciate acknowledging everyone's worth in the body. However, with so many issues to grapple with everyone suffers.

Take campus ministry for example. I think they said there were 64 universities affiliated with the denomination and another significant number that have campus ministers. However, as the resources have dwindled, the church as significantly reduced their support for nurturing the members who are in college. The conference is a start, but really a band aid and political gesture so show the denomination cares as no real support stems from the conference. Kind of like a steinke hood. There is no real movement or support for college ministry because there are too many things to occupy the denominational offices.

This is similar to one complaint many submariners make about the sub force, myself included. The sub force, around the same time of the Greeneville collision, decided to make everyone experts in every single mission area a submarine could possibly encounter. When I was a Junior Officer out in Pearl, each squadron focused on one or two mission areas and everyone knew what the squadron's main mission was. We learned basic competency in each area, but became experts in a few areas. We felt confident in our ability and overall mission impact and accomplishment. This new focus puts a great strain on the entire force to excel in so many areas that the overall performance seemed to suffer. There is no way to be the best in everything imaginable, humans are designed that way.

Thinking about the church, a denomination can't do it all and shouldn't try. We are told the church is a body with every person having a distinct function. Congregations and denominations are no different. This doesn't mean that my function is more important or vital to the overall body. If I am the hand, I can't be the eyes but I do appreciate what the eyes accomplish. Each denomination seems to be wanting to be the sole expert in every possible function of the universal church and that just seems absurd. This all got me to thinking what would be a good model for a denomination.

Well, maybe the PCUSA needs to spend the time at General Assembly prayerfully discerning what the denomination is called to act upon for the next two years until the next meeting. The church should make a statement of what their vision is and actively work toward that vision. I think they should take a stand and stake a claim to a certain number of issues/movements and put all of their effort into that. This is not to say that individual congregations can't work on their own. They should as each congregation needs to discern their place in the world. But if an outsider can't determine what issues are truly important to the denomination, they will leave it aside. In my experience, churches that succeed, and by extension denominations, are those that you know what they stand for. If you don't agree with their views you respect them and move on, if you agree you stand with them. There is an old saying, if you don't stand for something you will fall for anything.

That being said, the other issue is that if a congregation wants to leave let them. Sign over the property recognizing they are our Christian brothers and sisters. Just because people are in different places theologically doesn't mean we can treat them as enemies. Let them go in love and make sure the path back to the denomination is just as loving if the priorities align once again. I just think that all sides on these denominational issues are looking for the complicated answers when the simple answer is usually the correct one. This idea, while still rough keeps the ability to be a theologically diverse organization, but still allows for a graceful exit for those who don't agree. People on the outside look at our behavior and turn away for good. We need to set the example and put aside our pride and take a stand on living a life of love for everyone.

My two cents.

One Benefit of Being a Student Again

Traveling!

I am home for a short 24 hour break in travels. I have been able to accomplish a great deal over the last 18 months, especially the last semester now that I don't have a church I work in right now. I was down in Atlanta yesterday for the Peach Bowl where my Yellow Jackets were soundly thumped by LSU. Special teams and a lack of defense contributed to the embarrassment. However, I can deal with the loss. I had a great time visiting friends and just being at the bowl game. We did not get to a single bowl game in my time at Tech, even going 1-10 one season, so I am glad to attend any game. What I like about this photo is the Chick-Fil-A cows that were parachuting from the ceiling before the game started.


In the second half, the engineering side of the home crowd took over as the game was quite boring by that time. So, the Tech students began to make paper airplanes out of the sheets of paper placed in every seat at the Dome. There was one that went from the upper level in the end zone out to the 30 yard line. It took a little while, then the LSU fans got into the act, with less spectacular results. Then the PA announcer decided to threaten the crowd with prosecution for throwing paper airplanes. Though, after a paper airplane almost hit a thrown ball in play I can understand why they were a little upset. However the impromptu contest of engineering prowess was the most exciting part of the game after the first quarter. LSU put up 28 points in the 2nd quarter alone. Here is a photo of some of the aftermath of the paper airplanes. There were probably 500 along each sideline at the end of the 3rd quarter.


Now it is a night of watching football and off to Montreat for the College Conference tomorrow.

Half Way There

It was such a good Bon Jovi song and it fits well into my life right now. I have officially finished three of my 6 semesters of Seminary (Got the grades today, but finals were done Friday). It is actually surreal in that I can't believe it has been that long. The time has flown by, but I think that is because of the hectic pace of work here. It has been a bit more than I expected and took a good semester to get in the groove. Kind of similar to the idea on the ship that it took 4-6 months to really get comfortable with and know your job. I do kind of dig the breaks between semesters, too bad I schedule a bunch of stuff during them. I have to fly to LA this Friday for ordination interviews, come back on Tuesday for Christmas, off to Atlanta for the bowl game and then as a small group leader for a college conference then school starts. How the time flies.

A Day Which Will Live in Infamy

67 years ago today, the world changed forever, and PHNSY personnel actually did something on behalf of the sailors there. While we tend to rag on those who work at PHNSY for being lazy on that day they moved cranes into harms way to block planes and save ships from destruction. Many of them also lost their lives as well. On a clear Sunday morning, Pearl Harbor was attacked and everything America stood for was put to the test. On this day I just direct your attention to the following articles from the Raleigh News and Observer for a great description of how Pearl Harbor affected us and one regarding the way it affected one individual. The numbers of those who were there are rapidly dwindling and we need to listen to what they say and learn from their ideas. A heart felt thank you to those there that day and throughout WWII.

Why CBS needs to give up the Army-Navy Game

Again, CBS completely botched their coverage of the game. I do give them credit for actually having an announcer with knowledge--Boomer Esiason. And, they did actually show the singing of the alma mater after the game, but other than that, pretty poor performance. I would almost like to see NBC get the game because at least those announcers have seen Navy play once each season and know the players. I miss the days of ABC having the game and really focusing less on advertising and more on the traditions and reason behind the game. I especially miss the spirit spots that units from around the world, and at the academies, make for the game. Only 3 (for a total of about 90 seconds) in a 3 1/2 hour time slot. Gimme a break. Especially seeing how there are such creative spots on youtube that were submitted. I just hope it is the network denying the air time and not the powers that be at the academies.

So I have included a few of my favorites from a quick web search. Even being a Navy guy, the milkman spot by the Army that got broadcast was creative and funny. I would have included that one, but couldn't find it easily.

One from the Sub force (had to include that one):



This one is my favorite:




The next one is a few years old, but because it hearkens back to my childhood and the Fresh Prince of Bel Air I had to include it:



Despite the poor coverage, it was a great game to watch and see Navy completely dominate Army and win the 7th in a row. Plus they pitched the first shutout in 30 years. I just hope my Yellow Jackets can do that well in the Peach Bowl. (I refuse to call it the new name).

Football and Family

I know this is almost a week late in talking about Thanksgiving, but I was busy typing papers and such for the last few weeks of class and didn't have much time. I am constantly amazed by the sense of community and family in the military, especially the Navy. On Thanksgiving, my parents and I flew into Seattle for the weekend to visit my brother on Whidbey Island. When we arrived, he had arranged for us to have dinner with the family of another member of his squadron. We were welcomed with open arms and met that guy, his wife, his parents and two other P-3 types. There was no feeling of intrusion as it has been my experience that you truly look out for each other in the Navy. I remember hosting many open dinners on the holidays at my home when I was active duty and am glad that it is more than the submarine force that extends that kind of hospitality. It is something I have missed and am trying to model for others while here in seminary. The church seems to fail miserably in hospitality and is one thing of many they can learn from the military. (That might be a good dissertation topic for anyone interested in a PhD)

As for the football, it is nice to see my Yellow Jackets are going to a great bowl game this year. We finally benefited from the +/-1 win rule this year and got the best selection of the non-champions. Typically we fall all the way down and get stuck with some West Coast bowl game no one can get to. This time we are playing in Atlanta and I should be there rooting them on. I am assuming my ticket request gets through, especially seeing how I am tagging onto someone else's request who has higher priority than myself. Hopefully, they play fare better than the last few games, especially the narrow loss I witnessed in the Gator Bowl two seasons ago. It is nice to see them continually going to bowl games seeing how they went the two years before I attended, missed all four years of my school time and have not missed a bowl since I graduated. Coincidence? Probably.