In This Issue Cross-Cultural Report Thanks Donna and Welcome Back Alicia! Approval and Assignment Deadlines News and Notes for Lay Internship Committees Welcome to the World, Simon! Especially for Supervisors On Building a Lighthouse Spring Cluster Meetings Intern Financial Stewardship Sermon Contest Helpful Links Internship Handbook Lay Committee Handbook Internship Forms Evaluation Questions Subscribe to Ministry in Context! Luther Seminary's student newpaper, The Concord Contact Us The Contextual Leadership Initiative staff is here to support you! Contact us with your concerns or suggestions. Previous Newsletters Want to re-read an article from a previous issue? Review previous newsletters.

Internship Newsletter: February 2008

Cross-Cultural Report

Some interesting stories and experiences resulted from the Cross Cultural learning experiences that many students took part in during January. For example, Justin Nickel wrote this article for the newsletter of the Seminary Consortium for Urban Pastoral Education (SCUPE) in Chicago.:

"My experience at SCUPE was a much needed reminder of the role of the church and what it means to be the church in the 21st century. It would seem that one of the few negative consequences of gaining a theological education is the extent to which that experience can isolate one from the lived realities of those suffering at the edges of our society. This is a particular liability for the church, as we so frequently forget that the Gospel of Christ first took its form in those very places.

"SCUPE helped me identify this phenomenon and I was inspired to think about ways that this problem could be addressed. Through my Graduate Theological Urban Studies (GTUS) program at SCUPE, I was re-introduced to the blessedly diverse ways in which the Gospel takes form in the urban context, and the need to merge the realities of life and society with theological education.

"By interacting with caring, faithful instructors and various leaders in the church, I was given a glimpse into the incredible struggles and rewards that litter the rigorous path of discipleship. Bishop John Selders, who taught our Dimensions and Dynamics of Urban Ministry course, guided us through our various settings, acting as something of translator who helped us to make sense of the urban experience. Indeed, my experience at SCUPE was enough to remind me that there are still vestiges of the church that have embraced the paradox of a crucified Messiah and live in the fullness of that reality."

Then there's this report from Professor Gary Simpson regarding an experience of the tour he led through the Middle East:

"While in the Israel security check-in area in the Frankfurt airport we experienced a bomb threat, and everything in our part of the airport was shut down - shops, restaurants, the security check-in area itself, etc. Lots of security guards and police were called in and lined the area. A real big deal!

"Three-quarters of us (and 200 hundred passengers) were on the plane and the other quarter of us (and 100 hundred passengers) were still inside the airport, so we were separated without knowledge of the other or really what was going on. The Special Bomb Squad was called in with machines, special suits, and a dog, etc.

"Guess what? It was one of our guys whose carry-on had a suspicious look to it. I was watching 'til they made me go on the plane. He was isolated. Very scary. Needless to say he was petrified, though he had done nothing wrong. He also handled himself quite wonderfully. Somehow the way several things in his carry-on were arranged like his headphones, iPod, cell phone, etc. (just by accident of course) looked very, very suspicious. Thank God the bomb squad dog had an excellent nose, diagnosed the situation with expertise, and declared him justified (was it by faith alone or not, God only knows). Our student was fully released without any explanation and let on the plane. The remaining passengers were put on the plane and we all got on our way - one and a half hours later. We arrived in Tel Aviv without incident, but with a whopper of a story."

Thanks Donna and Welcome Back Alicia!  

News and Notes for Lay Internship Committees  
by Julie Josund

First of all, a big Thank you! to all lay internship committee members. Lay Internship Committees normally serve without remuneration, accolade, and sometimes even without a word of thanks from the congregation. We want you to know that we believe your work to be invaluable and a significant contribution to the preparation of future pastors.

Many of you are likely to be at or nearing the mid-point of the current internship year. A couple points, or reminders, about this time of year:

Lay Internship Committees submit a joint evaluation of the intern twice a year, at mid-year and at the end of the internship. The committee chair collates the group's responses to the evaluation questions and submits the evaluation form online. These questions and all other internship forms and information can be accessed on the CLI Web site. Lots of information and insights about being a member of a Lay Internship Committee can be found in the online Lay Committee Handbook.

Thank you again for the important work you are doing with your congregation's intern as you encourage and support their growth and development for ministry.

Welcome to the World, Simon!  

CLI Intern Andrew Nelson and his wife Jessica welcomed Simon Jacob into the world on December 30, 2007. (Insert your own joke about timely tax deductions here.) Simon arrived weighing 8 lbs., 12 oz. Andrew is serving his internship at St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minn.

Especially for Supervisors   

Most pastors weren't trained to supervise others, and are constantly in the process of learning as they go. For those intern supervisors interested in an ongoing sharpening of their skills, we recommend the annual journal, Reflective Practice: Formation and Supervision in Ministry, formerly known as the Journal of Supervision and Training in Ministry. The journal is edited by Dr. Herbert Anderson of PLTS.

Supervisors attending the CLI team building sessions in St. Paul and Danville last year received copies of the 2007 edition. The 2008 edition will be available in May. You can order a copy from the Association for Clinical Pastoral Education, 1549 Clairmont Road, Suite 103, Decatur, GA 3033-4635.

On Building a Lighthouse   
By Steve McKinley

I'm not in the market for a house, but last Saturday morning I was up early, well before the rest of the household, and having read all of the pertinent sections of the newspaper took some time to look through the Real Estate Section. One particular listing fascinated me. The ad claimed that the house was worth $900,000, but the owner needed to sell it quickly and so was offering it for a measly $649,900. Situated on 3 acres. More than 5000 square feet. A 900 square foot master suite. And, to top it all off...its own lighthouse.

There was a picture. There was a lighthouse.

Now had this house been located in Maine, say, or anywhere on an ocean, or even right by one of the great lakes, I could understand this. But this house is located (I looked it up) in rural Minnesota. There's not a decent sized lake for miles. Farm ponds are not noted for shipwrecks. But there, sitting in a field with some trees around it, there is a house with its very own lighthouse.

I wonder what possessed the builder to include a lighthouse. Was the builder a refugee from the coast of somewhere, yearning for home, and built the lighthouse as a touch of home? Had the builder been in some kind of Noah-like conversation with God which indicated that the water would soon begin rising in Minnesota, and that folks in those days might appreciate a lighthouse that would warn them against underwater grain silos? It mystifies me.

It also delights me. I am certain that the builder took the same kind of harassment from his neighbors Noah did. Just imagine the denizens of that most famous Minnesota community, Lake Wobegon, discussing the lighthouse in the Sidetrack Tap. The builder certainly would have been identified as certifiably off the tracks, the subject of laughter and scorn around town. But somehow I think the builder delighted in doing this thing that made no sense at all; there is something intrinsically marvelous about building a lighthouse in rural Minnesota. Only a fool would do such a thing, and that's what makes it wonderful.

Only a fool would do such a thing: building a lighthouse in Minnesota. Only a fool would do such a thing: proclaiming God's love in a world much better at hating; focusing on giving rather than getting; forgiving rather than seeking revenge; valuing service over control, compassion over judgment, life over death. That's the kind of thing that fools like you and me are up to all the time.

So February comes around and instantly we are immersed in Lent, a story that by all the standards of the world makes about as much sense as a lighthouse in rural Minnesota. We have the privilege of proclaiming it and living it as best we are able, of leading communities of faith in the consideration of this incredible account. To the world it sounds foolish, but we know it as the most basic and essential truth of life. (Seems to me that some guy named Paul wrote something about that once.)

Interns and supervisors: the world needs you to be fools. Go for it! Build that lighthouse wherever you are!

Spring Cluster Meetings   

• Northern TC Metro Cluster - April 3, 2:00 - 8:00 pm with option of overnight at Episcopal House of Prayer, Collegeville, Minn. (Laure Schwartz)
• East TC Metro Cluster - April 10, 10:00 am - 4:00 pm at Carondelet Center, St. Paul, Minn. (Laure Schwartz)
• Washington Cluster - April 29-30, at Palisades Retreat Center, Federal Way, Wash. (Julie Josund)
• Oregon-SW Washington Cluster - April 24-25, Menucha Retreat Center, Corbett, Ore. (Julie Josund)
• Southern California Cluster - April 29-30, Mary and Joseph Retreat Center, Rancho Palos Verdes, Cal. (Sherwood Glover)
• Southern Minnesota / SE South Dakota Cluster - May 1, Shalom Hill Farm, Windom, Minn. (Steve McKinley)
• Northern California Cluster - May 6-7, San Damiano Retreat Center, Danville, Cal. (Sherwood Glover)
• South & West TC Metro Cluster - May 8, Christ Church Lutheran, Minneapolis, Minn. (Steve McKinley)
• Denver Cluster - May 13, Our Savior's Lutheran, Greeley, Colo. (Sherwood Glover)
• Arizona Cluster - June 3, Community Lutheran, Las Vegas, Nev. (Sherwood Glover)

Intern Financial Stewardship Sermon Contest   

The Center for Stewardship Leadership at Luther Seminary is sponsoring an Intern Financial Stewardship Sermon Contest for those on internship in 2007-08. It is designed to enrich and strengthen the practice of stewardship in the church by advocating preaching and teaching that promotes the stewardship of financial resources. The prize is made possible by a grant from the Arthur Larson Stewardship Education Fund.

All interns who submit a sermon on financial stewardship as prepared and presented during the year of internship will be given a $50 bookstore voucher, either for the Luther Seminary Bookstore or the GTU Bookstore. In addition, all sermons will be presented to a committee which will select the prize winners. First place will earn $500, second place $250, and 3rd, 4th, and 5th place will earn $150. In addition the first prize winner will be asked to preach the sermon in chapel during his or her senior year.

The sermons will be judged on the following criteria:

• Relevance to today's North American Christians
• Biblical, theological and homiletical standards
• Focus on financial stewardship that is reflected in gratitude, responsibility, generosity and willingness to give back with increase
• Call for people to change the way they live in the world of everyday life

Insofar as almost every text provides an opportunity to be a "stewardship sermon," you are encouraged to give your financial stewardship sermon during a time of year that has no connection with the annual effort to gather money for the congregation.

Sermons should be sent to:

Jerry Hoffman, Director
Center for Stewardship Leadership
2481 Como Avenue
St. Paul, MN 55108
e-mail: jhoffman@luthersem.edu

Please include a paragraph describing the congregational context for the sermon. You may submit your sermons on a CD or as a written text. If you used PowerPoint and/or video, you may include those as well. Please footnote and properly document all your sources.

All submitted sermons become property of the Center and may be reprinted in seminary publications and at the Stewardship for the 21^st Century website without compensation to the author but with recognition.

The deadline for submitting a sermon will be June 1, 2008.