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Internship
Newsletter: May 2009
Internship at Easter
We asked those currently on internship for their highlights
of Lent, Holy Week and Easter as they experienced the season in the
congregation. We got some great responses.
Dan Streeper, intern at St. Andrew's Lutheran Church,
Eden Prairie, Minn.
It was both exciting and disappointing to see so many people on
Easter ... Where are they the rest of the time? This contrast from
regular Sunday worship really lays down the challenge to us as
pastors and congregations to better understand what we can do to
maintain and even grow faithful worship attendance throughout the
year. In addition, this attendance juxtaposed against the Newsweek
cover of "The Decline and Fall of Christian America" for me added to
the excitement of the day. Bottom Line: Christ is Risen! He is Risen
Indeed! Alleluia! And even the rocks will cry it out if we do not!
God is not declining, no matter what some may say.
Laura Aase, intern at Atonement Lutheran Church,
Syracuse, N.Y.
 The highlight of this last weekend was Easter Vigil. I was given
the honor of preaching at this event that saw ten baptisms! Only one
baby in the mix, eight were between the ages of four and ten, and
one adult. Nine were African-American and live in the neighborhood,
some in housing that the church built ten years ago for low-income
families. The families that came to the Vigil largely don't do
church anywhere, much less with us. It is a culmination of years and
years of work before I was a gleam in this congregation's eye. I
knocked on doors and talked with parents about baptism while the
associate pastor continued the weekly children's program that kept
these kids engaged.
Everyone was baptized in the "baptismalfall" as I like to call it.
A waterfall is created for the Easter season each year - in the
center of the church. (See more pictures and a video on
Laura's internship blog!)
Renee Lier, intern at Lutheran Church of the Cross,
Evergreen, Colo.
It was a pleasure to go through Lent, Holy Week and Easter at
Lutheran Church of the Cross. For our Lenten services, we preached
on the 23rd Psalm and tied that to excerpts from various Gospel
passion narratives. The meals, prepared by service committees of the
congregation, were delicious and the Wednesday night fellowship was
great. We elected to use just the Palm Sunday readings (not the full
passion narrative) and had a palm procession with the whole
congregation. We encouraged the parishioners to attend Maundy
Thursday and Good Friday services, and attendance was up this year.
People expressed appreciation for the focus on each event as we
progressed through Holy Week. Easter Sunday was wonderful! I learned
that planning is critical and that many people are involved in
providing these worship experiences.
Carol Skjegstad, intern at Calvary Lutheran Church,
Golden Valley, Minn.
At Calvary there are so many services during Holy Week and Easter
Morning. I found out how absolutely exhausting it is for the pastors
and for the staff. It's like a marathon! Plus, all the pastors also
showed up to help decorate the church on Saturday for Easter Sunday.
I thought that was really nice and it really made the volunteers
happy to see their pastors on their knees cleaning, placing lilies,
and just doing anything they could to help.
My favorite time was when I was outside greeting on Good Friday
and a little boy who was about 7 years old gave me a "high-five" and
then turned around and said, "Pastor Carol, I've got a
question ... why do we call this day Good Friday when it's so sad and
Jesus gets killed?" I guess I had not really thought about that
question before. Yet, it was a really good question and one that had
a lot of depth attached to it.
I also learned that sometimes pastors are called to help in
ways they had not planned. For example, someone forgot to schedule
acolytes on Easter Sunday, so some of the pastors took turns doing
it at the 5 services. They didn't say, "Where are the acolytes?" They
just stepped in at the last minute and did what was needed.
It was an awesome weekend and a very meaningful journey during
Lent as well.
Suzanne Paulus, intern at Fir-Conway Lutheran Church, Fir
Island, Wash.
I found the most satisfying parts of the Easter Season to be the
discipleship and outreach opportunities that Lent and Holy Week
provided. Many members of our congregation participated in extra
roles in worship leadership. The congregation was deeply moved by
the Lent experiences, especially the hand washing ceremony. We held
a service at the cemetery at 7 a.m., which was attended by many who
do not regularly worship at our church. Many of these people felt
more comfortable there. This was a great example of the church
meeting people where they are. The cemetery worship service was a
good lesson on the need and the means to reach out to others in the
community.
Don Short, intern at Prairie Star Ministries,
Southwestern
Minn.
We had a blizzard on the morning of Palm/Passion Sunday, so all
worship services were canceled. This left me with an empty feeling,
as Holy Week had not started in the usual fashion. When I arrived
for worship on Maundy Thursday I asked if it was all right if we
began the service with the procession with palms. Since the weather
had drastically changed in those four days and it was possible to do
the procession from outside, the congregation was very favorable
toward the idea, and Maundy Thursday suddenly became Palm/Maundy
Thursday! The dramatic change from the triumphal entry to the somber
stripping of the altar made the mood of the congregation just right
for the rest of the Three Days. Good Friday was perfectly
somber, making Easter perfectly joyful. I am grateful that God has
given me the experience of leading a people that are willing to be
flexible in unusual circumstances, and also filled with the Spirit
so that Easter is a true day of joy for them. The whole experience
was inspiring. The people of Grace Lutheran Church in rural
Worthington are a treat.
Kristin Swenson, intern at First Lutheran Church,
Brookings, S.D.
All the excitement and chaos made Holy Week feel kind of
like one big day instead of a week!. Good Friday was especially
memorable; we held a family event in the afternoon and then
turned around quickly to do an evening service. It was stressful
and crazy, but also exciting and energizing! ('Til I stopped
and sat down, anyway!)
Coe Hutchison, intern at Trinity Lutheran Church,
Lynwood, Wash.
Fifteen services in four days was pretty interesting.
Actually, it was rich and filling and wonderful. Our worship was
varied and glorious and I loved doing the Easter Vigil. Easter
Sunday was overflowing. I was so impressed with the organization,
teamwork and skill that the pastoral, staff and lay volunteer team
put into making everything work smoothly. A model to emulate in
every way. Alleluia, Christ is Risen!
Andy Behrendt, intern at Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Minneapolis,
Minn.
You can see what Andy Behrendt, intern at Bethlehem Lutheran,
Minneapolis, Minn., was up to during Lent in this video:
http://www.bethlehem-church.org/node/312765.
New Supervisor Training at Luther 
Pastors who will be serving as new supervisors for Luther
students will meet on the Luther campus May 19 and 20. The CLI staff
will provide information, details and inspiration for supervisors
taking on this new and important role for the life of the church.
Assistant Professor of Worship Christian Scharen will be present
with the group and will speak on Mentoring for Practical Pastoral
Wisdom. This workshop is specifically for new supervisors. If you have questions about
this event please contact
Sally Messner at smessner001@luthersem.edu.
Team Building Workshop at PLTS
All supervisors who will be working with PLTS students will
gather at the San Damiano Retreat Center in Danville, Calif. May
27 - 28. This workshop will focus on team building and structured
activities for supervisors and their interns. It will also include
new supervisor training, time for continuing supervisors to share
and learn from each other's wisdom and experience, and orientation
about PLTS curricular expectations of supervisors and interns. If you have questions about
this event please contact
Elba Selby at eselby@plts.edu.
Thank You, Sherwood!
By Rick Foss
 Early
in my ministry, I heard these profound words, first spoken by a wise
older woman: "When you lose something precious, remember to give
thanks that you received the gift in the first place."
Sherwood Glover has served as deployed associate in Region 2, the
Pacific Southwest for several years, and he retires at the end of
May. We will miss you, Sherwood, and your generous sharing of your experience and
expertise. You have deep roots in ministry, especially in ministry
across the southwestern part of the country. Your care for young
leaders has been a gift. Your knowledge of the complexities of
candidacy and synod ministry has made a difference.
You have not only served well, you have also helped with the
transition to the future. We encourage interns and pastors to "leave
well" when they move on to another chapter of life. You are modeling
that beautifully. You gave plenty of advance time with your plans,
you have stayed fully engaged through your time of service, and you
have been appropriately helpful as we sought a person to follow you.
Beginning June 1, we will formally welcome Pastor Donna Duensing
as Deployed Associate in the Southwest. For now, we say, "Thank you,
Sherwood Glover!" for years of faithful ministry in our midst.
Thoughts after Nearly 40 Years of Ministry
By Sherwood Glover
Our treasured colleague Sherwood Glover has served as
Deployed Associate in Region 2, the Pacific Southwest. Sherwood
retires at the end of May. We asked him to share some retirement
thoughts with our readers, and here is the result:
- People learn best from the interface of book learning and
reflected-upon experience.
- People learn best when they take charge of their own
learning and make the most of the resources available in the
context in which they find themselves.
- Pastors can never stop being students; that means engaging
significant biblical and theological works, not just the latest
books on techniques in ministry.
- A version of Murphy's Law that Don Hetzler, former director
of National Lutheran Campus Ministry, shared with those of us in
the campus ministry staff orientation of 1966 has remained
useful over the years, reminding me that what is on the surface
in any situation is usually not the whole story. That law says:
"Everything is more complicated than it seems to most people."
- The ELCA does a lot of important and great ministry, and
there are highly gifted and wonderful people in synod and
national offices who do far better work than most people give
them credit for.
- We still have not figured out that diaconal ministers are a
great gift to the ELCA and often would be better suited to the
mission of a congregation than a second pastor on the staff.
- It is a holy privilege to be a pastor, to share in the
significant moments in the lives of others, and to connect those
moments with the promises and active presence of God.
- One of the keys to maintaining pastoral integrity is to know
oneself. Folks get into trouble when they let a need for
approval or popularity or a sense of being privileged people get
in the way.
- Pastors are most likely to thrive when they cultivate
relationships with their colleagues. (That brings to mind a
quote from one of my professions at Hamma School of Theology, Dr.
Robert St. Clair: "A friend is someone who hears the melody in
your heart and reminds you how it goes when you forget the
tune." We all need some folks who will help us when we forget
that melody, whether it be about ministry or life itself.)
- The role of the pastor in the future will increasingly be to
keep the congregation or agency's leadership focused on the
right questions.
Horses Never Lie
By Rick Foss
 One
finds sources of pastoral wisdom in the strangest places. One of
those strange places for me was a book recommended by a layman in a
small rural congregation who said, "A man I know wrote a book you
might want to read." I said, "Oh, what book?" He said, "'Horses
Never Lie,' by Mark Rashid, one of the best horse trainers in the
world." I was not enthusiastic (pastoral books about sheep are
suspect to me, too, even though Jesus used the image), but knew I
had to read it. So I did. What a gift!
I'm not a horse person, but my sister is and she vouches for this
Mark Rashid - he's "for real" in the horse world. I am a person who
lives in the world of servant leadership, and Mark Rashid is "for
real" there, too. He talks about horses and people, but I hear
messages about
people and pastors, interns and supervisors, me and those I live
with.
I almost didn't read it, because the full title is "Horses Never
Lie: The Heart of Passive Leadership" and I can't imagine effective
leadership being simply passive. But he chose the title, referring
to how the leader is chosen. He says there is an alpha horse who
uses force and fear to lead; and then there is another horse, chosen by the herd as
the one they willingly follow. The traits of
this "passively chosen" horse are "a quiet confidence,
dependability, consistency and a willingness not to use force."
The book is a story, mostly autobiographical, and modestly wise. I
won't try to summarize it, but here are a few quotes. They are
actually about his encounter with horses, but I keep hearing my
encounters with people as he tells the story:
- "Any time you're willing to fight with horses, they'll
always be willing to fight back. The thing is, though, even
during those fights the horse is still trying to figure out what
you want. The sad part is, because you're so busy fighting with
then, you'll never feel those tries."
- "I have seen so many horses almost completely give up on
people, simply because the people around them haven't tried to
listen when the horses needed them to the most."
- "Perhaps the best way to become a trusted leader for our
horses is to first demonstrate that we aren't afraid to be a
follower every once in a while."
- "We began to achieve a feeling of trust and confidence.
Several factors helped us. The first was that we were willing to
stand up for our horses when they needed it. The second factor
was that we let our horses have their say and tried to listen to
them. The third thing we did that I believe helped achieve the
atmosphere we wanted was to make it clear to our horses that we
were willing to draw the line with them when we needed to."
- "We were willing to give them the benefit of the doubt,
listen to what they had to say, and treat them with the respect
due to them, but we also expected the same from them in return.
I would say we were simply trying to find a way to get along
with our horses so that we didn't have to be constantly bossing
them around."
As I say, wisdom comes from unexpected places. Thanks, Mark Rashid.
The Lay Committee and Transition
 You're
not at the end of the line yet, but if you look carefully you can
start to see it.
Most interns have two or three months of service remaining ... as
much as 25 percent of internship. But in many congregations, the "program
year" winds up at the end of May. The worship schedule changes.
Perhaps the Sunday School begins its summer hiatus. Confirmation
classes come to an end. Groups stop meeting for the summer. The pews
become less crowded. While some congregations ramp up the pace of
activity in the summer with mission trips and other special
undertakings, the pace of life in the congregation is notably
different.
That might even have an impact on the monthly lay committee
meeting. The May meeting might be the last time all of you are
together with the intern. That being the case, make sure it is both
a worthwhile meeting and a "fun" gathering. This might be a good
time to have a meal together, to invite the intern's spouse and
children, to think back on the year past, remembering what was good
and exciting.
Over the next few months you will be preparing the all-important
final evaluation. Unless your intern is leaving in June, you don't
have to do that now. But do take the time to remember, reflect,
relax and give thanks.
Some Paperwork You Don't Have to Do, But
Maybe You Should
Here's an evaluation you don't have to do: the nine-month
evaluation, done in the past by interns and supervisors.
This year the nine-month evaluation is optional, not required.
Since that is the case, it seems like the sensible person would just
plain not do it. If you don't have to, why should you?
Maybe because it is a way of tracking progress. Maybe because it
is a good opportunity for structured conversation between intern and
supervisor about how things are going. To put it simply, maybe just
to make the internship experience better.
The form is available on line. It is similar to the form used for
the three-month evaluation. If you choose to pull it out, complete
it, talk about it, and never submit it, that is quite all right. (Of
course, if you want to submit it we would happily accept it.) The
goal is good communication between intern and supervisor,
confronting small issues before they become big issues, and giving a
pat on the back when that is the thing to give. Think about it!
Of course, the mid-year evaluation completed by intern,
supervisor, and lay committee is not optional, never has been, and
never will be. It is a must. Some have not yet been submitted. See
to it. ASAP!
A Good Ending
By Steve McKinley
 When
"ER" was a young TV series my wife and I were faithful fans, but
after a while we lost interest. We had not seen an episode in
several years until the publicity began about the end of the series
and the old favorite stars coming back. We decided that we should
pay a few farewell visits. I'm glad we did.
It was good to
see the old friends settled now in new lives: Dr. Ross and Carol
Hathaway happily married and living in Seattle, Dr. Benton back at
County General as a surgeon, Dr. Carter still narrowly escaping
death. While Dr. Greene departed this side of the vale of tears many
years ago, his daughter has grown up into a bright young woman and
fledgling medical student. Life has gone on for them.
I was
impressed by two aspects of the end of "ER." First of all it was
striking to me that, although I had not seen the show in several
years, many of the supporting players were the same people who had
been there when I was a faithful viewer. Doctors came and went, but
the nurses and orderlies stayed. They were the glue that gave the ER
its continuity.
Second, I loved the ending. A number of the
old regulars had been milling around the hospital, but it was, as
the episode title suggested, "Another Day in the ER." People were
sick and some were dying and at the very end there was an explosion
at a power substation and everybody was out on the street in the
rain meeting the ambulances and doing all they could do to save a
few lives along the way.
It all reminded me of healthy
congregations, healthy pastors, healthy interns. Pastors and interns
come and go, but "the people" stay. In her comments about Easter at
Atonement Lutheran Church in Syracuse, N.Y., elsewhere in this
issue, Laura Aase comments that what happened there in Holy Week was
"... a culmination of years and years of work before I was a gleam in
this congregation's eye." A church does not begin its life when a
pastor or intern arrives. Even a new mission congregation is the
result of serious dreaming by "the people." "The people" are the
continuity in the life of the church.
The work of the ER goes
on. Period. It goes on. Great doctors come and great doctors go
(just like mediocre doctors come and go), but the work of the ER
goes on. Could there be an ER without Dr. Greene, Dr. Ross, Dr.
Benton? Of course there could and there was. The series doesn't end
with the end of the ER; it ends with the work going on and being
passed along to a new generation. So it is with churches. Their
lives are rooted in God and the power of the Holy Spirit, not in the
intelligence or charisma or diligence of any pastor or intern.
Pastors and interns come to churches and they leave churches, but
the mission of the church goes on.
It's hard for our egos to
deal with that. Sometimes we feel like the church depends on us, and
we make it an extension of ourselves. This is not healthy, either
for the church or for the pastor or intern. There are no
indispensable pastors or interns. Most of our interns are now
entering the final months of their internship. Some are entering the
final weeks. It is time to be thinking about how you will say
good-bye. You can do that, knowing that your departure will not mean
the end of God's mission in that place, only a transition. It's good
practice for those times you will be saying good-bye as a pastor.
Anybody who has been around the church for a few years can tell you
lots of horror stories about pastors who didn't know how to say
good-bye.
Come to think of it, that's a good topic for a
supervisory conference: Supervisors, how have you said good-bye to
congregations in the past? How will you say good-bye to your current
congregation when the time comes? Interns, what do you need to do to
make your good-bye good?
May you do it as well as "ER" did!
Spring Cluster Meetings
- Southern California: May 4-5, Mary and Joseph Retreat
Center, Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif. (Sherwood Glover)
- Southern Minnesota-South Dakota: May 5, Gustavus
Adolphus College, St. Peter, Minn., 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. (Steve McKinley)
- Oregon/Vancouver, Wash.: May 7, Holy Cross Lutheran
Church, Salem, Ore., 9:30 a.m. - 3 p.m. (Julie Josund)
- Twin Cities Central: May 7, Trinity Lutheran
Congregation, Minneapolis, Minn., 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. (Steve McKinley)
- Colorado: May 12, Rocky Mountain Synod Office, Denver,
Colo., 9:30 a.m. - 3 p.m. (Julie Josund)
- Twin Cities South & West: May 12, Woodlake Lutheran
Church, Richfield, Minn., 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. (Steve McKinley)
- Northern Minnesota/North Dakota: May 14, Concordia
Lutheran Church, Fertile, Minn., 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. (Rick Foss)
- Washington: June 2, Trinity Lutheran Church, Lynnwood,
Wash., 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. (Julie Josund)
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