tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329600504016968888.post2232527913132026550..comments2024-03-27T15:47:46.091-05:00Comments on Pastoral Meanderings: Get over it...Pastor Petershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10653554256101480140noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329600504016968888.post-47542911298743718782011-06-25T12:23:27.483-05:002011-06-25T12:23:27.483-05:00An apt metaphor. If only liturgical mascara washed...An apt metaphor. If only liturgical mascara washed off as easily as the regular kind. It can take years to undo what it took a relative moment to paint onto a congregation. Unfortunately the principals involved either do not have, or do not heed a 'mom' who says 'you're not leaving the house looking like that.'Rev. Allen Bergstrazernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329600504016968888.post-42702764759694893452011-06-24T09:13:57.698-05:002011-06-24T09:13:57.698-05:00Not sure it is individualism. Rather it may be ab...Not sure it is individualism. Rather it may be about the temporal rather than continuous. The teen could embrace her heritage as identity, or the current fashion. Neither identity is individualistic. Each denotes membership in a group. Where is her loyalty? Family or friends? Ideas like not wanting to move because our kids will have to leave their friends, we imply that somehow that is where loyalty should be. It implies friends will eventually become who our children bond with, when really most of us do not do that. We actually bond with someone of similar heritage and continue our line. The contemporary notion of identity with one's generation rather than one's heritage is destructive to both the individual and the community. Truth be told, I have more in common with my ancestors than anyone today except my children.<br /><br />"about the time most Lutheran congregations realized the big growth of the 1950s was receding, they got these new tools and began to think: "The Lutheran Church is barely alive. Gentlemen, we can rebuild it, we have the technology."<br /><br />Ironically it was technology that was responsible for the end of the growth. Technology was employed to reduce family size. Of course, those who talk about growth often mean "new" folks or the unchurched etc. Somehow our own heritage is not as appealing.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329600504016968888.post-64031842509368690962011-06-24T09:10:41.638-05:002011-06-24T09:10:41.638-05:00... at least I would have told myself that everyth...... at least I would have told myself that everything I was doing was good because it was "safe" and I could have found someone in Church History somewhere who had done it.Rev. Eric J Brownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17747919365522145094noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329600504016968888.post-32625467964381468752011-06-24T07:33:22.036-05:002011-06-24T07:33:22.036-05:00I'd also contend that the mascara-like tendenc...I'd also contend that the mascara-like tendencies can show up on the high church leaning side myself. I lean that way - my congregation doesn't (very... bronzish, I guess - or simple TLH might be better). I'm glad of that now -- I don't know if I, as a new pastor in a parish, could have handled it if I hit a congregation that handed me a censer and said, "Go knock yourself out." I would have been doing things in the liturgy because they were "cool" -- but a safe, good "cool" because it was liturgical.Rev. Eric J Brownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17747919365522145094noreply@blogger.com