As I have processed some more the conversation I had this morning, I want to say that I feel a great deal of tension, and am a little astounded at my own responses, and what this reveals of the changes Reconciler has brought about in me.
I appreciate the concern for particular denominational identity: When I left seminary I was very seriously thinking that the Covenant should attempt shore up its Lutheran Pietist origins. Though the founding of the Community of the Holy Trinity had already directed my energies and thoughts elsewhere and towards more ecumenical and seeking after the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic church, which had been the subject of my senior paper in seminary. But even when I started this blog and Reconciler was in its final planning stages, I was self identifying as a Lutheran Pietist in the Covenant, and it was based on this identity [...]

Original post by lekamphausen@netzero.net (Larry Kamphausen)

I met with the Canon to the Ordinary of the Episcopal Diocese of Chicago this morning to begin again/continue conversation around what a relationship between Reconciler and the diocese might look like. It was an invigorating time. As a pastor in a denomination that is not even in conversation with the Episcopal Church, I am thankful for the opportunity to after our Episcopal Priest resigned to continue the conversation with the diocese. I also must say that I genuinely like Rev. Canon Scott Hayashi, and our conversation was not only informative and genuine but enjoyable.
Now you may be awaiting a “but”, and there is a “but”. I begin here because there is also frustration and I want to be clear about the source of the frustration and that I think this is a theological problem and issue, and not personal. Also, [...]

Original post by lekamphausen@netzero.net (Larry Kamphausen)

Today the Edgewater Community Religious Association(ECRA), that in the past year I have become more and more actively part of was invited to as part of our monthly meeting to come out the the new Ismaili Center (Jamat Khana) in Glenview. We were given a tour of the facility, and given of the ways in which the architecture that joins a prayer hall, with gathering space, and education wing for Saturday religious education. It is a quite beautiful, and the holistic approach to faith and life as expressed in the building and in their education and training of their children in their faith/religion/spirituality is all very impressive. Slightly intimidating, especially when one realizes that there is no one who is paid to keep things going, everything from spiritual leaders to the teachers of the Saturday “Sunday Schools”(as our tour guide called them on the tour, who was a [...]

Original post by lekamphausen@netzero.net (Larry Kamphausen)

Melissa Browning presented “HIV/AIDS Prevention and Sexed Bodies: Rethinking Abstinence in Light of the African AIDS Pandemic” paper at Loyola today. I had made good progress on my sermon and so I went. It was a small group gathered to hear her presentation of the paper.
The paper offers a critique of both abstinence and condom based programs designed to prevent aids, with attention given to abstinence as both a moral category and prevention program. She argued that abstinence especially in the African context in which mere emphasis on abstinence becomes a confluence of things that include prevention of aids, moral prohibition and thus tied to purity and taboo create an imoral situation especially when women have no or limited agency due to cultural issues and legal standing. However she also argued that she offered up a veiw of abstinence that could be a moral stance. [...]

Original post by lekamphausen@netzero.net (Larry Kamphausen)

When God Delays
April 13th, 2009
Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was (JN 11.5-6).
These two sentences seem to contradict each other. The first says that Jesus loved his friends. Yet when he hears of Lazarus’ serious illness, rather than responding, he waits two days longer, and Lazarus dies. That doesn’t sound like love to me. Wouldn’t it have been more loving for the Great Physician to rush to the aid of his friends?
But Jesus delays precisely because of his love for them, for he has something far better in mind than simply healing Lazarus. He aims to display his glory by raising Lazarus from the dead. He will demonstrate that he is the Resurrection and the Life, the omnipotent God who speaks a [...]

Original post by Josh Simons

Tonight I was simply a member of the congregation at the Easter Vigil joint service of the 4 congregations that meet each week at Immanuel Lutheran Church. It took me a while to focus. I think I was still kind of in the space I was in after the Good Friday service. Whatever it was things felt a little flat as we began, the blessing of the fire and the lighting of the Paschal candle and the singing “the light of Christ” with response “Thanks be to God.” was flat, it did not impact me much. A motion we went through. Which was odd since usually this is one of those places in the Christian liturgy where I find a real connection with the primordial. As we entered the parish hall set up for the story of salvation portion of the vigil, I felt distracted, [...]

Original post by lekamphausen@netzero.net (Larry Kamphausen)

I spent much of yesterday refining the sermon. Though in the morning I had some errands to run, and I had a few e-mails that I needed to respond to for church. I spent the rest of the day reflecting on the Crucifixion of Christ and our Good Friday Service. I think as I did I was struck by how odd it is to sit and reflect, sing, listen to things read, about a mans crucifixion and then adore a replica of that means of execution and torture. We then call it the “life giving cross.” as I prepared my sermon I was struck to what degree I simply take this for granted even to some extent in my mind rush on to the Resurection. Yet, I also believe that the crucifixion of Christ is central and essential to the Christian faith.
In my [...]

Original post by lekamphausen@netzero.net (Larry Kamphausen)

Isaiah 52:13-53:12 Psalm 22Heb. 10:16-25John 18:1-19:42
A World Shaken: Sun Dark, Moon Turned to Blood
Why are we here? Why do we do this year after year? Why are you here tonight? I ask because what these three days celebrate and remember may be the most difficult thing to take in and truly accept. We can make sense of a great deal of Jesus’ teaching: Love your neighbor as yourself, Love your enemy perhaps a bit more difficult, but perhaps understandable if one is seeking peace and justice. It may also be difficult to forgive but we can see the importance. Medical science of our day is recognizing the importance for our health of such things as forgiveness, of prayer and meditation. This may make it seem obvious to see that there is life in Jesus’ teaching. But what we face and [...]

Original post by lekamphausen@netzero.net (Larry Kamphausen)

I looked over this and have revised it slightly and added another paragraph 4/8/2009 10:50 pm. LEK
I am preaching on Good Friday and in the service there is both the chanting of the passion Gospel in John and the adoration of the cross. Reconciler’s first Holy Week and Easter we had a Maundy Thursday service but I don’t think we had a Good Friday service. At the time we were very small and we were also doing an Easter Vigil - late at night in the entire space of Chase Cafe (it was a lot of fun)- so I have never preached on Good Friday. Our first Holy Week and Easter with Immanuel we mostly showed up as a congregation for the services and subsequent two years I preached on Maundy Thursday. I will admit that I feel a little intimidated at preaching at that service. [...]

Original post by lekamphausen@netzero.net (Larry Kamphausen)

Tonight Reconciler had its last Lenten Gathering at Mars Hill Tattoo in Rogers Park. One of the guys who works at the shop, has come around to Reconciler but also has another church he attends, it think probably a more evangelical church, as we were wrapping up he asked Kate and I if we had heard of the book Jesus for President, we had though neither of us had read it. I am familiar with one of the author’s Shane Clairborne, who is part of the New Monasticism movement and the Emergent Church conversation. I was also, somewhat familiar with the campaign that went along with the book during the lead up the election last year. Shane Claiborne irritates me a little though so I didn’t pay a whole lot of attention. The irritation is partly out of sense that what much New Monasticism and Emergent [...]

Original post by lekamphausen@netzero.net (Larry Kamphausen)