I'm preaching and leading worship at both of the Lutheran Church of Guam services tomorrow. What makes this interesting for me is that both services have different elements which are out of my comfort zone.
The first service (8:30 a.m.) is "traditional" -- which is no big deal except that Cheryl and I usually participate in the second service (11 a.m.) which is considered "contemporary." So I am not terribly familiar with all of the sung liturgical responses, etc.
During the second service I usually play guitar (and a little tenor uke sometimes) but we don't have a pianist for that service for at least a couple of weeks. We're used to having really strong piano leadership and I, of all, am the most used to it. This means that instead of following I'm going to have to do more guitar leading. My prayer is that the guitar stays in tune, that I don't break too many strings, and that my mind doesn't wander for even a moment.
This should be interesting. Hopefully, I won't be so totally distracted by the details and missed cues that I'll miss worship. I doubt that the people themselves will worry too much if I make mistakes. They're pretty flexible -- for a bunch of Lutherans. :)
The following week Linda Hamill will be taking on most of the pastoral responsibilities for this summer. Pastor Jeff and Mary Johnson are on the ELCA missionary circuit in the States until sometime in August. Linda is a seminarian studying at Trinity Theological College in Australia. She is very competent and I'm looking forward to being her intern supervisor.
So, here's how this interfusion maps out. I, a pastor and missionary with the Evangelical Covenant Church, serving on Guam in partnership with Cheryl, the Liebenzell Mission and Pacific Islands Bible College, where our primary work is with Micronesians, am also helping out at the Lutheran Church of Guam, an independent, culturally diverse Lutheran congregation which maintains affiliation with both the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America and the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod (and with whom we regularly worship) as the intern supervisor and occasional preacher. Linda, our summer seminary intern at LCG is an American woman who does her US Air Force reserve duty on Guam every few months, but who is living down under, studying to become a minister in the Uniting Church of Australia.
All kinds of interesting things happen once you get out here in the middle of nowhere.
2 comments:
Fascinating isn't it? Meanwhile here in Kingwood I am a Covenant Pastor on the staff of a Missouri Synod Lutheran Church that has done both 40 day campaigns from Saddleback, a Baptist Church; and whose ministry staff is now being mentored by Mike Breen, an anglican whose church connection in the U.S. is through community church of Joy, an ELCA congregation. Isn't convergence fun!
Wish I could transport myself out for tomorrow to piano with you.
It's all just starting to Shmear together these days.
Which isn't a bad thing.
:)
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