Thursday, January 28, 2016

Sierra Leone 5: Sunday Worship and Time to Go Home!

Sunday morning those of us who had gone to bed at a reasonable hour got up and headed to worship. Bishop Momah was kind enough to pick us up and take us to Faith Community Lutheran in Levuma Beach about 5 miles south of our hotel. The community there has a long history but recently completed their first worship space. It lies in a low spot in the midst of a poor community that is challenged by encroaching development along the beach front.
 Despite these challenges the community thrives and continues to worship and sustain its life. On this Sunday we arrived just as the Catechism class was finishing for adults, with education for children going on in the back of the one room worship space. Once it was time for worship we followed a traditional Ordo (Gathering, Word, Meal, Sending) with the exception of having communion. Wine made from grapes is actually quite scarce in Sierre Leone. So Communion is not celebrated each week. This community is led by two pastors, a woman who is ordained, and a male who is an "evangelist" which means he is in training.

The people at Faith Community were of course more than gracious to us. They even allowed Dad and I to preach which was a fun and honoring experience. But ultimately it was time to leave. So we journeyed back to the Aberdeen bridge to catch the water taxi over to Lungi where the airport is located. The taxi left a bit later than expected, but we were in good form to get on our trip.

Having arrived in the dark it was fun to be able to see the journey on our way now. The skyline of downtown Freetown (where the market we visited was) against the mountains that gave the nation its name.
Arriving at Lungi we could see the beautiful beaches that, if properly developed, could provide Sierra Leone with such great tourist trade and economic advance.
Of course, to capitalize on that opportunity the facilities and capacity for welcoming visitors must be advanced. For the second time in our trips to Sierra Leone I found myself on the second floor of the Freetown airport arguing with ticket agents about our reservations.


Apparently Kenya Air, a codeshare partner of KLM and Delta, had changed their flight number. As such, the reservations for "the boys" (Dad, Joel, and me) were thrown into disarray and what should have been a simple function of checking in and booking through to DFW became far more complicated than it should have been. Eventually after a couple hours of negotiation we were able to get the Kenya Air folks to book us through to Accra where we would find more sophisticated assistance and help.
Goodbye Sierra Leone, may we see you again soon and may you thrive in the meantime! The Kenya Air flight was a wonderful experience. Good food, wine, and in flight entertainment. Perhaps the most comfortable of our flight experiences. That said, there was uncertainty when we arrived at Accra and had less than 2 hours to make our connection. Would we be able to re-check and re-book our flights? Thankfully, a lovely woman named Rosemary greeted us in Accra and guided us through the airport. So ultimately we were able to get aboard our KLM flight to Amsterdam. Once aboard, everyone was all smiles!!!
The KLM flight was full of good hospitality and entertainment. Each of us had our own TV with which we could watch various movies and TV. The boys enjoyed their meal and then settled in. Dad watched more TV (at least 8 consecutive episodes of The Big Bang Theory) than I think I have ever seen him watch.
A couple hours later, after food and wine, I checked the in flight monitor of progress. Amazing to think of where we were flying over at 45,000 feet. As we crossed out of Africa and over the Mediterranean I looked out and could see the fires from the refineries and the cities fade into the black of the sea. Goodbye Africa, Thank you for a wonderful weekend. I look forward to being with you again.
Amsterdam to Minneapolis to the FWD was thankfully uneventful. We arrive home Monday afternoon. It was a long and thankfully very successful and safe trip. We are grateful to have been with Jiwoh, Manja, Yeani, and Hali. We look forward to returning soon.

Friday, January 22, 2016

Sierra Leone 4: THE WEDDING!!!

After all the preparations and the activities of the week, it was finally time for the wedding. Initially the focus of the worship space was to be the large tree to the left of the altar area here. Thankfully, Leo, the photographer, was wise enough to encourage the wedding coordinator to move the focus to the right so that the ocean would be more of an emphasis. Leo was right. 
 
Prior to the wedding (which was scheduled to start at 4pm, but seriously, this is Sierra Leone) we had time to get together and take a few pictures. Here is the Reverend with the groom and his groomsmen. From left to right, Gaiva (his school buddy), Jongoi (brother), and Joel (brother). Gaiva did his best to push us for information and stories to embarrass Jiwoh, but we stayed firm!!!
Jiwoh with his mothers, Mary and Sharon. Mary lives in Lagos now, but was sure to bring special gifts for Jiwoh's Texas family.
Finally, on Jiwoh/Sierra Leone time we got going. Time to have the wedding.
It just so happened that Jan 9th was the feast day of St. Adrian of Canterbury. He isn't exactly the best known Saint of all time, but he was remarkable for today in that Adrian was born in Africa in the 7th Century. He was a Berber who left Africa for education in Europe. Not unlike Jiwoh and Manja I pointed out and the congregation got a good laugh. However, unlike them, he never returned home and instead spent his life in England. On a day like this one it was worthy, I said, of celebrating that Jiwoh, Manja, Yeani, and Hali had come home to make their home, in their home, Africa.
I had given Kristen my phone to take pictures, and she got some wonderful shots. Especially this one of our kid's cousins. Annika has made me promise that we will be back to Sierra Leone soon to see her cousins.

We closed with my favorite final blessing from the old LBW.
"Most gracious God, we give you thanks for your tender love in sending Jesus Christ to come among us, to be born of a human mother, and to make the way of the cross to be the way of life. By the power of your Holy Spirit, pour out your abundant blessing upon Manja and Jiwoh. Defend them from every enemy. Lead them into all peace. Let their love for each other be a seal upon their hearts, a mantle about their shoulders, and a crown upon their foreheads. Bless them in their work and in their companionship; in the sleeping and in their waking; in their joys and in their sorrows; in their life and in their death. Finally in your mercy, bring them to that table where your saints feast forever in your banquet; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, now and forever. Amen."

And now, Dear Friends, I present to you, as husband and wife, Jiwoh and Manja...

Couldn't help but have a selfie at the altar. Such an amazing setting. Not sure I will ever get that sort of an opportunity again.
Jiwoh and Manja and their parents. Not the official shot, so Jiwoh is not exactly in great form. ;-)

The wedding ceremony was over. Now it was time for the party. And what a party it would be. 

Wednesday, January 20, 2016

Sierra Leone 3: Downtown Freetown

 
Saturday morning we trekked out from the Lumley beach area to downtown Freetown. Along the way we climbed Tower Hill to see the Parliament Building and along the road stopped for a group shot. Freetown sits on a peninsula, with mountains to the south and east, ocean to the west, and the Sierra Leone river to the North. It is one of the worlds largest natural deep water harbors. Ideal for defense and why in the late 1700's freed British slaves and then later freed men from America who had sided with the British (the Black Loyalists) but found life in Nova Scotia untenable due to economic and racial discrimination came here. Freetown was founded in 1792 under the "Cotton Tree" in downtown Freetown, prayed into being by a Baptist preacher from South Carolina (the first Baptist sermon ever in Africa). This began a trend of Freetown being a city of many different ethnic and religious groups. No dominate majority has ever controlled the city.
 
 On our way we traveled the crowded Saturday morning market streets. Very little regulation on the "shops" that set up on street corners, car hoods, or tents.
 Had to take this picture for Axel's Godmother Ms. Diana from TLCC. Even in a place as challenged as Freetown there are those caring for the Tiny Tots in their midst.
 Eventually we found our way to the Upgun Market which I had visited back in 2007 with Jiwoh and his sisters. This is the large two story covered market you can find in most cities. Where trinkets and other items are sold. However, it is only one of many markets in the city. So when we told our driver we wanted to go to the market he wasn't sure what we wanted. Luckily for some reason I remembered it was on Kissy street across from St. George's Anglican Cathedral.
 Church directions never steer you wrong!!! The market was full of materials but very quiet on Saturday morning. That led to good shopping. Each vender promised us "the best deal, for being the best first customer."
 Miriam and Tante proved to be good bargain shoppers. It was a good lesson for Miriam no doubt in how to negotiate. That they will never offer you a price they won't settle for, so you have to stay strong and decide what you are willing to pay.
 I bought some gifts for the kids, the staff as well as a new nativity set for Kendra. As any good African nativity set should, it contains Hippos. The Word became Flesh to come into our context, our lives, whatever those lives are and wherever they are, Christ comes to be with us.

When we got back, we headed down to the Lumley Beach to take in a bit of afternoon sun before the wedding. It is such a beautiful strand of beach. If only the community could get their infrastructure in place, and basic levels of trash and sanitation, Sierra Leone would be an amazing holiday destination. We pray that the commitment of folks like Jiwoh and Manja will help make that possible.

Tuesday, January 19, 2016

Sierra Leone 2: Meeting A Bishop

Once in Freetown we settled in to our hotel and got a good night's sleep. The next morning dad and I were honored to have coffee with the new bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Sierra Leone, the Rev. Bishop Moses KobbaMomah. The Bishop brought with him the treasurer of the ELCSL and we had a good conversation about the challenges facing the church especially in the wake of Ebola.
 Giving thanks for this opportunity to meet with the bishop it seemed appropriate to give some gifts. I was privileged to present the bishop with a "Texas style" cross (found by Trinity member Penny Level at the antique mall on Montgomery and I-30) as well as a 2016 calendar by noted Fort Worth photographer Brian Luenser.
 One final gift I was able to give to the bishop was a lapel pin from Cowtown. These were provided by Trinity member Jim Level through our city councilman Dennis Shingleton. The bishop seemed pleased by these gifts and he would wear the lapel pin when we met him for worship on Sunday.
 After the morning's activities we had a brief wedding rehearsal and met our driver and headed down the coast for the rehearsal dinner. Along the way we observed some young people playing soccer on a makeshift pitch.
 The rehearsal dinner was held at the home of a friend of Manja's family. She had married a banker from Europe who built a beautiful home on the beach. The deck of their home provided an amazing setting for dinner.
 Had to take a "walking on the rocks" picture just for fun.
 Having met the bishop earlier in the morning, when most of the rest of the family was resting, I was very tired and hungry. Unfortunately, this was Sierra Leone. So while we were there at the appointed time of 4pm for dinner, no one else showed up for at least another hour. So we enjoyed the scenery and waited smelling the wonderful cooking.
 Thankfully, dinner was finally served. An amazing feast combining West African, Caribbean, and European tastes.
 
 
 
 
After dinner there were toasts and sharing of stories. Then, thankfully, we returned to the hotel and I was able to rest for the night.

Sierra Leone 1: Getting There With Pop

I was honored to be invited by my brother Jiwoh and Manja to preside over their wedding in Freetown. It was a beautiful day and time together. But getting to Freetown from Fort Worth for a "quick weekend" getaway isn't exactly like popping down to Corpus. So it took a little work.

Granmom, Tante, and Miriam went ahead of us to spend some time in Paris. So Pop, Uncle Joel, and I left DFW for Atlanta, and then on to Paris to meet up with them before flying to Freetown.
We left on January 6th, which is of course the Feast of the Epiphany when the 3 magi came to visit the Christ child. These three "wise men" were able to find their way through passport control in Atlanta and onto a plane to Paris. A plane where I was able to arrange for Pop and I to have exit row seats. Which was a lovely treat.

Of course I brought my copy of Tim Lull's Luther's works with me. A small volume to keep me company on the long journey. Ultimately we made it to Paris to meet up with our traveling companions. Paris, the city of light, which I was glad to see also had a Prada store just like the one in Marfa, Texas.

Glad to see the French are keeping up with West Texas Haute Couture fashion


Arriving in Freetown is always an adventure. The airport is an old British Airbase across the bay from the city. Negotiating the medical "checks," baggage claim, passport control, and ultimately the amazing number of "helpful" guides to get us to the water taxi is intense. Loud conversations about the number of bag tags finally get worked out and we got on a bus that took us down to the beach at Lungi. Where we walked along an old wooden bridge to get us to the boat in the dark. Always an interesting proposition.

That said. The boat was a lot better than the Libyan ferry from 2008. There was air conditioning, free sodas, and a bit of rest before we got the the offloading.
Thankfully, all the bags made it from the airport, to the vans, to the boat, to the dock at Aberdeen bridge. And there, there was Jiwoh. So we got everything loaded up and headed to our hotel. We were safely in Freetown and ready for a wedding weekend.


Wednesday, December 16, 2015

Picking the Blanket Back Up

The congregation I serve, Trinity Lutheran-Fort Worth, sits at the intersection of three major roads in western downtown. Around the circle of this intersection are world class art museums, performance spaces, a medical center, CVS drug store, a McDonald's, and our mid-century modern church building. Everyday tens of thousands of cars drive by, hundreds of cars sit in the drive thru lane at McDonalds, and there is rarely quiet and certainly little or no silence.

This location impacts our ministry and has impacted me as a minister. In fact, it has resulted in creating my favorite 15 minutes of the ministry year, the 15 minutes after the last parishioner has left from our final Christmas Eve service.

I make sure, on Christmas Eve, to be the last person (with perhaps the exception of one of our homeless neighbors seeking shelter in our courtyard) to leave the church campus. I do this because in that time, that 15 minutes, close to midnight, there is silence in our busy intersection. There are few to no cars, the museums and medical center are closed, even the CVS and McDonalds are closed. In that blessed quiet, for 15 minutes, the last word on this intersection is the word that Christ has been born, the savior has come, peace between God and humanity, the angels have proclaimed it, fear not.

These 15 minutes came to mind yesterday when I read Jason Soroski's succinct and thoughtful blog post "Just Drop the Blanket: The Moment You Never Noticed in A Charlie Brown Christmas." He hits a chord with people, including myself, by finding a moment in a well loved classic that can, even after 50 years, proclaim anew the good news to us. The jist of it is, when Linus speaks those famous words from the angels, "Fear not," he drops his blue security blanket for the first time. In like regard then, Soroski encourages us to see that "The birth of Jesus allows us to simply drop the false security we have been grasping so tightly, and learn to trust and cling to Him instead."











The response to this post has been strong and largely positive in the 48 hours since he uploaded it and for good reason. We need to be encouraged, to be taught again, as we teach the TLCC children in chapel that when angels come they say "Don't be afraid!" God is coming, you don't have to fear. In fact, we are doing such a good job of that just this week our school director received this email from a parent. "Our daughter told my husband and me yesterday that angels watch over us and protect us.  Thank you for teaching the kids such wonderful things that positively impact their lives!"             

When we recognize God has come for us, that we need not be afraid, indeed we can, as Soroski encourages us, drop the blanket of temporal security and live in God's peace. This sense of peace is why I love that 15 minutes after the last Christmas Eve service. The liturgy (the work of the people praising God) has been done. Good news has been proclaimed. My family is home safely in their beds. There is quiet on our busy intersection. Do not be afraid. I drop my security blanket and can almost hear the angels over Fort Worth.

But here is the problem with building a theology around that image and that moment, it doesn't last.

Linus completes his speech, walks over to Charlie Brown, and says "That is the meaning of Christmas, Charlie Brown," and immediately picks up his blanket and sticks his thumb (like my 3 year old) back into his mouth. The inbreaking of that peaceful moment, the dropping of the blanket, is not permanent in Linus' life just as the peace of that 15 minutes on Christmas Eve isn't permanent for me.

We live in the now, we wait upon the "not yet." In this now we get experiences of the "not yet," inbreakings of God's kingdom. These can come on Christmas Eve, or when we receive the Holy Eucharist and hear once again "given and shed FOR you," or it can happen in a particularly grace filled conversation with a friend, etc...

These experiences of the "not yet" like Linus had on that cartoon stage 50 years ago help sustain us and encourage us through life. But Charles Shultz was too good a theologian, I believe, to have Linus cast his blanket aside in that moment for all time. That sort of conversion moment would be good TV but it wouldn't be real life.

If we as teachers and preachers encourage our communities to expect that peaceful moment, that experience of the "not yet," to transcend the realities of life we risk turning gospel into law. We risk being one more voice that tells folks that if they just get Christmas right this year all will be well. The pain and grief and loss, the illness and broken relationships, the addictions and mistrust, the self-doubt, etc... will just go away. That with enough faith we can just drop that blanket and trust Christ who will replace it all and in so doing we once again make ourselves the actors in receiving God's peace.

To be fair, I don't think Soroski is that simplistic in his theology. His blog post is about a third the length of this. He was going for, and achieved, impact. Yet, I think perhaps he misunderstands what Linus' blanket is for. Is it a burden? In his formulation it is. However, one could also see this blanket as a tool to survive this challenging world. To do ministry and walk with, as Linus so often does, the Charlie Browns in our lives.














When we as leaders talk to people about theology and life we must be careful. Nuance is important and making sure God, not us, is the actor is of primary importance. To be sure we don't separate those moments of inbreaking peace from "the real world" in which we cling to temporal security, and for good reason. Life in this world is hard, sometimes I need a security blanket, I need that temporal reminder of God's grace to get through ministry and carry on.

We live in the reality of the now, waiting on the "not yet." As the wonderful hymn "Lord, Whose Love in Humble Service" reminds us...
                                          Still your children wander homeless;
                                          still the hungry cry for bread;
                                          still the captives long for freedom;
                                          still in grief we mourn our dead.

In those 15 minutes after Christmas Eve I sense the inbreaking of God's peace in my life. For a moment God takes that need for a temporal blanket of security away and gives me a sense of true security and peace. Yet I also know that within a couple hundred yards of me there is probably a homeless neighbor sleeping and I have a responsibility to know if he/she has a blanket, that the broken relationships my parishioners suffer won't just be healed in the morning, that even in the place of Jesus' birth, Bethlehem, there is little peace. The inbreaking comes, I experience peace, but then I pick back up my blanket and like Linus, to sooth myself, stick my proverbial thumb in my mouth so I can sleep in the midst of all these temporal realities.

We need moments like Linus had on stage. Moments when God breaks in and takes the blanket away. But as pastors and leaders we must always keep in mind the expectations we place on those hearing our words. We must not make gospel into law. We do not drop the blanket, God takes it from it. In the words "For You" God takes away our reliance on the things of this world and reminds us, in the now, of the coming "not yet." We rejoice in those moments, but we do so knowing the day after Christmas will come. The day of St. Stephen, the day of the first martyr, who served those in need, who was murdered before Saul. The next day comes and in this now, still in grief we mourn our dead.


Christmas is a wonderful gift given to us by God to remind us that God is always for us. Our blankets that we cling to in this life do not replace God but often give us the courage to serve God in this world of grief and sin. To sooth ourselves a bit so we can do that which God has called us to do in this life. To serve our neighbor and not lose heart. To know that moment is gospel and not law and that when we pick up the blanket again, we are not failing.

So may you have a blessed Christmas. May you experience that moment of "not yet," may God grant you that blessed peace, and then, pick up that blanket, and go and serve as Stephen did.

Monday, December 7, 2015

Leadership in Crisis: Nimitz on Pearl Harbor

My 3 year old just had a crisis. Her sleeper zipper was stuck. She responded with tears, anger, pulling, refused help initially, said "I CAN DO IT MYSELF," yet ultimately in despair she tore at the sleeper and cried out "Daddy, help me!" as she collapsed on the floor in tears.

How do we handle crisis? Much of leadership is defined by that ability. How does the leader respond when we encounter a crisis we have caused or one brought upon us by outside forces. Much ink has been spilled on this topic, particularly by the seminal author on crisis leadership, Irving Janis. This should be unsurprising given the inevitability of crisis in leadership, yet so many leaders, or aspiring leaders, appear to have paid little attention.

Today is December 7th. The 74th anniversary of the devasting attacks by the empire of Japan against the United States Pacific Navy stationed in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. In this devastating surprise attack the Japanese forces rendered the U.S. Pacific fleet basically non-operational and killed almost 4,000 sailers and personnel. It was a day, as President Rooselvelt frankly stated, that "will live in Infamy."

The navy was in crisis. A native Texan, Admiral Chester Nimitz, born in the late 1800's in the small hill country town of Fredricksburg, was the fleet admiral of the Pacific. Chester was raised without a father (he died while Chester was in utero). Instead, his paternal grandfather, who had served in the German Merchant Marine and was later a Texas Ranger, became a guiding influence. He famously told Chester, "the sea – like life itself – is a stern taskmaster. The best way to get along with either is to learn all you can, then do your best and don't worry – especially about things over which you have no control." This advice would be a good guide, especially for dealing with crises that came from outside the control of the Admiral.

Surveying the damage brought on by the surprise attack Nimitz was asked about his reaction to the devastation. It would have been understandable for him to react in anger. Why were they not more prepared? To find a scapegoat. Who was the blame? Who was manning the radar? Why didn't they discover the convey of Japanese ships and planes? He could have called immediately for major counter attacks, for which his forces were far too depleted. He could have made excuses and tried to cover up the devastating losses. Or he could have even fallen into despair and resign in failure.

Nimitz of course did none of these things. Instead, when asked what he thought he responded with a question, "The Japanese made three of the biggest mistakes an attack force could ever make, or God was taking care of America. Which do you think it was?"

An adept leader in crisis Nimitz reframed the issue. He asked a question, implying he had an answer, but he pushed his followers to rethink their responses. He adapted the leadership situation. He acknoweldged the tremendous losses but did not dwell in fear and negativity. Instead he reframed the issues, pointed out the tremendous resources still at his disposal, and led his followers to see opportunity in the midst of loss and crisis (his famous 3 mistakes response is summarized below from his 12 page report "Reflections on Pearl Harbor" published in 1985 by the Admiral Nimitz Center).

Out of the disaster of Pearl Harbor came several years of hard fought, sacrificial battle. All was not resolved by this one statement and report. But this moment of leadership in crisis was an essential piece towards moving the community towards healing and future success. Nimitz did not retreat, build walls, find someone to blame, or make himself the issue. Instead he pointed to a future and encouraged followers to find a hopeful future with him.

We live in a time when the focus of too many of our leaders is just the opposite. To point to what we don't have, who to blame, and make audacious claims that they could have and would do better. Like my 3 year old, they refuse to ask for help and then in anger throw a fit blaming everyone but themselves for the situation.

Many of these claims have none of the clarity and backing of Nimitz's short 3 mistake summation in response to crisis. Terror strikes Paris, we want to close our borders and shut out refugees. Another mass shooting, we should ban all guns. Rhetoric without substance pours onto our radios, tv screens, and social media outlets. Self serving echo chambers develop that create a narrative that asks nothing of those who promote it but instead blames others for any problems.

This world needs more leaders like Nimitz who are not seeking after cheap political points. Who see the challenges and take those challenges seriously and offer not sound bite solutions but substantitive conversation that encourages us, the followers, to lead alongside them. This is not easy leadership because frankly, most of us don't want to be led or to sacrifice anything. We want a saviour to come and fix it for us. Nimitz didn't offer that. Instead he pointed to the resources the community had and offered hope that together they could rebuild.

So the next time you hear someone telling you exactly what you want to hear or what you expect to hear, think critically. What are they offering me and why? Are they just fitting into the narrative I already believe to be true? Is this a 3 year old solution? Blaming everyone else but me? Or are they challenging me to see the crisis differently, to reframe the issues, and pointing all of the community to hope? That is leadership.

Nimitz's 3 Mistake Analysis

Mistake one : The attack was on Sunday morning.  Nine out of every ten crewmen of those ships were on shore leave.  If those same ships had been lured to sea and been sunk-- 38,000 men would have been lost instead of 3,800.
Mistake two : When the Japanese saw all those battleships lined in a row, they got so carried away sinking those battleships, they never once bombed the dry docks opposite those ships.  If the dry docks had been destroyed, every salvagable ship would have to have been towed to the west coast to be repaired.  As it is now, the ships are in shallow water and can be raised.  One tug can pull them over to the dry docks, and we can have them repaired and at sea by the time we could have towed them to America.  And I already have crews ashore anxious to man those ships.
Mistake number three : Every drop of fuel in the Pacific theater of war is in top of the ground storage tanks five miles away over that hill. One attack plane could have strafed those tanks and destroyed our fuel supply.