Scott Runyon - My life in seminary

Senior High Workcamp trip June 18-26, 2011

2011-08-03T22:31:00.000-04:00

Chilson Hills Church Senior High Workcamp Trip Overview

June 18-26, 2011

By Scott Runyon, Middle and Senior High Student Ministries

There were seven of us on this Workcamp trip: Holly Lovely, Connor Grady, Miranda Rios, Ashley Hocking, Olivia Porath, and leaders Gaby Berton and myself. They all experienced a lot of things on this trip and grew in more ways than they can share this morning, so I have asked them to each share a specific story from the trip that can give you a taste of their experience. First, I will give you an overview so that you can better understand what they will be sharing.

This was a Workcamp run by an organization called Group Workcamps. Our Senior High students have taken trips organized by them since 1989 when we went to Tennessee. Group Workcamps has been creating these camps since the 1970s and have developed an organization that really works efficiently to get a lot of work done. They also provide a structure to develop work-related skills and to help participants grow spiritually, emotionally, and interpersonally.

We spent the week in dorm rooms at Marywood University in Scranton, PA in northeastern portion of the state. We also ate breakfast and dinner on campus and used some of their facilities for group meetings. We joined more than 300 other students and youth leaders from around the country: FL, CT, OH, MI, AZ, and Washington DC, among others.

Each of our students and leaders were placed in a crew with people from other youth groups they didn’t know. So each of us had a chance to meet and work with five or six new people. In their crew, each person had a role to play: Organizer, Work Leader, Quartermaster, Break Maker, Devotion Leader, and Progress Reporter. The camp is set up so that everybody relies on all the other crew members -- and it sometimes stretched them out of their comfort zones to carry out their responsibilities.

Each morning Monday through Friday, we would meet with our crews after breakfast and a short morning program, get in a van or bus, and head to the nearby town of Carbondale, where each crew was working to complete repairs or upgrades to one of 53 homes. These homes were owned by people who were for one reason or another unable to complete needed repairs themselves. Many projects involved interior and exterior painting, some involved deck construction, or other repair work. These homes were identified by The Neighborhood Housing Services, a local organization in Carbondale that had been working with Group Workcamps for a number of months to get this camp organized for us.

After the days work was done in the afternoon, the crews checked in with the Workcamp “Red Shirt” staff in Carbondale reporting the progress of the projects and needed materials, etc. Then we traveled back to Marywood University where we ate dinner, got together with the whole camp for an evening program, and then each youth group would have devotions together before bed. As there always is during trips like this, there were opportunities at every turn to face challenging situations and grow through facing conflict together either as a workcrew or youth group. I won’t go into details, but on several occasions our group worked through interpersonal issues that came up, and I have to say that I am so proud of them for taking ownership of those situations and working through them the way that they did. I know that all of them grew tremendously.

After the workcamp was over, we headed toward home and spent one day at Cedar Pointe before sliding in on Sunday night June 26th (or Monday morning) at 1 a.m.

MY RESIDENT EXPERIENCE

I would like to share about my resident and my crew’s experience with her. Maryanne was, as she described herself, a “Fiery Italian.” She was quite outspoken from the moment we arrived. Most of our work involved painting inside, but one of our projects was to patch a cinderblock porch on the back of the house that was crumbling, and then paint it. Before we had a chance to open the first can of paint or tape off the first window, Maryanne started telling us exactly how to do this work. For the better part of the first three days she hung over our shoulders saying “Don’t use the brush like that. You have to brush from left to right, and you have to push harder.” She would complain that we didn’t know what we were doing, and that first day she said “I don’t want you touching that back porch, because I know how it has to be done and you all don’t know what you are doing. All you’ll do is mess it up. I’ll find a professional to do it right.” Needless to say, my crew was feeling a bit insecure around Maryanne, who didn’t seem to be appreciative of us being there at all. That first day, at one point in the afternoon she grabbed a wooden spoon from her kitchen drawer and started chasing members of my crew around the house and whispering to me how she would teach them a thing or two. Honestly, I was at a loss about what to do or how to handle the situation.

Several days went by just like that. The third day we came in and she said “I have talked with other people in this neighborhood who have crews at their houses and I am sure I have the worst crew of them all.” Every day during check in, our Devotional Leader needed to report any “God Sightings” from the day. The first four days we discussed it and my whole crew, as you might imagine, just groaned saying “Nope, no God sightings here!”

One of the things each crew was encouraged to do was make or buy some sort of gift for their resident. My crew honestly couldn’t even think much about it for several days. Then, Nate had an idea. Nate was the crew member Maryanne had picked on most through the week and one of the members she chased around the house with her wooden spoon. Nate said we should get her “a big ol’ wooden spoon and all sign it.” I thought the idea was brilliant. Turn an object of criticism or discipline into a gift.

By the time Friday rolled around, Maryanne was still a Fiery Italian, but when we presented her with the signed wooden spoon, her demeanor shifted. Her hardened Italian eyes turned a bit softer and she began to tear up. I watched as she searched for the perfect place to hang her new prized possession. She finally found it -- right by the back door where everyone entering her home from the back porch would see it very prominently. That day she couldn’t stop complimenting our work and saying how nice it looked. In the afternoon, we finished up repairing her back porch, which she finally let us touch, and put the final paint on the ceiling in her hallway. I could tell that Maryanne wanted to say more to show her appreciation, but she just didn’t have the words, so she went into her bedroom and brought out t-shirts from a local fund raiser and gave one to each of us. As we left she also gave each of us several hugs. She even kissed Nate and me on the cheek.

During the van ride back to Marywood University, my crew couldn’t stop talking about the transformation they experienced in Maryanne, and I am quite sure that it was not just Maryanne’s life that was transformed that week.

LETTER FROM ONE SENIOR HIGH WHO PARTICIPATED

I’d really like to thank the congregation for supporting my trip and the rest of the youth’s so we could go to Pennsylvania this summer. For me it was such a rewarding experience. I never expected us to get the nice accommodations that we did- I’ve heard enough horror stories to know that the air conditioning in the rooms alone was a blessing. But I was also surprised to become so connected with strangers in just a short amount of time.

I know that my time with my crew’s resident, Evelyn, ended up being especially meaningful. You see, Evelyn did bond with us at first, telling us about her grandchildren and such, but nothing really tugged at my heart as much as what she did on Thursday, the last day we worked on her house. That day my crew broke for lunch and ate on her porch as usual, but we didn’t bother her to sit with us since we figured she was busy with other things. Then towards the end of our lunch, Evelyn came outside and told us she would’ve gotten us paper plates and napkins (those items weren’t provided for us). We ate just fine, though- and we told her so. She then came up behind me and put her hands on my shoulders and a few moments later she ran her fingers through my hair. Now my hair was kind of wet because I didn’t dry it after my shower and it was raining outside for the whole morning. Obviously Evelyn felt the dampness and she said “Why is your hair wet?” Well, I could hear the slight scold in her voice, and I explained myself.

Those few minutes between her and I was more intimate than the whole week I spent with her and my crew combined. When she asked me about my hair and ran her fingers through it, I instantly thought of my grandmother, because it was something she would have done. Evelyn not only created a bond with me that day, but she also reminded me of my own grandmother who I hadn’t seen in a while and who I missed desperately. It was so great to be able to give back to the community, and I’ll never forget the time spent in Pennsylvania. Thank you, Chilson Hills, for letting me be a part of something so special and extraordinary.

Olivia Porath

Reflection on ministry

2010-05-28T09:05:00.000-04:00

It seems to me that essential to ministry is placing oneself in a humble position to serve another in the midst of their real life situation of need, to liberate them from whatever is holding them back from experiencing the wholeness that God created within them. When people minister to me, and when I minister to others, it is an act of restoration unto wholeness that marks each situation. The full restoration is not always present in the short term, however it is a move toward wholeness that ministers to the human being. My experience of being ministered to is one of burden lifting, constraint removing, vitality renewing and connection restoring.

I don't think that ministry always produces a "feeling" of God's presence consciously, however perhaps a more full sense of being alive is characteristic, but this isn't always a feeling of lightness. Sometimes ministry moves one to engage more fully with one's responsibilities as a human being. For these, mobilization into action has a sense of accumulating a "burden". Nonetheless, this person is stepping into a life that is more full of what God created him or her to be.

"How do we make God's presence felt?" I would say it is not our responsibility to make anyone feel any particular way, however, we can provide and create a context inside of which others can encounter and experience God more readily. We do this by living from that context ourselves and inviting others to dwell there in that healing space characterized by kingdom values of love, forgiveness, grace, integrity, peace, generosity, etc. This is not something that can be controlled by any church structure, but something that God calls us to as we live life everywhere in all situations through the Holy Spirit's leading. Ministry is a creative and dynamic activity as we are open to see, hear and act in accordance with what God is already active doing in the world.

New Term

2010-03-30T20:41:00.002-04:00

I just started a new term at ETS. For the first time I have two classes with one being all online. I can tell balancing the assignments and keeping on top of what is required especially in the class that never meets in person is going to require something new from me that I have not needed in the past. It is just a new kind of juggling. I am thankful that I got ahead of the curve with a few of the reading assignments in one class before the term started. That is giving me a different kind of freedom to get things done.

In a couple of weeks (April 11) I will be giving the sermon at church. I am quite excited about it having planned for quite some time. I will be trying something new by involving the congregation in creating the sermon. I plan to ask them to come to mics and share on three different aspects of life in the faith community. For me this requires a certain amount of trust and faith that God will nudge people to share. I have no doubt that they will. I am also excited that there will be a number of friends from various places in my life who will be there - some from Landmark courses I have been in, some from my business group, some relatives, and some from seminary. I expect that it will be exciting and a very different experience for me - an occasion to stretch and grow into new dimensions of leadership.

Jury Selection

2010-03-10T13:38:00.001-05:00

Last Friday, I reported for jury selection per a summons received in the mail. This was my first experience with any official jury responsibilities and I found it quite interesting. As most people know there is a very predictable conversation you start into when you share with people that you have been called to "jury duty".

After simply sharing that I had to report to the court for jury duty, most people roll their eyes and start into the stories about their own dreaded experience, or the story of someone they know or had heard of who was really put out. Probably more than three quarters of the stories are about how they or someone else they know got out of serving on jury duty. People shared with me how they were dismissed because they live next door to the Sheriff, or how they had an experience similar to the alleged victim, or how they described to the judge how impartial they feel would be regarding the case.

The prominent feeling about serving on jury duty were reiterated by our orientation leader when we first arrived. She directly addressed what she knew to be everyone's first and most important questions -- "When do I get to leave for lunch?" and "When do I get to go home?"

The woman I sat next to during the orientation reflected these feelings as she looked at me with a long face, sharing that she has served on a jury panel about every five years. With a smirk, she advised me to get prepared to be bored all day.

Several days prior to the jury selection day, I pondered this dominant conversation around jury duty and realized that it would be easy to follow that pattern. However, I was going to see the experience as an opportunity to understand a bit more about our countries system of checks and balances. I thought about what it means to participate in and support a system where justice is served for the public good while leaning on the strength of community. By the time I arrived at the court house, I was looking forward to this opportunity to expand my thinking and life experience.

I learned that there were more than 70 cases slated for that day and if they could not be resolved between the parties and lawyers, then they would be brought to us for a jury selection. Initially, this seemed like it might take a long while - 70+ cases! Are they sure we could do this all in one day? How many of these trials might I have to serve on?

After our orientation, we were ushered into the court room where two parties were waiting on the other side of the fence. Here was the first trial. It took about an hour to find seven jurors for this case (six plus one alternate). A number of potential jurors were dismissed after questioning by one or the other of the lawyers. One potential juror flatly stated that he didn't think he could be impartial because in this civil dispute case, he felt that he would simply want to side with the guy. Others potential jurors were dismissed after either not being available for the trial date due to vacation schedules, or from having experience too similar to the one being tried. One potential juror, who was herself a lawyer, was dismissed because the prosecution's lawyer just didn't seem to like her on the jury for some undisclosed reason, even after she said she felt that she could be impartial.

I sat there in the gallery wondering how impartial I might be on the particular case they were considering if I was called on and questioned for this particular case. Only some general details of the case were revealed - it involved alleged physical abuse of a man by his wife (who are currently in process of a divorce) while their young child was in bed. I wondered what from my life might be relevant to the case that I would be asked to share with the court if my number was called to fill one of the seven seats. I resolved within my head and heart that I would certainly be able to be impartial. In any case, it was more than an hour long process to seat and confirm these seven jurors, and my number was never called. Each of the seven were given a sheet of paper with all the necessary information so that they could be responsible with showing up when they were needed.

It was then after 10 a.m. when this was finished, and we were left in the court room (or were free to step out into the hall) to wait for the next case. I proceeded to read one of two articles I had brought in preparation for my following Tuesday's seminary class. For the next hour and a half, there was random chatter between my fellow potential jurors wondering about what was happening in other rooms and when we'd see our next case. Around 11 a.m. our orientation leader, who was still tooling around the court, let us know that all but two of the day's cases had already been resolved. A half hour later we learned that both of these were resolved, and to our astonishment we were all dismissed for the day by 11:30 a.m! We didn't even make it to lunch! Even though my number was never called, by law I cannot be called for a jury selection for the next 12 months.

As I reflected afterward, I had some mixed feelings. I was actually looking forward to serving on a jury for the experience, but I was also pleased that I would not have to rearrange my schedule, cancel massage sessions, or arrange for my daughter to be with someone while I served at a trial. I was amazed at the efficiency of the process in that 70+ cases were resolved that day and would not require more court resources to determine a verdict. My half day at the court for jury selection left me with a sense of gratitude for such a system that works that efficiently... and $12.50 plus mileage.

Pulpit Search Team

2010-03-01T16:58:00.000-05:00

This past weekend, I spent a day and a half in Indianapolis with my church's Pulpit Search Team. The eight of us were elected by the congregation to search for our next pastor, as our current pastor will be retiring in the next year or two. We have the luxury of searching without the pressure to fill a vacant hole in leadership. We have a vibrant and growing community as well. These factors, I am learning, put us in a very unique position as a Search Team. Add this to our non-traditional succession plan and there are very few churches throughout the country in our situation.

Our plan is to hire a new pastor and have an overlap time with our existing pastor, who has been in place for 31 years. During this overlap the new pastor will be able to develop relationships with people in our congregation without having to bear the weight of getting used to all of the administrative duties including preaching every Sunday. We have designed this transition process over the course of the past several years knowing that the typical pattern is that a new pastor who comes in after a 20+ year pastor is much like a sacrificial lamb, being a short-term leader.

During this weekend, our Team interviewed 10 pastor candidates over the course of two days. These candidates were from all over the country, as far away as California, and had a wide variety of experience. Some had never been a head pastor of a church and others had nearly 30 years of pastoral experience. We were told that the candidates would likely not be to the caliber that we would need from our next pastor and not to expect we'd find someone who would be a good match for us. So we went in expecting to get our feet wet, log some experience and get a feel for the process ahead.

Certainly we got exactly what we expected. Our Team grew incredibly in how we describe who we are as a congregation and we are better adept at describing our anticipated transition process. We also learned which sorts of questions give us the kind of answers that are helpful.

When all was said and done we came away with three candidates that were interesting for us, who we expect to talk with further. We realize that the 45 minute conversation we had with each candidate is like a first date and we expect quite a number of dates before asking a candidate to marry our congregation.

All eight of us were very encouraged by the weekend and look forward to how God might lead us.

This experience also had me reflect on what it might be like several years from now on the other side of the table being asked questions by a Search Team. In that way it was great training for me on another level as I consider a future position as a pastor of a church community.

Life Balance

2010-02-05T20:16:00.000-05:00

In NetShui (Business community dedicated to empowering people to discover and grow their abilities personally and professionally - check out www.netshui.groupsite.com) this month we are focusing our weekly conversation around the center of the bagua, which is "Life Balance and Health." Since I have been creating the meeting plans for the group I have been thinking about life balance a fair amount. Here are some thoughts...

Perhaps it is more realistic to look for balance in the big picture over time than to think of having balance in all areas at any one time or even in any given week. When people think that it is realistic to be able to achieve balance in all areas of their life all at once, they often have the experience of banging their head against a wall or of perpetual failure. This can be discouraging to say the least. Let’s get real - life happens and the demands placed upon us can often require our full attention for a length of time. There is already enough guilt to go around from us spending long hours at work and not with family, or not talking with a cousin, aunt or friend for an extended period of time. I don't see that self inflicted guilt produces any tangible benefit. So if we can separate ourselves from the guilt and simply look at what is realistic, perhaps we will find a greater sense of freedom and more focus to appreciate the balance that exists in our lives in the big picture. Here is a useful understanding of Life Balance that I came up with:

Life Balance: Honoring all of the dimensions of life over a period of time with integrity.

Integrity inside of life balance means that people know what to expect from you in terms of your attention and time commitment, and when you don’t hold to what you promised, then you keep people informed about what they can expect from you. It also means that when you are committed to do something that doesn’t involve other people that you still do it. If you have a problem keeping that promise to yourself, then ask someone to keep you accountable. In other words, create a team approach around your commitments in order to keep your integrity. This will bring balance to that area of your life, and thereby to your whole life.

If anyone would like to share their thoughts on this I am very open to hear them.

Blessings,

Scott

Two scholarships come through!

2010-01-07T16:52:00.001-05:00

Yes! I learned yesterday that I will be receiving $500 from my church's Seminary Scholarship Fund. Today I learned that I am the recipient of $1,000 scholarship from the Ecumenical Theological Seminary. I am thrilled and celebrating today! These are the first scholarships that I have received and they will pay for all of my expenses for next quarter plus some, since I will be taking just one class.

As I learned of the ETS scholarship today, I looked out the window and saw a light snowfall gently falling covering the ground and trees. I was reflecting that it was like God's love gently settling down on my life today. I am truly blessed.

In wholeness, healing and love,
Scott

New developments in Worship

2009-12-29T22:12:00.001-05:00

Next up, Introduction to Christian Worship - beginning Tuesday, Jan 5. I am very excited about this class! After nearly 15 years leading worship at Chilson Hills Church, I am excited about exploring new dimensions of worship for the church community. This is something that I am very passionate about. The class hasn't started yet and I have already read more than 100 pages of one of the books. As a result I have some ideas for a sermon on the symbols we use in worship at Chilson Hills. I can imagine tracing their origin and re-establishing meaning in them for people - things like the altar, communion, candles, and the purpose for gathering, as well as and honoring all of our community including children, who are too often shushed during worship by parents who feel they are a distraction to others. I think there is an opportunity here to see those occasions (spontaneous child outbursts) as opportunities to rejoice that we are part of a family of believers coming together as one in Christ. ... more on this later as the ideas develop.

Blessings to all of you as you reflect on the past year and look forward into the new year. Who are you committed to being in 2010?

In wholeness, healing and love,
Scott

Support of my church community

2009-12-15T22:03:00.003-05:00

This past Sunday I shared during one of our worship services about going to the food bank. I shared my initial fear and embarrassment and desire to lie and hide, then my choice to share inside my vulnerability - which would be uncharacteristic of me in the past. One reason I shared was because my church family is my community and I have discovered that not sharing leads to a shrinking and limited life. I realize that what I experience inwardly and don't share ends up keeping my life small, and I am not committed to a small life.

However, the more prominent reason I found to share was so that people in my congregation would be able to see the personal side of financial struggles - put a face to it. When people are feeling embarrassed around their financial or other life situations, the typical tendency is to pull away and hide. I see it all the time - people will disappear from community to take it on themselves then come back when they have it under control. This was my first thought too. But I recognized right away that I was in a 6-year-old conversation, looking for that coffee table to hide under where it was safe. Seeing this, I immediately understood that I had a choice and I chose not to hide, but instead share.

After I shared I was humbled and honored by my congregation's response - it illustrates why I am proud of my community. A number of people approached me with gifts of money and several people offered food, another shared a community resource similar to the food bank that might be helpful. Another woman complimented me on being brave to share in such vulnerability and committed to clean out her freezer to share with me. Several others approached me asking what I might need and for me to simply let them know.

It is interesting that I shared not with a request for anything, but to contribute to the community, and then I had a flood of generosity come my way that was unexpected and it simply blew me away, nearly moved to tears at several points! Until Sunday, I had not even thought about shopping for Christmas, because there hasn't been money in my bank account. But yesterday and today I felt a freedom to buy gifts for my daughter and also take her out to buy gifts for her two cousins and we had a wonderful time!

Thank you to my friends and community. This is another demonstration of how community works well.

If not for the "grace of God"...

2009-12-11T22:00:00.000-05:00

Today I had another insight regarding my trip to the food bank. I have heard many people through the years recognize that it wouldn't take much to push them to the point of needing the service of a food bank or other public assistance. They come in touch with genuine gratitude for what they have, often saying "If not for the grace of God, I would be there too." In other words, if God's grace wasn't present in their life, they might have greater needs than they now experience. Well, now from the other side, I see that God's grace is no less from where I stand, and it likely may be greater.

The Food Bank

2009-12-08T19:14:00.000-05:00

Today was one of those surreal days. I visited Gleaners Food Bank for the first time to pick up food to feed the family. Until now, I saw the food bank as a place for "the needy", "the poor", the homeless, the uneducated and destitute. Today it became a resource to meet my basic needs and help to provide my four-year-old daughter a gift for Christmas. I am truly humbled and have shifted my perspective on what it means to be in community.

For the past several weeks I have started contemplating a visit to the food bank as my massage schedule has tapered off and promotions I have been running are creating only a trickle of business. For the past month, I have only been able to pay myself enough to cover my daughter's preschool tuition and not much more. Gas and other necessities have gone on a credit card that in prior years I have been proud to say I would pay off every month, without paying any interest. Not so this year. This year I think that I have paid the whole balance only about half the time. This has had me concerned to a certain point, because I expected that my massage schedule would start filling more due to my increase in marketing. This however has not happened.

So, several weeks ago I started thinking about other ways to conserve resources and take care of the family needs, including the food bank. Last week I paid a visit to figure out the system. As I thought about going and as I opened the door, I noticed myself experience embarrassment and shame. I was considering how I might hide the fact that I was there. The monologue in my head was quite incredible. "What lie might I tell if people ask me about where I got the food? How can I avoid telling my parents? What if my church community finds out? What if my networking group finds out? Will people not want to come see me for massage, or only schedule appointments because they feel sorry for me? How can I avoid looking poor, needy and destitute? How can I avoid being stereotyped and discarded? Will going to the food bank turn me into a leech on the system?" All of this and more plagued my mind.

Then, I stepped back from the situation and considered a different perspective. Going to the food bank doesn't mean anything in and of itself, only what I make it mean. I could have $10 million in the bank or nothing and that doesn't change who I am. I started seeing this experience going to the food bank as an opportunity.

The first benefit was simply noticing all of my inner monologue. Wow! I had all of that baggage, and now I have an opportunity to do something with it, shift my understanding. That is a huge gift! The second benefit was straight forward and simple - I would have more food in the house and, due to the generous donation of a business, I would have at least one toy to give my daughter for Christmas.

As I reflected on this experience, I also started to see a new side to the benefit of living in a community that really works for its members. People are generous and donate so that people like me and so many others can eat. This past summer, I was part of our church's Vacation Bible School program that collected many several thousand pounds of food for this very food bank that I was going to now. The whole cycle completes as I give thanks, open a can of Campbell's Chunky Soup that will nourish my body. I am humbled to have participated at all levels in this community as it takes care of the needs of its members. It is not an isolated event for someone to take a can of food out of their pantry and drop it off in a box somewhere for someone else who has need of it. When people do this they are participating in community at perhaps the most basic and fundamental and needed level. That person may never see the importance of their contribution to community, and until today I didn't either. I truly get how when one person contributes even a small amount everyone in the community benefits. On a certain level we are really all the same, each with our unique part to play in the larger cycle. This reaffirms for me that as a community we already have absolutely everything that we need.

The lull between semesters

2009-11-28T14:39:00.004-05:00

It is interesting what happens in the lull between semesters. I was coordinating a Green Expo at church the weekend before my big paper was due for the Methodology class and in the middle of tons of activity a few weeks ago. Then, I completed the expo, finished my paper and immediately hit the lull between the semesters.

It is strange. I don't have nearly as much to do in front of me that has a pressing deadline, so I am not doing as much. While my life "production" has gone way down, I feel entering in a sense of laziness, and diminished contribution to the people around me. This is a familiar feeling. I strikes me that my sense of identity and value is tied, not to simply being a valuable creation of God, but in what and how much I produce with my mind and hands as it shows up in the world around me. I know in my mind that God has created each person as priceless and beyond value in their inherent creation as human beings, but so often we don't relate to each other out of that authentic identity, but out of the socially, culturally created set of values that we inherited.

What might the world look like if we could truly see in each other and relate with each other out of the inherent value that God has created within each of us? This would require us to strip away everything we know about ourselves and see "Human Being" as God does. Now that would be a paradigm shift! As I think at this moment, perhaps Christian ministry is about painting a picture so that we grasp who we truly are as God created us, and then how to reorient ourselves into that new understanding which is really a new world, and live there as God's family. This is what I desire to offer as a Christian minister.

Finished THE paper!

2009-11-20T22:17:00.000-05:00

It has been quite a while since writing a paper for a class that required extensive research, but today I completed such a paper -- the final paper due in my Biblical and Theological Methodology course at ETS. It was like an adrenalin rush to put the final touches on it and submit it online as my daughter sat behind me begging to play with her favorite puppet bunny. "Daddy, put the bunny on your hand. Daddy, put the bunny on your hand now! Daddy!"

The day was full of completing things. THE 17 page paper, three loads of laundry folded and put away, fresh sheets on my bed, dishes clean, books put away, Qwynn is in bed. It is late and I am full of energy! What's next? Is there a book to read somewhere? Let me at it!

The $1 Campaign

2009-11-08T22:38:00.003-05:00

At the request of a friend of mine (Brent Church), I am announcing "The $1 Campaign". This is a request that you click the "Donate" button at the top right of this blog and donate one dollar to help cover my seminary costs through the secure PayPay link, then email your friends to request they do the same. The power of spreading the word to the people you know can truly make a difference.

Thank you all for supporting me!

Blessings,
Scott

Lots of reading and lots of writing!

2009-10-30T17:37:00.001-04:00

This is one more piece of adjusting to seminary life and being in a Masters program - completing the assignments! We have only a few weeks left of this Methodology course and there is a lot of work left to do. I am guessing it will take about 20 pages of writing and reading many sources to synthesize information into meaningful content. And of course all of this is coming due at a time when I have lots of other events and responsibilities in life outside of seminary, including being out of town next weekend and producing an Expo event at church the following weekend.

In the past several days I have had the experience of overwhelm around the assignments. Even while I knew the best use of my time would be to sit down and get to work, I found myself completely disempowered playing stupid little games on my computer for several hours at a time. Why do I do that? A major reason is that part of the assignments are uncomfortable for me (digging up sources and doing research) and I am not certain what it is going to take to do this. So, I get resigned and just sit. I'll call this "procrastination".

What I am clear about is that there is enough time to get it all done, and done well. What I am not clear about is what getting it all done well will look like in my life. So, let's see, what might make a difference? How can I be empowered to do this? Hmmm...

1. Schedule blocks of time (and writing it in my calendar) during the next several weeks when my only task will be to do seminary work (research, reading, writing). Let people in my life know what I am doing so that they know I am not available to do other things.

2. Getting real clear about what is left to do and when each piece is due. I started doing this, but I am still unclear about several pieces. Then I can make a plan and work at each piece at a time.

3. I can also recognize that I am not in this alone, but I can call other students in the class and the professors if I get stuck, so that I am not wasting time when I am unclear about anything.

There! I'll do that! I feel more empowered already.

Blessings,
Scott

Creative seminary funding

2009-10-28T19:09:00.000-04:00

I am considering a variety of creative ways to fund seminary. As I mentioned in a previous post, I am committed that I graduate seminary without any debt so that a debt burden doesn't get in the way of a church calling me as their pastor, and to simply be responsible.

Recently, through several friends and clients a new idea has emerged -- sponsoring a road race where the money generated would go toward my education. It seems the easiest way to do this is to piggyback on an already existing event (like the local Melon Festival, Fantasy of Lights Parade the day after Thanksgiving, etc.) so there is a built in audience. Depending on the number of runners, this one event could pay for a whole year of seminary expenses, like tuition, books and fees!

I also recently discovered that the Balloon Festival in Howell (which draws thousands of people each year) has discontinued their run due to several reasons. I spoke with the Howell Chamber and offered to coordinate a run for next summer and they don't seem warm to the idea at this point, so this may or may not fly. Another idea is to talk with the coordinators of other existing runs and see if they will add "The Scott Runyon Seminary Fund" as a beneficiary of their event.

Any thoughts that you would like to share around this are welcome. Please respond to this post. I look forward to hearing from you.

Blessings,
Scott

Profound lecture on the Law of Reciprocity and beyond

2009-10-28T01:35:00.001-04:00

The other day Professor Dr. Mabee gave a lecture that truly moved me. He weaved a context for ministry framed from an understanding of the Law of Reciprocity. During his lecture, inside me there welled up a dance of the energy of affirmation as his words painted a picture of life and faith and an expression of ministry that could truly take a lifetime to fulfill. It was beautiful! I'll summarize here some of the highlights, some of my reflections and how it moved me.

The Law of Reciprocity states that every action produces a reaction. We see it in nature, in our physiology, in society and all around us. When an event happens, a word is spoken, an action is made, it necessarily produces a reaction. This is the law upon which government, dominant society and "The State" is founded --"The State" being a metaphor for the structure of law and order in society. The State would have you believe that this is all there is, and there is an imbalance that only can be rectified when we produce a certain kind of reaction. This is the law of the land, and even literal law of government without which "The State" would say we would be lost. In Old Testament times it was the sacrifice that kept the balance in reaction to sin.

However, this isn't the whole story. In the bible we see a picture of another way, a way outside of the Law of Reciprocity, depicted in the "New Adam" or the life of Jesus, who functioned outside this reciprocal frame. Jesus said "Why do you call me good?" because his message and what He was about was not about morality (good and bad) or about judgement, or about being "right" or even not being wrong. Jesus' way was about freedom or salvation from living timidly under the grip of reciprocity. Jesus' way is the space where we are aware, where we see clearly what is happening around us, and maintain a solid place of integrity with the power to choose intentionally without being compelled to react in the predetermined pattern of "The State".

This is the way of the "New Adam". It is being 100% responsible for life, responsible for being aware, responsible not only for ourselves but everything around us, and living in communion with God. This is salvation, "the capacity for random acts of kindness." (Mabee).

Dr. Mabee asserts that all good preaching includes in some form the presentation of the "New Adam". It is about interpreting and discovering what there is to discover throughout the scriptures and translating the ancient text into modern language that is readily accessible to people in their current lives dealing with all that life has in front of them now. This is what will make the real difference in people's lives. Therein we find true freedom.

This picture is inspiring for me because it creates a context to live inside of while engaged in ministry anywhere that I am, and it seems as though it would never end because the context people live within is constantly evolving. It is about constantly asking the question "What would the New Adam look like in this situation?" and then find ways to introduce it, bringing light into the world.

And there was so much more in the lecture... Thank you Dr. Mabee!

Scholarships

2009-10-28T00:44:00.000-04:00

Today, I applied for a couple of scholarships through ETS (Ecumenical Theological Seminary) that are due by November 1. Most scholarships have a deadline in the spring and by this time of year typically students are head long absorbed into reading and papers to notice scholarships, so I figure I have a better than average chance. I apply for just about everything I find that applies to me and does not require the production of a video, writing a terribly long essay, or that looks like it isn't legit. It is amazing the number of scholarships I have applied for and I have yet to land my first. I know it is just a matter of time. Perhaps if I took more time to fill out the longer applications and more complex scholarships I would have a greater chance. Hmmm... Something to think about.

Colleague Group

2009-10-22T22:48:00.000-04:00

Tonight I spent some time with all of the new students at the seminary. We are the first group to participate in a new structure that I think will be quite helpful. It is called a Colleague Group. What this looks like is a group of students meeting together six times per year to develop relationships and share in a confidential and supportive environment. The idea is to grow a team of support so that we have people we can talk with as we deal with all of the challenges through our seminary experience, including theological questions, other questions of faith, balancing family, school and work and any other issue that comes up.

After graduating, the intention is that we have a built in support network for the times when things get tough - and I am assured this will happen even in the best of situations. We will also have a built in network for our respective communities to interact creating a stronger presence between denominations within the Christian faith.

This feels like such an important and positive structure to put in place. I see leaders throughout the culture who seem to be islands without support networks of peers and I can imagine this is an environment ripe for burnout or discouragement in tough times. Local churches and families are not the best place to go when problems arise in those environments for a pastor, which makes this structure even more important. The Colleague Groups are designed to provide sustained success in ministry for the greater community. I look forward to this!

My commitment to community

2009-10-10T12:59:00.002-04:00

I recognize that God's call on my life requires a new approach to life than I have had in the past. In the past, I would try to figure out all of the logistics and details before saying "Yes" to a major endeavor. However, we truly can't understand all that an endeavor will require of us before we say "Yes". So, you can imagine that I have said "No" to a whole lot of opportunities in life, only saying "Yes" to more simple things. So, seminary and full-time ministry requires something new from me.

I am clear that full-time ministry is what God is calling me to. It is also clear that this has nothing to do with me. It is about serving people in community with the love of God for the transformation of life, something completely beyond me that can't be figured out ahead of time. I can imagine that this is a cause I could dedicate the rest of my life to.

Out of this commitment to people, I said "Yes" to seminary and a life of ministry. Now, after saying yes, it is a matter of dealing with all of the details and putting into place a structure to make it workable in my life.

One major priority is care and love for my four-year-old daughter, Qwynn. To support me and what I am up to, my mom committed to arrange her work schedule to watch her while I am in class. This is a huge gift which makes my schedule in seminary possible.

Another element that I am paying attention to is finances. At the current rate (one class per quarter) seminary costs about $6,000 per year. I estimate it will take me somewhere around five years to finish the program, during which I will increase my class load a bit to take the 30 required courses. I have applied for and received loans that will cover 100% of my education because my income is not enough to cover any of these costs in addition to my other life expenses, which are very basic. I am also not interested in acquiring the size of debt that this will create and the potential burden for a church that I will serve once I am ordained.

My commitment is to graduate without any debt. So, I am working to get the word out about my needs trusting that within my community solutions will arise beyond what I see now. To this end, I have started a blog about my experience in seminary. See the link below. Please visit and share the link with others. On that link is also a "Donate" button for those who feel compelled to support me financially. I am committed that any money donated will go to support me in seminary. If the donations exceed my needs, I will pass these along to my church (Chilson Hills Church in Howell, MI) to replenish a designated fund supporting seminary students.

In wholeness, healing and love,
Scott Runyon

My blog: http://scottrunyon.blogspot.com/

New way to read the Bible

2009-10-07T22:03:00.001-04:00

Today, I was working to post comments on class papers in the online Moodle forum. The comments are on biblical exegesis, a fancy word for in depth investigation into what a passage from the Bible would mean at the time it was written in the culture and situation of the day. It is interesting to think about how much bias we bring to reading the Bible. So often we start with what is going on in our life and read through our 21st century glasses and completely miss what the passage is really about. This is going to be an interesting class!

Why seminary?

2009-10-07T12:38:00.001-04:00

While I enrolled in seminary taking my first class a few months ago in June 2009, I recognize that God has had a call on my life toward full-time ministry for more than 20 years. In the context of a Landmark Education course called Wisdom Unlimited, I was in a conversation with a friend named Jennifer and distinguished what had me say "No" to seminary all these years. It seemed so simple and was so liberating to finally see it. I had a conversation in my head that said a variety of version of "I don't have what it takes." I had it that sure I was being called, but I don't have yet what is required to be successful in a pastor role. I felt I would certainly disappoint people if I said "Yes". This same conversation had me saying "No" to all sorts of things in life, keeping me safe from failing.

While I was in high school I took a year-long leadership development program called Youth Leader Core through the American Baptist Churches denomination. In 1987 during that program we were asked a question about where we are heading in life and asked to journal about it. I wrote (and I still have the journal) "...and possibly seminary". The word "possibly" was really a "No" and highlighted that conversation about not having enough, not having what I would need for that journey. It had me stopped, powerless. I was a victim of the conversation in my head.

I saw clearly this very young conversation and how it had been in the way of me answering the fullness of God's call on my life. I also recognized that it wasn't true about me at all. It was only there to keep me safe, and it was keeping my life very small. I realize that it centered around a grip of fear that was in my life, and as a good friend once said, fear is False Evidence Appearing Real. How profound -- fear is based on absolutely nothing real or true. So, I was very quickly able to give up that old conversation and upgrade it to a new one "I already have everything that I need." Immediately, in that same conversation with Jennifer, I said "OK, I'll go to seminary." It was that easy. I know that she heard me, but I'm not sure she recognized the transformation that our conversation immediately had on my life. It was like scales falling off my eyes. I was starting to see the "me" that God had known all along. Upon sharing this choice, it was further affirmed with resounding "Finally!" from so many people who have known me for years.

Around opportunities in life, typically in the past I would consider all the various options and implications of a choice, consider them carefully and if I could see how everything would fit together I would say "Yes". If not, I would say "No". However, this time it was different. I didn't see how all the pieces fit together, and yet I said "Yes". I still don't have it all figured out, yet I am following. What I realize is that I do have what is required for full-time ministry if I am being called to it, even if I don't see it now -- and this includes the capacity for God, me and my community together to grow whatever is required within my life. It is a step of faith accompanied by confidence in the process of creation.

So, two of my unanswered questions are:

• How will I pay for seminary? I make minimal income and have been living without any reserves for years. I stretch my dollars and have never been frivolous. I qualify for 100% financing through loans, and this is how I am initially going to seminary. However, I am committed that I will not have a huge loan to pay back when I graduate. So, I am open to creative options for generating what I need. In fact, I recognize that this blog will put my story out there in the world and something that I haven't even considered may surface or be created as a result.

• What does my life situation look like after ordination and considering a pastor position? I am divorced with a four-year-old girl (Qwynn) who is with me half time, for a week at a time. Will I serve in a church locally or will it be a distance away? What about Qwynn in the mix?

Even without knowing what it looks like, I am confident that life is workable and solutions can be created.

Blessings,

Scott

Chronicles of a single parent, self employed, seminarian life

2009-10-07T11:39:00.001-04:00

Welcome to my new blog!

At the age of 38, in June of 2009 I started a journey into seminary at the Ecumenical Theological Seminary in Detroit. I intend for this blog to chronicle my experience through the coming years as I reflect on the adventure of balancing life as a self-employed, single dad of a four-year old (although I'm certain she is going to get older!) who is also very clearly being called to full-time ministry. What does this life look like? What challenges might I face? How will I deal with what comes? What choices will make a difference?

I welcome comments from any who would like to share them -- and in particular, comments that you feel will make a difference in some way either for me or for others who read this blog.

In wholeness, healing and love,

Scott