An advent-ture interrupted

It's the final week of Advent, just before the nativity of our Lord. I've neglected to post on this blog since I was first called to serve as pastor of Clarkfield Lutheran Church. And I'm disappointed about it.

I have to admit, I feel very guilty for letting myself go on this long without blogging. It seems that with each new venture into blogging I attempt, I get trapped in never wanting or having time to write. I know that writing will benefit my life, putting fingers to keys so that I might scribble words on a screen is rather cathartic and at the very least organizes my mind a little. But of course life almost always interrupts all my well-meaning pursuits.

And life certainly has happened and interrupted. I've begun my ministry in this place and with these people; I've watched the birth of my second child, a son; I've traveled here, there and everywhere for work and family and pleasure; I've given time to getting to know the congregation I serve; I've written other places, for other things; the list could go on and on, and it will continue to get longer and even more mundane.

Since life happens and I have a consuming amount of guilt about not writing here, I might as well repent, ask for God's forgiveness, and get back to that life that seems to interrupt. But I'd also like to let this blog become a part of life that interrupts. I hope that writing here will interrupt other parts of my week. And I hope that it will do what writing always seems to and organize my mind.

The adventure here in Clarkfield has taken me in all sorts of directions. But as I have been taught again by the season of advent to wait, I am anticipating a bigger and better interruption than the daily things of life. I hope that this advent-ture I am on will be interrupted by Christ coming again to judge the living and the dead. I hope that his kingdom will come full force and we will see face-to-face the awesome power of the God who saves his children.

I am waiting for the Christmas interruption that will throw off my advent-ture. Come, thou long expected Jesus.

Peace!

Venturing into the blogosphere...

Dear friends,

With great trepidation, I am venturing into the blogosphere. I'm not here for notoriety, or to cause trouble (for myself or anyone else), or to seek affirmation or approval. Instead I'm here to give you a sense of life from the perspective of a husband, a father, a son, a pastor, a Christian pastor, a Lutheran Christian pastor, and from the many other vocations God has called me to and will call me to in the future.

Each one of these vocations, which God has called me to, are my particular ways to steward the mysteries of God: "Think of us in this way, as servants of Christ and stewards of God's mysteries" (1 Cor. 4:1). There are varieties of vocations in the world, and each one of us has many. Yet, there is no vocation that is better than another, none more holy than another. Being a pastor is no greater than being a father; and being a father is no greater than being a son. Each particular vocation is God's calling, so that the world and God's people might take care of one another, look after one another, and order life so that it might flourish.

I happen to be called to be a preacher, to deliver God's Word through preaching and the giving of Sacraments. You, perhaps, are called to be a teenager (as I once was, believe it or not), or a student, or a son or daughter. Or perhaps you are called to be a farmer, or a hair stylist, or a truck driver. No matter the calling, be confident in knowing that it is God who has called you to it through those you serve.

All of life is like this: a calling, a sending, a vocation. I can remember being in high school and trying to decide if I should get a job so I could earn a little money to buy the things I liked (back then it was subwoofers for my 1989 Chevy Beretta. It was red, of course, with black tinted windows, two doors, and a spoiler. Awesome!) In my decision, I believe it was my mom who asked me first if I wanted a job at her sandwich shop. Nothing fancy, probably washing dishes, minimum wage to start, but it was a job. I took it and worked that job for the next 8 years until I graduated from college and moved out of town. I liked that job and there is a lot to be said for working a job when you can punch in, punch out and go home.

I didn't realize it then, but as I look back on that job I now see that I was in the business of feeding people, giving them something to eat. How could it get any more basic than helping life to flourish by feeding it? I learned some other things there too, like how to talk to people, how to make them smile, how to make them laugh. I learned about people and their basic needs for security, comfort, a decent welcome, for something to eat, for a place to rest, etc. In this job, I was called and sent and given the vocation of feeding people and providing some basic hospitality.

Life is like this: a calling, a sending, a vocation. It's how God cares for God's own good and abundant creation. For whatever reason, God likes creatures and likes them enough to entrust their care to one another, at least for now.

By the Holy Spirit's call through the church (the body of Christ), I have been called to proclaim Christ in Clarkfield, MN and to serve Clarkfield Lutheran Church. I have been sent to serve Him by giving him over to the people here and the surrounding community. It's an old calling, in a new way, to a particular part of the body of Christ in a particular part of the world. I'm excited, I'm anxious, I'm curious, I'm dumbfounded, I'm all of these things and more. But most importantly, I'm in a new vocation that isn't really so new at all. It's part of what life is like for the Christian: called and sent to a particular vocation in order to care for God's people.

And so, with this new calling, this new sending, a new vocation of writing a blog is being birthed so that you might get a glimpse into this life. Follow along if you wish, write comments (respectfully, following the 8th commandment as best you can), talk to me about it in church, or when you see me on the street, or at the grocery store, or as you serve one another in each of your own particular vocations.

Take everything here seriously, and with a sense of humor.

God bless this new beginning,

Pastor Chris Zuraff