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Archive for the ‘reflections’ Category

Presence: Does Online Count?

Posted in reflections, tagged , , on July 24, 2018| Leave a Comment »

Photo by Highbrow AV

By Debbie Gin

Can you be present to someone online? Can you practice presence online?

These are questions we’ve been asking in our work with theological schools. More officially, our
questions have centered around: Can people be formed online? (Formation can be about your spiritual
life, your faith, your pastoral skills, your intellectual skills or knowledge, your capacities for human character, your commitments to justice or social justice, etc., but this is for another blog post.) Whatever your context includes in “formation,” can that occur online? (more…)

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Presence: Moment by Moment

Posted in reflections, tagged , , on July 17, 2018| Leave a Comment »

Photo by Logan Pelletier

By Sharon Lee Song

Emmanuel means God with us. God is with you always. Take a moment, and reflect on this. Do we know this truth? Do we know that God is present with us, moment by moment? How present are we to ourselves, to one another, and to God? Are we paying attention?

There is power in the ministry of presence. As a spiritual director, we often refer to the ministry of spiritual direction as a ministry of presence. I have seen how powerful presence is for me, for my directees, and most importantly, with God.
(more…)

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Presence: Commitment in an Ever-Changing World

Posted in reflections on July 10, 2018| Leave a Comment »

Photo by pato garza

By Diana Kim

It is undeniable to say that youth pastors have high turnover rates. This is no exception of youth pastors in the Korean church; when culture, language, and subtexts get in the way, it is difficult for 2nd generation (and beyond) pastors to be committed long-term. During the 5 years leading up to my start as the youth pastor, there were 3 different youth pastors, along with a list of pulpit supply speakers, at my church. (more…)

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Presence: Small Steps Forward

Posted in reflections, tagged , , on July 3, 2018| Leave a Comment »

Photo by Edward musiak

By Jerrica KF Ching

Throughout my entire time in the Pacific Northwest, I have wrestled with feeling torn between assimilation and acculturation. I have found it quite difficult to balance the values of family, collectivity, and interdependence that created the foundation on which I was raised, with wanting to be more assertive, independent, and viewed as an equal in the workplace.  If I were to describe my presence as an Asian American woman when I first moved from Hawaii to Oregon, it would be quiet, unnoticeable, and timid. (more…)

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Growth as Change: Committed for a Lifetime

Posted in reflections, tagged , on June 28, 2018| Leave a Comment »

By Melanie Mar Chow

Photo by Ed Schipul

The only way that we can live, is if we grow. The only way that we can grow is if we change. The only way that we can change is if we learn. The only way we can learn is if we are exposed. And the only way that we can become exposed is if we throw ourselves out into the open. Do it. Throw yourself. ― C. JoyBell C.

(more…)

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Growth as Change: Twenty-Five Years and Counting

Posted in reflections, tagged , on June 19, 2018| Leave a Comment »

By April Yamasaki

The date of Easter changes from year to year, but since my first Sunday as a pastor was Easter Sunday, that’s become my marker. Another Easter, another year of ministry.

This past Easter marked 25 years of pastoral ministry with my congregation! (more…)

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Growth as Change: That’s Life!

Posted in reflections, tagged , , , on June 12, 2018| Leave a Comment »

Photo by Pantelis Roussakis

By Joy Wong

“God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good.” –Genesis 1:31 NRSV

I’ve always been the kind of person who likes to feel like I’ve mastered something — whether it’s a particular project, a hobby, a performance, etc. One of the greatest challenges I’ve found in parenting, particularly in the first years of life, has been the constant changes. (more…)

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Growth as Change: Lessons from the Interim

Posted in reflections, tagged , on June 6, 2018| Leave a Comment »

Photo by Lindz Graham

By Ajung Sojwal

By choice, for the last few years I have been involved in interim ministry. After a particularly difficult call to a church as a newly ordained clergy, I was at a point where I was ready to renounce my ordination vows. Church ministry was nothing like I had imagined it to be.

I found myself asking what it meant for Jesus to say, “Feed my sheep.” (more…)

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Work: On the Move

Posted in reflections, tagged on May 29, 2018| Leave a Comment »

Photo by Lauren Nelson

By Angela Ryo

When I was a high school English teacher, I envied those teachers who were able to retire after teaching at the same school for 20 or 30 years. They were celebrated and thanked for their many years of service. How were they so satisfied to stay in one place? Why couldn’t I be like them? (more…)

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Work: By Whom and Where

Posted in reflections, tagged , , , on May 22, 2018| Leave a Comment »

Photo by Eleazar

By Sarah D. Park

My definition of work in the church has been overturned ever since I committed to a church with a majority black congregation. My upbringing in largely Asian American contexts taught me that positions of church leadership were places of honor and influence, that one should strive to earn such a position as soon as possible. (more…)

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