What sights or sounds do you find cringe worthy? For instance, some people cringe when they see a hair clog pulled out of a drain. Others cringe when they hear fingernails put to a chalkboard. And you? Is there anything that curdles your blood or sends shivers down your back?

Loose, wiggly teeth: they set me off. Why? I’m not sure. All I know is that when one wiggles, I wig out! Luckily my adult teeth are fairly secure in my mouth so my cringing has been under control for a few decades or so. My oldest child, on the other hand, has been beckoning the Tooth Fairy to visit with her now gapped grin. As I watch three sets of teeth scurry around my house, I am keenly aware that my days of cringing have only begun.

Perhaps the most cringe worthy moment happened a month ago. My seven year-old daughter’s tooth was dangling from the top of her gums by a pink fleshy thread. I swear a stiff breeze would cause it to twitch. At the dinner table, my four year-old daughter kindly asked to pull it out for her. My eldest obliged. Even now I shudder recalling that moment when one sister did the other a favor by pulling out the tooth.

I think the task of preaching on stewardship can be cringe worthy, for preacher and parishioner alike. And for many leaders in the church, attempting to generate energy around gracious giving to the church’s mission can feel like pulling teeth — except these ones aren’t baby teeth.

There are undoubtedly several reasons why stewardship talk in worship and amid the communal life of the congregation can cause the faithful to cringe and shiver. I suspect one plausible reason is the unnecessary hype. That is, stewardship all too often comes once a year in the life of a congregation. That’s too much pressure on everyone involved. Your stewardship sermon on Stewardship Sunday better dazzle and deliver or the mission suffers! Through the lens of gratitude in this��, Craig Barnes offers another way to approach stewardship that may assuage the cringing.

The lesson of the tooth fairy

Craig Barnes states that gratitude, like stewardship, are themes “better woven in through the course of the year’s preaching, and almost any text will allow you to do that.” I agree. If the gospel bestows the gift of grace through Christ and calls us to live lives of gratitude to God through loving service to and with others, then our proclamation ought to be permeated by this gracious talk. The beauty of receiving the gifts of God is experienced most fully in the giving of these gifts of the sake of neighbor and the world.

How, then, do we weave gratitude (stewardship) into the liturgical flow of the church year? Will “almost any” scripture text do, as Barnes suggest? Maybe. But even when a scripture text might not lend itself to gratitude, opportunities abound in congregational living. Every Sunday is a little Easter after all, and our response to the resurrection is steeped in gratitude for life’s victory over death!

Despite consistent preaching on gratitude and stewardship throughout the year, people may still cringe from time to time, especially when money is involved. So it was with the Tooth Fairy and her recent visit to our home. Much like preaching on gratitude ought to be woven into congregational life, so too gratitude ought to be woven into our daily living. It occurred to me: why not use the Tooth Fairy as a teachable tool for giving? Along with three shiny quarters, the following hastily written note was placed under my daughter’s pillow:

You lost your first tooth, and I am so proud.
I flew into your room. Shhh! Not so loud.
Asleep in your bed, you sure did not hear.
Under your pillow three quarters appeared.

One quarter to spend however you wish,
Another quarter to save and cherish.
Finally one quarter please give it away,
And share it with others, for this I pray!

When my daughter read the note, she began to weep. She was okay with saving a quarter in her piggybank, but the idea of giving one away made her cringe to the point of tears. Giving can be painful, as we all know. It involves sacrifice. But we insisted that she follow the advice of the Tooth Fairy. When she regained her composure, she reluctantly decided to share the third quarter with our church.

My daughter’s weeping at the thought of giving was a hard moment also as a parent to experience, to be sure. But I will never forget how she beamed with pride on that next Sunday as her quarter rattled the offering plate. For that I am ever grateful.

The post Pulling Teeth: Craig Barnes on Preaching Stewardship appeared first on Campus Ministry.

It is a wonderful time to meet with other students from other schools and enter into conversations of vocational discernment. Are you unsure about your future? Or, feel sure yet maybe God is nudging you to consider other things? Do you want to learn about options for public Christian leadership? Whatever the case, you are welcome to join us! ����

Here is the schedule of the day – Monday, October 19:

8:00 a.m. Meet at Augsburg and depart shortly thereafter to St. Peter

9:30 a.m Registration @ Gustavus
10:00-10:20 a.m. Daily Sabbath – Christ Chapel
10:30-11:30 a.m. Opening Session – Dr. Chris Johnson
11:45 a.m.-1 p.m. Lunch and Keynote Address – ��Kate Knutson ’13 (current seminary student)
1:15-2:00 p.m. Table Time with representatives
2:15-3:30 p.m. Exploring Questions Together – World Café ��Model – Four Rounds of Questions
3:30-4:00 p.m. Closing Session and Sending

5:30 p.m. Arrive back on campus

This event is free to Augsburg students and includes lunch and transportation
to and from Gustavus for those who .

Questions? Contact me at lindayre@augsburg.edu or Lonna Field at fieldl@augsburg.edu.

Hope you can come and discern with us!

The post Day of Discernment: A Message from Pastor Justin Lind-Ayres appeared first on Campus Ministry.

The deacons will work together to plan and execute events and activities that create opportunities for social connectedness, spiritual growth, and loving service. In addition, they empower and equip other student-leaders in the shared work of radical hospitality, creating space for the sacred, and shaping the community in positives ways with other student groups and leaders on campus.��

I asked the deacons a few questions so that you might get to know them a bit more even as you discern how you might partner in this ministry we share! So, without further ado, meet our Campus Ministry deacons:

Hannah Thiry

What is your hometown? What year are you and what are you studying here at Augsburg?

I’m a junior from Cambridge, MN; Biology major; Religion and Psychology minors

What is your favorite color? Food? Season of the year?

Color: Gray! (Yes, it’s a color, not a shade) Food: Cereal- all kinds! Must be soggy! Season: Fall -it’s all about the leaves:)

What do you love about Augsburg?

The philosophical discussions that randomly occur at the most inconvenient times, but end up being the best and most meaningful interactions within the Augsburg community.

What would you say was a moment of a spiritual high for you?

Singing ‘Grace Like Rain’ at my favorite outdoor worship area at my camp in the Rocky Mountains.

What are you looking forward to this year as you serve as a Campus Ministry Deacon?

Learning and engaging with people devoted to the service of the church, and seeing how my gifts fit best to facilitate an impactful and purposeful environment.

Favorite book or verse of the Bible, and why?

John 15:13 ��Greater love has no man than this: that a man lay down his life for his friends.��– It’s the largest service one person can give to another. This portrays a selfless lifestyle; one devoted to bettering the lives of others, which serves as my inspiration.

Joe Kempf

What is your hometown? What year are you and what are you studying here at Augsburg?

I’m a senior from Zumbrota, MN. Major: Chemistry.

What is your favorite color? Food? Season of the year?

Favorite Color: Orange Pollen; Food: Mac and Cheese has been my favorite for almost 20 years; Fall – the leaves are crisp and everything is colorful

What do you love about Augsburg?

I love that people are so involved at Augsburg, students seem ready to leave their comfortable dorm to engage the surrounding communities and truly meet Augsburg’s neighbors.

What would you say was a moment of a spiritual high for you?

The last time I had a spiritual high was when I was studying abroad in El Salvador in January. I was in the National Cathedral in San Salvador. As I walked inside the main sanctuary, the high ceilings and the echoes made me feel something. At the time I mistook it for a ‘God Moment’. The real ‘God Moment’ would come when I walked into the basement. While the upstairs sanctuary was loud and echoed of talking and maybe humming, the downstairs contained the tomb of Monsignor Oscar Romero. Oscar Romero was a genuine saint to Salvadoran people during their horrific civil war. He is currently being canonized to be a saint. He was assassinated while serving Communion. Recently, the Catholic Church exhumed his body from the main sanctuary and placed him in the basement, almost hiding him in the basement instead of disturbing the sanctuary. This downstairs worship area was hushed, not because it was empty, but because there was a tangible holiness to the area. Time stopped. I think about that moment a lot.

What are you looking forward to this year as you serve as a Campus Ministry Deacon?

I am looking forward to meeting new people and helping campus ministry become a larger community.

Favorite book or verse of the Bible, and why?

My favorite book of the Bible is Ecclesiastes. For me, this book is honest about the seasons of life and letting ‘the cards lay as they do’. It teaches to live in the moment, something I strive to do always.

��

Vision Bagonza

What is your hometown? What year are you and what are you studying here at Augsburg?

I am a junior from Karagwe, Kagera, Tanzania. A Biology major with a Chemistry minor.

What is your favorite color? Food? Season of the year?

NAVY BLUE and gold. I have many favorites foods, including naan bread and tikka masala. Definitely autumn!

What do you love about Augsburg?

I love that people are so involved at Augsburg, students seem ready to leave their comfortable dorm to engage the surrounding communities and truly meet Augsburg’s neighbors.

What would you say was a moment of a spiritual high for you?

I love how kind people are here, and how connected everyone is to everything, be it faith, current events, and their own passions. I also have come to really appreciate the opportunities I’ve gotten while here, in my field of science and in service learning. I also appreciate the kind of people that come to Augsburg. Very organic. Oh, and the location is golden, or Platinum (PT) for public transportation as my professor once put it.

What are you looking forward to this year as you serve as a Campus Ministry Deacon?

Hoping to help more people find Campus Ministry, and having collaborations with other student organizations to leave more footprints on campus.

Favorite book or verse of the Bible, and why?

Again, I have many favorites. But here’s one and here’s why:

“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble” Psalms 46:1

This verse is part of the Swahili liturgy for mass, and I always loved singing it. I think it beautifully describes why God is God, and why we need Him.

David Erickson

What is your hometown? What year are you and what are you studying here at Augsburg?

I’m a sophomore from South St. Paul, MN. Major: Music Education with a choral emphasis.

What is your favorite color? Food? Season of the year?

Teal. Gluten free pizza. Fall.

What do you love about Augsburg?

How small it is, and how much everyone genuinely cares about the people in our community.

What would you say was a moment of a spiritual high for you?

Any time I’m at camp, or doing anything outside or with music.
What are you looking forward to this year as you serve as a Campus Ministry Deacon?

I’m really looking forward to getting to know everyone, and to share in community with them! I’m also looking forward to helping us grow, and welcome more people into worship and fellowship.

Favorite book or verse of the Bible, and why?

This is a tough one. Favorite verse: Micah 6:8, very good words to live by!

Favorite book: Psalms. As a music major, I find it fascinating to look at how the psalms were written, and how they’re set to music, and how the rhyme scheme words and everything.

Jon Bates

What is your hometown? What year are you and what are you studying here at Augsburg?

I’m a fifth-year (graduate in December) from Shoreview, MN. Major: Youth and Family Ministry

What is your favorite color? Food? Season of the year?

Dark blue/gray. Large fry from Burger King. First two weeks of winter.

What do you love about Augsburg?

I love how Augsburg College lives up to it’s mission statement by the college educating their students in being informed citizens, thoughtful stewards, critical thinkers, and responsible leaders. I’ve seen the statement lived out within the classroom setting, in conversation with professors, and through extracurricular opportunities.

What would you say was a moment of a spiritual high for you?

At Augsburg College: The Ash Wednesday Night Communion Service this previous year was a soul-stirring experience with the staff and friends in that holy space.
What are you looking forward to this year as you serve as a Campus Ministry Deacon?

I’m looking forward to continuing my service with the students until my college career comes to an end. It has been humbling to notice the way that life of the campus ministry at Augsburg College exists.

Favorite book or verse of the Bible, and why?

Genesis is my favorite book of the Bible, mainly focusing on the stories of creation. Every time I read them, I seem to notice something different or even recognize that a word has a different emphasis or flow in the text. And it is mainly through this book that I recognize how alive the words are.

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