tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-85382762011-04-21T22:36:38.337-04:00Urban God-talk for the church-o-phobic.Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07230719227064880830noreply@blogger.comBlogger911100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8538276.post-1139788931692720352006-02-12T18:57:00.000-05:002006-02-12T19:02:11.693-05:00

Given that I blew up my blogger tempate, I decided to check out some blogging alturnatives and have migrated my blog to a new host and address. You can now read it at http://yourcomfort.blogs.com. Sorry for any hastle this may cause, but it does come with a nice snazzy new look.

Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07230719227064880830noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8538276.post-1138812725769769702006-02-01T11:49:00.000-05:002006-02-01T11:52:05.770-05:00

I goofed. I messed up my blog. I did something wrong and suddenly the sidebar ended up at the bottom - and I didn't save the code. For a few days, I hoped that I could wade through the code and figure out what went wrong. Then for another few days I hoped a buddy of mine might be able to check it out and fix it. She was too busy. And so I've taken matters into my own hands. I gave up and

Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07230719227064880830noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8538276.post-1138310591023737902006-01-26T16:22:00.000-05:002006-01-26T16:23:11.036-05:00

We mourn the loss of those killed in the war in Iraq this week including Americas: Ruel M. Garcia, Rex C. Kenyon, Adam R. Shepherd, Dennis J. Flanagan, Matthew C. Frantz, Rickey Scott, Katherine Patricia Singleton, Clifton J. Yazzie, Carlos Arrelano Pandura, Brandon Christopher Dewey, Brian McElroy, Jason L. Norton, Lance M. Chase, Matthew D. Hunter, Peter D. Wagler, Lewis T. D. Calapini, Joshua

Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07230719227064880830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8538276.post-1137702474760838622006-01-19T15:27:00.000-05:002006-01-19T15:27:54.773-05:00

We mourn the loss of those killed in the war in Iraq this week including Americas: Michael Joseph McMullen, Mitchell K. Carver Jr., Kyle E. Jackson, Jonathan Kyle Price, Michael Anthony Jordan, Justin J. Watts, Kasper Allen Dudkiewicz and, Dustin L. Kendall.

Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07230719227064880830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8538276.post-1137301610214688532006-01-18T21:56:00.000-05:002006-01-18T21:32:09.580-05:00

I'd like to thank those of you who participated in last week's survey. I found it really helpful. For those of you who stop by here to look for some heresy, I thought I might help you out by posting one of my essays on my views of the ministry. Now don't go get all excited; I don't think you're going to find anything heritical in it. No dedicatin' babies or whispers of Arminian free will.In fact,

Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07230719227064880830noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8538276.post-1137470939777496922006-01-16T22:44:00.000-05:002006-01-16T23:08:59.836-05:00

Yesterday Stacey only had enough energy to answer the latest meme. Today it's my turn. I just got back from driving back from Philly. The traffic got a little intense, but the one-day get away provided some much needed relaxation. We discovered that the Philadelphia Ikea is the place to go. Years ago I had sworn off ever entering another Ikea after a jam-packed disaster of a trip to the

Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07230719227064880830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8538276.post-1137302818477319402006-01-15T00:20:00.000-05:002006-01-15T00:26:58.480-05:00

I've always wondered who the person behind National Administrative Assistant's Day was. Back in the day when I had an administrative assistant, I always forgot it, then felt guilty for the rest of the month. Now that I think about it, perhaps that month was National Guilty Supervisor's Month.Anyway, someone out there has declared that this week is International Blog De-Lurking Week. Now, I

Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07230719227064880830noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8538276.post-1137300564831492782006-01-14T23:33:00.000-05:002006-01-18T21:35:28.770-05:00

Previously, someone asked about my call to ministry. While hunting through my reflection papers, I found this "seminary autobiography" I wrote during my final semester in school. Perhaps some of you thinking about seminary might find it helpful. Please remember that it was written more than a few years ago.+++During my time as a student at New Brunswick Theological Seminary I have preached 53

Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07230719227064880830noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8538276.post-1137297402446263952006-01-14T22:22:00.000-05:002006-01-14T23:15:11.556-05:00

I've now been the pastor at Greenpoint for two and a half years, and I'll admit that there have been countless moments where I hadn't had a clue about what I was doing. While I excelled at the read the book and write the paper rhythms seminary, and am naturally inclined to understanding the logic and structure of Reformed theology, I am completely out of my league when it comes to revitalizing a

Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07230719227064880830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8538276.post-1137082867406296732006-01-12T11:19:00.000-05:002006-01-12T11:21:07.420-05:00

We mourn the loss of those killed in the war in Iraq this week including Americas: William F. Hecker III, Jason Lopezreyes, Robbie M. Mariano, Johnny J. Peralez Jr., Christopher P. Petty, Ryan D. Walker, Stephen J. White, Michael E. McLaughlin, Adam Leigh Cann, Albert Pasquale Gettings, Ryan S. McCurdy, Radhames Camilomatos, Joseph D. deMoors, Douglas A. Labouff, Michael R. Martinez, Clinton R.

Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07230719227064880830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8538276.post-1136641787927989482006-01-07T08:44:00.000-05:002006-01-07T08:56:42.016-05:00

Every once in awhile, I check the logs for this blog and am fasinated by the ways that people visit the site as well as their locations. This got me to wonderin' - why do you read this blog?I've put together a little poll for you to take. It certainly isn't anything that Gallup would produce, but I'm hoping perhaps you might take the time to click away and let me know why you visit the blog.Why

Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07230719227064880830noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8538276.post-1136646052722647362006-01-07T06:54:00.000-05:002006-01-07T10:00:52.863-05:00

I'm finding that many people visit this site because it lists the name of their friend or family member who has been killed in the war in Iraq. To you who visit, please know that our congregation prays for your friend or family member out loud by name during our Sunday worship service. It is only a small way of honoring the life that has been sacrificed in service to our country. ++++ We mourn

Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07230719227064880830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8538276.post-1136336647068421212006-01-03T19:59:00.000-05:002006-01-07T08:50:41.173-05:00

In case you're looking for a good way to visualize the countries you've visited, take a look at this neat program. It offers you a list of countries, you check 'em off and -presto- a nice map appears. Good thing I made it to both Vatican City and Italy - wouldn't want that extra grey blip on the map! (Note that visiting Russia makes almost the entire north east section go red - no, I haven't been

Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07230719227064880830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8538276.post-1136260899020754402006-01-02T22:47:00.000-05:002006-01-02T23:01:39.080-05:00

I'm very honored to have been invited by the GIFTS Fellowship to speak at Marble Collegiate Church this month. While I haven't yet finished the outline for what I'm going to say, I can tell you that I've been asked to unearth some old photos of myself for some kind of a picture montage. I found this great one of a group of us at about age nine singing in front my old church. I'm the one with

Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07230719227064880830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8538276.post-1136259052939840342006-01-02T22:21:00.000-05:002006-01-02T22:30:52.940-05:00

Well well well...We got a pleasant surprise from Block Magazine this month. The Greenpoint Reformed Church is featured on the COVER! Woo hoo!The article was supposed to be primarily about our caroling party, but it definitely speaks of the revitalization of the congregation. One of the members came up to me at church on Sunday and said "you'll never guess how many people stopped me to say 'hey,

Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07230719227064880830noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8538276.post-1136258473151072772006-01-02T22:18:00.000-05:002006-01-02T22:21:13.156-05:00

Sunday's New York Times had this story on the Greenpoint Hotel plastered on the front of the Metro Section. It opens with this paragraph:The Greenpoint Hotel is still listed in a few tourist guides, which promise cheap rooms and warn of the brusque if efficient staff. But few map-carrying bargain-hunters stay there these days. The hallways stink of marijuana and urine; the bathrooms - one per

Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07230719227064880830noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8538276.post-1136258038640172782006-01-02T22:02:00.000-05:002006-01-02T22:13:58.660-05:00

This month's installment of the PBS show In the Life features a story about the difficulties faced by a young lesbian coming out in Orange City, IA. While she is not a member of an RCA congregation (she's active in the Evangelical Free church), the segment speaks directly about Orange City as a conservative Christian community.For those of you unfamiliar with Orange City, it has one of the

Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07230719227064880830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8538276.post-1136083712413356022005-12-31T21:45:00.000-05:002005-12-31T21:48:32.426-05:00

I'm a little delayed at posting this week's list of names. I fell into uncontrollable tears when I realized that Sergio Gudino was killed on Christmas day.++++++We mourn the loss of those killed in the war in Iraq this past week, including Americans: Kenneth B. Pospisil, Michael B. Presley, Timothy R. Boyce, Joseph Alan Lucas, Adam R. Fales, Samuel Tapia, Johnnie V. Mason, Michael J. Cleary,

Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07230719227064880830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8538276.post-1135914434902331282005-12-29T22:20:00.000-05:002005-12-29T22:47:14.943-05:00

Jen and I arrived home all happy and fully of Christmas and birthday cheer. We had a lovely time in Kansas City. I was especially pleased to have my very own stocking hanging off the fireplace at Jen's parent's new house.The birthday party for Gigi was wonderful, and included several great family photos. We printed some out the following day and framed them so Gigi now has far more family photos

Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07230719227064880830noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8538276.post-1135655289156603802005-12-26T22:12:00.000-05:002005-12-26T22:48:09.260-05:00

This past week has been a complete rush of things - from a fabulous surprise 30th birthday party on Friday to Christmas Eve services to Christmas Day. After church yesterday we managed to clean up the house and fly out to Kansas City for Jen's grandmother's 90th birthday. The big event was yesterday, but our plane arrived so late we ended up celebrating tonight.

Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07230719227064880830noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8538276.post-1135226472204772502005-12-21T23:39:00.000-05:002005-12-21T23:41:12.210-05:00

The transit strike meant that most students couldn't take their exams. For the folks on Milton Street, that meant that both Jen and Vanessa had to forgo their finals. Yesterday, though, Vanessa needed to grab some of her books from the law school, so I offered to drive her into Manhattan. We went late to avoid traffic, but still managed to get stuck on the 59th Street Bridge. While stopped,

Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07230719227064880830noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8538276.post-1135224503976601802005-12-21T23:06:00.000-05:002005-12-21T23:08:23.983-05:00

After almost four months, vanessa is leaving to go home to New Orleans. She takes off super early tomorrow to avoid the transit strike bruhaha. We send her off with our best wishes and our hope that she'll soon return to Brooklyn. Perhaps this time with enough spare time to enjoy New York. 

Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07230719227064880830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8538276.post-1134661034603442302005-12-15T10:35:00.000-05:002005-12-15T10:37:14.616-05:00

I'm a little late in preparing our worship bulletin for Sunday which means I'm also late with posting the names of those killed in Iraq this past week. +++++ We mourn the loss of those killed in the war in Iraq this past week, including Americans: Marcus S. Futrell, Philip L. Travis, Jimmy Lee Shelton, Daniel M. Cuka, Richard L. Schild, Thomas C. Siekert, Brian A. Wright, Michael C. Taylor,

Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07230719227064880830noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8538276.post-1134586373314055692005-12-14T13:49:00.000-05:002005-12-14T13:53:48.303-05:00

My brother John is having a good day today. One of the buildings he helped design was just named one of the top five new buildings in New York.Way to go John! The Nolen Greenhouses for Living Collections at the New York Botanical Garden, the Bronx, by Mitchell-Giurgola. High-tech Victoriana—two greenhouses containing eight computer-controlled “growing zones.” The public is allowed inside only

Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07230719227064880830noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8538276.post-1134576972137514482005-12-14T11:12:00.000-05:002005-12-14T20:54:53.806-05:00

A friend wrote to me inquiring about an Advent candle liturgy that my father used several years ago for the seminary Christmas service. While I remembered the gist of what Dad had said (in fact, I admit to having attempted to use it in a similar worship service in Greenpoint the following year), I certainly couldn't piece it together well enough to be used again.To help fill in the gaps, my buddy

Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07230719227064880830noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8538276.post-1134522591029875412005-12-13T20:08:00.000-05:002005-12-13T20:09:51.036-05:00

Milton got himself in a little trouble tonight...He was so excited about new worship materials,he just had to jump right in. 

Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07230719227064880830noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8538276.post-1134489913971384472005-12-13T10:58:00.000-05:002005-12-13T11:06:49.933-05:00

We're blessed to have a fabulously creative graphic designer who is willing to offer up his gifts to help with church outreach. He's designed beautiful poster that incorporates the water tower and defunct factory buildings located just down the street from the church. We're going to use this as a banner and postcards as well as posters that will be put up around the neighborhood.

Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07230719227064880830noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8538276.post-1134436859573794392005-12-12T20:18:00.000-05:002005-12-12T20:20:59.580-05:00

Jen's been working on a 20 page church history paper all day today. While I'm sure that the day's readings were quite exciting, this one managed to put both her and Milton to sleep.Meanwhile, I just got back from an extravant trip to the book store where I picked up a copy of President Carter's new book. I hope that it won't have the same effect on me as this one had on Jen. 

Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07230719227064880830noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8538276.post-1134266005680223832005-12-10T20:50:00.000-05:002005-12-10T20:53:25.686-05:00

Here are some small images of from our Christmas caroling party. It got off to a slow start due to the fact that our absent minded pastor had announced both 2pm and 4pm as the time for the event. I felt like a real idiot.But God does take care of fools. We ended up having such a good time that we sang through the carols twice - once for the 2pm crowd and again at 4pm. Turns out we had so much

Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07230719227064880830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8538276.post-1134265372286618972005-12-10T20:42:00.000-05:002005-12-10T20:42:52.290-05:00

Hugh made the event a great sucess.

Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07230719227064880830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8538276.post-1134169325459945772005-12-09T17:41:00.000-05:002005-12-09T18:27:12.463-05:00

This coming year will mark a particular moment for celebration in my life - the final payment on my undergraduate student loans. The journey that began in the fall of 1994 is about to be put to rest.My uncle has chided me over the years that paying as much as I did for an undergraduate education wasn't worth it - especially having ended up in the particularly unlucrative field of ministry. On

Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07230719227064880830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8538276.post-1134135608077532742005-12-09T08:10:00.000-05:002006-01-02T22:02:25.330-05:00

Sunday's New York Times had this story on the Greenpoint Hotel plastered on the front of the Metro Section. It opens with this paragraph:The Greenpoint Hotel is still listed in a few tourist guides, which promise cheap rooms and warn of the brusque if efficient staff. But few map-carrying bargain-hunters stay there these days. The hallways stink of marijuana and urine; the bathrooms - one per

Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07230719227064880830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8538276.post-1134071648515133152005-12-08T14:46:00.000-05:002005-12-08T14:57:19.266-05:00

I wrote this piece in July, but only just shared it with others recently. It was published in a college zine this past week prompting some friends to encourage me to post it for others to read, so here it is.Of a Father’s Love By Ann Kansfield We walked along the route of the Boston Pride Parade as a family - my father and mother, my partner and myself. This was our first trip back to

Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07230719227064880830noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8538276.post-1134069225263706712005-12-08T14:03:00.000-05:002005-12-08T14:13:45.276-05:00

Some folks have pointed out that I have a tendancy toward obsessive compulsive disorder, especially lately. As someone prone to ADD, I can be completely scattered and laser-focused at the same time. Sometimes this is a plus, and sometimes this is definitely a minus.The bulk of my time over the past two years has been spent thinking, praying, dreaming and strategizing about how to revitalize our

Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07230719227064880830noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8538276.post-1133796250796283192005-12-05T10:15:00.000-05:002005-12-05T10:24:10.810-05:00

One of the most meaningful parts of our worship service yesterday came during the prayer of the people (aka the "long prayer"). Each Sunday in our bulletin, we've printed the names of the American soldiers killed in the war over the course of the previous week. Last week, someone suggested that we each read one of the names. This week, we incorporated it into the prayer. Usually, I pray the

Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07230719227064880830noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8538276.post-1133737854708338392005-12-04T17:53:00.000-05:002005-12-04T18:13:30.746-05:00

Today's New York Times offered this editorial about the comercialization of Christmas. It includes this great section:What is less obvious, though, is that Christmas's self-proclaimed defenders are rewriting the holiday's history. They claim that the "traditional" AmericanChristmas is under attack by what John Gibson, another Fox anchor, calls"professional atheists" and "Christian haters." But

Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07230719227064880830noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8538276.post-1132720462503377882005-11-22T23:25:00.000-05:002005-11-23T07:26:03.396-05:00

Following worship this past Sunday, we gathered for our annual congregational photo. I had almost forgotten that we were going to take the photo until I realized that all of the men in the church had wore suits to worship. The mother of one of the little girls later told me that she was so excited about the church photo that she had demanded to have her toenails painted for the event.This year we

Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07230719227064880830noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8538276.post-1132695322163918602005-11-22T16:28:00.000-05:002005-11-22T16:35:22.236-05:00

As reported at cnn.com."VATICAN CITY (AP) -- The Vatican says sexually active homosexuals and those who support "gay culture" are unwelcome in the priesthood unless the candidate has overcome homosexual tendencies for at least three years, according to a church document posted on the Internet by an Italian Catholic news agency. The long-awaited document is scheduled to be released by the Vatican

Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07230719227064880830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8538276.post-1132588597451715482005-11-21T10:35:00.000-05:002005-11-22T10:17:46.210-05:00

Despite its being more than a month away, the Christmas advertising season is already in full swing around New York. We went shopping in SoHo on Saturday and just about every store had Jingle Bells, Silent Night or some other tune blaring at top volume. At one point I wondered why all the marketing fuss. But, fuss there is!Apparently, Jerry Falwell has declared that Christmas celebrations are

Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07230719227064880830noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8538276.post-1131995344384797842005-11-14T13:50:00.000-05:002005-11-14T14:16:17.743-05:00

Today I filled out a survey from the Fund for Theological Education regarding encouraging young people to enter the ministry. One of the questions asked something related to whether or not I personally felt fulfilled with a career in ministry and if so, why.My immediate answer was "yes, of course I feel fulfilled." This kind of surprised me. Even though I really love the ministry, I'm growing

Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07230719227064880830noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8538276.post-1131059092990715972005-11-03T17:49:00.000-05:002005-11-03T18:07:14.570-05:00

It's Thursday and I'm still recovering from Monday's Halloween candy distribution (not to mention other events of the week). We handed out 300 big sized candy bars each with its own fancy label inviting folks to church. I yearn to write something of deep meaning and spiritual significance, but confess that I'm really dragging today.I am posting the sticker since...well...since I'm proud that we

Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07230719227064880830noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8538276.post-1130423983075793562005-10-27T10:28:00.000-04:002005-10-27T10:40:56.836-04:00

I confess - after one of the more hectic days of my ministerial life, my body went crashing into bed at 10pm. In solidarity with my arms, legs and torso, my eyes shut tight almost immediately and I raced into one of the soundest sleeps I have ever experienced.It wasn't until 8am this morning that I awoke to discover that if you wait long enough eventually hope does prevail: the White Sox won the

Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07230719227064880830noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8538276.post-1130337736977027572005-10-26T10:38:00.000-04:002005-10-26T10:58:22.983-04:00

I just received an email from my aunt, who has taught 5th grade in South Haven, MI for 28 years. She wrote to tell me that one of her former students was killed this past week in Iraq. He must have been one of the first kids she ever taught.(NEWS 3) - A Van Buren County soldier was among five American troops killed this month when a roadside bomb detonated near their vehicle in Iraq.The

Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07230719227064880830noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8538276.post-1130293156156422592005-10-25T22:13:00.000-04:002005-10-25T22:19:16.166-04:00

This week, the number of American soldiers lost while serving in Iraq reached over 2000. While thousands of families have made the ultimate sacrifice, thousands more send their children and loved ones off to a war that seems to have no end in sight.Tomorrow, Wednesday, October 26, 2005 at 6:30 p.m. we will gather for a vigil to acknowledge our fallen soldiers and reflect on the war in Iraq. The

Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07230719227064880830noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8538276.post-1130240684267828982005-10-25T07:26:00.000-04:002005-10-25T07:46:19.733-04:00

From the New York TimesBy E. R. SHIPPPublished: October 25, 2005Rosa Parks, a black seamstress whose refusal to relinquish her seat to a white man on a city bus in Montgomery, Ala., almost 50 years ago grew into a mythic event that helped touch off the civil rights movement of the 1950's and 1960's, died yesterday at her home in Detroit. She was 92 years old.Her death was confirmed by Dennis W.

Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07230719227064880830noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8538276.post-1130066223054821762005-10-23T06:48:00.000-04:002005-10-23T07:31:39.820-04:00

All day yesterday I walked around with a bad case of the grumps. Nothing seemed to be going right: it rained, laundry seemed to overflow, my sermon wasn't finished. And I sulked around grumpy, grumpy, grumpy.In attempting to figure out the cause of my cantankerous mood, I came up with some likely contributors:having visited New Brunswick a few days prior and scratching off the scabs of some

Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07230719227064880830noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8538276.post-1129987599628778392005-10-22T09:15:00.000-04:002005-10-22T09:49:01.910-04:00

1. It's not what you know, but who you know. Theology and Bible can get you a lot of places, but if you want to get to know the neighborhood of your church, you have to know the right people to show you the ropes.2. As obnoxious as it may sound, make sure to get the money upfront for non-member weddings and funerals. (This is the #1 advice I received from local ministers when I asked how their

Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07230719227064880830noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8538276.post-1129821717159029542005-10-20T11:04:00.000-04:002005-10-22T09:14:43.716-04:00

'Tis the season of Halloween preparations. The stores around us have been filled with costumes and candy for the past few weeks. All this reminds me that I wanted to share one of our best outreach ideas of the past year in the hopes that it might be useful to other churches.I can still remember the houses in our old neighborhood that handed out the big candy bars - not the little Halloween sized

Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07230719227064880830noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8538276.post-1129030704206164312005-10-11T07:36:00.000-04:002005-10-22T09:50:31.796-04:00

Yesterday, my dad was named one of the top ten straight advocates for lesbian and gay rights - right there with Kanye West, Al Sharpton and Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Zapatero. Congrats Dad!If someone would have told me when I was a kid that my dad would be on this list, I would have thought that he or she was nuts. My dad was a happy go-lucky theological librarian who enjoyed cooking

Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07230719227064880830noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8538276.post-1128966688387527872005-10-10T13:31:00.000-04:002005-10-22T11:23:00.183-04:00

I remember going out for brunch with some friends after my first Sunday preaching at the Greenpoint Reformed Church. We were all very excited about the possibility of the congregation. Even though there were just a handful of people, I found it to be a remarkably healthy ministry (when I would say this most people would laugh, but it's true). Sure, there were only ten to twelve folks and they

Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07230719227064880830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8538276.post-1128645450329741602005-10-06T20:03:00.000-04:002005-10-06T20:37:30.373-04:00

Last week I promised that I'd put together some exegetical work about what the Bible says regarding gay people. In the meantime, we've had a house full of guests (so many that one ended up staying at a hotel) and only just said goodbye to Jen's sister this morning. Along with attempting to keep up with the demands of a full-time day job and provide pastoral leadership for a growing congregation,

Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07230719227064880830noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8538276.post-1128454613070847492005-10-04T15:31:00.000-04:002005-10-04T15:36:53.096-04:00

There's been quite some discussion about my serving as a pastor at Steve's blog. It began when someone asked the following questions (quoted in full):1) I don't know if this is the same classis as yours so if not forgive me, but how does the pastor of Marble Collegiate announce via the New York times he has preformed many same sex unions- marriages- and nobody brings him to trial? Two thoughts: 1

Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07230719227064880830noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8538276.post-1127914682095948642005-09-28T09:33:00.000-04:002005-09-28T09:38:02.110-04:00

EYES WIDE OPEN October 11 - October 23, 2005Manhattan Brooklyn Newark Eyes Wide Open is the American Friends Service Committee’s widely acclaimed national exhibition and memorial to the lives lost in the Iraq war. WALK among nearly 2000 pairs of combat boots, tagged with the names of U.S. soldiers who have died. FOLLOW a labyrinth of shoes, representing the

Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07230719227064880830noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8538276.post-1127851198545958562005-09-27T15:33:00.000-04:002005-09-27T15:59:58.603-04:00

Here's a tip for more effective church outreach - if you're having a bake sale, don't use yellow food coloring for your cupcakes. During the children's sermon on the Sunday following Hurricane Katrina, the kids of our congregation determined that they would hold a bake sale to raise funds for the relief efforts. They came up with the idea, and hey - who was I to stand in their way? They

Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07230719227064880830noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8538276.post-1127504237823373492005-09-23T14:42:00.000-04:002005-09-23T15:37:17.910-04:00

There's been a bit of a discussion over at Steve's blog about the issue of gays and the church, specifically in our denomination. In his defense of why the RCA should exclude gay people, he advocates a denominational 'intervention' to make sure that no gay folks end up in ordained ministry.His argument goes like this: since a 'majority' of people in the RCA supposedly believe that gay folks don't

Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07230719227064880830noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8538276.post-1127400301948713772005-09-22T10:01:00.000-04:002005-09-22T10:45:02.013-04:00

It's been a long time since my last post. Unfortunately, in between then and now I ended up getting sick, had a number of church meetings to attend, and ended up taking a trip to Washington DC to visit family. Even more of a challenge to my budding blogging habit, though, has been developing a case of old fashioned writer's block.Fortunately, this has somewhat dissipated as of this morning

Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07230719227064880830noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8538276.post-1126553005329472642005-09-12T15:20:00.000-04:002005-09-12T15:32:21.150-04:00

In response to Hurricane Katrina, Jen and I decided to join with 200,000 other Americans to offer our spare room to a Katrina refugee. It seemed like one concrete thing that we could do to help in the midst of such a horrible situation.We received a few responses, mostly from displaced students who are going to study in New York for the fall. Last night, we met with Vanessa, one such student who

Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07230719227064880830noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8538276.post-1126059590119126292005-09-06T22:04:00.000-04:002005-09-06T22:21:58.866-04:00

Kanye West summed up an anger that is justified after the debacle that happened last week in New Orleans. If it had been Kennebunkport, I'm sure that President Bush would have acted a little more quickly than he did. Instead, he was off playing air guitar and celebrating Sen. John McCain's birthday.What we do know for sure is that President Bush lacks a pastor's heart. Had he been more pastoral

Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07230719227064880830noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8538276.post-1126058651217709952005-09-06T21:56:00.000-04:002005-09-06T22:04:11.223-04:00

Joining with hundreds of thousands of Americans, we decided to offer our guest room to any hurricane survivors who wanted to come to New York. I've been eagerly checking my email in the hopes that perhaps someone would want to take us up on our offer. Instead, all I've received are two emails from journalists writing about people offering up their homes, one email from a woman who is planning on

Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07230719227064880830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8538276.post-1125876598604600742005-09-04T19:17:00.000-04:002005-09-04T19:29:58.643-04:00

You can only avoid writing a sermon for so long, eventually the appointed time for worship arrives and you've got to give it your best and hope that the Holy Spirit is with you. With sweaty palms and some serious angst, I manged to preach what I hope is a meaningful sermon. The manuscript is already available at the church website, although there were some moments that don't exactly follow the

Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07230719227064880830noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8538276.post-1125806274429502522005-09-03T23:56:00.000-04:002005-09-03T23:57:54.433-04:00

I've taken to sitting on the couch under the front window while working on my computer. This allows me to take in the sunlight and look at the beautiful Lutheran church across the street. It also provides a means to follow what's going on in the street below. Tonight the boys who usually spend their time playing football had gathered instead to sit in front of the church. I could hear them

Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07230719227064880830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8538276.post-1125793821885850652005-09-03T19:41:00.000-04:002005-09-03T21:44:26.213-04:00

Is anyone else having a hard time putting together a sermon for tomorrow? I've spent the better part of this week reflecting on what to say with regard to the hurricane, not to mention that it's only a week away from the anniversary of September 11th. Within my small congregation we have one person who survived both WTC terrorist attacks and another person who is from New Orleans. I know that for

Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07230719227064880830noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8538276.post-1125634721954718882005-09-01T23:53:00.000-04:002005-09-02T07:58:05.656-04:00

This past winter, we went on a last minute cheap cruise that departed out of New Orleans. I'll admit - it wasn't my idea. I had never been on a cruise, and I have a lingering fear of traveling in the south following my college experience rebuilding churches that had been burned down by the Klan. But, the charm and elegance of New Orleans along with the kindness and hospitality of its people

Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07230719227064880830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8538276.post-1125058792579490002005-08-26T07:48:00.000-04:002005-08-30T04:26:58.373-04:00

Thanks to Stacey, I've been charged with the task of sharing some of my most personal information with the known universe. I'm a firm believer that if you want to know about someone, all you need to do is look at the books they read. One's book collection and reading habits can provide infinite information into what makes that person tick. Add to this the other things a person reads (magazines,

Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07230719227064880830noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8538276.post-1124829507738514642005-08-23T16:13:00.000-04:002005-08-23T23:13:22.586-04:00

Pat Robertson called for the assassination of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez on air during yesterday's broadcast of the 700 Club. Robertson asserts, "If [Chavez] thinks we're trying to assassinate him, I think that we really ought to go ahead and do it. It's a whole lot cheaper than starting a war."Robertson claims that Venezuela could become "a launching pad for Communist infiltration and

Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07230719227064880830noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8538276.post-1124669046710041172005-08-21T19:52:00.000-04:002005-08-21T20:04:06.716-04:00

I have never developed a sound sense of sermon writing discipline. Since I work a day job during the week to pay for my preaching habit, most often I don't get around to writing my sermon until Friday - the big" day off" for the week. This Friday, though, my boss asked me to come into the office so we could finish off some projects. This left Saturday for sermon writing, except that Saturday was

Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07230719227064880830noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8538276.post-1124490487020943282005-08-19T17:46:00.000-04:002005-08-19T19:39:35.596-04:00

At the birth of this blog, it received both a name and a description. The name was easy since I love the Heidelberg Catechism (as an aside, I come from a family where the prescription for just about any of life's problems involves the recitation of some portion of the Heidelberg). The description, though, required some more effort. I didn't want the blog to be just about me and my life, but

Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07230719227064880830noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8538276.post-1124308411452162912005-08-17T15:31:00.000-04:002005-08-17T16:02:41.503-04:00

Having just returned from a week in a tent with no cell phones, internet access or newspaper delivery, I only just learned of the goings-on in Crawford, TX. That a pickup truck would run over crosses erected by anti-war protesters has taken my breath away. What has our society come to that someone could do such a thing that so dishonors the people who have died in our military?Our society has

Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07230719227064880830noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8538276.post-1124305209325247272005-08-17T14:48:00.000-04:002005-08-17T15:01:18.316-04:00

Some folks have commented that even though we got married in Massachusetts our marrige is not valid in New York. Not so, thanks to our Republican mayor Mike Bloomberg. Bostered by an opinion from Atty Gen. Eliot Spitzer, Mayor Mike determined that New York City will recognize same-sex marriages performed elsewhere.From an article dated April 8, 2005:New York City becomes the sixth locality in New

Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07230719227064880830noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8538276.post-1124247868176261502005-08-16T22:36:00.000-04:002005-08-16T23:04:28.186-04:00

On the last day of any vacation, as our extremely large Detroit-built family stationwagon pulled into the drive way, my mother always exclaimed "home again, home again, rigidee-gig-gig!" I am sure of two things:1. I have misspelled this significant phrase2. It is an idiosyncratic statement that most likely only my mother would sayBut after close to 30 years of coming home, I find myself saying it

Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07230719227064880830noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8538276.post-1123116627071257532005-08-03T20:34:00.000-04:002005-08-04T15:19:17.156-04:00

An exciting group of theologians and other church folk is planning an excellent conference for this fall called Holy Relationships: A Conference on Theology and Sexuality. It is going to be an amazing event, with loads of great speakers including Dr. David Myers, who testified at my dad's trial (and is one of the smartest most amazing men on the planet). There are plenty of other great folks

Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07230719227064880830noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8538276.post-1123101607321208112005-08-03T16:14:00.000-04:002005-08-03T16:40:07.343-04:00

Following our wedding, Jen and I were pretty careful not to post any wedding photos for fear of what might happen. What were we afraid of happening? I don't know. But whatever it was, we didn't want it to happen, so we made sure not to publicize our wedding and it also meant not posting wedding photos online.This not posting wedding photos was a real bummer, since so many of our friends have

Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07230719227064880830noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8538276.post-1123100034520549112005-08-03T16:04:00.000-04:002005-08-03T16:13:54.520-04:00

Yesterday, Jennifer read the post about my Monday activities and said "hey, are you trying to legitimate the fact that you're a pastor so that other people might acknowledge it, too?"Don't you hate it when someone knows you well enough to point your innermost faults out to you? I had to admit that she was right. I am doing it to attempt to legitimate my ministry to the people who feel that I

Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07230719227064880830noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8538276.post-1123099458511459612005-08-03T15:53:00.000-04:002005-08-03T16:04:18.520-04:00

One of the benefits of being a pastor in a small congregation is that you don't have too many congregants die in a short span of time. One of my friends had two people in his church die in the last three days. Our congregation has been incredibly fortunate to not have a death in our church family in a long time.Until yesterday, when I found out that one of our faithful members had departed this

Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07230719227064880830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8538276.post-1122944277454284652005-08-01T20:41:00.000-04:002005-08-01T21:02:45.880-04:00

I tend to think of my life as pretty boring, but this past year a number of people have spent a significant amount of time and energy focusing on my calling and ministry. Perhaps they might be interested to know how I spend my time. Hey, perhaps I might want to know how I spend my time. So this next week, I'm going to keep a log of my ministerial activities. Here goes.7am - woke up, got dressed,

Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07230719227064880830noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8538276.post-1122835428302496852005-07-31T14:43:00.000-04:002005-07-31T14:59:02.466-04:00

Milton, the church's cat, is extremely hot this week. He's taken to sneeking downstairs in the hopes of discovering a cold patch on the linoleum. This morning he almost made it out the front door of the church before we caught him and shooed him back to his apartment upstairs.In spite of having to chase the rather precocious feline about the building, Milton always manages to remind me that

Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07230719227064880830noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8538276.post-1122834243443352052005-07-31T14:24:00.000-04:002005-07-31T14:27:21.126-04:00

Now that I'm no longer obsessively collecting baseball cards or madly scrambling to finish term papers, I've decided I need a new special something on which to focus my OCD-like attention upon. After some prayer and another glass of Diet Pepsi, I determined that perhaps it's time to double up my evangelism efforts.After two years of hard work, the Greenpoint congregation is at a really good place

Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07230719227064880830noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8538276.post-1122781022969473612005-07-30T23:09:00.000-04:002005-07-30T23:37:02.976-04:00

The church I serve is in located between two movie studios in New York City, and Milton Street is often used as a film location. This has both positive and negative aspects. On days when there's a film crew around it means that parking is almost nonexistant. It also means you may or may not be able to walk down the street for fear of walking through a scene.On the plus side is a steady stream

Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07230719227064880830noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8538276.post-1122434177155043832005-07-26T22:31:00.000-04:002005-07-27T16:44:42.573-04:00

The main activity of my weekend involved sifting through the papers, toys, books and other various things from my childhood that had been stored for the past 12 years in my parents' attic. One of the downsides of Dad's dismissal as President of New Brunswick Theological Seminary is that he and my mother had to vacate their seminary home. This wouldn't have been so difficult had it not be so large

Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07230719227064880830noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8538276.post-1121912266068851202005-07-20T22:17:00.000-04:002005-07-27T16:29:40.256-04:00

While searching for something totally unrelated, I came upon this 1998 press story. While it's old, it certainly isn't outdated. It has to do with women's ordination in the RCA - a topic that still gets certain segments of our denomination upset. What I thought was interesting, though, is that it directly mentions certain threats by at least one minister about leaving the RCA if the conscious

Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07230719227064880830noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8538276.post-1121656354312849592005-07-17T23:11:00.000-04:002005-07-17T23:12:34.320-04:00

Sometimes preaching can have its moments. I'm a firm believer in at least attempting to practice what I preach. I may miss the mark on this, but at least I try. Today's scripture came from Mark 6 and included the feeding of the 5000. I spent a great deal of time this week thinking about the sharing (thanks to the earlier referenced quote about world hunger), and it is no wonder that the sermon

Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07230719227064880830noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8538276.post-1121378355493900862005-07-14T17:39:00.000-04:002005-07-14T18:53:44.440-04:00

Stacey posted about her experience taking the "How American Are You" online quiz which made me wonder - "well, how American am I?" I thought I'd be at least 80% American, having been born here and lived almost my entire life here. Plus, I live in the all-American city of Brooklyn, where just about every American has a relative or an ancestor or at least a friend named Louie.I could list my

Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07230719227064880830noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8538276.post-1121198808341828442005-07-12T15:49:00.000-04:002005-07-12T16:33:13.323-04:00

On the ride home from work yesterday I encountered a woman who was incredibly enthusiastic about her non-denominational, somewhat Pentecostal, always evangelical church out in Queens. I really liked talking with her and getting a sense of why she loved her church so much.While she used a lot of fundametalist jargon that I have yet to add to my vocabulary (I believe the word "anointed" came up at

Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07230719227064880830noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8538276.post-1121103361603963542005-07-11T13:24:00.000-04:002005-07-11T13:40:47.120-04:00

After the Dalai Lama delivered a lecture, a member of the audience asked him what the answer to world hunger is. He responded "Sharing" (quoted in Red Eye).I imagine that this question and response centered around the notion of physical hunger, but upon further reflection, it also applies to spiritual hunger as well. Why is it that many "people of faith" refuse to share God with others? It

Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07230719227064880830noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8538276.post-1121060306962721232005-07-11T01:29:00.000-04:002005-07-12T14:09:33.536-04:00

This week's issue of The Christian Century has an article about the RCA and my father. While I'm definitely not fond of the photo they ran (I think I look like a chipmunk with my cheecks full of nuts), I think that it is a fair article. Except it reported one thing incorrectly. I wrote the following email to the author of the article.Dear [writer's name], My name is Ann Kansfield, and you wrote

Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07230719227064880830noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8538276.post-1120915185170611482005-07-09T09:19:00.000-04:002005-07-12T10:33:28.916-04:00

1989 was quite a big year for me. At the age of 14, I moved (along with the rest of our family) to England for a year. At first, English living was definitely not my cup of tea. But, over the course of the year, I grew to love Oxford. An added benefit was the close proximity to the rest of Europe. We took good advantage of this, with several trips to the continent.My father, though, insisted that

Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07230719227064880830noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8538276.post-1120912334415739372005-07-09T08:31:00.000-04:002005-07-12T10:38:15.306-04:00

"Ultimate truth is an unlimited light -- and if it is unlimited, how could it shine in one person's realm and not in another's?"From "A Daily Dose of Wisdom from the Rebbe"-words and condensation by Tzvi Freeman

Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07230719227064880830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8538276.post-1120905748256984472005-07-09T06:42:00.000-04:002005-07-12T10:38:48.323-04:00

From what I have discovered of blogging, it's a way to share the big events of your life with countless unknown people from all over the world.Here goes: I've always wanted to be a police officer. Unfortunately, I don't necessarily fit the mold. The NYPD doesn't exactly recruit graduates of Columbia University, and I was told that I was a little too nerdy for the police force. Not to mention that

Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07230719227064880830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8538276.post-1120903338149762842005-07-08T06:00:00.000-04:002005-07-12T10:40:28.993-04:00

I'm a local church pastor in a developing area of Brooklyn. I grew up in various areas: Holland, MI, Rochester, NY, Oxford, England and finally New Brunswick, NJ. My favorite childhood activity involved collecting an obscenely large number of baseball cards, which now sit in my parent's attic.This obsession led me to a career on Wall Street. It was the best use of my undergraduate liberal arts

Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07230719227064880830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8538276.post-1120903206236046692005-07-08T05:50:00.000-04:002005-07-12T10:41:32.543-04:00

Censorship is real. But, I didn't think it would happen to me, not on my blog. Little did I realize...In the Blogger profile, you're asked a bunch of questions about yourself. I didn't have too many quick and witty responses. But, I did fashion a little essay about my life. It wouldn't quite make it to greatest hits in my Logic and Rhetoric class in college. But, it wasn't bad.Little did I

Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07230719227064880830noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8538276.post-1096559744005424102005-07-07T11:55:00.000-04:002005-07-12T10:41:51.986-04:00

With Stacey as my example, I've succomed to today's latest trend: the blog. Not that I wouldn't mind turning into Andrew Sullivan. It's just that I'll never be trendy. This goes all the way back to the Cabbage Patch doll phase. I was the only kid in the 2nd grade who had absolutely no desire to go near those things.Most days, I'm frightend to live at hipster ground zero. I look around and see

Annhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07230719227064880830noreply@blogger.com2