Leslie Veen tag:www.leslieveen.com,2009://1 2009-07-06T19:26:43Z Movable Type 3.33 The straight sermon tag:www.leslieveen.com,2009://1.491 2009-07-06T19:16:51Z 2009-07-06T19:26:43Z Yesterday I had the wonderful opportunity of preaching and celebrating Communion with the congregation of First Presbyterian Church in Alameda, CA. I know the Rev. Jack Buckley, the pastor there. As he was planning time away over the summer he... Leslie First Presbyterian Church in Alameda, CA. I know the Rev. Jack Buckley, the pastor there. As he was planning time away over the summer he invited me to come and fill the pulpit during one of his Sundays away. This makes the third sermon I've written in a month's time. And as I was finishing up my final edits, I realized that I didn't use one bit of humor in the whole sermon. That was surprising to me. I always use at least a little bit of humor in my sermons. And sometimes the whole deal is pretty humorous (if I do say so myself!). So to write a whole sermon without even one little remark meant to lighten things up a bit was definitely off the beaten track for me. I gave the sermon that came to me. It was built on an idea that struck me on the very first reading of the texts. I really don't know why it was so serious. I'm going to have to think about that some more. It's not that serious sermons are a bad thing, it's just different. See for yourself: Can I have Option A?]]> Cycling in SF just got better (sort of) tag:www.leslieveen.com,2009://1.489 2009-06-27T04:43:36Z 2009-06-27T04:53:51Z Today, plans to improve bicycle lanes citywide were finally approved. Yay! Now cycling will get a whole lot easier. But not so fast! The man who, along with two other groups, stalled the whole process by suing to have an... Leslie approved. Yay! Now cycling will get a whole lot easier. But not so fast! The man who, along with two other groups, stalled the whole process by suing to have an environmental impact study done on them is not through yet. You read that right, an environmental impact study was necessary to create and improve bicycle lanes around the city. Who knew that bikes are bad for the environment? I had no idea! 45 of the 46 projects in this plan were approved after the EIR was completed and filed. I think that proves that indeed they are not. But the man who held things up before is not done yet. He's suing to stall the projects even further. One man is mucking up life for the thousands upon thousands of people who ride their bikes throughout the city. Rob Anderson has said he will appeal the decision to the Board of Supervisors. Here's hoping they don't let this one voice shout down the will of so many of their constituents. Get over yourself Mr. Anderson. Cycling is a very real piece of the fabric of San Francisco and improving the roads to accommodate them is the right thing to do.]]> Pinch hitting - A review tag:www.leslieveen.com,2009://1.488 2009-06-22T19:16:05Z 2009-06-22T19:24:08Z Yesterday I finished up my week (including two Sundays) of pinch hitting for a pastor friend of mine who is on study leave in France. It was fun to preach two Sundays in a row. It allowed me to make... Leslie second sermon to ideas that were discussed in the first. And I think I laid some ground work with the whole congregation for an initiative that was discussed during the mid-week Session meeting that I moderated. I think that's a pretty successful stint as a stand in. Now I have a Sunday off before I pinch hit for another pastor friend who will be away from his pulpit in Alameda. I'm working the "Have robe; will travel" circuit this summer.]]> Pinch hitting tag:www.leslieveen.com,2009://1.486 2009-06-15T18:16:25Z 2009-06-15T18:28:21Z A pastor friend of mine is the pastor of Old First Presbyterian Church, the church where I was an intern during the 2003-2004 school year. My year with that community was a special time. It was a time of great... Leslie Old First Presbyterian Church, the church where I was an intern during the 2003-2004 school year. My year with that community was a special time. It was a time of great upheaval in the church - something I helped them come through. It was also a time of tremendous growth for me in my role as a pastor. Whenever I return to Old First I am warmly welcomed. I love leading worship for this this community. So when my friend told me that she would be going on a two-week study leave to France and asked me to sub for her while she was gone, I jumped at the opportunity. And what an opportunity it is! I agreed to lead worship for two Sundays (one of which includes celebrating Communion) and moderating a Session meeting. Week #1 of leading worship is in the bag. And, as I expected, my time with them was good. They seemed to enjoy my sermon almost as much as I enjoyed preaching it - always a good thing. And they showered me with love as they shook my hand on the way out. Can you see why I always say yes to offers to be in worship with these people? Now on to preparing for the Session meeting and Week #2.]]> A week on my bike tag:www.leslieveen.com,2009://1.484 2009-06-09T00:11:46Z 2009-06-23T00:24:41Z This past week I participated in the AIDS/LifeCycle 8 ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles. Last fall I decided to sign up for it and began the work of fundraising and training. After thinking about and planning for it... Leslie here.]]> Finally! tag:www.leslieveen.com,2009://1.483 2009-05-31T05:37:42Z 2009-05-31T05:48:03Z It seems like I've been thinking and talking about riding my bike in the AIDS/LifeCycle ride forever. It hasn't really been forever, but it has been over 6 months since I first got the idea into my head. That's long... Leslie AIDS/LifeCycle ride forever. It hasn't really been forever, but it has been over 6 months since I first got the idea into my head. That's long enough. But finally, tomorrow morning, I along with almost 2,500 other riders will begin our week-long journey to L.A. by bicycle. I originally got the motivation because I wanted a significant way to celebrate my 40th birthday year. And that is true. But the idea of participating in this ride had been planted long before last fall. I began to think about participating in it years ago when people I knew and with whom I worked died due to AIDS related illnesses. So while this ride is a way for me to celebrate the beginning of what I hope will be a great new decade in my life, it is also in memory of several great men whom I had the pleasure of knowing for much too brief of a time. Memories of their vibrate lives in the face of this horrible illness will help me as I pedal my way south through the beautiful state of California. May we find a way to end this pandemic. And soon.]]> Fascinating! tag:www.leslieveen.com,2009://1.482 2009-05-22T18:47:56Z 2009-05-22T18:55:10Z a.k.a. Technology done right Today I was reading a piece in the New York Times online edition about fashion for lawyers. I was only a couple of lines in when the writer used a word that I didn't know the... Leslie fashion for lawyers. I was only a couple of lines in when the writer used a word that I didn't know the meaning of. I decided not to just pass over it but was going to copy and paste the word into dictionary.com, my dictionary of choice these days. When I put my cursor over the word a little icon popped up with an "?" in it. When I clicked on it, a small window opened displaying the dictionary entry for that word! I am impressed. I love it when technology is done right. It really can make learning and doing things easier.]]> Love that MBCC crowd tag:www.leslieveen.com,2009://1.481 2009-05-04T05:53:07Z 2009-05-04T05:59:14Z Tonight I had the privilege of preaching once again at Mission Bay Community Church. And, as always, the people gathered there rose to the occasion and had a really great discussion. We talked about things that hold us back from... Leslie Mission Bay Community Church. And, as always, the people gathered there rose to the occasion and had a really great discussion. We talked about things that hold us back from being in community with others. As I wrote my sermon, I was afraid I was asking a question that no one would want to answer publicly. Turns out, I was wrong. There is such a great spirit of trust and acceptance among the community that people were very willing to own up to their own biases and offer great suggestions about how to overcome them with God's help. If you're interested in my side of the conversation, you can read it here. I wish I could share the full conversation with you because it was incredible. If you're in the SF area, you should come and join in!]]> Presidential report card tag:www.leslieveen.com,2009://1.479 2009-04-30T17:36:06Z 2009-04-30T17:51:00Z It should come as no surprise to anyone reading this that I am a huge fan of President Barack Obama. I was an early adopter in his campaign and I was deeply invested in his run for the White House.... Leslie Mr. Calm". Sure, there are things that Mr. Obama has done or approved that I don't completely agree with - I don't expect to agree with everything that he does. That is the nature of living in a democracy where contrasting view points need to be balanced. But overall I am highly impressed with the way this presidency has begun and hopeful for what the future holds. Grade: A (Go ahead, accuse me of grade inflation. It may be true because I am biased. But I will stick by my grade.)]]> A complete set tag:www.leslieveen.com,2009://1.478 2009-04-13T16:51:44Z 2009-04-13T17:08:52Z This past Friday was Good Friday in the western Christian world. And for the seventh year in a row I was invited to be one of the seven preachers for a Service of the Seven Last Words of Christ. This... Leslie First words: "Father, forgive them."
Second words: "Truly I tell you"
Third words: "Woman, here is your son."
Fourth words: "I am thirsty."
Fifth words: "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"
Sixth words: "It is finished."
Seventh words: "Father into your hands"
I love that I have had the opportunity to preach on all of the words already in my young career as a pastor. Who knows if I will have the chance to preach in such a service again in the future. If I do, I will gladly accept. And maybe I'll start a new set.]]> Crunch time tag:www.leslieveen.com,2009://1.476 2009-04-07T05:19:19Z 2009-04-07T05:45:41Z It's Holy Week. And for Christian religious professionals that means that it's crunch time. This, more than Christmas, is the big show. The time to pull out all the stops. It all starts with Palm Sunday services, which can include... Leslie mbcc, Pastor Bruce decided to go the more purist root yesterday. He made mention of the practice of also including parts of the Passion story but chose not to do so. Instead he encouraged everyone to come out to services at the end of the week to experience the story as it unfolds. Those services include a Maundy Thursday service commemorating Christ's Last Supper with his disciples (complete with a foot washing for those who are willing to go there) and a Good Friday evening Taize service. In addition to participating in these services, I will also be one of the preachers for the service of the Seven Last Words of Christ at First Presbyterian Church, San Anselmo. This service will be held on Good Friday from noon - 3 pm. These are the hours that Christians believe that Jesus hung on the cross and died. It is a service that looks at phrases that Jesus is reported to have said while hanging on the cross. It draws from the accounts from all of the Gospel stories. This will be my seventh year participating in such a service - I was invited to preach during my third and fourth years in seminary. And after I preach this Friday I will have preached a sermon on all seven of the last words. I'm excited by this. Yes, my church nerd is shining through loud and clear! This is an important week and I intend to not let it pass by quickly in the rush of details and deadlines. I just can't experience the profound meaning of Easter unless I observe all that leads up to it throughout the week. So excuse me if I seem a bit distracted this week, my mind is focused on Holy Week.]]> An audience of one tag:www.leslieveen.com,2009://1.475 2009-04-01T00:04:35Z 2009-04-01T00:22:00Z This past Sunday I had the pleasure of preaching to and with the mbcc community. And as I reflected on the experience afterward I realized something that really isn't very novel or surprising but that made me stop and go... Leslie mbcc community. And as I reflected on the experience afterward I realized something that really isn't very novel or surprising but that made me stop and go "Hmmm!" anyway. This sermon, and I would argue that all of my sermons, is really written to an audience of one: me. I'm glad to share them with other folks - in the room or over the web - but I realized that all of the points that I have made in my sermons are points that I am trying in some way to convince myself of. I need my sermons as much or more than anyone who happens to hear them or read them. I guess that only stands to reason since I am the one reading the passages and I am the one picking out phrases or concepts that strike me in them. Since this is the case, then it seems obvious that I am the one for whom the sermon being written has the most to say. I don't think that is the norm by any means. I know plenty of preachers who in their sermon preparations seek a word that they think their congregation needs to hear. That type of preaching is often labeled "prophetic" and I have never felt that my preaching falls into that category. Most of my sermons are of the type that explore a word or a phrase that made me pause while I was reading. And, therefore, they explore topics of interest to me. Does this seem overly narcissistic? Or is it rather being authentic (the huge buzzword of the day)? I don't know. But I do know that I will be sitting with my most recent sermon for a while trying to really live in to the ideas that I expressed there. Read it for yourself here.]]> A new love tag:www.leslieveen.com,2009://1.473 2009-03-24T18:02:49Z 2009-03-25T06:37:21Z I've found a new love - road cycling. Now that may sound strange coming from me since I follow Pro-cycling racing on the TV and when it comes anywhere near San Francisco. It also may sound strange since I've ridden... Leslie My new toy I rode it at most once a week as a good cross-training exercise. In my heart I am a medium- to long-distance runner. Cycling was just a way to introduce more variation into my routine. But then late last fall I decided to register for the AIDS/LifeCycle 2009 Ride. This is a 545 mile, 7-day bike ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles. I have thought about doing this in the past but finally decided that this year is the right year for it. Part of my preparations for this ride have been to go on training rides. The AIDS/LifeCycle organization puts together several rides each week for people of varying levels. And every Saturday morning they have rides that increase in length and difficulty so that by the time the ride actually happens at the end of May, people will have a good feeling for what a day's ride will feel like. I have been riding in these Saturday morning rides. And I have loved it! In spite of chilly temps and even some rain last week, I have found new joy in being on a bicycle. Last week as I was winding my way along the Nicassio Reservoir churning the pedals over I found I couldn't help but sing because I was so happy. I'm glad to have this new love in my life. And I'm glad that registering for the AIDS/LifeCycle ride helped me to discover it. Help me put this fun training to good use by supporting me on the ride to LA: tinyurl.com/ride-that-bike.]]> On being a teacher again tag:www.leslieveen.com,2009://1.472 2009-03-09T06:04:57Z 2009-03-09T06:13:38Z Nine years after leaving my job as a Spanish teacher I once again find myself in the front of a classroom giving assignments and directing the learning of people. This time I am teaching a one-unit course on vocation in... Leslie Nine years after leaving my job as a Spanish teacher I once again find myself in the front of a classroom giving assignments and directing the learning of people. This time I am teaching a one-unit course on vocation in the seminary. Quite a bit different from teaching middle school students the basics of Spanish. And yet, tonight as I finished reading the first round of papers that I have assigned, I was struck once again with the thrill that I received from teaching all those years ago. I was and continue to be amazed at how people take what I offer and make such incredibly rich and meaningful things out of them. When I was teaching Spanish, I always looked forward to the creative writing pieces I assigned because these allowed the students to show me how they had taken in the information I had shared with them and really made it their own. That feeling came back to me full-force as I was reading the papers from the seminary students today. I'm left with the feeling of, "Really? They were able to get there from what I gave them?" It's exciting. I plant the ideas and the students run with them. And I'm always surprised (usually in good ways) with what that looks like. I'm glad to be back in the classroom. Seeking groupies tag:www.leslieveen.com,2009://1.471 2009-02-24T06:13:14Z 2009-02-24T06:22:04Z As I have mentioned previously, I have registered to participate in the 8th annual AIDS/Lifecycle ride from SF to LA that will happen from May 31 - June 6 this year. I am doing this to celebrate turning 40 as... Leslie support me. And those were somewhat successful. But my friend Bruce decided it was time to take it to the next level. And since he didn't see me stepping up and doing that, he jumped in. He created a Facebook Group to support me throughout this whole adventure. If you're a Facebooker, please join the group. I'll try to post periodic updates to keep it interesting. And, if you haven't supported me yet with a small donation to the SF AIDS Foundation, please consider doing so now.]]>