Barf Bags Make Great Bookmarks

I posted this on the other blog that I contribute to, bringbacktheburningbush.blogspot.com, and decided to post it here, as well, since I haven't written on here in quite some time.

Do you ever feel like God is calling you in lots of different directions all at once? Like your calling has lots of little elements that don’t really fit together perfectly all the time? You’re being pushed and pulled in multiple directions all at once. It’s enough to make you feel a bit woozy.

Applying to, visiting, and eventually choosing a theology school is a tedious and stressful process. I know – I did it last year, and I’m doing it again right now. After finding the school that I loved, my situation has changed and I find myself once again going through the application and discernment process, this time as a transfer student.

I felt called to Boston University School of Theology last year, like it was perfect for me. It was the only school that I applied to, and I received a generous scholarship to attend. Sure, Boston is an expensive city to live in, but as a single person, it was fairly doable. It was the perfect fit for me, it was close to my girlfriend (who had been going to school in Vermont for three years – 3,000 miles across the country from me and our home state of Washington), and their academics are great.

Jump forward a year. Boston University is still a great fit, and their academics are still great… But the girlfriend is now my fiancée, and we’re getting married in July. Boston’s cost of living, along with being confined to the public transportation system (Boston rent, parking AND a car payment? Not going to happen.) began looking like a more and more financially irresponsible choice for us.

Having to discern a call for one person is pretty tough in itself… When you add in another person, another life that is affected by your decisions, it gets even more tough and confusing.

So, I began writing this entry as I was sitting sitting in the Chicago/Midway Airport on my way back to Boston after visiting Saint Paul School of Theology in Kansas City, Missouri. It was a wonderful visit, and while the school is very different from Boston University School of Theology, it has a lot of really great attributes. I could certainly see myself being happy spending a few years out there. It could be a great place for Crystal (my fiancée) and I to start our life together. If she is able to get a teaching job out there, it would be absolutely perfect. For me, anyway. Maybe it will be for her, as well, we’ll have to talk about it and see what we can figure out. My calling has become, at least in part, our calling. And it’s exciting, and it’s scary, and sometimes it makes me want to run away and hide.

When I was on one of my flights, I was reading a book. When the flight attendant brought snacks, I put a barf bag into the book to mark my page. That got me to thinking… Sometimes when things get rough, when you feel like you’re going to get sick, that’s a great place to stop and take a break, to sit back and gather your thoughts. Barf bags make great bookmarks.

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The World is My Parish

“I look upon all the world as my parish; thus far I mean, that, in whatever part of it I am, I judge it meet, right, and my bounden duty to declare unto all that are willing to hear, the glad tidings of salvation. This is the work which I know God has called me to; and sure I am that His blessing attends it. Great encouragement have I, therefore, to be faithful in fulfilling the work He hath given me to do. His servant I am, and, as such, am employed according to the plain direction of His Word, ‘As I have opportunity, doing good unto all men’; and His providence clearly concurs with his Word; which has disengaged me from all things else, that I might singly attend on this very thing, ‘and go about doing good.’” - John Wesley, The Journal of John Wesley, May 28, 1739.

The world is my parish. The whole world. John Wesley was deep... But also brilliant. Do we stop at our individual congregation? Well, we shouldn't. Wesley didn't... He got himself into hot water many times for not respecting parish boundaries in the Anglican Church. He had more to say to more people, and didn't want to be stuck by the boundaries of his parish

What does this mean for ministry today? What does it mean for the United Methodist Church? What implications does it have for the itinerant model of ministry that the United Methodist Book of Discipline commits to?

There's so much to say about it... So many directions that we can go. So often, lay people and pastors alike don't live up to the Wesleyan ideal of a world parish that many of us are quick to quote. To be in one parish for an extended period of time is to limit your skills and gifts. It is to risk a congregation that has grown too attached to its pastor, and vice versa.

It's a heck of a charge! It's not always easy to do... "The world is my parish" suggests that we can't just sit in the comfort of our local congregation all the time. We need to go out into the world and share God's love with everybody, all the time. We don't really get to rest, because we are always a spokesperson for God.

That's really all I've got for right now, I guess... I'd love to write more and to write something more cohesive, but I'm behind on reading right now and have a ton of things that I need to so, so I don't have a lot of time. And my thoughts are currently all over the place. Hopefully there's a nugget or two of wisdom hidden somewhere within my ramblings. God Bless!

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Where Am I?

Some people have asked me where in Boston I lived. I found a picture I took from the top of Prudential Tower a few years ago... And I labeled it with a few landmarks. If you click on the picture, it'll open a bit bigger. Enjoy!

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My Spiritual Autobiography

For my United Methodist Discipline class, we were asked to write a "spiritual autobiography." I wasn't exactly sure what would come out when I started writing it, and planned to go the direction of telling the story of how I was called into ministry. I suppose that what I ended up with did that, but not in the way that I was expecting it to. I considered adding to it, but since the assignment was to write 400-450 words, I decided to just post exactly what I wrote for my assignment. Here it is.

I was born into a family that was involved in the United Methodist Church. I was baptized as an infant into the United Methodist Church. The church has always been an important part of my life. I even met my fiancée, Crystal, at Annual Conference when were both in high school. The church has been a HUGE part of my life and my spiritual development. Because I felt so comfortable with the church, I also felt comfortable with my faith, and I felt like I could question and doubt, knowing that there was a community there to catch me.

Though I had periods where I doubted God, I always had my family and the church to support me. I remember having fairly deep conversations about God with my dad when I was young. I think I actually asked pretty good questions, though I don’t remember exactly what they were. My dad never told me what to believe, never forced me to accept his beliefs… Actually, he did quite the opposite, giving me his beliefs on the subjects, but always pushed me to develop my own beliefs.

Both of my parents have been hugely involved in the church throughout my life. They spend more time at the church than a lot of pastors do, through committee work, participation in various groups, as well as being on staff. My mom is the director of a childcare center at the church, but I have realized over the last few years that her job is also as a minister. She ministers to the children that come to the childcare center every day, as well as to the families of all of the children who have attended over the years. In some sense, she is a missionary into the community.

What does this have to do with my spirituality? It has everything to do with it! I grew up in this environment, seeing my parents involved in a huge range of different settings of church ministry. Though neither of my parents are pastors, I feel quite comfortable in circles of pastor’s kids.

When I was twelve years old and told my mom that I wanted to be a pastor when I grew up, I think I knew at that time that I really would end up doing that. I’m not sure if I knew exactly what that entailed at the time, but I think I knew that it meant that I would be able to be the kind of Christians that my parents modeled for me, and to be able to serve others the way that I saw my parents serving.

Thank you, mom & dad!

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Worth Dying For?

Something worth dying for... People throw that phrase around a lot. I know I've used it before, and hear it on a regular basis... But I don't usually really take the time to think about exactly what it means.

I've heard it a few times recently, especially in relation to the earthquake in Haiti. In church this morning at Harvard Epworth United Methodist Church, the pastor talked about the devastation. Sam Dixon, an UMCOR leader in Haiti, died in the earthquake while doing mission work in the country. Another person who I know through connections with a close friend was also killed in Haiti while volunteering with an orphanage in Haiti.

Jobs worth dying for. People dying doing what they love to do. Usually those phrases are used in reference to high-risk work, where there's a huge chance that you'll die doing the work. In these cases, that wasn't really the situation. The earthquake hit while they were doing their fairly low-risk jobs. Yet... Most people would agree that these people were doing a job worth dying for.

We all have the possibility of losing our lives at any time. Earthquakes, tornadoes... People die every day due to natural disasters. Add in car accidents and other things of the like, and there's always a risk of dying. Kind of scary, really... But we all have the chance to do something worth dying for and to die doing something that we love.

But it calls for living intentionally. It calls for living according to God's plan. We can't just sit around being lazy all the time... It has to truly be something worth dying for! For some, that's working internationally at an orphanage... For others, that's working with children at home. The possibilities are endless, and are specific for each one of us.

When my time comes, I certainly hope that somebody can say "Cody died doing what he loved to do." I feel like I'm being called to do what I'm doing right now. I strive to enjoy what I'm doing and to do it for the right reasons. It's something that I'll continue to work on, I'm sure, to always follow God's will, and to be willing to give up my own life doing my life's work.

I'd like to post a link to the blog of Molly Hightower, the girl from Port Orchard who was killed in the collapse of a building in Haiti, where she was working at an orphanage. There's a lot of inspiration in her life and in her words and pictures through her blog. It's clear to me when I look at her blog that she was doing what she loved and loving what she did. http://mollyinhaiti.blogspot.com/

Remember to keep those affected by the earthquake in your prayers, as well as those who are going over to provide assistance.

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Welcome!

Welcome to my blog! It's my goal to actually keep this thing updated... But we'll see how that goes.

I decided to start this because I keep running into big theological questions that get stuck on my mind as I go through my classes in seminary. I thought that others may be interested in some of the questions that come up. Most of them are things that affect others, not just myself, and may be important questions for all of those in the church.

Seminary is also something that I didn't know a ton about before I started... Talking to pastors before I started, many of them didn't remember a whole lot of details from seminary because it had been years since they'd been there. I think it would have been useful to have had somebody provide a little bit of information about what seminary is like while they were in seminary. I've also heard some people back home wondering what seminary is like. Hopefully this will give them some understanding as to what my life is like right now.

I'll try to keep this updated with questions and musings that I have as they come up. I welcome and encourage comments and responses. I know that I'm not the only person with ideas on these matters, and dialogue is an important part of growth for everybody. As I come up with new questions, I'll post them here. If there is a lack of questions, feel free to ask some of me in emails or comments! I'll also try to pull some of my past ponderings from Facebook and post them on here so that I can share them again with you.

Enjoy and God Bless!

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My First Sermon!

My mom volunteered me to give a sermon while I was in Selah on break. So, this is the sermon that I delivered on January 10, 2010. Here ya go:

While thinking about this sermon, I have had to think to myself about what is important about the baptism of Jesus for today’s Christians. This got me to thinking about my own baptism, and what baptism means to me.

Since I was baptized as an infant, I have no recollection of what it felt like at the time, other than the assumption that the impromptu bath was a bit surprising and upsetting. I do know that it was important to my parents for me to be baptized, and that the Methodist Church must support infant baptism for some reason. However, my baptism as an infant isn’t something that is meaningful to me in and of it self. It really doesn’t matter whether I was immersed, poured, or sprinkled with water. It doesn’t even matter that I was baptized inside of a church building. All of those things are only significant because of what they represent.

Though I didn’t know the importance of baptism at the time or immediately following, I have realized more of the importance of my baptism throughout my life. For my parents, my family, and the church, it has shown that God is an important part of my life. And that all of the people present at my baptism made a promise to me and to God that they would show God’s love to me. Through the service of infant baptism found in the United Methodist Hymnal, the members of the church promise those being baptized that they will:

Surround them with a community of love and forgiveness, that they may grow in their service to others.

And also, to:

Pray for them, that they may be true disciples who walk in the way that leads to life.

My baptism brought with it the love and prayers of a whole community of people! Over the years, I have come to realize and appreciate the unending love and support of my church community, and have been blessed to be able to have them share their love of God with me. I also know that my baptism serves as a sign that God has been ever present in my life. This is what my baptism has meant to me...

I would like to give you all an opportunity to briefly discuss this important element of our Christian faith. Form pairs or small groups with those around you and spend a few minutes answering this question: What does baptism mean to you?

Everybody has a little bit different idea of what baptism means and what its importance is for their lives. People in this congregation have played different roles in baptisms, whether they are being baptized themselves, the parent or sponsor of somebody being baptized, or a congregation member during a baptism. I suspect that for everybody in this room, baptism has more meaning than just getting a little bit wet. In the Methodist tradition, the sacrament of baptism is baptism by both water and spirit. But what, exactly, does it mean to be baptized in the spirit?

In today’s gospel lesson, we read of Jesus being baptized by John the Baptist. While John the Baptist baptized many people, none of them was quite like Jesus. Luke 3:15-16 describes Jesus baptism, which was followed by the Holy Spirit “descending like a dove.” When Jesus was baptized, the Holy Spirit came down. For us as Christians, we are also baptized by the spirit. The outward symbol of the water signifies the inward baptism by the spirit that happens inside of each one of us when we experience new birth. Something inside of us is changed when we are baptized by the spirit, which brings us closer on our path toward becoming “true disciples” of Jesus Christ.

The Holy Spirit is the part of the triune God that is with us all of the time, guiding us on the path of discipleship. The spirit serves a guide for Jesus as soon as it descends upon him. The gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke all three mention the spirit leading Jesus into the desert immediately following his baptism. In the desert, Jesus is tempted by the devil for 40 days.

This isn’t the first place in the bible where God leads people into the wilderness. Though it is called various things, such as wilderness, valley, and desert, this is a recurring theme throughout both the Old and New Testaments. Moses lead the Israelites through the wilderness for 40 years. Many of the Old Testament prophets spent time in the wilderness, often receiving revelation from God there. The gospel of Luke mentions that the word of God came to John the Baptist in the desert.

The Holy Spirit also leads us into wilderness-like places today. For each of us, there are some things that make us a little bit uncomfortable. There are places where we are lead to be, things that we are lead to do, that give us goosebumps. But sometimes, no matter how hard you try to shake those feelings, something just keeps leading you back.

In his sermon on “The Marks of the New Birth,” John Wesley discusses at length the changes that people experience when they receive “new birth” or are “born of the spirit.” Among other things, he mentions that part of receiving the new birth by the spirit is “universal obedience to Him we love, and conformity to His will.” Out of the love that we have for God when we receive the Spirit, we strive to follow God’s will for our lives.

Often, following God’s will doesn’t bring us where we want to go or where we expect to go. The spirit sometimes leads us to our greatest trials, sometimes leaving us feeling like we’re walking into an unknown and desolate wilderness. No matter how far we try to run in the opposite direction, the Spirit leads us back to that place.

I remember a time when I was young that I had decided that I wanted to be a pastor when I grew up. As I grew up, though, I realized everything that is required of being a pastor. I felt like I didn’t have the gifts and talents needed to be a pastor, and decided that I would go in a different direction and go into elementary education. God kept his plan for me, though, and the Spirit continued to lead me in that direction that I saw ahead of me as a child.

God has led me straight into my personal wilderness. In being called into ordained ministry, I have to face some of my greatest fears and undergo some of the biggest trials of my life. Growing up as a very shy child, I couldn’t imagine anything more terrifying than getting in front of people every week and talking. I question my academic ability often, yet the spirit has led me to a vocation that requires three years of graduate school. Seminary is more difficult than any pastor will ever lead you to believe, and finals had me pretty down, but I was always able to look up knowing that I was following God’s will for my life, and that the Holy Spirit was by my side every step of the way.

While this isn’t the path that I would have chosen if it were completely up to me, I am learning that God provides the confidence and skills necessary for success as they are needed. All that God asks of me is to trust and follow God’s will. I know that I have the love and support of my family and my church that affirmed me in my baptism as an infant. I know that the Holy Spirit is always with me, and will never lead me some place where I can’t be successful and help to build God’s kingdom. Though I may walk through the valley, I will always come out on the other side.

The spirit leads each and every one of us down a path, sometimes through deep valleys, but I encourage all of you to discern and follow God’s will where it leads. You can experience a number of exciting things, meet amazing people, and learn that you can do things that you never thought you could. Who knows, you may even find yourself giving a sermon to the congregation that once never even knew you could talk!

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About Me

Hi!

I'm Cody Natland. I'm a candidate for ministry in the United Methodist Church! I'm also a Masters of Divinity student at Boston University School of Theology. I'm working my way toward becoming an ordained elder. It's proving to be quite the journey, but I'm loving every minute of it.

I'm originally from Selah, WA, where I lived for the first 18 years of my life. After I graduated from Selah High School, I went to Eastern Washington University to do my undergrad. Unlike many people who go into ordained ministry, I decided to go straight to grad school to get my Masters. That means that I'll be graduating around the age of 25 and entering ministry at the same age. I'll be quite young... Which is why I wanted to start this blog, to share my journey with others who are interested, and maybe even some who are considering doing something similar with their life.

During my first fall at seminary, I proposed to Crystal, who I had been dating for over 4 years. She said yes, and so now we're getting married in July of 2010. I'm really exicited, but the wedding planning and life planning that comes along with it is proving to make my time even more crazy. But that's okay! It's worth it, and I'm totally excited for everything that's coming my way in the next few years.

I think that's about all I've got to say for now! I hope that you take some time to read some of my blogs, and that I can give you a sense of what this crazy life is like!

Welcome to my journey.

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