The Faith Story of a Pastor

     

     Pastor Dan Unrau has been our visiting pastor-in-residence for the past few days.  He’s been spending time with us students all week and giving talks every day.  On Tuesday he shared his faith story.

     To simply replay fragments of Dan's story does not do justice to his presentation.  It is so absolutely refreshing to see a pastor who recognizes that theater is part of a good pastor’s skill set.  His talks are entertaining and profound.  Each word is carefully chosen and presented in an interesting way.
     “I am egotistic and self centered,” he begins.  With that he delves into his life, university, and what it means to be a pastor.

     What was most interesting to me was Dan’s account of leaving home and going to university.  He talks about how his grand dreams of freedom were profoundly checked when he moved away from home.  Turns out his upbringing came with him providing boundaries which were hard to cross.  This is what many people fail to realize when they go to university.  Autonomy does not usually come quickly, or all at once!

     To be a pastor, said Dan, is to be relationally and politically in a fishbowl.  You are constantly modeling what it’s like to be in right relationship with God.  What about the idea that we are ALL called by God to be pastors?  What if we’re all on a pedestal, with the world looking on?  Is that scary or gratifying? 

Pastor Dan on Family Systems

     What makes families tick?  That was the question pastor Dan tackled in the forum on Monday. Why do we act the way we do at home?  Do families change significantly through time, or does the youngest child always remain the youngest child in the family, even as an adult?

     In his years as a pastor, Dan has had plenty of opportunities to observe family systems at work.  He knew a young girl who was extremely afraid of the foyer in his church.  She would shiver with fear and start crying whenever she got close to it.  Her parents signed her up with a counselor, but after many sessions they were no closer to understanding the problem. Finally, the counselor brought the parents in and asked them to share some of their experiences with her. After a while, by fluke, the therapist discovered that, as a child, the father had had a traumatic experience in a church foyer. The therapist asked the father if he had ever told this story to his daughter. He hadn’t. But once he did, the girl's fear went away. Here’s the moral: untold stories affect families in ways that can somehow be passed down to future generations.

     Dan also talked about homeostasis –- that families are in balance, and members will fight to maintain that balance. If, for example, a normally loud and overbearing member of a family changes and becomes more passive, the system is out of balance making it very possible that another member will try to goad that person into being dominant again.

     This sounds kind of weird, but Dan said he’s seen it many times. Throughout his presentation he suggested greater openness as key to rectifying issues. Talking things out and asking for stories (i.e. what was life like when you were twelve?) needs to happen for families to work well together.

     Dan’s presentation provided good food for thought. I’m looking forward to what else he has to say this week.

On-Campus Pastor Visit

     A recent poll asked respondents who they trusted most.  The results showed that the average person trusts a pastor more than anyone else.  When we see a pastor, we see someone who has his or her heart in the right place.  This is certainly true for me -- several of the people I've trusted most have been pastors.  But when you get out of school, your relationship with your youth pastor can change.  Mine certainly did.  I felt a little cut off the first year out of high school, as I was no longer in the youth group at church.  When I signed on as a leader the year after, it was a very different experience than before -- suddenly I was serving rather than being served.
     I find it exciting that we have a pastor on campus this week. Dan Unrau is from Fraserview MB Church in BC, and will be presenting at all the chapels this week.  He'll also be at Wednesday Night Worship and a ministry lunch tomorrow.  And he's around campus, hanging out with students all week.  
     It's funny -- simply having a pastor here makes my home feel more...homey.  It's already made me realize how cool it would be to have a full-time pastor on campus.  Maybe having Dan here is a trial run for something more permanent.  Who knows?
     What does the word "pastor" make you think of?  Do you know any great pastors?

Open House

 

     Open House week is organized every year so that we can show off our humble abodes to our fellow student-types.  It took place in stages a few weeks back.  From the "party" floor (first floor poettker womens') to "The Rapture" in KFA, there were lots of original themes.  I especially appreciated first floor poettker mens'.  Their theme (strictly imposed) was "silence".  Which would not of course be complete without guards posted at each entrance to make sure that visitors followed the rules (no talking!).

      On a more somber note, I must report that this is the time when people generally get more distressed about their schoolwork, especially if they've been taking it easy up until this point.  Don't worry; the light at the end of the tunnel is still a good deal off, there's lots of pain ahead for all of us!

On Making Schoolwork "Fun"

This  person should probably be studying.

     Getting bored of schoolwork?  Wish you could just go to the swimming pool instead of work?  Well, you can't.  You have too many assignments due this week, I'm afraid.  How do you get through them?  Here are some ideas.
     A. Coffee.  I often find that a well-timed cup of coffee in the morning (or 3) makes me quite happy and more upbeat.  All of which makes me able to tackle 1800's Chineese history, which might otherwise be a difficult thing.  It can work for you too!  
     B. The Switch.  If one particular essay is dragging you down, just switch to another!  See, there's something positive in having 3 assignments due in a week!
     C. Make it Social. If you're getting lonely but still have 3 hours of work left, take it to a lounge.  Nothing is more depressing than studying in your room for more than, say, 15 minutes.  Go to the Blaurock Cafe!   
     D. More Coffee.  What can I say.  It's special.
     E. Music.  It's important.  Use grooveshark.com.  Find what you need.  I usually go with orchestral or other types of historical music, but anything goes.  Just not country, please.

What are your make-study-bearable tips?

Thanksgiving Laziness

     I am proud to say that I have accomplished next to nothing this weekend.  The past few days have been ones of rest and relaxation.  I decided to stay on campus for the weekend; it was very relaxing to see the place much quieter than usual.  And of course, the quality of the food goes up when there are fewer takers!
     I spent most of my time hanging out with friends.  Today a few students organized a Thanksgiving potluck and I got a chance to talk with some people I haven't seen for years.  Yesterday was a family day with more potlucks and movie watching.  That has been my weekend, really -- food, conversations, and movies.  
     I hope you've had the chance to enjoy your Thanksgiving free of obligations and work.  If you're in Winnipeg, hopefully you've been able to get outside -- the weather has been excellent!

Transitions

     Dorm life is kind of like a jolt into the world of adulthood.  It can be especially difficult if you're going into it right after high-school.  From my own experience I know that the first year was a challenge.  After all those years of having your parents give you direction, suddenly you're on your own, with a lot of people your age.  The standard questions arise.  Where will I fit in?  Will I fit in?  How will I manage my time?  And then later (almost inevitably) why am I so far behind in my schoolwork?
     These are all perfectly normal things to wonder about.   These thoughts go through everyone's head.  Very few people become confident secure "adults" the moment they move away from home for the first time.  Sometimes the answer comes in just taking everything less seriously.  You no longer have people telling you what to do.  It's important to sit back and enjoy the ride.  There's a lot to laugh about during this transition!

You're on your way to becoming a responsible adult!  Like these fellows.