I’ve Moved!

Go to www.ericdokken.com where there is actually a new post or two.

Celebrating Angie

Angela Marie Dokken (1975-2010)

On December 31, 2010, my sister, Angela, passed into the presence of her Savior.

The visitation will be Monday from 5-7 at Libbey Funeral Home and the funeral will be at 1pm on Tuesday at West Cohasset Chapel.

Memorial gifts can be given to Joni and Friends.

⁵¹ Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— ⁵² in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. ⁵³ For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. ⁵⁴ When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”

⁵⁵ “Where, O death, is your victory?
Where, O death, is your sting?”

⁵⁶ The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. ⁵⁷ But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 15:51-56

Flood Warning

After a week of intense heat in Massachusetts, the sky turned black today and then the floodgates opened up.  After about an hour of rain, the National Weather Service issued this statement:

… A FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 500 PM EDT FOR SOUTH CENTRAL ESSEX… EAST CENTRAL MIDDLESEX… NORTHERN SUFFOLK AND EXTREME NORTH CENTRAL NORFOLK COUNTIES…

I wish someone would have issued a flood warning to me six months ago when I began preparing to take sixteen youth to the Dominican Republic.  In order to make it happen, we had to raise over $27,000.  That is  about twice as much as we have raised for any of the trips I have led.  There were times where I was convinced this was impossible.

Someday I hope to quit using that word and simply trust God who can open the floodgates.

After months of hard work, we have raised $27,000.  I would like to say it was my genius ideas, energy, and sweat that made this happen but the real reason is that lots and lots of people were extremely generous.  Multiple people gave more than a thousand dollars and over two hundred gave at least twenty.  And then there are the dozens of people who gave of their time and energy and gifts…  Right now I am overwhelmed with gratitude.

I was reminded today of Psalm 42 which begins, “As a deer pants for flowing streams,so pants my soul for you, O God.  My soul thirsts for God, for the living God” (vss. 1-2a).  I have been praying a similar prayer for the last couple of months.

God responds to the Psalmist’s prayer in verses 7-8,

Deep calls to deep
at the roar of your waterfalls;
all your breakers and your waves
have gone over me.
By day the LORD commands his steadfast love,
and at night his song is with me,
a prayer to the God of my life.

As we prepare to leave having raised almost exactly what we needed for this trip, I can relate to what it feels like when God opens the floodgates.  Tonight as I listen to the sound of rain on my window, I pray that I don’t forget that God is always faithful to provide what I need today.

Follow our trip at www.manchesteryouth.com.

Happy Father’s Day

I was about thirteen and I was at the golf course with my dad.  We were going golfing with his friend, Rich.  My dad was lifting my clubs out of the van when he noticed how dirty they were and commented that I should probably clean them.  I told him that I didn’t know what to use to clean them.  He said that I should try using elbow grease.

I had no idea what that was so I asked.  He told me that Rich usually carried some in his golf bag so I should ask him for it.

Later, when we were waiting to tee off, my dad said, “Eric, didn’t you want to ask Rich for something?”  I proceeded to ask him if I could borrow some elbow grease.  He looked at me strangely and I proceeded to say, “My dad told me that you carry some in your bag.”

Then Rich understood that I had been set up.  Knowing my dad, he wasn’t surprised.  This was a common occurrence throughout my childhood.  My father made it his goal to embarrass his children any chance that he could get.  One of his favorites was using his Donald Duck voice in public and at the most inappropriate times.  And he loved to make up stories like the one above.  I could think of several.

A few years ago my parents were visiting me in Massachusetts.  I had some friends over and we were telling them about the furniture store with the iMax inside.  When someone asked about the price of tickets, my dad and I said simultaneously, “You have to buy a piece of furniture to see a movie.”  That’s when I realized it… I am turning into my dad.  There was a time in my life when that might not have appealed to me.  However, at this point in my life, I think that’s a really good thing.  He loves God, loves people, is a great golfer, and has a pretty good sense of humor… once you get used to it.

This Father’s Day I thought it was important to let my nephews know what’s coming:

Grace

My mom taught me how to knit when I was in second or third grade. I decided that I would knit a washcloth for my teacher. I remember putting hours of work into it and being really excited to give it to her. I wrapped it up and bringing it to school the day before Christmas break. She unwrapped it and her face lit up when she saw it. I told her I made it myself. She was bursting with excitement about the beautiful washcloth I had knit for her. I felt so proud.

I smile every time I think about that story. Partly because I remember how good it felt to give a special gift to someone but mostly because I know what that washcloth looked like. It was the first thing I had knit so it wasn’t very good. There were mistakes everywhere and there were lots of loose knots. It was full of holes. It probably would have disintegrated if my teacher tried to scrub a plate with it.

My teacher didn’t like the washcloth because of the quality, it was because I made it. Rather than making it less valuable, its imperfections actually made it more valuable to her because they reminded her that it came from me.

I think the word for that is grace.

Grace is what bonds us together as humans (and what bonds us to God). When we accept the imperfections of others, we are showing grace. If we were all perfect, we wouldn’t need grace. But then we probably wouldn’t need each other either.

I made the videos below for my church. They would never make it on television. They are full of imperfections. But the people in the videos love them because they represent our relationships with each other. They are full of grace.

(If you love me, you’ll at least watch the first couple minutes of the first video. It goes downhill from there but it’s worth it.)

It doesn’t matter what you call it, just don’t call me late for a game.

A lot of people who know me think I have a problem.  Some call it an addiction.  It’s not easy to talk about, mostly because it has such a strange name: cornhole.

I was originally introduced to the sport four years ago at a family reunion in Minnesota.  I was hooked from the beginning.  For the last two months, Tania and I have been driving into Boston every Tuesday to play.  It was a lot of fun and we were pretty happy with the results.

Pretty much every night, our opponents would ask us, “Why would you drive this far to play this game?”
“Well, because we’re addicted and the closest place to get a fix is 45 minutes away.”
Not anymore though.  Introducing www.northshorecornhole.com!  If you live within a hundred miles of Manchester-by-the-Sea, I expect to see you at the fun night next Tuesday.

Happy Easter

Did you hear about my new job?

They Call Me Pastor

David, my colleague at FBC, told me that someone asked him a strange question a few weeks after he began here: “Have you watered the organ yet?”  He thought it was a joke. It wasn’t.

I have not fully begun my job as an associate pastor but I’m working up to it.  We’ve put the sign on the outside and people have started calling me “pastor.”  It sounds strange every time they say it.

It was exactly a month ago that the church voted to call me.  Here’s what I’ve learned since then:

1. Pastors are 100 times more likely to be asked to pray before meals.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been at a meal and the host turns to me and says, “Pastor, would you say grace.”  One friend asked me after a meal at a restaurant, “Does this count as a business dinner since you said the prayer?”

2. You need to get a license if you’re going to show a movie that’s been advertised.

I was going to show The Nativity Story illegally before a friend pointed this out to me.

3. You can learn a lot from a seasoned veteran.

In addition to helping me navigate health care and tax issues, here are just a few of the things David has taught me so far.

• A plastic-wrapped ream of paper comes with a special tab that makes opening it a lot easier.
• The paper towels in the restroom are installed by pulling down from the center of the roll.
• Flicking the handle up on the urinal keeps it from running continuously.

I look forward to gleaning many more of these valuable tidbits from this wise man.

4. Just because you’re a pastor, it doesn’t mean you can’t live in a great location.

My third floor penthouse looks out over the harbor, is a half mile from the beach, and next door to one of the most popular ice cream stands in the world, Captain Dusty’s.

5. The demands of pastoral ministry are far outweighed by the perks.

I’ve been blessed beyond words by the welcome given me by the wonderful people at FBC.

My small group helped me paint my entire apartment.

David gave me the key to his office and unlimited access to his library (and to him).

People from the church showered me with cake, gifts, and gift cards for my new place.

I love being a pastor.