Pastor Dennis - Grace Mennonite Church

Forgotten Cell Phone and the Peaceful Woods

2011-09-23T10:41:00.001-04:00

I was about 50 miles away from Pandora this last Monday afternoon when I felt in my pocket for my cell phone. My pockets were empty. No cell phone. I looked around the car where I sometimes lay my phone. Still no cell phone. It became obvious that I had leftmy cell phone at home. I began to inwardly panic. Here I was going to be away from home for two days with lots of driving and no cell phone. No way of communicating with the outside world. No way of calling for help if I needed it. I was too far away to go back. I would need to forge ahead with no cell phone.

Then I caught myself. I begin to consider the ridiculous nature of my unfounded panic. I have been without the “security” of a cell phone considerably longer in my life than I have had one. I would have to depend on people to stop and help if I had problems, as I have for most of my life. Could I not depend on God to provide if I needed help? Did the promises of God’s constant presence mean nothing to me? There are other ways of communicating, and after all, I was going on a retreat to be alone with God. Sometimes, all our technology gets in the way of being still and waiting to hear to voice of God.

I arrived at Camp Friedenswald after my Panda Express supper at University Park Mall in Mishawaka, Indiana. Instead of the noisy bustling crowds at the mall I found an encompassing silence at Friedenswald. The health center, where I was to stay was left open for me and no one was around. It was quiet. Very quiet. I walked down to the beach. More quiet. There was no noise except birds and the normal night sounds in the woods. At first the silence was a little eerie. Then the silence began to wash over me and seemed to cleanse me from my addictions to noise and “doing.” I was reminded of the verse and song from Psalm 46, “Be still and know that I am God.” I forgot about my lack of a cell phone and began to soak up the silence and peace of the Peaceful Woods. I brewed a cup of coffee and sat on a swing outside as darkness came. I knew that this is what I needed and looked forward to the next two days of prayer, silence, reading, and reflection.

Tuesday was our Central District Conference Ministers’ Resource Day which focused on Psalm 46 and being still. There were times of group reflections as well as silence in the group and on our own. There is really something very powerful about corporate silence. I also benefitted from the times of walking the trails in the woods. I had never noticed the giant beech trees on Turtle Hill before. Not quite like the giant Sequoias in California but very tall for Indiana. All in all it was a great time away, even though I got lost on one trail and missed one of the group sessions and even though I tripped and fell on a rough chip and seal road and tore my jeans, bloodied my knee and lost my glasses. (That is another story for another time.) It was a great time of renewal away from the demands of my work and focusing on what is really important. I never missed my cell phone.

Going on Retreat

2011-09-19T09:55:00.004-04:00

I am long over do to go on a spiritual retreat. Today, I am finally going to do it. After officiating at a grave side service later this morning, I will be heading up to Camp Friedenswald to spend a little time alone with God. My own retreat time will envelope our CDC Pastors’ Resource Day on Tuesday which will focus on “Listening to God.” This should give me some more things to think and pray about. I will return to Pandora late Wednesday afternoon in time for our midweek Bible Study.

While looking forward to this time alone, I am not sure I am completely comfortable with it. The reason I don’t go in retreat more often is that I convince myself that I really don’t have time. Too Many things to do. Sermons to write. People to Visit. Emails to respond to. Classes to prepare for. Things to organize and clean up. Articles to write. I then realize I begin to sound like Martha who is fretting over so many important things that I forget to be like Mary and simply sit at Jesus’ feet. Maybe I need to look at this time away as being “too busy NOT to take a retreat.” Maybe I need this time away to gain a little perspective and see what is really important rather than continue to shuffle papers and go from thing to thing while actually not accomplishing much of significance. I’ll let you know how it turns out.

2011-09-13T09:29:00.002-04:00

Friends and blog readers, The article below just came across my computer this morning and I felt it was worthy of sharing with you. It comes from the latest issue of the Mennonite Weekly Review. Have a great day. Dennis

Our world needs fewer bombs, more ice cream

By Sheldon C. Good, Mennonite Weekly Review

PHILADELPHIA — On the eve of Sept. 11, a peace activist and an entrepreneur helped us reflect on our post-9/11 world and imagine a better reality — one with fewer bombs and more ice cream Author and activist Shane Claiborne teamed up with Ben Cohen, co-founder of Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream, to critique defense spending, violence and war. They also promoted faith, hope and love to the sold out crowd at World Café Live.

In short, the two self-described “ringleaders of the circus” hosted a peace and justice variety show. The two-hour live event featured a visual artist, a poet, a juggler and a welder, who beat an AK-47 into a hay fork. Ten years after that infamous day during my first week of high school, I realized, all is not well with the world.“Our country spends over $30 billion a year on our nuclear arsenal,” Cohen said.

To illustrate his point, he poured 10,000 BB pellets into a metal container. The sound, reverberating off the venue’s walls, seemed to drone on forever. Make it stop, my heart cried out.

Our current nuclear weapons arsenal equals 50,000 Hiroshima-sized bombs, Cohen said. Lord, have mercy. Cohen later arranged Oreos to show how the Pentagon’s budget stacks up, literally, to funding for social programs. The Pentagon’s wobbling skyscraper of cookies flanked multiple, almost unnoticeable, other stacks.

Terry Rockefeller, a documentary film producer, lost her sister during the Sept. 11 attacks. She spoke of her search to break cycles of violence.“There can be no war on terror. War is terror,” she said.A similar exhortation loomed behind her — “Wars are poor chisels for carving out peaceful tomorrows” — a quote from Martin Luther King Jr.

Since May 2002, Rockefeller has with worked with September 11th Families for Peaceful Tomorrows, a group founded by family members of those killed on 9/11. They say that “grief is not a cry for war,” Rockefeller said.

In fact, they transform their grief into peaceful witness. Such nonviolent actions in pursuit of justice lead our jaded world in a different direction. Society, which so often acquiesces to the myth of redemptive violence, beckons for this kind of peacemaking.

After all, peace cannot come through war.

Logan Mehl-Laituri didn’t always believe that. In 2004, he deployed to Iraq with the U.S. Army.

“I traded my humanity for nationalism,” said Mehl-Laituri, who was later diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.

Facing a second deployment, he applied to be a noncombatant conscientious objector. He asked to remain in service but refused to carry a weapon.

The army honorably discharged Mehl-Laituri days before he traveled to the Middle East with Christian Peacemaker Teams.

Claiborne lived in Iraq during the “shock and awe” bombing of 2003. At an Iraq hospital, a doctor asked him, “Has your country lost its imagination?”

Before the Philadelphia event, I asked Claiborne that question too.

“Our imagination is hemorrhaging right now,” he said. “We’re spending $250,000 a minute on war as the country goes bankrupt.”

Claiborne believes Mennonites play a key role in illuminating this “elephant in the room.”

“The distinctiveness and peculiarity of the Mennonite witness as a prophetic and creative call and a front to the world we live in is really critically relevant right now,” he said.

He called Mennonites, “who might be tempted to tone it down a little bit, in order to be more relevant to the culture,” to share their peacemaking tradition.

“There’s a whole generation that’s grown tired of militarism and the emptiness of materialism and is longing for another way,” he said. “I think the integration of faith and practice of Mennonites is what many people are hungry for.”

Cohen, a secular progressive, considers himself a “natural ally” with Christians.

“We are saying the same thing in two different languages,” he said by phone Sept. 7.

Cohen, who has received numerous awards for socially responsible business, told me his passion for social justice comes from a sense of compassion and fairness.

Growing up on Long Island, he recalls occasionally driving into poverty-stricken Harlem with his family.

“I thought it was unfair that because somebody was born on one side of a line that they ended up living a life of poverty,” he said.

Multiple Anabaptist-related groups supported the event: 1040 for Peace, Christian Peacemaker Teams, Heeding God’s Call and Mennonite Central Committee.

Groups like these help us put our faith into action for peace and justice. There’s a real opportunity for Mennonites, 10 years after 9/11, to proclaim that Jesus’ way looks different from the world’s.

So let’s keep inviting our neighbors to join us on the journey toward a world with fewer bombs and more ice cream.

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The New Year Begins

2011-09-09T09:49:00.000-04:00

No, I don’t have a strange new calendar. Neither am I mixed up about my dates. But in many ways September marks the beginning of a new year. School is beginning for all our students, teachers and other various individuals who work in education. We also begin a new Sunday School year here at Grace Mennonite. So while it is not actually the change of the numerical year it is a time for new beginnings for many.

Beginning this September is a new catechism class. This year I have three high school sophomore girls who are preparing for baptism later this year. They had been deeply challenged at the Mennonite USA youth convention in Pittsburgh this summer. One speaker in particular encouraged the young people to consider getting baptized as a sign of their calling, commitment, and service to Jesus Christ. It is always very challenging for me to reflect anew on the essentials and basics of our faith and communicate that to high school students. I also learn a great deal from them as they respond to the assigned Bible readings each week and share the significant verses they find while reading. Most of all I appreciate the questions that are asked. We are beginning by reading the Gospel of Matthew. I can’t wait to see what they say about Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5, 6, and 7 this Sunday.

Dennis’ favorite verse of the week
One of the new things I am doing this time in my Baptismal Preparation Class is sharing one of my favorite Bible verses or passages each week. I have lots of “favorite verses” and I have always found it difficult to narrow it down. But after being asked many times what my favorite verse was, I finally decided a number of years ago to choose one verse as my number one favorite verse. So now, when asked, instead of trying avoid the question by explaining that I have many favorite verses and not just one, I immediately respond by saying my favorite verse is I John 3:1. See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!

This short verse reminds me that no matter what kind of day I am having or how I may be feeling about myself, that I am a child of God. Wow! I AM GOD’S CHILD! I am also struck each time with the word “lavished.” God does not just “share” love or “give” love; God LAVISHES his love on us. This verse also reminds me of how I am to live my life as a child of God. I could write much more about this favorite verse of mine, but the blog would get too long. Another verse next time.

What I am Reading
My reading time this last week has been given over to studying maps and guidebooks in planning for our trip to Europe at the end of October. More on that later. I hope to get back to my book about Deo Gratius and his escape from Burundi soon.

Where in the Bible is Dennis Reading?
I have finished up I Corinthians. Always good to go over the love chapter in I Cor 13, Spiritual gifts in chapter 12 and the resurrection in chapter 15. I also finished 1 Samual and am now well into King David’s life in 2 Samuel. Psalms 58-59 where my Psalms for today. Even though I have read the Psalms many times, I am still amazed at the very forceful language, like “Break the teeth, O Lord, of the wicked.” The language in Ezekiel 16 is even stronger as the prophet refers to Jerusalem as an adulterous wife engaged in prostitution. How would Ezekiel refer to the church in America today? But then even Ezekiel is sprinkled with those very comforting and promising verses like Ezekiel 12:9.
I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh.

RENEWAL OF BLOG WRITING

2011-08-31T11:26:00.002-04:00

As promised in the August 28 Parish Notes of Grace Mennonite, here is a new blog. It has been a long time since I have written a blog; February 25 to be exact. In my last blog I was writing about the snow we thought would never end. A lot has happened since then. Once again, I will try and be faithful with having at least one blog a week. Maybe there will be more once I get started writing.

A lot has happened since February. Let me first catch you up with our family. Ryan (our oldest son) is this week finishing a 2 year stint with Mennonite Voluntary Service in Madison, Wisconsin. He is presently looking for employment as he hopes to stay in Madison as he likes the city and especially the Mennonite church there. Unfortunately it is not an easy time to look for a job.

Philip and Mary are beginning their last year at the Mennonite Brethren seminary in Fresno, California. They will both be graduating in early May 2012: Mary with a degree in counseling and Philip with a Masters of Divinity degree.

Julia has completed two years at Eastern Mennonite University in Harrisonburg, Virginia. She was in San Antonio, Texas for the summer participating in the Ministry Inquiry Program with San Antonio Mennonite Church. She had a great time doing that. Presently she is beginning a semester abroad in Brussels, Belgium where she is attending Vesalius College in Brussels. So far she is enjoying Belgium a great deal and has already had spent a week-end in Paris. Julia has a blog you might what to follow.
http://julia-exploringtheinfiniteabyss.blogspot.com/

That’s enough for the kids. Our life as empty nesters here in Pandora seems a little boring in comparison. We are excited about the newly renovated sanctuary in the church that should be finished in the next several weeks. We had a good trip to Pittsburgh for the Mennonite Church USA convention this summer. Other than that, we have not done much travelling as we are saving our vacation time to take a 13 day trip to Europe at the end of October and the beginning of November. It will be great to get back to Europe as it has been 30 years since we lived there for a year learning French for missionary service in Congo. I should have a lot to write about after that.

What I am Reading

The past week or so (I am a slow reader) I have been reading Strength in What Remains by Tracy Kidder. It is the story of Deogratias, a young medical student from the central African nation of Burundi. Through no fault of his own, he was forced onto a terrifying journey, a journey that split his life in two. First there was a six-months-long escape on foot from ethnic violence in Burundi and from genocide in Rwanda. Almost by accident he ended up in New York City, where he lived for a time in Central Park.

I am so far inspired and challenged by the book. I find the senseless genocide in Burundi and Rwanda appalling and wonder how this could have taken place in our modern world. Yesterday, I was privileged to hear Deogratias speak as he was the speaker at Bluffton University for the school opening convocation. It was amazing that he seemed to have no bitterness about his tremendously difficult life but a genuine hope for the future. In fact he has gone back to build much needed health clinics in Burundi. More about this later.

Where in the Bible is Dennis Reading?

I have made it a practice for the last several years to read through the entire Bible every year. The plan I use has me reading the Psalms and New Testament twice and the rest once every year. I have found this a good discipline to help me get the bigger picture of God’s story of salvation and gets me into sections of Scripture I would not normally turn to. Some sections are like old friends that come around once a year and every year I seem to get a little more understanding.

Right now I am beginning my journey through the prophet Ezekiel, just finishing up 1 Samuel and am in the middle of 1 Corinthians and the Psalms. I will have more specific reflections in later blogs.

More Snow and Job

2011-02-25T11:01:00.000-05:00

I look out of my office window to another blanket of snow. This is the 2^nd major snowfall this week. Tom and Jeff Schumacher are cleaning the parking lot and sidewalks with their blade and snow blower. Even though Putnam County is under a Level Two Snow Emergency, I had no excuse for not coming into the office as I only need to walk less than 100 yards through the snow and the drifts were not that big. I will get our snow blower out and clean our driveway and walks over the noon hour. The snow is to be finished by that time.

Even though I have complained a lot about the snow this winter, I must admit that there is something nice about a fresh covering of clean, white snow. It reminds me of Psalm 51: 7, “Cleanse me with hyssop(a plant with purifying properties), and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.”

Each year, for about 5-6 years now, I have been reading through the Bible using a schedule that takes me through the whole Bible one time and the New Testament and Psalms twice. I read a chapter or two from four different sections of Scripture. February and March take through the book of Job. I am not sure that I would read Job regularly if it was not on my yearly schedule. While it has been a difficult book to understand, each year I am getting a little more out of it. It reminds me clearly “what not to say” to a person who is suffering. Certainly our minor suffering with all the snow this winter is nothing compared to the suffering Job went through.

The Season of Lent begins with Ash Wednesday on March 9. Now is the time to plan for a Lenten Discipline. I know that Lenten disciplines do not get me any brownie points with God or put me on a higher spiritual plain, but I have found that they help me to know who God is and how much dependence I place on stuff and certain habits that are not the most helpful. I haven’t quite decided what I plan to do this year. I am challenged by “40 bags in 40 days” that I found on the website, thepracticaldisciple.com which has lots of ideas for Lenten Disciplines. Let me know what Lenten Discipline you will be choosing so we can pray for one another.

Simplify your life-- 40 bags in 40 days

What to do

Place 40 grocery sacks in a visible place. I put mine in

my closet so that when I would pick out clothes I would come

face to face with my bags. Then every day during Lent, except

for Sundays, fill a bag and either toss it out or give it away. I gave

many bags to the bargain box and some directly to people who

might benefit from them.

Some tips to keep in mind

• Resist doing more than one bag per day. Stick with just one bag a day and you will develop a habit of eliminating clutter. I only doubled up when I knew something conflicted with my discipline. For instance, I doubled up for a week before Spring Break, since I would be gone.

• Never make an exception. Once you skip, the discipline typically starts to unravel. If you do miss, just pick-up where you left off. Do a bag and don’t worrying about catching up. Pick-up the bag you missed on a Sunday or on a day where you really have an easy time filling it.

• Starting will be easy, but you might find yourself groping for ideas of what to toss after you fill 10 or 20 bags.

Here are some suggestions:

Books Clothes Shoes

Old files Stored boxes Drawers

Closets Cleaning supplies

Cupboards Dvd’s

Cd’s, Audio Tapes

Albums Toys

Video Tapes Sports gear

Don’t forget junk in your cars or garage!

• When struggling with whether or not to get rid of something you may suffer from the “I’ll use it someday” syndrome. Consider these 3 questions—

-How long have you been waiting for ‘some day’ to come?

-Are you realistically likely to use it?

-Could someone benefit from using it now?

Answers to these questions might help you let go.

Benefits

Simplifying your life yields practical and spiritual benefits. De-cluttering relieves stress, helps you efficiently use time and space, and frees you up for greater priorities. Letting go of things, expands your trust in God. Many of us horde to feed our sense of security and control. When that occurs our trust in God atrophies. Blessings on your Lenten journey and please share your successes.

Published by: http://ThePracticalDisciple.com.

Permission granted to reproduce for non-commerical purposes.

Finally Some Warmer Weather, Birthday and Valentine’s Day

2011-02-16T11:29:00.000-05:00

I noticed in the Findlay Courier a couple of days ago that Monday the 14th (if I remember correctly) had been the 2nd warmest day of 2011 so far. The warmest day had been on January 1 with, I think, 57 degrees. Unfortunately we were in Colorado on January 1 and the thermometer on the deck of the cabin where we were staying did not reach 0 degrees that day! The warmer weather feels great and it is good to actually see patches of lawn that have been covered with snow since January 6.

I actually got my bicycle out on Sunday afternoon. I only got in 7 miles as it was quite windy. It did feel good as I don’t think I had ridden since September. It is always easy for me to convince myself that I am too busy to ride and get the exercise that I need. Don’t hesitate to ask me how I am doing with my exercise and bike riding.

I am reminded of I Corinthians 6:19 which says: Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? I need to take care of my physical body as I take care of my spiritual life. I know they are very much intertwined. But even though I know this in my head, it is difficult for me to make the life changes that would respect my physical body as the temple of the Holy Spirit that it is.

I was born on Saturday, February 14, 1953 in Sentinel, Oklahoma. Yes, that would make me 58 years old! A new hospital was being built in Cordell, Oklahoma at that time so my parents needed to drive to the nearest town with a hospital when that time came. Yes, I was a Valentine’s birthday and would often get a heart shaped birthday cake. Recently I have requested that my birthday “cake” be a cherry pie which Dianne bakes for me every year. (Fortunately, I waited until Saturday the 14th to be born as I could have easily been born on Friday the 13th!)

As my body seems to be creaking a little more each day, it is sometimes easy to fall in a negative mode instead of seeing each day as a wonderful gift that God has given us. Every day is indeed a gift from God that needs to be enthusiastically unwrapped to find what is awaiting us. God shows us each day his love for us but often we miss it. I want to look expectantly each day for the love that God wants to share with me and pass it on to others. May you be encouraged to do the same. More next week.

Snow and the Sermon on the Mount

2011-02-04T10:51:00.000-05:00

It is Friday morning and I have not been out of the village of Pandora since Sunday and in fact have not driven our car or van since Sunday. The furthest I have been away from home or church office this week is the Pandora post office. I am not sure that is bad or good but it is unusual to not sit behind the wheel of a car for this long of a time. I will be driving to Findlay after finishing this blog so I will not have made it a whole week.

One of the main reasons for not going anywhere this week was that this was the week of the big snow and ice. Actually it wasn’t as bad for us as anticipated by weather forecasters and certainly not as bad as many parts of the country. The snow that was mixed with sleet and freezing rain was certainly difficult to clean off our sidewalks and driveway. Now we are waiting for the next accumulating snow to come sometime next week. Hopefully it will not materialize.

As the storm was being forecast and anticipated, it is interesting to reflect on how glued I was to the local TV news which was all about the winter storm and how I was constantly checking my computer for weather updates. What was it that created in me a desire for any information I could get on the storm? I could not change the path of the storm or diminish its effects in any way. Maybe the storm is fascinating because it shows a power that none of us can do anything about. Certainly we cannot control the weather. We can only wait for it and respond to it. (Sorry about the rambling, disconnected thoughts on the weather this week.)

This month, I am preaching on Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5, 6, and 7. John R W Stott the great English Bible expositor says this classic sermon, the so called “Manifesto of Christ” appears to be the best-known and the least obeyed teaching of Jesus.

As we study this familiar text of Scripture once more, my hope is that we will not just look for interesting new insights but that it can be a transforming passage for us as individuals and as a congregation. Me we as Myron Augsburger wrote come to the Scripture ready to obey it and allow it to change our lives.

Beatitudes

2011-01-31T09:22:00.000-05:00

Yesterday in my sermon on the Beatitudes from the Sermon on the Mount, I said I would post on my blog a couple of things that I used. This comes from a website called Empire Remixed.com and has this introduction.

In a recent sermon at Wine Before Breakfast, Joe AC, pastoral director of Parkdale Neighbourhood Church in Toronto concluded with these modern day Beatitudes from the perspective of our contemporary, self-satisfied church culture.

The Beatitudes of Our Current Church Culture
By Joe Abby-Colborne

Blessed are the well off and those
with ready answers for every spiritual question;
they have it all.

Blessed are the comfortable;
they shall avoid grief.

Blessed are the self-sufficient;
they wait for nothing, they have everything they want,
and they have it now.

Blessed are those who are not troubled by
the injustice experienced by others;
they are content with realistic expectations.

Blessed are the ones who gain the upper hand;
they take full advantage of their advantages.

Blessed are those with a solid public image
and a well hidden agenda;
they are never exposed and see people
in a way that suits their purposes.

Blessed are those who can bully others into agreement;
they shall be called empire builders.

Blessed are those who can point to someone else
who is a worse person than they are,
they will always look good by comparison.

Blessed are you when people praise you,
give you preferential treatment,
and flatter you because they think you’re so great.

Rejoice and be exceedingly glad,
because it doesn’t get any better than this.

This is the way our culture has always made celebrities of the best and brightest.
I concluded my sermon with a reflection I got from the Sojourner’s website that has preaching resources for using the Lectionary. On the website, it had the following introduction:
What follows is an examination of conscience and consciousness based on the beatitudes. It makes sense only if we truly believe that the teachings of Jesus have practical applicability in the world in which each of us lives and breathes. If we admit that relevance, we will find enough power in our fidelity to these counsels to renew the face of the earth.

The following is part of a larger article entitled Places Of Repentance. by Doris Donnelly. Sojourners Magazine, March 1984

1. "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." Do I fear being poor, in spirit or otherwise, and prefer to be rich in brains, money, or influence? Do I use the word of God to rationalize my lifestyle, or am I willing to have God's word criticize it? Do I cling to my own ideas, opinions, and judgments sometimes to the point of idolatry?

2. "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted." Do I grieve over loneliness, despair, guilt, and rejection in the lives of others? Do I minister consolation and healing, or do I encourage people to have courage, thereby avoiding the opportunity to mourn with another?

3. "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth." Do I understand meekness as the way to fight evil with good, and do I choose to live that way? How much are intimidation and force part of my lifestyle and of those around me?

4. "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall he satisfied." Have I kept myself ignorant of important current events that impinge on the misuse of justice? Are my energies and passions focused on Christ, or are they scattered, disordered, divided? Have I decided that I will not be satisfied until justice is fulfilled in my own life, within my family, my church, my community, my world?

5. "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy." Do I operate on a double standard of expecting mercy but not wanting to grant it? Do I prefer the strict law and order approach, or that of mercy, tenderness, and compassion? Are there places in my life where people are suffering because of me and my unforgiving attitude?

6. "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." Am I trusting and trustful? Do I value living without pretense, or am I constantly fearful that someone will take advantage of me?

7. "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God." Am I eager for reconciliation, or do I antagonize and yearn for revenge? Do I think apologizing is a sign of weakness? Am I willing to be a bridge in family and community arguments? Do I support violence in films, television, or sports?

8. "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account." Who are my heroes? Are there any among them who gave their lives without vengeance for what is true? Would I be willing to do the same? Do I worship security and fear costly discipleship?

9. "Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven." Do I live confident of the promises of Jesus? Do I surrender to pessimism and anxiety or do I perceive that there is a paradoxical victory in the cross of Jesus that breaks through power structures and conquers in peace and love?

Snow & Epiphany

2011-01-31T08:39:00.002-05:00

I look out of my office window this late January day and see a gray sky with more snow falling on a blanket of snow that has been here over three weeks. We haven’t been pummeled with a major snow storm but it seems like we have had snow on the ground an abnormally long time. It also seems like each day has a little bit of new snow that needs to be cleared off from the drive ways and walk ways. I certainly enjoyed the beauty of the snow in the mountains of Colorado but I admit that I am getting a bit weary of the ever present snow this winter in Pandora. The present temperatures are not all that cold but it would be nice to have just a couple of days in the 50’s or even 60’s. I missed those temperatures at the beginning of this month. When growing up in Kansas, it always seemed that we would get a few breaks from the frigid weather. I remember even having a picnic in January one year. Ohio winters seem to seldom have warm weather breaks like that.

In the darkness and dreariness of winter we need a reminder of the Light that has come to our world in the person of Jesus Christ. Epiphany is the liturgical season of the church that is known as the season of light and revelation. Epiphany begins on January 6 when the magi following the light of the star are celebrated and continues until Lent begins on Ash Wednesday (March 9 in 2011).

A key passage for Epiphany is Isaiah 60:1-3

Arise, shine, for your light has come,

and the glory of the LORD rises upon you.

See, darkness covers the earth

and thick darkness is over the peoples,

but the LORD rises upon you

and his glory appears over you.

Nations will come to your light,

and kings to the brightness of your dawn.

Jesus is the light of the world! In this season of cold darkness, we need to remind ourselves of that fact. Even though it is dark and cold outside and it seems as if winter will never end we can walk in the light of Jesus Christ. We also can bring the light of Christ to others who are walking in darkness.

The first part of the Sermon of the Mount will be the focus of our worship services during February. After the call of the first disciples in Matthew 4, Jesus explains what his kingdom is all about in this great teaching section of Matthew 5, 6 and 7.

May the Light of Jesus Christ and his Kingdom show us the way in the darkness and gloom of this winter. May each one of us share the Light of Christ to those who for some reason or another find themselves in darkness.

A Diverse Week

2011-01-21T11:10:00.000-05:00

This last week had a lot of diverse interesting events.

On Friday, January 14, we attended the Toledo Symphony Concert in the Toledo Art Museum Peristal. I great concert with a very animated, enthusiastic female conductor that was fun to watch.

After the worship service on Sunday morning, I got in the car to drive the 500 miles to Harrisonburg, Virginia for the School of Leadership Training for pastors at Eastern Mennonite Seminary. An inspirational speaker gave a new slant on the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives and in the life of the church. The congregational singing and worship is always a highlight of events like this.

I normally attend pastor’s week at Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary in Elkhart, Indiana but decided to go East this year since my daughter is a student at Eastern Mennonite University and this would allow me to spend some time with her while at the Pastors week there. We had all our meals together at the “caf” and a number of unique restaurants in Harrisonburg. My last night there, we cheered on the nationally ranked (14th in NCAA Division III) EMU Royals basketball team to a victory over rival Bridgewater College. It was a very entertaining game and fun to be with Julia and her friends.

My return trip to Pandora was fairly slow going because of snow falling (sometimes quite heavily) for about the last 200 miles. I saw three accidents but managed to keep from sliding in the ditch or tangling with other vehicles.

Last night was the Bluffton Arts series with the Burning River Brass ensemble. Again more culture! It was a great concert as I love brass music of all kinds. They were very talented.

It has been a great week with lots of wonderful memories. I hope to reflect on these a little more in my next week’s blog.

Tire Chains

2011-01-14T11:19:00.003-05:00

Our hearts have been greatly saddened by the tragic shootings in Tucson. This event reminds us that we live in a deeply fallen world and that life is a gift to be lived fully each day. As we pray for the families who lost loved ones and those who are still recovering in the hospital, we also need to pray for the perpetrator who also needs God’s love and grace in his life.

This week, I am continuing to reflect on our recent trip to Colorado.

Our driving to Colorado was uneventful. (We like the “uneventful” winter trips!) The roads were clear and dry which is something we are always grateful in cross country winter driving. One of the things I like about my GPS is that it tells me the elevations. The high plains in Western Kansas are around 4000 feet with no mountains in sight. As we were getting closer to the cabin, I wanted to see at what elevation the ground was covered with snow. That mark did not come until around 8300 feet. The cabin is situated at around 9400 feet.

The drive went fine, even over snow covered roads, until about 200 yards from the cabin. There the road is quite steep and even though the road had been plowed, it was covered with packed snow and ice and we could no longer get traction with our front wheel drive. The four kids tried to push us up the hill but the road was too steep and the van too heavy to go too far. Fortunately, a neighbor came by and offered to pull us with his 4 wheel drive pick-up. It was an easy task for him to pull us to the cabin. The next day we drove down to Buena Vista, about 20 miles away, and purchased a set of chains for the front wheels.

I had never put on a set of chains on a car before and the test came that next day after we had purchased the chains and began the climb back to the cabin. It was snowing heavily this time, even down in the lower elevations. We stopped at a level place, Phil read the instructions, and we installed the chains. They worked wonderfully! They gave us that extra traction to get us going and keep us going easily up the steepest snow covered roads. We got pretty good at taking them off and putting them on as we did not need them in the lower elevations.

Sometimes we need a “set of chains” in life when we just can’t seem to get going on some things. At times when we are “spinning our wheels” we need that little extra help to get us going and keep us going. Instead of just sitting and revving the engine and not getting anywhere, we need to stop and take the time to do what is necessary to get us going. We also can be the “chains” that can help someone else who is spinning their wheels. A word of encouragement and support can give someone the traction that is needed to get going again.

This experience with the chains also reminds me of our Psalm reading for this week, Psalm 40: 1-2

I waited patiently for the LORD;

he turned to me and heard my cry.

He lifted me out of the slimy pit,

out of the mud and mire;

he set my feet on a rock

and gave me a firm place to stand.

One final thought for today. Today (January 14) is my daughter Julia’s 20th birthday. Julia is our youngest offspring, so we no longer have a teenager in the family. In one way Julia’s birthday makes me feel quite old. In another way, it is a time of celebrating the many good experiences we as a family have had over the years. It is amazing how the years have flown by.

I have included some more pictures from Colorado.

RECALCULATING

2011-01-07T11:28:00.002-05:00

I like travelling with my Garmin GPS on while I drive. Every time I get off the main road or make a wrong turn, my GPS tells me that it is “recalculating” to get on the right road again. Sometimes, this constant voice reminding me that it is “recalculating” is an annoyance (especially when we are just getting off the main road for gas or food or other pressing needs). Other times it is a comfort reminding me that it will always recalculate a new route to get me on my destination again.

The New Year has reminded me of some new recalculations that I have needed to make to get back on track once again. Actually my inner GPS has been reminding me to “recalculate” for some time now. I look forward to getting back on my bicycle once again (when the roads are clear of snow and ice and it is a little warmer) and reestablishing an exercise program that will help me get in better physical shape and hopefully lose some weight. I want to read and study more and watch TV less. I also want to be more regular in writing this blog to share some of my reflections on ruminations on various things I am thinking about.

Travelling the 3224 miles on our winter vacation trip to Kansas and Colorado gave me lots of time to reflect. Let me first tell you a little bit about our trip. On Monday, December 29, we loaded up our 1995 Ford Windstar with our whole family who were with us for Christmas: Dianne and I; Julia, who is attending Eastern Mennonite University in Harrisonburg, Virginia; Ryan, who is serving in Mennonite Voluntary Service in Madison, Wisconsin, and Phil and Mary, who are seminary students in Fresno, California. We travelled first to Dianne’s mother’s house in Newton, Kansas and spent a day there visiting family and friends. Then Dianne’s mother joined us in an already too full van (Windstars are not really built for 7 adults and all their stuff!) for our journey to “the cabin” which is located up the Chalk Creek Canyon, between Buena Vista and Salida about 100 miles west of Colorado Springs.

“The Cabin” has been a wonderful place for us to vacation for over 25 years. Dianne’s parents fulfilled a longtime dream to have a place in the mountains and we all pitched in to build it. It has been a place of many memories for our family as the children grew up. We have been up there many times in the summer but seldom in the winter. In fact the last time we were there in the winter was 1992. So it was high time that we see the majesty of the Rockies in the beauty of winter. We were not disappointed. But I will have to stop now and finish my sermon for this Sunday. I will continue this travelogue next week. Below are some pictures of the cabin and mountains. More pictures next week.

Trip to Virginia

2010-10-15T11:05:00.001-04:00

Last week, Dianne and I travelled to Virginia to spend a day in the Shenandoah National Park and visiting our daughter Julia at Eastern Mennonite Seminary. It was a great trip and very relaxing. We drove first to Winchester, Virginia which is on the north end of Shenandoah National Park and had supper and spent the night. It had been raining from eastern Ohio to Virginia so we could not see the scenery very well. It looked like a beautiful drive as we drove alongside the Ohio River for about 50 miles but the fog, rain, spray from trucks did not allow us to see much.

The next day, that we planned to drive the Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park, dawned clear and bright. The 109 miles of this famous highway was outstanding. We stopped at many overlooks to see the beautiful valley below. Unfortunately, it seemed as if the leaves had not begun to fully turn yet but the views were outstanding none the less. We took a couple of hikes that were suggested. The first one was to a rocky overlook with a sheer cliff and amazing view. The second hike was to a waterfall. It was over a mile walking down hill to the top of the falls which were far from any motorized form of travel. We continued our walk to the bottom of the falls and got many different perspectives of the water rushing through rocky crevices and over cliffs. Fortunately, there was significant rainfall in the area the week before so the falls were full. It was a great day relaxing with each other and being close to God’s wonderful creation that we often take for granted.

After this very re-creative day out of doors, I wondered why I don’t make the great outdoors a more regular part of my life. It is true that the scenery in NW Ohio is not quite the same as the mountains of Virginia, but there are many beautiful spots to enjoy. It is so easy to get stuck in my office feeling like I don’t have time for that re-creation that can only take place out of doors.

The rest of our time was spent around Harrisonburg where Julia attends college at Eastern Mennonite University. It was good to eat with her in the “caf” for “Burger Friday” and eat at a couple of unique restaurants by the square in down town. It was also good to meet some of Julia’s friends and see what her “home away from home” is like.

On Sunday morning we attended worship at Harrisonburg Mennonite Church where Craig Maven is pastor. Craig and I had worked together at First Mennonite Church in Berne, Indiana for over six years before both of us received calls to other pastorates. It was good to hear someone else preach as that is a rare occasion for me since I preach almost every Sunday. It was especially good to hear Craig preach again as I always greatly appreciated his preaching as senior pastor at Berne.

It is certainly good to be away but it is also good to be back home in the community and congregation that we have grown to love and know we have the care and support of brothers and sisters in Christ here in Pandora.

Greetings from Camp Friedenswald in Sourthern Michigan

2010-07-09T08:40:00.001-04:00

This week (July 5-10) I am serving as camp pastor at Camp Friedenswald for 67 enthusiastic 5th and 6th graders. Unfortunately it is a very hot week with temperatures in the 90’s. The heat and humidity seems to diminish some of the enthusiasm and energy of the staff but seems to have little effect on the kids. Fortunately, I have a basement room which is relatively cool. The campfire in Mosquito Hollow feels like a sauna bath even at nine in the evening

The theme for the all the camps at Friedenswald this summer is “Cloud of Witnesses: Sharing Stories: Finding Faith from Hebrews 11:1-12:3. As camp pastor, I work with a worship team to get this theme into the minds of hearts of the campers. We use singing, skits, and various activities to do this. My specific responsibility is to pull the day’s theme together in a 7-10 minute talk at the evening campfire. It has been fun and challenging to speak to 5th and 6th graders who always seem to have an excess of energy. The kids seem to be having a good time and are engaging pretty well with the theme.

I have lots of free time to myself here. Some of the time I have worked on my sermon and worship service for June 11. Other free time, which I would normally use watching TV news and reading newspapers and magazines at home is available to be used for other things. With some trepidation and a little anxiety, I finally decided that I could be away from the media for a week. In fact I knew it would be good for me. In place of all the media, I have been reading a historical novel on Menno Simons. I have wanted to read this book by Myron Augsburger for some time but felt I never really had the time. Now, I am beginning to realize that I really do have the time for reading. Maybe this “media free” week will teach me a little more balance when I get home.

Today (Thursday), the heat has finally broken and it is raining. The rain kind of puts a damper on camp activities but it is really needed. Last night the campers were at “outpost” sleeping in tents. Even though I spent the night in my comfortable bed, I went to the boys campsite for supper and breakfast. Both were prepared over an open fire. For supper, we had pita pizza. Pita bread was cut in half and then opened up and filled with cheese, pepperonis, and pizza sauce and then grilled to perfection on the fire. Delicious! For breakfast we had sandwiches of English muffins, egg, sausage, and cheese heated together over the fire. McDonalds will never taste quite the same again !

It really is fun to be here and see how camp works and get to know the permanent and summer staff. What a dedicated group of people. Soon Saturday will be here and I will find myself back in the routine in Pandora.

Trip to California

2010-04-12T10:38:00.002-04:00

Here are a few pictures I promised from our trip we took to California a few weeks ago. It was wonderful to be out in God's majestic handiwork. Sorry I did not get all the pictures labled. They are all from the California Coastline from Monterey to the Hearst Castle, Yosemite National Park and Sequoyah National Park. More next time.

Yosemite Valley

Yosemite Falls

More Yosemite Falls

Pacific Ocean near Carmel

Still More Yosemite Falls

Hearst Castle

Swimming Pool at Hearst Castle

Diane and I at Pebble Beach

Elephant Seals sleeping on the beach

California Coastline

March 30, 2010

2010-03-30T09:40:00.000-04:00

Dear Readers,
A couple of weeks ago my wife, Dianne, shared with me a story she read from the daily Lenten email devotions from Goshen College. The story was so good, I wanted to share it more widely. I might even use it in my Easter sermon this Sunday. I hope it adds brightness to your day.
By Carolyn Schrock-Shenk, associate professor of peace, justice and conflict studies at Goshen College
I felt the heaviness of the room envelope me as I walked through the glass double doors, the security guard locking them behind me. It was 4 p.m. and I was the last person allowed into the local Social Security office. The waiting room was still full; two long, silent rows of people; faces etched with anxiety, fear and sadness; gloom wrapping them about like a shroud. This was the recession personified.
Almost immediately, my name was called and I moved forward to claim the appointment I had made three weeks before. A woman, perhaps in her mid-fifties, greeted me, then pulled up my “case” on her computer screen. She turned to me expectantly. With anxiety tripping up my words, I began to describe why we couldn’t possibly owe large amount of (alleged) overpaid disability benefits from years before.

She listened carefully, jotted a few notes, then pulled up more data on her screen. I waited, not knowing, trying to intuit what would come next.

I was astonished by what did come next. In the space of a few minutes and without an ounce of judgment, she replaced my anxiety with peace of mind. She understood why I was anxious, she said, but the next part of the process was hers to worry about. It was her job, in these next weeks, to figure out what happened and why; then she would work with me to decide how to address it. She promised to work with me until the end of the process. “It will be okay,” she said simply. “You don’t need to worry.”

I stared at her, almost undone by her compassion. Feeling an immense sense of relief, I asked her, “How can you be like this, working with sad and difficult stories every day, all day long?”
Her eyes brightened and she leaned toward me as if sharing a secret. “I love my work,” she said, with passion. “At the end of every day I go home and know that I made a difference for at least one person that day. What could be better?”

I was deeply moved; the power of her spirit transformed mine. If the people in the outer room embodied the distress of the recession, the woman in this cubical embodied the promise of abundance.

“Besides,” she then added, with a grin, “They don’t pay me nearly enough to be mean and grumpy.”

March Blog

2010-03-26T08:53:00.000-04:00

Again it has been over a month since I have made a blog entry. In that month, spring has sprung, at least according to the calendar. Actually today being cold and rainy doesn’t seem much like spring. But we did experience spring and actually a little summer on our recent week long trip to California. Since last summer, we have planned to visit our son Phil and his wife Mary who are seminary students at Fresno, California. We first flew into San Jose where Phil and Mary picked us up and we drove to the seaside city of Monterey. It was there we saw the ocean for the first time on this trip. The next day we took the famous 17 mile drive in Carmel which goes through the world class Pebble Beach golf course. Along this drive and down the coast on California Highway 1, we observed God’s power and creative handiwork in the crashing of the white waves against the rocks. We also saw sea otters playing in the foamy water and elephant seals sleeping lazily on beach.

As I have written in earlier blogs, I am much more of a mountain person than a beach person, and this trip had both in abundance. We spent a day in Yosemite National Park as well as a day in Sequoia National Park. The waterfalls in Yosemite were louder and fuller than normal due to much melting snow. God’s grandeur and majesty were evident in the falls as well as the peaks and the huge Sequoyah trees over a thousand years old.

It was an amazing trip, just what I needed. The sun shone brightly each day with temperatures in Fresno between 70 and 80 degrees. Next week I hopefully will put a few pictures in a blog so you all can enjoy some of God’s wonderful creation with me. But I will need a little assistance to do that from Charlene, my administrative assistant here at the church, who knows how to do that.

Once again I was reminded of Psalm 95 in which the Psalmist sees the greatness of God in the mountain peaks and the sea, the depths of the earth and the dry land.

1 Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD;
let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.
2 Let us come before him with thanksgiving
and extol him with music and song.
3 For the LORD is the great God,
the great King above all gods.
4 In his hand are the depths of the earth,
and the mountain peaks belong to him.
5 The sea is his, for he made it,
and his hands formed the dry land.
6 Come, let us bow down in worship,
let us kneel before the LORD our Maker;
7 for he is our God
and we are the people of his pasture,
the flock under his care. (Psalm 95:1-7)

UNKQZMRHSKM2

A Cross to Cling To…

2010-02-26T11:48:00.002-05:00

A little over a month ago, I attended an all day workshop at our seminary to prepare worship services for the season of Lent. The cover of folder had this strange looking cross along with the Lenten theme: Holding on, letting go.

Later in the day, I found out that this was a “clinging” cross and each one of us had the opportunity to make one out of air drying clay. The thought ran through my head that crafts were for children in Vacation Bible School and Sunday School. Certainly adults had more important things to do than sit and play with clay. Somehow I forgot the words of Jesus in Matthew 18:3, "Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”

Before we took the preformed soft clay into our hands, the following words were spoken:
I hold onto the protection God offers–
in the wilderness,
during temptation,
when everything seems lost.
I release my need for control—
my need to know the direction my life will take
my need to live by lists and schedules, plans and rigid rules
my craving for safety and stability.
I hold fast to that image of you as a mother hen, O God–
sheltering,
covering,
warming.
I choose your tent as my cover,
your shield as my protection,
your wings as my safe place.

I relinquish my hold on the things of this world—

possessions,
promotions,
prestige.
I open my clenched fists–
the ones that hold my fear, anxiety, and despair,
my anger, resentment, and resignation,
my pride, self-interest, and skepticism.

While reading this we were instructed to clench our fists and open our clenched fists at appropriate times during the reading. I must admit that the readings were more meaningful to me when I tightly clenched my fists and then let go. The words of holding on to and relinquishing became real as I did the physical actions with my hands.
Then we were instructed to take the soft preformed clay crosses in our hands and squeeze our hands around them while the following was read.
I hold tightly to you, Jesus—
You have been waiting for me, and you clasp me to you
I marvel at all that you give me,
and I cling to the unexpected forgiveness you offer.
The clay felt good in my hands as the cross conformed to my hands. Then we had to set them aside and let them dry the rest of the day. It was when I took hold of my hardened clay cross at the end of the day that my attitudes towards the “craft time” began to change. Holding on the cross reminded me of what Jesus did for me on the cross and I could cling to Jesus in difficult as well as good times.
I keep my clinging cross with me and throughout the day hold on to it while praying for guidance and praying for others. It helps me keep my mind focused on prayer. It reminds me of my dependence on Jesus and Jesus alone. It is not a magical potion of some sort that will work for me but a simple reminder during this Lenten season and the weeks and months to come of clinging to Jesus in every situation of my life.
If you don’t want to make one you can purchase a “clinging cross” online by googling “clinging cross” or “holding cross.” There are a variety of web sites that sell them made out of either porcelain or wood.

January 22, 2010

2010-01-22T11:05:00.000-05:00

Again, I must confess how negligent I have been in writing regular blogs for our website. It is not that I have not had lots of thoughts about various events in our lives and national and world events. Hopefully, I will be able to get on a regular routine in writing blogs rather than the sporadic schedule that I have been on

Of course the first thing that comes to mind is the earthquake in Haiti, the poorest nation in the western hemisphere. The devastation and loss of life is simply mind boggling. My prayer is that the immediate aid will be able to transcend the bottle necks and get to where it is needed the most and that many wealthier nations will be able to provide aid in the long term rebuilding of the country. I am confident that our Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) who has been in Haiti for over 50 years will continue its important ministry “in the name of Christ.” May we be generous in our support of the work MCC and many others are doing.

I have never been to Haiti but I have heard it compared many times to the Republic of Congo where I have spent a number of years. One thing I found remarkable and inspiring living among very poor people was their flexibility, resilience and amazing ability to “make do” with very little. My guess is that these qualities are also in the Haitian people and will help the survivors get through this crisis. I am not sure we who are used to having everything we need and much more would be able to cope as well. Hopefully we will never find out.

The other thing that comes to mind is that January marks one year since I received the invitation to become pastor here at Grace Mennonite in Pandora. It has been a great year even though we have had major transitions as a family. I look forward to 2010 as a year of stability as we settle in to life here in Pandora. We don’t know what the New Year and the new decade will bring but we can be assured of God’s presence and God’s guidance as we seek to live and work together for God’s Kingdom.

ADVENT: Bursting in & Breaking out.

2009-11-25T11:40:00.000-05:00

"There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. People will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken.” (Luke 21:25-26)

These words of Jesus from the first Gospel reading of Advent 2009 establish a vivid context that describes our world today: crises in the realms of economy, climate, violence and war, division and confusion in the church, and the sense of powerlessness, uncertainty, fear, even despair. Even the cosmos itself (the sun, moon, and stars, the natural order of things) seems to offer a premonition of terrible things.

In this Advent season, we are invited to maintain a kind of “bifocal” vision; to see both the big picture of God’s purpose and action and the immediacy and locality of the path just ahead of us. Both the macro and micro contexts are filled with cosmic significance. We remember God embodied in the baby Jesus, and look forward to the power of the risen Christ who is setting the world right.

The four Sundays of Advent (November 29-December 20) anticipate, explore, and celebrate the unexpected ways God “bursts in” and “breaks out” in our experience and in the world. This is a huge agenda, with cosmic significance; yet it takes form in the most humble and local and intimate of events, the birth of a child in Bethlehem.

The first two Sundays of Christmas season (December 27 and January 3) on the sending of the church, as “the body of Christ,” to live its cosmic vocation in its local context.

During this Advent season of preparation, I encourage each one of us to take some quiet time each day to slow down and reflect on the Advent Scripture readings for each Sunday. In all the lights and tinsel, get-togethers and programs, food and gift buying, let God’s word of Jesus coming into our world sink deeply into our lives. May we all know Christ anew as we reflect and celebrate His coming together.

[The above introduction is taken from Leader magazine, published by Mennonite Publishing Network. Mennonite Churches across United States and Canada are following the same Advent worship resources provided by Mennonite Church USA]

November 18, 2009

2009-11-18T11:34:00.000-05:00

It is really hard to believe that next week is Thanksgiving and the first Sunday of Advent is only 3 days later! The year has gone really fast. We are hosting the Thanksgiving meal at our house this year with my brother and wife and mother coming from Indiana and my daughter coming home for the first time after we left her in Virginia for collage in August. Our sons in California and Wisconsin will not come home until Christmas but maybe we will “skype” so we can at least all see each other.

Over the years, I have really begun to appreciate the Advent Season. I think it gives a very needed and healthy corrective to the busyness and commercialization of the so called Christmas season which seems to be in full swing in mid October. The season of Advent runs for the four weeks before Christmas day. The Real Christmas Season begins on Christmas day and continues for 12 days until Epiphany. Hence the “Twelve Days of Christmas.”

Advent makes us stop and reflect and prepare for Jesus coming into our world and into our lives. Advent reminds us to “watch and be ready” or we may miss Jesus’ coming entirely. Advent reminds us to prepare our hearts for receiving the Son of God. This has little to do with the mad preparations of gift buying, decorations, or all the “necessary” holiday foods.

I encourage all to take some time this Advent season to truly prepare for Christmas. Take some quiet time apart each day to read and reflect on the Scriptures for each Sunday of Advent. Take some time away for a prayer walk outside. Notice the winter beauty of barren trees and shuffle through the dry leaves with your feet. Take some time for a prayer walk inside a mall or large store or busy shopping. Notice the stress on people’s faces. Shoot prayer darts at each person you meet. Pray that they can be filled with joy and peace that only Jesus Christ can give.

May God bless each one of you during this Advent Season.

“Am I really that wealthy?”

2009-11-13T11:37:00.001-05:00

This Sunday, November 15, I am preaching on Zacchaeus, the wee little tax collector who scampered up a sycamore tree so that he could see Jesus. Zacchaeus got more than he bargained for. He not only saw Jesus, but Jesus stopped and talked to him up in that tree. Not only did Jesus stop and talk to Zacchaeus, Jesus said he was coming over to his house and stay with him. Well, this all follows the way we learned the story as children and Sunday School. It’s a nice story of a sinner who finally gives back to the poor much of the money that he as extorted from them and everyone is happy in the end.

However, when I began to study the story a little deeper, I found that I really did not want to preach on what I thought was a happy little story of a sinner who repents and happily follows Jesus. It is that and much more… and then the story of this wee little rich guy became downright convicting. It began to get a little too close to home. I began to see that Zacchaeus has given us an incredible example of giving. When Jesus came to the house of Zacchaeus, he responded by giving half of his possessions to the poor. He was so thrilled that Jesus would break all the social and religious norms and taboos and come to his house that his possessions took on new light. What he held on to so tightly, he now freely gave away. He was so thankful that Jesus freed him from his slavery to money and possessions that he gave a large portion of it away. Maybe this is really a thanksgiving story.

I don’t like to think of myself as rich. I can always see others as having bigger and better cars and houses than me and take exotic vacations. But one stat that I came across recently said that anyone making over $47,500 a year was in the highest 1% of the world’s wealthiest people. Another stat showed that around $47,500 is the median wage for Americans. So most Americans are wealthier than 99% of the world’s population! And I fit easily in that category! Most of us are very wealthy and we just as well as come to grips with the undeniable fact.
Now certainly we do not need any more rules as to how much we should give to the church and other charitable causes. The Zacchaeus story is not prescriptive on what we “should” do but rather “descriptive” of what one rich person did when experienced the love and acceptance of Jesus for the first time.

We have to ask ourselves several questions, and this is where it gets sticky. I don’t really want to ask these questions of myself and find it difficult to preach on because what I preach about, I had better be consistent on in my own life. The question comes to me, “How has Jesus really redefined my life and how thankful am I for the grace, love, and acceptance Jesus has shown to me?”I will preach the sermon and I will continue to struggle with what it means for me to be a very wealthy person. May God bless you all as you journey on the path of freely following Jesus.

How do we look?

2009-10-30T12:01:00.001-04:00

Exercising regularly in the fitness center at Bluffton Family Recreation has brought a number of issues to light. When the alarm rings we simply get up and throw on an old t shirt and shorts, eat some breakfast and go as we are. When we get to the fitness center, we look like we just got out of bed with hair going all directions and eyes looking kind of groggy. We really like it when the fitness center is empty or mostly empty and I think the main issue is how we will look doing our exercises. Our trainer has given us a number of exercises to help our balance. I look really ridiculous trying to balance on one foot while lifting an 8 lb. weight above my head. I am hopping around all over the place trying to balance on one foot. This shows the trainer that I need even more balancing exercises so I have good balance when older and won’t fall and break something. Why am I concerned with how I look when exercising? Certainly there is no competition. Everyone is there for the same purpose: to get in better physical conditioning.

In reality it doesn’t matter if our hair is not purpose when in the fitness center and if we look ridiculous trying to balance. Our purpose is not to look presentable but to get fit and improve our physical conditioning. Everyone in the room has the same purpose and is not checking out how other exercisers look. The fitness center is a specific place for exercising and so I am not embarrassed to do all sorts of exercises when in that room because that is exactly what the room is for.

Sometimes I think we are concerned about what people will think if they see us praying. We don’t want to “get caught” praying and so we don’t pray at all. We especially do not want others to see us using a specific prayer position like kneeling or sitting in a receptive mode with our palms up and eyes closed.

I wonder sometimes if it would help to have a specific room set apart for prayer. Nothing would take place in the room except prayer and meditation. When going into the room we would know that others in the room are praying and we would enter it solely for the purpose of praying. It wouldn’t matter if people would see us kneeling in prayer or see us trying various prayer positions (even lying prostrate before God) because all would know that that prayer is the purpose of the room.

Certainly we can pray to Heavenly Parent any time and any place. We don’t need to have a specific room in order to pray. In fact, I have found that my best prayer position is walking or riding bicycle. I have also found it very worshipful to pray while walking around the various church sanctuaries that I have been connected to. But I admit that I am uncomfortable if I think someone will find me in the sanctuary and wonder what in the world I am doing walking in circles in the sanctuary or kneeling at the railing of the balcony looking down at empty benches. Even so, I think it could be greatly beneficial to have a room dedicated for the discipline of prayer. Not all our praying would be done there, but when we would be in that room it would easier to pray without distractions and we would not forget why we were in that room.

I can exercise in other places than the fitness center but it helps me be disciplined and accountable to go to the fitness center, and exercise. Could a prayer room work in the same way? I wonder…

Blog 10 October 16, 2009

2009-10-16T10:19:00.002-04:00

My secretary reminded me one day last week that maybe it was time to write another blog. I did not realize that it has been two months since my last entry! So much for writing a regular blog! Much has happened since I last wrote. Let me catch you up a little bit.

We are now official “empty nesters!” All our kids have flown the coup and Dianne and I are home alone. Julia is enjoying campus life at Eastern Mennonite University in Harrisonburg, Virginia where she is a Freshman. Philip and Mary are studying hard at Mennonite Brethren Biblical Seminary in Fresno, California where they are both 1st year students. Ryan has moved to Madison, Wisconsin where he is part of a new Mennonite Voluntary Service unit. For his VS assignment he is doing office work at a ministry for Hispanics and a public access television station. Julia will come home for Thanksgiving break and we will all be together for Christmas.

Dianne and I are enjoying the empty nest. It is kind of nice not to have to worry about anyone else’s schedules other than our own. One of the things we have done together is join a Fitness for Life class at Bluffton Family Recreation. We have a trainer who gives us a series of physical exercises to do three times a week. I never knew how many different muscles I had and she seems to think they all need stretching and strengthening. It is not easy for either of us to get out of bed and drive to BFR in the dark to do exercises, but since we are both doing the same routine, we can challenge and encourage one another. The program also cuts down the amount of food we can eat. We haven’t really started counting calories but we have cut down our portion sizes and number of portions and cut out desserts and snacks. Again, it makes it easier since we are both on the program together. After three weeks, I am already feeling better and more energized. I will keep you posted as we continue.

Again in this season, I am reminded of God’s creativity in the beautiful fall colors which are becoming more brilliant every day. I hope everyone can get out for a drive, or better yet, a walk, or still better yet, a bicycle ride in these cool, crisp days and enjoy the changing colors our Creator has designed for us to. You won’t be disappointed.

I hope it won’t be so long before my next blog.

In the Saddle Again…

2009-08-21T11:15:00.002-04:00

I am finally back into the routine of riding my bicycle again. I have been riding regularly for a number of years but somehow did not get started after I moved to Ohio in March. Knowing that we were going to have a church bike ride on Sunday, August 16, gave me the motivation I needed to get my bike out of the basement and begin riding. I did not want to be totally embarrassed by getting pooped out on the ride and show my parishioners how out of shape I really was. With some trepidation, on Thursday before the ride, I started riding and even though it was quite hot, I found out again that I enjoyed biking and had greatly missed my time alone on the road. With my preparation rides on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, I felt pretty good on the 26 miles along the Slippery Elm Trail. Now the goal is to keep riding. I have already had two rides this week and look forward to some longer rides this week-end.

The physical benefits of riding are numerous and obvious but it is easy for me to forget that my body is the temple of the Holy Spirit (I Corinthians 6:19) and I need to take care of it. It is easy for me to think that I have more important “spiritual” things to do than regularly getting out on my bicycle and getting the physical exercise that I need to stay healthy. I have just finished reading again Richard Foster’s classic book, Celebration of Discipline. It seems to me that a chapter needs to be added on the discipline of keeping fit. I find that my spiritual life , emotional life and physical well being are all interconnected. When I am too sedentary, my spiritual life suffers. I need the regular discipline of physical activity as much as I need Bible study, meditation and prayer. I also find that when riding, I get ideas for things I am working on, and often it is easy to spend time in prayer while I am riding. I am finding some beautiful parts of our Creator’s handiwork right here in Putman and Hancock counties which elicit praise. Sometime my mind just rests as I pedal along which is also a benefit.

Pray that I can now continue to be disciplined in this important area of physical activity while I take seriously that indeed my body is a temple of the Holy Spirit.

Transitions

2009-08-07T11:02:00.002-04:00

Our whole family is in major transition this summer. I was the first to make a move as I began as Pastor of Grace Mennonite Church on March 15 and moved from Berne, Indiana to Pandora, Ohio. It wasn’t until June 13 that I was joined by my wife Dianne and daughter Julia. (I wrote about the move in an earlier blog.) They stayed in Berne until Julia’s graduation from high school on June 7. It certainly was good to have them here as it was getting pretty lonely in the parsonage.

On our trip to Colorado in July, we said good-bye to our son Phil and his wife Mary as they continued west to Mennonite Brethren Biblical Seminary in Fresno, California. Here they will both be pursuing degrees: Phil, a Masters of Divinity and Mary, a Masters in Counseling. They just had their one year anniversary of married life and had been living in Goshen, Indiana where they are both graduates of Goshen College.

Julia is presently on a missions trip to Nicaragua. She is having a great experience living in a different culture and learning Spanish. We look forward to having here back home in Pandora for a little over a week before we take her off to college at Eastern Mennonite University in Harrisonburg, Virginia. Here she plans to major in peace building and development. At this point we will truly be “empty nesters” for the first time in our lives.

Ryan, our oldest son, is also making a transition. He will be leaving his work at Swiss Village, a retirement center in Berne, Indiana, to join a new Mennonite Voluntary Service unit in Madison, Wisconsin. Now, instead of all living in Indiana, we will be spread to four states and separated by many miles. Of course, we are grateful for email and cell phones, but it certainly won’t be the same as having everyone around the supper table.

If any of you have some hints or advice on dealing with family transitions and empty nesting, I would be glad to hear them. This is all new territory for me in my journey of life and I don’t claim to have it all figured out. I take confidence in the fact that my whole family from California to Virginia, from Wisconsin to Ohio is in the loving care of our Creator.

Blog 7

2009-07-31T08:38:00.002-04:00

As the mountains surround Jerusalem,

so the LORD surrounds his people

both now and forevermore.
Psalm 125:2

It has been a week since I have been home from vacation in the majestic mountains in Colorado. Unfortunately it has been almost three weeks since I have written a blog. Sorry about that. Now that I am home, I will attempt to write a little more regularly.

After driving over 1400 miles, I felt warmly embraced once again by the craggy peaks that surrounded us. Being in the mountains brings a sense of peace and calm that few other things do for me. Here I can truly relax, knowing that the Maker of those mountains is holding me in the palm of His hand.

This was the first time in many years that I did not take my bicycle to Colorado. I have enjoyed many solitary rides up the Chalk Creek Canyon that follows an old railroad route to the ghost town of St. Elmo. The last two times I had my bicycle in Colorado, I thrilled at a 17 mile exhilarating ride from the top of Cottonwood pass over 12,100 feet down to the town of Buena Vista. I had to promise Dianne that I would not let it coast more than 35 mph, a speed that I did not exceed too much.

This year we decided to take a little more extensive hike as a family. We wanted to revisit the Poplar Gulch trail that begins above St Elmo. Walking the trail with our whole family reminded us of many hikes we took when the children were smaller. No longer do we have children riding on shoulders or in front packs or begging to be carried. Now, I wanted to be carried! We hiked up 5 switchbacks before coming to a mountain stream, where we all had a good taste of pure mountain water. Then we continued trudging up to a beautiful meadow which was completely surrounded by high mountain peaks.

It was a great morning of hiking except for one thing. My out of shape body did not enjoy it at all! I learned quickly that I was in no condition for a hike of this magnitude (and the magnitude was not all that great!) Each step ached and my breathing was labored. I committed myself on this hike never to come to Colorado again in such poor physical conditioning! I learned that I would have a lot more fun and relaxation in Colorado being in better shape. (Now that I have put this in print, I will need to follow through. Don’t hesitate to ask me how I am doing in my conditioning program!)

Blog 6

2009-07-10T08:41:00.002-04:00

Since my last blog on June 19 there have been a number of events that have impacted my thinking. The parsonage here in Pandora has begun to feel much more like home as we get more things put away and spaces organized. Dianne and Ryan have done a lot of weeding and planted flowers in the front and the back. We also have put down mulch and sprayed a healthy crop of thistles. It is good to be at home again and feel at home.
My daughter Julia and I attended the gathering of the Central District Conference in Sugarcreek June 25-27. It was good to get back to the beautiful hills and valleys of eastern Ohio. We lived near Smithville from 1997-2000. For me the best part of the CDC gathering was the worship times with input by Ched Myers on ENGAGING THE EMPIRE: Anabaptist Identity for the Everyday. I was not acquainted with Ched Myers before but found his input to be very challenging, inspiring, and strongly Biblical. He brought some new meaning to very familiar Scripture passages and emphasized the freedom we can have in Jesus and community and the slavery to stuff that our economic system depends on for stability. Find out more about Ched Myers by going to the website of his organization, Bartimaeus Cooperative Ministries (bcm-net.org/wordpress/theological-animation/). I look forward to reading his books and articles in the near future.
The very next week, I found myself along with about 7000 other Mennonites at the huge Convention center in downtown Columbus for the biennial Mennonite Church USA convention. Here are a number of quick reflections about the week at convention.
1. Convention is a place to renew friendships and old acquaintances. It seems like I could not walk more than a few yards without running into someone else that had been part of my past. It was also good to make new friendships around the table in our delegate sessions. I am very thankful for the rich heritage of relationships with people who have profoundly impacted my life.
2. Again the input and worship sessions were challenging, and inspirational. I was able to attend both the adult worship as well as some of the youth worship times. I very much appreciated the singing in the youth and adult worship times even though the styles were very different. Again it was an amazing pleasure to hear Ken Medema make up songs on the spot to close a worship session. I think this was the first time that I had seen worship with cell phones! Yes, you heard me correctly, worship with cell phones! In the darkened arena of the youth worship, cell phones were being waved with the rhythm of the music with each giving off a little light. Is this the new technology for candle light services?
3. The speaker I appreciated the most was Shane Claiborne. Again what hit me the most was my dependence on stuff and the joy and freedom that comes with freedom from stuff and living in community. Claiborne lives in community with the poor in Philadelphia and spent 10 weeks with Mother Theresa in Calcutta. One of his most memorable statements was something like “Let’s stop complaining about the church as it is and start working for the church that God dreams of.” His web site is http://www.thesimpleway.org/. I look forward to reading at least one of his books over vacation.
4. The business sessions were each morning from 8-10 am and each afternoon from 1:30-3:30 pm. We sat in table groups of 8 to discuss agenda items. Many informative reports were given about the mission of Mennonite Church USA. One emphasis was the new Corinthian Plan through which congregations will be able to provide health insurance for their pastors. It will also provide health insurance for 80-100 pastors in Mennonite Church USA in congregations that are not financially able to provide health insurance for their pastors. I was proud to be able to say that Grace Mennonite had already decided to participate in this innovative plan. Hopefully most other congregations will make the same decision soon.
5. Just today, I received my copy of the Bluffton News which had on its front page a large picture of the “Pink” Mennonites and screaming headlines about them along a very short “news” story. If I had not participated in convention, I probably would have thought that this was the major news! The truth is, that while we noticed people wearing pink shirts, which touted inclusivity of gay, lesbian, and transgender people, and saw them singing together in the halls between sessions, their presence and actions certainly did not merit front page news on any newspaper.
These are just a few personal reflections. There was much more to consider and reflect on. Next week, we will be surrounded by the beautiful mountain peaks of central Colorado. That will be a good time to stop and meditate on these events and what they mean for living as a disciple of Jesus Christ in our present culture.

Some Thoughts on Moving

2009-06-19T10:39:00.000-04:00

Last week-end, we moved the rest of our stuff from Berne, Indiana to Pandora, Ohio. I have never liked moving and after this experience, I think I like it even less. It wasn’t that we didn’t have enough help moving; we had 15-20 people help us load up and around 20 people help us unload. We certainly had enough room since we had a whole semi trailer to pack in. I would have never guessed that it would get as full as it did. I would have never guessed that all our stuff in the semi weighed a little better than 6 tons! (A whopping 12,100 lbs!) Have you ever had your stuff weighed?
I think moving more than anything else convicts me that we truly have too much stuff. I am also convinced that the longer one resides at one place, the more stuff one acquires. One thing that I don’t like about moving is showing the world how much stuff I really have. I found that I felt a little vulnerable with having so many people help. Certainly we needed the help and appreciated it very much but I guess there is something in me that wants to keep my stuff private. (This feeling is probably another indicator that I have way too much stuff!)
If all this wasn’t convicting enough, during this week of moving, as providence would have it, I read the chapter “The Discipline of Simplicity” in Celebration of Disciple by Richard Foster. On pages Foster gives ten controlling principles for the outward expression of simplicity. I found them very helpful (and convicting!).
1) Buy things for their usefulness rather than their status.
2) Reject anything that is producing an addiction in you
3) Develop the habit of giving things away.
4) Refuse to be propagandized by the custodians of modern gadgetry.
5) Learn to enjoy things without owning them.
6) Develop a deeper appreciation for the creation.
7) Look with a healthy skepticism at all “buy now, pay later” schemes.
8) Obey Jesus’ instructions about plain, honest speech.
9) Reject anything that will breed the oppression of others.
10) Shun whatever would distract you from your main goal of seeking first the kingdom of God and his righteousness.
Actually, when it comes down to it, I guess I must admit that moving is a good thing since it has reminded me of my overdependence on stuff and encouraged in me a simpler lifestyle with more dependence on God.

Some thoughts on Graduations

2009-06-11T08:39:00.003-04:00

Some thoughts on Graduations
I have attended a number of graduations this spring including a law school graduation for my niece in Indianapolis my son’s graduation from Goshen College and my daughter ‘s graduation from high school. It seems like every graduation has some similar themes of thanking the parents, teachers, and families, and looking with eagerness for a bright future filled with success. Graduates are exhorted to “Follow your Dreams” and “Go for the Stars” etc. Sometimes it all seems a little unrealistic. Certainly it is good to look to the future with anticipation, confidence and hope. At the same time things don’t always work out like we thought.
One of my favorite books of all time is Oh the Places You’ll Go by Dr. Seuss. I have given a number out as graduation gifts and this year gave a copy to my daughter. In this book which is far more than a simple children’s book Dr. Seuss joyfully celebrates future possibilities:

OH! THE PLACES YOU’LL GO!
You’ll be on your way up!
You’ll be seeing great sights!
You’ll join the high fliers
who soar to high heights.

You won’t lag behind, because you’ll have the speed.
You’ll pass the whole gang and you’ll soon take the lead.
Wherever you fly, you’ll be best of the best.
Wherever you go, you will top all the rest…

He also stresses the realities of life that come to all of us:

Except when you don’t
Because, sometimes you won’t.

I’m sorry to say so but sadly it’s true
that Bang-ups and Hang-ups can happen to you.

You can get all hung up in a prickle-ly perch.
And your gang will fly on.
You’ll be left in a Lurch.

Find a copy of the book so you cannot read the rest of the engaging and rhythmic text but also see the fanciful illustrations that Dr Seuss has been known for for so many years.
We are never promised an easy, stress free life with no dead ends and failures. Even with setbacks and difficulties we can live life with confidence knowing that God is with us and understands our situation and is always there to lead and guide.
Blessings to all the graduates and anyone who is starting a new chapter in life. Be assured of God’s presence that will be with you no matter what happens.

2009-05-26T09:22:00.001-04:00

“Always be prepared
to give an answer to everyone
who asks you to give the reason
for the hope that you have.
But do this with gentleness and respect.”
I Peter 3:15

This week a reporter from the newspaper in Findlay called to ask if she could come and interview me. She had recently began the Bluffton “beat” and found out that there was a concentration of Mennonites living in the area. She said many people realize there is a large number of Mennonites but don’t really don’t know much about them. She wanted to do an informative article about who the Mennonites are and what set them apart from the other Christians.
Her first question asked about the difference between Mennonites and the Amish and reflected the common misperception that Mennonites are very similar to Amish in dress etc. Further questions got into the meat of what Mennonites believe and why. It was a delightful and respectful time of sharing who we are as Mennonites.
However, some of the questions caught me off guard. I didn’t feel I was as clear and articulate as I wanted to be on something that is very precious to me. I realized that in our society that I always need to be ready with a clear answer about our faith and why I believe what I believe.
I have recently read an excellent pamphlet by Palmer Becker on “What is an Anabaptist Christian?” (Published by Mennonite Mission Network in their Missio Dei series). He states three core values of Anabaptist Christians based on The Anabaptist Vision by Harold S Bender in 1943. The Core Values are the following:
1. Jesus is the center of our faith.
2. Community is the center of our lives.
3. Reconciliation is the center of our work.

Certainly there is much to say about each of these core values. In the back of this pamphlet is a summary of each with a two column chart which helps explain how Anabaptist Mennonite Christians are uniquely different from many other Christians. Let me give you one example. Under Core Value #1, Jesus is the center of our faith, Becker has in the first column of “Many Christians emphasize” a brief summary of what many Christians emphasize about Christ’s death.
Many Christians focus on the holiness of God and their need for justification. They emphasize the death and resurrection of Christ without a proper emphasis on the life and teachings of Jesus. Christianity is forgiveness.
Becker has this to say in the column “Anabaptist Christians emphasize”
Anabaptist Christians affirm the holiness and forgiving grace of God but also give strong emphasis to the transforming power of the words, ministry and spiritual presence of Jesus. Christianity is discipleship.

This is only one of several contrasting statements under each of the core values. I will let you get the pamphlet and study it for yourselves. The reading and rereading of pamphlets like this help me to always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks me to give the reason for the hope that I have. I look forward to see how the reporter from the Findlay paper interprets our conversation.
May God bless each of you as you live your lives of discipleship to Jesus this week.

On Sharing One's Life Story

2009-05-15T11:21:00.000-04:00

On Sharing One’s Life Story

On Sunday evening, May 17, I will be sharing my life’s story. I’ve done this a number of times and every time it conjures up a variety of feelings both positive and negative. It is hard to believe that people are interested in my pilgrimage because in many ways it is not all that interesting. I have had a fairly normal up bringing in a fairly normal home and lived a fairly normal life. I also feel somewhat vulnerable sharing some of my weaker and lower times in life. It seems so easy to misunderstand and misinterpret the various influences that have shaped one’s unique life experience.
Yet in all this, I find it a very helpful thing to do to reflect on those high points and low points, those successes and failures, those weaknesses and strengths, and those joys and sorrows that have contributed to my life. Sometimes it has seemed like God was taking a vacation when going through some of the more difficult times in life. However, when I look back over the all the hills and valleys from my present vantage point, I can see God’s wisdom and presence in it all. I know that when I share my life’s pilgrimage, I will benefit from the experience far more than those who listen. God has worked in all my life. This also gives me hope for facing the future. While there is much I do not understand,and I still have lots of questions, I can be assured of God’s love and guidance in what lies ahead.
My favorite musician over the years has been Ken Medema, who has been a fixture at recent Mennonite conventions. His song, In My Life is especially meaningful when I think of my life. Here are the words.

As I look down the way
I have walked in my life
As I see choices made
In the heat of my life
I can see that if I knew
Everything that I know now
Then I might have changed the
Ways of my life.
My life…

I can see from this hill
All the turns in the road
Where I might have gone wrong
With no hope of return
You were always there
To pick me up when I was following
Down along the ways of my life
My life…

Somehow I cannot remember
Calling, calling on your help
When I was dashing
Dashing through my life
With all my bridges burning

I stood on the edge of danger
More times than I ever knew
And I can see that you were
Always standing there beside me
Nudging turning…nudging turning

The mistakes in my life
And the pain in my life
Into places to learn
What you mean in my life
Oh I must admit
That I have learned too slowly
I would like to say
Loud and clear

That I wouldn’t want to be without you
In my life

I wouldn’t want to be without you

In my life…

2009-05-08T10:59:00.000-04:00

Note: Writing a blog is something new for me. My plans are to put up a new blog every week on something that I am thinking about. Don’t hesitate to respond with your comments and suggestions.

The Other Side of Mother’s Day

This week we are celebrating the contributions and blessings that mothers have made to our lives. It is a day of celebrations, cards and flowers. Families get together to honor mothers and the significant role they have played.

Certainly it is appropriate to celebrate mothers and what they have meant to us. At the same time we must be aware that there is another side to mother’s day. For some, Mother’s Day is a mixed bag and for others the day is full of grief and pain. For many people, Mother’s Day is a painful reminder of a relationship that does not exist.

There are a whole variety of reasons why people and especially women feel pain on this special day.
1. Some have lost mothers and fathers to death recently and this is the first Mother’s Day they will not be a part of the festivities. Nothing is the same without them
2. Some who have lost mothers, maybe even a long time ago, even now wish they would have expressed their love and appreciation of them before they died. Mother’s Day brings back all that feeling and emotion.
3. Some have children that have moved far away. It is a lonely day especially when people see many other mother’s surrounded by their families on this special day.
4. There are those whose mother inspire feelings of hurt and anger rather than love and admiration. Some mothers have had unreasonable expectations of their children rather than love and acceptance.
5. There are those families who are in conflict and all seems like a farce, but they go through the motions of Mother’s Day anyway.

Probably the main reason Mother’s Day is full of grief and pain is the loss of children to death or the lack of children. Seeing all the happy mothers and families is very difficult
1. Some of the women who hurt are single. They have never had the opportunity ro have the children they wanted. Their biological clock is running out and they realize they may never become a mother.
2. Some are unable to conceive, infertile. One woman wrote: “There is no pain like the pain of infertility. It is devastating. My husband and I wanted children very much and seeing all our friends have children only made matters worse. We could not go anywhere without being reminded of our childlessness. Church was often the worst place because it represented families. We found ourselves withdrawing from our friends…It was just too painful.”
3. Some of the women who hurt have miscarried. Another woman wrote: “A miscarriage is a major loss and can change you forever, even if your story has a happy ending and you have children later.”
4. Some mothers who have children who died as infants. The pain never goes away. Mother’s Day is just one more reminder of their great loss.
5. Some women have children who have died as young people and as adults. Mother’s Day is a reminder of that acute pain and emptiness that nothing can replace.
6. Some women who hurt grieve for children who have chosen a different path than the one we wished for them. Maybe they do not want anything to do with the church. Maybe they are living a completely different and questionable lifestyle.
7. Other mothers grieve because their children have disabling conditions, life threatening diseases, or mental illness. They wonder why their child can’t be normal like other children.
8. Women hurt because they have given up their child for adoption.

I am sure there are other reasons why women and men are grieving on this special day. My hope is that we can all be aware of the grief and pain around us and respond to people with love, compassion and empathy. I am not saying that we should not celebrate Mother’s Day but we need to realize that not all can celebrate in the same way.