"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
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.
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?”
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.
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?
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…
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
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.
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…
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.
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
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
As the mountains surround Jerusalem,
so the LORD surrounds his people
both now and forevermore.
Psalm 125:2
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
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.
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
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.
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
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.
“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
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…
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…
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.
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.
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