I'll tell you about my hunger walk yesterday. It started out as a very busy morning. I was last minute prepping for the SAIL lesson on David & Jonathan. Diligently writing out on sticky notes the cast of characters and their corresponding bible scriptures for the Handout on friendship. I donned the 25th anniversary tee shirt for our team uniform. Switched from the yoga pants to the cargo pants and reminded myself - don't carry the iphone on the hunger trek, just becuz you have the pockets, you don't need it. Now where was that other Asic tennis shoe? Alas, it has been on safari from me for a few months. (Maybe if I took it in to work and left it there, its recalcitrant mate would appear?) So I espied the tevias. I thought, now those had actually been to Kenya where I saw many people make a daily walk with food or water. Yes, I'll wear them. Grabbed the four pages of pledge forms, the sail teaching materials, the purse. A second trip in harvested the sunblock, a cold pak for the mini cooler. Then a third trip, and finally out, down the driveway and out the "cul de sac".
I arrived and got to compliment many of my fellow team walkers on their "nice shirt"! Team Leader asked me how much I had for pledges - in a rush to get to the classroom with a cup of coffee - I said I don't know, haven't added them up. I was admonished that I had to get it done before I turned the sheets in - she's a pretty savvy team leader - no slacking off there, huh? After a fun 50 minutes or so with our students and team co-teacher finding the arrows that Jonathan shot to warn David and playing a King game, it was off to the service. Missed the announcement AGAIN on the walk - it is called the CROP walk. Sat by my friend in the sanctuary. The sunlight from the Water Window was "bathing" me brightly. Managed to get a rough total figured during the musical selections. I never did my math homework to music before, but it worked out. Oh the sermon was good too, maybe I should say "toe, too"? Guess you had to have been there to hear about feeling Great all the way to your toes. Refilled my plastic water bottle. I had been trying to pre-hydrate for once. Then I decided it was a better idea to hit the ladies restroom at church than the one at Loose Park. I couldn't believe it - I came out of the restroom with two pledges! Mary Beth pressed a bill in my hand and said she hadn't had a chance to donate to any walker yet and wanted me to take the pledge. I said yes! Had to make sure I knew her name - well I knew her maiden name and she provided the rest--she doesn't know yet that she'll get a thank you note from me. Then Ginny saw me also at the sink and wrote me a check - she was one of the "yes I will pledge to you" responses to my email from the walk ecenter. I was amazed that I would garner $30 in pledges in the restroom. It still brings a smile to my face. God is gracious in the restroom! Another lady said, oh there was a guy walking around out there looking for some one to give a pledge to! Well, I didn't get that one, but I assumed he went to the youth gathering around the pizza and found a recipient.
For once I remembered to fill the tank with gas and off to Loose Park. I took the State Line Road exit and went north to Bannister. I thought I could swing over to Ward Parkway and instead veered onto Wornall. I looked around for the iphone that I was not to carry on the walk. I was going to put in the Loose Park address-traitor. It stayed home. So I actually had to focus on the route there. Parts of it kept looking familiar, like from 75th street on north. I convinced myself that I was seeing the long route. Team Leader skunked me one year in doing that, and our 'pacer' Johnnie got me on it another year! But not this year! I was firmly going to walk the short 5K route. I got signed in, got a route map, refilled the water bottle. Saw a bride in white with 3 or 4 attendants in black dresses. Had the kodak moment when the photo was taken - you know I never do see that photo. Then our Youth Director said let's go, so a rainbow wave of Grace left about 1:20 p.m.
I got to walk with several different folks. The early start kept us in front of the usual strollers, wagons, and dogs. Then the runners strode past. As I remembered it, I switched the water bottle from hand to hand . Ah-h-h found the first water station. Filled the bottle 2/3rds. Several times, I was asked about the route and got out the map. We're taking a turn at 1.6 miles, now. Got in the groove and had to realize it was time to make the left for the short route. Another .6 mile before the next turn. I was thinking - should I stop at the Baskin & Robbins or not? I remembered money this time (it doesn't weigh as much as a phone). Then I looked to the left - there was that house with the porch and its full length curtains puffing in the breeze - and the comfy looking rattan couches. Shelby's Mom and I both remarked that we wanted to stop and go sit on the couch, put our feet up. Same as we wanted to last year when we saw it. Trudged on. Crossed at the light and there was the Baskin & Robbins. I never can remember that the door is at the corner and I'm always 5 feet past it, when I think to myself yes ice cream or no. I offered to buy Shelby & her Mom a cone. They are tough - Mom said no. Right at the 2.2 marker - well actually on the other side of the street. There was a repair truck fixing a sign after the crop walk route sign had been placed. Guess that's why you always look at the trail behind you, huh? It was time to put the thoughts of ice cream and Mary Johnson eating her ice cream cone a previous year behind me. Shelby was getting thirsty. Her Mom took the string back pack from her. We talked about how you don't get this thirsty when you swim. We sweated and she shared her tips for cooling off under the swim cap. I consulted the map on the location of the next rest stop. We made it to the trolley track trail. It's a fine gravel & powder trail. Stopped for a break. Shelby's Mom is good like that - no falling apart, but a few moments for a breather. Then we fell in behind some of our teenage girls. Still thirsty. Now we're walking in the dust. A little coaching to Jolee, no shuffling and causing dust. I suggested we adjust our stride to heel toe, heel toe. Everyone relaxed into that....for all of ten steps, then the girls started with toe heel, toe heel. There is the water rest stop. He's sitting at the Children's Place in the back of his vehicle. Asked if he had water - he said no, but he had been asking for the past 30 minutes. Hm-m-m-m.Walked out of sight of the rest stop. I was beginning to wish I had a gatorade. Finally there was a vehicle pulled up on the side street and 3 young folks and a woman were putting coolers and cups on a table. According to her, this was a better spot, since it was in the shade. Refilled the water bottle. Ah-h-h. Her cigarette smoke didn't seem so annoying after a drink of water. Back to the route. I had danced in high heels at the square dance the night before. We had a homecoming theme, so I put on the party dress and dress shoes vs dance shoes. Had to change them out at 10 pm when my feet were begining to rub. I was at the point in this walk when my feet were beginning to talk to me. No blisters or rub spots, but definitely ready to sit out a song. The only songs around now were those on the ipods plugged into the young walkers ears. Those walkers kept right on walking to the tempo of their music. On and on they went. Well I couldn't stop either. One more turn and we were back to Wornall. I kept looking for the park, but the concrete sidewalk was some slight ups and downs and another block. Oh - there was a block party with the inflatable bounce walk - were the party guests carving pumpkins? Off went the teenage girls for a closer look. Heel toe, heel toe. Shoulders up and back. step, step, step. This is more than a 5K, its a 3.5 mile. My goodness. Ahh Loose Park again! Yes! The cushy asphalt path! Off in the green space was someone with a frisbee. Were they teaching their dog to catch the frisbee? No it looked like they were practicing their chip shots for frisbee golf. There ahead is the lake. Oh I hadn't noticed the bridge before. Its another wedding! The party is all on the bridge. Its a beautiful day in October for a wedding. Up the hill past the parked cars. The congratulaters are there cheering us back to the Pavillion! Done - completed for another year! I went to check the walk stats - not posted yet.
I certainly know I didn't make that walk by myself. If there weren't others going with me, I might not have the positive pressure to keep walking and walking. I tell anyone that asks me how far I walk - that I am taking the short route, since I'd rather spend my time asking for pledges, than walking a long route. Well- all those 50 plus folks who pledged their monetary support for me Sunday - We Did IT! CROP stands for Communities Responding to Overcome Poverty. Even in these tough time, I am so thankful for everyone who is willing to give a few dollars to fight hunger - all I do is ask and the community responds. I think this year I was thanked many more times than ever before for making this effort to ask for money and to walk.
I was tired when I got home. I thought about soaking the feet in the epsom salts, but I had a blackberry pie to make. Another 20 minutes of standing to get it in the oven. Thank goodness it turned out great. Off came the tevias, the socks. I went to a dinner for 7 or 8 wearing my foot massaging flip flops. And just as wonderful was the carbohydrate replenishing Lasagna! I am blessed by the menu others planned! I came home with two gracious pledges (one more than I had remembered was promised to me).
I don't know how to close out a blog - so I think I will use a phrase from my father's cousin...please excuse all grammatical and spelling errors...I don't even know if there is a spell checker.
Written by Jane
Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Monday, August 9, 2010
Living for Pentecost
In one of my more exuberant moments, I posted on the GCPC Facebook page in response to an announcement about Pentecost Sunday, May 23rd, “I live for Pentecost!” Since often those kinds of statements do not go unpunished, Melanie Townsend finally caught up with me recently and asked me whether I would be willing to write about that on the GCPC blog. It is a daunting task – for what, after all, can be more un-Presbyterian than Pentecost! Pentecost is about as far from “decent and in order” as one can venture. On the other hand, we are a “Spirit people” if we believe, and live by, our Reformed motto of “ecclesia reformata, semper reformanda.” For we can only be truly reformed (as in “always being reformed”) by the work of the Spirit in our midst. Indeed, the church depends on the Spirit for its life, its breath, its growth.
Some would argue that we are losing membership in the PCUSA because we have strayed from the historic tenets of our faith. And I would affirm the potential truth of that, though perhaps with arguments at a 180 degree angle to those most often used to support the statement. Have we lost members because we have been too slow to let the Spirit move us? We saw much of the “Presbyterian dilemma” at the 219th General Assembly. General Assembly committees are a wonder to behold; every Presbyterian should go to a General Assembly once in his or her life, even as an observer. Yes, there is that “decent and in order” thing. But more than just once in a while the Spirit moves in extraordinary ways – and good Presbyterians of widely divergent views – come together in an almost unimaginable way to recommend a “new creation.” We saw that happen this year in committee in some important areas (“marriage equality” being one of them). Sometimes those Spirit-led “re-creations” do not survive deliberation by the full Assembly, and that was the case this year for some important matters. Yet we did make significant progress this year, and somehow the Spirit will keep us moving.
Pentecost is not just a day, or even just a season (as it used to be). It is a way of life. So I live and hope for Pentecost 365 days of the year. I’ve been fortunate to have been in churches where that Spirit was alive and persistent and amazingly visible. Churches where I could feel the sands of the Sea of Gallilee between my toes. Churches where all kinds of people came together and opened themselves to the leadership of the Spirit. Maybe one was the church where a wealthy judge could sit across the table at Wednesday night supper from a woman of much lesser means and laugh with a her as she admitted (after 50 years of marriage) that she and her husband had sort of “anticipated marriage” in his trailer before they were married – or where even the most conservative member of the congregation could hug and cry with the former Parish Associate (few had known he was gay) when he came to Ash Wednesday service just days before AIDS took his life. Maybe another was the inner city church where a homeless woman joined the choir’s processional on the first Sunday of Advent, singing “Come, Oh Come Emmanuel” in a beautiful soprano voice. Or perhaps another where the sermon might have been “disrupted” by the utterings of a couple of pewfuls of developmentally challenged youth. Or a church where a lesbian couple could have their child baptized – and know that the child, and they themselves, would be nurtured and supported by the full congregation.
If we aspire to be a Resurrection people, we have to live by the Spirit. And yearn for the Spirit and live for Pentecost every day of our lives. And perhaps a church that has the audacity to pop a champagne cork on Easter Sunday understands that. And that no matter how uncertain transition may be, if the Spirit leads, all will be well. I look forward to making that journey with you.
Virginia Lewis
Some would argue that we are losing membership in the PCUSA because we have strayed from the historic tenets of our faith. And I would affirm the potential truth of that, though perhaps with arguments at a 180 degree angle to those most often used to support the statement. Have we lost members because we have been too slow to let the Spirit move us? We saw much of the “Presbyterian dilemma” at the 219th General Assembly. General Assembly committees are a wonder to behold; every Presbyterian should go to a General Assembly once in his or her life, even as an observer. Yes, there is that “decent and in order” thing. But more than just once in a while the Spirit moves in extraordinary ways – and good Presbyterians of widely divergent views – come together in an almost unimaginable way to recommend a “new creation.” We saw that happen this year in committee in some important areas (“marriage equality” being one of them). Sometimes those Spirit-led “re-creations” do not survive deliberation by the full Assembly, and that was the case this year for some important matters. Yet we did make significant progress this year, and somehow the Spirit will keep us moving.
Pentecost is not just a day, or even just a season (as it used to be). It is a way of life. So I live and hope for Pentecost 365 days of the year. I’ve been fortunate to have been in churches where that Spirit was alive and persistent and amazingly visible. Churches where I could feel the sands of the Sea of Gallilee between my toes. Churches where all kinds of people came together and opened themselves to the leadership of the Spirit. Maybe one was the church where a wealthy judge could sit across the table at Wednesday night supper from a woman of much lesser means and laugh with a her as she admitted (after 50 years of marriage) that she and her husband had sort of “anticipated marriage” in his trailer before they were married – or where even the most conservative member of the congregation could hug and cry with the former Parish Associate (few had known he was gay) when he came to Ash Wednesday service just days before AIDS took his life. Maybe another was the inner city church where a homeless woman joined the choir’s processional on the first Sunday of Advent, singing “Come, Oh Come Emmanuel” in a beautiful soprano voice. Or perhaps another where the sermon might have been “disrupted” by the utterings of a couple of pewfuls of developmentally challenged youth. Or a church where a lesbian couple could have their child baptized – and know that the child, and they themselves, would be nurtured and supported by the full congregation.
If we aspire to be a Resurrection people, we have to live by the Spirit. And yearn for the Spirit and live for Pentecost every day of our lives. And perhaps a church that has the audacity to pop a champagne cork on Easter Sunday understands that. And that no matter how uncertain transition may be, if the Spirit leads, all will be well. I look forward to making that journey with you.
Virginia Lewis
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Refiner's Fire
Singing "Refiner's Fire" this morning in the 10 til 10 service reminded me of this. I don't know what the original source is, but I thought it might make singing that song more meaningful to others.
Melanie T
Malachi 3:3 says: 'He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver.' This verse puzzled some women in a Bible study and they wondered what this statement meant about the character and nature of God. One of the women offered to find out the process of refining silver and get back to the group at their next Bible Study. That week, the woman called a silversmith and made an appointment to watch him at work. She didn't mention anything about the reason for her interest beyond her curiosity about the process of refining Silver. As she watched the silversmith, he held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up. He explained that in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames were hottest as to burn away all the impurities. The woman thought about God holding us in such a hot spot; then she thought again about the verse that says: 'He sits as a refiner and purifier of silver.'She asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there in front of the fire the whole time. The man answered that yes, he not only had to sit there holding the silver, but he had to keep his eyes on the silver the entire time it was in the fire. If the silver was left a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed. The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silversmith, 'How do you know when the silver is fully refined?' He smiled at her and answered, 'Oh, that's easy --when I see my image in it.' If today you are feeling the heat of the fire , remember that God has his eye on you and will keep watching you until He sees His image in you.
Melanie T
Malachi 3:3 says: 'He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver.' This verse puzzled some women in a Bible study and they wondered what this statement meant about the character and nature of God. One of the women offered to find out the process of refining silver and get back to the group at their next Bible Study. That week, the woman called a silversmith and made an appointment to watch him at work. She didn't mention anything about the reason for her interest beyond her curiosity about the process of refining Silver. As she watched the silversmith, he held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up. He explained that in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames were hottest as to burn away all the impurities. The woman thought about God holding us in such a hot spot; then she thought again about the verse that says: 'He sits as a refiner and purifier of silver.'She asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there in front of the fire the whole time. The man answered that yes, he not only had to sit there holding the silver, but he had to keep his eyes on the silver the entire time it was in the fire. If the silver was left a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed. The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silversmith, 'How do you know when the silver is fully refined?' He smiled at her and answered, 'Oh, that's easy --when I see my image in it.' If today you are feeling the heat of the fire , remember that God has his eye on you and will keep watching you until He sees His image in you.
Monday, May 17, 2010
Pentecost
Acts 2:1 - 4
“Easter lasts for fifty days. The chocolate does not.” Kimby Young
I’ve learned a couple of things in 6th & 7th grade Sunday School from my fellow instructors and the students. One of those things is that Jesus ascended forty days after his resurrection, and Pentecost was 10 days after the Ascension. Now, forty is a good “Bible number.” It’s right up there with three and twelve. And forty days of wondering what was going to happen next, where was Jesus going to appear, and what was he going to say must have been exciting! But why wait another ten days after Ascension for Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit comes to and through the disciples? Why wait to really get things cooking? As I thought about these questions, I found it interesting to imagine how the early church must have felt and reacted during that first Eastertide.
Acts 1: 3, 7-9 Jesus presented Himself alive [after he rose from the dead] by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days and speaking of the things concerning the kingdom of God. He said to them, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.” And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.
Can you imagine being Peter, the out-spoken and brazen disciple? You have seen the Transfiguration and Lazarus raised from the dead. You have been on a roller-coaster ride of emotions, starting with the overwhelming joy and pride as Jesus rode a donkey into Jerusalem. At the Last Supper, you said, “I will follow you, even if it means my death.” (John 13:37) Then, there is the heart-wrenching denial in the courtyard of Caiaphas, the High Priest (John 18:15); followed by the fear and bewilderment of the crucifixion. On Easter morning, you come rushing to the tomb. You are dumbfounded and amazed by the resurrection, which gives way to absolute faith and an unshakeable resolve. (John 20:1-18) Finally, as you share a breakfast of fish and bread on the seashore, Jesus offers his forgiveness for your denial and orders you to “Tend my sheep.” (John 21:1-18)
These things take time.
Acts 2: 1 – 4 When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance.
Can you imagine being a first century Jew in Jerusalem to celebrate Passover? You may have spent a year’s wages to travel across the Roman Empire. You will be celebrating Passover with relatives you have never met before and may not even know by name. When you arrive in Jerusalem, the city is buzzing with news of the messiah! The Kingdom of God is at hand! But then reality (in the form of established religion and grinding government) steps in and crushes your budding hopes. Then, several weeks later, you are in the city square, and one of the disciples of this messiah, Jesus, is speaking in your first language, Greek. There is a tremendous babble from all of them, and you pick up snatches of Latin and Farsi. (Acts 2:9-11) They are shouting about how Jesus healed, taught, and redeemed. He was crucified, died, and resurrected! This Jesus has fulfilled the ancient prophecies. He IS the messiah! And you are among the first 3,000 who understand, beyond words, that Jesus is LORD. (Acts 2:41)
And these things take time.
Leviticus 23:9, 16 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “You shall count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath; then you shall present a new grain offering to the LORD.”
The festival of Pentecost is the first harvest festival. Fifty days after Passover, the Hebrews were instructed by Moses to make a grain offering to the LORD. This offering recognizes that all we have comes from God. God created the sun, earth, rain, and wheat kernel. God established the rhythm of the seasons. God determined the hidden workings of germination and photosynthesis. The abundance of the harvest and enough to left over to plant for next year are the gifts of God. All of these things are in God’s hands.
And these things take time.
John 12:24 Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.
For us, today, in Johnson County, things take time, too. Our calendars are ruled by the tick-tock of the Quarters, but there is also the syncopation of Lent, Easter, and Pentecost. As I thought about this repeating pattern, I realized that we are caught up in something that is bigger than ourselves: something that has roots in our ancient past and something that will keep on bearing fruit in our unwinding future. We are passing on our beliefs, our traditions, and ourselves to the next generation of Christians as surely as a kernel of wheat passes through the ground and bears much fruit. Some of us may have fallen on rocky soil or been sown among thistles, but all of us seek the nourishment of the earth, energy from the sun, and the relief of quenching rains. On Pentecost, when we celebrate the confirmation of our eighth graders, like the Hebrews, we are bringing our first grain offering to God. We are placing them in God’s hands, and praying that they will bear much fruit.
And these things take time.
“Easter lasts for fifty days. The chocolate does not.” Kimby Young
I’ve learned a couple of things in 6th & 7th grade Sunday School from my fellow instructors and the students. One of those things is that Jesus ascended forty days after his resurrection, and Pentecost was 10 days after the Ascension. Now, forty is a good “Bible number.” It’s right up there with three and twelve. And forty days of wondering what was going to happen next, where was Jesus going to appear, and what was he going to say must have been exciting! But why wait another ten days after Ascension for Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit comes to and through the disciples? Why wait to really get things cooking? As I thought about these questions, I found it interesting to imagine how the early church must have felt and reacted during that first Eastertide.
Acts 1: 3, 7-9 Jesus presented Himself alive [after he rose from the dead] by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days and speaking of the things concerning the kingdom of God. He said to them, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.” And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.
Can you imagine being Peter, the out-spoken and brazen disciple? You have seen the Transfiguration and Lazarus raised from the dead. You have been on a roller-coaster ride of emotions, starting with the overwhelming joy and pride as Jesus rode a donkey into Jerusalem. At the Last Supper, you said, “I will follow you, even if it means my death.” (John 13:37) Then, there is the heart-wrenching denial in the courtyard of Caiaphas, the High Priest (John 18:15); followed by the fear and bewilderment of the crucifixion. On Easter morning, you come rushing to the tomb. You are dumbfounded and amazed by the resurrection, which gives way to absolute faith and an unshakeable resolve. (John 20:1-18) Finally, as you share a breakfast of fish and bread on the seashore, Jesus offers his forgiveness for your denial and orders you to “Tend my sheep.” (John 21:1-18)
These things take time.
Acts 2: 1 – 4 When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance.
Can you imagine being a first century Jew in Jerusalem to celebrate Passover? You may have spent a year’s wages to travel across the Roman Empire. You will be celebrating Passover with relatives you have never met before and may not even know by name. When you arrive in Jerusalem, the city is buzzing with news of the messiah! The Kingdom of God is at hand! But then reality (in the form of established religion and grinding government) steps in and crushes your budding hopes. Then, several weeks later, you are in the city square, and one of the disciples of this messiah, Jesus, is speaking in your first language, Greek. There is a tremendous babble from all of them, and you pick up snatches of Latin and Farsi. (Acts 2:9-11) They are shouting about how Jesus healed, taught, and redeemed. He was crucified, died, and resurrected! This Jesus has fulfilled the ancient prophecies. He IS the messiah! And you are among the first 3,000 who understand, beyond words, that Jesus is LORD. (Acts 2:41)
And these things take time.
Leviticus 23:9, 16 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “You shall count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath; then you shall present a new grain offering to the LORD.”
The festival of Pentecost is the first harvest festival. Fifty days after Passover, the Hebrews were instructed by Moses to make a grain offering to the LORD. This offering recognizes that all we have comes from God. God created the sun, earth, rain, and wheat kernel. God established the rhythm of the seasons. God determined the hidden workings of germination and photosynthesis. The abundance of the harvest and enough to left over to plant for next year are the gifts of God. All of these things are in God’s hands.
And these things take time.
John 12:24 Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.
For us, today, in Johnson County, things take time, too. Our calendars are ruled by the tick-tock of the Quarters, but there is also the syncopation of Lent, Easter, and Pentecost. As I thought about this repeating pattern, I realized that we are caught up in something that is bigger than ourselves: something that has roots in our ancient past and something that will keep on bearing fruit in our unwinding future. We are passing on our beliefs, our traditions, and ourselves to the next generation of Christians as surely as a kernel of wheat passes through the ground and bears much fruit. Some of us may have fallen on rocky soil or been sown among thistles, but all of us seek the nourishment of the earth, energy from the sun, and the relief of quenching rains. On Pentecost, when we celebrate the confirmation of our eighth graders, like the Hebrews, we are bringing our first grain offering to God. We are placing them in God’s hands, and praying that they will bear much fruit.
And these things take time.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Saints among us - Israel Kamudzandu's mother
Listening to Professor Israel Kamudzandu this past Sunday was a spiritual experience, and it wasn’t just his accent. His personal story was compelling enough to be movie material. Through his mother’s example, he has learned to live and breathe the Christian spirit. And forgiveness is and was the spiritual center.
After his father was murdered, his mother raised eight children. In his home he and his siblings didn’t have shoes or much hope of going to college, but they did have each other, their mother, and their faith. If mothers can be stereotyped, his mother did not fit in your average parental box. As a young teenager, she wandered off from the village. Her family and entire village had lost her for an entire month. Returning from the bush, she told of her miraculous encounter with someone named Jesus Christ. Her story moved her father and his nine wives to become Christians. That day. After her husband was killed, she continued her role of spiritual leader by forgiving her husband’s murderer. In front of her village she turned down offers of money and animals and chose the path of peace. Her request for her family’s safety and her public grant of forgiveness gave her heart freedom, the freedom that Christ gives to all of us.
But we were listening to Israel, not his mother. He was someone who beat the odds on so many levels: he had committed to Jesus from an early age; beginning in his tender teenage years had moved people to Christianity; was the first to graduate from college in his village; forgave his father’s murderer; and works to change the world through forgiveness and reconciliation. With all of this, he shared a nearly universal experience: resolving the toothpaste tube debate between spouses (how do you deal with someone when they don’t know the correct place to squeeze?)
God has blessed us with many people in our path. Israel truly was a blessing to our adult education class, as was his mother.
Written by Tracy
After his father was murdered, his mother raised eight children. In his home he and his siblings didn’t have shoes or much hope of going to college, but they did have each other, their mother, and their faith. If mothers can be stereotyped, his mother did not fit in your average parental box. As a young teenager, she wandered off from the village. Her family and entire village had lost her for an entire month. Returning from the bush, she told of her miraculous encounter with someone named Jesus Christ. Her story moved her father and his nine wives to become Christians. That day. After her husband was killed, she continued her role of spiritual leader by forgiving her husband’s murderer. In front of her village she turned down offers of money and animals and chose the path of peace. Her request for her family’s safety and her public grant of forgiveness gave her heart freedom, the freedom that Christ gives to all of us.
But we were listening to Israel, not his mother. He was someone who beat the odds on so many levels: he had committed to Jesus from an early age; beginning in his tender teenage years had moved people to Christianity; was the first to graduate from college in his village; forgave his father’s murderer; and works to change the world through forgiveness and reconciliation. With all of this, he shared a nearly universal experience: resolving the toothpaste tube debate between spouses (how do you deal with someone when they don’t know the correct place to squeeze?)
God has blessed us with many people in our path. Israel truly was a blessing to our adult education class, as was his mother.
Written by Tracy
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Ruminations on faith
Who do you pray to? Do you pray to God, to Jesus, or someone else? This may seem like an odd question, but if you ask around, I bet you might get varying answers.
For example, when I pray, I usually start it with, "Dearest heavenly Father. ." Why? You may ask. In response I might say, "When I pray, I think of praying to God; I'm a pray-to-the-top kind of girl." I have had discussions with friends and family about it. I have had people call me names, or claim that I have not been "saved" because I don't identify with the idea of praying to Jesus. I have confessed, I have received communion, I have been confirmed, and yet, I haven't been "saved"? I believe Jesus died on the cross for us. Jesus was the human embodiment of God.
Perhaps it is in how I was brought up. Even as an adult, if you need something or quite possibly are in trouble of some sort, "Go ask your parents." God is the Father, so talk to God.
Does it make a difference? I hope not. I like to believe that God just wants us to pray. God just wants us to have a personal relationship with Him. So often though, when we pray, it's rote. We pray the same way every time, in a mechanical way without thinking of what we are praying. While this has meditative benefits, I challenge you to think about what you are praying. Who you are praying to, and why you are praying. I'm going to do it too.
What do you pray about? Are you asking for health, wealth, happiness? Are you praying for yourself or others? Do you pray the Our Father or some other prayer or scripture passage? I confess when I'm on an airplane and it's about to take off, I close my eyes and recite the Our Father and Hail Mary in my mind until I feel like the plane has leveled off.
We believe in a triune God; the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. We believe God is all-in-one, and still some may pray to Jesus, or to the Holy Spirit (Holy Ghost depending on where you came from and what time). There is no answer. I don't claim to know. I think perhaps it comes down to what you are comfortable with. I think we are only expected to question, consider, and believe. We should have faith.
Written by Christine
For example, when I pray, I usually start it with, "Dearest heavenly Father. ." Why? You may ask. In response I might say, "When I pray, I think of praying to God; I'm a pray-to-the-top kind of girl." I have had discussions with friends and family about it. I have had people call me names, or claim that I have not been "saved" because I don't identify with the idea of praying to Jesus. I have confessed, I have received communion, I have been confirmed, and yet, I haven't been "saved"? I believe Jesus died on the cross for us. Jesus was the human embodiment of God.
Perhaps it is in how I was brought up. Even as an adult, if you need something or quite possibly are in trouble of some sort, "Go ask your parents." God is the Father, so talk to God.
Does it make a difference? I hope not. I like to believe that God just wants us to pray. God just wants us to have a personal relationship with Him. So often though, when we pray, it's rote. We pray the same way every time, in a mechanical way without thinking of what we are praying. While this has meditative benefits, I challenge you to think about what you are praying. Who you are praying to, and why you are praying. I'm going to do it too.
What do you pray about? Are you asking for health, wealth, happiness? Are you praying for yourself or others? Do you pray the Our Father or some other prayer or scripture passage? I confess when I'm on an airplane and it's about to take off, I close my eyes and recite the Our Father and Hail Mary in my mind until I feel like the plane has leveled off.
We believe in a triune God; the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. We believe God is all-in-one, and still some may pray to Jesus, or to the Holy Spirit (Holy Ghost depending on where you came from and what time). There is no answer. I don't claim to know. I think perhaps it comes down to what you are comfortable with. I think we are only expected to question, consider, and believe. We should have faith.
Written by Christine
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
New life in the garden
On March 18 the sun came out. The kids had been home all week for spring break and it was finally a BEAUTIFUL day. So, while the kids played in the yard, I started de-wintering the garden. I cut back dead plants, pulled off leaves that we had put down to protect plants, etc. I knew when I started that some green shoots were starting to come up, but as I removed the dead stuff, but I was amazed by the verdant abundance underneath it all. This, I thought, is why we celebrate Easter at this time of year.
I’ve always thought of Easter, and spring, as a time of rebirth, but now I’m thinking of it differently. I’ve always thought that Jesus came to bring new life to God’s people, but what if he didn’t – what if he came to remove the dead coverings and expose the life underneath?
We need to celebrate Easter every year because every year the joy of God’s love gets trapped underneath the things that weigh us down in the world – the dead stuff that mutes our feelings. Each Easter is an opportunity to peel back the dry, rotted parts and expose the young new shoots of life to the sunshine, so they can grow. It’s hard work (I had the sore arms and legs the next day to prove it!) but it is so worthwhile.
Are you experiencing new life this week? If not, what do you need to cut back so it can shine through?
Melanie
I’ve always thought of Easter, and spring, as a time of rebirth, but now I’m thinking of it differently. I’ve always thought that Jesus came to bring new life to God’s people, but what if he didn’t – what if he came to remove the dead coverings and expose the life underneath?
We need to celebrate Easter every year because every year the joy of God’s love gets trapped underneath the things that weigh us down in the world – the dead stuff that mutes our feelings. Each Easter is an opportunity to peel back the dry, rotted parts and expose the young new shoots of life to the sunshine, so they can grow. It’s hard work (I had the sore arms and legs the next day to prove it!) but it is so worthwhile.
Are you experiencing new life this week? If not, what do you need to cut back so it can shine through?
Melanie
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