Well! It has been 2 weeks since I've last posted. Why? Well ya shoulda seen last week! Just a whole lot happened that made for - shall we say - a very "interesting" week. Some of it the usual ups and downs of life - both personally and in church life. Some of it highly unusual - those "middle-of-the-night phone calls" kind of events. You know the ones I'm talking about - the phone calls that change life in a heartbeat.
Part of what happened to me last week is that I came to a realization that yes, it really is only 3 weeks until our son Craig's wedding (2 weeks as I write this). WHAT?!?!?!?! How did that happen? Okay, okay, what with moving to a new home, officiating at an out-of-town wedding, spending a week teaching at Jumonville Retreat Center, acclimating to a new home, new church and new community - maybe, just maybe I've been a little preoccupied with other things.
But on a deeper level - how did it happen? How did my "baby boy" become a man so quickly? How did my first-born grow up so fast? It seems as though just last week that I had to make my way through his Lego building maze in the living room where he built castle after castle for his "He-Man" characters that he played with hour on end. Wasn't it just yesterday that he was exploring his toes for the first time? I remember the day I carried him home from the hospital - all 8 pounds 10 ounces of him, scared to death that I wouldn't know how to care for this precious life God had entrusted to my care. Would I know what he wanted when he cried? What if he got sick? Would I be able to show him how much I loved him - would he ever realize how much I loved him?
It hit me last week as I finally found my "mother-of-the-groom" dress that this was really happening. He would really stand with Meghan, holding hands and promising each other their loyalty and love for a lifetime. To paraphrase the song "Sunrise, Sunset," - 'Where is my little boy at play? I don't remember growing older, when did he?'
Steve Miller is a songwriter & singer from the 1960's & 1970's -- "my music," which is now on Oldies radio channels I might add! (Another 'how did that happen' moment, too!) Steve Miller sang a song, the refrain of which is "Time keeps on slippin', slippin', slippin', into the future." That's about how I feel right now - time keeps on slippin' away into the future while I keep saying, "Some day I'd like to...travel more...devote more time to some of my hobbies like quilting and needlework...learn how to weave on a loom and tat...read more...etc., etc., etc." If not now, then when? It's kind of like the old adage - you never see "I wish I spent more time at work" on some one's tombstone.
The preacher writes in Ecclesiastes, "To every thing there is a season and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to dance; a time to throw away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; a time to seek and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to throw away; a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace." (Ecclesiastes 3:1-7)
In the 1960's a band called The Byrds sang a song based on this passage of Scripture and added, "I hope it's not too late." I really must be feeling nostalgic with all these 1960's song references, but I guess it's part of where I'm at with all the transitions going on in our lives this year - living the farthest away from our hometowns since our marriage over 27 years ago, adjusting to all the new things in our lives, and the marriage of our son with the addition of a new family member, Meghan our soon to be daughter-in-law. I hope it's not too late to live life to its fullest.
Maybe it's all about balance -- knowing what season of life we're in, realizing what it's time for. In two weeks it will be a time to weep and a time to dance. Come September 1 (Craig's & Meghan's wedding date) I'll be doing a bit of both - dancing for joy at their happiness and the wonderful young man Craig has grown to be - but also some weeping - both tears of joy and tears of pain. Joy for the beginning of Craig's and Meghan's lives together and a little twinge at my heart strings for "my little boy grown to be a man."
The one thing I know for certain is the fact that God is the author and owner of all time. The preacher in Ecclesiastes says it this way: "I know that whatever God does endures forever; nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it; God has done this, so that all should stand in awe before him. That which is, already has been; that which is to be, already is; and God seeks out what has gone by." (Ecclesiastes 3:14-15).
So on September 1, 2007, I'll be sitting in the front row on the groom's side with a smile on my face and tears in my eyes, savoring the convergence of past memories, the present moment and future hope for our lives together, knowing that our past, present and future are all a part of the eternity of God. And I'll stand in awe before God.
By God's Grace,
Michelle
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Thursday, August 2, 2007
Visitors
We had some visitors at Christ Church this past Sunday. The Focus Quartet, a local Christian singing group, was here for our combined worship service - but they're not the visitors to which I'm referring. There were those who came to listen to the Focus Quartet who do not usually attend Christ Church - but they're not the visitors to which I'm referring, either.
We had visitors of another sort - the four-legged, furry, odiferous sort of visitors. When I arrived to the church on Sunday morning, our janitor Adam said, "We have bees." I wasn't surprised because we're having the flat roofs of the education, youth and office wings of the church replaced with peaked roofs and knew that the roofers had discovered some bees or wasps in the eaves. They'd been flushed down into the building. "And" Adam said, "we have skunks." Now, I'd seen a skunk in the back yard of the parsonage a few times at night, so again, I wasn't surprised and I told Adam this. Adam responded, "No, I mean we have skunks right now - in the window well.
So, we walked down the hallway and out the door that faces the parsonage, peeked around the back of the church building and there they were. Two, maybe three, black and white furry, musky-smelling skunks huddled in a sleeping pile in the corner of the window well. They didn't seem disturbed by us and we certainly were NOT going to disturb them. So, we came in and we talked a bit about whether they'd be able to get out or not but we weren't going to fuss with it right then.
When I walked home from church, I peeked around the corner and they were still there. One of the skunks looked up at me and seemed a bit curious, but since I was more aware of the consequences of getting too close to a skunk than I was curious, I ducked back around the building and walked home.
But I've got to admit I was curious. Could they get out? I can't say I like skunks, but I don't like to think that any living creature would die because they couldn't get out of a window well. And we had just heard someone from the Game Commission at their booth at Discover Presque Isle Days talking about how misunderstood the skunk is. They're curious and quite helpful since they eat grubs and insect larvae. And he had a stuffed and mounted skunk -- it was kind of cute.
So, I got on the Internet and did a Google search with these words: "skunk window wells." Guess what - seems like this thing happens quite frequently. The websites I found said skunks fall in window wells all the time because they're near-sighted. Since they're not good climbers, they're trapped until someone helps them out.
Okay, I'm game how do you help them out? Three ways: 1. If the window well is 2-feet deep or less, place a flat, wide board at a 45 degree angle and they'll climb out by night-fall, 2. If the window well is more than 2-feet deep, put a piece of stinky cheese in a pet carrier, carefully lower it into the window well, when the skunk is busy gnawing on the stinky cheese, carefully raise the carrier like an elevator, being careful the skunk can't reach through and bite you, place it on the ground and when the skunk is done with the cheese, she'll leave, AND 3. If you know what you're doing, put on heavy, thick gloves, grab the skunk around the middle firmly, and lift it out of the window well.
Since I do NOT know what I'm doing (and even if I did) the third option was out. I was not about to measure the window well, plus I just saw the 2nd method ending badly for me. So, let's try the first option. I'm the type that if I can make do with something that's close enough, I'll usually try that first. We didn't have any flat planks, but we have a wood pile for the fireplace (which by the way, I've since found out probably attracts the skunks for a hiding place during the day!). I find the longest, widest branch I can find and proceed to the window well.
I get down low, place the branch very quietly in the window well. When the skunks back up and raise their tails I'm gone! It took 4 or 5 tries, but I got the branch down in the window well at an angle. My family and I went to Presque Isle for the evening to watch the sunset on the beach. We stop for ice cream on our way back. By the time we get home, it's dark.
I gingerly proceed to the window well, hoping to find the skunks gone. I look into the window well and there they are - 3 skunks, a mom and her 2 babies, perfectly lined up in a row - staring at the branch. Like a skunk has never seen a branch before - don't these things live in the wild? I wonder if the branch isn't wide enough, so back the wood pile for another branch. I dig through the pile until I find another branch, which I lay alongside the other branch even MORE carefully than before because now the skunks are awake and none too happy about finding themselves still trapped in the window well and now I'm poking a big stick at them. I checked on them a few more times that night and found them anxiously wandering around in circles, probably pondering their situation. I finally found them huddled back in the corner. Now I'm concerned, because I don't want to see them die and if I call animal control, I'm not sure they're allowed to release them again or if they have to euthanize them. I go to bed that night and hope for the best. And when I got up in the morning, the window well was empty with no signs of foul play by the neighborhood cat.
It's made me think about our own journeys. How many times are we ambling along happy as can be and because we're "near-sighted" about things, we find ourselves trapped in a hole we can't get out on our own. Others may come along and try to help us out, but it seems as though they're just poking big sticks at us, and out of fear and lack of awareness of their intent, we posture ourselves ready to defend ourselves by spraying others so that they stay away. Finally we realize there may be a way out, but it seems scary - way too narrow, bumpy, and uncertain. Do we stay in the hole we've found ourselves in and face a certain demise or do we take the risky step of venturing on a path that seems unsteady, with no certainty of where it leads, but just might get us out of our predicament? How often does God's grace make itself known and we reject it out of fear of knowing what lays at the end of the path provided?
I'm glad the skunks are gone and I'd like to think safely on their way. I'd like to think that God's grace saw them safely home. And the next time I'm feel trapped, I hope I remember the skunks and how I made every effort to help them and wished I could make them understand I meant only to help them -- and recall to mind Jesus' words from the gospels, "If you then who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him!" (Matthew 7.11)
By God's Grace,
Michelle
We had visitors of another sort - the four-legged, furry, odiferous sort of visitors. When I arrived to the church on Sunday morning, our janitor Adam said, "We have bees." I wasn't surprised because we're having the flat roofs of the education, youth and office wings of the church replaced with peaked roofs and knew that the roofers had discovered some bees or wasps in the eaves. They'd been flushed down into the building. "And" Adam said, "we have skunks." Now, I'd seen a skunk in the back yard of the parsonage a few times at night, so again, I wasn't surprised and I told Adam this. Adam responded, "No, I mean we have skunks right now - in the window well.
So, we walked down the hallway and out the door that faces the parsonage, peeked around the back of the church building and there they were. Two, maybe three, black and white furry, musky-smelling skunks huddled in a sleeping pile in the corner of the window well. They didn't seem disturbed by us and we certainly were NOT going to disturb them. So, we came in and we talked a bit about whether they'd be able to get out or not but we weren't going to fuss with it right then.
When I walked home from church, I peeked around the corner and they were still there. One of the skunks looked up at me and seemed a bit curious, but since I was more aware of the consequences of getting too close to a skunk than I was curious, I ducked back around the building and walked home.
But I've got to admit I was curious. Could they get out? I can't say I like skunks, but I don't like to think that any living creature would die because they couldn't get out of a window well. And we had just heard someone from the Game Commission at their booth at Discover Presque Isle Days talking about how misunderstood the skunk is. They're curious and quite helpful since they eat grubs and insect larvae. And he had a stuffed and mounted skunk -- it was kind of cute.
So, I got on the Internet and did a Google search with these words: "skunk window wells." Guess what - seems like this thing happens quite frequently. The websites I found said skunks fall in window wells all the time because they're near-sighted. Since they're not good climbers, they're trapped until someone helps them out.
Okay, I'm game how do you help them out? Three ways: 1. If the window well is 2-feet deep or less, place a flat, wide board at a 45 degree angle and they'll climb out by night-fall, 2. If the window well is more than 2-feet deep, put a piece of stinky cheese in a pet carrier, carefully lower it into the window well, when the skunk is busy gnawing on the stinky cheese, carefully raise the carrier like an elevator, being careful the skunk can't reach through and bite you, place it on the ground and when the skunk is done with the cheese, she'll leave, AND 3. If you know what you're doing, put on heavy, thick gloves, grab the skunk around the middle firmly, and lift it out of the window well.
Since I do NOT know what I'm doing (and even if I did) the third option was out. I was not about to measure the window well, plus I just saw the 2nd method ending badly for me. So, let's try the first option. I'm the type that if I can make do with something that's close enough, I'll usually try that first. We didn't have any flat planks, but we have a wood pile for the fireplace (which by the way, I've since found out probably attracts the skunks for a hiding place during the day!). I find the longest, widest branch I can find and proceed to the window well.
I get down low, place the branch very quietly in the window well. When the skunks back up and raise their tails I'm gone! It took 4 or 5 tries, but I got the branch down in the window well at an angle. My family and I went to Presque Isle for the evening to watch the sunset on the beach. We stop for ice cream on our way back. By the time we get home, it's dark.
I gingerly proceed to the window well, hoping to find the skunks gone. I look into the window well and there they are - 3 skunks, a mom and her 2 babies, perfectly lined up in a row - staring at the branch. Like a skunk has never seen a branch before - don't these things live in the wild? I wonder if the branch isn't wide enough, so back the wood pile for another branch. I dig through the pile until I find another branch, which I lay alongside the other branch even MORE carefully than before because now the skunks are awake and none too happy about finding themselves still trapped in the window well and now I'm poking a big stick at them. I checked on them a few more times that night and found them anxiously wandering around in circles, probably pondering their situation. I finally found them huddled back in the corner. Now I'm concerned, because I don't want to see them die and if I call animal control, I'm not sure they're allowed to release them again or if they have to euthanize them. I go to bed that night and hope for the best. And when I got up in the morning, the window well was empty with no signs of foul play by the neighborhood cat.
It's made me think about our own journeys. How many times are we ambling along happy as can be and because we're "near-sighted" about things, we find ourselves trapped in a hole we can't get out on our own. Others may come along and try to help us out, but it seems as though they're just poking big sticks at us, and out of fear and lack of awareness of their intent, we posture ourselves ready to defend ourselves by spraying others so that they stay away. Finally we realize there may be a way out, but it seems scary - way too narrow, bumpy, and uncertain. Do we stay in the hole we've found ourselves in and face a certain demise or do we take the risky step of venturing on a path that seems unsteady, with no certainty of where it leads, but just might get us out of our predicament? How often does God's grace make itself known and we reject it out of fear of knowing what lays at the end of the path provided?
I'm glad the skunks are gone and I'd like to think safely on their way. I'd like to think that God's grace saw them safely home. And the next time I'm feel trapped, I hope I remember the skunks and how I made every effort to help them and wished I could make them understand I meant only to help them -- and recall to mind Jesus' words from the gospels, "If you then who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him!" (Matthew 7.11)
By God's Grace,
Michelle
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Why?
I'm a bit shaken today. I've received an email from our District Office for an urgent prayer concern for one of our retired pastors, his wife and family. His daughter and her family were the victim of a horrific home invasion. Perhaps you saw it on the news: a doctor and his family in Connecticut, the Dr. William Petit was severely beaten, his wife Jennifer Hawke-Petit and their daughters Hayley & Michaela were murdered and then their home set ablaze by the invaders in order to cover their tracks. I don't know this colleague of mine nor his family, but my heart is breaking for them all the same.
What perpetrates such evil? He was a endocrinologist, his wife a nurse and the head of the health department of a private boarding school, so I'm assuming they were fairly wealthy. The news describes their home as part of an "upper-middle class neighborhood." And the news reports that one of the intruders forced Jennifer to go to the bank to withdraw money. And while I can't justify robbery, on some level I get why some people would feel desperate enough to force someone to give them their money. But to violate these innocent people - to make a deliberate attempt to destroy their lives and bring such devastation to those who know and love these people? I guess in a nutshell I'm asking the age-old question - why?
Since I've entered pastoral ministry over 12 years ago, there is one thing I hear over and over again from people - "We're not supposed to ask why." I always challenge that comment, because of two things: 1) God has made it part of our human nature to seek to make sense of things, and 2) If our Lord Jesus Christ could quote Psalm 22:1, asking, "My God, My God, why have you forsaken me," as he hung dying on a cross, I think we can ask God why, also.
It's okay to ask why, the key is where we take our "whys." When we take our "whys" to God, we take them to the right place. It's okay to ask God "why" - don't always expect an answer - don't always expect things to make sense - but, in taking our "whys" to God, we allow God into our hearts and minds, and there God can transform our fears, our anxieties, our anger, our jealousies, our yearnings, etc. If we take our "whys" to God, then God can begin to heal our deepest hurts. If we take our "whys" to God, God can begin to help use the worst of things in our lives for good.
Some of the earliest theological questions people asked were questions of theodicy -- If God is good and God is all powerful, then why is there evil in the world? I can give you all the theological explanations that have been used down through the ages to explain how a good and all-powerful God would allow evil to exist in this world. I enjoy discussing and grappling with the answer to this question, but in the end I'm faced with this question: "What do you say to someone who has experienced the kind of evil like what we read about in the Hawke and Petit families?"
I can't explain with certainty why these kinds of evil things happen in the lives of good people. I do believe that God created human beings with free will - and some human beings use their free will to choose evil. God's desire is that we would choose God's way and God's grace enables us to do so. Some have chosen their own way and while I appreciate all of the explanations of why people might get caught up in destructive patterns, ultimately there is no excusing this kind of behavior. I'm not sure that anyone can offer a pat answer as to why these kinds of things happen - ultimately only God knows.
What we know is that our good, all-powerful God is always with us. Jesus promised us that when after his crucifixion and resurrection he said to his disciples, "Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." (Matthew 28:20)
So, while we cannot assert we know for certainty why these things happen, we do know that our God is with us, and if we trust him with everything in our lives, our God will work out everything - even the most heinous of things that happen in our lives - for good. We know every detail of our lives of love for God is worked into something good. (Romans 8:28, The Message)
So what do we say to someone who is suffering so much? Sometimes we can't say anything, all we can do is offer our presence. Before we offer any explanation, maybe we just show up and state that we don't know what to say, but we're there to uphold those who suffer, offering them the light of Christ when there seems to be only darkness around them. Go be the best Jesus you can be to someone today --- and hug your family and tell them you love them.
By God's Grace,
Michelle
What perpetrates such evil? He was a endocrinologist, his wife a nurse and the head of the health department of a private boarding school, so I'm assuming they were fairly wealthy. The news describes their home as part of an "upper-middle class neighborhood." And the news reports that one of the intruders forced Jennifer to go to the bank to withdraw money. And while I can't justify robbery, on some level I get why some people would feel desperate enough to force someone to give them their money. But to violate these innocent people - to make a deliberate attempt to destroy their lives and bring such devastation to those who know and love these people? I guess in a nutshell I'm asking the age-old question - why?
Since I've entered pastoral ministry over 12 years ago, there is one thing I hear over and over again from people - "We're not supposed to ask why." I always challenge that comment, because of two things: 1) God has made it part of our human nature to seek to make sense of things, and 2) If our Lord Jesus Christ could quote Psalm 22:1, asking, "My God, My God, why have you forsaken me," as he hung dying on a cross, I think we can ask God why, also.
It's okay to ask why, the key is where we take our "whys." When we take our "whys" to God, we take them to the right place. It's okay to ask God "why" - don't always expect an answer - don't always expect things to make sense - but, in taking our "whys" to God, we allow God into our hearts and minds, and there God can transform our fears, our anxieties, our anger, our jealousies, our yearnings, etc. If we take our "whys" to God, then God can begin to heal our deepest hurts. If we take our "whys" to God, God can begin to help use the worst of things in our lives for good.
Some of the earliest theological questions people asked were questions of theodicy -- If God is good and God is all powerful, then why is there evil in the world? I can give you all the theological explanations that have been used down through the ages to explain how a good and all-powerful God would allow evil to exist in this world. I enjoy discussing and grappling with the answer to this question, but in the end I'm faced with this question: "What do you say to someone who has experienced the kind of evil like what we read about in the Hawke and Petit families?"
I can't explain with certainty why these kinds of evil things happen in the lives of good people. I do believe that God created human beings with free will - and some human beings use their free will to choose evil. God's desire is that we would choose God's way and God's grace enables us to do so. Some have chosen their own way and while I appreciate all of the explanations of why people might get caught up in destructive patterns, ultimately there is no excusing this kind of behavior. I'm not sure that anyone can offer a pat answer as to why these kinds of things happen - ultimately only God knows.
What we know is that our good, all-powerful God is always with us. Jesus promised us that when after his crucifixion and resurrection he said to his disciples, "Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." (Matthew 28:20)
So, while we cannot assert we know for certainty why these things happen, we do know that our God is with us, and if we trust him with everything in our lives, our God will work out everything - even the most heinous of things that happen in our lives - for good. We know every detail of our lives of love for God is worked into something good. (Romans 8:28, The Message)
So what do we say to someone who is suffering so much? Sometimes we can't say anything, all we can do is offer our presence. Before we offer any explanation, maybe we just show up and state that we don't know what to say, but we're there to uphold those who suffer, offering them the light of Christ when there seems to be only darkness around them. Go be the best Jesus you can be to someone today --- and hug your family and tell them you love them.
By God's Grace,
Michelle
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Memories...
I missed posting last week because I was working at one of our Western PA Conference camps - Jumonville. Jumonville is in Hopwood - about 2 miles southeast of Uniontown in Fayette County. Jumonville is like a second home for our family - Steve and I have spent at least 1 week there every year for the past 24 years. We raised our children going to Jumonville. Our son Craig spent 3 summers as Program Staff there and now deans a camp every year. Our daughter has spent several weeks every year volunteering as a counselor for various camps at Jumonville. Jumonville is a special place for us.
We were at Jumonville last week for Creative Arts Thing Camp - C.A.T. Camp for short. We started going to CAT Camp at Jumonville in 1991 as a family vacation. Now Steve is in charge of child care and Ellen and I teach classes. And after 16 years at CAT Camp we've made some very special friends, friends that we only see once a year.
Every year at camp we have some campers who get homesick - usually the elementary campers and most of the homesickness passes by Tuesday or Wednesday. But this year there was an older camper who ended up homesick at the end of the week - me!
This year on our way home from camp we were able to meet our son Craig & his fiancee for lunch in Irwin, PA. Now, Irwin is where we lived for 20 years and where we raised our children. We've not been in Irwin for probably 3 years. It was odd to be in such a familiar place and feel so out of place, having not been a part of the community now for over 5 years. It really surprised me to have such an emotional reaction of homesickness.
I guess I shouldn't be surprised. We have a lot of changes going on in our family this year - a new church, new home, new community, a new family member to be added in September (our son's fiancee), and Steve has a momentous birthday next month (the big 5-0) and I'm not far behind him! Changes like these cause you to reminisce and realize the brevity of life. The older I get the faster time seems to go.
It makes me think of the preacher in Ecclesiastes who writes: "For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven." And then the author spells out all the seasons of life -- birth-death, war-peace, planting-reaping, killing-healing, destroying-constructing, loving-hating, crying-laughing, letting go-holding on. (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8)
It's the last one that's sometimes the hardest -- knowing when to let go and when to hold on. Holding on to memories is good, but holding out for things to always remain the same in this life will bring us heartache and disappointment every time. We need God's wisdom to know when to let go of what used to be, in order to embrace the infinite possibilities God has in store for us through the next stage of life God has in store for us.
Make no mistake, we are very glad to be in Erie! However, there are things that tug at our heart from "home." It's the wisdom to know that while the memories are wonderful to hold on to, we've moved on to this season of lives.
We all go through various seasons of life. As we move from one season to another, most of the time we will have a sense of mixed emotions - joy at what's new and sorrow at what's lost. The key is to give God ALL of our days, trusting that God will make the most of them if we allow him to.
James writes: "Yet you do not even know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes." Sounds a bit depressing - and this truth of life can cause us to become either fearful or inactive. But the uncertainty of life is not cause for sadness - it's a reason for realizing how completely we depend on God. The way of Christ is not to be terrorized into fear or paralyzed into inaction by the uncertainty of our future. The way of Christ means that we commit our future and all our plans into the hands of God, and then allow God to order our days so that they are in keeping with God's will.
And so, we venture forward, holding on to the memories and fondness of our past, ready to embrace the wonderful future God has in store for us, all the while savoring every moment of every day in our present lives, giving all glory and honor to God!
By God's Grace,
Michelle
We were at Jumonville last week for Creative Arts Thing Camp - C.A.T. Camp for short. We started going to CAT Camp at Jumonville in 1991 as a family vacation. Now Steve is in charge of child care and Ellen and I teach classes. And after 16 years at CAT Camp we've made some very special friends, friends that we only see once a year.
Every year at camp we have some campers who get homesick - usually the elementary campers and most of the homesickness passes by Tuesday or Wednesday. But this year there was an older camper who ended up homesick at the end of the week - me!
This year on our way home from camp we were able to meet our son Craig & his fiancee for lunch in Irwin, PA. Now, Irwin is where we lived for 20 years and where we raised our children. We've not been in Irwin for probably 3 years. It was odd to be in such a familiar place and feel so out of place, having not been a part of the community now for over 5 years. It really surprised me to have such an emotional reaction of homesickness.
I guess I shouldn't be surprised. We have a lot of changes going on in our family this year - a new church, new home, new community, a new family member to be added in September (our son's fiancee), and Steve has a momentous birthday next month (the big 5-0) and I'm not far behind him! Changes like these cause you to reminisce and realize the brevity of life. The older I get the faster time seems to go.
It makes me think of the preacher in Ecclesiastes who writes: "For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven." And then the author spells out all the seasons of life -- birth-death, war-peace, planting-reaping, killing-healing, destroying-constructing, loving-hating, crying-laughing, letting go-holding on. (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8)
It's the last one that's sometimes the hardest -- knowing when to let go and when to hold on. Holding on to memories is good, but holding out for things to always remain the same in this life will bring us heartache and disappointment every time. We need God's wisdom to know when to let go of what used to be, in order to embrace the infinite possibilities God has in store for us through the next stage of life God has in store for us.
Make no mistake, we are very glad to be in Erie! However, there are things that tug at our heart from "home." It's the wisdom to know that while the memories are wonderful to hold on to, we've moved on to this season of lives.
We all go through various seasons of life. As we move from one season to another, most of the time we will have a sense of mixed emotions - joy at what's new and sorrow at what's lost. The key is to give God ALL of our days, trusting that God will make the most of them if we allow him to.
James writes: "Yet you do not even know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes." Sounds a bit depressing - and this truth of life can cause us to become either fearful or inactive. But the uncertainty of life is not cause for sadness - it's a reason for realizing how completely we depend on God. The way of Christ is not to be terrorized into fear or paralyzed into inaction by the uncertainty of our future. The way of Christ means that we commit our future and all our plans into the hands of God, and then allow God to order our days so that they are in keeping with God's will.
And so, we venture forward, holding on to the memories and fondness of our past, ready to embrace the wonderful future God has in store for us, all the while savoring every moment of every day in our present lives, giving all glory and honor to God!
By God's Grace,
Michelle
Wednesday, July 4, 2007
And So We Begin...
Well, it's the first week of my new appointment as the pastor of Christ Church. What a whirlwind of a beginning! As I write this, I am very much appreciating the 4th of July, as it gives me some time to take a deep breath to get a little rest and to reflect on our journey thus far.
There are unique situations, but for the most part, United Methodist pastors begin their new appointments on July 1 of a given year. This is the first time in any of my transitions to a new appointment that July 1 was actually on a Sunday morning. Usually there are a few days in the office, unpacking a few of the most necessary boxes, feeling a little settled in and then Sunday happens. But not this year - wham! First day and first Sunday all in one fell swoop! But God is good, all the time -- all the time, God is good!
From my perspective I was pleased with worship. I felt God's presence with me and felt as though I was connecting with the people in the pews. The folks here have been very welcoming and gracious. I'm excited about the possibilities of ministry God has in store in Erie with and for Christ Church. I feel as though we're off to a good start together - part of that due to David Janz, the previous pastor of this church and the good way in which he has helped to prepare myself and this congregation for this new appointment -- and ultimately due to God's grace that just abounds!
I'm also glad for this break in the middle of the week, because as we begin a new ministry and settling into a new home here in Erie, our family is also preparing for a week at C.A.T. Camp at Jumonville starting on Sunday afternoon. Now, for those of you who don't know - we have three GREAT camps in our Western PA Conference. Jummonville is the one we know the best, but all 3 camps are terrific! And for those of you who are wondering - what in the world is C.A.T. Camp, I'll tell you - Creative Arts Thing Camp. This is a great family camp - leather crafting, stained glass, basket weaving, fabric dying, scrapbooking, quilting, kids' classes, jewelry making, sketching, Ukrainian eggs - to name a few! What started out as our family vacation, has now turned into a week in which we contribute to the camp as teachers. My husband Steve is in charge of child care, our daughter Ellen teaches scrapbooking and I'm teaching rag-basket making this year. It is no longer a vacation, but we still love to get up on God's mountain to catch up with old friends and make new friends. Jumonville is just one of those places that I find spiritual renewal. But, in getting ready for teaching at camp, there's a lot of work involved - and on top of that, the challenge of making a change in our home and church family and my new work schedule.
Everybody says change is hard, but change is easy - it's transition that's hard! Change is an inevitable part of life -- it's getting used to new ways of doing things that's the hard part. Like going to a cupboard in the kitchen to look for a cup and finding that in a different kitchen, the cups work better on the other side. Or, going into a different bathroom with lots more switches and trying to remember which one turns on which light. Or, learning the nuances for different worship services.
Change and transition are words that are often used interchangeably, but they have different meanings. Change is a one-time occurrence - we change clothes, change houses, change jobs. Transition is the on-going process of dealing with a change. Transition is letting go of what we're used to and embracing how things might become. Transition periods can be some of the most productive periods of our lives, if we remember that we're not throwing away what's happened or where we've been in our lives. Transition means that now we accept the changes and search for the way God is calling us forward. During transitions we might grieve what we've lost, longing for how things used to be -- and that's okay. But transitions are also a wonderful time of discovery and renewal. It's a time to say what do we want to keep in our lives, what needs renewed in our lives, what needs to go? God is the great change-agent -- God is always longing to renew us and make us more and more into the image of Christ. And in my experience, God most often uses the every day events of life to do that, if we allow God's Spirit to be at work within us and among us.
In Benedictine spirituality, "statio" is an important concept. "Statio" acknowledges the times between times. In Wisdom Distilled from the Daily, Joan Chittister explains, "The practice of statio is meant to center us and make us conscious of what we're about to do and make us present to God who is present to us. Statio is the desire to do consciously what I might otherwise do mechanically. Statio is the virtue of presence."
So I'm pausing to think, "What drawer is the silverware in?" and "Which key opens what door?" and "What do we do next in worship?" -- and in pausing I'm having to be conscious about things that are usually mechanical and I'm finding that God is always in that moment of the pause. I'm also being reminded as I pause for some rest and reflection on our nation's birthday, that every day I need to take the "pause that refreshes" - quiet moments all through every day to take a deep breath, center my life again in Christ, and go forward with God ready to guide me to the next step.
I hope for you who read this that you take some time today to thank God for where you've been, think about where God is calling you forward and trust God to do that. And in your pauses of today's moments, in between the hot dogs and the fireworks, pray for our country, our leaders, our soldiers in harm's way, those who are controlled by oppressive regimes and pray for oppressive leaders - that they would choose God's way. In fact - why not weave sacred pauses into every day routine things - thank God for the moment and savor that moment, because you will never have it again.
By God's Grace,
Michelle
There are unique situations, but for the most part, United Methodist pastors begin their new appointments on July 1 of a given year. This is the first time in any of my transitions to a new appointment that July 1 was actually on a Sunday morning. Usually there are a few days in the office, unpacking a few of the most necessary boxes, feeling a little settled in and then Sunday happens. But not this year - wham! First day and first Sunday all in one fell swoop! But God is good, all the time -- all the time, God is good!
From my perspective I was pleased with worship. I felt God's presence with me and felt as though I was connecting with the people in the pews. The folks here have been very welcoming and gracious. I'm excited about the possibilities of ministry God has in store in Erie with and for Christ Church. I feel as though we're off to a good start together - part of that due to David Janz, the previous pastor of this church and the good way in which he has helped to prepare myself and this congregation for this new appointment -- and ultimately due to God's grace that just abounds!
I'm also glad for this break in the middle of the week, because as we begin a new ministry and settling into a new home here in Erie, our family is also preparing for a week at C.A.T. Camp at Jumonville starting on Sunday afternoon. Now, for those of you who don't know - we have three GREAT camps in our Western PA Conference. Jummonville is the one we know the best, but all 3 camps are terrific! And for those of you who are wondering - what in the world is C.A.T. Camp, I'll tell you - Creative Arts Thing Camp. This is a great family camp - leather crafting, stained glass, basket weaving, fabric dying, scrapbooking, quilting, kids' classes, jewelry making, sketching, Ukrainian eggs - to name a few! What started out as our family vacation, has now turned into a week in which we contribute to the camp as teachers. My husband Steve is in charge of child care, our daughter Ellen teaches scrapbooking and I'm teaching rag-basket making this year. It is no longer a vacation, but we still love to get up on God's mountain to catch up with old friends and make new friends. Jumonville is just one of those places that I find spiritual renewal. But, in getting ready for teaching at camp, there's a lot of work involved - and on top of that, the challenge of making a change in our home and church family and my new work schedule.
Everybody says change is hard, but change is easy - it's transition that's hard! Change is an inevitable part of life -- it's getting used to new ways of doing things that's the hard part. Like going to a cupboard in the kitchen to look for a cup and finding that in a different kitchen, the cups work better on the other side. Or, going into a different bathroom with lots more switches and trying to remember which one turns on which light. Or, learning the nuances for different worship services.
Change and transition are words that are often used interchangeably, but they have different meanings. Change is a one-time occurrence - we change clothes, change houses, change jobs. Transition is the on-going process of dealing with a change. Transition is letting go of what we're used to and embracing how things might become. Transition periods can be some of the most productive periods of our lives, if we remember that we're not throwing away what's happened or where we've been in our lives. Transition means that now we accept the changes and search for the way God is calling us forward. During transitions we might grieve what we've lost, longing for how things used to be -- and that's okay. But transitions are also a wonderful time of discovery and renewal. It's a time to say what do we want to keep in our lives, what needs renewed in our lives, what needs to go? God is the great change-agent -- God is always longing to renew us and make us more and more into the image of Christ. And in my experience, God most often uses the every day events of life to do that, if we allow God's Spirit to be at work within us and among us.
In Benedictine spirituality, "statio" is an important concept. "Statio" acknowledges the times between times. In Wisdom Distilled from the Daily, Joan Chittister explains, "The practice of statio is meant to center us and make us conscious of what we're about to do and make us present to God who is present to us. Statio is the desire to do consciously what I might otherwise do mechanically. Statio is the virtue of presence."
So I'm pausing to think, "What drawer is the silverware in?" and "Which key opens what door?" and "What do we do next in worship?" -- and in pausing I'm having to be conscious about things that are usually mechanical and I'm finding that God is always in that moment of the pause. I'm also being reminded as I pause for some rest and reflection on our nation's birthday, that every day I need to take the "pause that refreshes" - quiet moments all through every day to take a deep breath, center my life again in Christ, and go forward with God ready to guide me to the next step.
I hope for you who read this that you take some time today to thank God for where you've been, think about where God is calling you forward and trust God to do that. And in your pauses of today's moments, in between the hot dogs and the fireworks, pray for our country, our leaders, our soldiers in harm's way, those who are controlled by oppressive regimes and pray for oppressive leaders - that they would choose God's way. In fact - why not weave sacred pauses into every day routine things - thank God for the moment and savor that moment, because you will never have it again.
By God's Grace,
Michelle
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
We made it!
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Well, we've arrived in our new home in Erie, PA. Our things were loaded on a moving van on Monday, and after packing both cars to the gills (including our 2 dogs, 1 cat and 5 fish), we headed northward to our new home. We arrived later than we had hoped on Monday evening (close to 8:30 P.M.), and were delighted to find air mattresses inflated and made up with clean, fresh sheets. Thought and care were taken to make sure that there was a dinner, dessert and all kinds of ice cold drinks in the fridge - nothing like a frosty cold pepsi to quench your thirst! And we had REAL silverware to eat our dinner - we've been using plastic forks for nearly a week now as we packed up our kitchen utensils for the move. You wouldn't think something as simple as a stainless steel fork can make your day! And then a friendly phone call this afternoon with word that our dinner had been prepared and would be delivered later that afternoon. How warmly welcomed we have been to our new home!
As I awoke this morning, just a hint of fear gripped my heart as I thought, I hope the movers actually show up with our stuff today. Can't tell you why that random thought roamed through my mind this morning - but there it was -- what if something has happened and all of our things are gone! What if something has happened to our things - we had one previous move where the movers broke the headboard to our bed (we slept on our mattress on the floor for over a week while it was being repaired) and once we were unloaded we found many things that had not survived the move. So, I had reason to fear that our things not arriving safely had some reality to it.
And then I got to thinking further - how much faith it actually takes to load up your whole life in a 40-45 foot moving van, watch them lock the doors and take off, trusting that they'll show up the next day and get you unloaded safe and sound. So, this morning, I felt the rumble of fear, said a prayer asking God to see us through this day with a safe and uneventful move. God is so faithful - but even if things had gone awry, we would still be safe and sound.
As we are on the other side of this day of unloading that was a safe and uneventful process (thanks be to God!), I realize how much like our journey through life is this moving process. It's all about trust! Trusting God means that we place our whole life in his hands, not knowing if tomorrow will bring smooth sailing or rough waters, but knowing that our future as much as our present is all in God's good keeping. Trusting God means that we load up our whole life on that Gospel Train, sure that we will be safe and sound, despite any outward circumstances that would try to convince us otherwise. God is with us through every leg of the journey....more about that on Sunday!
For now, we're just glad we made it, and look forward to our first Sunday and many, many years of fruitful ministry for God's kingdom with the good people of Christ UMC here in our new home of Erie!
Well, we've arrived in our new home in Erie, PA. Our things were loaded on a moving van on Monday, and after packing both cars to the gills (including our 2 dogs, 1 cat and 5 fish), we headed northward to our new home. We arrived later than we had hoped on Monday evening (close to 8:30 P.M.), and were delighted to find air mattresses inflated and made up with clean, fresh sheets. Thought and care were taken to make sure that there was a dinner, dessert and all kinds of ice cold drinks in the fridge - nothing like a frosty cold pepsi to quench your thirst! And we had REAL silverware to eat our dinner - we've been using plastic forks for nearly a week now as we packed up our kitchen utensils for the move. You wouldn't think something as simple as a stainless steel fork can make your day! And then a friendly phone call this afternoon with word that our dinner had been prepared and would be delivered later that afternoon. How warmly welcomed we have been to our new home!
As I awoke this morning, just a hint of fear gripped my heart as I thought, I hope the movers actually show up with our stuff today. Can't tell you why that random thought roamed through my mind this morning - but there it was -- what if something has happened and all of our things are gone! What if something has happened to our things - we had one previous move where the movers broke the headboard to our bed (we slept on our mattress on the floor for over a week while it was being repaired) and once we were unloaded we found many things that had not survived the move. So, I had reason to fear that our things not arriving safely had some reality to it.
And then I got to thinking further - how much faith it actually takes to load up your whole life in a 40-45 foot moving van, watch them lock the doors and take off, trusting that they'll show up the next day and get you unloaded safe and sound. So, this morning, I felt the rumble of fear, said a prayer asking God to see us through this day with a safe and uneventful move. God is so faithful - but even if things had gone awry, we would still be safe and sound.
As we are on the other side of this day of unloading that was a safe and uneventful process (thanks be to God!), I realize how much like our journey through life is this moving process. It's all about trust! Trusting God means that we place our whole life in his hands, not knowing if tomorrow will bring smooth sailing or rough waters, but knowing that our future as much as our present is all in God's good keeping. Trusting God means that we load up our whole life on that Gospel Train, sure that we will be safe and sound, despite any outward circumstances that would try to convince us otherwise. God is with us through every leg of the journey....more about that on Sunday!
For now, we're just glad we made it, and look forward to our first Sunday and many, many years of fruitful ministry for God's kingdom with the good people of Christ UMC here in our new home of Erie!
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Soon and Very Soon
Tuesday, June 18, 2007
They're everywhere -- boxes upon boxes upon boxes - filled with most of our earthly possessions. In a few days (6 to be exact) the moving van will arrive to load these things on board and carry us to our new home in Erie. We're in the final "throws" of packing - throw it in a box and tape it shut! We're living an "in-between" kind of life these days - in between here and there!
It's beginning to feel a bit strange to say that I'm the pastor of New Virginia UMC in Hermitage, because I'm feeling more and more like the pastor of Christ UMC in Erie. It's an in-between time - in between here and there.
It's strange to go to cupboards and drawers and closets for something only to remember that I've packed what I'm looking for. I'll need to make do or do without - at least for a little while. It's an in-between time -- in between here and there.
But in between here and there is what life is like for us Christ-followers. We live in this world, but not of it -- our home is here on earth and yet we have a home there in heaven -- we live a new, abundant, resurrected life in Christ here, but only in part, the fullness of life yet awaits us. We live in between here and there.
In between here (earth) and there (heaven), we're to be faithful to what God calls us to do - to live a life that exhibits all the marks of a true follower of Christ (Colossians 3, Ephesians 4, Romans 12 - to name a few). One of my favorite authors, Richard Foster, has said it well -- "The point of the Christian life is not to simply get us into heaven, but to get heaven into us!" (Streams of Living Water)
So, for now we're being faithful to what God calls us to do, pack up our lives and make our home in our new mission field - Erie, Pennsylvania, with Christ Church as our home base. Soon and very soon we will be there - in Erie, and for now, we're living in between here and there - trusting God the whole way!
They're everywhere -- boxes upon boxes upon boxes - filled with most of our earthly possessions. In a few days (6 to be exact) the moving van will arrive to load these things on board and carry us to our new home in Erie. We're in the final "throws" of packing - throw it in a box and tape it shut! We're living an "in-between" kind of life these days - in between here and there!
It's beginning to feel a bit strange to say that I'm the pastor of New Virginia UMC in Hermitage, because I'm feeling more and more like the pastor of Christ UMC in Erie. It's an in-between time - in between here and there.
It's strange to go to cupboards and drawers and closets for something only to remember that I've packed what I'm looking for. I'll need to make do or do without - at least for a little while. It's an in-between time -- in between here and there.
But in between here and there is what life is like for us Christ-followers. We live in this world, but not of it -- our home is here on earth and yet we have a home there in heaven -- we live a new, abundant, resurrected life in Christ here, but only in part, the fullness of life yet awaits us. We live in between here and there.
In between here (earth) and there (heaven), we're to be faithful to what God calls us to do - to live a life that exhibits all the marks of a true follower of Christ (Colossians 3, Ephesians 4, Romans 12 - to name a few). One of my favorite authors, Richard Foster, has said it well -- "The point of the Christian life is not to simply get us into heaven, but to get heaven into us!" (Streams of Living Water)
So, for now we're being faithful to what God calls us to do, pack up our lives and make our home in our new mission field - Erie, Pennsylvania, with Christ Church as our home base. Soon and very soon we will be there - in Erie, and for now, we're living in between here and there - trusting God the whole way!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
