The Roaming Rev

2012-01-03T12:04:00.001-05:00

When I was a teenager (many moons ago), I loved to read novels about the future. I remember reading Farenheit 451, Brave New World, 1984, and others of that ilk—and watching television shows like Star Trek and The Jetsons. I wondered about whether we could ever get so far into the future as 1984, and what that future would be like. I speculated about whether I would live to see the turn of the century, but could not imagine that time so many years ahead. Now I am astonished that we are all living in 2012, and that what life is like is way beyond anything I could imagine.

No, we are not flying around in “space cars,” but the shuttle has been to space so often that before its end, most people didn’t even bother to watch the takeoffs. We have computers we can carry in our pockets or hold in our hands. We can instantly text people all over the world, and international news comes to us in minutes, not weeks. We can take pictures with our phones and post them online in seconds. The future is far different than I imagined in the sixties.

Now that I am closer to the end of my life than the beginning, I suspect that there is yet more the future has in store for me. As in my youth, I probably cannot imagine what that will be—for me, for our church, for our cosmos. But what I do not have to imagine is the faithfulness of God, the grace of Jesus Christ, and the presence of the Holy Spirit. These, which have been here from before the beginning, are here now, and will continue until God wraps up history with a new heaven and a new earth.

Happy New Year! 2012 will bring changes, but rejoice in this: “Great is God’s steadfast love toward us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever. Praise the Lord!” (Psalm 117

Nashville Pentecost

2010-05-22T20:11:00.004-04:00

What a great week! Being fed spiritually, musically, "homiletically"--all at the same time! The Festival of Homiletics was packed full of worship, study, and music. We began by 8:30 every morning and did not get back to unwind until almost 10:00 each night. The people of Nashville, and First Baptist Church, in particular, were so hospitable, in spite of the challenges they have been facing since the flood.

For me, the same theme seemed to be reinforced over and over again all week, and especially encapsulated by the Bonnie Raitt song (written by former NFL player Mike Reid), "I Can't Make You Love Me . . . You can't make your heart feel something it won't." How can a Nashville love song reiterate God's song and our song? The Spirit moves in strange and wondrous ways. Tongues of fire, rushing wind, country music . . .

God in Jesus Christ put it all out there for us, loving us without strings, becoming ultimately vulnerable to our response--which, too much of the time, is NOT to love back. Unrequited love is the Gospel story. Sometimes we make a start to love God back, but mostly we don't. All we like sheep have gone astray . . . the younger son, wandering to a far off land . . . the older son, standing grudgingly in the dark outside the party . . . the father, waiting for both of them to come home.

It's the call for us as Christians to do that, too, which makes being a disciple of Jesus supremely hard, I think. It's our job to love others, not to BE loved back. I always find it painful to learn how to do love that way. I'd rather have guarantees. Maybe that is what it means to take up our cross--loving without expecting reciprocation. Maybe not doing that is part of what sin is.

In any case, I am renewed in many ways, and nourished to keep following, and hopefully, to keep growing and learning how to love.

One Great Hour of Sharing

2010-03-10T12:08:00.001-05:00

Since 1949, Presbyterians have joined with millions of other Christians through One Great Hour of Sharing to share God’s love with people experiencing need. Our gifts support ministries of disaster response, refugee assistance and resettlement, and community development that help people find safe refuge, start new lives and work together to strengthen their families and communities.

Recognizing that the hope we have in Christ is lived out in our hope for one another, we respond with gifts that help our sisters and brothers around the world find the hope for a brighter future.

Helping One Another

2009-08-20T10:49:00.002-04:00

After a Monday morning spend cleaning garlic to help a farmer friend who is seriously ill in the hospital, I thought what a gift it is to allow people to help. When there is a catastrophe in life, our friends and family want to help, and so frequently there is little anyone can do to "fix" anything. But giving someone a chance to share the load not only gets the work done, it gives those who come the opportunity to feel better because of helping. It offers folks a chance to exercise their "compassion muscles." I've been thinking so much about a very old song (since I'm a pretty old person these days):

The road is long
With many a winding turn
That leads us to who knows where
Who knows where
But I'm strong
Strong enough to carry him
He ain't heavy, he's my brother

So on we go
His welfare is of my concern
No burden is he to bear
We'll get there

For I know
He would not encumber me
He ain't heavy, he's my brother

If I'm laden at all
I'm laden with sadness
That everyone's heart
Isn't filled with the gladness
Of love for one another

It's a long, long road
From which there is no return
While we're on the way to there
Why not share

And the load
Doesn't weigh me down at all
He ain't heavy he's my brother

Work and Faith

2009-06-18T10:46:00.002-04:00

"If I am supposed to hoe a garden or make a table, then I will be obeying God if I am true to the task I am performing. To do the work carefully and well, with love and respect for the nature of my task and with due attention to its purpose, is to unite myself to God's will in my work. In this way I become [God's]instrument. [God]works through me." (Source: Thomas Merton, New Seeds of Contemplation)

How does this apply to my professional life? My family life? My friendships? My use of time and money? My own self care? I think I ought to keep this thought before me all the time.

Waiting for Number Eight

2009-06-12T19:41:00.003-04:00

Why is it so hard to see God's design--or to wait until it unfolds? Samuel didn't want a new king for Israel at all, and when he was choosing one from Jesse's sons, he was ready to choose the first one. God said NO. Samuel had to go through seven sons, all of whom looked like a perfect king, before the eighth son, David, showed up, young and inexperienced, dragged out of the fields. He was totally unlikely--the wrong one. Just as Jesus was unlikely to be God's chosen Messiah, and he was rejected, until God did a new thing in his death and resurrection! How many possibilites am I missing, because I think I have it all figured out? Hopefully, I can wait until number eight every time I am trying to find the right path to follow Jesus.

Happy Birthday!

2009-05-27T11:21:00.000-04:00

I just received a new T-shirt for my birthday. On the front it says Columbia Theological Seminary (my alma mater) and on the back is a LARGE picture of John Calvin. Probably only a Presbyterian would ever wear this shirt, but why would anyone (including Presbyterians) really care about a French Protestant born exactly 500 years ago this July?

As our PCUSA web site asserts: “Lutherans adore Martin Luther. Methodist hearts are strangely warmed by John Wesley. Anglicans even have a sardonic fondness for Henry VIII. But Presbyterians are uncertain about John Calvin and his legacy. Calvin is not a Reformed idol. John Calvin would have been pleased by our reluctance to revere him. He did not want to be idolized by future generations. In order to discourage veneration, he specified that he be buried in Geneva’s common cemetery in an unmarked grave.”

Yet we cannot help but be grateful for Calvin’s influence on the Protestant Church in general and the Presbyterian Church in particular. Calvin placed highest value on education in the church, on teaching all Christians to read and understand scripture, not just as material to be memorized, but as a lens through which to understand the world in which we find ourselves.

Calvin saw economic justice, social compassion, and education to be central to our mission as Christians, and he established hospitals, schools, governmental support for the poor and weak. He insisted that theology could not be separated from life, and that Jesus Christ is Lord in every sphere of existence. We are who we are in many ways because of his leadership and influence. So Happy Birthday, John Calvin!

Earth Day - Outside and Inside

2009-04-22T14:22:00.001-04:00

As I write this, I am keenly aware that it is Earth Day. The earth—or at least the atmospheric portion of Earth—has been making its presence known today, in wind and rain and even snow—but now the sun is shining and I can hear birds outside the study window. It is an awesome time to think about God’s great gift of creation . . . and new creation.

Psalm 24 reminds us:

The earth is the LORD’s and all that is in it,
the world, and those who live in it;
for God has founded it on the seas,
and established it on the rivers.

It is easy to see new creation in the environment around us. Perhaps not as easy to see is the new creation that is within us. There is an environment that is our own self, soul, psyche, being—our “within” environment. It is as important to care for that environment as it is to cherish and maintain the earth. We face storms in our lives, too—wind, rain, ice, thaw, the falling and dying of leaves, the greening of newness in spring. We sometimes endure toxic dumping from others, pollution from sin, hatred, grief, guilt. We find old feuds, disappointments, and current fears and ailments littering our spirits.

As we remember that the earth is the Lord’s, let us remember that WE are the Lord’s, too. God has created us, sustains us with God’s Holy Spirit, and offers us every moment the possibility of new creation. God has promised that to us in Jesus Christ. Thanks be to God for eternal Spring!

Hints of Easter

2009-04-01T14:20:00.000-04:00

Dictionary.com defines hermeneutics as “the science of interpretation, especially of the scriptures.” During my ministry, I have increasingly seen what I do—in almost every area of pastoral work—as hermeneutics. I see what is going on around me, I reflect on it in light of the Bible and theology and experience, and I try to make sense of it to myself and to others—in preaching, teaching, pastoral care, even during meetings and seemingly unrelated activities.

I suspect we all do a lot of hermeneutics in our lives. It is part of how we live as disciples of Jesus Christ. We interpret the world we inhabit in light of what we know of God through Jesus and scripture, and what we have learned in the hundreds of worship services and Sunday school classes we have attended.

Yesterday afternoon, I traveled “down the mountain” for a lecture at Second Presbyterian. As you all know, around here spring is giving a few little hints, a bit of green lawn here, a few buds there, daffodils and crocus—but in the valley, all the trees have bloomed out—the tulip trees, the redbuds, the pears—and everything gloriously green and lush. As I soaked it in, I kept thinking about Easter—about resurrection—new life—and the hints of it we keep getting throughout our earthly lives. If heavenly life is anything like spring, what a wonder it will be! And if is anything like our glimpses of joy, peace, and love that we share as we worship, fellowship and study together, what a wonder that will be! Even in death, we are in life—life today, and life complete one day. Thanks be to God!

Beginning a New Decade

2009-03-24T09:58:00.001-04:00

On March 1, I completed ten years as pastor of Northside Presbyterian Church in Blacksburg, Virginia. It is hard to believe that a whole decade has passed. When I arrived in 1999, the world was a different place. In 1999: the Roth IRA, the IBook, and the G4 were introduced, the Dow closed above 10,000 for the first time, we were at war in Kosovo, the Columbine High School shootings took place, George Bush declared for the presidential race, earthquakes killed almost 20,000 people globally, and the list (and the world) goes on.

During this decade, which has been almost half of my ministry, this congregation and I have been through a lot together. We weathered 9-11 and 4-16. We have grieved thousands killed in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as some dearly loved folks from this church. We have watched the economy go from boom to bust. We have bid farewell to those moving on to new places, and welcomed new members. We have faithfully worshiped together each Sunday, celebrated Christmas and Easter, and Pentecost, baptized and confirmed, married and buried. We began Logos and our church garden. We fought the “mold” and struggled to remain in loving community through disagreements. We have studied, played, and worked together. And through it all, God in Jesus Christ has gone with us.

I am so grateful that God brought metogether with this church in these times, in this place. I echo the sentiments of Paul, who wrote: “I thank my God every time I remember you, constantly praying with joy in every one of my prayers for all of you, because of your sharing in the gospel from the first day until now.” Here’s to the next decade!

2009-01-26T15:58:00.001-05:00

One of the great joys of being the pastor at Northside is journeying with our young people as they participate in the confirmation process. This year, I am so grateful to be learning together with Emmy Bender, Maggie Hancock, Avery Jones, Paavo Kaldro-Bridge, and Megan McCoy. These seventh graders are bright, keenly interested in exploring what their faith in Jesus Christ means, understanding the Bible, Christian ethics and history, and even a little theology (more than a little!).

Their enthusiasm and energy in learning is inspiring to me. I wish it were contagious! My wish for all of us, especially those of us who are a little farther down the road than these young folks, is that we would engage in study and exploration more than we presently do. I’d like to see everyone in our church involved in Sunday School or formal Bible study. Think about it . . . when was the last time you read a good book about the Christian faith, or tried a new spiritual discipline, or talked with others about how to live in this world as a follower of Jesus Christ?

If you are doing any of these things, I’d love to hear about it. Send me the name of the best book you have read lately about Christian faith. Tell me what faith groups you are participating in. Share a meaningful spiritual discipline you use. I’d like to post a “recommended” reading list and some “helps” for Christian living on the bulletin board and on the web site, and help steer folks to energetic pursuit of their journey of faith. Let’s inspire each other!

A Prayer for the Election

2008-10-29T12:18:00.003-04:00

A wonderful prayer by the Rev. Dr. Ken Carter, from the United Methodist General Board of Discipleship website:

Creator of us all:
you are the source of every blessing,
the judge of every nation
and the hope of earth and heaven:

We pray to you on the eve of this important and historic election.

We call to mind the best that is within us:
That we live under God,
that we are indivisible,
that liberty and justice extend to all.

We acknowledge the sin that runs through our history as a nation:
The displacement of native peoples, racial injustice, economic inequity, regional separation.

And yet we profess a deep and abiding gratitude
for the goodness of ordinary people who have made sacrifices,
who have sought opportunities,
who have journeyed to this land as immigrants
strengthening its promise in successive generations,
who have found freedom on these shores,
and defended this freedom at tremendous cost.

Be with us in the days that are near.
Remind us that your ways are not our ways,
that your power and might transcend
the plans of every nation,
that you are not mocked.

Let those who follow your Son Jesus Christ be a peaceable people
in the midst of division.

Send your Spirit of peace, justice and freedom upon us,
break down the walls of political partisanship,
and make us one.

Give us wisdom to walk in your ways,
courage to speak in your name,
and humility to trust in your providence. Amen.

Worry

2008-10-20T11:13:00.004-04:00

Last night for our worship/study time during the session meeting, I invited folks to write down and share three things they worry about--small things, middle-sized things, and big things. It was a lively discussion, and after it (including when I shared my own worries, and my tendency to be a worrier), we read Matthew 6:25-34, about the birds of the air and the lilies of the field.

This morning during my devotional time, I opened to Day 7 of the book I am using (40 Day Journey with Deitrich Bonhoeffer—a great book--Augsburg Books publisher). I was VERY surprised to find the same theme and scripture. Here are a couple of quotes from his writings from this morning:

“Worry is always directed toward tomorrow . . . It is our securing things for tomorrow which makes us so insecure today . . . Only those who put tomorrow completely into God’s hand and receive fully today what they need for their lives are really secure. Receiving daily liberates me from tomorrow.”

The scripture was Matthew 6:33-34, which we had read last night.

The prayer for today was: “Lord, I place my worries in your gracious hand and live this day trusting that you are with me and that what I have is more than I need.”

Do you think God is trying to tell me something?

Churches and Elections

2008-08-18T09:11:00.003-04:00

I spent some time watching Rick Warren's interview with Barack Obama and John McCain, which took place this weekend. Observations that stand out in my mind: For Christians, our churches are a great forum to be talking about the candidates for President. We need to know more than the sound bytes from ads. We need to know more than the pot shots candidates take at one another during debates. I liked the set-up for this interview, even though it was probably a lot more about Rick Warren than about the candidates. I liked the fact that they were asked the same questions, that they had plenty of time to answer, that their answers were not edited. I don't know if they saw the questions first. But it was a more relaxing way to get to know both Obama and McCain. I feel much more comfortable about both right now. I hate sound bytes!!

All this said, I urge you to read what candidates have to say on their web sites and in any kind of forum where they have time for thoughtful answers. I'd say be suspicious of most of the news media--television seems to be more and more interested in the inflammatory headline than anything else. Find out for yourself. Let's talk about politics in our churches, and reflect on which positions and which candidates come closest to our core values as Christians. We want our country to be taking care of our brothers and sisters in need, protecting the weak, the widow, the orphan, the stranger, the prisoner. We want to care for God's creation. We want to feed the hungry and clothe the naked. We have that word from the Gospel. The "hows" may be different, but I think we are agreed on the basics. It's what we profess and do in church.

I'd invite Obama and McCain to Northside to have this discussion if I thought they would come, and I applaud them for taking advantage of this opportunity to talk at length about their beliefs and their character. If you missed the forum, you can find it by doing a search including "Obama McCain Warren" on youtube.com. Watch. Listen. Pray.

Midsummer

2008-07-14T15:36:00.002-04:00

We are deep into summer now, and if the living isn't exactly easy, it is certainly quieter! Emails have slowed down to a trickle, and few of you are making your way into the church between Sundays. The heat and quiet often lull me into forgetting that Fall is on its way, and all the events and activities that crank into gear about the first of September. And so, I begin to think forward--August, September, October, officer elections, stewardship season, the startup of Logos, and before you know it, a new church year begins with Advent. If you stop by to see me and wonder why I don't know what day it is, I'm just living into the future.

Our future in the Presbyterian Church is "yeasty" right now. Lots of things have gone on and are continuing to stir. One of the most visible events in our denomination is the election of Bruce Reyes-Chow as the new Moderator of General Assembly. I hope you will take a look at him via video.

Stop in and see me sometime this summer. I'll be gone for a few weeks starting July 23, but I'll see you soon after.

Earth Day 2008

2008-04-23T16:32:00.003-04:00

Earth Day was yesterday, and my mind has been busy thinking about our relationship with the earth, and the plants and animals that inhabit it. Our Book of Common Worship has a wonderful prayer in it, written by Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky:

Lord, may we love all your creation,
all the earth and every grain of sand in it.
May we love every leaf, every ray of your light.

May we love the animals;
You have given them the rudiments of thought and joy untroubled.
Let us not trouble it;
let us not harass them,
let us not deprive them of their happiness,
let us not work against your intent.

For we acknowledge unto you that all is like an ocean,
all is flowing and blending,
and that to withhold any measure of love
from anything in your universe
is to withhold that same measure from you. Amen.

I must confess that I have some difficulty putting my heart into this prayer as it relates to mosquitoes, poison ivy, and viruses, but I also must confess that my understanding of all the ways God’s world works together is a mystery to me. I am challenged to remember always that “the earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it; the world, and those who live in it.”

Iraq Misson Update

2007-12-20T12:39:00.001-05:00

As Christmas grows closer, I have received word about some of the gifts that you have shared with Iraqi families as part of the humanitarian mission of Aaron's MiTT (Military Transition Team) at KMTB in Iraq. I would like to say thanks to all of you for your support of this wonderful effort, and would like to share this message from Capt. Galus, a member of the MiTT about it all:
"We have been accumula- ting supplies from back home for many months now and all the donations were put to good use earlier this month! Thank you very much to you and all the members of your church that sent out so many wonderful donations. The school supplies were invaluable and the children at the school loved them. We were able to make small kits of school supplies, toys, and candy for 400 children at the school. The Iraqi Army helped us to assemble and sort through the supplies and then delivered them to the children. For one day at least, they were heroes in the eyes of their countrymen . . . We would of course appreciate further donations. We don't know if we will do another Humanitarian Mission before we leave, but for sure if you do pass along donations, we will be sure to pass it along to the next team so that they can continue this kind of good work that pays off for us over here in Iraq. School supplies are great and anything for children such as toys and candy. Thank you again for all your contributions. We really appreciate it and it is motivating knowing that there are so many fine Americans back home that really do care about what happens abroad with the troops and needy people of the world."

Joy to the World! The Lord is come! May you all have a blessed Christmas, and journey into 2008 as faithful disciples of Jesus Christ!

Advent Time Warp

2007-12-10T11:37:00.000-05:00

It is the Monday after the second Sunday in Advent, and I am looking forward and backward at the same time. I am also experiencing the phenomenon that occurs every Advent and Lent, when I am planning a long series in advance--I don't know "when" I am! With all four weeks of Advent, Christmas Eve, and on into January swirling around in my mind, I am unsure what today really is! Perhaps that is helpful as I reflect on the eschatological passages in scripture that are "up" each week in the lectionary.

As a human, time-bound person, I sometimes struggle with the concept of eternity. Just how long is that? And in periods of Advent waiting, just how long do we wait for God to bring in the peaceable kingdom promised in Isaiah and the Gospels? When will the Lord return again? It's hard to be patient.

In one of C.S. Lewis' Narnia books, the lion Aslan asserts: "All times are now." Maybe that is what eternity is--the now and then and not-yet all merged into the "eternal now." Not know which week of Advent it is may just be my own silly glimpse into that reality. My question, then, is how do I live in that eternal now? I'll be pondering this as I prepare for Sunday's sermon, whichever week this happens to be!

Roaming Again

2007-11-18T12:59:00.000-05:00

This afternoon I finished spending three days at the PC (USA) Moderators' Conference in Louisville, KY, for those who have been elected to serve their presbyteries or synods as moderators. It's been an outstanding experience, and I feel privileged to have met, worshiped with, and interacted with folks from all over our denomination, as well as our denominational leadership. I realized this afternoon, that, although my sabbatical is long over, I am still roaming, sometimes physically, but always spiritually.

God is leading, always, but I am always on the journey. So I have decided to take up the pen (or the keyboard) as the saying goes, and resume my blog. Perhaps it will be particularly significant--at least to me--for the upcoming year as I learn what it means to be Moderator of the Presbytery of the Peaks. Perhaps it will just be theological or spiritual wandering.

Last time I blogged, I invited you to listen. Now I invite you to respond, if you like. Reflect with me on the ways God moves in our lives.

As the old hymn goes:

"O to grace how great a debtor
Daily I’m constrained to be!
Let Thy goodness, like a fetter,
Bind my wandering heart to Thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here’s my heart, O take and seal it,
Seal it for Thy courts above."

So here I go, roaming again, but bound to God in Jesus Christ.

Countdown

2006-08-21T08:33:00.000-04:00

Dear Friends,

We are in the "home stretch" of the sabbatical now, and I am turning my thoughts toward our ministry together. Doug and I spent last week traveling--first, with my parents after the latest round of Dad's chemotherapy; then with Chris (our son) and his wife, Heather in Raleigh; finally with Aaron and Mary in Chester, VA, where Aaron is stationed for Captain's School at Fort Lee. We worshiped with the saints at Chester Presbyterian Church Sunday, and met with the Music Director/Organist and the Chair of the Worship Committee after church. It has been such a great experience to spend time with Christians all over the Southeast. People who are involved in planning worship have been greatly appreciative of the opportunity to "talk worship." This is such a central part of our life as followers of Jesus--everyone seems to want to talk about about how we can worship in a more authentic and engaging manner.

This week, I will be getting ready to be back to the "usual" at Northside. I can't wait to hear from you all about what has been hapening in your lives since I have been away. I hope you will all come by to get me up to date. I'll be back in my study on Monday, August 28, and back in the pulpit Sunday, September 3. I have so much to tell you all!

See you in a week!

Peace,

Linda

Home, sweet home

2006-08-05T22:38:00.000-04:00

Dear Friends,

Our week at Massanetta Springs is over, and it was outstanding in many ways.

First, the music! The adult, youth, and children's choirs, and the handbell choirs made me so thankful that God has given us music, and voices and gifts with instruments to praise God with, and to delight our senses with the beauty of melody.

Second, the preaching! So many excellent preachers opened God's Word to us during the week.

Finally, the HEAT! With temperatures reaching 97-98 degrees from Monday to Thursday, we literally melted in the un-air-conditioned Hudson Auditorium every morning and evening. It surely takes great love of music to stand jammed together in a very large choir and sing with fervor!

I hope you enjoy these pictures from the week, thanks to some of the dedicated photographers snapping photos during our events.

We are home now, and hopefully will have a quiet week of catching up on laundry, household chores, and a visit from a very special friend from Florida.

Grace and peace to you all,

Linda

Having a Hot Time!

2006-08-03T08:13:00.000-04:00

Dear Friends,

The Massanetta Springs Conference Center's Music and Bible Conferences are interesting and fun, but we feel like boiled shrimp in the heat! We have been in the upper 90's most of the week, and Hudson Auditorium, the site of all the preaching, is not air conditioned. We've been roasting as members of the congregation, but my heart goes out to the folks who are leading--the preachers, worship leaders, and the choirs! They have to work hard in the middle of all that heat! Yesterday, the new moderator of General Assembly, Joan Gray, met with us to discuss the meeing in June, and current issues facing the church.

It has been nice to see several of our hometown crowd here: Liz Allen (who is on the Music Conference planning team), Constance and Quinn Hull, Ann Marie, Sylvia, and Maria Conner, and Ann Marie's mother-in-law, Jackie. We've had a little mini-reunion. It shows me how much I miss you all.

Sunday we worshiped at Trinity Presbyterian Church, and met yesterday with their worship committee chair and parish associate, Polly and Jim Cushman. Their church structure is very different--they use house churches to structure the mission, study, and fellowship of the church. Today I meet with their pastor, Ann Reed Held. I think the people in that church are the absolutely FRIENDLIEST people I have ever met! I can't even describe how much they went out of their way to welcome us after worship. Dick Bethune is a member of that congregation, so it was nice to see him, too.

We will be here for a couple more days, and then head home Saturday. I am ready to be at home for a while.

I pray that you are all well, and that Christ is empowering the church's mission and ministry to continue during this long, hot summer. It is only a few weeks until Doug and I return to your midst, and to the time when we "crank up" for the Fall.

Grace and Peace to you all,

Linda

Off We Go Again!

2006-07-29T11:41:00.000-04:00

Dear Friends,

We leave today for two reasons: to worship with the saints at Trinity Presbyterian Church in Harrisonburg, and to attend the Music and Bible Conferences at Massanetta Springs Conference Center there. It seems we have hardly been home, and now we are going again. I do look forward to the enrichment of worship and the conference--there should be some really good preachers there, and the choirs and handbells ought to be glorious!

I know that some of you are involved with Ann Marie Conner's Bible reading schedule, as I am. It is proving to be a good discipline to have a set schedule, and it insists that I read parts of the Bible that I normally spend less time in. The Old Testament readings have been pretty gruesome, some of the time. Currently we are reading Joshua, and I must say that the descriptions of the MANY massacres perpetrated on the Canaanites by the Israelites as they entered the promised land keep my mind reeling. It appears that the Israelites truly understood the destruction of conquered peoples to be God's will, but I have trouble reconciling that with what I understand to be God's steadfast love for the world. I also ponder how easily we all are able to convince ourselves that God is on our side as we plunder through the world, trying to get our own way. Someone sometime said (I think it may have been Abraham Lincoln) that rather than getting God on our side, we ought to be about making sure we are on God's side. I think that I have a lot more reading to do on this subject. But it certainly is still a current issue in our world of many wars!

I continue to keep you all in prayer. I hope you will also pray for us. And, to quote a prayer I heard last night on a BBC vespers service, I ask you to "pray for those who have no one to pray for them."

Grace and Peace,

Linda

Want to see my pictures?

2006-07-20T13:47:00.000-04:00

Dear Friends,

We are enjoying being at home again after all our travels. I have had time to work on my photos, and want to share some with you. Here we are having fun with new Nashville friends.

Destin was beautiful--in scenery and in people! Here are some sights from the Gulf coast: the view from our front porch, Doug and daughter Talitha, her children Ellen and Jacob . . .

It's been a wonderful summer! We have now managed to visit with all the children and grandchildren except Chris and Heather, and we are hoping to make it to be with them. It hasn't been easy to orchestrate, with all the job changes and moves they have collectively made over the last few months! We have also worshiped with six congregations so far--Presbyterian, Lutheran, Disciples of Christ, and nondenominational. I have been reading, reading, reading--about worship practices and the theology of how we worship God. I'm learning lots, and more importantly, having a "sabbath rest" from the daily routines. I'm grateful for this opportunity!

See you all in about five weeks!

Grace and Peace,

Linda

On the Road Again

2006-07-15T21:51:00.000-04:00

Dear Friends,

We are traveling again, after leaving Destin and our time with Doug's daughter, Talitha, and her two children, Ellen (12) and Jacob (6). The weather was hot down there, although we were told it was a lot cooler than July usually is on the Gulf. We had no rain (they need some down there), but hot and muggy every day. Destin is a lot different from most of our Atlantic beaches. They build things a lot closer to the beach, and the beaches are mostly not as wide as Atlantic beaches (at low tide anyway). I can see why destruction from storms is so awful. Even in Destin, there were some places where the sand foundation and some parking lots had been washed away last summer--this was only on the oceanfront, though. We did not travel any further west, so did not see any of the real problems. It's hard to see how there could be enough construction workers to do repairs in Mississippi and Louisiana, because I believe they are all working in Destin, building new hotels and condominiums!

Last Sunday, Doug and I worshiped with the folks at First Presbyterian Church in Destin. This congregation is full of "snowbirds," who live in Florida only during the winter months, so their attendance goes from about 50 in the summer to 170 in January-March! We enjoyed spending some time with their organist/choir director, worship committee chair, one choir member/guitar player, and their pastor, Stephen Yates. Stephen is learning to play the guitar, and he did a duet with his teacher.

I'm doing some catchup on photos I should have included last time.

Here are two of the worship leaders at the Montreat Music and Worship Conference.

Here is a photo of Doug, his son Jeremy, daughter-in-law, Tammie, and grandchildren J.T., Emily, and Lizzie at the Parthenon in Nashville.

We are in Fort Payne, Alabama, tonight, and hopefully will be home tomorrow. It has been a long three weeks away, and we'll be glad to get back to our own place, and see our kitties! Wherever we are, we think of you all fondly, and are anxious to share with you what we have learned in our conferences, our church visits--and I have been doing a lot of reading, too!

Grace and Peace,

Linda

Fireworks in Tennessee

2006-07-05T22:40:00.000-04:00

Dear Friends,

We are now "dead center" in Tennessee, in the city of Murfreesboro. We traveled from Montreat on Monday, after a wonderful week of worship and study at the Worship and Music Conference sponsored by the Presbyterian Association of Musicians. You can't imagine how it is to worship every day surrounded by more than one thousand church musicians! On Wednesday evening, two orchestral ensembles played "dueling combos" from two balconies on either side of Lake Susan. The final concert was given by an adult choir of over 500, two youth choirs of over 100 each, a children's choir of about 150, a brass ensemble, and a choir of 244 handbells! We ate at table every day with some folks from St. Joseph Catholic Church in Columbia, SC, who were charming. They presented us with a CD and DVD of their choir's performances, and we are invited to worship with them sometime.

Sunday I worshiped with the followers of Jesus at First Christian Church in Black Mountain, NC. It was good to get to know their pastor, Joe Friddle, and to renew acquaintance, providentially, with the Rev. Jan Linn, founder of "The Jesus Connection." The Session is reading one of his books over the summer, and considering implications for our congregation.

Last night we celebrated the Fourth with a barbecue and fireworks with Doug's son Jeremy, his wife, Tammi, their children (Jay, Emily, and Lizzie) and a group of their neighbors. There were fireworks going on all around us, and it was hard to know which way to look! Today it rained HARD all day, but tomorrow should be beautiful, and we are going to go to Nashville to see the Parthenon (bet you thought that was in Greece!) We will be off to Florida on Friday to see Doug's daughter Talitha and her family. It has been five years since we have visited with these two dear families, and we are so glad to be able to do that now.

We miss you all. Time goes quickly, though, and in less than two months we will be worshiping and working together again. I know that you are faithful in your care for each other and your devotion to God.

Grace and Peace to you all in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,

Linda

Rain, Rain, Go Away!

2006-06-26T18:34:00.000-04:00

Dear Friends,

Greetings from Montreat Presbyterian Conference Center, near Asheville, NC. Doug and I are here for the Worship and Music Conference, and, I must say, it has been amazing so far--and we just arrived yesterday! We are staying at Assembly Inn, a turn-of-the-century lodge built of stone. Since it was built before the electronic age, we are living without air-conditioning--and the humidity has been damp, to say the least. Last night it started to rain--and it rained for 40 days and 40 nights--well, perhaps that is a slight exaggeration--but it has rained heavily until just a couple of hours ago. I have two pairs of shoes drying out on the radiator--and there is no heat in the radiator (maybe they will dry by the power of suggestion). I should have brought my flip-flops!

Worship here has been glorious, in spite of the weather. We have had vivid colors, magnificent singing (imagine a congregation where about 90 percent of the folks are choir members), outstanding preaching, and the conference organist, John Ferguson, is the director of the choirs of St. Olaf College. You may have heard some of his work on the Sunday morning radio program, "Sing for Joy." You would probably be amazed at the huge number of youth who are here. You would almost think it was a Youth Conference, except for the many "more aged" persons like me. We are learning new music and some wonderful ideas for worship.

I am writing to you from the lobby in Assembly Inn. There is a huge fireplace, walls of stone, mountains all around, and at the moment, one of the folks here is playing Clair de Lune on the baby grand piano.

Sunday I will be worshiping at First Christian Church in Black Mountain, yet another venture beyond our denominational walls. It is good to be with those who love and follow Jesus Christ as they gather to worship God. My thoughts are with you who love him, too, and who are gathering in Blacksburg each week, and faithfully caring for one another while we are gone. May God bless you all.

Peace,

Linda

Beach Weather!

2006-06-18T11:52:00.000-04:00

Dear Friends,

We have returned home after two weeks at Litchfield Beach, SC. It was a very full time for us, in more ways than one. We had a home a couple of blocks from the beach (called "Simpson Sea-renity"), where we could host Tony, Jenny, Nathan, Aaron, and Mary. It was great having some quality time with them. Chris and Heather were unable to join us, but we felt quite blessed with the children, and adorable grandson who were with us.

I was able to go with my father for his second chemo treatment. I think the moral support helps, and he did very well with the treatment, and also the treatments for increasing white and red blood counts.

June 4 I worshiped with the folks at Victory Christian Fellowship in Georgetown, SC. This was a very different experience from our usual at Northside. Victory has a praise band rather than a choir, and lyrics projected on large screens rather than a hymnal. I didn't know a single thing we sang, so I can identify with some of you when I pick an unfamiliar hymn! The sermon was based on the story of the Three Little Pigs (I'll let you figure out the connection!). I had interesting and profitable meetings with the two pastors, Chip Judd and Rod Reid, and with the two worship team leaders. Apparently there is more to this style of worship than I had supposed.

June 11 I was back in my own tradition for Trinity Sunday, at Pawley's Island Presbyterian Church. I met with Frank Holsclaw, pastor, Rhett Talbert, associate pastor (an old classmate from seminary days), and the whole worship committee. These conversations about worship are proving to be so stimulating for me, and, I think, for the churches involved. Everyone has expressed gratitude for the opportunity to think more systematically about worship decisions.

As we were planning our beach times, Doug was certain that we would be a bullseye for all hurricanes and other natural disasters to strike. It seems he was almost right! Tropical storm Alberto went right over us Wednesday, although we didn't notice much except lots and lots of rain, and a bit of a bluster. The rest of the time, the weather was glorious!

We returned Friday evening in time for the rehearsal and wedding of my nephew, Wes Dickerson, and his bride, Kendall. I was able to participate in that service also, at New Century Church in Salem. We had a great time, and enjoyed visiting with family and friends. Today we celebrated Father's Day with Aaron and Mary, and Doug is pleased to have heard from all of his children--on time! We are still so grateful to you all for our time to enjoy Sabbath--even when the "rest" is very eventful!

Grace and Peace to you all,

Linda

Wedding Bells!

2006-06-01T15:36:00.000-04:00

Dear Friends,

We have just returned from a delightful weekend in Northern Virginia. I co-officiated at the wedding of Zach Walrond (my nephew) and Aubrielle Smith. Bride and Groom were both gorgeous, and everything went off without a hitch. Mothers of Bride and Groom both made it, too! Sunday morning, I worshiped at St. Paul United Methodist Church, and later met with the Rev. Denise Bates, the Associate Pastor, about how they do worship, and why they do it the way they do. Their congregation is a bit larger than ours. They have two services on Sundays, mainly traditional, although Denise says she would call it "blended."

We've had a few days at home this week, before taking off for South Carolina, and spending time with my parents, and our children Aaron, Chris, and Tony, and their spouses, and our grandson, Nathan. We have lots of prayer requests for you all. Besides safe travel for all concerned, there is a lot going on in the family. My Dad has his second chemotherapy Tuesday; and the few days following are not too pleasant. My Mother's back is doing much better, and she will have a radio frequency treatment later in June. Tony has taken a new job in Kernersville, NC, so the family will be moving after the house sells (meanwhile, he is staying in "extended stay"). Aaron goes to Captain's school in August and will probably not return to Ft. Bragg, so he and Mary are also putting their house on the market. We certainly appreciate all your prayers.

Over the next two weeks, we worship at Victory Christian Fellowship in Georgetown, SC (praise band, very loud--should be quite different from our usual Sunday fare) and Pawley's Island Presbyterian Church. While we miss you lots, it is really great to worship with other Christians on Sundays. And I'm learning lots!

Grace and Peace to all the Saints at Northside,

Linda

Wedding Bells

2006-05-25T09:24:00.000-04:00

Dear Friends,

I am still on a "high" after the fantastic Festival of Homiletics in Atlanta, but the last few days of organizing, sorting, filing, and throwing away in the home office have, I must confess, taken some of the edge off. It looks to me like the seven years I have spent as your pastor have not been used to keep things orderly at home. Having two offices seems to make more than twice the amount of sermon files, liturgical year ideas, illustrations, etc.

We are off Friday for Northern Virginia, where I will be worshiping at St. Paul United Methodist Church in Woodbridge. The other thing we will be doing at that church is celebrating the marriage of our nephew, Zach Walrond, to Aubrielle Smith. I will be officiating, and my heart is warmed that they asked. The two of them have been part of our church family at Northside, and I thought you might like to see how they looked at VT graduation just a couple of weeks ago (Zach was also commissioned as a 1 Lieutenant in the US Air Force). We are looking forward to being with family and friends for the occasion.

Our daughter-in-law, Mary Teller, has just had her tonsils out, but she is recovering well. Our son, Tony Rathjen, has taken a new job in Kernersville, NC, so he, Jenny, and Nathan will be moving this summer. We are excited, because they will be so much closer, and we can do the "grandparent thing" more often!

Doug and I pray for you regularly, and miss you all a lot!

Peace,

Linda

Festivals!

2006-05-17T22:19:00.000-04:00

Dear Friends,
The weekend brought two festivals of graduation. Our nephew, Zach Walrond (who many of you know) and his fiancee, Aubrie Smith, graduated from Virginia Tech, so we proudly spent a whole day at ceremonies. Zach was also commissioned into the US Air Force. Sunday we left for North Carolina, where on Monday, our daughter-in-law, Mary Teller, graduated from Campbell University.

It was on from there to Atlanta, for the Festival of Homiletics (for the unitiated, that means preaching). I have several more days here, and I must say, it has been wonderful! We have had wonderful worship, beautiful music, significant lectures on the art of preaching, and delightful storytelling! In a way, I'm sorry I won't be back right away to share with you some of my new insights. On Sunday, I will be worshiping at Plaza Presbyterian Church in Charlotte on my way back home.

Last night, I had dinner with Isaye Barnwell, lead vocalist with the wonderful African-American women's a capella singing group "Sweet Honey in the Rock." It was great to meet her, and her singing workshop was sensational! I also met Jean Smith, the representative from the Lilly Endowment, who is one of the decision-makers for the grants which enabled the financial side of this sabbatical.

We miss you all a lot, and this week, I also miss Doug, who is keeping the home fires burning while I get "educated."

Peace,

Linda

The Journey Begins

2006-05-09T19:47:00.000-04:00

Dear Friends,

Only a week has gone by, and so much has happened! Most of our first week was spent offering care and moral support to my parents in South Carolina. My Mom is having severe back problems, and Dad is preparing to undergo chemotherapy for recurrent cancer. They have been coping by themselves for the past month, and it was time for us to go lend a hand.

As you know, while we were there, we received word that Ed Bender was failing, and subsequently, that he had died. Our grief was compounded by not being here, but I am so grateful for the fine pastoral care given by Rich Pollock. Doug and I returned by the weekend, so I was able to share in Ed's memorial service. He was a wonderful man, and a dear friend. I am so glad that we were in the area, so that I could be with Emily and the Bender family, and with our church family, during this difficult time.

Sunday morning we worshiped at Our Saviour Lutheran Church in Christiansburg, and after church, we met with their pastor, Fred Hodges, and members of their Worship and Music Committee. I think it is going to be a delightful summer, worshiping together with other Christians throughout the Southeast, and having important conversations about what we do "in church" and why.

Please continue to keep Doug and me in your prayers. We miss you!

Peace,

Linda

Here's what the sabbatical is all about

2006-04-23T14:57:00.000-04:00

Dear Friends,

The Lilly Endowment National Clergy Renewal Program asks pastors, in proposing sabbaticals, to answer the question: “What will make your heart sing?” The grant proposal plans a “period of spiritual, emotional, physical, and family relationship renewal, as well as to engage in research and experience which would . . . benefit the future worship life of the Northside congregation . . . The sabbatical will involve daily prayer, scripture, walking, research reading, and recreation, and creating an optimal balance among those activities. The sabbatical . . . will involve attending worship at nine different churches (mostly Presbyterian, both large and small), meeting with pastors and congregational representatives at each church . . . visiting with her parents, and her five children/step-children and their spouses and grandchildren, and participating in worship and music conferences.”

The schedule listed below doesn’t tell the whole story. You can imagine me on the road many of these days, since I plan to drive everywhere I go—I anticipate hours of driving! Of course, Doug will travel with me much of the time, and we anticipate the opportunity to renew our own relationship in the extra time we will have to share.

I have submitted to the Lilly Endowment the following goals for myself:
* Participate in daily prayer and devotional reading of scripture
* Participate in daily physical fitness activities; take time for adequate rest, sleep, and recreation
* Experience worship in a variety of settings as a worshiper rather than as a worship leader
* Read and reflect on the foundations of worship and styles of worship
* Renew relationships with my husband and other family members
* Organize many years’ worth of worship materials and sermons at my home office
* Reflect on a theological and practical structure for worship at NPC

Here are some of the people, places and activities of the sabbatical (more or less in order):

Christiansburg, VA - I'll be in and out of town during the sabbatical, working on mountains of stuff that has accumulated in my home office, preparing for the Fall schedule at NPC, plus reading, reading, reading!
Worship at Our Saviour Lutheran Church, meet with the Rev. Fred Hodges and worship committee
Worship at other locations in Southwest VA (to be determined)
Virginia Tech graduation

Fayetteville, NC - Campbell University graduation

Atlanta, Georgia - Festival of Homiletics preaching conference
Worship at Plaza Presbyterian Church, Charlotte, NC; meet with the Rev. Tom Tate and worship committee

Woodbridge, VA
Officiate at Walrond-Smith wedding
Worship at St. Paul United Methodist Church, Woodbridge, Virginia

Litchfield Beach, South Carolina
Enjoy family visits!
Worship at Victory Christian Fellowship, Georgetown, SC; meet with Pastors Rod Reid and Chip Judd and worship committee
Worship at Pawley’s Island Presbyterian Church, SC; meet with the Rev. Frank Holsclaw and worship committee

Black Mountain, NC - Montreat Worship and Music Conference
Worship at First Christian Church, Black Mountain; meet with the Rev. Joe Friddle and worship committee

Murfreesboro, TN, Enjoy family visits!

Destin, Florida
Worship at Destin First Presbyterian Church; meet with the Rev. Stephen Yates and worship committee
Enjoy family visits!

Harrisonburg, VA - Music and Bible Conference, Massanetta Springs Conference Center
Worship at Trinity Presbyterian Church, Harrisonburg; meet with the Rev. Ann Reed Held and worship committee

Possible additional travel at several different times, based on Aaron’s transfer to Captain’s Advanced Course and/or other factors (to be determined)

Peace,

Linda

Getting Ready

2006-03-23T15:51:00.000-05:00

There is so much to do to get ready to go! Reservations to make, schedules to set up, people to contact, letters to write--and that is just on the "going" end! Here at church, I need to get my office straightened up (eek!), sort out which books to take and which to leave, go over all the many details of my days and weeks with Rich Pollock, as well as do the "regular" stuff of daily life in the church. I'm also plunging into the world of blogging, so that all of you can participate with me in the sabbatical. This is exciting, but a bit stressful!

I'm so grateful, though, for the opportunity to "go aside for a while" to replenish myself, to learn something about making worship meaningful, to visit with my loved ones, and to get to know folks in churches all around the Southeast.

My "swan song" at the Presbytery meeting was participating in a Mission Skit written by Jeff Kackley, pastor at First Pulaski. He wrote an amazing, hilarious script. I had the starring role: "Little Bubba Church" of Bubbaville Presbyterian. It was great fun to ham it up and get to dress like Gomer Pyle. I am sure I will never live that down! Unfortunately, here's the last look the Presbytery got of me: