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!
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Earth Day - Outside and Inside
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!
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!
Wednesday, April 01, 2009
Hints of Easter
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!
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!
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Beginning a New Decade
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!
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!
Monday, January 26, 2009
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!
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!
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
A Prayer for the Election
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.
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.
Monday, October 20, 2008
Worry
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?
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?
Monday, August 18, 2008
Churches and Elections
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.
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.
Monday, July 14, 2008
Midsummer
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.
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.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Earth Day 2008
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.”
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Iraq Misson Update
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!
"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!
Monday, December 10, 2007
Advent Time Warp
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!
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!
Sunday, November 18, 2007
Roaming Again
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.
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.
Monday, August 21, 2006
Countdown
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
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
Saturday, August 05, 2006
Home, sweet home
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
Grace and peace to you all,
Linda
Thursday, August 03, 2006
Having a Hot Time!
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
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
Saturday, July 29, 2006
Off We Go Again!
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
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
Thursday, July 20, 2006
Want to see my pictures?
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
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
Saturday, July 15, 2006
On the Road Again
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
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
Wednesday, July 05, 2006
Fireworks in Tennessee
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
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
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