Wonderings--May 5

I just returned from the York County National Day of Prayer service. The members of the Western York Ministerial Association gathered, along with a crowd of civic leaders, to pray for God's presence and blessing to be upon us, our families, our nation, and our world. 

Truth be told, I was excited for the invitation to participate in the service. I sat there looking forward to 'my turn' in the liturgy. Yet there was something else in the back of my mind,  a feeling, that I could not shake as I drove to York and parked in the civic lot. . . 

As I normally prefer, I arrived early and waited for others to arrive.  While I was waiting, I took out one of my notebooks, the one that stays in the truck for such moments, and began to jot down some thoughts about my assigned prayer. 

My topic was: Peace. 

Sitting in the warmth of the late morning, alone in my truck, I felt something overwhelming beginning to settle inside my mind. Learning into that 'overwhelming-ness' I waited for God to help me to see and understand this feeling. . . It was then that I realized that any prayer that I might offer for peace would be unlikely to include every needed area in life for peace. I could do my best and yet my best would still fall short of the need for peace in Creation.  

I could pray for the end of the war in Ukraine and other places . . . and I did.

Prayers could be offered to end terroristic actions around the world. . . again they were. 

I could pray for the employment peace for those deal with it. . . and I did.

I could ask God to be with those who suffer physically. . . which I again did.

Prayer was offered for those suffering mental anguish and those who inflict that anguish upon others. 

A lot of words were shared from my heart about the need of peace, and yet I felt like I missed so much. Even the space where I built in room to silently pray felt inadequate. How was I going to end this prayer and find something meaningful to tie the service together (I was the final prayer in the service)? 

Perhaps, in spite of my best efforts, the most effective way to reach out to God in these moments is just one of honesty and submission. Perhaps when I no longer had the words the best choice that I could make involved remembering that the Holy Spirit prays for and with us when we do not have the words. 

As I drove back to the office, I thought about this idea. I wondered what would happen to our faith journeys and devotional times if we stopped trying to hard and just realized that God is already in the room or space with us? I wonder what our prayer life would become if when the moment arises we were still with God?

Blessings

Rev. Derek

Wonderings--May 4

This morning I re-read a parable from Tolstoy that I want to share with you. This is quite a long parable so I encourage you to find some quiet time to sit with it and consider the story. 

"It once occurred to a certain king that if he always knew the right time to begin everything; if he knew who were the right people to listen to, and whom to avoid; and, above all, if he always knew what was the most important thing to do, he would never fail in anything he might undertake.

And this thought having occurred to him, he had it proclaimed throughout his kingdom that he would give a great reward to anyone who would teach him what was the right time for every action, and who were the most necessary people, and how he might know what was the most important thing to do.

And learned men came to the king, but they all answered his questions differently.

In reply to the first question, some said that to know the right time for every action, one must draw up in advance a table of days, months, and years, and must live strictly according to it. Only thus, said they, could everything be done at its proper time. Others declared that it was impossible to decide beforehand the right time for every action, but that, not letting oneself be absorbed in idle pastimes, one should always attend to all that was going on, and then do what was most needful. Others, again, said that however attentive the king might be to what was going on, it was impossible for one man to decide correctly the right time for every action, but that he should have a council of wise men who would help him to fix the proper time for everything.

But then again others said there were some things which could not wait to be laid before a council, but about which one had at once to decide whether to undertake them or not. But in order to decide that, one must know beforehand what was going to happen. It is only magicians who know that; and, therefore, in order to know the right time for every action, one must consult magicians.

Equally various were the answers to the second question. Some said the people the king most needed were his councilors; others, the priests; others, the doctors; while some said the warriors were the most necessary.

To the third question, as to what was the most important occupation, some replied that the most important thing in the world was science. Others said it was skill in warfare; and others, again, that it was religious worship.

All the answers being different, the king agreed with none of them, and gave the reward to none. But still wishing to find the right answers to his questions, he decided to consult a hermit, widely renowned for his wisdom.The hermit lived in the woods. . . and he received none but common folk. So the king put on simple clothes and, before reaching the hermit’s cell, dismounted from his horse. Leaving his bodyguard behind, he went on alone.

When the king approached, the hermit was digging the ground in front of his hut. Seeing the king, he greeted him and went on digging. The hermit was frail and weak, and each time he stuck his spade into the ground and turned a little earth, he breathed heavily. The king went up to him and said: “I have come to you, wise hermit, to ask you to answer three questions: How can I learn to do the right thing at the right time? Who are the people I most need, and to whom should I, therefore, pay more attention than to the rest? And, what affairs are the most important and need my first attention?”

The hermit listened to the king, but answered nothing. He just spat on his hand and recommenced digging.

“You are tired,” said the king, “let me take the spade and work awhile for you.”

“Thanks!” said the hermit, and, giving the spade to the king, he sat down on the ground.

When he had dug two beds, the king stopped and repeated his questions. The hermit again gave no answer, but rose, stretched out his hand for the spade, and said: “Now rest awhile – and let me work a bit.”

But the king did not give him the spade, and continued to dig. One hour passed, and another. The sun began to sink behind the trees, and the king at last stuck the spade into the ground, and said: “I came to you, wise man, for an answer to my questions. If you can give me none, tell me so, and I will return home.”

“Here comes someone running,” said the hermit. “Let us see who it is.”

The king turned round and saw a bearded man come running out of the wood. The man held his hands pressed against his stomach, and blood was flowing from under them. When he reached the king, he fell fainting on the ground, moaning feebly. The king and the hermit unfastened the man’s clothing. There was a large wound in his stomach. The king washed it as best he could, and bandaged it with his handkerchief and with a towel the hermit had. But the blood would not stop flowing, and the king again and again removed the bandage soaked with warm blood, and washed and re-bandaged the wound. 

When at last the blood ceased flowing, the man revived and asked for something to drink. The king brought fresh water and gave it to him. Meanwhile the sun had set, and it had become cool. So the king, with the hermit’s help, carried the wounded man into the hut and laid him on the bed. Lying on the bed, the man closed his eyes and was quiet; but the king was so tired from his walk and from the work he had done that he crouched down on the threshold, and also fell asleep.

When he awoke in the morning, it was long before he could remember where he was, or who was the strange bearded man lying on the bed and gazing intently at him with shining eyes. “Forgive me!” said the bearded man in a weak voice, when he saw that the king was awake and was looking at him.

“I do not know you, and have nothing to forgive you for,” said the king.

“You do not know me, but I know you. I am that enemy of yours who swore to revenge himself on you, because you executed his brother and seized his property. I knew you had gone alone to see the hermit, and I resolved to kill you on your way back. But the day passed and you did not return. So I came out from my ambush to find you, and came upon your bodyguard, and they recognized me, and wounded me. I escaped from them, but should have bled to death had you not dressed my wound. I wished to kill you, and you have saved my life. Now, if I live, and if you wish it, I will serve you as your most faithful slave, and will bid my sons do the same. Forgive me!”

The king was very glad to have made peace with his enemy so easily, and to have gained him for a friend, and he not only forgave him, but said he would send his servants and his own physician to attend him, and promised to restore his property.

Having taken leave of the wounded man, the king went out into the porch and looked around for the hermit. Before going away he wished once more to beg an answer to the questions he had put. The hermit was outside, on his knees, sowing seeds in the beds that had been dug the day before.

The king approached him and said, “For the last time, I pray you to answer my questions, wise man.”

“You have already been answered!” said the hermit, still crouching on his thin legs, and looking up at the king, who stood before him.

“How answered? What do you mean?” asked the king.

“Do you not see?” replied the hermit. “If you had not pitied my weakness yesterday, and had not dug these beds for me, but had gone your way, that man would have attacked you, and you would have repented of not having stayed with me. So the most important time was when you were digging the beds; and I was the most important man; and to do me good was your most important business. Afterwards, when that man ran to us, the most important time was when you were attending to him, for if you had not bound up his wounds he would have died without having made peace with you. So he was the most important man, and what you did for him was your most important business. Remember then: there is only one time that is important – now! It is the most important time because it is the only time when we have any power. The most necessary person is the one with whom you are, for no man knows whether he will ever have dealings with anyone else: and the most important affair is to do that person good, because for that purpose alone was man sent into this life.”

I wonder where today you might find some time and space to be present as the king in our parable was present. For when we dwell in the moment with the other person, we find ourselves serving not only them but God. 

Blessings

Rev. Derek

Wonderings--May 2

Now that Homecoming here at Bethesda is finished for another year, I can reflect on our preparations for it and praise God. I can look around and see how blessed I am and how blessed I feel this morning. Nowhere was this more evident than on Saturday afternoon. 

Jennifer and I headed out to the front yard shortly after 10am to do a little bit. She was going to do a small bit of yard work, and I was taking the trash to the dumpster. Both of us were tired from another full week, but we were together and that was good. I transported 10 bags of pine bark in my truck for her to mulch around a pair of small bushes in the front yard and around a telephone poll which needed another 10. 

She raked up the magnolia tree leaves and those little 'cone-like' objects that they leave behind. Chuckling she said that this was done more for her safety than anything else. You see, we walk through that area each Wednesday as we go over for the fellowship dinner and band practice. Neither of us want to trip over those cones, so they had to go! 

By this point it was getting to be lunch time. So I called Emma and she took care of us. 

After stopping for lunch we looked out at a large area to the right of the house and driveway. It needed a lot of attention. There were weeds everywhere. Sighing we decided to mulch that too. We wanted the manse to be ready for Homecoming and look its best too! 

A little more than three hours later the final bag of mulch was spread. This was a tremendous task that required a lot of work from us both. We were tired, thirsty, worn out, dirty, and just plain ready for a hot shower and some rest. But we stood there for a few moments to admire the yard and we realized who gave us the strength--God. And we did it together. 

Limping back into the house because of my knee swelling up, I worked to get my shoes off. Having spent a lot of time hiking when I was young with the Boy Scouts I knew that my feet would swell quickly because of how active I had been. Once those shoes hit the floor I was done. I knew my feet would hurt and the pain would travel up to my swollen, and quite warm, knee. So I pressed on and left the shoes in place. . . 

Jennifer took the girls out to the yard and I began to prepare drinks and a light snack for us. We still had more work to do for Homecoming and we couldn't stop yet. We were together with God in this work and it would be finished.  

Shortly after 10pm we finished the last task on our list. Food cooked for the morning and placed in the fridge to keep it fresh. The yard was cleaned up. We sat back and noticed how much soreness and pain we felt. Yet again, we said, it was better because we were together in this. . . Not just in how we suffered but in how we worked, we did so as a unit and we did so with God. 

And today I can tell you that this fact mattered for us. 

This union and community helped Jennifer and I finish the work with a good spirit in our hearts and determination in our steps. Partnering up has that effect on people. When we work as a unit consistently we find greater things being accomplished than we first believed was possible. 

I don't have any idea how we finished spreading so much mulch. I would have told you that it was impossible if you asked me at 10am on Saturday. But because I did not do it alone, because I had encouragement and support all along the way, something powerful happened at the Manse. This same thing can happen when we partner with the Lord. 

God takes us to places that we did not think were possible initially. He gently leads us onward and outward to change and remake this world into His image. As we work, God slips us a little bit more strength that we thought we had because we are serving Him as faithfully as we can. 

I wonder toady where could you find a place to partner with God? It matters that you serve God because you do so together--God with you and you with God. 

Blessings

Rev. Derek

Wonderings--April 27

Not very long ago I was talking to a colleague and friend of mine who is working hard to serve the Lord in the pulpit and church. Tom is a good friend and we catch up every-so-often and share how God is at work in our lives and how we see God at work in the church. 

But during our last Zoom call I learned that Tom's church is beginning to enter into a difficult time in their ministry. 

After exhausting every option that they could uncover, and after strategic plans and meeting were setup, and even after taking all their struggles to God in a deliberate time of prayer and discernment, it was time to end a cherished family program. The administrative board and the pastor did not take this decision lightly--in fact they were greatly grieved by the choice. Some, he said, even wept as they voted to close down this program. 

Together they had done everything as a church to support the program. For decades this tiny church offered their community a meaningful family program that now was unable to be staffed and supported by the community. 

I listened intently to Tom's story. At the end of his time of sharing, I pressed in gently to see how my friend was doing? Smiling, he asked me if I remembered a particular professor of our at Pittsburgh Seminary: Dr. Andrew Purves. 

I smiled back. . . Andrew is an important theological voice in my life, I told him. His books and teaching helped me form a lot of the paradigms of ministry that I still use today here at Bethesda. So, naturally I replied that I knew Andrew and his work. Tom then proceeded to remind me that, as Andrew would say, 'we preach Christ at all times.' 

When we don't know what to say: we preach Christ.

When ministry and faith become harder than we imagined: we preach Christ.

When a cherished program, ministry, or relationship breaks down: we preach Christ.

As our conversation ended I thought about one of my doctoral advisers, the Rev. Dr. Graham Standish, who wrote these words to support Andrew's teaching. How do we preach Christ one might ask??

"We do so by constantly and consistency saying to people. "Look, there's Christ in your midst, and there, and there, and there!" We do it by showing people that even if they are in darkness, they can find Christ's light shining through the love of a family member, the kindness of a friend, a phrase in a book, or the inspiration from a song. We can also preach Christ by reminding people that Christ is in Scripture, in the sacraments, and in all of worship. We preach Christ's presence by pointing to the incarnation of Christ in everything: our sufferings, our joys, our relationships, and our hearts."

Not all of us face these moments as my friend Tom did of ending a ministry and program, but we all know something about transition, and about the pain of change that comes with it. We may not be called by God today to move in a different direction, but we know what it feels like to wonder if God heard a single word we said in our hour of need. 

If you are in that place today, then I wonder how are you preaching Christ in thought, word, and deed? How are you looking at the struggles of this day and responding not in defeat but in love and in faith? 

Blessings

Rev. Derek

Wonderings--April 26

I have a story to share with you today, but before I do let me offer a word of clarification regarding what you are about to read. . . I was careful; I was deliberate. I did not, and would not, overdo it. Please don't worry. . . Now that I have offered you some clarification, and likely peaked your curiosity, let's begin my story. 

This morning I finished getting prepared for my day a few minutes early. As I filled my cup and double checked my backpack I thought, "Well you know, if you are careful you could make this happen finally."I sighed and said to Nala, "Don't worry I will be careful. You mom and Jennifer will be very upset with me if I hurt myself." She didn't respond so I took her silence to be agreement with what I was thinking. So off their crates the dogs went. 

Standing alone in the living room I looked at the chair my children purchased for me a couple years ago as a Father's Day gift. Now I like the chair that currently sits in my office. It rocks back and forth and is great. But this chair, with its matching footstool is better. It is more comfortable and easier to read and work from. So I decided to switch chairs (which Jennifer supported). . . The blue one from the church would leave my office and the chevron one would arrive. 

(Yes, you probably guessed how this story ends. . .) 

I carefully took the chair out of the house, placed it on the porch, closed the door behind me, checked the lock, and began the trip to carry the chair to the church. . . while still recovering from a full knee replacement and knowing that I have to be careful. 

Since surgery I knew better than to walk quickly or 'muscle' the chair around. Slowly, deliberately, with a full awareness of where my feet landed with each step, I walked with the chair down the driveway. I stopped about every 10 feet and put it down. I readjust my grip each time and check-in with my knee--there was no pain. 

This is not a heavy chair; the kids bought it from IKEA because it was sold, easy to move, and lightweight. Step by step and stop by stop I worked the chair to the church. The whole trip took quite a while, but I was patient and aware of what I was doing. 

As I arrived at the church I had some help holding the door open and walking in from a parent who dropped of their child. Now the chair sits to my right and I am happy to have it here. But as I think about it, and as I have already read God's word for the morning, I wonder if my choice, the way I addressed moving my new chair to its home, is something that we in the church are called to practice? 

So many of us rush from text to text and through prayer while not stopping to look around and see what might be there. It is as if the completion of the task is more important than the communion which happens in the moment. Perhaps a slow, calm, deliberate approach of God might be the best way to approach Him and grow in faith. . .

Blessings

Rev. Derek 

Wonderings--April 25

Heading to the office today to begin a new week with the Lord, I felt good. Sipping my coffee from the cup my family bought me as a gift at my installation here at Bethesda, I noticed that my stride was smooth, fluid, and relaxed. I still felt the click in my knee but there was not much discomfort at all. Slipping my bag from my shoulder in the office, I set it down on my chair, smiled, and thought, 'maybe a short one. I've got time.'

It has been a while, but I went for s short walk down to the cemetery gate and back to the office. . . .step after step I walked down to McConnells Highway. Turning around I walked back toward my office, but at the last moment, decided to walk home. This would extend my walk by a little bit and I still felt no pain. Touching my truck, I turned again, and walked back to the church still without pain. 

The entire walk was not much. I didn't walk fast and I was careful as I went. I made sure to keep one eye where I was going, one eye on the ground in front of me to make sure I did not trip or stumble, and one eye watching for parents bringing their kids to the day care. I really did not want to get hit by a car. (Yes, it was a little tricky to be that attentive, but I was). 

As I sat down in my chair, I sipped some more coffee, and then I wondered about miracles and how we define and quantify them as coming from God? 

In her book, The Bread of Angels, Barbara Brown Taylor speaks a length about manna. She, like the Israelites in the Sinai Desert, wondered why God sent it and what it's purpose was (besides being food). She offers us today the following thoughts on the topic: 

"Does manna have to come out of nowhere to qualify a a miracle? Or is the miracle that God heard the complaining of hungry people and fed them. . . Or to put it another way, what makes something bread from heaven? . . . 

If, you are willing to look at everything that comes to you (and I add parenthetically like walking around the parking lot) as coming to you from God, then there will be no end to the manna in your life. . .  Because it is not what it is that counts but who sent it, and the miracle is that God is always sending something to eat."

A short walk. . . a little time in prayer. . . a chance to listen to someone. . . a chance to be vulnerable to someone . . . a song in your heart. These are little miracles, little chances to notice what it is that God is giving you each day. The question that you have to ask yourself today is: will you see them as a gift from God, like manna, or are they just things that happen that mean nothing? 

I believe they are something special. . .  Do you? 

Blessings

Rev. Derek

Wonderings--April 21

I would like to share with you a story from the Christian Church's history. . . 

In 1555 Johann Arndt was born. As the son of German Lutheran pastor, Johann watched first hand as the Reformation took shape around him and his family. He watched as it changed the church and the leadership of the church. After studying in a number of local schools, Johann entered into pastoral ministry in 1583. Combining a strong Lutheran doctrinal background with the mysticism and contemplation of Bernard of Clairvaux and John Tauler, he offered the church something it was missing--something that would shape us. 

Arndt stressed that right doctrine (right orthodoxy), while necessary and important, was alone insufficient to help a Christian grow and mature in their faith. For Johann, true Christianity was union with Christ through individual and corporate spiritual transformation and repentance. As we purify ourselves, and spend time with Jesus in devotional settings, Christ helps us grow and deepen what we believe and how we live our beliefs out. 

His seminal work was a manual for pastors and priests entering the ministry. Perhaps today as you read this you might notice how Arndt's words are applicable to you and I in our missional context today. He wrote: 

"True Christianity consists, not in words or in external show, but in living faith, from which arises righteous fruits, and all manner of Christian virtues, as from Christ himself. Since faith is hidden from human eyes and is invisible, it must be manifested by its fruits inasmuch as faith creates from Christ all that is good, righteous, and holy. . ."

In other words, right doctrine, while necessary and important, is not the primary way to grow toward faithfulness. Right practice, what we might call ortho-praxy, is of equal importance as we live as the church. We have a lot of opportunities to 'be the church' which is nothing more than 'living as the church' for others. 

I wonder if today you might find a chance to live 'rightly' in your community. I wonder who it might impact and how it might shape you?

Blessings

Rev. Derek