What are the questions?
What are the right questions to unlock wisdom and strength that will allow us to discern God’s plan for us?
One of the continuing education opportunities I participated in recently was a chance to be trained as a clergy coach. We went through material, saw clergy coaching modeled, and practiced with our colleagues. I always liked one of the basic assumptions of clergy coaching: “The answer is within the person.”
Coaching was not about providing what were my answers but asking the right presenting questions so that the person being coached would rummage through their inner wisdom and will to know the answer for themselves. Listening well, asking the right questions, even offering silence are the job of the coach.
During the home potlucks this fall, I asked questions so that you all might learn about one another and think collectively about the future of the church. One of the things I’ve learned in coaching is that the right question sometimes needs to be asked over and over so that we begin to ruminate and reflect throughout the course of our days.
I believe in this congregation and the inner wisdom and strength that is found here. Using what I learned as a coach and in 30 years of ordained ministry, I am trying to discern what the right presenting questions are to tap into that collective wisdom and strength.
What do you think some of the right questions are? I’ll be talking about some basic questions where we might start in my New Year’s Day sermon.
I want to be precise about asking questions because I know I’ve asked past confirmation classes what they would like to do in the future and I get these wonderful, creative ideas shared with me. And then nobody participates in those future events or offerings.
Where do you think God is leading us? How are we to be faithful in this age? What if we assume that God has an incredible mission and ministry for us? What would that look like? How has God acted in the past that might tell us how God might act in the future?
I ask this because there are about seven United Church of Christ churches within about a 30-minute driving distance with each other who are anywhere from six to forty people in attendance every Sunday. Some are talking about closing. Others are talking about turning their church building into a museum. How might we spark imagination to talk about how all those churches might come together to do something fabulous and wonderful? What if we joined together in mission? What if we put forward all kinds of different worship opportunities and styles?
What are the right questions? And what is God leading us to do?
Meditation Service, Sunday, January 8, 7:00 p.m.,
Tonglen Meditation
One of the most difficult community meditations I have done personally and in community is tonglen meditation, a meditation that strengthens compassion in the heart and the mind. It is difficult because it helps us take the negative or painful in and put back out into the universe light and love. For a Christian, it is kind of like eating a vegetable we know we need but not necessarily liking the taste.
We become a human kidney. We breath in the negative or even the evil and breathe back out light and goodness.
When I am right and healthy, I can breathe in the worst of things and put back out into the universe health and harmony.
Christ commands, “Love your enemies.” It is a reminder that we are to build spiritual muscle that does not put back out the evil or negative directed at us. We are not to be doormats. But we are to help weave an eco-system of compassion around us.
Come join us for the practice of tonglen meditation.
✝
Advent begins: a new dawn
The Jesus the gospel writers center is an answer to the deepest of night. He points to the community forming around him and says, “This is God’s idea of rule, how God would distribute bread and fish, how God would want for our mutual healing, how God would make sense of the madness. And God would want us to partner with us in piecing the world back together again.”
I remember being in the presence of a Roman Catholic liturgical artist in St. Louis, Missouri, who made the most beautiful paraments, vestments, and stoles for churches, priests, and pastors. She clearly thought outside the box but also was deeply rooted in an ancient tradition. So I asked her, “If you had a dream for a church or a church leader to do something you’ve dreamed about doing, what would it be?” She sparkled at the question—like she had been waiting for it.
She began to explain to me how she believed Advent was one of our most meaningful liturgical seasons but how it was one of the least explored. She wanted to do something with the color because she had never heard a good explanation for why purple or blue (Blue was just coming into vogue as an Advent color to distinguish it from Lent.) were used for Advent candles.
Deep in the Scriptural and hymnody tradition of Advent, she explained, was the understanding that we were moving to a dawn we could not even see or imagine. So what her dream liturgical project would be had to do with progressive vestments that would begin with the colors of the deepest night and then adding colors each Sunday that would lead to the bright colors of the dawn on Christmas Eve/Christmas Day. She was giddy in explaining it to me.
That joyous explanation transferred to me. She was right. I could not find much of an explanation for why candles were purple or blue. Unlike many liturgical seasons, Advent did not have lengthy explanation for its liturgical tradition. And, as I’m sure you know by my children’s sermons, I think our liturgical tradition, its colors and meaning, is a powerful, countercultural discernment practice and tool for our lives.
As I began to notice the colors in the late autumn dawn or evening sky, I began to see what she was telling me. The spiritual cues were there. In the deepest part of the night one could see a dark purple, then there was another layer of deep or dark blue, then a Columbia or powder blue, and, finally, a rose to signal that the heavens were about to change. In each church I served, I changed the colors of the Advent candles to reflect those four colors. And as we lit each candle, I told the children to see God’s hand at work in the morning or night sky.
The journey with Advent begins with the deepest night, when there is not even a star in the sky. The Scriptural texts we have are filled with terror and trauma and fear. We are called to be faithful even when it is night, even when we cannot imagine a different world.
We live in a world where many have called out the hypocrisy at all levels of our highest institutions. Indeed, it can feel like everything is beginning to unravel as we see the truth that the great makers and builders did not always have the best intent. Authentic faith has historically done this forever calling for reformation and transformation in our personal, communal, national, and earthly lives together.
Others point out that hypocrisy and enjoy watching the world burn. Still others believe that that hypocrisy, feeling like they’ve been sold out or lied to for the first time, gives them the right to act with total freedom and a lack of concern for their neighbors and for God’s good earth. I know I struggle with that unraveling and my mental health loses grip on what is possible or what we can do. Sheez, Mike, you are clergy. Get it together. But I sometimes can’t. I feel like I am withering.
The gospels were written at a time, just after Jesus, that was full of trauma, violence, and fear. It was a time of night. Everything was unraveling. Can we imagine a dawn? Can we even think of it? The Jesus the gospel writers center is an answer to the deepest of night. He points to the community forming around him and says, “This is God’s idea of rule, how God would distribute bread and fish, how God would want for our mutual healing, how God would make sense of the madness. And God would want us to partner with us in piecing the world back together again.”
It is night. The world may be unraveling. As people of faith, we are called to piece the world back together again. As we do so with God, the dawn comes. God’s hand is at work.
Shalom,
Mike
Gratitude, Potlucks & Reflection
How is God Leading us?
Thanks to so many people for your cards and gifts in honor of pastor appreciation Sunday. I am blessed to serve this congregation. It was a double blessing to receive such well-wishes and goodness.
Thanks also for the vacation time. Tracy and I were able to re-connect with our moms by taking them on a trip up to the Upper Peninsula and the drive up to Wa Wa in Canada. While the colors were grand, we ended up leaving the week of snow and what felt like the beginning of winter. The week before temps had been in the 60s and 70s. The week after temps were in the 60s and 70s. We still had such meaningful time. Tracy and I especially enjoyed hiking the Nokomis Trail. Our moms will forever remember their time at Tim Horton’s!
Rhythms of sabbath, rest, and detachment are so important for all of our well-being. I try to wind the practice into my day through meditation, night time walks, and spending intentional time with family and friends.
I look forward to our time together as a church through this end of Ordinary Time into Advent and Christmas.
Home Potlucks
I heard great reports out of the church potlucks. Thanks to all who attended! I pray that the potlucks were a way we might all “do church” together, remembering God’s leading, and binding us to one another. That is the literal meaning of religion - “to re-bind.” Just a reminder that as we enter these colder months to receive your vaccine boosters and to get your flu shots. We want everyone safe, healthy, and protected as we enter this season where we nest a little longer, contemplate God’s goodness, and huddle closer for warmth and reflection.
Reflections back from Church Potlucks
Potluck hosted by Sheila Mayne and Carol Conklin
Strengths of Pilgrim Congregational UCC
· Community: friendly, and it is more than just worship
· Pastor: great sense of fashion; liked belonging; great sense of humor; all feel like equals; is fitting in.
How would outside describe?
· Role play between Pemberley and Amelia; intriguing and welcoming
Future
· Mr. Mulberry
· Same people, safe place
· More kids in Sunday School
· Always be accepting as a community
· Doing more things in the community
· Love Java Joe.
How is God leading us?
· Be happy and strong community
· Leading into a path of happiness and joy
· Girls/women are embraced
· Enjoy different points of view and respect at the Java Joe worship service.
Your role in Pilgrim’s future?
· Share with the community the great things at Pilgrim.
· If the world were more like Pilgrim is on a Sunday, we would be in a better place.
What dream of God do you see becoming possible?
· To feel included, all in this together—bring more inclusivity on a large scale.
Potluck hosted by Terry and Don Kretchman
Strengths:
· Caring
· Non-judgmental
· Acceptance
· Very social community
· Giving (generous!) to the community
How would an outsider describe Pilgrim?
· Warm
· Friendly
· Diverse
· Senior congregation
Future?
· Only possible if we continue to have folks walk through the door
· Need to show universal love to all
Fall Brings Excitement and Action!
“Wow! Power-packed!”
This autumn brings so much life and vitality into the life of our church! The liturgical season of Ordinary Time begins to take on ever-greater meaning as we learn and grow together.
We will share in the home potluck meals. Please sign up for one of the meals as the hosts begin providing dates. This is a great time for us to get to know one another and develop consensus on where we see God leading this blessed church.
We will have some different worship opportunities available to us this autumn. Once a month, on the second Sunday of the month, we will have a service of Compline, of silent meditation and rest at 7:00 p.m. on the Second Sunday of the month. Please bring a pillar candle you are willing to light to begin the service and leave behind for future services. This month we will begin with open, silent meditation on Sunday, September 11. Next month, October 8th, we will share in a guided meditation. These worship services will last between a half-hour and forty minutes.
On Tuesday, October 4th, at 3:30 p.m., we will have a Blessing of the Animals service that will remember the pets/animals that are important to our lives. It is the Feast Day for St. Francis of Assisi! I promise to show up this time! Please make sure your beloved pet/animal is under control so that it does not harm others or cannot be harmed by others.
Finally, we will begin Bible 201, the study of the major Hebrew Scripture stories and learn how they inform our faith and continue to inform our faith. We will begin Thursday, September 15th, at 3:30 p.m. for five Thursdays and then finish on the first Thursday in November, November 3rd.
Wow! Power packed! I also want to call your attention to a great event being hosted by the League of Women Voters at our church. On Friday, September 16, The League of Women Voters will be hosting a Climate Change Town Hall. What other congregation could possibly host such a great community event? Doors open at 5:00 p.m.! Be there or be square.
I will be installed as teacher and pastor of this blessed church on Sunday, September 18th, at 4:00 p.m. It will be a great day as we continue this mutual ministry together.
Telling Our Stories: Blessed be the tie that binds
We have six homes who are going to host for our home potluck dinners! Please look for the sign-ups in the church narthex as those hosts choose dates that work for them. We ask you also to sign-up for a main dish, a salad, a vegetable, or a dessert as we come together and share a little of who we are, learn about others, bless the tie that binds us with one another.
Worship
Sunday, September 4th, 10:30 a.m., Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time
A hymn sing with egg casseroles! Good food and good music are going to be part of our worship experience on the first Sunday in September.
Sunday, September 11, 10:30 a.m., Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Chillin’ at Java Joes! We worship in the narthex with some of our favorite beverages! We once again practice Julian of Norwich’s Body Prayer and lectio divina as we discern what it means that those in power do not want to hear the truth.
Sunday, September 11, 7:00 p.m. Meditation Service
Join us for a service of silent meditation and a welcoming of the night. Please bring a pillar candle you are willing to leave at the church as your own so that you may light it and remember what a gift the stillness, the darkness, the quiet is as we move through meditation.
Sunday, September 18, 10:30 a.m., Re-covenanting Sunday
Jeremiah asks for a repentance, a turning around. We approach the High, Holy Days in the Jewish liturgical calendar which remind us of our own mortality and always our opportunity to begin again. In Benedictine spirituality, we are invited to have the heart of a beginner, to always know we can begin again.
Sunday, September 18, 4:00 p.m., Installation Service
The Southwest Association of the Michigan Conference in covenant with Pilgrim Congregational United Church of Christ installs Rev. Mike Mulberry as teacher and pastor of the church.
Sunday, September 25, 10:30 a.m., Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Sunday School begins with children! Loretta Gibby will once again be leading Sunday School for our children. After the Children’s Sermon, children are invited back to the narthex to continue to learn, play, and work on crafts Loretta has provided.
What is your mission statement? What is our mission statement? How do we continue to walk with God even when the path is hidden or difficult?
Sunday, October 2, 10:30 a.m., World Communion Sunday
Join Christians around the world in this celebration of our common identity as people who learn about the Divine as we share across the table.
Sunday, October 4, 3:30 p.m., Blessing of the Animals, Feast Day for St. Francis of Assisi
Bring your pets or the animals you love to the church for this time when we recognize what a holy and sacred gift they are to our lives and the beautiful relationship we have with them. Please make sure to have your pet/animal in control so they do not harm other pets/animals or won’t be harmed by other pets/animals who might escape the control of another. We want everyone safe and protected. Rev. Mike promises to be there this time!
Bible Study: Beginning Thursday, September 15th, 3:30 p.m., for 4 weeks with two sessions on Thursday, November 3rd and November 10th.
Bible 201: The Hebrew Scripture Stories
Hebrew Scripture (The Old Testament) is far larger than The New Testament and has this incredible stories of humor, apocalypse, song, prayer, and a re-counting of how God has been present for the Jewish people. At the same time, when we study the Bible critically, we have to decide what we will leave behind and what we will take forward with us. This has been the spiritual task throughout the centuries.
Please bring a study Bible with you. Rev. Mike recommends one of two: The New Oxford Annotated Study Bible (New Revised Standard Updated) with Apocrypha or The HarperCollins Study Bible with Apocrypha (New Revised Standard Updated). Having the Apocrypha will be important as we move into Bible 202. We will continue with our critical look at some of the larger stories we find in Scripture.
Please let Rev. Mulberry know if you are interested (mmulberry@gmail.com)
Learn From Ancient History
“What might this young prophet, an author of so much of our tradition, tell us about our current time?”
As another variant of the Co-Vid virus ramps and a monkeypox outbreak is declared a global health emergency by the World Health Organization, we have every right to feel overwhelmed. When will this end? Didn’t all of our quarantining, masking, and social distancing work? Will we have to go back to these safety protocols?
It is impossible to know where we go from here. I am confident that Church Council will be actively looking at data and advice from health experts to make the best decisions for our collective health.
I am also confident that amidst such change and frustration, God is actively at work—in ways that we could not have possibly imagined. God’s love is the most creative force in the universe.
In the midst of so much change, it is important for us to ask what we may be learning, how we might reflect God’s love by how we move creatively, and how what it means to be church might be different in this strange time.
My hope is that both Co-Vid and monkeypox will be waning by this fall such that we might do what I am calling “reflection dinners” at peoples’ homes. I want us to plan for fun, to learn about one another, to re-weave and darn some of the intimacy we may have lost during Co-Vid. I want us all to begin asking, “What are my hopes for Pilgrim Congregational over the next five years? What would it look like? Taste like? Smell like? Feel like?”
To discern how we might figure out that direction takes many conversations which might spark our hope, spawn creativity, and remind us that God is moving among us. But if we can’t do that, we’ll figure out a way. Because God is moving among us. I see the signs. And we’ll have fun doing it.
Jeremiah Preaching Series
Starting in mid-August, the Hebrew Scripture readings pick up on the book and prophet of Jeremiah. Hebrew Scripture scholar, Richard Elliott Friedman, believes that Jeremiah is responsible for collecting, writing, and organizing much of Hebrew Scripture—probably many of the Psalms.
It makes sense. Jeremiah was a young priest from Anatoth so he would have the literacy, the time, and the position to both engage the tradition and reflect upon it. He also would have had a compelling reason. Literacy was not common in the ancient world. Much of the tradition was carried orally.
So why would someone feel compelled to write down a tradition that was being carried orally? Threat. The Babylonian Empire was descending on Jerusalem early on in Jeremiah’s story. Jeremiah sees a religious and political elite grinding the people down with their excess, their injustice, and their violence. He tried to warn the rulers of the inevitable consequences to their actions.
When the rulers could see Babylonia at their gates, they repented of their injustice and returned to their covenant tradition. When Babylonia backed away, Judah’s ruling and religious elite returned to their evil ways. When I write evil, I mean using debt as leverage to harm and accumulate wealth, working false measurements to cheat the poor, manipulating the justice system to trample the oppressed, and making lying a regular spiritual practice.
Jeremiah rails against his own people, his own nation. He is jailed, thrown down a well, and called unpatriotic.
What might this young prophet, an author of so much of our tradition, tell us about our current time?
Weaving Together the Beloved Community
Happy Pride Month
“… something magical happened.”
At our most recent Community Celebration service, something magical happened. These are rare moments in ministry when years of spiritual work are woven together with a prepared gateway or structure which allows God’s Spirit to whip around the room in powerful ways. The worship service asked for reflection, during Pride Month, on how the LGBTQ+ community has lifted us or provided Divine gifts.
Though these moments are rare and cannot be forced, I think it is important to reflect on the elements that were present so that we continue to open portals for the possibility of God’s Spirit to flit and float among us. And let me say that sometimes that is already happening imperceptibly and unbeknownst to us. Sometimes what feels like a slog can be the most meaningful and powerful work of a faith community.
I would love if you all shared elements you experienced as present on that Wednesday night in June so that we can provide the intention for them in the future.
Here is what I saw and experienced.
People spoke out of their vulnerability and their courage. We had a diverse intersection of voices that spoke of their historical slogs and pain to arrive at this moment. I saw people speaking not necessarily out of present struggles but about historical struggles that brought a bittersweet mixture of honest pain and joy. Each one of those voices spoke with humility, allowing for other voices to join the chorus. While many people spoke, I saw manifestations from family members and congregational members who wanted the person speaking to know that they were loved and we were grateful for their courage.
Music was a gateway. Diane and Lisa provided beautiful and diverse music (pop, country, disco, Latin American folk) that went to God’s love for our diversity and our identity as Beloved Children of God. I heard them waxing up our courage and giving permission for the moment to be transformative.
We had a combination of freedom and self-awareness that led to powerful reflection. Nobody told anyone else they were “wrong,” but all of the people who spoke seemed to be aware they were not alone and that they could speak freely and responsibly. We heard from incredibly diverse experiences reflecting back on something that was both something they were in but recognizing that something bigger was afoot.
Even more so, after the experience was over, people continued to speak about the personal experience of the worship service a powerful and transformative.
I thought the worship service was transformative for our congregation.
But it had been building. Our congregation had been inviting, welcoming, teaching, offering care, celebrating, having fun, and experiencing all of that being returned. Years of love and struggle found their culmination in that moment.
The work continues. And I am so inspired to continue that work in a congregation where God’s Spirit is being made manifest in transformative ways.
Weaving Together Our Beloved Community
“… Remember the joy God intends for us”
I am honored and grateful that you have called me to be your settled pastor at Pilgrim Congregational United Church of Christ. I look forward to our time together serving St. Joseph, southwest Michigan, and God’s good earth.
My hope is that we will do all that with fun and celebration. We can often forget that God intends joy for us. Jesus enjoyed life to the point where one of the accusations made against him was that he was a glutton and a drunkard. I’m not sure that rates with me stealing cookies from the church freezer but Jesus clearly did celebrate community life well.
One of my favorite artist renderings of Jesus is one I remember seeing for the first time several years ago. His head is tilted back in uproarious laughter—like he just heard Mary of Magdala tell a great joke or he watched one of the disciples slip and fall for the fourth time. Better yet, maybe Jesus is laughing at himself as he fails miserably at trying to press olives.
With so many mainline churches losing money and members, we can get caught in a negative narrative that makes us feel like we are failing. I don’t believe that. If we do believe that, life in the church can seem pretty dour and disappointing.
Instead, I hope we can make a concerted effort to remember the joy God intends for us—no matter how small we are. Coming out of pandemic (it will happen, won’t it), I want to be intentional about becoming closer to one another and making regular fun and celebration a big part of who we are. To the point where other people in St. Joseph might say, “That church on Glenlord and Washington sure has a lot of fun!”
A congregation that continues to serve its community and love its neighbors
“This time together has been a unique one for discerning how to live out our faith”
I have enjoyed and continue to enjoy being pastor at Pilgrim Congregational United Church of Christ. Church Council is now tasked to determine whether our relationship will continue. Whatever their decision, I am grateful for this opportunity to serve you all, for the love and care you shared with me, and for the ways you all integrated my ministry with yours.
I have especially enjoyed the gentle ribbing I get from Carol about my freezer cookie-raiding, from Bob and my questionable miracles with prayer, and the many ways you all reminded me not to take myself too seriously. I loved working together to weave together the Beloved Community.
This time together has been a unique one for discerning how to live out our faith. Figuring out how to do communion, baptism, and regular Sunday worship can be a challenge in this pandemic era but also a joy as we figure out how to do the work together.
These past six months I loved seeing the young girls in our church sharing their wisdom during Children’s Sermons and providing leadership in reading from their new Family Story Bibles and during our lectio divina.
We embraced taking ancient practices and making them new again. Lectio divina, examen, Julian of Norwich’s Body Prayer, Encircling Prayer, the Imposition of Ashes, and Breath Prayers were all spiritual forms we practiced through this time.
Ronda Collier and Nicole Gibby humbled me with the great presentation they made on their study with other churches around the book, Me and White Supremacy. They helped us begin the hard work of developing a resource center for antiracism work. In February, Black History Month, we registered significant dates in U.S. history and adapted courageous poetry for responsive readings.
This last Thursday I completed Bible 101 with the hardy souls who were willing to stick with me, ask questions, and understand the Bible in a way that was counter to many of the ways we were taught the Bible. My hope is that this faith formation experience made the Bible more approachable and whets their appetite for further curiosity and study.
Finally, I am proud to serve a congregation that continues to serve its community and love its neighbors. From supplying essentials to migrant farm workers to CROP Walk to boxing food essentials for the indigent to a discretionary fund to provide emergency help for people in distress to supplying water dispensers for Benton Harbor residents, Pilgrim Congregational UCC continues to share God’s love in prolific ways. Even now, to taking the lead in hosting an Afghan family reflects ancient Christian values of hospitality that we are making new.
Again, thanks to Pilgrim Congregational UCC for this opportunity to serve. Whatever Church Council decides, I pray that you will continue in your faithfulness.
Shalom,
Mike
✝
Turn Your Face to Jerusalem
As we walk the hard road of Lent, our faith tradition tells us that a time soon coming will lead to our necessary public statement of faith amidst conflict and upheaval. The rigors of Lent prepare us for what is to come. Jesus turns his faith to Jerusalem, the holy city, where so many of the prophets have been killed in the name of political expediency and religious conviction. Holy Week awaits.
As I have shared, a baptism tradition in the ancient Christian Church was to have the candidates for baptism prepare through rigorous spiritual practice and devotion during Lent. Prayer, politically, was about giving our heart to the things devoted to by the Heart of God. Fasting, politically, was about detaching the will from the direction of a Domination System caught up in war, slavery, and violence. Almsgiving, politically, was about recognizing that the wider system was not as how God intended it and a necessary connection we have to the poor.
Baptism was a difficult decision. It was a definitive cut from the values and things espoused by the wider world. Who wants to be that radical? That devoted? Lent was about proving our mettle for the wilderness that would certainly follow after the baptism.
This year our Holy Week corresponds with the sacred seasons of so many other historic faiths. Passover is around the same time. Ramadan begins. A holy convergence is taking place. A reminder of the holiness of the whole earth is being placed before us. Holi. Vaisakhi. Ramadan. Passover. Holy Week and Easter. Vesak. Naw Ruz. Ridvan.
These religious holidays - which take place between March 17th and May 6th - attract billions of people. The Equinox, Earth Day, and World Water Day, which also occur during this time, engage even more people.
Green Faith (www.greenfaith.org) is referencing this as a sacred season for climate justice. My plan is to participate in one of the street seders corresponding with Passover. This action will spill out into prayer and fasting around a large financial institution to see transformation occur so that the fossil fuel industry, crumbling as it is, no longer receives the large welfare checks from these financial institutions and governments. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) estimates that the fossil fuel industry receives welfare checks from these large banks and governments to the tune of $11 million dollars a minute! And the IMF has long been considered a very conservative institution.
What will we do in these sacred seasons? How will we be people of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving? How do we devote ourselves to those values which go straight to the Heart of God? How do we show our freedom and balance to fast from that which destroys and makes war? How do we show our connection to those who have been spit out by the system?
Holy Week beckons to us this year. It calls, as it always has, to those who are willing to turn their face to Jerusalem and show the mettle of their faith. May all of us remember our baptism in preparation.
Blessings,
Mike
Congratulations Don Kretchman!
At the Annual Royalton Township Appreciation Dinner in February,
Don Kretchman was honored for his fifty years of service with the Royalton Township Fire Department. A husband, father, grandfather, Chairman at his church, and fiercely loyal friend, Don is incredibly deserving of this recognition and celebration.
“Everyone who meets our dad, Don, feels like they are the most important person in the room. He has the ability to captivate your heart with his quiet, loving energy, and has spent his entire life giving that energy, his time, and his heart to our community.” Trish Gardini, daughter of Don Kretchman, describes her father with love, reverence, and devotion, as she lists his accomplishments and shares a little of his personal history.
Don joined the fire department on September 7, 1971, and held the title of Assistant Chief for many years. Chief Jonatzke at the Royalton Township Fire Department says, “I have worked with Don for 35 years on the fire department, and he still continues to be a mentor to me. He has mentored all of our firefighters, making this the best fire department around. He is the highest quality of firefighter a chief or township could possibly ask for. It is a monumental achievement to spend the last fifty years leaving important family events, day or night, to come to the aid of others.”
Don Kretchman has lived in Royalton Township his entire life. From birth, marrying the love of his life, starting a business, and raising three children, Don is a community servant and pillar of strength and leadership. He and his wife, Terry (Zinkil), owned and operated the Wash Station Car Wash across from Lakeshore High School for many years, and have been longtime supporters of Lakeshore Athletics. All three children attended Lakeshore Schools, and he never missed a concert, game, or event.
This community is overflowing with feel-good stories and praise for Don. “Don would give anyone the shirt off of his back, and though his 6’4” stature is protective and commanding, he has the ability to put anyone at ease,” Trish says. Countless community members reminisce about Don offering comfort during a crisis, holding their hands during the chaos of an extraction after a car accident.
Physically and emotionally demanding, being a firefighter is not an easy task. Combining the desire to help others, dedication to the community, and the time and energy sacrificed for the safety of others, the duty of a firefighter deserves honor and praise. Don has given over 10,000 hours of firefighting, with many more to come. Congratulations to Don on his 50 Years of Service!
By Jocelyne Tuszynski, MOTM contributor
There are angels among us!
Thank you, Don, for your selfless giving.
The Sabbath - A Cathedral in Time
“Sabbath is what we are to sew into our every day, every week, every year for ourselves, for our neighbors, for the water, and for the land. “
In an achieving culture, many of us reflect on what we are going to “do” this year in New Year’s resolutions. Especially in this age of pandemic, being asked to “do” one more thing can feel overwhelming. We live in a culture which equates our worth with our work.
All of creation was lovingly fashioned by God as a reflection, mirror, or image of God. We are the beloved Children of God woven together as the Beloved Community. Whoa! Wait! Put that down. Stop. Deep breath. That’s who you are without ever asking you to “do” anything. Take that in. You are a Beloved Child of God - created that way.
More than any other part of the creation, Sabbath is the centerpiece. Sabbath is referenced as a cathedral in time. Its intent is to be liberative and remind you of the foundational truth of your being. The Children of Israel, held in slavery for centuries, were taught that “work” was the meaning of their lives. Sabbath is the antidote.
Sabbath includes practices and rhythms of rest, play, fun, and celebration. God does not intend Sabbath as a “tack-on.” Like, if you get all your chores done, go out and play in the yard. No. Sabbath is what we are to sew into our every day, every week, every year for ourselves, for our neighbors, for the water, and for the land. Jesus proclaims this when he gets up in front of the synagogue in the gospel of Luke and declares his mission statement with “the year of the Living God’s favor” (the Year of Jubilee). The Year of Jubilee was a re-set of the whole system of life within Judaism and it came out of Sabbath tradition and story.
So, in New Year’s resolution, what are we going to sew into our every day, every week, every year for ourselves to know God’s intent for us? What practices or rhythms of rest, play, joy, and celebration will not “tack-on” but make central? Maybe that means a letting go or fasting of something that is just too much. Maybe it is recognizing that a weekly “bubble bath” is just what the doctor ordered. Or a forest bath will remind you of the wonders God intends for you. Who knew that your weekly card game was part of God’s plan for you?
Resolve to live in God’s cathedral of time. Resolve, plan for, sew into the regular God’s Sabbath. For you are a Beloved Child of God. Then radiate out.
Blessings,
Mike
Just Breathe
“Advent comes and the cultural Christmas is going to try and tell us that we measure up by knocking ourselves out. I hope you are able to hear the voice of God in the background saying, “Slow. Sometimes stop. Just breathe.”
One of the most beautiful songs from Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Broadway musical, In the Heights, is a song sung by the favored daughter (her name is Nina) of the community who has returned home after a semester at Stanford University. The song reflects the angst and anxiety Nina feels as she returns home thinking that she has failed everyone by not hacking it at Stanford.
I love the song because, in the background, members of the community are singing in Spanish words of love and encouragement—telling her to just “resipira” (breathe). Meanwhile, Nina has this inner dialogue where she thought she was the one who was different, the over-achiever who made it out of the neighborhood. The community clearly loves Nina. Nina interprets that love as a need for her to perform and do better. The one thing that does come through, repeated to her over and over, is “breathe.” Just breathe, Nina.
I think that is a powerful narrative for our day. In the midst of pandemic, we can still hear those narratives which tell us we’re supposed to be better, supposed to be doing more work, supposed to be being more.
I think it is God’s fondest desire that we might hear over and over, “Just breathe.” In all of your glory and wonder as a very small part of creation, “Just breathe.”
Advent comes and the cultural Christmas is going to try and tell us that we measure up by knocking ourselves out. I hope you are able to hear the voice of God in the background saying, “Slow. Sometimes stop. Just breathe.”
We are all daughters and sons, siblings and cousins, who need to be able to sing the song of the community reminding others that “hacking” it is not what life is about. Just breathe. Don’t get caught up in those inner dialogues of worth. There is work to be done, and we need everyone. If we are caught up in narratives of guild or falling short, we feel to hear the voice of God singing along with the community, “Just breathe. Breathe. And take my hand for the work we can do together.”
Shalom,
Mike
Our Beloved Community (Copy)
“What might it mean to know, deep within you, that there are whole peoples who are treated as lesser?”
Every Sunday I hope you hear from me that you are a Beloved Child of God. I thought it was always disempowering and not true to the deeper tradition to name us as “sinners” who were in need of forgiveness. While repentance is an important spiritual practice, I don’t think that’s where we begin. That’s why I have always bent away from the Reformed Tradition practice of Prayer of Repentance, followed by an Assurance of Pardon, and then we sing the Gloria Patri as a way of praising God for pardoning worms like us. I think we begin with the idea that we are made in the image of God, the imago dei. That is found in Genesis 2:27 and in Wisdom Literature in the Apocrypha, Wisdom 2:23 (For God created humankind to be immortal, and made humankind to be an image of God’s own eternity. The righteous, because they are made in the image of God, can rest in the full hope of eternal life.) You can hear in that powerful Scripture from Wisdom a question about what endures or what is of value. Is it wealth, power, or fame? Or is it righteousness, jus<ce, and equity? My prayer is that we all begin worship, from age 2 to 92, with that understanding firmly planted in our consciousness. We are made as Beloved Children of God, as part of God’s Beloved Community, to do justice, righteousness, and equity. The prophecy tradition in the Bible switches out “equity” with “steadfast love.” Creation stories define us. They tell us who we are at our core. They also tell us who everybody else is. That is why I have made going to Benton Harbor at 3:00 p.m. a spiritual practice I hope I can keep. I may miss November 14th to celebrate the installation of Rev. Nevenzel in Baroda but I plan to be there as long as they need me. I want to affirm that the people of Benton Harbor are Beloved Children of God. The amazing thing about such efforts is that God is already there seeking to restore the preciousness of Benton Harbor. What I did was small this past week. But, hopefully, I can be faithful. Hopefully. I am also thinking about that as Thanksgiving approaches. I was reminded time after time by my Native sisters and brothers, sisters and cousins, that Thanksgiving may be a time together with family, but most often it was a remembrance of trauma for Native people. Our faithful daughter, in remembering that Native people are also Beloved Children of God, had us drive to Standing Rock one Thanksgiving. We became Water Protectors. It was wet. It was cold. It was glorious.
What does it mean to peacefully pray in a wide circle, with barricades in front of you and surveillance drones circling overhead? How easily I was affirmed as belonging to a wider community of Elders and Saints that day! How easily I was affirmed as belonging as a Beloved Child of Creator as I gripped the hand of my daughter on one side and a stranger on the other to pray together. We should also listen to the creation stories of other peoples to critique and learn both the power of our own story and its limits. The Potawatomi creation story has the land and food brought forth for humankind only by animals (namely, a muskrat) diving into the water to provide soil and roots. Thus, humankind flourishes as a result of animal sisters and brothers, siblings and cousins who are a part of our Beloved Community.
What might it mean to know, every day, that you are a Beloved Child of God? What might it mean to know, deep within you, that there are whole peoples who are treated as lesser? What might it mean to know, as we consider the limits of our own creation story, that the Beloved Community is far larger than we ever imagined?
Autumn Remembrance
“We are to remember by giving thanks not only for the blessings the good earth yields by God's kind and gentle hands but also gather around us the memories and community of saints that will enfold and protect us.”
With the changing of the seasons, also comes a sense of melancholy. Earth in this hemisphere slows. Certain animals turn to hibernate. Much of green life turns to amber, bittersweet, and scarlet. We are reminded that all things perish and that we, ourselves, are mortal. The harvest begins and ends - preparing for the cold of winter.
We are to remember by giving thanks not only for the blessings the good earth yields by God's kind and gentle hands but also gather around us the memories and community of saints that will enfold and protect us. In worship we will be studying the enigmatic story of Job and how Job's friends left him to affirm what they believed to be God and God's morality.
The first Sunday of November we will celebrate All Saints Sunday by remembering those we have lost in this earthly life over the last two years but remain with us as a circle to propel and protect us. As a new pastor to this church, if there is someone you would like to remember who was closely tied to this church, please communicate the date of birth and date of death of the loved one so that I might use it on Sunday, November 7th. If you have an electronicphoto you would like to share, please pass that along as well.
Resiliency
Resiliency is about not only bouncing back but also about hardiness, sustainability, and the ability to grow and develop under trying circumstances.
One of the topics I regularly tune into around organizational theory is resiliency. Resiliency is about not only bouncing back but also about hardiness, sustainability, and the ability to grow and develop under trying circumstances. In the conflict resolution work that I do, I often have to remind churches that conflict is normal and natural and a sign of normal growth and development.
One organizational theorist I regularly read says that healthy organizations are diverse on their outer edges, allowing for people to plug in at different places. Healthy organizations are also uniform and cogent at their core. People know what the deep values are of the organization, can repeat those values, and there is a certain logic surrounding those values and how they are acted upon.
Almost all churches I work with want to grow numerically. But leaders often put a ceiling on that growth by insisting that all that goes on at the church is known and controlled by them. They bristle fearing that the intimacy they have at the church will be disrupted by work or a ministry or an offering is not something they can control. Anxiety and fear build until the energy is expelled and the crisis averted.
In mid-September I will be working with a church that was ready to take off and excited about the new ministries and direction. That is, until all of that energy and excitement meant that the church was really going to change. So my job will be to go in and help them to observe themselves, hold up a mirror to ask them what their true values are and where they really want to go.
We have a number of offerings, changes, and possibilities coming this fall. I want to make sure that nobody believes they have to attend to all of them or be a part of every single thing for the church to be healthy. When a church can know that they are doing God’s work over here, with my participation, and God’s work is also being done over there, without my participation, the congregation has a chance to flourish.
As you look over the many offerings for this fall, I hope you will revel at all the different possibilities found at our church without the anxiety and fear that something might be amiss. I do object meditation on the regular to manage my own fear and anxiety that the world is going to heck in a handbasket unless I do this or this or this. On the contrary, Sabbath teaches that when I rest and release, give up my need for control, God is often spotted working outside of me. And my faith returns.
Worship
On the Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time, between Sturgeon Moon and Corn Moon (Sunday, September 5th), we will celebrate worship in the narthex. In keeping with the recent history of our church, this will be a more informal service. The sermon will come from you! That’s right, I said it.
I want us to think about the proverbs, stories, or parables that have held meaning for our lives. Deep wisdom can often be found by holding two opposing things together. So we may have found that one proverb holds wisdom for us in a given moment in time. I will share mine. I’ll look forward to having you share yours. In that way, we will teach other and continue to weave together a cord that cannot be quickly broken.
Weaving Together Our Beloved Community
Make it stand out
“On the Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time, between Sturgeon Moon and Corn Moon (Sunday, September 5th), we will celebrate worship in the narthex. In keeping with the recent history of our church, this will be a more informal service. The sermon will come from you! That’s right, I said it.”
You can imagine, as a baseball fan, how I believe some of the greatest wisdom can be found on the baseball diamond. Yogi Berra was famous for proverbs that, at first, seemed nonsensical, but with a deeper look actually had a deeper wisdom. Proverbs like “It ain’t over until it's over” can be about our own agency in giving up or pushing forward. “Never answer an anonymous letter” can be about not giving your time or energy who people who refuse to be accountable. Ok, some were nonsensical. But a good proverb is usually about seeing something on second glance. Simplicity unfolds into something broader and longer.
At the end of the summer and on into autumn, the Revised Common Lectionary turns to stories of Wisdom Literature and Responses to Ethnocentrism in its Hebrew Scripture readings. Wisdom Literature is the oldest text we have in our Bibles - filled with proverbs and parables, maxims, and the natural order of the universe. Wisdom Literature values “a fear of the Lord.” Too often that has been coupled with a God of hellfire and judgment. But “fear of the Lord” had much more to do with offering a counter and challenge to rulers, wealthy, and the powerful who believed themselves unaccountable and unanswerable to anything outside themselves. Jesus regularly used consciousness-raising wisdom and parable to help people form community and understand the world they lived in.
On the Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time, between Sturgeon Moon and Corn Moon (Sunday, September 5th), we will celebrate worship in the narthex. In keeping with the recent history of our church, this will be a more informal service. The sermon will come from you! That’s right, I said it.
I want us to think about the proverbs, stories, or parables that have held meaning for our lives. Deep wisdom can often be found by holding two opposing things together. So we may have found that one proverb holds wisdom for us in a given moment in time.
Two of my favorite Scripture passages are from the Wisdom Literature tradition. One is a parable from Hebrew Scripture and the other is a consciousness-raising saying from Jesus in the New Testament. I will share mine. I’ll look forward to having you share yours. In that way, we will teach other and continue to weave together a cord that cannot be quickly broken.
Examples of Wisdom Literature in Scripture:
Hebrew Scripture books like: Ecclesiastes, Ruth, Esther, Job, Jonah
Ecclesiastes 3: “For everything there is a season. A time for every activity under heaven.”
Proverbs 8:11: “For wisdom is better than jewels, and all that you desire may not compare with her.”
Gospel of Thomas 42: “Be a passerby.”
Luke 4:24: “Truly I tell you, no prophet is accepted in the prophet’s hometown.”
Questions from Rev. Mishra-Marzetti
What are we bringing our attention and love to? Allowing in that circle of care? What has the pandemic revealed to us?
What does inclusivity look like here?
Who is not a part of our community but living nearby?
Why are some people a part of other communities and not our community?
How can we expand who we are today to live more deeply into open-heartedness, and love and care?
How can we build sustained, ongoing relationships across difference?
How do we begin with other like-minded communities or
groups or people that are committed to the same kinds
of transformation and growth and embodiment of spiritual
goodness, good-heartedness that we ourselves are?
How do we honor the multiplicity of experience without trying to change the other person?
How do we honor ourselves across difference stepping into true authenticity, integrity, and inclusiveness?
The Socratic Board
The first question on the Socratic Board will always be a question of imagination beginning with “I wonder. . . . “ The second question will always be about your experience. What great wisdom does your life teach you? The final question will be our “shazam” question. It asks what action is necessary going forward.
Faith and Democracy
In following the Revised Common Lectionary, we have been reading Scriptures from I and 2 Samuel which share the juxtaposition of God’s values and the reach of authoritarian power. Scripture has democratic values and the command for those in power to be judged by how they treat the most vulnerable.
Wonder: I wonder what local faith communities should do to support democracy?
Experience: What has been your greatest corporate experience of democracy?
Shazam/Action: My faith calls me to support democracy and oppose authoritarianism. What will I do to regularly support democracy and oppose authoritarianism throughout this year?
Wisdom and Responses to Ethnocentrism
Wonder: I wonder what proverb, maxim, aphorism, or parable would change the world if it were read and its message followed?
Experience: What consciousness-raising wisdom or parable have you used to grow or get through a tough time?
Shazam/Action: How do we use the wisdom of our faith tradition to unseat the ethnocentrism/racism in our day?
The 33rd General Synod of the United Church of Christ
Worship Services
The worship services for the 33rd General Synod of the United Church of Christ are available online! I found them to be meaningful and powerful with an incredible diversity of liturgy and music. I especially loved the music in the Opening Worship and the powerful preaching of Rev. Michelle Higgins in the Mid-Week Worship.
You can find them here:
Opening Worship: https://www.generalsynod.org/worship-services-july-11/
Mid-Week Worship: https://www.generalsynod.org/worship-services-july-14/
Closing Worship: https://www.generalsynod.org/worship-services-july-18/
*****
Climate Change and Migration:
What it means for southwest Michigan, northwest Indiana,
and crafting a faithful response
Wednesday, September 15, 2021,
Pilgrim Congregational UCC, St. Joseph
6:30-7:30 p.m. Presentation;
7:30-8:30 p.m. Legislative Training
The Interfaith Action Southwest Michigan Peace & Justice and Collaborative and the Mennonite Central Committee present “Climate Change and Migration: What it means for southwest Michigan and northwest Indiana and crafting a faithful response.” As climate disruption continues to intensify, climate migrants and refugees will become more commonplace seeking refuge from rising temperatures, drought, famine, fire, and natural disaster. The Great Lakes area could very well become an anticipated geographical refuge with its proximity to water and temperate climate.
How are people of faith called to respond to the resulting climate refugees? How do we seek justice and live out our faith stories with political movements charged with xenophobia and hatred?
Participants registering for the event will have the opportunity to meet virtually with the offices of their members of Congress to advocate on behalf of positive climate and migration policy. Training for these optional lobby visits will immediately follow the event. Please fill out the online form found here https://rb.gy/yivqxr to register.
Presenters: (see https://rb.gy/lhme3s for more complete descriptions)
Kayly Ober is the Senior Advocate and Program Manager for the Climate Displacement Program at Refugees International. She also currently serves as a steering group member of the Climate, Migration, and Displacement Platform; a global network of practitioners and advocates with a common concern for climate justice and the human rights of migrants and displaced people.
Keith Schneider is a New York Times writer, and senior editor and chief correspondent for Circle of Blue, the Traverse City-based network of journalists and scientists reporting on global trends affecting water, energy, and food.
Katerina Parsons Katerina (Kate) Parsons is a legislative associate for international affairs with Mennonite Central Committee. After living and working in Tegucigalpa, Honduras for four years, Kate is now based in Washington D.C., where she advocates on U.S. foreign policy including the root causes of migration from Central America and U.S. foreign assistance addressing climate change.
Pilgrim Congregational United Church of Christ is at the corner of Glenlord Road and Washington (1200 W. Glenlord Road) in St. Joseph, Michigan. Details for remote Zoom availability will be offered closer to the event.
Weaving Together the Beloved Community
“What does inclusivity look like here?”
This past week, (Sunday, June 27), we celebrated Open and Affirming Sunday by hearing the great questions offered by Rev. Manish Mishra-Marzetti, a pastor in Ann Arbor, Michigan. If you were not able to hear his presentation, you can go to this youtube page to view and listen:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFftWxIUuB8
What I have found in over 30 years of ordained ministry is that deep faith tends to have more questions than it has answers. I know the most immature parts of my faith tend to be the places where I have little curiosity while thinking I have all the answers. Questions call to me a journey deeper into the heart of God.
Rev. Mishra-Marzetti was trying to help us get on that journey by taking baby steps. He asked us to do what we can, right where we are. I think he offered excellent questions for us to begin the journey and then augment from there:
What are we bringing our attention and love to? Allowing in that circle of care? What has the pandemic revealed to us?
What does inclusivity look like here?
Who is not a part of our community but living nearby?
Why are some people a part of other communities and not our community?
How can we expand who we are today to live more deeply into open-heartedness, and love and care?
How can we build sustained, ongoing relationships across difference?
How do we begin with other like-minded communities or groups or people that are committed to the same kinds of transformation and growth and embodiment of spiritual goodness, good-heartedness that we ourselves are?
How do we honor the multiplicity of experience without trying to change the other person?
How do we honor ourselves across difference stepping into true authenticity, integrity, and inclusiveness?
I think if we began our mission work by answering these discernment questions, and kept these questions ever before us, we would continue to journey deeper into the heart of God.
In July will appear a Socratic Board. One of my remote mentors in faith is
Dr. Cornel West. Dr. West regularly shares the need for a Socratic faith that asks the most questions to challenge assumptions and liberate us all into God’s goodness and life.
The first question on the Socratic Board will always be a question of imagination beginning with “I wonder. . . . “ The second question will always be about your experience. What great wisdom does your life teach you? The final question will be our “shazam” question. It asks what action is necessary going forward.
Look for the Socratic Board and please participate as we learn from each other!
Shalom,
Mike
Traveling the Road Together
God is on the road. I cannot wait to join hands with you to step out on that road and begin to see where that road will take us.
Make it stand out
Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
I am excited to begin our work together as Pilgrim Congregational United Church of Christ! I am grateful to all the leaders, saints, and apostles who have brought you to this time in your spiritual lives. You have called me to be your designated pastor. In the United Church of Christ, “designated” references a time where we discern whether we want our time to be an interim time in working toward another settled pastor or whether we continue the relationship through toward a long-term journey that will lead to our mutual growth and health. I find life and Divine in either one of these paths.
Regardless of the path, I hope you all will experience me who loves you, creates healthy boundaries for us all to experience a space of goodness and vitality, and deeply desires our growth and well-being as a community of faith. I love to be part of a team that is gets things done and is more than the sum of our parts. When I am a part of a community like that, my faith in a God who is on the move, actively working, and teaches me of a love that is ever-expanding.
That sounds so overly romantic about church, right? But I have experienced that groove. It is what keeps me in the church. Like you, I will probably get frustrated with what it means to be “church” and wonder why I continue in the institution that can be so hard and difficult. I am reminded, though, that God delights in a community willing to do the hard work and can be found walking with us through our wilderness.
Please pray for me. I see prayer as a form of solidarity, and I lose hope when I think I’m the only one walking in the wilderness. I will be praying for you. God is on the road. I cannot wait to join hands with you to step out on that road and begin to see where that road will take us.
Our National Meeting:
General Synod of the United Church of Christ,
July 11-18, 2021
I think one of the best things our national church continues to do well is national meetings. Events like General Synod and National Youth Event have been powerful for every congregational member who has participated in these events. I have been honored to present a resolution I wrote to the General Synod and see that process and to be part of an ongoing display and engage with other participants.
I hate to admit this, but it has also been the place where I have renewed my pen supply as I pilfer all the promotional pens found at the hundreds of displays in the event hall. (Tracy and I have way too many of the post-it notes wallets offered by a UCC organization. Yes, our life should have more meaning.)
In the past, the sole road-blocks for these events have been the time, travel, and the expense. This year the entire General Synod will be an online, virtual event! And the cost for visitors is only $100! This is a great time for us as individuals, and for us, as a local church, to participate in the best the United Church of Christ has to offer. I will also be leading out a workshop on the relationship between food, farm, and the church as part of my work with the UCC Council on Climate Justice.
Registration for the event, July 11-18, just opened this past week!
You can register as a visitor by going here:
https://www.generalsynod.org/. If you need help financially or with registering electronically, please contact me (mmulberry@gmail.com). I don’t want anyone left out who wants to be a part of this event.
I will also be asking the United Church of Christ if we might register as a church to watch some of the General Synod together! Please
consider it. We have many people who do fantastic work in the wider church. I also find that the connections we make with the wider church end up coming back to the local church in profound ways. I want us to expand and deepen our hearts through events just like this!
Final Words of Wisdom and Love
Greetings!
It seems hard to believe, but this is my last edition of The Dave Rave. I would therefore like to close out with the top three things that I hope you will keep in mind from our time together and then add a few personal words of farewell.
In the third spot is the fact that there is no particular correlation between the reign of God and any political party. Republicans, Democrats, Independents, and other lesser political organizations get some things right and other things wrong. They always have and always will. It’s also worth noting that no party in any time or place has ever gotten everything right, though numerous ones have gotten everything wrong. Psalm 146:3 is therefore spot on when it says, “Put not your trust in princes, nor the son of man, in whom there is no help.” (The phrase, son of man, here is just another way of saying human being and has no connection to the title, Son of Man, which is often used of Jesus.)
Along with that fact is my observation that much of the true power in our nation lies in the hands of the folks that control media and social media outlets. Always remember that the way they make money is by ginning up animosity and outrage. They are therefore the very antithesis of what Jesus was and is about. Put simply, if you want to improve your spiritual and mental health, stop watching cable news and Twitter. Watch the BBC, Al Jazeera, PBS, or one of the normal newscasts instead and take the time to read from conservative, liberal, and centrist publications. And if you find yourself seeing your political opponents as the embodiment of evil, step away from the news and have a little talk with Jesus. Remember that our true struggle is “not against flesh and blood but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places,” as we read in Ephesians 6:12.
There is a very practical dimension to this counsel. Pilgrim is made up of people from several different political backgrounds and stances who worship and work together remarkably well. To allow partisan outrage to destroy that unity would be a great tragedy. Remember, Jesus is our ultimate authority, not the President, not the cable news networks, and not the assortment of folks you’ll find on social media platforms.
Second place goes to a realization of what a great and capable group of people you are. From founding members to people who are just starting to join us, there is a remarkable depth of love, compassion, thought, and service. Take some time to look at all the good you have done for each other and the broader community - supporting the grieving, feeding the hungry, raising awareness of issues like hunger, water, immigration, violence against women, and the threat of identity theft, providing school supplies and disaster relief - the list goes on and on.
In addition to all these tangible things, I have been delighted and privileged to experience a general ambiance of faith, hope, love, and joy. This is a delightful church to be a part of, whether the activity is worship, a service project, a meal, or even a Council meeting. And it’s not just me; so many people have told me how welcomed they felt when they first started coming here. One person even started coming here because she was so impressed by the way our people cared for Fred Gibby during one of his hospital stays. As I have said many times, this is a great church.
At number one in this month’s countdown is the reality and importance of maintaining the three crucial beliefs/truths of Christianity - God as a personal being, the reality of Jesus’ resurrection, and the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. Take away any of these and you are left with my, “Coffee I can get at Starbuck’s” scenario. People can find friendships, causes, food, and activities in any number of places today, whether in person or in cyberspace. What they cannot find is a God who actually knows, loves, and cares for them, a solid hope in the face of death, and the guidance and wonder working power of this love and hope working in, on, and around them on a moment by moment basis.
With these three convictions in play, human life cannot be reduced to bio-electrical currents interacting with their surrounding environment. Human life has meaning and purpose. It is not predetermined by physics. We can make actual choices that shape our lives and the lives of those around us. We have real, not pseudo, freedom. Whereas atheists regularly jettison their allegedly scientific view of the world every time they argue that society should be some other way than it actually is (as though people made real choices and that those choices mattered), Christians can consistently work for a better world, knowing that good and evil are rooted in the will of a personal God rather than in whatever a particular society deems acceptable.
The more honest atheists (e.g., Nietzsche and Camus) admit this.
I think the reason so many don’t is that they don’t have the courage to face the implications of their presuppositions and/or don’t want to recognize that the ideals we hold are based in the Judeo-Christian tradition. Again, the key value in ancient Greece and Rome was valor, not love. As Nietzsche rightly observed, when you get rid of God all you ultimately have is the quest for power. In contrast, Christ taught and demonstrated the value of giving away one’s own power for the benefit of others. As he said in Mark 8:34-36:
“If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will save it. And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul?”
The whole sensibility and rationale for a life of self giving service is rooted in a personal God who raised Jesus (and will raise us) from the dead and who maintains constant contact with us through the Holy Spirit. Take that rationale away and you simply have an empty husk of an idea which is objectively no better than any other way of life, be it that of western democracy, Islamic theocracy, or Spartan monarchy.
To boil it all down, don’t lose sight of the importance of your faith in Christ. It’s what makes a church a church. And with this faith, you can and will see all sorts of tremendously good things happen to and through you, for God loves you and will never leave you or give up on you.
And now for the personal farewell. You have all made my five, almost six, years here a true delight. I so appreciate the many ways you have supported Anita and me. I have always known that your love is genuine. There is no greater gift that a congregation can give its pastor than that. Thank you and God bless you all.
Love,
Dave
You Only Live Once?
The Resurrection Changes Everything
“Because Jesus rose from the dead, he gave us the gift of the Holy Spirit so that we could experience in our own lives right now some of the same power that raised Jesus 2000 years ago. ”
The resurrection of Jesus Christ was essentially the eternal breaking into the temporal. Our world of space-time was interrupted by a different dimension of existence - one that incorporates our world of height, width, depth and time while transcending it. (Think of a three dimensional object like a sphere passing through a two dimensional plane. The cube includes the plane’s two dimensions while adding a third.) The resurrection, however, is not an exercise in geometry and physics. It is an exercise in living life to the fullest.
In John 10:10, Jesus says, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” The various things that are stolen from us - goodness, health, justice, and life itself - are, or one day will be, restored to us and enhanced through the resurrection. There are two ways to think about this.
The first is perspective. When viewed from the perspective of materialism (the belief that this world is all there is), life becomes one giant series of getting your hopes up only to have them dashed. The vibrancy of youth slowly drains away or is cut short by some unforeseen accident or illness. Our relationships change in unhelpful or even destructive ways or they simply vanish or are taken from us. Livelihoods and retirement plans are eaten up or rendered inadequate. Even our accomplishments lose some of their luster and will eventually be forgotten as one generation succeeds another. In other words, the reality of sin and death eventually takes its toll.
This is a reality that many would just as soon ignore completely. Alternatively, some insist that this situation means that life must be lived and any mention of God is just useless pie in the sky. And since you only live once, you have to grab all the gusto you can and make everything perfect now - even if you have to crush your opponents in the process.
What both of these approaches miss is the fact that sin and death are unavoidable and therefore no matter how well or poorly you live your life you still wind up going extinct. Another factor that the “you only live once” crowd tend to overlook is the reality of crushing poverty, disability, or other circumstances that make it impossible to obtain justice in this life, much less live well. In other words, “you only live once” works very well if you’re in good shape and have access to resources. Take those conditions away and the slogan leaves much to be desired.
The resurrection changes all that. It means that we can see things from the perspective of eternity in which justice, love, health, and life prevail. No sickness, no broken relationship, no deprivation is ever final. As St. Paul wrote, “Death is swallowed up in victory.”
This in turn gives eternal significance to our lives. Who we are, what we think, say, and do, how we treat others matters, not just for the present but for ever. Seeking to help others, to make society more just and more civil, and to improve ourselves in the process are not just nice things to do if you should so choose. They are eminently sensible activities because our good works do indeed follow us - literally. On top of that, the resurrection means that nobody, no matter how powerful they think they are now, is going to get away with unrepentant evil and injustice. Every wrong will be put right.
The second way to think about the reality of the resurrection follows from the first. The resurrection is not just about perspective, it’s about power. Because Jesus rose from the dead, he gave us the gift of the Holy Spirit so that we could experience in our own lives right now some of the same power that raised Jesus 2000 years ago. While the fullness of the resurrection lies in the future, we still have access to some aspects of resurrection in the present.
Whenever we see healing, wholeness, and the growth of good relationships, both personal and societal, we are witnessing the
in-breaking of God’s Kingdom or Reign. Anytime we are moved to act in faith, hope, and love we are experiencing the power of Jesus’ resurrection today. Sometimes these events are small scale and/or hidden. Other times they are grand and obvious. But whatever the level or visibility of a particular “resurrection event”, life becomes fuller and better and more abundant than it was before.
This is at least part of what Jesus meant when he said that he had come to give abundant life. He wanted us to understand that, regardless of our circumstances, our lives can be lived with a joy and a hope that is not going to disappoint us. Not even death can squelch our hope because death doesn’t get the last word. Jesus gets the last word, and that word is life - life in abundance with unlimited joy and love. Life in the presence of a loving Father or Mother (take your pick or choose both if you like) who will never abandon us and who does and always will seek and work for our good.
In other words, eternal life is about both the duration and quality of life. Jesus’ resurrection gives us an eternal perspective from which to see all the events of our lives and also gives us the power to live in the present with the power of his presence. How great is that?
So this Easter, take some time to reflect upon your life from the perspective of Jesus’ resurrection. Realize that all that has been or is painful in your life will be washed away or reshaped so that it becomes a source of strength for you - a source you can use to bless and benefit others. Also realize that all the good and wonderful events of your life will indeed follow you, that there are some things that you actually can take with you - and will.
And as you reflect and realize, pray. Pray that you will be able to see more and more of Jesus’ resurrection power at work in your own life and in the life of the world around you. And as you pray, act. Act in ways that bring others to see for themselves that Jesus has indeed risen and desires to raise them up too. Help them to see that their lives have meaning and that their circumstances do not determine their destiny, much less their identity. Sin and death have themselves been dealt a fatal blow in the resurrection of Jesus. Therefore, as
St. Paul again so famously put it, “ And now these three remain:
faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”
The reason love remains, and not death, is because Jesus is risen. He is risen indeed.
Blessings!