Pastor Dan's Blog

Back again

2011-11-16T06:56:00.000-08:00

I have taken off nearly two years from my last blog. So much has happened and yet so much remains the same. We are still in this miserable economic mess, made no better by either Occupy Wall Street or the Tea Party. The Republican Party offers no hope for a viable candidate and President Obama continues to waffle and provide ineffective leadership. Increasingly I turn to Jesus for strength and comfort. He is our only hope. This is not a cop-out. It is never a cop-out to turn to the truth. And the truth is Jesus Christ. Rufus Moseley said that outside Jesus everything is getting worse and worse and inside Jesus Christ everything is getting better and better. I believe that.

Too long!

2010-02-16T15:12:00.000-08:00

I cannot believe it has been nearly two months since I last posted. But that is not unusual for me.

We are having some snow today. I can't stand snow but have learned that there is nothing I can do about it. Except remove it when it has fallen to the ground.

Of course, the big news since I last posted is the earthquake in Haiti - or should I say, the series of earthquakes. 220,000 people died and countless others were injured or displaced.

It has been an unbelievable experience watching the work that so many are doing to help Haiti.

I'll write some more soon. I promise. Just gotta run right now.

Christmas Eve Eve

2009-12-23T20:22:00.000-08:00

This is the night before the night before Christmas. This year I've been in the Christmas spirit for the start. Usually I begin with Bah-Humbug and end up with Merry Christmas. For some reason I began with Merry Christmas and it's only been getting better. You know, it feels so good!

Tomorrow night we have our Candlelight Service - I'm really looking forward to the time with the church and the Lord.

Then comes Christmas. Cheryl is planning a wonderful meal and the three of us will be together for Christmas. Last year this time Danny was in Haiti. Now he has been home with us for most of the year.

I thank God for his love and grace. What a wonderful God we serve!!

God help us to help those in need.

2009-12-13T17:51:00.000-08:00

This picture is from Fr. Marc Boisvert's blog on the Pwoje Espwa web page, which can be found at http://freethekids.org. He writes: "Abner comes by almost every day looking to get some food for himself and his sister. The blue cut-out container is his and the metal pot is for her. Recall the quote from Isaiah this morning? Abner cannot hear the good news until his stomach stops hurting. Thanks to all who support our ministry." Pwoje Espwa is located in Les Cayes, Haiti, as well as three other sites in the south of Haiti.

Our church is encouraging its members to contribute this Christmas to another project in Haiti, not in place of Pwoje Espwa ( we support Fr. Marc's work) but in addition. The group is called Lambi Fund and can be found at http://www.lambifund.org. We are especially interested in the clean, potable water projects of Lambi Fund.

Fr. Marc is particularly clear when he said that Abner cannot hear the gospel until his stomach stops hurting. It is well and good to tell people that Jesus loves them, but if we do not try to take care of their physical needs at the same time, then our message will probably fall upon deaf ears. I was reared as a Quaker, and one of the hallmarks of Quaker missionary efforts, especially in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, was that schools and hospitals were established before the preaching began in earnest. In some areas, the adults came in because their children were being educated in Quaker schools.

I have visited Haiti three times and can attest to the fact that Haitian people are beautiful and loving and eager to share what they can with their guests, even when they have almost nothing. We who have so much cannot do any less. God so loved the world that he gave...

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow

2009-12-09T07:02:00.000-08:00

Those who know me know that I don't like snow. Living in New York (and before that in Indiana, Maryland and North Carolina) has taught me that no matter how much I dislike snow, I can't stop it. I'll admit that snow is beautiful - when it first falls. But it turns into real problems, such as vehicular accidents, trees and wires down, dirt tracked all over the place as it melts, blocking access to houses and driveways, etc.

One of the groups with which I am associated has a zillion slogans, and one of them is "Live life on life's terms." That doesn't mean having to like everything that happens, but it does mean having to accept the fact that things happen.

This morning we woke up to snow. The picture posted on today's blog was taken earlier this morning. Our church looks beautiful in the snow, I have to admit. It's nice and warm inside - actually, this morning is not real cold - the snow turned into rain.

So, as the Christmas song goes, "Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!"

May our hearts be warmed by the story of Christmas, namely that Jesus came as Light into a dark world, to bring the warmth of God's love.

Another line from another Christmas song has been going through my mind this morning: "The hopes and fears of all the years Are met in thee tonight." (O Little Town of Bethlehem) I plan on using that line as the theme for our annual Christmas Eve Candlelight service. Come join with us.

Non-blogging blogger

2009-12-05T16:40:00.000-08:00

I haven't posted anything since March, so I guess that makes me a non-blogging blogger! Someone wrote me to say they actually read my last post and wanted to see more. Wow!

Since March a lot has happened. I had a birthday and am now only one year away from Medicare or Medicaide or Medi-something. I missed getting the senior citizen hunting license by half a year - and they moved the age up to 70. So, I still have to pay full price until then. Cheryl and I took a trip to Georgia to visit my sister Ann and brother-in-law Doug; then I went back in October to visit them after Doug had by-pass surgery - successful surgery!! I am on another team for Tres Dias - Men's #151, which meets January 14-17, 2010. Am preparing for a men's retreat in February. And in church I started a series on Romans which is taking a long time, but is giving me a real appreciation for what Jesus has done for us - and for all humanity. God is no respector of persons - Jews and Gentiles, white, black, red, male, female, slave, free - EVERYONE is the object of his work on the Cross. And how we need it! None is good. Only by the grace of God can we escape sin and its penalty.

Tomorrow I get into chapter four: "For what does the Scripture say? 'Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.'" (v. 4) Justification by faith, and faith alone - one of the pillars of the Protestant Reformation. Whether we be Reformed or not, we are heirs of that great theological insight. It is not by our efforts, our works, but by faith alone that we can come to God for justification.

Recently I have had occasion to reflect on my sobriety - twenty-four years and counting, one day at a time. Why is it that I was able to stop drinking and have the compulsion lifted, when some of my friends are still out there drinking alcoholically or, even worse, dead! It is purely the grace of God. I recently told a congregation at a funeral that we have to give up trying to be better; give up trying to overcome our addictions; give up trying to lose weight, quit smoking, or whatever our particular problem might be. We have to give up and give it to God. We can only come to God through Jesus and his Cross and lay it before the Cross. The only appropriate response to grace is "Thank you." And I do thank Jesus for all he has done in my life - there is a ton of work for him to do yet, but thank God for what has been done!

The Shack

2009-03-18T19:23:00.000-07:00

One of the greatest ways to keep me from reading a book is to say, "You've got to read this book!! It's great! You just gotta read it!!" And one of the best ways to get me to read a book is to say, "This book is terrible - it is full of heresy." The Shack is a book that everyone has been reading for a while now, and I just didn't have any desire to read it. Then I heard from a few people, and read some comments on the web, that made me want to check it out to see if it really is as bad as some say. Well....

I read the book this past week, finishing it a couple of days ago. Overall, I liked the book. The story is quite good. There are a couple of places where I feel the author is off-base theologically, especially where he deals with evil. I have much the same feeling about one of my favorite Christian authors, Teilhard de Chardin. Evil is more than just the absence of good or mistakes. I don't know much about the author's faith - one person wrote me to say that the author is a universalist, and indeed there are areas in the book where universalism seems to rear its head. But the thrust of the book is basic, orthodox Christianity.

I can see where some might be upset at the way God is portrayed when Mack gets to the shack. But come on, we all know that God has no gender and certainly no ethnic/racial characteristics. Jesus is a male, yes! And middle-eastern at that. Even the term Father has less to do with maleness as with parenthood and personhood. Given Mack's background experiences God was portrayed perfectly.

There are those who are out to strip the church and her servants of any creativity whatsoever. That extends to ministries such as Rick Warren's Purpose Driven programs, fresh attempts at translating the Scriptures, emerging church themes, seeker-sensitive approaches to evangelism. In the Twelve-Step Programs there are a zillion slogans and one of them is "Take the best and leave the rest." The Shack was a treat to read and will leave a lasting impression in my heart and mind about the overwhelming and captivating love of God for all of us who have ever suffered loss in our lives. And I am glad that God is bigger than my little ministry in Clintondale. I am glad that God continues to move Christians to creativity and risk in ministry. It is only through creativity and risk that we grow.

One Month Already?

2009-03-14T16:16:00.000-07:00

It's been a month since I last posted, and a lot has happened since then. The biggest news is that our son Dan has returned from Haiti and is settling in here in Clintondale. It's great having him back!
Our church has been listening to the New Testament through a program called Faith Comes By Hearing, and it has been terrific. We use MP3 discs, players, CD's - acquired through the organization Faith Comes By Hearing to do the listening. There are a number of small groups in the church that meet weekly to discuss the segments we heard. I've been a student of the Bible for nearly forty-five years, and this process of listening has opened up a lot that I missed when I just read. I highly recommend the program - check it out at Faith ComesByHearing.com.
God has been pressing me closer to him through the Holy Spirit. I want to know Jesus more and more. I am tired of "business as usual." I want to see the move of the Holy Spirit here in Clintondale. There is nothing that I can do to make it happen, except put myself in position. The actual movement is up to God. It's not that nothing is happening or that our church is dead. Far from that - Clintondale Friends Christian Church is alive and well. But there is so much more that we can know about Jesus and his Kingdom. Come, Lord Jesus!! Come, Holy Spirit!! Your will be done, Father!!

Valentine's Day

2009-02-14T18:30:00.000-08:00

Today has been Valentine's Day, the day that people send cards of love, buy chocolate, go out to eat dinner, etc. It is a day of love. I heard on the radio that the day was originally designated to honor St. Valentine, a martyr who gave his life for the faith. Jesus said that no one can have greater faith than this, to lay down his life for his friends. (John 15:3) So, all love ultimately leads back to God, who in his Son, gave his life for us. I didn't research the truth about Valentine's Day - maybe I heard correctly, maybe the information was correct. Maybe not. But the fact remains that Jesus not only is the model for great love, but he is the very reason and power for love.

I have found great love in the church I attend and pastor. Our family came to the Clintondale Friends Church in August of 1986, and we were embraced by a loving congregation. We were not in the best of shape, and over the years we have been able to grow healthier through the love around us. God has shown up in the people of this church. I am so grateful.

One of the movements that I have been a part of is called Tres Dias. It is a renewal movement for Christians. The main purpose of Tres Dias is to develop leaders in the church. We encourage believers to listen to God for what he might want them to do - not just to be busy with church work, but to be about the business of the Kingdom. The heart of Tres Dias is the love of God shown through believers. Our local Tres Dias community is called Mid-Hudson Tres Dias and can be found at http://www.mhtd.org.

As mentioned in earlier posts, our son Dan has been living and working in Haiti at Pwoje Espwa, found on the web at http://freethekids.org. This is an orphange where over 650 boys live, and many, many more attend school. They have vocational schools, a clinic, a farm - so much going on, all to show the love of God in tangible forms. I have been to Pwoje Espwa three times and can testify to the the love there.

There are many other ways that God shows his love, but it is always through people. Jesus came to seek and save the lost, and he does it through love. May God's love continue to be shed abroad the earth.

Barak Obama's Inauguration

2009-01-20T10:25:00.000-08:00

I am writing just after Barak Obama has taken the oath of office as the 44th President of the United States. What a monumental event, the first African-American President in our history. While many may disagree with many of Obama's views (I am one) it is encouraging to see the peaceful transition of power and the very positive way that Obama began his presidency. His speech was wonderful. I pray that he can continue in the same spirit and bring the confidence and sense of responsibility that we need so desperately in this nation.

I was also glad to hear Rick Warren's invocation and Rev. Lowrie's benediction to open and close the ceremonies. And President Obama called upon God in his inaugural address. I believe that these references to God were genuine and that we are obligated to take them as genuine and continue calling upon God as we move forward as a people.

Our son has been living in Haiti for three years and Cheryl and I have visited Haiti on several occasions. Haiti is a very poor and disadvantaged country. I was particularly impressed with President Obama's reference to the poor. May our nation begin to take note of those in need and extend help without any motivation other than to be of help. May we end domination over those in need; may we cease to oppress but rather to help set free those who are being oppressed.

Those of us who believe in Jesus Christ need to call upon him daily to be given strength and wisdom for the days ahead. Barak Obama is inspirational, but he is not our savior. He may turn out to be a great leader, but the one we must put our trust in is Jesus Christ.

I believe that President Obama loves the Lord and, even though he has a number of political positons that I find abhorent, he has my prayers and my support as he seeks to lead. Americans can disagree on a number of issues, but we must agre on this: we are a nation dedicated to truth and freedom, and we depend upon divine guidance. We cannot tear each other up and apart, but rather join together as one people to seek the highest and best we can, depending upon God for his wisdom and strength.

Routine

2008-09-01T19:26:00.000-07:00

Today is Labor Day - well for an hour and a half, at least. Then summer is over, according to American tradition. Tomorrow begins ROUTINE. That is, kids are getting ready to get on the bus for school. We begin Kids Church next Sunday. Our sewing group - the Busy Bees - begin work a week from tomorrow. We start a Foundations Class on the 10th of September. Routine even includes special programs, such as "My Name is Peter" with Tim Blanchfield on October 18 and a women's tea with Liz Burdick who does a special presentation based on the life of Corrie Ten Boom on October 25. We will have our annual Thanksgiving Community Dinner on November 22. The next week is our annual Thanksgiving program with other churches. Christmas season brings great things, including a children's presentation and our Christmas Eve Candlelight service. There is New Year's Eve with a special communion service. We plan a special ten week Scripture program early in the new year. Then comes Palm Sunday, our Seder on Maundy Thursday, a joint Good Friday Service, and, best of all, Easter. Wow!! Isn't routine great?

What I described is the routine of the church year. Some of it has to do with annual church year events, such as Advent and Christmas and Holy Week. Other activities are special to our particular church: the Thanksgiving Community Dinner, New Year's Eve communion service. And then there are special programs such as the Tim Blanchfield event, the Ladies Tea, the Scripture program, etc. There are sure to be others.

The central point of the church year is for us to be together in the presence of the Lord so that he can speak to us, teach us himself - lead us further into his Kingdom. Our activities are designed to make all this happen. Without the Lord's presence and guidance, we will just be busy. With his presence, we will be gathered as his Body into a powerful community of faith.

The one thing that is certain about the routine of the church year is that there will always be serendipity, those unexpected times when everything we planned seems to be set aside to do what the Lord in the moment is doing. It is good to plan and to know what our plans are. But God is always in charge. In fact, someone has said that if we want to see God laugh, tell him our plans. Routine is good, and so is serendipity. Routine is good, and so is the time when God says, "Let's just see how it might go if we change everything right now!"

Well, I am excited about the coming church year. Let's see what God can do with our routine.

Faith and Politics 2

2008-08-30T15:20:00.000-07:00

Well, the Democratic convention is over and Barak is no longer the "presumed" candidate. And John McCain has picked his running mate. Next week the Republicans gather for their convention.

I had a further idea on Faith and Politics that I need to post. While I do not want to discuss politics, and by that I mean which candidate I might prefer, I feel compelled to discuss the issues. It is important for us as Christians to care about the issues that face us. The war in Iraq, the environment, racism, the economy, abortion, second amendment issues, etc. The issues are important and it IS important to vote for the person or persons who can best deal with them.

What I don't want to do is argue about candidates when the issues are more important. I have a healthy distrust for candidates, no matter what they might want to say about the issues. But what I do care about is to be clear in my mind and heart how I think and feel about the issues.

I will be glad to talk about the issues, to debate them, but not the candidates. I'll make up my own mind about how I'll vote on November 4. I hope you will too.

May God guide the electorate and have mercy on our country.

Faith and Politics

2008-08-27T10:26:00.000-07:00

Recently I have had some conversations about two topics, biblical faith and the ongoing political season. I want to write a little about these topics, not that I have the final word on either, nor that they are equally important.

As a believer, my primary interest is in fatihfulness to the Lord Jesus Christ as revealed in Scripture. When it is all said and done, Jesus is Lord! McCain or Obama may be elected - it seems certain that one will be President - but in the end Jesus is and will remain Lord.

The Bible says "Put not your trust in princes, in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation." (Psalm 146:3, ESV)

What little of the Democratic Convention I have watched - and the "talking heads" in the booths - has led me to believe that the American people are reenacting the time when the Israelites came to Samuel and said "Give us a king to judge us." (1 Samuel 8:6, ESV) The people already had a king, namely the LORD. But that didin't satisfy them. Samuel was getting old and would not be around forever. All the other nations had kings to rule them. Now the Israelites were eager to be like everyone else.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not slamming the Democrats. When the Republicans gather later on for their convention it won't be much different. The two parties belong not to the people, but to business interests, to the rich and powerful. They talk a good line about wanting to help the "average" American, but when it is over, the only ones helped will be the politicians and the wealthy.

I am going to vote. I'm not going to tell anyone who I am voting for. It's a private matter between me and God. As much as it is in my power, I don't want to talk about politics. I just don't want to waste my time. The One I want to talk about is the only One Who can bring true peace and justice, Who can come to the aid of the poor and disadvantaged. He is Jesus the Messiah, the Christ, the Son of the Living God. If he were eligible, I would write his name in for President - but he wasn't born in the United States, so he can't be President.

He has a more important seat than the President - he is King of the Universe. He is Lord.

On the church web page (www.clintondalefriends.org) I state that I have two non-negotiables: the Lordship of Jesus and the authority of the Bible.

As long as one truly accepts the Lordship of Jesus, he is going to care what Jesus teaches and expects of him. He will try to follow Jesus in all things. He may not understand everything about Jesus - I certainly don't! - but he will give Jesus first place in his life.

As long as one accepts the Scriptures as authoritative, he will dilegently search them for truth. He may not understand everything in the Bible - I certainly don't! - but he will not allow any other source of knowledge trump the Bible.

There is room in the church for diversity of belief and practice - as long as the essentials are understood and accepted. I was raised in a Quaker church, have hung out with Roman Catholics and pentecostals - I was a Methodist for a year and a half - and I appreciate the great breadth of worship in these and other Christian movements. There are many things in each group that I accept and some things that I just can't.

In March of 1964 I made a commitment to Jesus and my life was changed by the power of his Spirit. Over the years there have been many times I have failed the Lord, but he has never failed me. In my sin he found me, and even when I sin today he stays with me. I love the old saying, "Jesus loves us just as we are, but he loves us too much to leave us that way."

Of all the wonderful things the Lord has done in my life, two stand out for me: first, he led me to Cheryl and we have had twenty-seven years of marriage with a wonderful son; second, he led me to the church in Clintondale, a group of believers who have allowed me to share my life with them and who have brought great healing into my life.

I won't trade Jesus and the church for all the politicians in the world. And that is where the politicians are and that is where their hearts are, in the world. Jesus' kingdom is not of this world (John 18:36.) Jesus' Kingdom transcends this world - includes it, but goes beyond it. And its principles are very different.

Christians can support Obama; Christians can support McCain. People of faith can have differences of opinion over political issues. That makes for a healthy political system.

However, believers cannot differ on the essentials of the Christian faith. Jesus died for our sins, he was buried, raised from the dead and he is present with us today. (1 Corinthians 15:3ff) There can be no compromise with the Gospel.

Faith and Politics: I'll take faith. And I'll vote. But my faith is more important.

Charlie's Funeral

2008-07-27T17:53:00.000-07:00

I wrote about our member Charlie Simmons who died last week as a result of injuries from an automobile accident. On Friday, July 25 we had a visitation at the church and a lot of folks came by. It was good to see all the people that Charlie had affected by his presence among us. People from the Diner where he ate his meals; people from the bank, where Charlie stopped by often for banking but also for coffee and cake (he usually provided the cake!); people from the larger Christian community in the New Paltz - Kingston area; our church members; members of the Bruderhof - what a wonderful turn-out.
The funeral was held at Woodcrest in Rifton, NY - a Bruderhof community. It was a joint service of our church and Woodcrest, and it was held outside on the lawn, under shade trees (for those fortunate enough to sit there) with a nice breeze and not too hot temperature. There was music and sharing, but the most surprising and powerful thing of all was the clip of Charlie saying "Amen!" and "Glory!" and sharing with us his deep love for Jesus.
I felt so blessed to be part of this joint effort of the two faith communities. That is how it should be. We who love Jesus are part of a large church that knows no man-made boundaries. We have one Lord and one faith and we share together as one body. I have enjoyed getting to know my brothers and sisters in the Bruderhof and look forward to a continuing relationship of worship and fellowship. That's what Charlie would want! That's what the Lord wants.

Remembering a friend

2008-07-22T05:42:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I received news of the death of a member of our church, Charlie Simmons. Charlie had come to our church several years ago. He was a fixture in Ulster County, having worked in several jobs, coming to know just about everyone in the county. You would know Charlie was in church because of his loud, definite "Amen" coming from the back of the East Room section.

He was a large man who always said, "I keep a low profile." His profile was anything but! I remember one day when I went into the bank and Charlie saw me. He shouted out, "Here comes my pastor! Pastor, I'll get you the prettiest teller!!"

Charlie lost his wife a number of years ago, and he often mentioned how much he missed her. The first thing several people said when hearing of his death yesterday was "He's with Marge now!"

We had some church friends come up to our Greene County home for dinner last night. I learned of Charlie's while our friends were on the road, and called them to let them know Charlie had died, but come on up - there was nothing we could do at the moment. And then I let them know that we would be eating vegetables that Charlie gave me the day before at church. They replied that they had vegetables at their house that came from Charlie.

Charlie Simmons was an incredible man. He always let you know what he felt. He loved Jesus with all his heart, and he let you know that. Now Charlie knows firsthand the love of Jesus. In my mind I can hear the voice of God coming down from heaven, speaking of Charlie's faith, "Amen!"

We'll gather later this week to remember Charlie. I just couldn't wait to pay tribute to this incredibly big-hearted Christian who has gone on to be with the Lord.

Amen!!

Back Home!

2008-07-01T19:20:00.000-07:00

I arrived safely back home on Friday night, June 27. It sounded good when the passport official said, "Welcome home!"

This was the best trip to Haiti for me yet. I've only been three times, but the first two seemed like "get acquainted" trips. This time I accomplished the two tasks I had set out for myself, or were set out for me: to help paint one of the kids' houses and to preach in a local church.

One of the things that became more evident than ever before is the need for the walls between churches to come down. Pwoje Espwa is not a Catholic project, even though Fr. Marc is a Catholic priest. Certainly the Spirit of Jesus is evident at Espwa. But there is no proselytism going on. The church I preached in is evangelical. There was no pressure there either. But both Espwa and the evangelical church bring the gospel of Jesus Christ in uncompromising and clear ways.

There are many reasons for the suffering in Haiti. I would never claim to understand it all. There are spiritual, social, economic, cultural and historical elements to the difficulties in Haiti. There is no one answer to the problems of Haiti. And yet there is one answer: love in Jesus Christ. Love that is grounded in faith. I heard someone say that those who make it for the long haul have faith; the purely humanitarian worker will burn out more easily. Faith looks beyond all the reasons given for Haiti's difficulties and says, "Trust in God, live the gospel - be faithful."

I have come to love the Haitian people. My time with the little church in Guillioux brought me closer to the people than in the other two trips. I pray that God will keep us in relationship through the months until I am able to return.

By the way, I heard through the grapevine that there is someone in Florida who actually reads this blog. Thanks!

Painting and Preaching

2008-06-25T17:00:00.000-07:00

This morning we went back to the kid's house and painted some more. It was a hot morning, but inside the house there was often a breeze. Hannah, Mark, Choupe and I painted together. Since I am not a giant, I took the lower parts of the walls and let the others climb the ladders and make gigantic reaches to get the higher parts.

I stopped about 11:30 a.m. to get ready to go to the church to preach a third time. Danny had gone to Port au Prince, so I had another interpreter, Louisseul. He did a marvelous job! I spoke on the subject of the armor of God (Ephesians 6) and then tied it all back to Saturday's message on being a prayer center. After today's message we had a time of prayer. There were headaches, neck and back pain, bad knees, high blood pressure, persecution and bad eyes. After praying for them I reminded them that I had no power in myself to do anything; that any healing would be coming from God. And I encouraged them to step out in prayer. I was so blessed by the opportunity to minister to this wonderful congregation. May God bless Pastor Etienne and Eglise Assemblee des Croyonts en Jesus Christ!

The trip out to the church was difficult, because many of the roads had deep ruts and holes filled with water and mud. Haitian roads are rough by any measure, and bumpy. There are people walking, riding bikes and motorbikes and animals tied alongside the road or just out in the road. There is every kind of dwelling along the way, from rickety lean-to's to very elegant houses. The poverty of Haiti is evident and the people feel its pressures, but when one gets to meet the people and spend time with them they are full of joy and love.

This is my third trip to Haiti and I am hooked! I look forward to my next visit.

Back in Haiti

2008-06-24T19:08:00.000-07:00

Well, I am back in Haiti. Actually, I have been here since June 16. I didn't bring my computer so I have been bumming my son's. And the Internet connection is spotty. And I'm not really a writer. I'd rather pick up the phone than write something.

I'm back at Pwoje Espwa in Les, Cayes. This is a children's home/orphanage/school/farm - lots of things it is, but mainly it is a place where children can come and be loved and taken care of. Right now many of the kids are home for summer vacation. When school is in there are over 600 children here. Now I hear there are 200 - 300.

Fr. Marc Boisvert is the founder and director of Pwoje Espwa. Although Fr. Marc is an Oblate priest and there is a Mass here each Sunday, the program is not specifically Catholic. It is Christian and the Spirit of God is very much here. However, there is room for all who care for kids and want to work for hope in this beautiful country.

I have had the opportunity to minister in a protestant church, Eglise Assemblee des Croyants en Jesus Christ in Guilloux. The pastor there is Gerald Etienne, a lively and committed man of God who clearly loves his people and seeks to extend the love of God in his community. Pastor Etienne works at Pwoje Espwa and I came to meet him through my son. I ministered there last Saturday (6/21) and again today. God willing I will be going back out tomorrow. We have been considering the topic of prayer.

My work at Espwa has been painting one of the houses for the children. There have been setbacks, and the work has gone slowly. I have one more day - tomorrow - to work at this project. One of the older kids - Shupee (sp?) - has been working with me. In fact, Shupee is quite capable of doing the work better than I. I give him great credit.

Haiti is certainly a poor country. It has had a very difficult history including exploitation over the years by so-called first-world countries, including the United States. The Haitian people want a life just like anyone else, and we need to allow them the opportunity. The country is a very beautiful place and the people are beautiful as well. I am so glad that I have had the opportunity to visit these three times and look forward to more visits.

It is late and I am tired. Besides, I really don't write very well. I'll try to do some more when I return home at the end of the week.

God bless Haiti and God bless Pwoje Espwa. (http://freethekids.org)

The Church

2008-05-16T18:24:00.000-07:00

I have been growing increasingly interested in the centrality of the church in the life of the believer. It has been all too long since I last posted, but at least tonight I want to point to this growing interest of mine. I don't know if I'll be able to write much tonight.

I think it was Rick Warren who said that God has a Plan A, which is the church - he has no Plan B. God intends to build his church on earth because the church is the expression of his Son Jesus. The church is the Body of Christ. Until the Kingdom becomes a full reality on earth, God expresses himself through the church.

The church is the first sacrament. I read that somewhere last summer and it has stuck with me. None of the sacraments have meaning apart from the church.

There is no salvation apart from the church. I don't mean the Roman Catholic Church, or any other formal expression. I'm talking about the host of believers. The Roman Catholic Church is historically the center of the movement of God's church, but all the other denominations and fellowships that are located in the life of Christ are the church - the church is made up of every believer on earth in community. Community is the essence.

I am rambling. It is late and I've been up a long time today. I will be more coherent in further posts.

2008-02-23T11:28:00.000-08:00

I'm at home today (was here yesterday) with a sore throat and sinus infection. The doctor put me on antibiotics. I'm going to miss the fire department banquet tonight and church in the morning. I hate being sick. Oh, it's nice to be home, but not when I have places to go and things to do.

I noticed that I haven't done an entry since before Christmas. In the time that has elapsed I've been to Haiti, done a Tres Dias weekend and a whole lot of other things. Lots of stuff has happened and none of it has been recorded. Nor have any of my thoughts.

Being sick lets me know how vulnerable I am to my humanity. It's easy to let the guard down and allow an infection in. Lack of sleep, not eating correctly, being exposed to a virus at just the wrong time when my immunity is low - whatever allowed me to get sick exposes my vulnerability.

For the past few months we have been doing a course called Foundations, which was created from the folks at Saddleback Church in California. It is a wonderful (though not perfect) course in Christian faith and doctrine. For the past few weeks we have been dealing with evil and temptation and sin. Again, our vulnerability is exposed as we think about the enemy of our souls and his ability to trick us when we are weak. Satan knows just where our vulnerabilities are and if we are not vigilant, he will exploit those weaknesses.

One thing that has become so very important to me is the Christian community I belong to at Clintondale Friends Christian Church. I have to tell you, these folks are my human lifeline. The fellowship and encouragement that I receive from my brothers and sisters in Clintondale is enormous. We are truly the Body of Christ. While I have been sick I have had good brought over, offers to shovel the walkway from the house to the driveway, someone to preach for me in the morning. God provides through my brothers and sisters. Thank God for them!

So, I'll stay home another day and hopefully I'll be well enough on Monday to go back to my routines. And hopefully I'll be able to learn from this time of forced rest.

On the eve of Christmas Eve

2007-12-23T05:22:00.000-08:00

I'm in my study early this morning for a time of reflection and to make sure that everything is in order for the Kids Church program during our worship service. Mixing spiritual with practical. That's what Christmas is all about. God becoming flesh, bringing his spritiual reality to us in a human package, Jesus Christ.

We have been observing Advent with the lighting of the candles. We had to miss last Sunday because of bad weather, so today we light the third and fourth candles. I'm not sure I have them in the right order, but as I study about Advent traditions there doesn't seem to be any right way to do it anyhow. Today will the the candle of peace. How appropriate when we have war surrounding us on all fronts. And if not out and out war, there are hostilities all over the planet. Come quickly, Lord Jesus, and give us your peace!

Tomorrow night we have our Christmas Eve Candle Lighting service, and we will be doing something a little different this year. For the past few years one of our favorite Christmas songs has been "Mary, Did You Know?" We're going to sing that song and then give everyone a chance to say what they know about Jesus. What they know for themselves. What Jesus has done in their lives. It will be a time for sharing what the original Christmas did to change lives, because if Jesus were not born we would not be doing what we do as church. What do you know?

If I don't post anything before Christmas, may you have a wonderful Christmas. May Jesus find a place in your heart, and may he cause you to experience new life in him. Merry Christmas!

Snow and Ice

2007-12-19T18:33:00.000-08:00

I'm originally from the South and I have come to find snow and ice to be very difficult obstacles to my life. When I was a kid snow was a big thing, a pleasant surprise. We got to go outside and build snowmen and run through the snow. I remember as a kid making snow cream - take some snow, put a little milk in it and a little vanilla -wow, that was great!

When I first moved to New York in 1978 it was to Rochester. I found he snow out there to be a fun challenge. I learned to drive in the snow. To accept snow as part of everyday life in Rochester. I have lived in Albany and in Stephentown and Old Chatham, all with huge snowfalls. Clintondale has its share of snow, but it's nowhere as much as Rochester or even Stephentown.

As I get older, however, I find snow and ice to be unpleasant surprises. I am tempted to want to move to a warmer climate. I can get crabby and depressed.

But you know what? It's life! As long as I am living here - and I believe that God brought me here and wants me to stay here a while longer - as long as I am living here, I need to accept the fact of snow. I don't have to like it, but I do have to accept it.

There are a whole lot of other things I don't have to like but I have to accept. In fact, that's the way life is. I was at a meeting tonight where we ended with the Serenity Prayer. That Prayer has become a way of life for me. "God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference." Acceptance is key to living a life filled with serenity.

So is change. When I see something that needs changing, and God calls me to make the change, then I will have the power given me by the Spirit to change according to God's will.

Acceptance and change. And the wisdom to know when to do which.

I pray for anyone reading this blog the grace to live by the Serenity Prayer. I pray for you the grace of God in your life.

Has it been that long?

2007-12-16T06:00:00.000-08:00

I can't believe it has been this long since I last posted. When I think about the blog, and realize that I haven't written anything for a long time, I wonder why I even keep it up on the web. But it is a place that I can write, even if no one reads it, and writing helps me to get my thoughts and life together.

This morning we cancelled our worship service and Kids Church due to bad weather. I am staying at the church to answer the phone if people call to find out whether church is being held. this gives me some time by myself. I did a little work on the computer - put a page up on the web where people can check out urgent announcements, such as cancellations.

This year has been an amazing demonstration of God's grace. We have had new people coming to worship with us. There is great spiritual growth taking place. Some of the small groups from our Forty Days of Purpose/Forty Days of Community programs continue. The Busy Bees, our sewing group, is doing well. Kids Church is a delight to our congregation - the kids come in each Sunday morning and help us start off our worship service. I have been teaching a Foundations Class, developed by Saddleback Church - it's a great program. God has blessed us financially. The list just keeps going.

Over the year I have come to say, "Don't presume upon the grace of God. The Lord gives and the Lord can take away. Blessed be the name of the Lord." I truly stand in awe of the Lord. There is a healthy fear, not that I cower before the Lord, but in worship I bow before him. There is a vast difference between cowering and bowing. It's a difference that only a believer can know.

Our son Dan still lives in Haiti at a children's home/orphanage called Pwoje Espwa. You can find this ministry at http://freethekids.org. Fr. Marc keeps a blog - and he does a much better job than I at keeping it updated! - and on his blog there are frequent postings of pictures and news. My wife and I and a member of our church plan on going down to Haiti next month. We will happily be there for the tenth anniversary of the founding of Pwoje Espwa.

We are coming into an active presidential election where a lot is at stake. I won't give any of my political leanings here - that's not my job. However, I will say that there is no candidate that can save this nation or any other nation. We need to turn to God, asking God to bring forward candidates that will lead with integrity, intelligence, and compassion. Only God through Jesus Christ will be able to turn this nation around. We need national revival. I won't say that the United States was founded as a Christian nation, but it was founded by Christians on Christian principles and those principles hold true today just as much as any time in our history.

This past year I have been impressed with the importance God places upon the church. Not the institutional church per se, but the local congregation of believers where Jesus presides and his people live faithfully as community. Somewhere along the line I heard that God's Plan A for humanity is the church, and he doesn't have a Plan B. Nearly two years ago I resigned my ordination with the group that held my credentials and asked Clintondale Friends Christian Church to recognize my ministry. I didn't do this because I had any falling out with my credentialing fellowship, but because I have come to see the importance of the local church. In the beginning of the church there were no denominations. There were local churches knit together by the apostles and by letters (which turned into Scriptures) being circulated from those apostles. Each church was autonomous, governed by elders who had been put in place by the apostles. That they were autonomous does not mean there was no common faith and practice, just that no super-body ruled over them. Jesus is the one who builds the church and he oversees it through his undershepherds, the elders.

We have five elders in our church and are in the process of appointing deacons. This indeed has been a process. As the Lord leads we hope to see ourselves established along New Testament lines, responsive and responsible to the Lord Jesus in all things.

We stand at the end of an old year and on the threshold of a new one. Even though time and calendars are tools for us to mark our lives, they do give us opportunities to take stock and look ahead in faith and hope for new discoveries in the Kingdom of God.

God bless you, reader.

Pastor Dan

2007-10-08T18:22:00.000-07:00

It is October 8, we had our furnaces serviced today for the coming winter, and we used our air conditioning systems yesterday for worship and fellowship hour. October 8 and we haven't turned on the furnaces yet. Global warming? Who knows? The temptation is to lay the blame there for what seems like weather changes; major weather changes at that. But how can we really know the extent of the weather changes? I remember back in the 1970's when we talked about how we must be good stewards of the earth or we would pay dearly. Are the seeming major weather changes part of the payback for our misuse of the earth?

Psalm 24:1 reads "The earth is the LORD'S, and all it contains, The world, and those who dwell in it. " It all belongs to God, and we are to be stewards over it. With stewardship comes responsibility, and responsibility means that there are consequences to actions.

"For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God." Romans 8:19 The creation for which we are appointed stewards is waiting for us to demonstrate that we are God's children. It is so important that we understand that, as children of God, we have a family responsibility to our Father - a responsibility as family members - to tend our home.

I'm from the South and love the heat. I don't care for the cold or for snow. But I do care that we not put our planet out of kilter and destroy the natural rhythms of the earth. I'll live with the snow and cold if we can be good stewards and treat earth as our Father desires. We are to do all for the glory of God. The earth belongs to God - everything in it. Can we realize that and be good stewards?

2007-09-27T05:42:00.000-07:00

It has been so long since the last post. Things have been going hectic and I've just not paid attention to this blog. One of the things that is coming is a trip to Haiti in January. Cheryl and I and a man from the church are going in early January. We will be visiting our son Danny who works at Pwoje Espwa in Les Cayes, Haiti. You can look it up at http://freethekids.org. Fr. Marc, the head of the orphanage, keeps a wonderful blog on this web site and it is jam full of great pictures.

2007-09-08T17:31:00.000-07:00

A couple of very neat things happened today. One was attending a farewell party for a pastor and his wife who are retiring after thirty-five years of service in an area church. What an encouragement the pastor has been to me and he will be greatly missed. The party was a God-thing, a God-event. People from all over came - his current parishoners, former parishoners, those he had impacted - his children. It was really a family reunion of believers from this area, believers from all churches who turned out to honor the couple - and to recognize our indebtedness to God for all the wonderful things he gives to us through his Son Jesus Christ.

The other thing that happened was listening to and singing a new song - at least it is new to me. It is "In Your Presence O God" by Lynn DeShazzo. This is a terrific song that acknowledges where our strength and hope are - in the Presence of God. "That's where I belong" the songs says. That's where we all belong, in the Presence of God. As I've said over and again, it is not about religion, but relationship. It is about our relationship with God through Jesus Christ. And God's presence is so real, so compelling - so powerful!!

2007-09-04T20:01:00.000-07:00

It is late night, September 4, and I am getting ready to go to bed. But not before I post a note on the blog. It has been too long since I've written anything here.

I am increasingly excited about what God is doing in my life and the life of the church - both the local church here in Clintondale and the church in the Mid-Hudson Valley. There is a fresh stirring of the Spirit. Praise God for his faithfulness to us, even though we so often let him down.

We are seeing God get people through some very difficult times. This year we have witnessed physical healings, emotional healings, spiritual victories, restored relatioinships... God has been at work in the lives of folks here in Clintondale.

I am being challenged as never before to pray for and witness to those who are lost. There are so many people who just don't have a relationship with God through Jesus Christ, and it is our calling to let them know of his grace and love for them. We are to be watchmen on the wall, warning our neighbors, friends, relatives - all who will listen - of God's great mercy in keeping us from the wrath that is to come. God help us all, for we are all so rebellious. Yet God, in his great mercy, has sent his Son Jesus to die for us, to take our sins on himself - to deliver us from God's judgment. God wants all to be saved - he wants all to come to him in repentance and receive his forgiveness.

It is all about a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. It isn't about religion. Religion is the problem. We need to be released from religion and brought into a fresh relationship with God. To know God is the greatest thing in the world. He has made it so possible to know him that we are all without excuse. The good news is that God loves us and in Christ died for us that we may live.

2007-08-27T05:51:00.001-07:00

This morning's Liturgy of the Hours readings are about St. Monica, who was St. Augustine's mother. In St. Augustine's Confessions he quoted his mother: "I did have one reason for wanting to live a little longer: to see you become a Catholic Christian before I died. God has lavished his gifts on me in that respect, for I know that you have even renounced earthly happiness to be his servant. So what am I doing here?"

Monica's purpose was to bring her son, through prayer, to the Lord. What better thing can a parent do than to pray a child into the Kingdom?

2007-08-20T11:34:00.000-07:00

We talked with Danny yesterday and learned that everyone is OK. Fr. Marc reports on his blog that they lost a few banana trees, but that these kind of trees are fragile anyway. We thank God for his grace. Hurricane Dean took a turn south and spared Jamaica a direct hit. Prayer is a wonderful thing. We don't always get what we ask for - Dean could have wiped everything out. But it didn't, and for that we are grateful. However, we are to be thankful in everything, no matter the outcome of our prayers. In the end, it is God's will that must be done. You can check out Fr. Marc's comments on http://freethekids.org.

2007-08-18T13:38:00.000-07:00

We are watching closely as Hurricane Dean moves toward Haiti, where our son Danny is working in an orphanage. We talked with him last night and have been looking at the orphanage's web site - http://freethekids.org - to see the latest updates. As I write this on Saturday afternoon the hurricane is getting close to Les Cayes.

May God protect the children and staff at the orphanage and all the folks in the area.

2007-08-10T09:27:00.001-07:00

Today is the last day of Vacation Bible School, and it has been a great week! The kids have been great - Shelley Reynolds and her staff have done a bang-up job. We are planning an old-fashioned Southern dinner with fried chicken, slow-cooked green beans, corn, etc. Pies and other goodies for dessert. This summer has been flying by fast, a sign of a busy time. God is so good, and I am grateful for all that he is doing in our church and in the church in the Mid-Hudson Valley.

2007-08-04T04:19:00.000-07:00

Time in as interesting thing, if it can actually be called a thing. When I was a child, the age of twelve was significant. Don't really know why. And thirteen - that is when I became a teenager. When I became sixteen I could drive! And then at eighteen I could buy beer. Little did I know how much of a problem alcohol would become for me. At twenty-one I am a bone fide adult (or so they say.) Back then no one trusted anybody over the age of thirty, so that was an age I wanted to avoid, except for the alternative to not seeing thirty! And on it goes. Now that I am sixty-two age looks quite a bit different.

Before I came to Clintondale I never stayed in one place more than four years - except for my growing up days, and then it was short stays - maybe six and eight years in Greensboro and High Point, respectively. Tomorrow marks twenty-one years. I have friends who have lived all their lives (to this point!) in one place, college excluded. Having been in Clintondale for twenty-one years I feel grounded, like I have a home, a place to be.

In May, 2001 my wife and I bought a little house in Oak Hill, NY, up in Greene County. In fact, that is where I am making this entry today. We look out our front windows and see the northern edge of the Catskill Mountains. Oak Hill, like Clintondale, is a small unincorporated hamlet. It boasted quite a little population back in the nineteenth century - not large, but having a barber, doctor, some stores, an ice cream parlor, a malleable iron factory, some farms. Then toward the end of the nineteenth century on up to the recent past, it went downhill. Many of the buildings in the hamlet became run down. Recently people like us have been buying and moving in. Oak Hill seems to be on the upswing.

Time takes its toll, but only if we let it. Time also builds up, but only if we let it. God has given us places and people to love and nurture and see grow. Clintondale and Oak Hill are both places where God has allowed me and my wife to have community and peace and joy. We've been married for twenty-six years, time well-spent indeed.

2007-07-30T08:19:00.000-07:00

We just finished a busy month of Tres Dias activities, including a gathering at our church on Saturday, July 28 with about 150 attendees. It was a wonderful time of worship, fellowship and pigging-out!! Yesterday was the annual Tres Dias picnic. I managed to get in the pool for two dives.
Yesterday I brought the introductory lesson for the Saddleback Church's foundations study. This is the basis for the purpose driven church movement. If there are enough folks to sign up for the program, I'll be giving it in September. Probably on Thursday evenings. I am so impressed with Saddleback Church and Rick Warren's ministry.

2007-07-26T19:27:00.000-07:00

Last night Cheryl and I were driving down the Thruway on our way back to Clintondale when we heard a couple of renditions of "Get Happy," which, to my surprise, is a wonderful gospel song. I don't know if it was originally written for that purpose, but the words are definitely about the Lord and about getting happy in him. I have to admit that I never listened to the words before. Tomorrow I am singing for a group in Kingston and plan to use this song as one of the ones we sing together. I'm gonna get happy!

There are a lot of things happening this weekend - two Tres Dias activities and our church congregational meeting. Lots of eating and sharing together and enjoying one another and the Lord.

What a joy it is to be part of such a good Christian community as our church and the Tres Dias movement!

2007-07-22T19:50:00.000-07:00

Cheryl and I just finished attending the 35th Anniversary of Tres Dias and the Assembly of the International Tres Dias organization. Tres Dias is an offshoot of the Catholic Cursillo movement, and is a wonderful renewal movement within the church. We did our original Tres Dias weekend in 1987, Men's Tres Dias #63 and Women's Tres Dias #63. Since then we have been on Tres Dias teams a number of times. It was wonderful to see people from the Tres Dias communities around the world, especially the couple from Moscow, Russia. The reported over two thousand people from over two hundred churches in Moscow that have made a Tres Dias weekend. For more information about Tres Dias you can go to www.tresdias.org. Our local community is the Mid-Hudson Tres Dias found at www.mhtd.org.

Wedding Anniversary

2007-07-11T06:56:00.000-07:00

Today is our 26th wedding anniversary. What a trip it has been and what a wonderful woman to be married to. Thanks, Cheryl, for making these 26 years so special. Love, Dan

2007-07-10T20:27:00.001-07:00

My first attempt at blogging was a complete failure. I forgot to save it. So, here goes another one.

I hope to use this space to update myself, and others as they take the time to read, on my thoughts as a pastor of a small church in the Mid-Hudson Valley of New York State. I've been here for nearly twenty-one years and have had the time of my life. My congregation is the best there is - not perfect, but the best.

Eleven years ago I joined the local volunteer Fire Department and have found such great satisfaction in serving the community this way.

I am married with one son. My wife is a professor of social work in a local college and our son is serving in an orphanage in Haiti.

I'll do more posting as the days come and go. For now, I'll sign off and get to bed.

2007-07-10T20:24:00.000-07:00