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.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Christmas Eve Eve
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!!
Sunday, December 13, 2009
God help us to help those in need.
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...
"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...
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow
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.
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Non-blogging blogger
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!
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!
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
The Shack
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.
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.
Saturday, March 14, 2009
One Month Already?
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!!
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!!
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