Remembering.

This week marks the anniversary of two milestones in American history:  the 150th anniversary of the delivery of Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, and the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.  Naturally, a variety of stories have been dedicated to both events, in newspapers and magazines, radio and television broadcasts, and other media.  Both call to mind very specific memories for me.

During my fifth and sixth grade years in southern Illinois (the "Land of Lincoln") in the early 1960s, we learned a lot about Lincoln, and we traveled to Springfield, to see Lincoln's home, gravesite, and other Lincoln-related historic sites several times.  During one of those trips, we visited a Lincoln historical museum across from the Lincoln family's home.  Amazingly impressed by all of that history, I bought a facsimile copy of the Gettysburg address, printed on the crinkled, artificially-produced "antique-parchment" paper that was then common for souvenirs.  I remember working hard at memorizing the speech, which I would recite in front of the mirror in my bedroom.

During my seventh grade year (1963-4), I got to see history as it was being made.  In September, 1963, my dad was sent by his employer to Washington, D.C., for a seven-month assignment, and our family all moved temporarily to the nation's capital with him.  While there, we visited the capitol, the major monuments, and a lot of historic sites.  When Mom learned that President Kennedy would travel to Arlington Cemetery to lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier on Veterans' Day, we got up early in the morning to go there to see the President.  I was totally awestruck when the President's motorcade drove right by us on the cemetery access road, and President Kennedy waived to us.

To everyone's horror, just a week later he was killed.  We were enjoying a half-day school vacation, when Mom suddenly called my brother and me to the room where she had been watching TV, while ironing clothes.  Walter Cronkite of CBS News was announcing on-air that the President had been shot during a parade in Dallas.  The next day, we joined thousands of people outside the White House and walked toward the Capitol, where the President would be lying in state before his funeral.  The memory of those events remains incredibly vivid to me, even now.

But not only historic and traumatic events command the memory.  I have vivid memories of college graduation, our wedding day, and the birth of each of our children. their games, concerts, dance recitals and stage performances.  I remember lots of other important milestones, and there is a special satisfaction in being able to recall all of them.

So many people, though, suffer from diseases that rob them of their memory, and I can tell that my own memory is not as reliable as it once was.  It's a bit scary to realize that our own sense of continuity with our past can drift away from our ability to recall it.  But we have to remind ourselves that all of our lives are always incredibly brief, and that nothing in our own power is permanent.  The healthiest person with the very best memory endures no more than a little while.  Only God can offer lasting meaning and value.  Our memories can give us "increased devotion" to the tasks that lie ahead, and it is fitting to commemorate important events.  But we should remember (as long as we can) that God is our real strength and hope.

Beloved Children of God

This last week in our church, I had the honor to celebrate the baptism of two adults, as we welcomed them and three other adults as new professing members.   I told each of them, "Always remember that you are a beloved child of God."  That identity is important to who we all are, and what is expected of us.

According to Luke, as Jesus rose up out of the waters after his own baptism, he heard a voice from heaven confirming that he was "my son, the beloved, in whom I am well pleased."  Christ's heavenly sense of assurance of who he was made it possible to overcome all human temptations, and to endure all human rejection and suffering.  Remembering his identity, he could be the very personification of moral strength, in the midst of whatever happened.

In our own Twenty-first Century lives, our identity as part of Christ's body the church is something we get from God, not something we invent or earn.  And remembering who we are--and whose we are--makes it possible for us to rise above our temptations and weaknesses.  It makes us capable of doing great things, in spite of our limitations.  When we forget who we are, or shove our identity aside, we become vulnerable, obsessive, selfish, and easily intimidated.  The good news is that the assurance, the moral strength, the resilience, and the confidence are always right there, easily within reach, waiting to be claimed again.  Let's remember who we are.

Make New Friends, But Keep the Old...

The week before last, Marsha and I went to Williamsburg, Virginia, our old college town, for a reunion of alumni of the college's debate teams, down through the years.  I was on the William and Mary debate team in the early 70s, and because Marsha and I were dating in those years, she knew many of my debate friends too.  We had been disappointed that we wouldn't be able to attend our 40th college reunion because of a schedule conflict, and it was a happy surprise to learn of the planning for a separate reunion of friends across a number of class years.

The college looked beautiful that Friday, as it always does in the fall, and it was a great joy to wander over the campus, checking out the new buildings and feeling nostalgic about all the places Marsha and I  walked together when we first knew each other.  Then when we met up with a group of our old friends for dinner, it was great fun to share old memories and learn about all the developments in their lives since we'd last seen each other.  The next day, we went to a private home to meet with former debaters from all the much later classes, and we found it just as much fun to get to know them.  We all went out to dinner, and then met again in the morning to walk the campus and share a pancake breakfast at Mama Steve's Pancake House.  Our shared experience seemed to connect us all in a big circle of friends.

I was reminded of the old Girl Scout song our kids used to sing:  "Make new friends, but keep the old.  One is Silver and the other Gold."  In the midst of all the changes and urgent demands of our normal lives, it's easy to lose track of old friends and fall out of touch.  I've also known a fair number of people who have found it too challenging to go out of their way to make new friends as they've grown older.  That's sad, because the rewards for friendship are so great.  Even if I am embarrassed by the excess weight I've gained, the hair I've lost, and all the things I've forgotten, it's wonderfully energizing to be reunited with old friends--and it's just as exciting to get to know new people.

Churches should take note.  It takes energy to keep in touch with long-time church family members who have drifted out of sight for unknown reasons.  Even if they suddenly appear back in church for a worship service, everyone knows it's embarrassing to talk to someone whose name may have been forgotten.  At the same time, it may also seem like a lot of effort to seek out and talk to newcomers.  But the rewards of maintaining old friendships and making new ones are so great that all such embarrassment and fatigue should always be brushed aside.  Whenever we do brush aside those lazy, discouraging thoughts, the fun is ready to begin.

Fresh Start!

I've enjoyed the summer outdoor worship season so much.  I love the trees, the flowers, the birds, and even the sounds of lawn mowers and airplanes.  I've enjoyed experimenting with new worship music and sharing our annual thanksgiving for the Blessing of Creation, at which we've shared worship with all of our pets.  It's hard to see the summer end so quickly.

But I am also energized by the arrival of crisp morning breezes and colorful leaves on the trees.  The summer worship crowds have been vibrant and happy, but I've continued to find myself missing every family that goes away for a summer vacation.  I occasionally feel like the pet dog left behind at home, while the rest of the family goes off on an adventure.   Maybe others in the congregation feel something similar.  Not angry or resentful, just a little saddened by the absence of those who are away for a few weeks.  Maybe even God shares such feelings.  In all events, it's fun to see everyone arriving home, rested and ready to begin the new school year--and a new fall season at church.

I love Rally Day, when all the Sunday School classes start up again, and when our worship services return to the main indoor Sanctuary.  There are so many kids and parents and teachers everywhere, that the whole building seems charged with new energy.  The old worship space seems especially beautiful and inviting, filled again with the sound of organ music and choirs.  And new faces in the choirs!  New helpers for technical matters!  Fresh repairs to the building!  New mission projects in the works!  The news of our summer service projects and the plans for all of our upcoming events fill me with confidence and hope.  Whatever my own flaws, God is really at work in this place, and I feel so blessed to be a part of it!

Cool Morning, Fresh Start

For several days now, the sunrise has seemed to me to be behind schedule.  For almost a week, I've been waking up very early each day, and it's been dark.  Grousing quietly to myself, I've been dragging myself from the darkened bedroom to the shower.  While shaving, I've thought about all the things I've needed to do during the day.  A depressingly long list.  Then I've eaten breakfast, filled up on coffee, and slogged into the study to work.  Because of having slept too little, I've dawdled through routine matters, ignoring the big, time-consuming projects that have been piling up.  I don't know why I've felt so unproductive.

But today has been different.  Today, the late sunrise has opened into a beautiful, cool blue sky.  I've dressed in my usual late-summer attire, and as I've walked outside to dump the trash and get the paper, I've been cold.  Cold?  All of a sudden, the autumn has arrived, cool and crisp and full of promise.

Like all the kids heading back to school, I feel suddenly energized and excited about the start of a new fall season.  The church is ready and waiting for everyone who is returning from summer vacations, and the fresh paint and new projects are noticeable everywhere.   We had a great Vacation Bible School this summer, and I hope to see all the kids again soon.  We've begun some amazing mission projects, and I can't wait to talk about them with the people who have been away.  There are new worship ideas, new music, and new education plans in the works.  Last week, record numbers of people brought pets to church, to give thanks for God's creation and love, and we had a great time!  Can't wait to show everyone the pictures!

As the autumn begins, it's not just time to dress more warmly, but also time to shake off the cobwebs, start fresh, and begin a new song!  God is in this place--let's join the adventure!

Accounted as Righteous

Not too long ago, I got up from the table in the Hay Belly Deli and walked to the counter to pay for my lunch.  I was surprised to be told that "your check has already been taken care of."  A friend had already secretly paid for my food.  In the deli's bookkeeping, I was already ok.  How had that happened without my knowing it?  I didn't assume, or even "have faith" that the bill would be paid before I got to the cash register--but it was.

In the Letter to the Romans, Chapter 4, verse 4-5, Paul wrote, "Now to one  who works, wages are not reckoned as a gift but as something due.  But to one who without works trusts him who justifies the ungodly, such faith is reckoned as righteousness."  Hmm.  The one who trusts "him who justifies the ungodly..."  So is it that a decision to trust God is a "virtue" or a "work" that earns our way into God's favor, i.e., God's "accounting" us as righteous?  Or is it that when we trust God, we can recognize (and have confidence) that God's love is a gift.  Is it that despite appearances, we can see we are not captive to our addiction to selfishness, we are not bound by the past, and we are not faced with completion of an impossible "to-do" list that we must complete before we can be "right with God"?  To me, faith feels like part of the gift, as if I've just discovered that a friend has already paid the bill.  Of course, we can, and should, trust and love God, and do good things for other people; how else can we show gratitude for God's love for us?  But we can't do anything to earn God's love.  In God's "book," we're already loved.

This week, as I met with several people to review the preparations in the outdoor chapel for the outdoor worship services that will start this week, I felt a great rush of fresh excitement.  It's always fun to see the  arrival of summer, and I find our outdoor worship gatherings really inspiring.  What a beautiful place our outdoor chapel is!  There is something special about singing by the lake, feeling the breeze and hearing the birds that always lifts the spirits.  Summer offers an opportunity to try new songs, to imagine new ways of sharing, and to start fresh.

If you have not been with a worshipping community for a while, this is a great time to give it a try--it's not formal or stuffy, and it's also not slick or show-biz-like.  You don't have to dress a certain way, or talk a certain way, or share a particular political point of view.  If you say you can best sense God's presence in a sunset--our 7:00 Saturday evening services will be great for you!  If you find early morning a great time to recharge, but find your weekends overloaded with activities--come at 9:30 Sunday morning!  You'll have a great experience, and you'll still have most of the day free to play golf, or fish, or cut the grass.

If you always come to worship, but you would really rather be indoors--this is a special chance to be there for other people, and to show your overriding gratitude for God's blessings.  We don't worship just for ourselves, but for God; and we do it together.  Our goal is to lift up, inspire and help others.  So here's the chance, to worship beyond ourselves!  To do something other people haven't tried.  To take joy in something new!

If you're like me, and you already like to worship with friends in new ways, and you like to be outdoors--this is a time for easy joy!  Happy summer!  (15 Bank St., Sussex, NJ 07461, 7:00 p.m. Sat.; 9:30 a.m. Sun.)

"Behold, I Am Making All things New!"

On the whole, I enjoy learning how to do new things on my computer, and I enjoy learning about new internet applications.  Sometimes, though, I find myself frustrated by the tendency of software developers to take away the simple routines I've long used to create the things I've used in my work.  For example, I have typically created new worship bulletins by starting with the Word document containing the previous week's order of worship.  I have used the "save as" command to create a new  Word document, identical to the old one but with a new name.  In that way, I've been able to create a new file that I can edit, to include the various hymns and prayers I want to use in the new order of worship.  meanwhile, the original file containing the previous week's order of worship has been left unchanged.  It's a simple process, one that I've been using for years.

In the most recent update to the Microsoft Office program (for Mac users), the menus have been changed to add a lot of new options, and that's fine.  But the simple process I have long used to make a new document out of an old file is no longer available.  After a lot of effort and unsuccessful attempts, I concluded that the "save as" routine just no longer worked, and I was annoyed and frustrated.  How could I still use an old file as a template?  How could I still create and manage new files and folders in the new version of Microsoft Office?  Why did they mess up the system that had worked for me?

Fortunately, our daughter Susan (also known in our family as "Tech Support") came to my rescue.  After some trial and error, she figured out how to do what I wanted to do, in the new way required by the new version of Microsoft Office.  It's not really all that hard, I have to admit, and the new version adds a lot of neat options and features.

In a lot of aspects of life, maybe we all tend to cling to what we know, even as the world changes around us.  Styles of clothing and music, ways of communicating, methods of running the church.  We know that change is an unavoidable part of life, but we tend to struggle against losing the ways of doing things that we have mastered.  Maybe we just hate to feel incompetent.  God reminds us that everything is being made new, both what we like and what we don't like--but that we don't need to be afraid.  God is still in charge, and things will work out in the end.  Even if the changes don't seem to make much sense to us right now.  Even if the changes make us uncomfortable or frustrated.  That should give us an ability to charge into rapidly changing times with boldness and courage.  We can advance to do God's work, even when we're not sure what we're doing.  Look!  God is making all things new!

Barn & Rummage Sale!

Every six months or so, our church holds a big Barn & Rummage Sale, during which we fill the fellowship hall with donated clothing, fill the kitchen with breakfast and lunch items to sell, load the tables with baked goods to offer, and empty out the barn of household items that have been left by people since the last sale event.  For two days, we sell all these things to the public, at very low prices, and it's a big event, for both the church and the community.

It's also a satisfying time in our own households, as we take the opportunity to rid ourselves of some of the unneeded stuff that has accumulated over time.  I tend to avoid disposing of things that I don't really need, and they gradually begin to take over all the space in the house.  I think I tend to keep such things either because I received them as gifts, or because they are in perfectly good condition.  Sometimes I keep clothes that no longer fit, because I hope that I will soon lose enough weight to wear them again.  I want to honor people who have been generous to me, and I don't want to be wasteful.  But it is wasteful to horde things that are not usable, and gluttonous to hold onto clothes just because they might someday fit me again.  I know that, but I tend to be slow to act on that knowledge.

The Barn & Rummage Sales help me get over all that, because I can give all that excess stuff for a good cause, and feel confident that someone will have a good use for the things I do not need.  The Sale events also re-connect me with my church family.  I really enjoy seeing how much fun it is, when we all work together!

My life can also sometimes get cluttered up with other habits and distractions that keep me from being productive and effective.   I know what habits I should change, but day-to-day events just take up all the time.  That's why I need the church.  I need the church to remind me, in a periodic way, of what is important.  I need the church to help me discard the clutter in my life, and engage my energy in tasks that matter.

Where Have We been?

So much time has gone by since my last posting!  The rush of events leading up to my ordination just overwhelmed my ability to keep up with making new posts, and I started to let the time slip by.  Soon I was embarrassed about not having made any recent posts, and I thought I should have something very profound to say when I actually started up again.

But so much time had passed, that nothing seemed profound enough.  So I just didn't post anything.

That strikes me as not very different than the way many people begin avoiding going to church.  We miss a few weeks, and then begin to think that we don't have a good enough reason for having missed those weeks, and we avoid going back to face any questions about where we've been.  Pretty soon, the memory of what we liked about going to church begins to fade.  We can't remember the feeling of inspiration, the feeling of pure exhilaration in praising God with friends, and all we can remember is our embarrassment.  We imagine that others will look at us with disapproval if we fail to show up.  If we run into church members at the grocery story, we avoid looking at them.  If they see us first, and they ask us how we've been doing, or tell us that they miss seeing us, we assume we are being judged unfavorably.  The truth is, we're probably just missed, as absent friends are always missed.

The easiest way to get back into the "church habit," really, is just to jump back in.  Just get up and go to church some random week.  Don't offer any reason for past absence, or just say, "Oh, no good reason, really."  And almost instantly, the fun of being welcomed back will take over.  No one will remember why you were gone, they'll just be happy to see you again.  Try it!  I know this works, because I 've been there.