"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.

Namaste!

We've been in Nepal for about a week and a half now, and we're just overwhelmed with amazing memories.  We have been welcomed into homes from all walks of life, toured ancient historic sites, been prayed for and chanted for by priests and monks, enjoyed hot water buffalo milk on the side of a mountain, ridden in three wheeled taxi-buses, and even eaten yak cheese pizza!  Through it all, we have felt safe in the guidance of our daughter and son in law.  It reminds us of how important it is, when we find ourselves in situations beyond our own capability, to know who is our guide and protection.  Sometimes a regular person (like a son or daughter or trekking guide) will be enough, but sometimes not.  I'm thankful that we can always rely on a love and care that extend beyond any human knowledge or skill.  We can always know our ultimate guide and protector. 

Grace and peace to all--see you soon.

A Pastor's Delight--Vacation Bible School

This week, the church's fellowship hall has been filled with amazing decorations, scenery, props, crafting materials, and food.  It has also been filled with the excited activity and laughter of children, as the annual Sussex United Methodist Church's Vacation Bible School has been underway.

Instead of the normal plain paneling of the fellowship hall walls, we have seen a ship's railing, the ocean and a bright blue sky.  Instead of a piano, we have stood in front of a two tall sailing masts and a quarterdeck with a conning wheel and ship's bell, as a parrot has looked down on us from the crow's nest.  We have assembled beautiful crafts, sung exciting new songs, shared dramatic re-tellings of scenes from the Acts of the Apostles, played great outdoor games, and enjoyed snacks that reflected our daily lessons.  The kids who are participating in this year's VBS are having a great time, and so are all the leaders and helpers.

I've really looked forward to playing Jack, the dim-witted and somewhat bumbling sailor in our opening skits, and it's been a great outlet for my natural hamminess.  And I can't offer enough praise to adequately thank our Sunday School Director and everyone else who has helped organize and put on the program.

As fun as the week is, Vacation Bible School is also very important for the church.  Our congregation is amazingly blessed to have a large number of active children and youths, and they are tremendously important to our church's ongoing life--not just in the future, as they grow into adulthood, but also right now.  Our children enrich our worship, deepen our adults' understanding of the faith, and signal to newcomers that this church is a vital and energized faith community.  The faith development and active discipleship of our young people are crucial priorities that need the attention of everyone.

If you have not helped in Vacation Bible School or Sunday School, then, I hope you will start doing so in some way.  You do not have to be a trained teacher or an experienced leader of children.  If you have children or youths in your family or neighborhood, I hope you will encourage them to participate in our worship and in all of our ministries.  Your commitment could not be more important.  (And it'll be fun!)

Fireworks and Freedom

This week we celebrated Independence Day, with all of the traditional festivities our family has observed for a long time.  Like many people, we wore red, white and blue, displayed our flag, and we ate hot dogs and hamburgers, along with fresh green beans and potato salad.  Our family also eats special Fourth of July sandwiches, called "Ham On Swiss Egg Rolls," baked with a mixture of mustard and mayonnaise.  After all the parades, we generally watch our DVD of the musical, "1776," and we sing along with all of the songs.  Then, of course, we try to watch fireworks.

This year, because July 4th fell on a Sunday, it seemed that the various towns in New Jersey didn't know when to conduct their Independence Day observances.  Most towns seemed to avoid holding their parades and firework displays on Sunday, and opted for Saturday or Monday (which became the official "day off").

But it seemed appropriate to me to celebrate on Sunday, too, because the main thing our nation can claim credit for is the large degree of personal liberty we share as individuals--and especially our example in guaranteeing freedom of expression and freedom of religion.  Yes, there are "purple mountain majesties"  in America, but those are just accidents of location.  Around the world, there are many places with beautiful vistas and amazing natural resources.

What I am especially grateful for is the fact that I do not need to face any restrictions, either legal or social, on my choice of how (or whether) to worship.  Unlike citizens of many countries, I face no business interference, no legal hassles, no personal danger, and no social rejection because of my choice.  That is an amazing, wonderful feature of our national heritage that needs to be protected for everyone, and not just those who, like me, are in the religious majority.

 I'm a believing Christian, and I want to share God's love with everyone.  But Christ only wants willing disciples; he's unimpressed by people who cry "Lord, Lord!" only because they feel required or pressured to do so.  As Christians, then, our best opportunity for evangelism is in an environment of maximum freedom and safety for all religious, non-religious and even anti-religious thinking.  So, on Sunday especially, let freedom ring!

Of Mice and Ministers

As many of you know, we've been struggling for several months with mice in the parsonage kitchen. I haven't had much experience in dealing with mice, but now we're living out in the country, in an older house with plenty of little crevices, and mice seem to have no difficulty finding ways to escape from the cold.  After finding a happy winter home, they've apparently decided to stay.

Initially, I noticed a small dropping or two in the drawer of the oven, but nothing else.  We just tried to encourage them to move somewhere else, by cleaning carefully and making sure no food or drink was left out in the open.  But soon the droppings started appearing in the food cupboards and on the counter tops, and it became obvious that stronger measures were needed.  So reluctantly, we started putting out traps.  Enticed by the advertising for "anesthetizing trays," I put several of those on the counter tops.  I was shocked a few days later at breakfast time, when I discovered a poor, pitiful mouse trying to run away down the hallway,  dragging a tray trap stuck to its foot.  I switched to enclosed traps, trying to avoid having to look at the mortal effects of my anti-rodent militancy, and caught several unlucky creatures. Friends offered various electric clicking and beeping devices intended to drive mice away, and we used them all.  But the insurgency continued.  We were beginning to feel like the American military in Afghanistan, dealing with a largely invisible and seemingly inexhaustible group of adversaries, who simply refused to negotiate or be reasonable.

Even as the weather grew warmer, new evidence of nocturnal explorations continued to appear almost every day.  We continued to try to clean everything, and to place silverware, plates, pots and pans in sealed tubs and in the refrigerator.  It was frustrating to keep retreating to a smaller and smaller range of "known clean" workspace and utensils, and disgusting to have to clean up all the mouse droppings.

Finally, it seemed obvious that we needed professional help, and we called an exterminator, who calmly and confidently took over.  What a relief.

I was reminded that there are a lot of times like that in life, when our best efforts seem to be floundering, and all we can do is reach out for help.  Even when our own efforts are obviously futile, we often resist accepting that help, either from the people who love us or from God.  I guess we just don't want to admit our own failure.  But when we finally admit our needs, we find such great relief and renewal.  Our problems may not be unsolvable after all.

"Come to me, all you who are burdened and heavy laden," Jesus said, "and I will give you rest."  I pray today for the simple grace to recognize when I need to lay my burdens down, accept the opportunity to rest, and receive the help of the One who knows what I really need.