Years ago, Cliff and I team taught a couples' Sunday school class.  Our method of team teaching generally meant we took turns planning and leading with the other providing support.  A lesson that Cliff taught has stayed with me not only for the truth presented but also for the shock value!
I don't recall which scripture passage we were discussing, but the concept was "Where do you put your hope and trust?"
He began by pulling items from a backpack.
     Is your hope in money? Credit cards? Lottery tickets?
     Do you put your trust in stocks or bonds?
     Pulling out a pay stub, he asked, "Is your hope and trust in your job?"
I don't really recall what all he had in that bag other than that he pulled out a gun. Not a toy, but a real pistol. (Why he even has a hand gun is another story.)  To say I flipped out might be putting it mildly! This was, after all, a Mennonite, peace loving church! Yet, I dare say, his point was made and understood.
     I wonder if the others in the class remember that lesson. I wonder how many of us put our hope and trust in the power of worldly might and strength.  I wonder how many of us have confused wealth, strength, and redemptive violence with the way of Christ.

 

After all, on this Friday, this Holy Friday, this Good Friday, this most painful of days, do we not remember that the Christ, our Jesus, allowed violence at our hands to nail him to a cross and then demonstrated that love defeats all.  Love has the final word. Do we believe it? Do we live it?

God shall judge between the nations, and shall decide for many peoples; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. Isaiah 2: 4  

May it be so!

This evening at 7 pm there is a service at Ridgeview. You are welcome to attend. http://www.ridgeviewmennonite.net/
The senior high youth  joined by some adults have worked hard to prepare for the 8:15 am Early Service on Sunday.  Breakfast follows at 9 am, and worship at 10:15 am.

Brother Mick's message is called "High Hopes," with the scripture text John's account of the resurrection. In his presermon notes Mick states, "The hope we feel and share with one another on this Easter morning is diminished if we do not put it into action in the way we care for the children of God in all walks of life and degrees of faithfulness."
I hope you are able to join us for the morning celebration!

A prayer for today: And when they came to the place which is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals one of the right and one of the left. And Jesus said, "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do." Luke 23:33-34  Thank you, Jesus.  Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Jesus. Come Kingdom of God. Be done, will of God, on earth as it is in heaven. In Jesus name. Amen.

I can't wait for a snuggle with Claire Lynn who was born yesterday to Melissa and Jeff!

Without question or doubt, you are loved by God, and I love you too!

For I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8: 38-39

Love and Light,
Carol

"Always remember who you are, whose you are, where you are going, and what you believe, because it does make a difference! Oh, and don't forget to attend a church of your choice this weekend." jd

Time for a lighthearted and irrelevant tale. Pay attention, Grovies!  Last week I saw the parents of a student I had while serving as school librarian at Locust Grove http://lancastermennonite.org/campuses/locustgrove/index.php , and his mom reminded me of a story that had us both laughing.


A regional gathering of librarians from the area Christian schools was taking place in my little space (Ohhhhh, exciting!) and most had arrived. (Ummmm.... and yes, some of them fit the stereotype I was attempting to break!) I'm sure you'd be shocked to hear that there was quite a clamor in the room as my desk telephone rang. One of the local school districts was calling for a reference for "Marshall" who was one of my students. I explained that this was not a good time to chat, so she instructed me to call later and leave a message.

When the last bibliognost had cleared out at the end of the day, I called the number given me and left a glowing review for this fine student wondering why they needed it. "Marshall is very active, but he follows directions well and is very respectful. Marshall is well liked by others and doesn't fight."
As I was driving home that evening I began thinking about my day and started cogitating on this student reference. Such an odd thing, really.  Then it hit me like a ton of books; my friend Marsha had asked if I would be a reference for her, and she had the same last name as Marshall.  Oh brother! I did it again!

First thing in the morning I called the number at which I had left the erroneous message.  As soon as I said my name, the woman on the other end of the phone busted up laughing. Yep. Uh-huh. I'm really glad to report that Marsha got the job in spite of her reference.

Laughter. Have you had some today?

Our Neighbors :) 

Brother Mick's message this week is called "Discipleship is not a Spectator Sport" with the sermon text being Luke 19:28-40. http://bible.oremus.org/ This is the story of the "triumphal entry" where Jesus' disciples follow Jesus' directions to find a colt, place their cloaks over the beast, and then help Jesus mount. Brother Mick will challenge us to consider the active role of the disciples and how we, too, might be vessels of God's kingdom work if we live in active, humble service proclaiming the good news rather than joining in with the power brokers and violent ways of our world. Listen on-line or better yet, join us for the service to see if I'm on track with this estimation.  Henri J.M. Nouwen says in his book Show Me The Way, "The spiritual life does not remove us from the world but leads us deeper into it...Having become sons and daughters as Jesus was Son, our lives become a continuation of Jesus' mission."
http://www.ridgeviewmennonite.net/
Holy Week Services: Maundy Thursday 6:15 pm, Good Friday 7 pm,  Early Easter Service 8:15 am, Easter Breakfast 9 am, Easter Worship Service 10:15 am.

This is the last week for our Sunday School electives. In what would you be interested for our next elective?

Brrrr... shiver, shiver, brrr! Come on Spring!

The quizzers are en route to Ohio. I can't think of this trip without thinking of Nancy, her family and the quiz team of that year. Remembering with love.

If you've not looked at Tynea's facebook page lately, now would be a great time to do so!! :)
Melissa, Jeff, and Brooke, I'm praying for you as you prepare to welcome Claire to your family next week!

Prayer for today: How precious is your steadfast love, O God! Under the shadow of your wings we take refuge. You are the fountain of life, and in your light do we see light. Psalm 36:7,9   Loving God, thank your for never leaving us nor forsaking us. Please grant an awareness of your Presence to the quizzers; please grant comfort and safety to Melissa and Jeff. We remember Nancy with love and ask for her family to have an extra measure of peace. Sometimes our lives sound like the cacophony of migrating blackbirds, and we don't listen for Your voice. We don't hear Your voice.  Let us be still and know You. For You are the hope, joy, and light of yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Come Kingdom of God. Be done will of God on earth as it is in heaven. In Jesus' name. AMEN.

Without question or doubt, you are loved by God, and I love you too!

Love and Light,
Carol
"Always remember who you are, whose you are, where you are going, and what you believe, because it does make a difference! Oh, and don't forget to attend a church of your choice this weekend." jd

At some point in this busy week, I grabbed a few minutes of outside time enjoying the beauty of God's creation. I usually feel like a visitor to the peace and beauty of nature, but this week I was overcome with a sense of unity recognizing that we, too, are God's genesis called to be not only a part of  God's natural world but also caretakers of it.

Take less than 4 minutes and watch my little slideshow with the melodious notes of my friend Jeff Raught  (http://jeffraught.com/ ) slow dancing with the piano, then make sure you get outside and soak up some natural peace. :)

Wings Over Wengers :)  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilRmLYqp_6s

This week Brother Nelson is sharing a message titled, " And the real value is...."  We are continuing with our Lenten material and overarching theme of "Ashamed No More: Christ Has Made Us His Own." Scriptures are Isaiah 43:16-21, John 12:1-8, Psalms 126 and 119:9-16, and Philippians 3:4b-14. In his presermon notes, Nelson states, "God looks through our shame and declares we have value and are divine possessions." AMEN! I hope you can join us.

(At this moment a sweet little Carolina wren is serenading me. :) THANK YOU!)

We continue with Sunday school electives. I appreciated the discussion in the "Naked Anabaptist" class last week. You'll find me teaching senior high on this Sunday.  Here is the bulletin for details of the morning. http://www.ridgeviewmennonite.net/bulletins/current.pdf

A prayer for today: I am the Lord, your Holy One, the Creator of Israel, your King. Behold I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. Isaiah 43:15& 19.  Loving Creator, thank you for your transforming love and care of us.  Thank you for the beauty of your creation which includes us. Thank you for walking with us, teaching, healing, demonstrating love. Thank you, thank you, thank you.  Grant us courage to trust in your love today in spite of our difficulties or because of our difficulties.... Either way, Love Wins. Come Kingdom of God. Be done, will of God, on earth as it is in heaven.
 In Jesus Name. AMEN.

Without question or doubt, you are loved by God, and I love you too!

Love and Light,
Carol
"Always remember who you are, whose you are, where you are going, and what you believe, because it does make a difference! Oh, and don't forget to attend a church of your choice this weekend." jd

Our daughters learned to be good travelers when they were young. Illinois and North Carolina were our most frequent destinations. Always safely secured in car seats or seat belts, there were no videos or hand held devices for us merely books, toys, songs, laughter, talking, and crying with the occasional hurling from reading and riding. Many of our friends traveled at night so that the young ens would sleep; that didn't work for us so I'd put them to bed in their clothes and we would hit the road in the predawn hours. With four little girls, it was eons before I could go to the bathroom by myself. Such jollity. On one of our journeys (not so long ago) apparently the CD player, which knew Cliff's classic rock collection quite well, was making a high pitched screech that only the auditory systems of those under 20 were able to hear. The daughters claim it was tantamount to torture.

Most of us know Dorothy's words, "There's no place like home," and certainly as we pulled onto our bumpy stone lane that sense of sanctuary and comfort rested on our heads and in our hearts. But for us there was an added benefit. After being gone for a week, what would there be to eat?  (Know this about my family, on our refrigerator is a definintion: "hangry--han gree adj. a state of anger caused by lack of food; hunger causing a negative change in emotional state." A hungry Wenger is an, ummmm..... unpleasant Wenger!) Well, early on as our family  roamed, we consistently discovered the most wonderful surprise upon our return. We had been visited by elves; Grandma Anna's chicken corn soup, a loaf of bread, a gallon of milk, and chocolate chip cookies awaited us. Have I told you I have the best in-laws? :) After a looooooong day in the vehicle, there was nothing so comforting and satisfying!

Yep, it is easy to tell food stories.

Potluck with SWAP 

The title of Brother Mick's message this week is "Banquet or Barbeque," and he'll be drawing from Luke 15 the story of the father and two sons, and Joshua 5:9-12. After all that manna, the Israelites finally eat the "produce of the land."  In his presermon notes Mick states, "I want us to ponder the ease with which we can engage others about the beloved foods we have eaten throughout our lives but find it so difficult to share about the life giving sustenance of grace and love offered to us by God through Christ."

http://swap.mcc.org/locations/eolia

We are privileged to have musician/conductor Paul Dueck of Windsor Mennonite Fellowship in Leamington, Ontario lead our music this Sunday. http://www.pauldueck.ca/ 

Elective options continue with 

-Network: The Right People, In the Right Places, For the Right Reasons, At the Right Time

-The Naked Anabaptist:  The Bare Essentials of a Radical Faith

-Beyond the Present Time (The regular Adult Bible Study)

We will not be meeting in the Upper Room but will choose from these options. 

A prayer for today:  God will cover you with  feathers, and under God's wings you will find refuge. Psalm 91:4

Despite our brokenness; despite our forgetfulness; despite our unloving ways and impure motives you continue to  grant us grace and mercy—a love that endures forever! You are our hope and our salvation. Grant the readers of these words a renewed sense of your presence; a greater understanding of your love; healing and hope in their relationships and lives. Come Kingdom of God. Be done will of God on earth as it is in heaven. In Jesus Name. Amen.

Without question or doubt, you are loved by God, and I love you too! 

Love and Light, 

carol  

"Always remember who you are, whose you are, where you are going, and what you believe, because it does make a difference! Oh, and don't forget to attend a church of your choice this weekend." jd

"Get up! Get up! A bear is in the camp!  It charged Kate!" Peg shouted at us.  Jana and I were still attempting to catch a few zzzz in our little tent somewhere in the middle of the Boundary Waters in Quetico National Park. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boundary_Waters

 I was 15 years old, and there were 9 of us women/girls exploring the glory 

Eileen setting up for dinner

of God's pristine creation as we paddled and portaged our 75 lb aluminum canoes with thanks to a wilderness program of Camp Menno Haven in Tiskilwa, IL.  http://mennohaven.com/ There were no motorized boats, only our little buckets powered by our muscles; no flushing toilets, only a hole in the ground dug each day with our latrine shovels; no comfy beds, only our sleeping bags on the hard soil beneath our flimsy tents;  no restaurants, grocery stores, kiosks, or trading posts, only the food and toiletries we carried. For the ten days we paddled the lakes, we saw two other groups of canoers, and "Grizzly Adams" in the yellow canoe. That was it. Oh, and this was in the ancient days before cell phones. 

Peg's turn to relax

     Back to the story: A bear in the camp? Right! Jana and I were certain this was a ploy to get us moving, but none the less we got up. We had pitched our tents on a thick bed of moss 50 yards or so away from the main campsite. Sounds of yelling were heard almost immediately as we headed through the woods to the fire ring. Running to join the cluster of campers, our fearless leaders described what had happened.  As they were beginning breakfast preparations, a black bear came in and snagged one of our food packs. Kate saw it and ran toward it yelling at it to drop the pack. The big black creature complied, gave a low "woof" and headed for her! The bear remained just yards away munching our breakfasts, lunches, and supper in the brush at the edge of the lake.  (I recall one of my friends asked me how the bear was able to open our food containers....TEETH!) :) 

Skinny Me

     Me, oh, my! You've never seen a camp break so quickly as we threw everything into our metal boats and hit the water with a mighty splash. We were able to recover some of our items, but now our food supply was sorely lacking.From whence would our sustenance come?  We survived; rationing, grumbling, and sharing.  

     I still have my dad's pocketknife my mom insisted I take for protection. Uh huh. For years after this event, I had nightmares of bears; I suspect watching the movie Grizzly http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1008968-grizzly/ prior to my adventure was not wise... 

This week Brother Mick's message is called, "Water, Water Everywhere" with texts from Isaiah 55:1-9, Psalm 63:1-8, and I Corinthians 10:1-13. In his presermon notes Mick states, "The call from our passages for today reminds us to turn again and again to the source of sustenance which is God our creator."   

Here is a link to the bulletin for details. http://www.ridgeviewmennonite.net/bulletins/current.pdf  There are also meaningful Lenten resources available on the literature rack for our use. 

There will be singing at 9am in the Rec room. I'm excited about the elective options for Sunday school for the month of March and encourage all of us to stretch and grow with a variation from our norm. Therefore, we will not be meeting in the Upper Room this month

-Network: the Right People, in the Right Places,  at the Right Time

-The Naked Anabaptist: The Bare Essentials of a Radical Faith

-Beyond the Present Time--the usual class material 

Some of you begin your spring breaks this weekend. Enjoy and be safe! 

Prayer for today:  Is anyone thirsty? Come and drink--even if you have no money! Come, take your choice of wine or milk--it's all free! Isaiah 55:1 Creator God, you invite all of us to your table full of goodness, mercy, and joy. We can lay our stuff on the doorstep and sit down at your table to be filled and healed. Some of us have some major stuff happening in our lives, and we aren't sure if we can trust you with it.  Help us, Lord!  Mercy! Grace! Peace! These come from You!  Fill us with your Spirit fruit that as we are healed, we can then share of your table with our neighbors and friends, even our enemies. Come Kingdom of God. Be done will of God, on earth as it is in heaven. In Jesus name. AMEN. 

Without question or doubt, you are loved by God, and I love you too! 

Love and Light, 

carol  

"Always remember who you are, whose you are, where you are going, and what you believe, because it does make a difference! Oh, and don't forget to attend a church of your choice this weekend." jd