Confession time...again!

When one is going to write something that she suspects may offend or agitate someone, is it better to warn them ahead of time or let the chips fall where they may? 

I have a confession.  I struggle with the Bible.  Don't get me wrong; I appreciate and value this word of God immensely, but I also wrestle with it. A lot. I struggle with knowing that it appears Lot offered his daughters up for gang rape.  I struggle with hearing that David is a man after God's own heart knowing that he was a rapist (though many  describe David and Bathsheba as committing adultery, what transpires is abuse of power, lust, and rape by King David)  and a murderer. Did bears really maul children because the kids teased Elisha for his baldness?  The list goes on and on.  

But even more than some of those old stories, I struggle with our use, abuse, and understanding of God's word today. I struggle with how we have elevated these God inspired words written by men to be equal with God, our Creator; to be equal with Jesus, the Christ; to be equal with the Holy Spirit, our Advocate. I struggle with the way we pick and choose what we think is important. I struggle with the way we use the Bible to promote our own viewpoints and agendas. (guilty)  I struggle with the way we have turned God's word into a book of do's and don'ts. I struggle with the way we want to knock people upside the head with God's book instead of inviting them to enter this Kingdom of Love and Grace which Jesus revealed to us. 

 A phrase I hear quoted frequently when a difficult situation or issue arises is, "Well, what does the Bible say?" or "The Bible says...."  This is a great starting place.
Yet additionally, when issues and moral questions come up, is it unreasonable, inappropriate, and unChrist-like to ask for guidance from the Holy Spirit as well as look at the scriptures? Shouldn't we be asking how the greatest command of 'loving God and loving neighbor' fits into situations? Isn't "what would Jesus do?" trite though it sounds, the ultimate question? Shouldn't we be engaging with our brothers and sisters in conversation about what the Holy Spirit is saying? Aren't we to leave judgment to the Divine? 

We like things spelled out and clear. Messiness creates a desire to break out the Lysol and scrub brush. Here's a messy chart that is incomplete but since we like charts and graphs, I thought I would include one. 

Perhaps issues aren't black and white; they may not even be grey. If we have to choose a color, perhaps its just white because isn't the book ultimately about the good news of GRACE? Isn't that what Jesus was about?

I will keep wrestling and probably finding more questions than answers. Let's keep talking. Yep, messy.

On the church calendar, this Sunday is deemed, "Christ the King Sunday," and Brother Mick's message from Colossians 1:11-20 is entitled, "The Linchpin."   Mick says in his pre-sermon notes, "Rejoicing in the primacy of Christ will be the overarching theme of my comments for this week."  AMEN!

Grandma M with my niece

This week I finally got over to meet Adelyn Shay. :)  She's so beautiful!  Having the opportunity to burp her, I recalled how Grandma Moser instructed the holding up of the left arm for more effective eructation. :) Young parents, take note!  ha!

Blessings to Rachel and Marcus as they get married this weekend! Whoo Hoo!

So many people around the world are suffering from natural disasters, war, and disease.Please join me in continuing to pray for the hurting and for those who are offering assistance. Nate's marine unit is involved with bringing relief to the Philippines. I suspect many of my friends and relatives in Central Illinois are involved in efforts to bring relief to those whose lives have been seriously affected by tornadoes.  Praying for strength, courage, and hope whether you're in Illinois, Sardinia, Syria, the Philippines, Egypt, or Pennsylvania.

Be sure to check out the bulletin for the many goings on and announcements! http://www.ridgeviewmennonite.net/bulletins/current.pdf

Next week there will be no communique. Happy Thanksgiving!

Prayer for today: God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth should change, though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea. Be still, and know that I am God.
Thank you, Gentle God, for your love that is ever present. Thank you, Gracious God, that you care more about us than "issues."  Some of us are grieving loss; some of us are in pain; some of us are caught up in our studies; some of us are struggling to survive--whatever our life situation is, Lord, reveal yourself to us that we may not lose hope.  Grant us strength and courage for the facing of this day. Fill us with joy that is from you in spite of challenging circumstances.  Come Kingdom of God. Be done, will of God, here 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

http://www.ridgeviewmennonite.net/

"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

She's One of Them!

Illustration from my 1980 LOTR Calendar :) 

Periodically some of you groan and say, "Oh no! She's one of THEM!" and you wonder about my salvation or at the very least my taste in literature. Others of you say, "Yes! She's one of us" 
Well, here we go!

“Come, Mr. Frodo!' he cried. 'I can't carry it (the ring) for you, but I can carry you and it as well. So up you get! Come on, Mr. Frodo dear! Sam will give you a ride. Just tell him where to go, and he'll go” ― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King when Frodo had no strength to continue, his friend and servant, Samwise Gamgee, carried him. 

Amidst all the violence and warring of the strong and mighty as well as the monsters in Tolkien's Lord of the Rings trilogy, the true glory and strength is in the insignificant and faithful hobbits Frodo and Sam as they traverse dangerous and enemy territories to at last destroy the powerful One Ring by casting it into the fires of Mount Doom. Elves, orcs, dwarfs, goblins, wizards, men, and oh yes, a cave troll, wage battle for control of Middle Earth.
I've been reading and rereading Tolkien's books since high school, and I'm still intrigued and inspired.

The violence and wars in Middle Earth serve as distractions to keep the evil eye of Sauron from seeing these two small creatures. The task of the hobbits is thought to be hopeless and foolish; to some the destruction of the ring is a waste of great power and opportunity. Yet it must be done for life and light in their world to continue. Sauron's mind cannot fathom anyone throwing away such power as is found in the Ring so he doesn't even consider this as a strategy to defeat him. He knows the  power that is in the ring and assumes all beings will claim it, and he will stop at nothing to obtain it.

Certain members of my family really struggle to accept Frodo's seeming ineptitude; he was, after all, always falling down. (in the movie, anyway!) Take a look!  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGzof4xfH-g

As I read Brother Mick's message notes for Sunday, I couldn't help but think of the Lord of the Rings trilogy with its many layers of adventure and understanding. "Doom! Doom! Doom!" may be all around
us, yet when we focus on the light and reality of Jesus our chant is "Hope! Hope! Hope!"

Brother Mick's message is entitled, "One Less Job for Duct Tape."  Luke 21:5-19 is one of those passages that can have you quivering in your boots with its prophesies of war, famines, and dreadful portents. Jesus calls us to remain true to the faith we profess, and Mick says, "I think this message is no less vital for us to hear even now." I don't know where he's going with the duct tape.  Come and see!  Please join us at 10:15 AM for the worship service.

We will be installing Loretta as Lay Minister of Missions and offering our thanks to Tony for his service in this position.  (Can I just say, I want to be like Loretta when I grow up!)

On December 9 we will once again be holding our annual church auction. Over the years our family has enjoyed meals, delicious Cordelia cakes, Elaine pies, an incredibly huge and warm comforter we call Nessie, a corner cupboard made by Andy, and even a little pink house! Sometimes you can get an amazing bargain, and the next time you can pay $97 for a jar of chowchow! Come one and all! It's so much fun! Proceeds will benefit The Factory Ministries as well as ongoing Ridgeview work. You do not need to attend Ridgeview to share in the fun.

This is the final week for the "Jesus Is___" sessions which will be held in the senior high room.

Prayer for today: The earth is the Lord's and everything in it. The world and all who live in it. For God has founded it upon the seas and established it upon the rivers. Psalm 24:1 Creator God, we praise you as our maker and guide.  Let us each find ourselves in you and then know our true selves. Let us each trust in you and then know true life. Let us each hope in you and then know true joy. Let us each accept your love and then know true peace. Come, Kingdom of God. Be done will of God, here 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

PS One of you will be my 10,000th blog hit! :) 

http://www.ridgeviewmennonite.net/

"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

Last week as Cliff and I neared the end of our loooong journey to my parents' home in Illinois, I was scribbling like mad in my little journal.  Here are a few stanzas from that final hour of travel. I wish I had snapped a few photos too. My apologies to the English majors out there; I've not followed any poetic guidelines.... 

Clouds low, dark and ominous

Rolling, billowing

Farmland black and stretching, row upon row

Flat and rich

Blackbirds skydancing, kaleidoscope flowers

Swooping, synchronizing

Grain elevators reaching up like stalagmites

Unnaturally natural

   

Farm houses, deceptively lonely and disconnected

Veritably welcoming and neighborly

 Barns with window eyes and wide door mouths

Some containing more memories than hay and tractors

Broken down plows, manure spreaders, and wagons

Purposes fulfilled now serving as sculptures commemorating hard work and days past

I’m close now, so close

 Backroads, straight and empty; the memory drawer is opened, Laughing children, crying, teasing, singing, arguing on bus #4

Invisible children becoming visible only through my adult eyes—poor, so poor, dirty, troubled, smelly, abused.  Understanding awakened.

The beauty and familiarity of the prairie overwhelm me. The nostalgia of my homeland fills me with feelings of sadness, joy, pain, laughter, tears all jumbled into this body now over half a century old. For that which I see; for that which I experienced; I am so grateful. Illinois!

I wonder what it will be like for the refugee family who will soon be joining our church family. This move to the East was my choice, and I am able to travel home again. My Illinois family is able to come visit us. Even if our refugee family comes from horrible life circumstances, I've no doubt their hearts will be heavy with the sights, sounds, and tastes of their homeland they will miss; loved ones left behind. 

This Sunday Brother Nelson will be sharing the message "Are we there yet?" A sentiment that crossed my mind more than once as we traversed I 70 on Tuesday! His text is from 2 Thessalonians 2:1-5 where the early church wonders if they missed the return of Jesus. "In the message, I hope to explore what the hope of the resurrection and the return of Jesus means to us." The worship service begins at 10:15 AM.

Please join us for singing in the Rec room at 9 AM

The wolf will be howling in the church tonight, all night. Some of you know exactly what that means! 

The young adult class will meet with the senior high youth for two more Sundays as we finish the "Jesus Is___" series.

My prayer for today:  I will praise the Lord, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me. I have set the Lord always before me. Because God is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Psalm 16:7-8
Creator God, thank you. You demonstrate your incredible love and grace and mercy through Jesus, yet we still struggle to understand and accept. We still tend to prefer walls, rules, and judgment to freedom, grace, and mercy. Thank you that you don't give up on us!  Thank you that you never leave us! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!  Come Kingdom of God. Be done will of God, here 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

http://www.ridgeviewmennonite.net/

"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

I was happily cleaning my windows on Monday whilst listening to Fresh Air when my doorbell rang. I had not heard a car arrive, and if you've ever been to our home, you know that we live a bit off of the beaten path so folks on our doorstep are unusual.

A middle-aged woman was standing there and handed me a document showing her identification as an agent of the National Circulating Co., Inc. Also included was a physical description; her height, weight, and hair-- 5'6," 180 pounds, brown hair cut in a modified mullet. Ok, the license didn't say it was cut in a mullet, but it was. She said she has two learning challenged brothers and is working to raise money by selling magazines to attend college so she can become a teacher of kids like her brothers. If she sells a certain number of magazines in a specific time frame, she will earn a bonus $1000.

I did the usual thing we do with strangers-- stood there in the doorway guarding the entrance to my inner sanctum while she stood on the porch giving her spiel. Suspicious thoughts raced through my brain; "Is she really who she says she is? What kind of person goes door to door selling
magazines? I wonder if she has some scheme to rob me? Is there someone hiding in the bushes?"
You know though, I've been trying to live my faith more intentionally; trying to see the beauty and God-spark in all people; trying to value "people connections" no matter how small and seemingly insignificant; trying to recognize opportunity when it knocks. For many of you, this was a no-brainer, and while I was thinking these cynical and skeptical thoughts you already had her sitting at your kitchen table. I eventually got there.
"I'm not really in the market for any magazines," I said, "but if you'd like to sit down for a few minutes for something to drink, you would be welcome."
She had walked up our long lane, and she had more walking to do, so yes, she would appreciate that.

For the next hour we sat at my kitchen table and discussed James Patterson books, apocalyptic literature, Amish, Mennonites, her home state of Indiana, and Goshen College. http://www.goshen.edu/ She carried extensive knowledge on many subjects. The time passed quickly and amicably, and the detour from routine was worth it on many levels even though I'll be working on cleaning windows today.

A committee I am on was recently discussing hospitality and what that means as a church. A few of us had read Michele Hershberger's book  Christian View of Hospitality; Expecting Surprises and had been challenged to think and act outside of our comfort zones as we opened ourselves to God's plan and purpose in relationship. (Here's a clip of Michele talking about hospitality.)
https://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=432952019459

Oh, yeah, ummmmm.....  I will start receiving "Vegetarian Times" in the near future.

This Sunday is designated by MCUSA as Heritage Sunday, and I am grateful for the heritage of hospitality that flows through the Christ-centered tradition of our Anabaptist
church, welcoming the stranger and alien, feeding and clothing the hungry, and yet at times we've let power and fear corrupt our faith. Let not my desire for power nor my fear get in the way of your call to this everyday purposeful living, Lord!

http://www.mcc.org/ (Mennonite Central Committee)
http://www.mds.mennonite.net/home/ (Mennonite Disaster Service)

Brother Mick is preaching this Sunday from II Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18; Luke 18:9-14 in a message called, "This Is Us." Mick says, "I would like to spend some time thinking about both the positives and negatives of carrying a spiritual heritage such as Anabaptism. Clearly many would see a celebration of heritage as little more than a mirror image of the Pharisee from today's gospel; chest pounding and braggadocio about who he is as compared to others."
Our worship service begins at 10:15 AM with the Christian Formation hour at 9 AM. Young adults will again meet with the senior high youth as we continue the "Jesus Is___" study. I'll be your teacher this week. :)

Progresso soup is being collected for the food pac program which provides weekend food bags for children with limited resources. If you'd like to help pack the food bags, stop by the church on Wednesdays at noon.

On Wednesday, October 30 for our family night activites, persons from Habecker Mennonite Church http://habeckerchurch.com/ will join the adults to share their experiences in sponsoring refugees. Join us for the meal at 6:15 PM with the session beginning at 7 PM.

Ridgeview hopes to be welcoming a refugee family soon. Stay tuned for details!

Prayer for today: Then the King will say to those at his right hand, "Come, ...for I was hungry and you gave me food; I was thirsty, and you gave me drink; I was a stranger and you welcomed me; I was naked and you clothed me; I was in prison and you came to me."
       Hospitable God, grant us courage to be more like You. Open our eyes to see You in the stranger and to respond with loving kindness.  Today, Lord, some of us are physically hurting, some of us are facing loss, some of us are exhausted from parenting, working, and trials, some of us are cynical and hardened by the tough stuff in our lives. Would you reveal your love,healing,and grace to us in unexpected and gentle ways? Come Kingdom of God. Be done will of God, here on earth as it is in heaven.  In Jesus name. AMEN. 

There will be no communique next week as I will be visiting my wonderful family! By thy rivers gently flowing Illinois! Illinois! O'er thy prairies verdant growing.....  

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

Love and Light,
Carol

(PS For a closer look at the photos, click on them!) 

http://www.ridgeviewmennonite.net/

"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

This is another of those mornings where the words just don't want to come. What to write? What to write?  I decided to work backwards, starting with the prayer at the end and work up hoping that by the time I got to my opening, I would be inspired as I have found that a change in the routine stimulates ideas. :) Here I am at the opening....

I am a believer that we are all created to be "creatives," after all, we are created in the image of the Ultimate Artist. I know that there are many studies "out there" on brains and creative process, and I've not read very many of them.  Here are a few of my unresearched, "This I believe" statements on the subject. (Thanks Edward R. Murrow, for this phrase. I'll have to put my statements into essay form on another day.)

• We are created in the image of the Ultimate Creator.
• Children are masters of creativity and imagination.
• Sadly, as we grow up to fit into the "I'm a grown up now box," creativity is often stifled. I remember a few years ago a guest teacher for the Christian formation hour invited the adults to take crayons and paper and draw something related to the topic. You would have thought people were sitting in dentist chairs by their responses. 
• Creativity involves discipline, action, and practice. 
• Creativity can be useful in many life areas. I've been told that my husband is able to transform soccer practice making fitness, skill, and aspiration fun. Oh yeah! For those of you who say, "But it is supposed to be work and unpleasant,"  I say, "why can't we make work fun?"   Cliff has certainly been successful with this creative model!
• Creativity embraces mystery and imagination. 
• You are creative.  If you don't believe me, call me. We'll talk! 

I am really looking forward to hearing Brother Jon Hoover, who is an associate professor of Islamic studies at the University of Nottingham in England as well as someone who grew up at Ridgeview. Jon will bring not only his expertise in religious studies, but also his life experience of living in the Middle East for many years as he tackles the difficult passage of Ezekiel 6:1-14 where God punishes people so that they know God is God. Yikes! This passage seems quite foreign to my understanding of God.  Jon is calling his message "Knowing that the Lord is Lord." Please join us! The service begins at 10:15 AM. 

The young adults will continue to meet with the senior high youth for a few more weeks at 9 AM. Joy will be facilitating this week.  (Doesn't that sound wonderful?  "Joy" should be facilitating all our activities!") 

Congratulations to Tynea and Michael and the rest of the family on the the birth of Adelyn Shay. I can't wait for a snuggle! I'll be calling. :) 

Creator God, you are our keeper and our shade; our protector and constant comfort.  Though the mountains shake and the hills be removed, still your love for us will never fail. Lord, what does this mean when times are tough? When disaster and pain  strike, what then?  Life is difficult, and there is so much injustice. What then, Lord? Let our mustard seed faith hold on to You; to know in our heads and hearts that you will never leave us nor forsake us.  Grant us courage to act in loving You and loving our neighbors. Come Kingdom of God. Be done will of God, here 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

(PS For a closer look at the photos, click on them!) 

http://www.ridgeviewmennonite.net/

"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

Hmmmm....

Things that make you go hmmmmmm.....

• when the Keurig goes on by itself in the middle of the night
• when you find out about the 'weirdness' of the inventor of graham crackers; who would have thunk it?  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graham_cracker (Thanks, Sara, for that one!)
• bad behaving coaches at soccer games
• when your 4 year old says, "You don't need to come in here, Mommy...." 
• when someones says, "I'm sorry, BUT ...." 
• when the ripening fruit disappears from the vine, and the dog smells strangely like tomatoes
• when a 16 year old Pakistani girl has more courage and wisdom than many world leaders and tough guys http://www.businessinsider.com/malala-yousafzai-left-jon-stewart-speechless-2013-10
• when your daughter messages you that she is now exactly half your age :) 
• when the chairs you set up in the rec room are mysteriously removed
• Double Dunker ice cream- no wait, that one is mmmmmmm... not hmmmmm...
• when someones starts a sentence with "I'm not prejudiced or anything, but...." 
• salamanders in the basement..... do they eat spiders? 
• speaking of the basement and arachnids, when you have to set a shoe within grabbing distance of your yoga mat, just in case
• when 10 lepers were cured and only one said thank you (Luke 17:11-19)

Brother Mick's message title this week is "The Tie that Binds," and his scripture is the Luke 17 passage. In his presermon notes he says, "Luke reminds us that we all come before God as persons in need of healing, yet our pride or arrogance, or mistrust of others can often cause us to miss out on such healing due to our own stubbornness."  The worship service begins at 10:15 A.M. with the Christian formation hour from 9-10 A.M.  The young adults will again meet with the senior high youth to continue the "Jesus Is____" series meeting in the newly renovated senior high room!

As we think about saying "thank you," a huge word of appreciation is going out to Vaunda and Erica Siegrist for the hours of time and energy they put into the remake of the senior high space. I only discovered near the end of the project that Red really dislikes painting!

Well, it is time to set out a few more buckets and ready my rowboat. (Any roofers reading this? Call me!)

Prayer for today: We rest in your love and presence today, Gentle God. Help us to know that is enough. 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

(PS For a closer look at the photos, click on them!) 

http://www.ridgeviewmennonite.net/

"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

Acrimonious, belligerent, contentious, divided, enraged, furious, galled, hateful, impassioned, jaded, know-it-alls, lacerated, malcontents, naysayers, oppositional, provocateurs, quarrelsome, rigid, severe, thorny, unyielding, vexing, wearisome, xenophobic, yapping, zelotic _________________________.

I started this diatribe with adjectives to describe our current politicians and quickly realized this list could just as easily characterize the church. GASP!

As we are in the midst of this national political estrangement, perhaps those of us who are believers should examine our attitudes, our Pharisaical ways, and our submission to the Holy Spirit, as we stand with arms crossed and brows furrowed, refusing to join hands and "break bread" with other believers. Much to the consternation of many, the Church is not the same as our nation.  Once again I plead with my sisters and brothers on both sides of the political spectrum to remember our origin and home. Remember the Christ who has brought us together.

Ambassadors, believing, compassionate, devoted, empathetic, forgiving, grace-full, hospitable, illuminated, joyful, kind, loving, mediators, neighborly, obedient, peace-acting, quotable, reliable, serving, transformed, united, veritable, willing, xenagogues, Yule-celebrators, zesty____________________________.

Which list best describes you? me? us?

On Sunday our sister Val will be sharing her difficult journey through brokenness to the healing and hope found in the "Bread and Cup," the life of Jesus. Her title is "Moving Mountains and Dodging Lightning Bolts." Scriptures for the morning are Psalm 37:1-9, II Timothy 1:1-14, Ecclesiastes 3:9-15. We will be joining people around the world breaking bread, pan, ksra, chapatti, naan, brot, as we share in communion on this day designated for the global community of faith reminding us of God's limitless, boundless, incredible love.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uQCyxBL2O8 Communion scene from the movie, "Places in the Heart"

We'll have singing from 9-9:15 a.m. in the Rec room.  Brother John will teach the combined young adult and senior high class in the Upper Room following our time of joyful noise. :) The worship service will begin at 10:15 a.m. Fellowship time can continue following the service for our annual pig roast. Mmmmm, mmmmm, good!

Prayer for today: Do not worry about the wicked or envy those who do wrong. For like grass, they will soon fade away. Like spring flowers, they soon wither. Trust in the Lord and do good. Psalm 37:1-3a Loving God, help us to put our trust in you.  Gentle God, open our hearts and eyes to see ALL your people and know that your ways are not our ways, and we are called to be transformed to Your likeness. Many times our lives are messy and difficult, yet You do not give up on us. Help us not to give up on each other.  Come Kingdom of God. Be done will of God, here 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

(PS For a closer look at the photos, click on them!) 

http://www.ridgeviewmennonite.net/

"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