Christmas Eve 2013-- Standing at the stove, I had just folded the parsley into the spicy sausage rice finishing the dish when the lights flickered, the smoke alarms gave an eyeblink shriek, and we were pitched into darkness. Everyone scrambled for flashlights, phones, and candles, and after a few minutes we were eating by the gentle glow of leftover wedding candles. Laughter, great conversation, and a savory meal commenced followed by a time of playing with light and photography creating what seemed like magical illusions thanks to our photographer friend Cody who was with us. :)

Light. As a person who admits to being afraid of the dark, I find great comfort in light and appreciate the image of God as light.

c 2004 "Korinne/Korinne" by Alana

The magi followed the light of the star to find the Divine Light, the hope and comfort of all. "Nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising." Is.60:3 I wish I knew the stories of how the lives of the magi were changed after having come face to face with the Divine. How much they comprehended of the holiness of their encounter, I have no idea, but they certainly had knowledge that perhaps was transformed into understanding with this sacred meeting.

Brother Nelson's message this week is "Drawn by Light; Sent as Light" using texts from Ephesians 3:1-12; Matthew 2:1-12; Isaiah 60:1-6; and Psalm 72:1-7. Nelson says in his pre-sermon notes, "We are drawn to God's light and sent as God's light showing the mystery of God working far beyond the boundaries we create and impose within ourselves and between each other." I look forward to hearing our brother's exegesis. I hope you'll join me. Worship begins at 10:15 AM with Sunday school at 9 AM.

Everyone is invited to corporate singing in the Rec room from 9-9:15 AM before they go to their classes.  Oh, and the new class for younger married couples/singles will be meeting in a 1960 hall classroom. Childcare is available.   If you can make the party on Saturday evening at Todd and Cindy's home, let me know! :)

Our ingathering for January: items for Bridge of Hope. http://lancasterchester.bridgeofhopeinc.org/ We're collecting canned veggies, cleaning supplies, dish soap, laundry detergent, paper towels, sponges, toilep paper, trash bags, and umbrellas.  You'll find a box in the lobby to place any items you bring.

Be sure to read the bulletin for additional notes and activities. http://www.ridgeviewmennonite.net/bulletins/

As brutal temperatures cover much of the nation, keep safe and warm, dear friends! Listen to the voice of your mother in your head. (Wear your hat. Cover your nose and mouth with a scarf. Do you have a blanket in your car in case of an emergency? Don't go outside unless you need to. Take breaks if you're shoveling snow.....) :)
I'm certainly thinking of our refugee family from Myanmar this morning.  I hope they don't have to go anywhere today. They must think they've landed in freezerland!

My prayer for today: You are wrapped in light as a garment, O Lord, and ride on the wings of the wind.  As we are drawn to your light, Divine, fill us with hope and awe as you illumine our paths. Lord, I ask that you would especially bless those organizations that are bringing warmth and housing to the homeless on this frigid morning. Grant us, dear Lord, the power to understand the breadth, height, length, and width of the love of Christ that is greater than knowledge, so that we would be filled with the fullness of your Divine Being. 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

In the cloud and swirl of chaos and darkness, the steadfast and unwavering glow of Light is present. 
Find hope. Find peace. Find love. 

We are tempted to hide, to fight, to hate. 

Live hope. Live peace. Live love.  

And the LIGHT will at last overcome all the shadows. Kingdom of God. On Earth. As it is in Heaven. COME! 






NPR http://www.npr.org/ is playing in the background providing updates on the violence and threat in the city of Boston, home to our daughter Alana and her husband, Michael, as I write these

words.
Violence feeds violence. Hate breeds hate.

Boston statue honoring firefighters

Earlier this week I listened as a reporter in Baghdad shared that bombings and violence have become a macabre norm. sigh.
In the same way we are all responsible for nailing the Christ to the cross, we are all accountable for perpetuating hate and violence in our world by our choices of hate, violence, and fecklessness. Brothers and Sisters, let us make choices for Light in the name of Jesus.   Now, I say this and acknowledge I've never been truly put to the test....

Psalm 23 is one of the ancillary texts this week. Perfect.

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. 
   He makes me lie down in green pastures;
he leads me beside still waters; 
   he restores my soul.
He leads me in right paths
   for his name’s sake. 

Even though I walk through the darkest valley,
   I fear no evil;
for you are with me;
   your rod and your staff—
   they comfort me. 

You prepare a table before me
   in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
   my cup overflows. 
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
   all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
   my whole life long.

Brother Mick will be exploring the role of the shepherd caring for the sheep with his primary text from John 10:22-30. Seems apropos. 

"Who's Coming to Dinner?" presents an opportunity for you to join someone for lunch after church. This is always a great opportunity for fellowship and food.   

Prayer for today:  Do not worry about the wicked or envy those who do wrong. For like grass they soon fade away. Like spring flowers, they soon wither. Psalm 37

You, Lord, are our gentle parent. You, Lord, are our shelter. You are our hope and our guide. Have mercy on us, Lord. Reveal yourself to us, Lord. Open our eyes to see your steadfast Light and hope.  Great Comforter, grant peace, healing, and ease to the suffering of our brothers and sisters in Boston as well as other places in our world that are enveloped in violence, pain, and hate. Help us not to be afraid but to have a greater understanding of your love for each and every one of us. 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! Need to talk?  Contact me! 

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

In the Darkness

c 1973 The pathway through the woods was dark--more than dark--it was black--pitch black. No moon,under the cover of the tall, arching trees; it was deep cave kind of dark.  As young campers we felt the path with our feet, holding onto the person in front of us.  Flashlights?  Not allowed. Our camp counselors had assured us that our night vision would adjust to the darkness, and the torches would play havoc with our night sight.
They had not accounted for the blackness; that lack of any light at all leaving us blind in the middle of the woods.

As we stumbled along in the darkness, we came to that log across the stream which in the daylight had been fun and exciting to traverse.  Now it was terrifying. Did I mention it was dark?  That 'can't see your hand in front of your face' darkness? Yet we kept going--onto the log--all sixty-three 11 and 12 year olds tentatively began to cross single-file, creeping, blindly feeling each step.  I thought I was going to make it; I really did, but the girl behind me took a misstep and with a scream and a yank on my arm, we both tumbled off the log into the abyss.

This week Mick is preaching from Luke 3 where John the Baptist called to the people to repent and change. I think we often here the word "repent" with our narrow understanding of the word and don't read the rest of the passage. When the people ask John, "What shall we do?" Do you remember how he answered? 
"And the crowds asked him, 'What then should we do?' In reply he said to them, 'Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise.' Even tax collectors came to be baptized, and they asked him, 'Teacher, what should we do?' He said to them, 'Collect no more than the amount prescribed for you.' Soldiers also asked him, 'And we, what should we do? He said to them, 'Do not extort money from anyone by threats or false accusations, and be satisfied with your wages.' Luke 3:10-14
Mick will expound on this theme of a Kingdom way of doing things.  'He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.'  Hmmmm... can you name the fruit of the Spirit?  What would our world be like if those of us who claim Jesus as our king would manifest this produce?

Oh, you're wondering if I broke any bones or stumbled in the wooded darkness of Tiskilwa, Illinois until morning? When our leader realized what had happened, he left the others and came to our rescue.  :)

The Upper Room will be open, and I hope some of you college students will be joining us!  I think Merv will be there, and I will come up for a hello albeit a bit late.

A Service of Rembrance and Hope will be held at Ridgeview on Monday, Dec. 17 7pm.  This is a time to bring the grief, loss, and pain we are carrying. If you have a photo of a loved one for whom you are grieving, there will be a table on which to place it.

Safe travels, young friends!

You can listen to sermons online at http://www.ridgeviewmennonite.net/

Prayer for today: Rejoice! God comes in mercy and light to turn us to the Kingdom way!
 Lord, fill us with your Holy Spirit that your fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control will be manifest in us.  Let your peace, O God, which transcends all understanding guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. 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

  

 

Called to Light

For once you were darkness, but now in the Lord you are light. Live as children of light— ⁹for the fruit of the light is found in all that is good and right and true. Ephesians 5:8-9
                                                                                                  Hello, Friends!

            The pathway through the woods was dark—more than dark—it was black—pitch black.  No moon; under the cover of trees—it was a deep cavernous kind of dark.  Our "singing around the campfire" time was over, we were returning to our rustic log cabins.  Tentatively placing our feet as we felt the path,  we each held onto the person in front of us. Flashlights?  Not allowed—our leaders said our night vision would adjust fine and that flashlights would just play havoc with our night sight. 

     The camp counselors had not accounted for the blackness –that lack of any light at all.  We stumbled on blindly with impending dread beginning to gnaw as we knew we were approaching the log that was across a stream.  The log bridge that was about 10 feet above the creek.  The log bridge with no railing which hadn’t been a problem in the evening light.  Did I mention that it was now dark—pitch black—couldn’t see your hand in front of your face kind of dark?  Yet our leader led on—onto the log—all sixty three 11 and 12 year olds hesitantly began to cross, single-file, creeping— sightlessly feeling each step.  I thought I was going to make it; I really did.  But the girl behind me took a misstep and with a scream and a yank on my arm, we both tumbled off of the log.

     This week Brother Mick will be sharing a message he is calling "Sight Unseen" from the passage in John 9:1-41 where Jesus heals a man born blind.  As Mick describes his theme he says, "All of us are so easily prone to believing we have the ability to make judgements about events, situations, or people quite apart from ever having actually seen them first hand.....I will encourage us to look beyond the limited vision of our own eyes and see as God sees during the sermon time."  What would we see, really see, if we saw others through the lenses of the Christ?  Additional scriptures we'll be reading are Ephesians 5:8-14 and I Samuel 16:1-13.

 

The Upstairs Room is beginning to take on a fresh look as Julie, Kristie, Tyler, and Josh got to work last Sunday.  I believe a second coat will be applied this Sunday, so wear your old clothes and join the fun.  :)  No, they won't make you climb that ladder!

Next week our facility will be used by the Beachy Amish for their pastors' conference.  I confess to looking forward to being in my office and observing the activities! 

 I was reminded of the challenges for those of you in college as Kori asked me to proofread her 16 page paper entitled "Tail variation and the role of inefficient predation on tail autotomy in lizards."  The title alone was daunting to me.  Ask me anything about lizard tails, anything at all. I'm thanking God  for your sharp minds!

My prayer for you today:  Creator God, you are wrapped in light as a garment and ride on the wings of the wind.  Your light sparkles in each of us.  When you formed us, you ignited life in us with the torch of your being. We call on your Spirit to fan the flames to grow like the burning bush in the desert, engulfing but not consuming.

Help us to see, Lord Jesus, truly see, with eyes whose vision comes from the light of your love.

Bless these young people in their relationships, classes, families, work, play, and service.  Thank you for their sharp minds and energetic bodies.  Grant us all a greater awareness of your presence today.  In your name, Jesus, we pray.  Come Kingdom of God.  Be done will of God, here on earth as it is in heaven.  AMEN

Without question or doubt, you are loved by God, and I love you too!  Contact me! :) 

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