09/03/2023

This summer’s heat has me asking, “How did we survive without air conditioning?” I remember fans blowing across blocks of ice, and water-based air conditioners for cars. The first worked a bit, and the second hardly at all. In our recent heat waves, some have died from heat stroke and dehydration. We did generally survive in past high heat conditions, but what physical joy there is to come into a cool room out of the blistering temperatures!

   Some people seem to thrive in the warmest conditions. Personally, I prefer the 55o to 75oF. A sweater in the morning and short sleeves in the afternoon seems ideal. An open window at night with a cooling breeze seems just about perfect. Having spent my growing up years in South Dakota, that was not my experience. Winters that can reach 20o to 30oF below zero and summers which can reach over 100oF are a long way from the ideal. The amazing thing is that human beings live in areas that are far from comfortable and thrive under the most difficult of climate conditions.

   Apparently God created us humans with a great capacity for adaptation. Do you suppose that our minds have the same kind of capacity for adaptation? The modern fast pace of change might call that into question, but in one lifetime, my Grandmother traveled to North Dakota in a wagon and lived to see a human being walk on the moon. Maybe we are more flexible than we have been led to believe. Perhaps God built into us the capacity to survive and prosper whatever new situations life presents to us. As much as we protest the fast pace of change, perhaps it is what we were designed for.

08/28/2023

Sometimes I really prefer simple things. In summer in Indiana, there is nothing like a sliced fresh ripe tomato on a good bread toasted with a nice smear of butter (although some prefer mayonnaise). A fresh ear of corn just warm from the cooking is a close second. My wife likes hers with butter and salt, but I’m happy with just the corn for the first two ears.  Maybe you want watermelon fresh from the field or maybe cooled down in the creek. There are recipes that are more complicated and fancier, but to my mind are no better than these simple flavors. 

   In music, I often feel the same. While I can enjoy a full orchestral accompaniment, I really like the simple, unaccompanied voices or the lone voice of a cello filling the listening space. The cluttered opulence of a Victorian room can have great appeal, but so can the clean sparce lines of a Japanese-style room. Simplicity can be its own strength.

   I have often counseled brides and grooms against including everything they have seen in weddings plus one new and original idea. Simple has its own elegance. Clean lines and clear vistas often are superior to cluttered sight lines and obscured views.

   Much of the gospel of Jesus Christ is at its heart quite simple. Certainly, there are deep and complicated ideas that can challenge the finest minds, but grace, forgiveness, trust, and love are understandable to the simple childlike mind. “Come unto me all you who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest,” is straight-forward and simple enough for anyone who will listen.

08/20/2023

     This week, several of the online gardening sites had information about plants to set out in August for a final fall harvest. I had forgotten that that was even an option. I did remember that kale is a late possibility. A friend of mine left kale out even after winter snows and harvested all winter long. My friend maintained that the freezing sweetened and tenderized the kale.

     I have enjoyed kale in Italian Wedding Soup and a few other dishes, but I am not totally convinced about kale.  Sweetening and tenderizing seem like good ideas. I do understand that kale is a very healthy vegetable.  Too often my mind doesn’t see all the possibilities.  

     We all can be stuck in our old patterns of thinking even when we have evidence of a better way of looking at a situation. We don’t need to punish ourselves for the limits of our current vision, but it is helpful if we can open our minds to new possibilities.  This can be difficult in religious setting since there is much that is precious to us that we would like to preserve. Maybe the question is, “How can we hold on to that which is valuable or even essential, while being open to whatever new directions God may be directing us toward?” This has never been an easy balance to achieve as the history of the Christian church has demonstrated over the last two thousand years. It is, however, a necessary struggle that we must attempt, if we are to be all that God wishes us to be.

08/13/2023

Next May will mark ten years since I became your pastor. I am very glad for those years with you! When I first came on board, we worked out a vacation schedule. As you know, my work as your pastor is officially a half-time position, so I am very grateful for your generosity & care for me & Sue over these nearly ten years.

     Church of the Brethren guidelines entitled me to five weeks of vacation because of my number of years in ministry. I negotiated with the church for an additional two weeks with a reduction in the salary to account for those two weeks – that was to be seven weeks in total. An additional week was involved with Annual Conference. This arrangement helped since our children live so far away from us. My plan was seven of those Sundays to be during my weekly vacations & one other being during Annual Conference.

   For the first few years, we usually took all of those weeks with a minimum of two visits to each of our children. We went every year to Annual Conference & used the other weeks for vacations & special visits to friends & relatives. The COVID pandemic changed all that!

   For a while, none of us could travel & we did services online with a limited number participating. During that time, Sue & I only had one visit to our family in Colorado during a break in COVID, but had to cancel a trip to our Florida family during another surge of COVID. Because of my perception of the need for continuity, I did not take any other extended time off during that time.  This because a bad habit.

   The Pastoral Relations Committee has gently let me know that this is not healthy behavior. Sue’s illness & increasing inability to travel made this worse.  The committee suggested that I plan one Sunday a month off. During these four additional Sundays, I will only take the Sunday off & will work within my regular office hours & other availability during the week. The Committee will secure speakers for the monthly Sundays with John Wenger volunteering to coordinate finding speakers from both inside and outside the congregation.

    I have to acknowledge that the Pastoral Relations Committee was correct that I needed to be more diligent in taking time off for both my health & Sue’s health.  I hope this explanation helps all of us to share a common understanding of the time-off plan for me as your pastor.

    I am honored to be your pastor.  Thank you for being you!

08/06/2023

My first driving experiences were on tractors. The small tractor was easy to learn on, but my very first ride was when the tractor broke down. My uncle tied a rope to the tractor and to the hitch on his pickup truck. My job was to steer the tractor at the end of the rope and apply the brake when there was a stop. It did not go well at first as I constantly over-corrected from one side of the road to the other. After a while, I figured out how to stay in my lane.

     I think now about how dangerous that all was. Later I learned to mow hay and cultivate crops and other tractor tasks. In many rural areas young people could legally drive farm equipment in their early teens. Some started even earlier around the farm. We were expected to be responsible for our actions and to use “common sense.” I sometimes wonder if the late development of responsibility in some young people is the result of not having opportunity to take on more adult tasks that were important to the family. There was nobody else who could have ridden the roped tractor in for the repair, so we did what was necessary. The cost of having the tractor towed would have made the repair cost prohibitive.

     I have sympathy for parents and others who sometimes do risky behavior because they feel that they have no choice, but I am glad that there are now safety laws to protect children and young people from injury. More than once I survived situations which I now realize were actually dangerous even though I did not realize it at the time. I am much more careful now, but I do wonder if some things I take for granted might be more dangerous than I realize…

07/30/2023

Do you suppose that the free lunch program began with Jesus? When Jesus fed the 4,000 the disciples contributed some to the impromptu church supper, but the main fixings rested on Jesus. It was a compassionate act to save those gathered from hunger and distress.

     I’m not sure if anyone actually thanked Jesus for his largesse. The text does not tell us. I hope some did, but Jesus would have done what he did whether or not there was a thankful response. We always feel good when our good actions produce thankfulness, but we should still do them no matter what the response, if they are the right actions. Keeping an appreciation score card can make one miserable. Better it is, to do good and not expect a reward; then when thankfulness is expressed, we can experience that delight but not be diminished when the response is lacking. We can change the atmosphere by being those who express gratitude and thankfulness. It has some of the shared contagion of a smile. Gratitude can produce gratitude.

     How often have we expressed our gratitude for the beautiful world God has created? Far beyond practical functionality, God made so much that is strikingly lovely -  from purple-headed mountains to shining seas, from iridescent hummingbird wings to wooly lambs, from soft baby skin to weathered character faces. There is so much in our world that is unique and wonderful!  So, scripture proclaims, “O Lord, what amazing variety you have created!!”  Not only is there free lunch, but a whole world of freedom and beauty quite beyond our imagination!

07/23/2023

The skeptical wisdom of Ecclesiastes ends the last chapter with these admonitions, “Remember your creator in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come, and the years draw near when you will say ‘I have no pleasure in them…’ Fear God and keep his commandments: for that is the whole duty of everyone.” (Ch, 12:1,13b)

     Those are very fortunate who early in life recognize their need of God and put their trust in him. Not everyone is so wise or fortunate. But for many, there comes a moment when all the cherished goals and ambitions seem empty and hollow, even when they have been achieved. The realization dawns that something is missing in life. The God-shaped space in each of us is unoccupied and we feel the lack.

     This moment might come at any stage of our life, whether young or aged. In that moment, some are able to finally hear the voice of God calling them. Even so it can be frightening to let go of our self-determined roles and open ourselves to the presence of God. It may be only the courage of the first step but in it we can encounter the powerful, loving Spirit of the eternal God. Jesus shows us the way by his words & deeds. He shows us the compassionate face of God. He calls us down off the limb where we are stranded. He lifts us from the pit where we’ve fallen. He frees us from the grave clothes that bind us. He breaks the chains of our bondage & sets us free. He gives us new life. We stand in him forgiven, renewed, raised up as daughters & sons of God. We remember our creator & we glory in his presence. We are in awe of his majesty, and we keep his commandments because we love him.

07/16/2023

An excellent gardener of my acquaintance used to say, “Roses are selfish. They don’t want to share space with any other plants.” I have observed that this seems especially true of hybrid roses. Wild roses seem to be of a tougher nature and can take over an area. I do love the look and smell of the many hybrid roses. A well-tended garden of hybrid roses is breathtaking! I do admire the toughness and persistence of the wild rose. The triumphant conquering of an unwelcoming environment by these sturdy plants prompts me to want to be like that in my human life.

     On reflection, I do wonder which plant I am like. I am under no illusion that I have the beauty of either. Am I a hothouse plant that always needs to be the center of attention? Am I selfish? Do I always need to have it my way? Can I take pleasure in the accomplishments of others?

     I have read that the final mark of a great teacher is to have students who go far beyond him or her. Jesus told his disciples in John’s gospel, “…greater things than I have done you will do, because I go to the Father.” Roses are not the only selfish plant. The Black Walnut tree will drop sap on all within its circle until it has poisoned all that is beneath it. I think I have known some people like that.

     So, if you were a plant, what kind would you be? Would you jealously protect your place or would you be the kind of companion plant that helps others to grow? Even if no one thinks you are a rose, be the best kind of plant you can be.

07/09/2023

 My father was a cook and at one time, a restaurateur, so men in our family are able to cook. Nowadays, I do much more cooking than I ever did in the past.  Much of the cooking has been enjoyable, but three meals a day can be challenging! The hardest part, as many family cooks know, is not the actual cooking but deciding what to cook.

     My small repertoire of recipes was not sufficient for the new situation. Fortunately, there are cookbooks galore available and magazines full of colorful, but often impractical concoctions. Do I really need a recipe for Egyptian-style squid? I am convinced that any recipe known to humankind is now available online. I have found scores of them including ingredients, directions, techniques, and even nutritional information for many of the recipes. I have even found some of the favorites that Grandma used to make. There are even recipes from different eras. I have some nostalgic feelings for the 50’s and 60’s recipes of my youth. Apparently many of those recipes spread across the country through newspapers, magazines, and word of mouth.

      So, I have a new hobby. When there is nothing good on TV and I’m tired of reading, I check out new and old recipes until I’m certain that I desperately need a snack. Among the finds were non-recipe recipes like: “Recipe for a Good Marriage” or “Recipe for a Happy Life.” Too bad none of those were as easy as stirring up a pot of chili!!

07/02/2023

I am not a flag waver, but I believe I am quite patriotic in my own way. I believe that America can still live up to its highest ideals. I lived outside the U.S. for three years and gained perspective on the strengths and weaknesses of the American life. It is the United States of America where I wish to live. We are not a perfect society and we really never were, but at our best we do strive to be a good place. Certainly race has presented significant problems in the past and in the present, but having lived abroad I can testify that we are far from the only place in the world with racial prejudice. Our history has forced us to face some of our racial issues, where many places in the world mask their racial discrimination while condemning others. Living outside the U.S., I tired of the smugness and even self-righteous condemnation of U.S. racism while racism in some cultures went largely unaddressed. It is important to acknowledge our failures, but shouldn’t they be balanced by our strengths and successes? There is much that is great and at times even noble, in many of the values of American life. I love my country. It is my home and has shaped much that is good in my life and character, so I can celebrate July 4th as more than just a barbeque and picnic day. It is a day to celebrate all that is good about this country.

06/25/2023

Earlier in the history of Western movies, there were stereotypes which helped identify the hero from the villain. The good guys wore white hats, and the bad guys wore black hats is some of those early flicks. In real life, it is less easy to identify the good ones from the bad ones. It is still pretty easy in cartoons, but not even in the live movies are the clues so obvious. We even have years of anti-hero characters who fuzzy the sense of who the good guys are. I am a bit troubled by these changes. I know that some of the old movies were massively unrealistic. Roy Rogers disabling the crooks with one punch wasn’t a true picture of how easily evil can be defeated. Admittedly, the world around us has always been complicated and the motives of many may be suspicious at best, but there are still good guys and bad guys. With enough personal charisma, evil intent can be hidden for a time, but in the end, true character will reveal itself. Among us ordinary folk, it can be pretty obvious who are the good people. We are fortunate if we are surrounded by good people, because that seems to call out the goodness in ourselves. Just as evil can spawn evil, so goodness can give birth to goodness. It was said of Jesus that “he went about doing good.” You can’t tell by the color of the hat who the good ones are, but life behavior will always reveal it in the end.

06/18/2023

       I am grateful for all the people in the church for their support for the church and its work.  All of them make an important contribution out of the gifts that God has given them.

     There is a saying among actors, “There are no small parts.” It is obvious how this happens in TV situation comedies. What starts out as an infrequent or even one-time character in a “small part” is so well-played, the writers begin to write the character more prominently in the script and the “small part” becomes a “big role.”

       There are no small roles in the life of the church. St. Paul described the Church as a body, with all the parts of the body being necessary for proper functioning. No part of the body is unimportant. “If everything was the eye, where would the hearing be?” he wrote. In fact, each person in the church has a place in God’s plan for the local church because “God has placed the members in the church as it pleases him.”

       Some roles are more obvious than others, but none are without value. In Christ’s church and in our congregation, in particular, there are no “small roles.”

06/11/2023

     Once a lovely, but economically poor young couple asked me to do their wedding ceremony. I met them for premarital counseling, as was my practice. I don’t remember if I specifically said there would be no fee for any of my services since the church was already providing for my work.

     I did not expect any honorarium, so I was surprised when an envelope arrived from the couple who had moved away closer to family. Inside was a beautiful handkerchief, with a hand-stitched hem and tasteful embroidery. To be remembered and honored in such a gentle way seemed a better reward than any monetary gift.

     I was reminded of the widow with her two small coins in the Jesus story. Perhaps they remembered some teary-eyed moment in one of my sermons and thought a hanky would be handy for a pastor. For years, I carried handkerchiefs for such a purpose. Nowadays, tissues are so available and perhaps more sanitary. But a handkerchief conveys a sense of security.

     I understand that the always practical Queen Elizabeth II kept very little in the purses she carried beyond a handkerchief.  Perhaps “always carry a handkerchief” is old-fashioned advice, but they are still useful in so many emergencies.  Just because something is old-fashioned does not mean it can’t provide good service when needed.

06/04/2023

Once I read an autobiography from a very successful teacher who had grown up in a family of rather severe abuse. She chronicled how it was books that provided an escape and a vision of what she might become. In books she caught sight of a world she could aspire to, out of the misery of her own life. While I did not experience anything like the difficulties the teacher described, I do know that books were and are sources for freedom, growth, and even healing for me. In them I found companions more like my lonely self. They took me on adventures to situations and places I had never known. They helped me understand myself and other people. They taught me empathy and engaged my compassion. Through books I came to see other people’s perspective even when I strongly disagreed. The Bible was one of those books, but not the only one. The Bible’s realistic portrayal of human beings, with all their greatness and nobility and all their pettiness and sinful arrogance, taught me so much. Books have opened up the world around me and the world inside me. No wonder I love books! I have a coffee cup which proclaims, “Leave me alone, I’m reading.”  So leave some space in your life to read good books and especially “the Good Book”, the Bible. Perhaps it will open you up to the world around you and the world inside you.

05/28/2023

 My father, early in his life owned a restaurant in Flagstaff, Arizona.  He had cooked in other restaurants before for owning and cooking in his own. Dad had very strong feelings about how restaurants and cafés should operate. He gave high priority to training staff and the highest priority to the quality of the food.  For the modern restaurant trade, he had very little patience. He was a stickler for cleanliness and safety but had little sense of the ambiance of an eating establishment. If the café was neat and clean and well-kept, he was satisfied, but only if the food was terrific.

     Creating an atmosphere or a trendy setting left him unimpressed.  A tiny Mexican café with a great homestyle cook was to be preferred over the fanciest slick Tex-Mex restaurant with mediocre fare.

     I always want good food but appreciate a fancy setting on a date with my wife. Sometimes the church seems a bit similar. All flashy service with no content leaves me frustrated, but good content in a setting of beautiful music and decoration can enhance my experience. I really want both excitement and good content, but if I had to choose, sound, thoughtful content would rank first for me.  Perhaps my Dad was right after all.

05/21/2023

My friend gave me a small icon from the Eastern Orthodox tradition of the Christian church. It shows Jesus as Pantocrator, the ruler over everything.  His right hand is gently raised in blessing and in his left, a book.  The icon is certified to be made in the tradition of ancient Byzantine art. The icon is handmade by a master artist and craftsman. It is precious to me both because of its connection to the past and the friendship of the one who bestowed it upon me.

     Icons are often misunderstood in our culture. They are not idols or objects of worship although they may stimulate the true worship of God. It is my understanding that one of the functions of an icon is to focus attention on the God to whom the icon points.

     As I look at Jesus as Pantocrator, I am remembering that he is appointed by the Heavenly Father as ruler over all rulers and kings and over all created things. Beyond the gentle teacher and healer of Galilee, he is the sovereign son of the Father who has the whole creation in His care -- even the smallest parts of the creation, creatures like me.  His hand of blessing is always over us, his priceless teachings guide us, his loving presence sustains us.  He is truly Lord of all.  He is our Lord.

05/14/2023

     Every Mother’s Day, I think about the things my “mothers” taught me.  Wilma Ivene McIntire Spaulding reminded me regularly to wash my hands before I ate and, while I was at it, to wash anything else that needed it.  She also taught me to “Mind your own business, and let your younger brother mind his own business.” My stepmother, Marie Early Spaulding, taught me to iron shirts and to stay open to give and receive love. My spiritual mother, my aunt Esther Spaulding Marquart, taught me to love God and listen to Jesus. My academic mother, Gertrude Little, taught me to love teaching as a part of pastoral life. Another academic mother, Marie Strong, taught me to take Jesus’ teachings seriously and to live them out in daily life. My mother-in-law, Gertie Andrew Miller, taught me the strength of the gentle touch in relationships and the importance of acceptance for children and adults alike. Sue, the mother of my children, taught how to be more gracious and polite with real sincerity. Esther Boyer Kirkpatrick taught me that you could simply talk to Jesus as a friend in prayer without any exalted or flowery language.

     Some of these women were literally mothers and some were not, but they all had mothering roles in my life.  Who were the mothers in your life and what did they teach you?

05/07/2023

The saying is “A picture is worth a thousand words.” Maybe that is true for many situations, but there are times when words are needed, as well. Ancient Israel had some hesitancy to trust the visual. No doubt some of this grew out of the use of idols which limited God’s nature and power. The problem was not just that the gods which the idols represented were false gods, but they were inadequate to express the reality of what God is. The images were too limited for the true majesty of God. J.B. Phillips, in his book “Your God is Too Small”, brilliantly shows the inadequacy of my conceptions of God. This goes far beyond the question of visual presentations to the mental images of God which we hold in our minds. As the prophet expresses it, “My ways are not your ways, says the Lord.” Our best thinking about God may be true of who God is but it will never be adequate to express all that God is. At best we have a hazy image of God, bounded by the limits of our knowledge, experiences, and abilities. We know in part and understand in part – never quite the whole. It is true that we never fully know another person even when we know them for a lifetime, but we know enough to love and cherish them. How much more so with God. We do truly  know God, but we never know all there is to know about God. Knowing more of God is one of the great adventures of the Christian life.

04/30/2023

     Recently, we needed to see our family doctor.  It was not a big emergency but was an immediate concern that needed to be addressed.  Our doctor graciously worked us into his already packed schedule. 

     Our doctor is very thorough and listens carefully, often finding issues when we are not sure how to express what the problem is.  As a result of his careful work, there are often delays. We know we will experience his competent care and are glad others receive the same attention.  One lady, when she found out there would be a wait, decided that she couldn’t wait and expressed her irritation at having to reschedule.

     Waiting can be hard for any of us even when we understand the reason. At times in our prayer, we hear God say, “yes” and sometimes we hear God say, “no.” We always want the “yes” but accept the “no.” Hardest of all is when we sense that God is saying, “wait.” None of us likes to wait, but it may be necessary. Our daughters came to us as a junior committee of two to declare, “We want yes or no, no more we’ll see! We’ll see always means no.” I also can feel like that when we need to wait. God’s timing may not match our desire, especially when our fears and critical concerns are really near.  If we can be patient, God always has a better end in mind than we could even imagine.

04/23/2023

This week I saw my cardiologist for my annual business.  The good news is that I have a heart, as I joked at choir practice.  The actual good news is that my electrocardiogram showed no change from last year.  So, I am good for another year, according to the doctor.  It is amazing what good news “no change” can be. 

     “Jesus is our resurrected Lord,” – no change! “He is present with us when two or three of His people are gathered together” - no change!  God is still ruler of the Universe – no change!  Love is still stronger than hate – no change!  The Holy Spirit still comforts, guides, and empowers – no change!  God still heals bodies, minds, and spirits – no change!  Jesus Christ, the same yesterday and forever – no change!

     A dear friend of mine told me recently that she did not like change.  I know that some change is inevitable whether I like it or not, but it is reassuring to know that there are things that do not change.  We may at times come to understand the things of God better and more deeply; but what is basic does not change even when our perspective on those things may change.

     We can always count on the eternal love and grace of God.  “O Thou, that changeth not, abide with me.”