Stories of Good Friday

Our Holy Week at Ridge was so meaningful!

Amazing Palm Sunday, meaningful Maundy Thursday with Dyer UMC, personal Good Friday, and joyous Easter morning summarizes our special week.

But it was the personal touch of Good Friday... that was especially poignant.

Seven persons from our congregation ranging in age from high school to long-since-retired shared their personal reflections on the last words Jesus spoke while hanging on the cross.  The testimonies were very, very good.

Wow- not a dry eye in the place!  My folks had never done this style of service before (I have), but they had not experienced how personal it made Good Friday.

My buttons burst with pride because I was so very pleased and moved by what these folks put together for their testimonies.  Sure, I coached them in their writing, but what a witness of their commitment to Christ to share in such an amazing way!

The Crucified Christ was proclaimed and the people were blessed!

My Lent

I struggled for a bit about what my Lent experience would be like.  Add a devotion?  Abstain from technology?

Without my normal sage advice from my spiritual director, I was left to my own.

Whether I made the conscience decision or the Spirit simply moved... I allowed Lent to be Lent.

I did do some extra devotional reading, but because I was keenly aware that I was still grieving our previous home and community I chose not to abstain from anything.  Seems odd, I know, but it was wise.  My previous spiritual director may be proud of me.

Lent was it's own wilderness for me as a pastoral leader. We were in the midst of two key staff changes, several significant leadership issues, and simply the day-to-day of running a healthy mid-sized congregation.  That was enough!

In fact it was plenty... to draw me deeper into Christ.

Because all of that and more- made be realize how much I need God.  I need Jesus.  I need the Spirit. And I need less, and less, and less of me, myself and I.

Indeed, it was a Holy Season of Lent.

Being the Newcomer

Other than the cat- this picture captures the last few months in our family's life as we left Avon/Brownsburg and relocated to Munster.

As with any sort of change there are things you like about something new and different and things you don't like.  Here's my lists....

Top 5 Great Things About Being New
1. Brand new things to explore like restaurants, parks, museums, and wonders of nature.

2. New challenges in work & ministry with a fresh opportunity to begin anew with a people.

3. Opportunity to make new memories.

4. Chance to make new friends and meet new, amazing people.

5.  The change and transition itself are an opportunity to sink deeper into love with our God in Christ,.

Top 5 Not So Great Things About Being New

1. Cannot figure out any grocery story for miles!

2. Grieving the lost comfort of familiar friends and family.

3. New friends and acquaintances have forgotten what it feels like to be new... and therefore they are not as welcoming as they think they are being because everything for them has stayed the same.

4. Lots of effort is needed to find everything- toilet paper to vet, eye doctor to dry cleaner, and book store to mall!

5. Balancing the creation of new friends while keeping up with previous friends.


What would you put on your lists?

Moving through Lent with A New People

What a time of discovery to witness how a new-to-me faith community honors and celebrates such a Holy Season as Lent!

This past Lent Season was my first with the good people of Ridge UMC.

I was especially moved by our worship leadership team who worked so hard to create a meaningful visual display of the season.

Lovely, simply lovely.

Writing that seems strange because sticks, rocks, and burlap by themselves do not lend to red-carpet beauty.

But the point is not to be flashy, or brazen, but rather to dwell in the simplicity of Christ as he 'set his face for Jerusalem' and what awaited him there.

Or maybe all my time spent picking up twigs and throwing them across the yard for my dog's play has given me a keen appreciation for a good stick.

All in all-my first Lent experience with the people of Ridge UMC was spent in a unique wilderness of being new, searching for new staff to join our team, and living on the edge between confidence in God's plan and panic for that plan to unveiled for my satisfaction.

Rocks, Sticks, burlap... these were my companions.

And they were simple and lovely.

Hands that Serve!

I have been most impressed by my new congregation, Ridge UMC, and their commitment to service, missions and outreach.  They are hearty people- people of compassion and people of strength!

Every Monday afternoon the hands connected to these ladies (pictured left) meet to prepare a hot meal and a sack lunch for homeless persons who live around Hammond, Indiana.  They have been doing this for more years than I can count.

The ladies could not figure out why I wanted a picture of their hands.. they fussed about their nails, were worried about this or that.

The evidence of what all the dish-washing, serving, cooking and loving has done to their hands is there.  These are well worn hands ...because of love!  But- as you can witness these are BEAUTIFUL hands, nonetheless.

I shared this photo on our church Facebook page after I took it.  The response from our congregation and larger community was a bigger hit than any Hollywood scandal! Such love, admiration, and joy were expressed about the ladies for whom these hands belong!

Kinda makes me want to put my hands to work...serving others, sharing love in a tangible way, and giving out Kingdom Love to others.

I am sure all that is better than... idle hands.  And a whole lot more beautiful!

Roots!

Roots.  Everyone has them.

Some times we even claim them!  Ha.

After several years of research, a final push to request official documents, and a bunch of paperwork, my relationship to a veteran the USA's Revolutionary War was confirmed.

I am pictured on the left with my mother, Linda, who was officially inducted at the same time within the Daughters of the American Revolution in Avon, Indiana.

Actually, as I did family research, I discovered we have about three and maybe four veterans of our country's fight for freedom within the family.  I must say that is was delightfully too much fin learning about my family history within the context of our nation's history.  Truly amazing experience!

I find that I am not only moved by the witness, sacrifice and commitment of all our veterans, but of my family's participation in the workings of our nation's history.  The motto of DAR is "Home and Country"

The DAR, founded in 1890 and headquartered in Washington, D.C., is a non-profit, non-political volunteer women's service organization dedicated to promoting patriotism, preserving American history, and securing America's future through better education for children.

The Illuminated Glow

You cannot convince me otherwise.  Nothing will change my mind.

Pastors have the best seats on Christmas Eve!  There, I said it.  Or wrote it.

You may come early to save your row of chairs or your favorite pew, but pastors have unequivocally the best view during Christmas Eve worship.

Why?

Because we can see the mass of glowing faces throughout the sanctuary on that night in the darkness holding their flickering candle.  Each face of our congregation...whose hearts are in their eyes that night.  And whose hearts are brightened by the Light of the World.

The illumination of these precious faces... whom you know, as only a pastor can know; have been ... hurt, strengthened, betrayed, healed, wounded, forgiven, lost, renewed, or found during the past year... and yet.  And yet, each face glows.  Each face glows... in the warm candlelight.

That moment for me, as a pastor, when we hold our candles high during the last verse of Silent Night bonds me, yet again, to my flock.  And perhaps, even more so, sinks my soul deeper into the unending basin of our God's unending love.

Only a God like ours can bring such a sweet celebration into the darkness of our world.

Only our God can love us to such an extent that we can sing our praise on a night of all nights..,illumined yet again with hope.

Yes, truly, pastors have the best seats on Christmas Eve because we catch a glimmer of heaven on earth.