'Tis The Season

 ‘Tis the season to be…to be what?  Well, the song says “jolly,” and I suppose if that’s what  you want to be as you’re decking the halls, that’s fine and dandy.  But for me, ‘tis the season to be…”between holidays.”  Yes, Thanksgiving 2023 is in the record books, and Christmas 2023 has yet to descend upon us.  We are in the “in between” time…the time when we hear holiday music everywhere; when we make plans and watch the weather forecast; when we decide where we will celebrate the holiday, and with whom; when we spend entirely too much money on things; when at least some of us try to remind ourselves of the real reason for the season…a time of thanksgiving and celebration of the coming of God Himself to humanity.

Yet even with all of the hurrying, the overspending, the planning and the traveling, there is value in this in-between time.  This time can be a reminder of several things, not all of which have to do with the holiday past and the holiday to come.

We are reminded during this time that the year is rapidly coming to a close.  And that word “rapidly” is the operative word of the day.  The days seem to fly by anymore, and the months that some years ago seemed to drag on forever are just a quick fire in the pan.  And the years…don’t even get me started.

Looking in the mirror isn’t nearly the fun it used to be.  Chins sag along with a lot of other things.  New aches and pains pop up more regularly.  One’s stable of doctors and specialists is becoming more an more unmanageable as the various organs and systems which once worked together in more-or-less perfect harmony now work together mostly less.

We are also reminded that family and friends are important to us.  This time of the year may be one of the only times we see some of our family.  Some of our friends.  This is also a time when those relationships which have been somewhat strained recently become even more so, and we give in to that stress and strain by pulling back or attacking rather than confronting the issues as adults who long for relationship and are willing to make things right again.

We are reminded that nothing stays the same forever.  Oh, it may appear that things remain the same when looking at things from day to day or hour to hour.  But we all know that people move on.  Things wear out.  Relationships mature and grow…or wither and die.  We like it in our personal rut, and often have little impetus to look over the walls of that rut to see the changes that are even now taking place.  But there comes a time when change overcomes the deepest of ruts and forces us to move…grow…change…or wither…shrink…and die.

Lastly, we are also reminded of, to use a well-worn phrase…the reason for the season.  God providing abundantly for His creation and His people.  God making good on His promises to restore, renew, rescue, and refresh.  The Biblical story of God and his relationship with the humans he created is one of love, devotion, and compassion.  The humanity of Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, is both comforting to us as well as challenging.  Comforting because we know that God knows what it’s like to be human.  Challenging because we humans have a perfect example of life and living to emulate…and we know we can’t fully do that…but we also know that God’s grace and mercy fill in where we have let go.

So, as we settle in for this “in between” time at the close of the calendar year, may we do so with purpose and continued thanksgiving for each and every day.  “God bless us, every one…”

Churches and the Homeless Issue

 Good morning, and welcome.

 This fall, the City of Wichita has been struggling to provide adequate emergency winter shelter for the homeless.  In partnership with HumanKind Ministries, a new, temporary shelter is being set up for use.  The old shelter which was used in prior years is no longer available.

There is a lot of conversation in the non-profit and faith sectors regarding how the city has handled the issue of finding a place to operate an emergency shelter, as well as a lot of conversation on the part of local policy-makers.  Everyone, it seems, has an opinion regarding the city’s movement, or lack of movement in creating a new space for shelter this winter.

One of the comments I often hear, not only with this issue, but the issue of homelessness in general is the question of whether or not churches offer shelter in their buildings.  I can’t say with certainty, but I usually understand the person asking the question to have a prior belief that the churches, who we all know are wealthy, don’t pay taxes, and are feeding at the public trough, are watching what is happening and not offering to help in any way.  Now, this may indeed NOT be the thought of all of those who ask the question, but I know it’s on the minds of at least some.  I’d like to respond to that.

Yes, churches are exempt from paying property taxes on property that is used exclusively for faith-based purposes.  And most churches also are sales tax exempt in Kansas for purchases likewise used for faith-based purposes.  The rationale for that is that churches serve the public good by offering benevolent goods and services such as food pantries, help with rent or utilities, etc., social services, professional counseling, and other goods and services at no charge to the public.

I don’t know what other churches do regarding benevolence or housing the homeless, but I know what we do and why.  Yes, we have a large building in the downtown area.  However, housing codes prevent us from offering our building for any kind of shelter.  We conceivably could remodel the building to meet code, but that cost is prohibitive for us.  We are an independent congregation.  We have no oversight boards or organizations.  All of the money that we have comes from the contributions that congregants place into the offering plates each Sunday.  The cost to remodel to meet code would be in the multiple hundreds of thousands of dollars…something we just don’t have, nor could we get from our congregation of about 175.

Additionally, overnight shelter requires people to operate it and security to protect everyone.  It requires policies, procedures, expertise, administrative functions, food service, laundry service, janitorial services, and experience that we just don’t have within our congregation.  It’s not a matter of throwing a few mattresses down on a floor, ordering in pizza, and opening the doors to whoever comes in.

We know what we aren’t equipped to do.  But we aren’t passive regarding homelessness.  Although we operate a food pantry and have some clothing, toiletries, etc., available, and we have a Paxton’s Blessing Box on our property, we have chosen our main thrust and our limited resources on the near-homeless or those at risk for homelessness.  There are several ways one can receive assistance with rent; however, help with utilities and transportation, the lack of which are two huge drivers of homelessness, is something we can help with from time to time, depending on our budget.

Something as simple as a tank of gas in a vehicle so someone can job-search or get to a job can keep that person or family off of the street.  Helping someone stay on a utility payment plan can keep a family’s electric or gas service turned on so they won’t be evicted from the place they rent because of a shut-off utility.  And once an eviction goes on their record, finding another place to live becomes almost impossible.  Providing a bicycle for someone who has no driver’s license so they can get to and from work can keep that person off of the street.  And there are other simple, cost-effective, and relatively easy ways we can work with someone to maintain them in their home.

Our benevolence is limited and is designed to help, but not enable.  We don’t do it perfectly, and we sometimes look back on a decision we made and think that we maybe could have made a better decision.  But we are by no means sitting back and letting the world go by while families are living in cars and in tents along the Arkansas River.  We are doing what we can with what we have.

And that, I believe, is the key.  Do what you can with what you have.  Find ways to help given your abilities and resources.  You may not be able to shelter two hundred and fifty homeless each night this winter.  That’s OK.  One of my friends who works in the social services sector has often said this borrowed sentence regarding the seeming overwhelming great need of many in our society today:  I can’t do everything, but I can do something.

We as a church family can do something.  God can, and does bless that something that we do in His name and for His glory.

 Thanks for listening, and blessings.

Have You Ever?

 

I think that as one gets older, one’s thinking process begins to change.  Instead of thinking about the next mountain to conquer or the next ocean to cross, one begins to do a little more reminiscing and thinking back on life and living.  A few years ago, I noticed that I was beginning to think about life in that way more so than I had been in times past.

I was approaching 70 years old at the time, and found myself thinking about where I had been in life, what I had done, and how that has affected me now.  During some of these times of thinking, I began to recall things I did in life that although they may not have been unique, they were, at least in my mind, things that not just anyone would have the privilege of doing.  I began to record those things in a document file under a heading of, "Have You Ever?"  Over time, I have added to that list, and now have a list of about 80 things that I have done which I consider to be things that not just anyone and everyone has done in life.

What kinds of things?  Things such as operating a real railroad locomotive.  Driving a Chevrolet Corvette.  Visiting the Yukon Territory in Canada.  Hiking up Pikes Peak.  Dining at an officers’ club on a military base.  Singing “Amazing Grace” with Judy Collins in a live concert.  Standing outside in a snowstorm in July.  Petting a live porcupine.

These and many others are things that in and of themselves aren’t necessarily earth-shattering or life-changing, but each of them has had a part in the formulation of who I am.  As with many other events in life, each of these events has helped shape my thoughts and yes, my actions today, even though many of them happened years ago, and some happened decades ago in my youth…as was hiking up Pikes Peak… 

The writing down of these kinds of things has also brought to mind something else…how incredibly blessed life has been these past 70-some years.  We often think that our lives consist pretty much all about the daily activities of living…eating, sleeping, working, paying bills, doing laundry, wrangling kids.  In other words, the routine and ordinary.  And although those things are indeed part of life and living, often there is so much more that we are participants in and are part of…things that enrich us…make us better people…give us joy…and teach us about life.

One doesn’t have to be wealthy to experience things in life that enrich us and give us joy.  Often, things that are free…that cost nothing…are some of the best life-enrichment events there are.  I realize that enjoying a sunrise, hearing robins singing on a spring morning, getting a thank-you card in the mail, helping a neighbor with something, taking food to someone who can’t get out, and looking after a grand child may seem ordinary and everyday.  And they aren’t of themselves unusual or unique like operating a real railroad locomotive or hiking up Pikes Peak.  But they are things that can give us joy, teach us about life, and make us better people.

I encourage you to start your own “Have You Ever” list of things in your life history that you believe may be a bit unusual or out of the ordinary.  Add to it as you think of things.  Review that list from time to time as you live your daily life.  I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised at the variety of experiences, the joy, and the wealth of “life education” you have received as a result of those experiences.  If you’re like most people, your life has been anything but dull and routine.  You just may not have come to that realization yet.  This exercise may help you do that.

 

Blessings,

Gratitude and Grief

 "Gratitude and grief don't have to cancel each other out. Grief for our sorrow and gratitude for God's presence live together in tangled harmony. And when we remember that truth, gratitude becomes a conscious, mindful act of worship that we can wrestle toward even when life hurts."

Good morning, and welcome.  My friend, author, mother and wife Kendra Broekhuis writes a monthly letter she sends out via email called “Present Tense.”  The paragraph I just quoted came from the most recent of those letters.

In this month’s edition, she speaks of the tension between gratitude and grief, and the often misunderstood nature of those two things in life and living.  When we are grieving, we often fail to think of what I will call a corollary to grief…that is, gratitude.  What’s more, we often can’t see how those two things…grief and gratitude…can live together in harmony with each other.  But Kendra says it’s possible, even if that harmony is “tangled”…to use her word to describe that relationship.

Kendra is no stranger to grief.  In perhaps one of her most tragic times in life, she and her family lost a baby to a miscarriage in 2015.  The memory of little Eliza Broekhuis sometimes becomes fresh to them all over again, even after these intervening years.  Although we have never lost a child to a miscarriage, or in any other way for that matter, my guess is that grieving will always be part of their lives, and that some days will be heavier than others.

So, as a Christian she certainly has the qualifications, if you will, to write about both grief and gratitude.  It is telling that she speaks of wrestling “toward” gratitude as a “mindful act of worship.”  Dropping into a mindset of gratitude during a period of grief isn’t a naturally-occurring, automatic thing.  Sometimes one has to wrestle with the idea of gratitude during grief, and sometimes one has to intentionally work to move oneself toward gratitude in that wrestling period

It can sometimes be difficult…incredibly difficult…to worship God in gratitude for His presence in our lives in the midst of unimaginable grief and loss.

The questions always seem to arise.  Why me?  Where were you, God, when this happened?  How do you expect me to go on in life and living?  Why do you allow these kinds of things to happen?  And many more questions…all of which have no pat and sure answers.  Instead, we are left with the questions…unanswered…and the unwavering presence of God Himself telling us that He loves us and He is enough for us.

We dare not allow our questions to overtake us in despair and unbelief.  Yes, as I said, there are no answers for the things that happen which impale us on the javelin of grief.  The platitudes about a fallen world, or about our having to bear a cross just don’t cut it in moments of grief and loss.  The presence of God both within us and beside us, however, can cut through some of the darkest of times and cause us to say, as did Job of old in one of his darkest times, “Blessed be the name of the Lord.”

And also notice that Kendra calls gratitude a conscious act of worship…something intentional…something specific…something planned and premeditated.  That premeditation…that intention…needs to be something that is inculcated into our beings…our daily lives.  Such that when grief comes, and it assuredly will come to all of us from time to time, we will at the same time be able to worship in gratitude for the presence and comfort of the God of Heaven and Earth, even in the midst of our suffering and grief.

Grief and gratitude…strange bedfellows in the minds of many.  May you learn, along with Kendra, to worship in gratitude for the presence of God even in the face of overwhelming grief and loss. 

 Blessings,

More Money !!

 Good morning.

 If you live in the Wichita area, you’ve probably seen the billboard signs advertising a certain injury lawyer firm.  The sign says, in huge letters, MORE MONEY  MORE MONEY  MORE MONEY.  The attorneys are smiling to the side of the letters, and the message is obvious.  If you are injured and want the most money from a lawsuit, contact this law firm.  I will tell you that if I did need an injury lawyer for some reason, I would not contact this law firm, because they are, whether they know it or not, banking on a person’s greed to get business.

I’m not naïve.  I realize that much of the advertising you see or hear is geared to one or more desires that when seen from a Biblical perspective is not always a positive desire.  Some of those desires might be desire for physical comfort and convenience, looking attractive to others, having a one-up on one’s neighbor by having a nicer car, house, furniture, etc. (that’s called pride, by the way), sexual attractiveness, having the latest and greatest of some item, ability to boast or brag about an experience, a trip, or whatever to others, and I’m sure you can think of other things in this area of life and living in today’s world.

This particular advertisement is, I believe, rather blatant in catering to a desire for more wealth.  Yes, if someone is wronged in a vehicle accident, it needs to be made right as much as possible.  But this ad seems to go beyond that and into the area of greed, in my opinion.

Think also about other advertisements you see and hear.  Sometimes, it is more of a necessity to have, for example, a larger vehicle due to work requirements or some other rational reason.  Sometimes it is more of a necessity to be nicely dressed for some occasion.  I get that.  But there is, I think all too often the outright pandering to our more base desires in a way that is not beneficial…is not loving…is not in the way of right living and doing.

Jesus had something to say about money and greed.  Mark chapter 7 is a classic example.  “What comes out of a person is what defiles them.  For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come—sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly.  All these evils come from inside and defile a person.”

Another example is from the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 6.  “No one can serve two masters.  Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other.  You cannot serve both God and money.”

I don’t know if the legal firm that pays for these advertisements is letting money take over their lives or not.  Nor do I know with certainty that they are intentionally appealing to the greed of the average individual in their quest for business.  However, I do know that seeing these kinds of things tends to bring out the desire for more…greed, if you will…that is naturally within us all.

Please be careful as you continue to navigate this thing called life and living.  It is so easy to allow something like greed to infiltrate your thoughts…and in ways that you don’t even realize is happening.  Be aware of outside influences on your thoughts and actions.  Remember that the fruit of the Spirit of God is the polar opposite of these kinds of thoughts and actions.  Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, and gentleness.  Those are the things we should be desiring…not those things that the advertisement “more money, more money, more money” tend to bring about.

Thanks for listening, and blessings.