2nd Chances: Pastoral Reflections

Spring Hope

As I look out my window and see the birds circling about, the trees showing larger buds and the daffodils poking nearly 4 inches out of the ground, I believe that Spring is truly (and finally) upon us.  It seems impossible after being covered in arctic –like ice for as many months as it was.  There were days I didn’t think that global warming could possibly be real.  Didn’t the researchers ever come to Chicago? But now it is getting better.  There is a hope in the air of warmer days and strength to the sun which is enough to warm us up.  These are good things.  It’s about time, we say.  I was beginning to think that spring would never come.  One day at a time, the sun rises earlier and the days get longer.  More green things will spring from the earth and colors will appear once again.

It has been a long and cold winter in more ways than one.  Heavy snow, icy winds, long dark days. Nothing but Brrrr.  Beyond the weather, the economy and attitudinal depression of our country has taken its toll on our community.  People have lost jobs and are hurting and afraid.  What was hard before seems near impossible now.  The gloom and doom of the newspapers and the dishonest greed of corporate figureheads make the little guy seem even smaller.  Yet, here we are, moving along, living our lives, making a difference.  Small but steady, the steps are moving in the right direction. Some jobs are opening up, some leaders are trying to do the right thing and many, many people are stepping up to help a stranger or friend in need.  We are learning as a nation that indulgence in excess will lead to our demise and it takes all of us and all our efforts to make this problem get better. 

When our personal lives seem in an endless winter, when times are so hard that there seems no way out, when the coldness of life causes such a shiver that we retreat into ourselves and shut our eyes - know that there is still Hope.  Winters come every year but they do not last.  Hard times of the past can easily be remembered and new ones found, but they pass.  Personal, financial and physical struggles are a part of everyday living but hold the potential to teach us a new way and challenge us to reach out to help each other.  God who is God of all offers hope in the midst of despair, presence in the times we feel alone, comfort for pain and rest for those who are tired.  A new day dawns bright for us as we know the seasons of suffering have an end.  As lent draws nearer to Easter, we recount the work of the cross and the transforming salvation of the resurrection.  It is a new day.  Spring is arriving.  The Son shines brighter in our lives.  We have Hope.

God loves you, and cares about you.  God knows your struggles, your suffering and your fear.  God walks with you and sends those you need to come to your aid.  God calls you to find the strength to help another in need and blesses you with refreshment and restoration in doing so.  As Lent draws near to Easter, may you find the Hope that is yours.

 

Clock Makers and Time Tellers

In a wonderfully charming book called “Letters To Pastors” by Ron Walters, the author describes the intricacies of building a fine pocket watch; with numerous parts all working in sync, dependent on one another and if masterfully  planned and constructed - precisely accurate.   Time pieces provide a way for others to know where they have been and where they are going. Skilled artisans of the past and present, and for generations to come, will pass on the trade of clock making so that the ace can be set for generations to come. 

Walters says, “It appears the world is made up of two kinds of people; clock builders and time tellers.” 
I would assert that the church is much the same.  We are clock builders at Living Christ.

Time tellers don’t concern themselves with details of the time piece’s construction; they just want to know what time it is.  They like things to stay the same; seconds, minutes and hours consistent and patterns repeating.  Counting on the product being dependable, they give little regard to its complexity.  Content to watch time go by, they barely notice the internal functions of the timepiece, unless things begin to slow down or speed up and their patterns are interrupted.  They are normal people, in normal churches. - but not us.

Clock makers on the other hand think differently.  The artistry is in the details.  Crafting a work of art for the time teller, the intent is to make so effective a piece of machinery that it can be relied upon for years without fail.  The clock maker knows that every piece and part matters, and they are always thinking about how to make a better clock.  They hear the tick, tick, tick and rather than be content with that they think, “What if…” and plan for the next adjustment.  

We are a clock making church.  We challenge the status quo, stay ahead of the curve, befuddling those who are content to just tell time.  We sleep and rest less and dream and do more.  We set the standard for those who just watch. Each person working in partnership with the other, each God given gift a critical part of the whole operation – together we produce a rhythm that sets the beat for the world to see and times to come. Lots of folks set their lives by the clock of the ministries here and depend on them. I love that about this church, even if sometimes we seem to others a bit eccentric and overly busy during the hours when no one is watching the time.

And we are in good company.  God has made many of his chosen leaders and ministers to be clock makers.  They, like us,  see the world as off in rhythm and by holy command seek to put it back in sync with God’s timing. 

Noah built an ark that set a clock for God’s judgment and redemption before people who couldn’t tell time at all.  Nehemiah built a wall around Jerusalem while time tellers stood by and said it wasn’t time yet.  Martha was busy telling time while Mary stood by Jesus and built a clock for her faith and work to come.

Clock builders live by passion and risk.  Living moment to moment they say less often “It’s always been…” and more often, “What could it be if..? Setting a standard by which others can know what time it is, God has called us to be clock makers - together.  I thank God daily for what you each bring to this congregation.  Know how much I appreciate you as we seek to set the pace for our community and whoever of God’s people we are privileged to serve this coming year.  May 2009 bring blessings in abundance to you all, in the timing that God ordains.  

Pastor Jennie

 

 

 

Vigil For Peace and Hope

An Evening of Peace and Hope

November 25, 2008

Hanover Park Community Service

The Hanover Park community joins together as we gather for a vigil of the recent tragic loss of one of the members of our community, Vatsala V. Thakkar.  Join us as you fathom in your mind this candlelight atmosphere with messages from community leaders, special music, and a call to action.

An Evening of Peace and Hope

A song for our Village: Christ Tomlin God of This City

Rhode Island Fire Chaplain Conference

 This is my second year attending the Federation Of Fire Chaplains Annual Conference, this year on the east coast.  By the generosity of MABAS Division 12, and the Hanover Park Fire department, the trip was funded.  We did do some touring of the area and took time to reacquaint with friends, but lots of learning was involved as well.  120 Chaplains were in attendance.

One class was about new research in grief and loss, noting the differences between normal expected losses and those involving trauma.  Dr. Therese Rando, a world renown psychologist in the field of traumatic  bereavement, was our speaker.  Her instruction helped us be keener tot he needs of those who have experienced trauma, understand the plethora of dynamics that can be factors in complicating their mourning and aid them in moving toward healing.  

On the final day of classes we reviewed the Station Club Fire, where 100 people were killed several years ago, here in Providence.  There was a news cameraman present at the time of the fire and he taped the incident, and we reviewed the tape.  I even in watching the event as it really happened, cannot imagine the horror of those who were trapped  or in some cases escaping as the flames overtook them. We discussed at length the effect these events have on first responders, the means that were employed to help them cope, process and move toward healing and the lasting effect it still has on them today.  We also talked about the needs of the families of those who  died(both on scene and in the days and weeks to come), and in a small community, again, many were related to those in emergency services who had made such great attempts to limit the loss of life.  In the panel discussion we learned about the impact of the media on an event like this, and the benefits of networking with multiple agencies and groups pre-incident.

We also held our annual memorial service for those fire service professionals who lost their lives int he line of duty this year.  It is a beautiful service and this year wa not exception.  Bagpipers, honor guard, crosses ladder and the tolling of the bell bring home what the fire service means to us all. The banquets and dinners were stupendous and I don't think I need to eat again for a week.

As I am the State Director for Illinois, I had several meetings to attend, and now will be overseeing the Great Lakes Region for one year as well.  We have been greatly fortunate in Illinois to have partnered with the MABAS in setting up an effective system for our fire service chaplains, and the leadership I provided has landed me another responsibility.  I am pleased with the honor, and will do what I can to guide the work of the other Great Lakes States and provide support to them.  Each has their own set of leaders, and Ohio and Indiana have state organizations in place.  Wisconsin is hoping to use the MABAS system as it spreads there and Michigan is just getting started.

I'm glad to get home, it's time.  There will be plenty to tend to when I get back.  This trip has allowed me to grow not only in my appreciation of American history due to the location, but as a fire chaplain, a servant to those who serve.  I am better prepared to fulfill the duties of my position and have a greater awareness and appreciation for the work that is being done in other parts of the country. I'm proud to be a part of such fine individuals who will help me to continue my education and support me as I serve.

Cedar Rapids: Moving On 8.14.08

"And the God of all grace, who called you into his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast."
1 Peter 5:10

My deployment is about over.  I leave on Friday at 12pm, released after debriefing, evaluations and lunch together as an Emotional And Spiritual Care Team.  It's been good to be here, it'll be good to go home.

The image of a FEMA trailer is forever engraved into my life's experience.  I can spot one a block away. I know what they are like inside, how in some the sink is on the end of the counter, next to the stove.  This leaves no place to put the dishes. Others have no closets, but still a layout that affords enough room for small family. I know how they are built and tied down, how the expertly the decks are assembled and that they come in different shapes and sizes. (But not different colors-they are all white.) 

I have had the pleasure of meeting over 100 people who live in them and have heardnumerous life changing stories of suffering, survival and hope.

We identified three main group of folks while we were here.   While no one fits perfectly into any box,  this gives a sense of what we found.

One group are people are those who had a home or business in the affected area, may or may not have lost their belongings and are displaced.  This group has at least one good job in the family and equity that can be recovered.  As devastating as all this is and continues to be, they had social, emotional and financial stability in life before the flood and can pull together resources to get back on their feet.  With time, emotional and spiritual support, they will recover. Many are well on their way and are able to share their blessings to help others.

A second group we came across were the day to day survivors.  People who had for years on end found ways of making the rent, paying the bills and putting a roof over their heads.  They know how to find a job, a place to stay and while life is by no means easy they actually have access to the network they need for help.  They know the system of resources available, and will stand in lines and do what's necessary to weather this storm too.  Lots of things made daily life a struggle before the flood and all that stuff is still there now.  Disconnected from their resources, one substantial need is to get support back in place. Help is usually welcomed, and they can get by pretty well as long as they don't look to far down the road.

The third group is in between these two.  Maybe they had a decent job, but the factory or shop where they worked was flooded out.  They had made it into a house after years of trying, but the bank really owns it and the FEMA check cannot be cashed. Their family was together through some difficult times, and this blow is back breaking, bringing old demons to the surface.  Having lived one paycheck away from a food line for a while, now desperately seeking relief efforts, they are wishing all this help could go to someone more in need. But today, they are the ones who need it most.

Our job has been to walk along side people, where ever they are in life.  It doesn't matter if someone lost everything or came out pretty much ok.  Everyone is affected by this in their own way.  It's not the flood that is the crisis at hand any longer, but their reaction to it and what it has done to reorder their lives.Some of the parents simply hurt for the losses their kids are facing, some adult children wish their mom and dad hadn't lost the home they thought they'd live in until they died.  Just driving through the flood zone makes an imprint on us all...I can't imagine what it's like to have been there day after day, to see your home mucked out and reduced to a frame and a roof.

But God brings us hope when there seems to be no hope.  FEMA trailers are a good thing for most.  Safety and security in place, some of life's other problems can begun to be dealt with.  Reflecting on how much help is available causes many to recount their blessings.  Maybe, just maybe, this is getting better.  Then comes the realization that God did not cause this suffering, but instead endures with us in the midst of it all.  Acknowledging then, that the cries for help have been heard, the plea for saving answered.  And in these amazing moments the God of peace shows himself in glory among us, shining as a light in a dark place and leading people out of suffering. 

Its time for me to go home and leave Cedar Rapids in God's hands.  We have identified 60 families for follow up, after visiting more than 100. There is much more work to be done, and tomorrow it gets passed on to the next ones called to serve.   
Each in our own way, we're moving on.