Life In Greencastle

This was several years ago - still in Greencastle, but several years ago.  It must have been my junior year of college, for I remember taking my mail up to my room on the third floor of the Delta Upsilon fraternity house at 626 Seminary Street and sitting down on the horribly over-used and wonderfully comfortable sofa my mother gladly let me unearth from our basement back in Zionsville.  The semester had just begun just like it is beginning all over again for a new generation of DePauw students.  Like any serious, dedicated college student, I had taken care to set up a wonderful entertainment and sound system in our room.   I had my roommate, Andrew Smith, to thank for this luxurious arrangement.  Andrew was a great friend ever since my elementary school days, and back in the summer when we were deciding what each of us would bring to enhance the quality of our little room in that old fraternity house Andrew offered up some high quality speakers his dad no longe...

Occasionally, someone will ask me what makes Presbyterians different than - say - other Christian traditions or denominations.  It is a difficult and daunting question to answer, but part of the answer lies in the life of a very bright French man who spent the first part of his life training to be a scholar, and briefly flirted with a career in law - primarily because his own father assured him that such a career has a way of attracting wealth and comfort.  But, such a life was not destined for this man.   Ultimately, his life was altered by a new movement overtaking much of Europe at the time - the Reformation - as well as his own study of the scriptures.  He came down on the side of this new message, and having come down in favor of reformation of the Church he was expelled from his home country - forced to take up residence in Geneva, where he entered its gates for the first time in the late 1530's and entered his name:  M., J. Calvin.  Or, to us:  ...

"Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:  ... Do not remember the former things, or consider the things of old. I am about to do a new thing;       now it springs forth, do you not              perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness       and rivers in the desert." - The 43rd Chapter of the Vision of Isaiah Usually once a week, Norma DeLabar stops by the church to tend to the plants in the narthex of our church and to attend to the children of our daycare by reading a story to them.  She brought some help this week.  Jim, her husband, was with her getting some minor tips on horticulture from Norma when I stepped out of the office to visit with them for a moment.  I asked Jim how he had been, and he immediately began talking about the lawns he had been mowing this past week. Those of you who know Jim know tha...

Some time back, I discovered that line John Calvin wrote in response to Paul's own assuring words to the Ephesians. "We are rich before we are born," is what Calvin said, commenting on this great mystery by faith, by grace, we have been accepted into God's family. Paul had more to say; he prayed that the Ephesians might now all the glorious riches that were going to be theirs when the entered completely into the Kingdom of God. Such notions of heavenly riches can seem quite appealing, but they can also seem quite flimsy when your dumping fifty bucks of gasoline in your car week every week. Paul Simon once sung that "faith is an island in the setting sun, but proof is the bottom line for everyone." Indeed, it is Rhymin' Simon, and one of the great challenges we have as people of faith is to find a way to make tangible these promises. If we don't, the promises simply become platitudes, a type of "pie in the sky." That's...

They sat eagerly engaged, this young man and his soon to be wife, smiling upon me as they surely smiled for all the world to see. Full of the giddiness that comes when idealism and love interlock hands and gaze. I asked them where they would like to be twenty-five years from now. He said in their home, with children, working, going about life. She the same. And I hope that for them, too: a stable, nurturing place no longer driven by idealism, but the patient, long-suffering love that can sustain a life together as husband and wife. He sat in the chair as though a stranger to himself, looking for that one to cling to who was no more, for whom his heart ached. 72 years of life together had impressed itself upon him; he knew not how to make time pass without her presence. I asked him what he remembered from twenty-five years ago from fifty, from seventy-two. And with the tears pooling, he told me of his bride to be sitting in his '36 Ford, and...

One of my mentors in ministry is Rex McDaniel who pastors a congregation in South Pasadena. I served under Rex for a few years while completing my seminary education. Once a week, I would ride my bike away from the pleasant confines of the academic life, and I would go sit in a chair in Rex's office. It was there I learned much about what pastoral work was really like, and Rex was a great teacher - helping me understand how to love and pray for and be with a people as life handed out hard knocks and small moments of joy. Rex had an expression he often shared with me to capture the ups and downs of life. "Wes-man ... life is rich and thick." Another time he went on to explain a bit further his choice of words. Life, so Rex explained to me, is like a milkshake, a good "thick" milkshake. It is full of good and much to enjoy, but it often seems that the goodness of it comes only after the "thickness" of it all, those rough patches when ...

Yesterday, I paid a visit to a minister friend up in Indianapolis, something we had scheduled together a few weeks ago. He told me that it was the tradition of their church community and denomination to have a Stations of the Cross service during Holy Week - a way to travel the path Jesus walked as he went from public enemy to crucified King. I had never participated in a Stations of the Cross service, so I was looking forward to it. I was familiar enough with the service to know it had fourteen different stations, fourteen different readings from the Bible, and fourteen different "depictions" - small works of art that graphically showed a specific scene. At 10:00 am, I gathered in the mid-century sanctuary of St. John's Episcopalian Church, as the minister, Father Jeff Bower, began leading us through the stations ... first, Jesus is condemned to death ... second, Jesus carries his cross ... third, Jesus falls for the first time ... and on and on to the ...

Way back when we were still wishing that the heat of summer would relent for awhile, my wife was planning to create something for these colder days of December. Anna had determined that this would be the year that she would create an Advent calendar and thereby give our kids a way to experience the gift of Jesus' coming in a whole new way. So, little by little, she began to make preparations. She was going to make a quilt, a quilt of several fabrics that would create a tapestry of days. And on each day there would be a tiny pocket that would become a type of daily stocking - delivering to Wyatt and Elise some gift or plan or project. They would have the chance to make treats for the birds one day. On another, they could make a popcorn string. On another still, they would read the second chapter of Luke. All of it was intended to help give life to the days we call Advent - the same Advent that gets dismissed about as easily as those poor misfit toys that Rudolph...

Count your blessings: one, I have new life and the richness of those who love me. Two, there is work for my hands to do, and a community to empty myself into. Three, a son with cheeks like peach-skin slapped by a northern wind. Four, food in abundance. Five, deliverance from my own bondage. And the doe and her fawns walking through Hutcheson's valley: six. My daughter sitting on my wife's lap - looking fresh into my eyes, hers a deep, cobalt blue: seven. Too many. I have more than enough.

I’ve been on the road several times the last few weeks – including several trips up and down 231. Not surprisingly, I’ve fallen in line behind a combine a time or two. On several other occasions, I’ve driven by fields where the farmers are bringing in the beans and the corn – mowing the crops down with broad sweeps across our native land. So, in part of my mind are these images of harvest and abundance. I think of the semis I’ve seen, their trailers full to the brim with the corn that goes to feed our children and children all over the world. And, yet, I have other images implanted in my mind as well – images of draught and dryness. On my way back into town this past Sunday, I came down the hill just past Old Hickory on 231. As I drove over Big Walnut Creek, I looked out the window to see a sliver of the water moving through the creek bed; the waters life diminished by the lack of rain. We see the reminders of draught all over: in dry leaves that blow across the...

This summer Anna and I have been packing up some goods from our garden on Saturday morning and driving the seven mile stretch from our home to Greencastle. We arrive on the north side of the court house about 7:45 am and set up a meager booth at the local farmer's market. We've seen several of you on those Saturday mornings as you stop by to grab a few items to enjoy that day. I always enjoy seeing you there. In fact, I enjoy the whole experience - the mingling of people and goods, stories and music. There's something about the Saturday morning atmosphere at the farmer's market that facilitates community. It is very similar to the fellowship hour following church on Sunday mornings. Released from the demands of the work week, people are willing to stop and talk for a while. Many times, Anna and I will find ourselves having great conversations only to discover that it's already about time to pack up our goods for the day. We may not sell much, but we leave the...

About a week ago, ABC aired an episode of its hit show Lost that left a lot of people scratching their heads. That’s what the show Lost does well, as is to be expected from a show that began with dozens of men, women and children falling out of a plane to a mysterious, hidden island where polar bears roam in a bamboo forest. But, at least for this one episode, it wasn’t the mysteries that left people talking. It was the answers. In one sweeping episode that took the audience back to “the beginning,” millions of people watching the show were given a modern day spin on the Book of Genesis . In fifty minutes, viewers got an eye-full of it all: a garden of life, an intimate look at an early Adam and Eve, promises, barriers, long-life, sibling rivalries, blessings, curses. And would you believe there was even a black darkness that stalked and roamed the island, expelled from the “light”? Such are the times that we live in: there is a growing interest in all thin...

The dry leaves scrapped against the pavement - pushed along by a pleasant breeze - and the earth is being soaked in the sunshine. It feels good, doesn't - offering a renewed sense of life and freedom? Seems like the perfect time for Spring Break, and I have seen the evidence of those who are going away for even warmer weather: the minivans and SUV's packed full. Sometimes we need those breaks. We need those moments when we can separate from normal routines and rhythms and get a fresh vision of life again. Sometimes that comes from sandy beaches and sun on our skin. Other times, though, the new perspective is given to us exactly where we are. Such a moment occurred for me this past week. I was reading about the thoughts and teachings of our old Reformed teacher: John Calvin - the French minister with an exacting mind and heart full of God. I was reading what Calvin had to say about modern topics like the environment and sustainability. That's when I ca...

"Measuring Our Worth" by Henri J. M. Nouwen It is not difficult to see that, in our world, we all have a strong desire to accomplish something. Some of us think in terms of great dramatic changes in the structure of our society. Others want at least to build a house, write a book, invent a machine, or win a trophy. And some of us seem to be content when we just do something worthwhile for someone. But practically all of us think about ourselves in terms of our contribution to life. And when we have become old, much of our feelings of happiness or sadness depends on our evaluation of the part we play in giving shape to our world and its history ... When we start being too impressed by the results of our work, we slowly come to the erroneous conviction that life is one large scoreboard where someone is listing the points to measure our worth. And before we are fully aware of it, we have sold our soul to the many grade-givers. That means we are not only in the...

"In the morning, while it was still very dark, Jesus got up and went out to a deserted place, and there he prayed.” – Mark 1:35 “… And a large crowd followed Jesus and pressed in on him.” – Mark 5:24 Back in the 15 th Century, back when medieval serfs harvested the land with ox and with sickle, there once lived a man named Thomas a Kempis. He grew up along and around the Rhine – the river that runs its course from high in the Swiss Alps, through the German broad land and to the wet marshes of Netherlands. Eventually, Thomas followed that river up to the Dutch lands, and one day he encountered a group of religious monks, educating and caring for the poor. He was attracted. He was intrigued. He, too, became a monk. Then, some years down the road in 1441, Thomas published a book by the title The Imitation of Christ . With that, Thomas a Kempis became famous. His work spread throughout Europe – becoming one of the first true “modern devotionals.” For Thomas...

“ Every moment was so precious … And it’s such a perfect day.” Coldplay, Strawberry Swing “Awe is a way of being in rapport with the mystery of all reality. The awe that we sense or ought to sense when standing in the presence of a human being is a moment of intuition for the likeness of God which is concealed in his essence. Not only man; even inanimate things stand in a relation to the Creator. The secret of every being is the divine care and concern that are invested in it. Something sacred is at stake in every event.” -Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, from God in Search of Man It happens. We don’t predict or plan it. In fact, it often occurs when we seem at our wits end, when we have tried everything in our power to order and right our world. We have struggled and frustrated ourselves. And if we were truly unkind we have even managed to frustrate others, leaving a wake of discord behind our frazzled intentions and hurried attempts. But, still it happen...

Did you happen to see the story about the political race in Massachusetts this week, the one that led to the people of Massachusetts electing its first Republican Senator in 38 years? Now, keep in mind this was the same state where Ted Kennedy held that Senatorial position for almost 47 years! Here's how the USA Today described the election: "Not in decades has the election of a single new senator caused such an upheaval in the capital's political calculations." The reason this is such big news: by electing Republican Scott Brown as its next Senator, Massachusetts has altered the fate of the health care proposal for the entire nation. With Scott Brown headed to Washington, the health care proposal, which was already a hard sell, seems destined to be shelved. The president and the Democratic party are headed back to square one. Now, I'm sure we could have quite a debate about whether this is good news or bad news, and - personally - I think that would be a gr...

Just last week I had commented that we are very much connected with the entire world. Little could I or any of us know what was to occur in Haiti this week. Now we do, and we remember just how vulnerable all of us are as human beings, how direly we need help. You have likely seen some of the images that have emerged from the earthquake. The images, the videos, the testimonies of the people who have suffered this tragedy: they are haunting and horrifying. The cause the ancient cry of the Psalms to be heard: "How long, O Lord?" They also spur something within us: a desire to do something. I want to make clear what we can do to help. First of all, we can pray. Pray for the Lord's mercy and mighty arm of salvation to be active in and through the people and workers who are already there in Port-au-Prince. Pray for consolation and sustained care for those who have lost loved ones. Pray that the same God who brought life out of death in Jesus Christ would continue to ...

I opened the door of our home and smelled the burning of hickory and oak pouring out of the wood furnace. Meanwhile, the snow silently fell like a million wishes from the heavens - the answer to the prayers of thousands of children. Snow day! What a gift and a joy so long as we are at home, and I hope that you are, safe and snug. There are others of us who are at work, or who are away on business. There are students on trips. For them we pray today, asking God to care and protect and ultimately to deliver them back home to us. Still others have already flown the coop - heading south for the winter to nest where you can see grass and you don't have to scrap your car's windshield. But, even there I've heard they are not immune from this cold air that has swept down upon our country. Our entire nation is covered by the cold hues of blue and purple and a chilly white. I heard upon the radio this week the whole world seems chilled. Europe, Russia, North America: all be...

About this time last year, while we were making preparations to move back to Greencastle, we were gathering our belongings and reaching out to friends. We were going through the hard process of saying goodbye and saying thanks for all that people had done for us. And in the midst of all that leave-taking, a friend and gentlemen named Rick Ford who had spent most of his life in Owensboro came to my office at the church. In the short years we were in Owensboro, Rick and I shared many a good meal and conversation. But, I could never imagine or predict the gift he was to give me that day he arrived at the church. Rick entered my office with a staff, a slender pole standing about five feet high, and upon handing it to me, he told me about this gift that he himself had carved for me. It was made of Dogwood, that flowering tree that is popular in this region of our land, and Rick had smoothed all but an eight inch section near the top - the very place I could place my hand to sturdy myse...