Church – A Writer's Daughter

Even the Stones Will Praise

My husband and I enjoy listening to the news source/podcast, The World and Everything In It. We especially like listening on Fridays for its features Culture Friday, movie reviews, Listener Feedback, and a closing Scripture with reminder to attend weekend worship. Last Friday, December 27, a listener shared his poem, “How Will A Stone Praise You?,” based on Luke 19 v 40. I’d like to share it with you here, for New Year’s, with full credit to Carlan Wendler and “The World and Everything In It” (wng.org December 27, 2024).

How Will A Stone Praise You? by Carlan Wendler

Some birds can whistle, warble, call;
While kid and lamb bleat in their stall.
Colt and mare snort, whiny and neigh.
Calf and cow lo amidst their hay.
Frogs will croak while chirp the crickets,
And squeak the mice of field (and) thicket.
The bees they bustle, buzz and hum;
And lizards slither when they run.
Quacks and honks and cries and roars,
Creation’s praise mounts. It soars.
But how will a stone praise You?
Leaves can rustle, crumple, crack
And brushing branches veer and tack.
Rain can beat and drum and flow
While shushing is the fall of snow.
The waves they batter, lap or bash —
As peals of thunder clap and crash.
The rushing river sounds applause,
And glaciers grind and pop their flaws.
Howls the wind…or whispers near;
All things are heard to Maker’s ear.
But how will a stone praise You?
A thrown stone whizzes, a dropped stone clacks
With ruckus down a valley’s cracks —
Or finds a pond to plunk and splash
And gurgle, gargle, breathe its last.
Great stones groan and grate and grind —
While small stones gravel grovels fine.
Shifts sands will sweep and swish.
And lava grumbles with a hiss.
Yet You have chosen in Your grace
The human voice to give You praise.
And though you gave us great surrounds,
All You ask are grateful sounds.
So breathe again into this clay
And raise a note of joy today.
Replace with flesh this heart of stone
And let it beat a thankful tone.
We thank You for the gift of life —
For coming down amidst our strife.
We thank You for the Cross and Grave
And Path of Pardon that they pave.
We thank You for Your family’s name,
For Union though we’re not the same.
We thank You that the Son of God
Was hidden in an earthy clod.
So how could a stone not praise You?

What beautiful, creative thoughts based on Jesus’ own words, “Even stones would praise Him!” Luke 19 v 40

Happy New Year: Praise the Lord!

A Happy Hamlet

The local bagel shop was uber (excuse my German) cheerful that morning! Patrons and clients alike exuded a happy mood. A school aged girl sharing a bagel with her mom noticed a wad of bills on the floor. She picked it up and handed it to the manager. The manager quickly realized which customer had dropped it. A teen was happy to get his spending money back. Later the manager rewarded the honest girl with a free cookie.

I guess every Eastern seaboard town has its English twin. This is the tea from ours.

As our breakfast continued, I observed another guy checking out with his order. The cashier took his cash payment and reached out with the guy’s change, which was more than just a few ones. The customer waved it off, giving it back to the worker as a generous tip. “Thanks, man,” the cashier answered in surprise!

Not too few customers later, another man drifted by our table on his way out. He cheerily offered that he was on his way to sell nuts and bolts and added that it was a job he loved! He was especially happy that day to be headed to the Marine base in Jacksonville, NC. He appreciated being able to do business with the military, he said.

We left the bagel shop behind a family of three. The manager teasingly hollered to them, “Have a good drive back to Hawaii!” All three of them were wearing t-shirts from Hawaii … but you can’t get there by car. Hopefully, they smiled at the quip.

So, are things always this happy where I live? Of course not. Like any town in America or any place in the world there are difficulties and tragedies. This summer our town experienced a family murder. It shocks a community to witness that kind of tragedy: a young woman’s life gone; the rest of the family torn apart. Every place eventually experiences the same.

The towns that I am currently thinking so much about are the hamlets and the hollows of western North Carolina. Beautiful, rural mountain communities were ripped apart by rare flooding due to Hurricane Helene. The loss of life is still being counted, property devastation is widespread, and the infrastructures of water, electricity, roads, and internet are still heavily damaged. The ‘happy’ part of this, and I don’t joke or take lightly the deep loss and pain, is the way folks are coming together to help. Big organizations and small are sending supplies and showing up to be involved. Local ministries, churches, and schools and colleges in the mountains are also answering the call to reach out to their own, like Queen Esther, unexpectedly called “for such a time as this” (Esther 4 v 14). Among them are Samaritan’s Purse, headquartered in Boone, NC, literally on the ground immediately; sister ministry, Billy Graham retreat center, The Cove, now housing volunteers and law enforcement personnel; and Excel College in Black Mountain, who have agreed to host Adventures in Missions Disaster Relief. Our friends the Horvaths head up Adventures Relief and have committed to two years of disaster recovery in the Swannanoa Valley area. They will soon move their family of six, in their home on wheels, to Black Mountain, NC. You can follow their mission at Adventures.org/relief.

God promises to make “beauty from ashes” (Isaiah 61 v 3). We are witnessing goodness out of calamity. And I love that this good movement is receiving positive publicity for many to see! Jesus encouraged action of His followers, saying, “so that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5 v 16) AMEN

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Tetelestai

Blurry, gothic lettering on a dark t-shirt in front of me stole my attention. I couldn’t avoid the sight as the young man wearing it sat in the church row directly ahead of me. Eventually, I deciphered “Suicide Boys” and beneath that, “Your soul is about to be rec …” on his back. The rest faded too dark to read. Not such a great prelude to worship! Ironically, the congregation sang, “Death was once my great opponent, fear once had a hold on me,” as the service progressed.

Suicide is a grim reality in our fallen world. I question that musicians take such a name, possibly promoting that which is sick and sinful. God alone commands life … and death. The upside of the young man in the swag shirt is that he was in church! Suicide Boys may falsely depict life and death issues, but good Bible teaching rightly informs. And he sat with a wonderful family who will disciple him well.

After the service, I searched online for the t-shirt’s missing word. The full word is ‘recycled’: “ Your soul is about to be recycled.” How odd that Suicide Boys misses the mark again. Not only is suicide not God’s plan, but there is no recycling of the soul, no reincarnation.

Reincarnation is still a belief of some. On a recent trip through central Ontario, I noticed many miles (they’d say kilometers) of new fencing. I asked our host about it and the purpose is to keep the deer and moose off the highway. But the local resident added that the bottom portion of the fence is a different material and gauge. A smaller screening is used to keep turtles and snakes off the road. The Indigenous peoples of the area hold to a belief in reincarnation; this reptile protection honors their ancestors or descendants. Reincarnation cost the Ontario highway department a lot!

The beautiful Muskoka lake region makes a great vacation spot and is home to deer, moose, turtles and snakes.

As I mentioned, one of the songs in our worship service addressed death. A lilting tune carries a story of transformation from fear of finality to victory and joyful confidence in the end. Why? The lyrics continue:

“Death was once my great opponent

Fear once had a hold on me

But the Son who died to save us

Rose that we would be free indeed.” *

Our freedom flows from the work on the cross. Jesus finally and forever finished that work of salvation for us! “Tetelestai – It is finished,” Jesus declared with his last breath (John 19 v 30).

*“It Is Finished Upon That Cross” Words and Music by Jonny Robinson, Rich Thompson, and Nigel Hendroff. 2021 CityAlight Music

It Was Finished Upon That Cross

On Travel Part Two

Not all rest stops are as intriguing as the artful, waterside, and panoramic ones I described in On Travel Part One. Sometimes the road weary must take what is available when a break is needed. Such was the case when my husband and I ended up in a small, dingy fast-food restaurant in a town that also seemed small and dingy.

This poster hung in the dining area. Sorry, Kentucky but honestly Virginia bears a very similar shape!

I don’t recall if it was fuel or food that demanded our stop, but we found few options as we drove through a depressed main street area. The town lacked charm and energy, but a reputation proceeded it in our minds. Hopewell, Virginia was where Rev. Tim Keller first pastored a church. Keller eventually became the founding pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church of New York City, a renowned preacher, and a prolific author. I dedicated a blog post to his legacy last summer after he died of cancer at age 72. Since then, a new family member carries his name.

Hopewell was an odd placement for a man like Timothy Keller. He was a well-educated intellectual, a voracious reader, and able to comprehend, reason, and expound at very deep levels. He loved academic settings. Hopewell was a blue-collar town. As a young pastor there, Keller had to balance his brilliance in Bible teaching with pastoral care and connecting in community. The Hopewell congregation also “forced Keller to develop his skill for distilling difficult and complicated concepts in ways that Christians and non-Christians alike can understand.” (Hansen, Collin. Timothy Keller His Spiritual and Intellectual Formation, 2023). The Kellers lived and ministered in Hopewell, Virginia for nine years; their three sons were born in Hopewell. One of Hopewell’s congregants gave the eulogy at Keller’s memorial service .

You might wonder why my blog about travel took a detour to a small town, and a pastor’s first start. For me, the Keller years in Hopewell signify how God calls us to be faithful and obedient whatever the task, wherever the task. Sometimes, maybe often, our placements feel like a misfit. I would not extrapolate this to mean, start small so that God will do something big later. I don’t think ministry is ever about size. It’s about faithfulness in the moment.

Personally, I have been thinking about another small start. At my fortieth high school reunion, I reconnected with a classmate. We had not been in touch since the summer after our freshman year in college because my family moved away. Through tears my old friend recounted her memory of “that little church.” During our junior high years, she attended Wednesday night youth group with me. The youth program wasn’t flashy, but there she heard the Gospel, resulting in a lifetime of faith in Jesus for her. Wherever spectacular travels might take you this summer or especially if you remain in your routine place, abound in faithful living. “Therefore … be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.” 1 Corinthians 15 v 58

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Someone enjoys a summer day in the neighborhood.

Remembering Beyond D Day

We recently commemorated the 80th anniversary of D Day, the Allied Forces’ rescue of France and other European countries invaded by Germany. As that heroic event was being remembered, I was reading the autobiography of a young Jewish man who lived through the Nazi occupation of Holland. His first-hand account of the persecution and eradication of Jews astounds me once again. It is a clarion wake-up call for today. As with other World War 2 fiction and nonfiction books I’ve read recently, the realities are unfathomable.

Ernest Cassutto was a Dutch university student at the time of the Nazi invasion of Holland. As the round-up of Jews in Holland intensified, Cassutto and his family went into hiding, as did his fianceé and her family. Gestapo raids kept them on the move and in constant fear. Ernest and his fiancee were eventually caught, and she was killed in a concentration camp. The Germans never deported Ernest but sent him to forced labor farms in Holland. Though the liberation of Europe began on D Day in June of 1944, the Netherlands was not freed until nearly a year later in May of 1945. Ernest and his family survived the Holocaust. The Jewish young girl he later married also survived the Holocaust. A Christian teacher in rural Holland took her in, but her parents were captured and died at the hands of Nazis.

What is stunning about the experiences of the Jews like Ernest Cassutto was the explicit race profiling. The Cassutto family did not practice their Judaism. In fact, due to being born overseas, Ernest was not circumcised, a fact known to his German captors. The slaughter of approximately six million people was based entirely on their identity as Jews! How terrifying to realize that this genocide happened in modern times, in ‘civilized’ culture.

At this point you’ll wonder why “A Writer’s Daughter” is addressing history!? Cassutto’s life story took an early twist. Just prior to the war, Ernest examined the Christian faith. A pastor directed him to Isaiah 53, where he and his fiancé came to believe in Jesus as the Messiah and their personal Savior. It was the Christian community who put themselves in great danger to hide and protect Jewish friends and neighbors from the Nazis. Several of Ernest’s family members and his future wife also received the Gospel as a result of the perilous resistance work by Christians for the sake of their Jewish brothers and sisters.

Ernest Cassutto recognized the clear description of a Savior suffering for the salvation of sinners in Isaiah 53. John 13 v 35 clearly conveys a deep responsibility to the saved: “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” Many loved courageously during Hitler’s evil regime. Some lost their lives doing so.

References:

The Last Jew of Rotterdam by Ernest Cassutto. I also recommend Letter to the American Church by Eric Metaxas.

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Musings on a Saturday

I have been mulling over a podcast I listened to last week. Following the news story of the Lakewood Church shooting in Houston, TX, “The World and Everything In It” (wng.org/podcasts) contributor John Stonestreet discussed some of the issues related to the event. Stonestreet spoke of “deaths of despair” and “acts of desperation,” terms I was not familiar with. These are increasing at “skyrocketing rates,” he said, and he rightly attributes that to the logical outcome of a secular worldview. He explains that the “expressive, individualistic secular culture (that) gives them no strong resources of a stable family, a stable sense of identity or anything else” leaves people “grasping for a cause, grasping for hope.” But Stonestreet lands the interview on hope, and it is the hope the church has to offer: “Christianity grounds (us in) dignity and value and purpose.” For the church, “this is a mission moment,” he concludes.

Here is a place I often arrive at: the unique role of the church for you and me. The Church is the God-given structure for bonding believers to Biblical truths and to each other. As we gather and grow, what we know fills our lives and the lives of others we touch. That does not mean that there will never be a searching, confused soul like the woman at Lakewood Church, but more of us will be grounded and confident in God’s design and purpose for our lives and this will have a ripple effect around us.

Each Friday, “The World and Everything In It” podcast ends with a blessing and a charge for the weekend. It is my closing today for you as well: “the Psalmist writes: “Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.” (Psalm 43 v 5) Worship with brothers and sisters in Christ in Church this weekend, and Lord willing, we’ll meet you right back here on Monday. Go now in grace and peace.”

The extensive quotes in this blog post are all from this source:

Brown, Myrna, Lindsay Mast, and John Stonestreet. “The World and Everything In It.” February 16, 2024 https://wng.org/podcasts/culture-friday-jesus-and-super-bowl-commercials-1708027228

This is the Church of St John the Baptist in Burford, England. It is not just a beautiful relic in The Cotswolds, it is a functioning church. We were touring on a Sunday and the usher asked us not to come in if we couldn’t stay for the whole worship service. A praise team with guitars were leading upbeat music and a mother had to leave the sanctuary with her fussy toddler. Real church!

Jesus Revolution

This past spring the movie “Jesus Revolution” was released in theaters, more than doubling its projected earnings for the first three opening days, eventually making fifty million in theater showings. A digital format has now been released and the movie played on Netflix. I did not see the movie in the theater but recently watched it on Netflix.

“Jesus Revolution” is the true story of hippie Christians in Southern California. The movie is based on a book of the same title, written by Greg Laurie and Ellen Vaughn. I grew up with Ellen and am happy for her continuing success as an author. I have clear recollections about the hippie era. I remember the church facing the issues of the day: rock music, drugs, freedom, and anti-establishment sentiment. But genuine faith in Jesus among hippies needed to be celebrated and welcomed in traditional churches and that struggle played out in the movie.

In the early 70’s, hippies seeking truth found the truth of Jesus and began spreading the Gospel among their peers. The movie tracks a hippie Christian leader and his connection to a local church pastor, picking up on the spiritual story of a young man named Greg Laurie. The hippie pastor, Lonnie Spears, is shepherding his flock of young Christians in a commune-like setting. He teaches them and ministers to practical needs, eventually forging a relationship with a local pastor and his traditional church. The local pastor takes a risk on Lonnie, but it proves fruitful for the most part. I was captivated by this part of the story because the pastor of the church my husband and I attended for decades was also named Lon, and he too followed Jesus in the 70’s, radically changed from pushing drugs and a freefall lifestyle. Like Greg Laurie who turned to Jesus and still pastors a large ministry in Southern California, the Lord had a great plan for our Pastor Lon, who ministered to thousands, including us!

On just about a weekly basis, my husband and I recall a sermon or something we learned under our pastor for all those years. We and so many others grew spiritually because of our pastor’s commitment to God’s call of ministry on his life. I think of other pastors who have been used by God in my spiritual life too. Pastor means shepherd. Pastors lead their flocks, who wander and may be unappreciative. Ministry is hard and at times, unrewarding. The movie shows how it is personally demanding and involves difficult people dynamics. This is common in churches, but God’s work always continues, even in disappointing circumstances.

October is Clergy Appreciation Month. I encourage you to express your appreciation to those who minister in your life: pastors, Sunday School teachers, Bible study leaders, youth group volunteers, and other church staff. They will appreciate your heartfelt “thank you.” Scripture tells us to do this: “Dear brothers and sisters, honor those who are your leaders in the Lord’s work. They work hard among you and give you spiritual guidance. Show them great respect and wholehearted love because of their work.” 1 Thessalonians 5 v 12-13a

Church Vacation

This building in Parry Sound, Ontario now houses Harvest Church.

I took the feature photo of this 100 year old church last summer as I vacationed in Muskoka, Ontario. The church is located just blocks from Parry Sound that connects to Georgian Bay of Lake Huron. My husband and I attended the Sunday worship service here with relatives, and I recall the encouragement of the gathering and the meaningful Bible sermon. Timing is everything: I had recently experienced a hard conflict.

You might wonder why we “wasted” a day of vacation by going to church. Aren’t there fifty-one other weekends to attend church? We went not out of obligation, but to join a community of fellow believers (that’s fellowship). Personal blessings flow from music, a message, and even as visitors we taste of local ministry at work. I have particularly experienced that worshipping in a new setting, not my own church, has unique benefits. I am not distracted by who’s leading praise or what friends are in attendance, rather I focus solely on the elements of the service, and I gain reassurance from new congregations who share my faith. A waste? Not at all! As the Psalm goes, “Better is one day in Your courts, than a thousand elsewhere.” Psalm 84 v 10

Yesterday was another case in point. In a small group at our church, we discussed 1 Peter chapter two*. It starts out boldly with a charge against several evils related to lying (1 Peter 2 v 1). A deeper dive took us back a few sentences into the first chapter of 1 Peter. There, God’s Word clarified that those who follow Jesus are “purified … by your obedience to the truth” (1 Peter 1 v 22). Yes, that makes sense: truth is the opposite of lies. The passage continues by highlighting the strength of pure brotherly love (v 22), the importance of God’s “abiding” word (v 23) and the value of hearing it preached (v 25). Devoted community, reliance on the Bible, and Gospel preaching are all found in none other than the church! There is no substitute for joining a church, and it will be okay if you miss a Sunday on vacation!

*1 Peter, which is usually read as “first Peter,” is the first of two letters the apostle Peter wrote to Christians in Roman provinces in the early 60’s AD

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This is the church we now call home in NC, taken at peak azalea season!

Dr. Timothy Keller: My Personal Legacy

The Christian community lost a giant yesterday. Tim Keller, preacher and author, died of pancreatic cancer at the age of 72 – we would have wished for another decade or two of his unparalleled contributions to The Church. He pastored a church in New York City for 28 years and wrote over thirty books.

Dr. Keller significantly impacted me and three generations of my family. My parents, who lived in the suburbs of NYC, began attending evening church services to hear Keller preach in the 90’s. As different family members visited my parents, they joined in the late afternoon trip to the city and to Keller’s church. Once, while with my parents on that very outing, my husband and I ran into Dr. Keller, who was leaving the coffee shop we were entering, catching a meal between church services. The five of us had a brief chat and he was gracious in speaking to us though he had to continue on to preach again. We expressed our appreciation for his ministry. Dr. Keller’s intellectual giftedness and logic, his unbelievably wide scope of reading, and his keen understanding of culture and thought, brought an unmatched depth and applicability to his Biblical teaching. My father, an intelligent and widely read man who was selective with words and not prone to exaggeration, described Keller’s influence on his own life-long faith as profound.

Tim Keller’s congregation consisted of young NYC professionals, and he was able to connect with that age group. His preaching and writing resonated deeply with the third generation of my family. Our family rarely took a road trip that Tim Keller didn’t join us on, as we listened to his sermons either on CD or online while we drove. My kids have read more Keller books than I have! So yesterday was a day of shared sorrow in our family at the news of his death.

We grieve because we feel a loss and an end, but we also know well that this is a beginning and a victory for Tim Keller. Followers of Christ look forward to seeing and spending eternity with Jesus, the Savior they served. Dr. Keller said recently of his expected death, “There is no downside for me leaving, not in the slightest.” We shed tears but all is not lost. Thankfully, he left a legacy of sermons and writings that will continue to challenge and inform us. I trust that God will raise up others who will rightly continue to inspire His kingdom on earth … bearing the torch until Jesus returns! AMEN

Here is a link to one of Tim Keller’s sermons “Christ the Final Word.” It is classic Keller: his depth of Biblical insight, his humor, his connection to culture and the modern mindset, and landing on the Gospel! I hope you will listen to it through to the end (and it begins with a Scripture reading by someone else). If you get lost a little, hang on. You’ll catch up; he goes deep, but it is real! His website is http://gospelinlife.com

Rev. Keller’s memorial service took place on August 15, 2023 in St. Patrick’s Cathedral, NY A Worship Service of Praise to God for the Life of Tim Keller

Glorybound

Occasionally, something I post on Facebook, seems fitting for my blog readers too. That is the case with this short feature:

Robin sharing joy and her creativity and skills with Ugandan students.

My friend Robin has ventured into an opportunity God presented. In partnership with a widow in Uganda and a local church, she is using her creativity, technical skills, and energy, to teach a Ugandan community how to make practical and personal projects and items to sell. Alongside a Ugandan church, people are working toward a more hopeful path of survival and sustainment. Robin makes visits to Uganda, and her partner, Winnie is in the States now sharing their work. Check out https://www.gloryboundministry.com – the ministry needs resources to become self-sustaining.

You may see that I tagged Gret Glyer (https://DonorSee.com) on this Facebook post. He was an acquaintance of ours and we were part of DonorSee’s inception. Days before an assailant cut his life short while he slept at home in his bed, Gret posted his vision and passion to see the world free of poverty. Projects like Glorybound work toward that dream. Jesus’ insights help us understand poverty. First, Jesus told us that poverty will always exist; the poor will always be with us (Matthew 26:11). Jesus also explained the importance, even the requirement, to help others, especially those in the family of faith (Matthew 25:40). That is why I share these photos and the unique work of my friend Robin. Feel free to share this post.