Just As It Should Be

 We have a small group of Hispanic believers who meet at our church every week.  We have hired a pastor to minister to this group, Inez Pavon.  He and his wife Bethany have been serving in this capacity for the past few years.  They are a sweet couple who have been so faithful to the Lord and to this community.  I have known Bethany and been connected with her family ever since I had her in fourth grade.

Inez has a great testimony.  He came here illegally to find work.  He met Bethany when she was teaching English to Spanish speakers.  They married; he answered the call to preach.  Then God began to deal with him about his illegal status.  In the end he decided to go back home to Mexico and start the process of coming here legally.  It was a very trying time for their entire family.  Bethany stayed behind for a while and eventually joined him in Mexico with their daughter.  God moved and worked in many ways and finally they were able to return to the US with a green card.  He is starting the process of becoming a citizen.

So they've been pastoring this group of believers.  A couple of times a year they run a soccer league that brings out many folks who never come to our church.  The people come out to play, watch, eat, and enjoy their community.  I started helping Bethany with the food on the afternoons that I could.  I would listen to the speaker they had every week, even though I don't know Spanish.  I looked around at one point and realized that, besides Bethany, I was the only white person there.

It made me sad.  I didn't want our church members to be patting themselves on the back for having a Hispanic ministry when they really weren't doing anything to interact with them.

Don't get me wrong... interaction is hard when there's a language barrier.  When I first started going I decided that at least I was going to learn some of their names.  I asked Bethany one guy's name and when she said it, I couldn't figure out how to repeat it.  So I said, "How do you spell that?"  She said, "It won't help."  Leave it to Bethany to cut to the chase.  Now I know several of their names, and I can at least say hi.

But things are slowly changing in our congregation.  

Last Sunday we had a very special service at our church.  It was a communion service, but it was bilingual.  We sang some familiar songs in Spanish.  We sang some of the verses in English.  Jose played his guitar along with Ed and Jason, and then he sang a couple of solos.  He did a great job.

Brother Brian preached, and Inez interpreted the whole thing in Spanish.  It was choppy and awkward at times, but it was beautiful.  There we were, all together in one room, sharing the blood and body of Christ together.

And it was just as it should be.  

 

Remembering the First Earth Day

My eighth grade science teacher was Mrs. Rutheford.  This isn't her picture but it is sort of what I think of when I remember her...

Of course at that time, during the seventies, she always wore a dress and shoes like this...

But even though she was old and looked kind of sour, I don't think about her that way.  She did experiments with us, and she had us bring things to present experiments to the class too.  She took us to lunch and always required us to make at least one lap around the track after lunch before we returned to class.  I especially remember measuring shadows on the pavement daily so that we could track the changing angle of the sun in the sky over time.

She was ahead of her time in many ways.

And it was because of her that my classmates participated in the very first Earth Day way back in 1972.  She gave us a list of options for projects and we were required to complete one for a grade.  For my project I chose to clean up a stretch of road that I passed regularly on my way to my piano teacher's house.  There was a lot of trash being dumped there and I just picked it all up.  I had to take before and after pictures to make a display, and at that time, that was the most difficult part of the project because cameras weren't digital and film actually had to be developed and it took more than one hour to get the pictures back.  You also had to be sure to take up a whole roll before you could develop the film.  I'm telling you, it was complicated.

And so today, on this 40th anniversary of Earth Day, I salute you, Mrs. Rutheford!  You were a good science teacher.

Trip to Hunter Museum

I remember the first time I went to an art museum.  I was a sophomore in high school, and we went on a field trip to the Indianapolis Museum of Art.  I felt like I was in another world, so many beautiful things on display from paintings to sculptures to furniture.  I loved everything about it.

I have visited many art galleries over the years, and Kathryn would tell you that the Hunter Museum in Chattanooga is one of her favorite places.  So I was very happy to be able to share this special place with my students this week.

It’s a beautiful setting.  The mansion is amazing and houses the oldest works of art.  The main building holds permanent exhibits of modern and contemporary art.  Finally, the new wing, which is very abstract in its design, contains the traveling exhibits.  During our visit they were hosting “String Theory” which was chamber music played in the atrium by different local groups and university students.  It was lovely!

Hunter Museum has a wonderful permanent collection including famous artists like James Whistler, Andy Warhol, Robert Indiana, Thomas Hart Benton, and Mary Cassatt.  If you went you would definitely see one or two things that you would recognize.

On our visit one of the temporary exhibits was a collection of photographs by Dorothea Lange.  She photographed images people during the depression.   They are iconic images of the suffering and hardships common people were suffering during this era.  One of my students said, “No one’s smiling.”  Very simplistic but so true.  My favorite photo showed an elderly couple with the subtitle “We is still married up.”

The other temporary exhibit was full of video art.  These presentations were very interesting and so unique.  The one that fascinated the kids the most was an entire wall full of about 100 small images exactly alike…a woman dressed in white on a white chair folding clothes.  It was fascinating.

We finished our tour of the museum and I asked the students to take pictures of their favorite and least favorite works.  They mostly used their phones and sent me a text with their selections.  Not surprisingly, hardly anyone chose the same works for either category.  Here are some of their selections:

Favorites

There are lots of neat glass sculptures.

They were calling this the invisible woman.

Who wouldn't think this is a favorite?

This painting is huge.  More than one student liked this one.

Least favorite

I totally agree!

The rags here represent dead birds, I think.

This one is titled "Two potted plants."  Text message said, "I see no pots."

Text message said, "This one scares me."

More on this trip later.

Politics

I rarely engage in talk of politics.  It is not an issue I feel connected to.  I know, I know.  I should care.  The issues addressed in the political arena affect me, affect us all.  But I don't care.  I choose to put my efforts into other interests.  However, I do listen to the news; I read things.

Today I got an email from Sojourners.  Many of the prayers and quotes I post on my status come from emails from Sojourners.  Following this organization has opened my eyes to other perspectives on lots of issues.  Critics will say that they promote a "social gospel" and are too ecumenical.  I get that, and there is some validity to those criticisms.  But I also know that the information I have received from Sojourners has enriched my life and deepened my faith.

The email I received today had some good thoughts on Christians and politics and so I'll share them here.  They are written by the founder of Sojourners, Jim Wallis.

People of the kingdom should not serve politics; but we should serve the common good — seeking the welfare of the city we are in, as the prophet Jeremiah instructed. And we only engage politics when it is necessary to help the common good.

I suggest there are three values that Christians should try to serve in public life, and maybe especially during an election year:

1. The common good, which both parties will compromise in order to win.
2. Civility in our public discourse, which disappears during elections.
3. And, if possible, Christians should try to find some areas of agreement or common ground that they might lift up, even together, despite other political differences.

For me, those areas of common ground could include:

1. Defense of the poor, which neither party will champion during an election year — they all want donors and voters. How policies affect the most vulnerable is always the Christian political question; vital international and domestic poverty programs which allow the poor to survive and prevent their further suffering should be defended by Christians of all political stripes.
2. A particular focus on how undocumented immigrants will be talked about and treated — the biblical “stranger” in our midst — and the urgent need for comprehensive immigration reform. Christians across political boundaries are coming together around the urgent agenda to fix a broken immigration system.
3. Supporting policies that reduce abortion and that support strong families should be points of agreement between both liberals and conservatives, especially people of faith.
4. Protecting religious liberty is a commitment we also share — both at home and around the world.
5. Promoting foreign policies that seek to prevent and resolve inevitable human conflicts, instead of increasing them, should be something that Christians should also support because Jesus called us to be peacemakers.

Good Friday Prayers

On Good Friday I set up “Journey to the Cross” at our church.  Cindy Baird helped me with the set up, and I am so thankful for all that she did.  During the evening about 30 people came through the stations that depicted different aspects of the passion week of Christ.  Each one asked the participants to use their physical senses to try to put themselves there in the action.  For example, one of the stations had the scripture about Mary putting the box of expensive perfume on Jesus’ feet.  At that station you were to take a cotton ball and put a drop of scented oil on it, which you were to carry with you throughout the rest of the journey.  It was to remind you of the extravagance of Mary’s act and how we should love Christ extravagantly too.

Many of the stations had places to write responses and prayers.  I thought I would share some of those responses here.

Thank you, God, for doing all of this for me.  I could have been the one to betray you, and yet you love me.

Dear Lord, I know what it feels like to be betrayed.  I am so thankful that you know exactly how this feels…You know.  Thank you also for Your example of restoring Peter.  It gives me hope.

Dear Jesus, thank You for saving me.  Help me to be passionate for you as Mary was.  Thank you for your unconditional love for me.

Help my worship of God to spread like perfume.

Dear Jesus, thank you for saving me.  Help me to know how to express that love like Mary did.

Dear Jesus, it is my desire to give to you extravagantly, passionately.  May my life be poured out like Mary’s perfume.  May its aroma be a blessing rising to you…for you are WORTHY.

Father, it was your love for me that bound you, not this rope.  Forgive me for the pain I caused you.  Help me to never take your love for granted.

Lord, I am so sorry.  I trade a wonderful relationship with you for far too many things that really mean nothing.

Lord, material things cloud my vision every day.  They are here, right now—right in my face.  I struggle all the time with releasing these things.  I want less and less of them and more and more of You.

Father, desire for material wealth is nothing but a distraction.  But I fight this distraction every day.  Help me find riches in You.

Jesus, You went through so much pain so that our lives could be saved.   I thank you so much, Lord.  No words could ever be said to thank you enough.

Jesus, I want to be more and more like you…grow in your love, peace and faith.  Thank you for forgiving me.  And let your joy overflow my heart this Easter!

Father, change me.  Give me your desires.  Make my will yours.  Give this dead body life.  Give me a powerful, bold, strong, yet kind and gentle spirit.  Make me more like you!

I am yours.  Show me what to do.

Please help me to let go and allow you to forgive and change me.  Thank you for loving me.  Help me to feel that love in times of trial.  Help me to surrender myself so that your will be done not mine.

Lord, change me.  Forgive me for doubting, for blocking you out with the world.  Help me to leave everything to follow you just as the disciples did.  Let your will be done in my life.   THANK YOU!

My Favorite Son

We celebrated Will's 21st birthday this week.  I couldn't be prouder of the man he is becoming.  He has a tender heart and a desire to serve God.  I am thankful for the way he still allows me to minister in his life.  At Thanksgiving last year I made a list of the top ten reasons I'm thankful for him.  Here they are:

Top Ten Reasons I’m Thankful for Will Kiper

10. Harry Potter movie nights

9.  Making me laugh

8. Sparring with Dad (verbally)

7.  Your kindness to me and to others

6.  Your willingness to listen to advice

5.  Great conversations

4.  Your imitations

3.  Loyalty to your friends

2.  Your heart for the Lord

1. Free Hugs

Revelation

God uses so many things to teach me, to reveal to me, more and more about who He is and what He has done for me.

Many of you are aware of the troubles I have endured the past week in dealing with my elderly aunt and uncle.  So much suffering, both on my part and theirs.  The last thing my aunt said to me was that if I didn't come and get her and bring her home, she would have me arrested.  It was so ugly.

Before I left Indianapolis I made one last stop at Rosegate to drop off some things I thought they needed.  They were having a very difficult time with my aunt and asked me to go back and see if I could calm her down.  I told them that I could not calm her down because I was the object of her anger.  I would only make it worse.  I could only imagine the venomous things she would say to me if I went back there, and I saw not reason to expose myself to that.  So I left.

Driving down the road my mind was still full of all that was going on.  My heart was heavy.  A picture came to my mind.  What if I had gone into her room and just bowed down at her feet?  What if I had just let her unleash all her rage upon me?  What if I had just let her hit, bite, kick, scream, until she could do no more?  What if I could get up from that and look at her and say, "I love you, Aunt Betty."?  What would have happened next?  What would it have done to those watching?

I trembled at the thought.  The horror of it was too much.  I didn't do it.  I couldn't do it.

And then I thought of Jesus.

In the garden, He faced the fact that there were people who had even greater rage against Him.  He knew the horror that lay ahead.  He trembled at the thought.  His sweat was as drops of blood.

But He faced it all for me.  He let them torture Him until they were satisfied.  And then He said, "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do." He did not turn away as I did, though He wanted to every bit as much as I did.  A new perspective in this Easter season.

I'm so glad for those things that God can only reveal to us in our suffering.