To Love and To Serve

It seems hard to believe that it is 2023 already. I can remember January of 2022 so well. I started the month by getting my hip replaced on the very last day that elective surgeries were allowed before an uptick in the Covid numbers prevented them. I don’t, of course, remember much about the surgery itself, although I did wake up briefly during it. I do, however, remember the pain and soreness afterwards, the physical therapy, my second hip replacement, and the unforgettable experience of detoxing from pain medications. The first 3 months of 2022 were really pretty miserable to be honest. Now I sit here some 9 months later and I feel mostly fine. My new metal hips are working quite well and, most importantly, I don’t have pain anymore.

What amazes me sometimes is how stuck we can become in a difficult situation. I can remember thinking about nothing else besides my discomfort as I went through my recovery. It can also seem at times as if whatever challenge we are facing will never go away, or that it is so great in nature that we will never recover from it. Certainly, tragedy and pain can last for long periods, but I have often been surprised in my own life how quickly things can get better, and how much time can heal and put things in perspective. Whether I am sad, anxious, angry, or lost, over time these negative feelings can and have changed for the positive. Perhaps that it one reason we celebrate the New Year. Even though it is just the change to the next day, it represents a new chapter or period of our life, when wanted change can happen.

Of course, as Christians we see change as ever present in the ministry of Christ. Not only do we have the symbolism of the light in the darkness, and life from death, but Jesus spoke for instance about seemingly disparate things in the sermon on the mount, suggesting, among other things, that those with sorrow will indeed rejoice. Jesus went amongst the poor and outcast and told them that such things would not define who they were as people and as children of God. Perhaps Jesus was given a divine perspective on the non-permanent nature of sorrow and pain, that we as humans simply lack. Whatever the case, as followers of Christ, our faith does teach us to look towards the future with hope, knowing that the present situation will not be forever. May we have that faith for 2023 and look with hope at what the days and months before us might bring.

Peace, Blessings, and Happy New Year
Pastor Brian

Looks like I am sick yet again. I don’t know yet if it's Covid, RSV, the flu, a regular cold or something else. Sadly, there are so many things going around for people to catch. Thankfully I have tested negative for Covid so far, but will continue to test to make sure. The thing is that I was sick just about a few weeks ago, not Covid, praise the Lord, and then a few weeks before that I had my whole ordeal with my infected tooth, and the lovely 2-hour root canal. It just seems like I can’t stay healthy. Of course, I know some of you are rolling your eyes and saying just wait a few decades and then I will really know what not feeling well is all about. Regardless of our age or what is going on in our life, we do sometimes have periods where it just seems as if we have difficulty after difficulty.

Now there are difficulties that we can’t do much about such as natural disasters or some kinds of illnesses. When I had to have my hips replaced for instance, the surgeon assured me that whatever led to my lack of cartilage happened a long time ago and there was nothing I did to cause it. That was reassuring in a way, didn’t change anything, but at least I didn’t feel as if I had caused my condition by making poor decisions. There are, however, things that we do in life and decisions we make that do cause difficulty for ourselves and others. This is true both in a personal sense and in a broader sense of us as a society. I was thinking this week about the prayers we had for the friend of church members who was killed because someone had stolen a car, was driving recklessly, and got into an accident, killing someone else. That decision to steal a car and drive the way they did not only took a life, but will likely affect that family for years to come.

In February we mark the beginning of Lent. This is a season that represents many things, including the time Jesus spent in the desert, and it is a time to reflect on the ways our decisions impact ourselves and others. We strive in general, but especially during Lent, to think of ways we can becomes closer to God and better express the love of Christ. It can seem daunting sometimes. Perhaps there are things we regret in the past, but feel there is nothing we can do anything about. Perhaps we are in so much pain and despair that we don’t even see the point in focusing on such things. We can at any time of our life have many different frames of mind or regrets. The good news, however, is that through Christ we see that nothing is permanent except the connection we have with God, and God’s love for us. Mistakes, regrets, pain, longing, discomfort, all of these will pass or be resolved at some point through God’s love and forgiveness. Let us therefore see Lent not as a season of regret, but as a season of hope for a new dawn for all of us.

Peace and Blessings,
Pastor Brian

I have been thinking back to this time around three years ago. In the beginning of March 2020, I was so blissfully ignorant about what was to come. I remember March 8th 2020; it was the last normal Sunday before everything changed. It was a pleasant Sunday at the church, and I even participated in a charity wing eating competition later that day. We were scheduled to have the Chicken & Noodle dinner the following Saturday, and although I had heard about Covid, I didn’t think that much about it. Boy, what a difference a week can make. We went from a normal Sunday to having to cancel the Chicken & Noodle dinner, and having to cancel church for the first time during my ministry. Beware of the ides of March indeed! The rest we all remember, the difficulties, the losses and the ways in which the world changed. I think I am pondering this now, because we had our first in-person consistory meeting since the pandemic this past week. Things are still not back to normal, and many things might be changed forever, but during the consistory meeting, I had a brief memory of what things were like before this all happened.

Many, if not all of us, changed in some ways during the last three years. Some of us made decisions to focus on our health and get in shape, and some of us just gained weight (cough, cough). Some of our relationships were strengthened and some struggled mightily. We lost many whom we loved and still mourn those losses, but we also gained some new people in our life as well. It was and still is to some point a very tumultuous and ever-changing time. In a favorite science fiction series of mine, there is a character that speaks of the “Churn”, an idea that there is a constant cycle in society where every now and again things completely change, and that many people, usually the poor and vulnerable, suffer because of it. The pandemic in my mind would certainly fall into that category. Although upheaval can be very frightening, and rightfully so, it is also a time to remember what and who is important and to rely on those things. The world might be changing, but our values and those whom we love and care for need not change as well.

The pandemic gave us an opportunity to remember what was actually important and what transcended change. In many ways Lent is an opportunity to focus on that as well. We sometimes think that Lent is merely about taking stock about what we have done wrong, but that really accomplishes very little. Lent instead is a time to speak truth and focus on what kind of life our eternal values and faith calls us to. In the process we will realize the ways in which we have fallen short of those ideals, but hopefully we will also think about ways that we can better live up to them. Lent gives us an opportunity to take stock of our lives and ourselves without the usual crisis that would force such contemplation. In addition, if we follow this practice on a regular basis, we can not only better enjoy the easier parts of life, but we will be more prepared for great difficulties and societal changes as well.

Even in times of trouble, if we focus on our faith, hoping and praying for not only a better world, but the best version of ourselves, then we are doing the work of God. As we are reminded in Romans 12:12, “Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.”

Peace and Blessings,
Pastor Brian

I just finished checking the Covid numbers for the week in Greene County, and thankfully we are at the “low” level, as is much of Ohio. Of course, we still need to take common sense precautions as the virus is still active and it is still sending people to the hospital or worse. However, due to several factors such as vaccination rates and other precautions, we have mostly returned to normal, or a new normal perhaps, at Beaver church. I was thinking about this as Easter approaches and we prepare for our services and events. This will be the first Easter season since 2019 that will more or less have all the elements that it did before, including Easter lilies, although we did have to order them very early. The lilies are a small example of the new normal, where some things are still different and might be for quite some time. Then there are people who continue to struggle with things such as long Covid, or the loss of a loved one to the disease, and that will forever change their life.

Sometimes we think of life as a type of normality that is impacted by significant events, and then goes back to the normal it was before. It is as if events are like splashes in a pool of water, but after the waves are done, the pool goes back to the way it was before. The reality, however, is that there is no such thing as a static normal in life. We are affected by events, sometimes in drastic ways, and afterwards things return to a proximity of the life we knew before, but it is different; it has changed. Even if the Covid virus were to disappear overnight, its long-term effects will always be with us on some level, with things such as online services and long lily pre-order windows being reminders of that past. Such a realization can be stressful, as it means that the world is constantly changing, and will never be the same. Of course, sometimes change is good and beneficial for many generations to come.

I was thinking of this as I pondered the Easter season. Is it a time when we remember something that happened a long time ago, or is it a time in which we acknowledge something in the here and now? Yes, the fact is that Christ was crucified nearly 2,000 years ago. All of the people that witnessed the event have long since passed. The event is so long ago that the languages that recorded it are now dead. The resurrection of Christ was similarly a long time ago, but it is an event that we still feel today. Through the death and resurrection of Christ we have received salvation, even some 2,000 years later. Praise the Lord that change does in fact happen, and that all did not return to the way it was before Christ. So, as we celebrate Easter this year, let us remember the historic events that we read about in scripture, but more importantly let us remember that Easter is still with us in this very moment, the resurrection of Christ reverberates through time, and it is an event that is happening right before our eyes.

Peace, Blessings, and Happy Easter!
Pastor Brian

What is a life, and what is important about it? I have been thinking about these things more often lately as we have recently had several church members pass away and several dealing with difficult medical issues. The last funeral I performed was for a church member who passed at 101 and a half. I learned that when you get that old, the half year does matter. It’s interesting that when we are very young and very old, somehow the half portions of our years carry greater significance than when we are in the middle. This was the oldest person I have ever performed a funeral for, and although many were grieving and missed her, it is fair to say that she had a good and full life. That in itself is a blessing, which limits to some extent the tragic nature of a death. On the other side of the spectrum, I have performed funerals for infants and children, and these certainly have a great level of tragedy as we think of not only their loss, but of how the future years and experiences of their life were robbed from them as well.

A saying that many people have heard is that the only two things that are certain in life are death and taxes. Having had a brief side job as accountant, I can tell you that the latter is not true at all, because there are a number of people out there who haven’t paid their taxes for years. This means that we are down to death as the great equalizer that we will all share, rich or poor. Although it is something each one of us will experience at some point, there are some other things, too, that the vast majority of us will experience in life as well. Some of these include love, kindness, compassion, generosity, forgiveness, and on the other side, hate, cruelty, indifference, greed, and grudges. We both experience and provide for others a full range of human existence each and every day.

Although our time on this earth is limited, and very few of us will make it to 101, a life is still a blessing no matter the amount of time we have. In it we do experience this broad range of existence that is life. I don’t mean to suggest that the loss of life is not tragic, it is, but all life is a gift and a blessing as well. For me, I have tried to focus more on not what has been given to me in my life, but rather what I have given to the world. I believe that Christ calls us all to give to our lives and the world around us in the same way that he has given to us. If we can do that, it is a blessing not only for ourselves, but it is a double blessing for others as well. I will continue to follow my doctor’s orders and think about my health and longevity, but as one of my teachers often told me, quality matters more than quantity. I hope to focus as much on how I treat others and acknowledging the love given to me in this world, as I do my blood pressure or various health screenings. I do pray for the entire congregation to have long lives, but I also pray that they be good and blessed ones as well. If anything, this is what I have learned from my years of seeing lives lived and lost, and of my own existence here on earth.

Peace and Blessings
Pastor Brian

The first Sunday in June will be our annual Luau Sunday, a time to celebrate, eat some delicious food, and enjoy each other’s company. I’m not sure who came up with the idea originally, perhaps Martha or Alan, but our first one was held in 2015. Whoever suggested it I’m sure didn’t have to twist my arm too much, being that I love BBQ and everything having to do with Jimmy Buffett. I can remember our first one well, Martha in her grand Hawaiian dress, and the half a pig we had delivered to the church that was way too much to eat even with all of the extra people we had for that day. As time went on, we continued the tradition, sometimes even having special additions like a local native Hawaiian singer leading us in hula songs and dances. We skipped it for 2020 and 2021, as we did most everything, but held it again last year. It is an event that I truly enjoy at the church each year, and I’m very much looking forward to the one coming up.

Of course, there are some tearful memories I have from past luaus as well, people who have moved away and people who are no longer with us. In addition, there are so many difficulties people in the congregation are currently going through, and the idea of a celebration during such times might seem out of place. It is true that at every point in the life of our congregation there will be challenges for some. This begs the question, when is it ever an appropriate time to celebrate? The answer, I feel, acknowledges the fact that we always exist in a time of competing joys and hardships, blessings and concerns. For this reason, I think it is important to try and enjoy life and be grateful in our blessings when we can. Tragedy never waits, and therefore I don’t believe that celebration should wait either. Each Sunday we say prayers of thanksgiving for our joys and intercessory prayers for our concerns. I believe that acknowledging both is essential to life.

Even in the death and resurrection of Christ, the most sacred event in our faith, we see despair and joy in coexistence. On one hand we have the death of Christ. For the disciples and everyone who loved him, this would have been perhaps the most tragic event of their lives. The public execution of Christ was one of the darkest days ever. Yet, through Christ’s death we experience the ultimate blessing and joy of the resurrection, the greatest gift we could possibly receive. I think that it is no accident that such a joining of tragedy and joy exists in our faith. Why is there sorrow in the world? I don’t honestly have a good answer, but I know that God walks these paths with us in compassion and love, giving us joy in addition to the sorrow we face. So, this Luau Sunday, please join us in celebration, not as a way to forget despair, but as a way to show that joys and blessings exist despite them.

Peace and Blessings
Pastor Brian

As many of you know, my wife, Amelia, was away for two weeks helping to care for her grandmother in New Jersey. I did appreciate the offers of help while she was gone, because she had clearly left me helpless. I did survive things ok, and I didn’t even have to ask Bertine to come iron my shirts, although she did offer. However, perhaps that was more a comment on the state of my shirts, who knows? Thankfully, my mother and father taught me how to do the basics such as cook and clean, and I’m glad to know that as a grown adult in my late 40s, I can indeed take care of myself. Amelia’s plants, however— well, that might be another story. I did even manage to get a few home projects done while she was away. The only thing I really struggled with was missing my wife. In life we get close to other people, friends, family, spouses, and these relationships we have are very important, perhaps even the most important part of our life.

I remember a theology course in seminary where the professor spoke about one way in which we are made in God’s image: it is that we are relational beings and that we long for community. The professor made the argument that the very way in which God exists expresses this. God is not singular, God is not even a duality or partnership, but rather God is the Trinity, the minimum number needed for community. As we see in the Bible, Christ’s ministry was one of fellowship and community. Although Christ did have several one-on-one interactions, most of his ministry is expressed in group settings, and one of our sacraments, the Eucharist, comes from a meal shared in community. Even in the beginning of the Old Testament we see that in Genesis 2:18, God acknowledges it is not good for man to be alone. We also know that wherever two or three are gathered in Christ’s name, the Holy Spirit is present.

Now my two-week bachelor fest was really not too bad, but it did remind me of the importance of others and my relationships. That said, there are many in our community and in our church that do live alone, or do not have the opportunity to be often present with others face to face. This is one of the reasons I think ministries such as our after-church fellowship meals are so important. It is why I also think that gathering in-person in worship on a Sunday morning is crucial to a life of faith. We gather together to acknowledge and ask the Lord’s blessing, and in doing so are a blessing to each other. I certainly understand that schedules and health issues do not always allow for in-person church attendance, and I am grateful for our online capabilities and the extension of our ministries through them. That said, when we attend service, we do bring a joy and blessing to others. Simply being present is in itself a present. Together, we are the Body of Christ, and that is of great comfort to me and many others, especially when other connections in our lives are absent or no longer with us. Others make our life full of meaning and joy, even if we do struggle sometimes along the way. We were meant to be with each other, and our ability to do that for others is a great gift, greatly appreciated, wrinkly shirts and all.

Peace and Blessings,
Pastor Brian

In July we started our new church book study on the Holy Spirit. This is a part of the Trinity that sometimes gets left out of discussion at most churches except those of a more Pentecostal leaning. I have to admit that even as the son of a preacher, I grew up not hearing that much about the Holy Spirit. When I was younger, we called it the Holy Ghost, of course, and I remember as a child thinking that there was some Casper the Friendly Ghost version of God perhaps waiting around the corner somewhere. The idea that God was present and able to influence us was understood, but not necessarily attributed to the Holy Spirit directly, even though it should be. Some might wonder why I am talking about the Holy Spirit at all, but I do think it is important and I’ll explain why.

The Holy Spirit is the part of the Trinity that is physically present with us in the here and now. If we ever feel like we feel God’s presence, well that would be the Holy Spirit. What I like about this is that it shows us a God that is near to us and present with us always. God is not some being that is far away, but rather God is close to us always. I think this is helpful for having a close relationship with God. If we can see God as someone who is always in the very same room as us, rather than in some distant unseen place, then having a close and personal relationship with God through the Holy Spirit seems more straightforward. A well-known German theologian, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, once wrote about the importance of having regular conversations with God several times a day through prayer. It is through this very personal and regular interaction that we can best discern what God is calling us to do. It seems to me that the Holy Spirit would be the part of God best suited for this endeavor.

I remember when I was in seminary, I wrestled with the question of how to know if I was following God’s will. There was so much to do in the world to follow Christ, so many people to help. I decided that my job, thankfully, was not to do everything, but to try and earnestly listen for what God was calling me to do in any given moment. In any large organization an individual does only but a small part; however, if everyone is doing their job well, then together amazing things can happen. I still believe that, and I try to listen for God’s calling each day through the Holy Spirit. So, if you are wondering where God is, or what God is calling you to do, I would suggest that you open yourself to the Holy Spirit. Be in prayer and listen for God’s word to enter your mind and give you direction. Remember that you are never alone, God is always with you, and with each of us, working to care for us and guide us each and every day.

Peace and Blessings,
Pastor Brian

This past month I had a dental incident, a tooth that had previously had a root canal decided to crack in half. This issue was pretty obvious even without xrays, as there was a Grand-Canyon-shaped fissure running through my back molar. Every time I chewed anything it hurt, and apparently I needed a dental surgeon to remove it. I don’t know how many of you have tried to schedule orthodontic surgery recently, but most places are booked pretty far into the future. Some places couldn’t see me until November! Luckily, I found one who could squeeze me in after a week, and I took that opportunity. I was so excited to get that tooth pulled, and get on with my life. What I didn’t realize was that the real pain hadn’t yet begun. I’ve never had a tooth pulled, not even my wisdom teeth, and after the tooth was gone and the Novocain wore off,—boy, was I in pain. To make matters worse, there were only certain medications that I could take, because of other medications I was on. To make a long story short, I’m doing better now, but for many days I had this awful throbbing pain constantly, and it sure did interfere with my ability to concentrate and get things done. Sometimes life is like that; we can be doing mostly ok, and then out of the blue something difficult and or debilitating happens to us.

When you have a throbbing spot where your tooth used to be, it can be hard to focus on anything else. The pain in constant and constantly taking your attention. It does not matter if most everything else in your life is ok, or even if you know this pain will be temporary, for the time being it can be all-consuming. There are physical pains that are like that, and emotional and spiritual pains as well. I think about people whom I have lost and loved dearly, and at that moment there is very little else I can focus on. In the story of Christ, I think about the crucifixion and not only of the pain of Christ, but of the pain of the disciples and his family as well. How could they focus on anything else but the death of their savior. Of course, we know of the gift of the resurrection to come, but in that moment of suffering, even hope for the future can seem dim. For me, that is when I turn my focus to the God of the present, rather than even the hope of the future.

No matter what I have been through in life, it has always helped to be going through that with someone else, my spouse, my friends, and most importantly God. When we are in pain and discomfort, if we know we have others around us, if we know that we are loved and cared for, then it can make the pain of the present more bearable until a better future comes. This is one reason I often talk about Christ being present with us through the Spirit, and that God is always with us. Yes, I care about the promises of salvation and the eternity with Christ to come, but I also care about the here and now. I care about someone supporting me through the aching pains of life. Not only is God present for us always, but God places people in our lives to share the burden. If you are going through something difficult now or in the future, try to remember that we need not suffer alone. When others offer to help or hear you out, take them up on it, as this is one of the many ways God moves through the world. Perhaps by the time you read this, my tooth pain will be gone, and the pain itself is something I hope to forget, but never the people that helped me through it.

Peace and Blessings
Pastor Brian