Taking care of ones tools is key to a craftsman’s effectiveness. Regular maintenance extends the life of vehicles and machinery. Proper diet and exercise helps the human body perform as designed.
Pat and I have made a hobby of visiting yard sales and rescuing stuff abandoned by others. Our latest acquisition is a nicely carved wood pedestal. We plan to use it as an end table, the all-important place in my study for my morning cup of coffee. The carved piece is not museum quality, but nice enough to catch our eye. We found it on the front yard of a home where an estate sale was being conducted. It will need several hours, or days, of restoration. It would have been so much better if the owners had taken care of my future table.
Relationships are that way. Give others enough time to keep lines of communication wide open, oiled with caring exchanges. To maintain friendships one must share life’s joys and sorrows, challenges and successes. A little time with friends and teammates, shared regularly, is like a coat of wax on a fine wood surface, a drop of oil in a moving joint, a honed edge on a cutting tool. Alas, we often become too busy to do simple things together and the edges of life are dulled. When friends are needed most, those who have been inattentive find themselves powerless, dull, unable to function correctly.
The spiritual disciplines of prayer, Word and witness are repetitively mentioned. Spending time with others, encouraging faith and sharing life too frequently falls into disrepair. Text messages and e-mail messages cannot communicate tone of voice, nuances of hurt and happiness. Rushed greetings can numb the edges of relationships as surely as dropped tools are dulled. Digital stuff is quickly shared and then, easily erased. To communicate real feelings and share ones heart nothing beats meeting with friends face-to-face. A handwritten note takes longer and usually touches more deeply.
My “new” old table will look great, but at the cost of hours of restoration. The second use will be better than the fate it would have had if it remained on the front lawn unprotected for another season or two. The original beauty will never be seen again. Someone neglected it. Friendships are best when well-maintained.
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Monday, February 20, 2012
Job's friends, and ine
If one has friends, he is wealthy. A man who had spent a childhood in poverty once shared with me about the frustration of becoming wealthy. The frustration stemmed from his being unable to qualify friends. He said, “When I was poor, friends were simple to identify. Now that I am wealthy, I am never quite sure why people want to spend time with me.” Friendship can be slippery!
Everyone needs friends and Solomon reminds all who will listen, “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!” (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10)
Have you noticed that Job had at least four men who were willing to associate with him, in spite of his having lost everything except a nagging wife? Each friend was imperfect but willing to spend time with a broken spirited, impoverished, sick friend. Job didn’t have to wonder, “Are these fellows after my money?” or, “Do they want to borrow my ranch equipment?” He had none!
One thing I have noticed in Job, “All friends are flawed!” No one is able to perfectly live up to our expectations. Friends are human and say things they will later regret. The Lord has had to correct all of us who spoke with eloquence and all sincerity, just like he rebuffed Eliphaz, Bildad, Zophar and Elihu. When reading carefully, each of the friends had something good to say, true observations about life and God. On occasion even my friends and I have had deep insights, flashes of theological and philosophic brilliance.
Elihu ranks as a special nominee on the slate of candidates for “most likeable friend.” Being the youngest, he waited patiently, listened carefully, and weighed thoroughly the speeches of Job and the others. (May his tribe multiply, fill the earth, and run for President of the United States!) The process Elihu went through before speaking makes me want to meet him and share a cup of coffee. You have to love this young fellow! He spoke and many things made sense.
The one thing all five men had in common, they could not see or hear what God could see and hear. Each could wax eloquently from their narrow experience base. But, when the Lord speaks, He begins with a series of rhetorical questions which leave wise men speechless. The Lord established His qualifications to speak by asking –
• “Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundations?”
• “Have you ever given orders to the morning, or shown the dawn its place?”
• “What is the way to the abode of the light? And where does darkness hide?”
• “What is the way to the place where the lightning is dispersed?”
• “Can you bring forth the constellations in their seasons?”
The innate limitation of human friends is evident. The One who “sticks closer than a brother,” is far better qualified to unravel the imponderables in life, light the darkness, calm the storm, and heal oozing boils. We all tend toward “A” and “B” as possible solutions. Right and wrong is the usual scope of our consideration. But the One who is Alpha and Omega says, “I have considered ‘A’ through ‘Z!’”
On occasion I get bogged down in “A” or “B” thinking, thrashing wildly, searching for an exit to unpleasant circumstances. Then the Lord speaks, often through a friend who unwittingly shares a “D” or “Q” solution. The Lord delivers a word of wisdom, or a word of knowledge, supernaturally, by the Spirit, and through a friend.
In the end, Job prayed for his friends and they continued together. It seems to me that the four friends continued with Job through his second season of prosperity. I am keeping mine too!
Everyone needs friends and Solomon reminds all who will listen, “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!” (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10)
Have you noticed that Job had at least four men who were willing to associate with him, in spite of his having lost everything except a nagging wife? Each friend was imperfect but willing to spend time with a broken spirited, impoverished, sick friend. Job didn’t have to wonder, “Are these fellows after my money?” or, “Do they want to borrow my ranch equipment?” He had none!
One thing I have noticed in Job, “All friends are flawed!” No one is able to perfectly live up to our expectations. Friends are human and say things they will later regret. The Lord has had to correct all of us who spoke with eloquence and all sincerity, just like he rebuffed Eliphaz, Bildad, Zophar and Elihu. When reading carefully, each of the friends had something good to say, true observations about life and God. On occasion even my friends and I have had deep insights, flashes of theological and philosophic brilliance.
Elihu ranks as a special nominee on the slate of candidates for “most likeable friend.” Being the youngest, he waited patiently, listened carefully, and weighed thoroughly the speeches of Job and the others. (May his tribe multiply, fill the earth, and run for President of the United States!) The process Elihu went through before speaking makes me want to meet him and share a cup of coffee. You have to love this young fellow! He spoke and many things made sense.
The one thing all five men had in common, they could not see or hear what God could see and hear. Each could wax eloquently from their narrow experience base. But, when the Lord speaks, He begins with a series of rhetorical questions which leave wise men speechless. The Lord established His qualifications to speak by asking –
• “Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundations?”
• “Have you ever given orders to the morning, or shown the dawn its place?”
• “What is the way to the abode of the light? And where does darkness hide?”
• “What is the way to the place where the lightning is dispersed?”
• “Can you bring forth the constellations in their seasons?”
The innate limitation of human friends is evident. The One who “sticks closer than a brother,” is far better qualified to unravel the imponderables in life, light the darkness, calm the storm, and heal oozing boils. We all tend toward “A” and “B” as possible solutions. Right and wrong is the usual scope of our consideration. But the One who is Alpha and Omega says, “I have considered ‘A’ through ‘Z!’”
On occasion I get bogged down in “A” or “B” thinking, thrashing wildly, searching for an exit to unpleasant circumstances. Then the Lord speaks, often through a friend who unwittingly shares a “D” or “Q” solution. The Lord delivers a word of wisdom, or a word of knowledge, supernaturally, by the Spirit, and through a friend.
In the end, Job prayed for his friends and they continued together. It seems to me that the four friends continued with Job through his second season of prosperity. I am keeping mine too!
Communciating the Message
From the preface of a book authored by Charles Haddon Spurgeon, “Last time I made a book I trod on some people’s corns and bunions, and they wrote me angry letters, asking, “Did you mean me?” This time, to save them the expense of a halfpenny card, I will begin my book by saying —
Whether I please or whether I tease,
I’ll give you my honest mind;
If the cap should fit,
pray wear it a bit,
If not, you can leave it behind.
At the risk of confirming friends’ suspicion that I am a “Johnny One Note,” redundant and stubborn, I appeal, again, asking that Jesus’ disciples assess our strident and militant assertion of rights. How well are we communicating Jesus in the role of political operatives? Can the “Joyful Sound” be heard above our boisterous, whining dissatisfaction with national politics? Is anyone moved toward the Christ when we rattle political swords weighted with numbers and money akin to worlds’? Can anyone come to believe “Jesus Saves” when the message is imbedded in the rabble of politics and rancor of truth wrapped in unloving, unforgiving, impatient language used in the world’s marketplace? Is there a place for kindness and mercy in the political arena?
The most frequently quoted line from Esther is Mordecai’s appeal to Hadassah, “Who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?” (4:14) In response to her uncle’s urgent request, Hadassah risked her life and became one of the great ladies of the faith. But, the line that challenges me is found in chapter eight, and is repeated three times, “They did not lay their hands on the plunder.” (Verses 10, 15, 16)
King Xerxes authorized Mordecai to issue decrees righting the wrongs of Haman. The “tables were turned.” (8:2) The weak were now large and in charge. The power had swung from a mean spirited antisemitism to the Jews. “Mordecai was prominent in the palace,” the hour for flexing muscles had arrived. (8:4) The Jews, terrorized and disenfranchised for decades slaughtered more than five hundred men, but refused to take the livelihood and security of the men’s families. “They did not lay their hands on the plunder.”
In a “go for the jugular” political arena, could the church prove its otherworldly value as citizens of a greater Kingdom? Are we confident that the “kingdom of this world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ? Are we convinced that, “He will reign forever and ever?” (Revelation 11:15)
Let us stride forward in faith, exploring ways to demonstrate the Kingdom of God, rather than sniveling fearfully, overeating and grabbing for the plunder. How do we do that? I am not sure, but kindness, forgiveness and mercy are the message of our King.
Whether I please or whether I tease,
I’ll give you my honest mind;
If the cap should fit,
pray wear it a bit,
If not, you can leave it behind.
At the risk of confirming friends’ suspicion that I am a “Johnny One Note,” redundant and stubborn, I appeal, again, asking that Jesus’ disciples assess our strident and militant assertion of rights. How well are we communicating Jesus in the role of political operatives? Can the “Joyful Sound” be heard above our boisterous, whining dissatisfaction with national politics? Is anyone moved toward the Christ when we rattle political swords weighted with numbers and money akin to worlds’? Can anyone come to believe “Jesus Saves” when the message is imbedded in the rabble of politics and rancor of truth wrapped in unloving, unforgiving, impatient language used in the world’s marketplace? Is there a place for kindness and mercy in the political arena?
The most frequently quoted line from Esther is Mordecai’s appeal to Hadassah, “Who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?” (4:14) In response to her uncle’s urgent request, Hadassah risked her life and became one of the great ladies of the faith. But, the line that challenges me is found in chapter eight, and is repeated three times, “They did not lay their hands on the plunder.” (Verses 10, 15, 16)
King Xerxes authorized Mordecai to issue decrees righting the wrongs of Haman. The “tables were turned.” (8:2) The weak were now large and in charge. The power had swung from a mean spirited antisemitism to the Jews. “Mordecai was prominent in the palace,” the hour for flexing muscles had arrived. (8:4) The Jews, terrorized and disenfranchised for decades slaughtered more than five hundred men, but refused to take the livelihood and security of the men’s families. “They did not lay their hands on the plunder.”
In a “go for the jugular” political arena, could the church prove its otherworldly value as citizens of a greater Kingdom? Are we confident that the “kingdom of this world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ? Are we convinced that, “He will reign forever and ever?” (Revelation 11:15)
Let us stride forward in faith, exploring ways to demonstrate the Kingdom of God, rather than sniveling fearfully, overeating and grabbing for the plunder. How do we do that? I am not sure, but kindness, forgiveness and mercy are the message of our King.
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Integrity
People may startle us. We get used to them, become familiar with their mode of operation, and then, suddenly, they confound us. Nehemiah does that. He appears as a manager, organizing people, developing plans, and establishing systems that assure order and productivity in the newly rebuilt Jerusalem. Nehemiah numbered and organized the priests, exiles, and workers according to their crafts. A system was implemented to care for the poor. (Could he have been have a “do good” liberal?) He is most commonly remembered as a letter writing labor negotiator and super-foreman for a massive building project. He organized the relocation of masses of people. His record of events was written in the first person complete with a prophetic streak rushing to the surface in the last chapter where Nehemiah erupts with a short list of indignant rebukes.
When Nehemiah discovered that the offerings in support of the priests had not been distributed he issued the first of three reprimands. “I learned that the portions assigned to the Levites had not been given to them, and that all the Levites and singers responsible for the service had gone back to their own fields. So I rebuked the officials and asked them, ‘Why is the house of God neglected?’” (Verses 10-11) Misappropriation of funds, carelessness with God’s money is a grievous offence. The records of Ezra and Nehemiah establish that the people gave generously. There was no shortage, just bad management!
The second infraction lighting Nehemiah’s fuse of outrage was the misuse of the Sabbath, the Lord’s Day. “I rebuked the nobles of Judah and said to them, ‘What is this wicked thing you are doing— desecrating the Sabbath day? Didn’t your forefathers do the same things, so that our God brought all this calamity upon us and upon this city? Now you are stirring up more wrath against Israel by desecrating the Sabbath.’” (Verses 17,18) One can hear, “How dare you?” from Nehemiah’s quivering lips! He offered no room for excuses.
And, finally, Nehemiah railed against the grave infraction of corrupting God’s expectations about marriage. To a rebuke, curses and punishments are added. “I rebuked them and called curses down on them. I beat some of the men and pulled out their hair. I made them take an oath in God’s name and said: ‘You are not to give your daughters in marriage to their sons, nor are you to take their daughters in marriage for your sons or for yourselves. Was it not because of marriages like these that Solomon king of Israel sinned? Among the many nations there was no king like him. He was loved by his God, and God made him king over all Israel, but even he was led into sin by foreign women.’” (Verses 25-26) Hello! Is our culture ready for such narrow minded bigotry?
There is no lack of passion, no ambivalence or ambiguity. The Lord’s spokesman makes his points as clear as fine crystal. Nehemiah’s rebukes cannot be misunderstood or ignored. Money management, observance of the Lord’s Day and marriage are God’s bell weathers. We cannot overlook how frequently the same issues define culture and church today. How will we respond when God appoints someone to deliver a sound rebuke today?
When Nehemiah discovered that the offerings in support of the priests had not been distributed he issued the first of three reprimands. “I learned that the portions assigned to the Levites had not been given to them, and that all the Levites and singers responsible for the service had gone back to their own fields. So I rebuked the officials and asked them, ‘Why is the house of God neglected?’” (Verses 10-11) Misappropriation of funds, carelessness with God’s money is a grievous offence. The records of Ezra and Nehemiah establish that the people gave generously. There was no shortage, just bad management!
The second infraction lighting Nehemiah’s fuse of outrage was the misuse of the Sabbath, the Lord’s Day. “I rebuked the nobles of Judah and said to them, ‘What is this wicked thing you are doing— desecrating the Sabbath day? Didn’t your forefathers do the same things, so that our God brought all this calamity upon us and upon this city? Now you are stirring up more wrath against Israel by desecrating the Sabbath.’” (Verses 17,18) One can hear, “How dare you?” from Nehemiah’s quivering lips! He offered no room for excuses.
And, finally, Nehemiah railed against the grave infraction of corrupting God’s expectations about marriage. To a rebuke, curses and punishments are added. “I rebuked them and called curses down on them. I beat some of the men and pulled out their hair. I made them take an oath in God’s name and said: ‘You are not to give your daughters in marriage to their sons, nor are you to take their daughters in marriage for your sons or for yourselves. Was it not because of marriages like these that Solomon king of Israel sinned? Among the many nations there was no king like him. He was loved by his God, and God made him king over all Israel, but even he was led into sin by foreign women.’” (Verses 25-26) Hello! Is our culture ready for such narrow minded bigotry?
There is no lack of passion, no ambivalence or ambiguity. The Lord’s spokesman makes his points as clear as fine crystal. Nehemiah’s rebukes cannot be misunderstood or ignored. Money management, observance of the Lord’s Day and marriage are God’s bell weathers. We cannot overlook how frequently the same issues define culture and church today. How will we respond when God appoints someone to deliver a sound rebuke today?
What could have been
“What could have been” is a too familiar phrase in conversation. The phrase is used of athletes who are injured before reaching their prime, singers who develop polyps on their vocal chords, or youth who entangle their lives in foolishness. Promising personalities litter the pathways leading to recognition and accomplishment because of a small flaw left untended. “What could have been” can be applied to Josiah whose biography is found in 2 Chronicles 34-35.
Josiah was only eight years-old when he became king of Judah. As a sixteen year-old he began to seriously seek God and started a nationwide reform movement. Full of courage and youthful idealism, Josiah smashed the altars of the gods of lewdness and perversion allowed by his grandfather, Manasseh, and father, Amon.
When Josiah turned twenty-six, his administration initiated a massive temple rebuilding project. While the renovation project proceeded, the Book of the Law was discovered somewhere in the Temple compound and was read to the still young king, Josiah’s heart was stirred and the king demonstrated the broken and contrite spirit who his ancestor David said would never be denied. (Psalm 51) Huldah the prophetess was called to Jerusalem where she delivered God’s promise, “Because your heart was responsive and you humbled yourself before God when you heard what he spoke against this place and its people, and because you humbled yourself before me and tore your robes and wept in my presence, I have heard you, declares the LORD. Now I will gather you to your fathers, and you will be buried in peace.”
Josiah’s fatal flaw, literally, was a response to feelings of self-satisfaction and stubbornness. Josiah was euphoric! The people had responded to his appeals for offerings and temple renovations were completed without a mortgage. The Passover was a national success and Israeli citizens were content. So, emboldened by his achievements, Josiah butted into a war in which he didn’t need to be involved. Neco, the king of Egypt tried his best to dissuade Josiah, but forty-nine-year-old was on a roll! He would fight because he wanted to fight. Was winning a war, in Josiah’s reasoning, a way to expand his influence? We’ll never know “what could have been.” Josiah was killed in a battle he didn’t need to fight.
A faithful mentor repeatedly reminded me, and I remember years after his death. “We are driven toward the Lord in failure and struggles, but are lured away when we are feeling successful.” In other words, success is harder to deal with than failure. “What could have been” moments are most frequently rooted in personal flaws which render us careless, undisciplined, vulnerable. Josiah had probably forgotten sage counsel of his forefather Solomon, “He who walks with the wise grows wise, but the companion of fools suffers harm.” (Proverbs 13:20)
Josiah was only eight years-old when he became king of Judah. As a sixteen year-old he began to seriously seek God and started a nationwide reform movement. Full of courage and youthful idealism, Josiah smashed the altars of the gods of lewdness and perversion allowed by his grandfather, Manasseh, and father, Amon.
When Josiah turned twenty-six, his administration initiated a massive temple rebuilding project. While the renovation project proceeded, the Book of the Law was discovered somewhere in the Temple compound and was read to the still young king, Josiah’s heart was stirred and the king demonstrated the broken and contrite spirit who his ancestor David said would never be denied. (Psalm 51) Huldah the prophetess was called to Jerusalem where she delivered God’s promise, “Because your heart was responsive and you humbled yourself before God when you heard what he spoke against this place and its people, and because you humbled yourself before me and tore your robes and wept in my presence, I have heard you, declares the LORD. Now I will gather you to your fathers, and you will be buried in peace.”
Josiah’s fatal flaw, literally, was a response to feelings of self-satisfaction and stubbornness. Josiah was euphoric! The people had responded to his appeals for offerings and temple renovations were completed without a mortgage. The Passover was a national success and Israeli citizens were content. So, emboldened by his achievements, Josiah butted into a war in which he didn’t need to be involved. Neco, the king of Egypt tried his best to dissuade Josiah, but forty-nine-year-old was on a roll! He would fight because he wanted to fight. Was winning a war, in Josiah’s reasoning, a way to expand his influence? We’ll never know “what could have been.” Josiah was killed in a battle he didn’t need to fight.
A faithful mentor repeatedly reminded me, and I remember years after his death. “We are driven toward the Lord in failure and struggles, but are lured away when we are feeling successful.” In other words, success is harder to deal with than failure. “What could have been” moments are most frequently rooted in personal flaws which render us careless, undisciplined, vulnerable. Josiah had probably forgotten sage counsel of his forefather Solomon, “He who walks with the wise grows wise, but the companion of fools suffers harm.” (Proverbs 13:20)
Love is doing the right thing!
Yesterday Pat and I watched a morning television news magazine as a young family was interviewed. Their story has been made into a film being released in time for Valentines Day. “The Vow” is the true story of a very young couple recovering from an accident that put the wife, Paige, in a coma. She awoke with severe memory loss and couldn’t remember any of her life with her husband. Leo had to fight to win Paige’s heart all over again.
Paige and Leo had been married for five years. While traveling by car on a snowy night, the couple were hit by a truck. Paige, who wasn't wearing her seat belt, was seriously injured. Awakening from her coma, Paige did not remember Leo or the past five years of her life, believed she to be a law student, still on good terms with her parents, and engaged to marry her ex-fiancee. Despite this, Leo made heroic efforts to help Paige regain her memory. However, she could not remember and struggled to get back into her old routines and even moved back into her parents’ home.
Leo’s love for Paige continued throughout the struggle. The details of how they are keeping the vows made years ago make the rest of the story. The extreme tests of love experienced by Paige and Leo are unusual. But, all love is tested.
Sunday Pat and I began our forty-sixth revolution around the sun together. Pat nor my memories have been snatched away by a massive head trauma. Our memories are just hazy now and then! The real demands of life, including illness, moving, changes in how we express our vocation, financial needs – everything common to people everywhere, require that vows are remembered and renewed.
The most impressive line in the interview is, “Love is doing the right thing, keeping one’s vows.” Both husband and wife clearly “get it!” Paige and Leo mentioned their faith repeatedly. Solomon counseled, “Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart.” (Proverbs 3:3)
HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY!
Paige and Leo had been married for five years. While traveling by car on a snowy night, the couple were hit by a truck. Paige, who wasn't wearing her seat belt, was seriously injured. Awakening from her coma, Paige did not remember Leo or the past five years of her life, believed she to be a law student, still on good terms with her parents, and engaged to marry her ex-fiancee. Despite this, Leo made heroic efforts to help Paige regain her memory. However, she could not remember and struggled to get back into her old routines and even moved back into her parents’ home.
Leo’s love for Paige continued throughout the struggle. The details of how they are keeping the vows made years ago make the rest of the story. The extreme tests of love experienced by Paige and Leo are unusual. But, all love is tested.
Sunday Pat and I began our forty-sixth revolution around the sun together. Pat nor my memories have been snatched away by a massive head trauma. Our memories are just hazy now and then! The real demands of life, including illness, moving, changes in how we express our vocation, financial needs – everything common to people everywhere, require that vows are remembered and renewed.
The most impressive line in the interview is, “Love is doing the right thing, keeping one’s vows.” Both husband and wife clearly “get it!” Paige and Leo mentioned their faith repeatedly. Solomon counseled, “Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart.” (Proverbs 3:3)
HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY!
Monday, February 13, 2012
Little ones count!
It was the second or third week in our first pastorate. I had fallen asleep on the floor of the parsonage. We had no furniture yet. I answered a knock at the door to meet a pastor from a nearby town. As we chatted, he asked, “Well, how many did you have in church this morning?” I was thrilled to answer that there were more than twenty in worship. (There had been seven the first week!)“How many were kids?” he asked. “You know, kids don’t count and don’t contribute to the offerings!”
But, little ones count! Hezekiah, one of the really good kings of Judah, teaches us the importance of children with his example. He ordered the priests to “Distribute to the males three years old or more whose names were in the genealogical records ....They included all the little ones, the wives, and the sons and daughters of the whole community ....” (2 Chronicles 31:16,17)
Jesus reinforced the importance of little ones. St. Mark included the following in his gospel, “People were bringing little children to Jesus to have him touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.’ And he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them.” (Mark 10:13-15)
In 1992 we were privileged to plant Vailsburg Assembly of God and Growing Garden Preschool in Newark, New Jersey. Actual church ministries were preceded by almost two years of renovations on the former Presbyterian church building we had purchased. The heroic efforts of Pat and Rayanna Baines, who worked for pennies per hour, resulted in the academy gaining enrollment and strength. Among the first children enrolled was a girl whose mother was born in Africa and immigrated to New Jersey. That girl is now completing her studies at Rutgers University specializing in prosthetic engineering. Her ambition is to create state-of-the-art prosthetics for people who have lost limbs. Throughout high school that “little one” was a leader among the church youth.
Like most urban church plants, Vailsburg needed financial help at the outset, but gradually gained strength. After Jonathan, our son, became the pastor in 1998, he pointed out that Vailsburg Assembly was doing well financially under his leadership. In the short history of the church, “little ones” and preteens had grown and taken jobs. They began contributing tithes and offerings. You can be sure that the young engineer, who remains in the church, will make significant contributions when she enters the workforce full time.
In less than twenty years since Vailsburg Assembly began the community has become a far more desirable place to live. Children have married, and some of the first new disciples are now grandparents and three generations worship together. Three of our grandchildren’s first lessons in corporate worship and prayer were learned there, beginning as infants. “Little ones” count and are worthy of large, concentrated investments.
Occasionally we need to remember that the man who plants an acorn will not live long enough to sit in the shade of the oak growing from that seed. Orchard owners plant trees that won’t bear fruit for years. But, if they don’t, there will be no fruit in the future. Little trees grow and bear fruit.
For more than forty-five years Pat has reminded everyone within hearing how important little ones are. She has been vindicated hundreds of times over. Thank God for Pat’s long and effective ministry to the “little ones.”
But, little ones count! Hezekiah, one of the really good kings of Judah, teaches us the importance of children with his example. He ordered the priests to “Distribute to the males three years old or more whose names were in the genealogical records ....They included all the little ones, the wives, and the sons and daughters of the whole community ....” (2 Chronicles 31:16,17)
Jesus reinforced the importance of little ones. St. Mark included the following in his gospel, “People were bringing little children to Jesus to have him touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.’ And he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them.” (Mark 10:13-15)
In 1992 we were privileged to plant Vailsburg Assembly of God and Growing Garden Preschool in Newark, New Jersey. Actual church ministries were preceded by almost two years of renovations on the former Presbyterian church building we had purchased. The heroic efforts of Pat and Rayanna Baines, who worked for pennies per hour, resulted in the academy gaining enrollment and strength. Among the first children enrolled was a girl whose mother was born in Africa and immigrated to New Jersey. That girl is now completing her studies at Rutgers University specializing in prosthetic engineering. Her ambition is to create state-of-the-art prosthetics for people who have lost limbs. Throughout high school that “little one” was a leader among the church youth.
Like most urban church plants, Vailsburg needed financial help at the outset, but gradually gained strength. After Jonathan, our son, became the pastor in 1998, he pointed out that Vailsburg Assembly was doing well financially under his leadership. In the short history of the church, “little ones” and preteens had grown and taken jobs. They began contributing tithes and offerings. You can be sure that the young engineer, who remains in the church, will make significant contributions when she enters the workforce full time.
In less than twenty years since Vailsburg Assembly began the community has become a far more desirable place to live. Children have married, and some of the first new disciples are now grandparents and three generations worship together. Three of our grandchildren’s first lessons in corporate worship and prayer were learned there, beginning as infants. “Little ones” count and are worthy of large, concentrated investments.
Occasionally we need to remember that the man who plants an acorn will not live long enough to sit in the shade of the oak growing from that seed. Orchard owners plant trees that won’t bear fruit for years. But, if they don’t, there will be no fruit in the future. Little trees grow and bear fruit.
For more than forty-five years Pat has reminded everyone within hearing how important little ones are. She has been vindicated hundreds of times over. Thank God for Pat’s long and effective ministry to the “little ones.”
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