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Love Letters
Plow Creek Mennonite
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Love Letters from Rich Foss
to Plow Creek - 2005
Rich
Foss is an elder at Plow Creek and founder of
Evergreen Leaders
Ordinary people. Thriving groups.
Check out Rich's Thriving groups blog
email: richfoss@evergreenleaders.org
Evergreen Leaders
Ordinary people. Thriving groups.
Check out Rich's Thriving groups blog
email: richfoss@evergreenleaders.org
December 1, 2005 In sickness and in health
November 13, 2005 On shame and faith
October 30, 2005 A child-like reprimand is a beautiful thing
October 16, 2005 Getting the giggles with Jesus
October 10, 2005 When I was an exile you took me in
October 3, 2005 My kind of Mennonite
September 24, 2005 Getting back on the loving-one-another track
September 18, 2005 Making your mark
July 30, 2005 Looking for love at Plow Creek
July 14, 2005 High morbidity risk
May 15, 2005 Honoring a life of people art and ceramic art
May 8, 2005 A community of life givers
April 24, 2005 Two theories to arguing
April 18, 2005 The vision of the first song bird
April 11, 2005 Looking for love
April 2, 2005 Need some loving?
March 20, 2005 Falling asleep in the middle of spiritual oversight
March 14, 2005 Loving your enemy on Today
March 6, 2005 God has Grandma read the newspaper
February 27, 2005 Beauty in the whirlwind
February 20, 2005 An adventure in beauty
February 13, 2005 Stir me up, buttercup
February 8, 2005 I'm in
January 30, 2005 Loving our Muslim neighbors
January 23, 2005 The American worry
January 13, 2005 Leaping into teaching on money
Letters from 2004
Letters from 2003
Letters from 2002
In sickness and in health December 1, 2005
Dear folks,
Thank you, each one of you for praying for me when I was the hospital. Thank you, Neil and Louise, for each for making pastoral visits.
Thank you to David and Margaret, Rick and Lynn visiting me in the hospital. I needed some of my Plow Creek people with me.
Sarah, what can I say? You are a peach of a wife. When I was so sick I couldn’t call for help, you took me to the hospital, sleeping on a cot next to me, always making sure love was in the room. You taught me a deeper understanding of “in sickness and in health.”
Here’s a quick summary of my illness. The morning after an enjoyable Thanksgiving I woke at 3:30 a.m. with the chills and shortness of breath. My breathing woke Sarah and she wondered if she should call the ambulance. After taking Tylenol I was able to return to normal breathing and sleep.
At 6:00 a.m. I woke and felt sick but well enough to call my Dad at 6:30, a weekly Friday morning tradition. During the call I kept falling asleep and Dad suggested we talk again later.
I have a vague memory of Sarah calling a doctor and I remember realizing that we were entering Peru. I don’t remember getting into my new electric wheelchair that steers with a joystick. I had driven such a wheelchair approximately three minutes previously. Not a good time to learn to drive by joystick. Sarah says I went in circles in the parking lot.
She pretty much had to tell me what to do and where to go although, on good day, I am more familiar with that part of IVCH than Sarah.
The ER determined that I had pneumonia in both lungs. They hospitalized me and put me on IV antibiotics and breathing treatments. Friday night I had vomiting, diahrea, a high fever, my blood pressure dropped to one half normal (68/38), and my pulse rate was 154. Needless to say this was very scary to Sarah.
I slept most of Saturday. By Sunday morning I felt a little better and got out of bed the first time. On Tuesday noon my temperature finally returned to normal and I was discharged Tuesday at 8:00 p.m.
Wednesday at 12:30 a.m., I woke breathing poorly and with pain in my chest. All I could think of was that I did not want to wake Sarah. I calmed myself down and experimented and discovered the pain increased greatly if I breathed deeply. If I breathed quietly it went away.
Today Sarah took me to my pulmonologist who determined that the pain was not a blood clot, (a potentially deadly possibility) but pleurisy, a pain I can live with.
I have asked Louise and Neil to take over eldering for me for the month of December. I know that I need physical recovery time and, shortly before getting sick, I realized I was in need of spiritual strengthening also. When I read Psalm 63:1 this morning, I realized it pictures how I feel. I also need to spend time praying about future directions for PCF and Evergreen Leaders.
While we (Sarah & I) also plan to be absent from PCF and PCMC members meetings for December, I hope to be at worship on Sundays, lead communion on Dec. 21, and be part of the Bible study on Tuesday night.
I love each one of you and love serving each one of you as an elder. What an honor to be God’s people in sickness and health.
Blessings,
Rich
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On shame and faith November 13, 2005
Dear folks,
Your faith has saved you; go in peace. Luke 7:50
Jesus of Nazareth
Each of us has had things in our lives we are ashamed of -- things that we have done or things done to us.
I love Jesus. When we come to him in our shame he takes us in with his eyes, his conversation, his kindness, and sends us on our way, clean and peaceful.
“Your faith has saved you; go in peace,” he said to a prostitute who wept on his feet, dried them with her hair, kissed them, and anointed them with oil at Simon’s dinner party.
Shame was a way of life for this woman and yet Jesus let her pour all her shame on his feet in tears and when he looked at her with love she could hardly stop kissing his feet.
Jesus knew what it was like to be put down. Simon, the host, had repeatedly snubbed him that evening and yet this woman, who knew so much shame, found within herself a deep well of love for Jesus
I am so thankful that in Jesus’ presence our shame becomes an artesian well of love for Jesus and each other.
Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.
Blessings,
Rich
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A child-like reprimand is a beautiful thing October 30, 2005
Dear folks,
He called a little child and had him stand among them. And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
Jesus of Nazareth
I love Jesus. His disciples were trying figure out the pecking order in their little community. Unable to settle it among themselves they asked Jesus, “Who’s the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”
Jesus reprimands them and teaches them in such a gentle way, calling to a little child and having him stand among the disciples. I’m sure that go their attention.
Then he says that unless they change and become like the little child…
Tutuk and Leonide are leading worship this morning. That reminds me of a child-like reprimand I received after they led worship a few months ago.
Lyn Fitz came to me and pointed out that I had come late to worship that day. My wheelchair makes a lot of noise when I enter, she said, making it difficult for people to hear the worship leaders. She suggested that if I come late that I wait to enter until the congregation is singing.
Although I was a bit taken aback by her reprimand I immediately saw the wisdom of her suggestion and agreed.
The more I’ve thought about Lyn’s reprimand of me the more beautiful it seems. There are three things that made it beautiful.
She came to me shortly after the event so that I immediately remembered what she was referring to.
She came to me with a child-like spirit, no scolding like a grown-up to a child, but a simple and straight-forward recounting of the event.
Then she suggested a change in my behavior--wait until the congregation is singing--to make sure my wheelchair did not make it hard for the congregation to hear the worship leader.
Even a child like me could understand Lyn’s suggestion.
A child-like reprimand is a godly thing.
Blessings,
Rich
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Getting the giggles with Jesus October 16, 2005
Dear folks,
Whoever humbles himself like this little child is the greatest in heaven. -- Jesus of Nazareth
Recently Steve Graham and I went to a daylong workshop sponsored by the organization that Lynn Reha co-leads. At one point in the workshop the leader asked us to list out what we would be if the had three alternative lives. I wrote the first three things that came to mind:
An NBA point guard.
A winner of the Nobel prize for literature.
The CEO of an organization with dozens of teachers teaching groups around the world how to thrive.
A winner of the Nobel prize for literature.
The CEO of an organization with dozens of teachers teaching groups around the world how to thrive.
I look at Jesus’ comment about humbling oneself like this little child and I think, Uffda, I have a ways to be great like Jesus envisioned greatness.
And then I ask myself, given Jesus’ vision of greatness, what three things would I like to do today?
Smile at a child the Lord has blessed Plow Creek with.
With an adult who is feeling overpowered, be playful.
Get the giggles with Jesus.
Blessings,
Rich
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When I was an exile you took me in October 10, 2005
Dear folks,
I am sitting in Waco, TX, in the home of Joe and Nancy Gatlin, thinking about you.
Several years ago on a retreat I sensed the Lord telling me that I should reconnect with my Pentecostal roots. I attempted to connect with some Pentecostals I knew we just didn’t connect. Finally I said, “Lord, if you want me to reconnect with my Pentecostal roots you will have to make it happen.”
In August I received an invitation to attend the first annual Pentecostal Charismatic Peace Fellowship retreat in Midlothian, TX, which I did last weekend.
The original Pentecostal leaders were deeply committed to nonviolence and loving their enemies. In most Pentecostal denominations that teaching has been lost in history. What a gift to be with a group of about thirty people from both African-American and Anglo Pentecostal denominations that together were passionately reconnecting with their Pentecostal peace roots.
When I heard the Lord calling me to reconnect with my Pentecostal roots I didn’t know he was calling me to reconnect with my Pentecostal peace roots. But he was.
By the end of the retreat I felt called to offer to Dr. Paul Alexander, the Assembly of God professor who, with a small group of friends, started the Pentecostal Charismatic Peace Fellowship, my gifts to help build up this group who have visions of building a Holy Spirit inspired, Christ-centered peace movement. Paul asked me to write my reflections on the retreat for the upcoming PCPF newsletter.
But first I am writing to you. At the retreat I once again recalled what an amazing gift it was that, after I went into exile from the Pentecostal church in the 1970’s, you took me in.
I have a people and a place, Plow Creek brothers and sisters. Thank you, each one, for being part of God’s people to me.
Thank you, each one, for making Plow Creek a place for me and my broken body, a place where I truly know God’s love.
I’ll be home tomorrow night.
Blessings,
Rich
My kind of Mennonite October 3, 2005
Dear folks,
Jim Harnish is a treasury of faithfulness in our midst. I love visiting with him. Here’s a story he told me last week.
When the president of Eastern Mennonite College named names in an effort to keep Mennonites pure, he included Jim. During World War II, Jim was a conscientious objector and served in an alternative service program run by Mennonites.
The program, sanctioned by the U.S. government, was required to accept not just Mennonites but all conscientious objectors.
Mennonite leaders were worried that young Mennonites were being radicalized by being thrown together with pacifists of other persuasions.
Jim was part of an alternative service unit, working as an orderly at a state hospital near Poughkeepsie, NY, when the president of EMC (now Eastern Mennonite University) identified a conservative young man who was part of the unit. He wrote the young man and asked who among the Mennonites at the unit were being radicalized.
Based on the information from the young man, the EMC president sent a letter to the unit naming Jim and others who he deemed as not adhering strictly enough to all Mennonite beliefs. How can you call yourself Mennonites? he asked.
The young man who had provided the names felt very bad. He had not expected the people he had named to be denounced in a letter to the whole unit.
Jim and another person in the unit felt sorry for the young man and took him out for a malt.
Now that's my kind of Mennonite.
And what a great way to be faithful to Jesus’ call to be a peacemaker, taking that young name out for a malt.
Blessings,
Rich
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Getting back on the loving-one-another track <September 24, 2005 Dear folks,
I’ve been living this week with a phrase from last Sunday’s adult Bible study of I Timothy 1: love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.
Recently I was listening to Echoes, a Danielle Steele novel on tape. At one point the main character is a Carmelite nun and spends half an hour each day examining her conscience as do all the Carmelites. Uffda, I thought, every day they lay a guilt trip on the poor nuns.
But as I reflected on our study of I Timothy I realized that a good conscience helps us to love one another. And that examining our conscience regularly can help us in our loving.
Further, I realize that I sometimes examine my conscience as part of my daily quiet times. Since I often write what ever comes to my mind, my conscience has a chance to speak to me.
For instance, after the Evergreen Leaders board meeting on Labor Day weekend, I realized that at one point during the meeting I was not honest. I tried to put it out of my mind, thinking, oh, it’s no big deal. And then I realized that honesty and trust are a very big deal to me.
At the beginning of each week I send an e-mail to the EGL board I call, Monday Morning Coffee. In the September 12 issue I said the following:
Confession.
At one
point during the board meeting when I mentioned thatI have had lots
of marketing conversations with people about EGL, Jason asked me if
I had been keeping track of all the contacts. I said I had been
doing so on our database. That was not true. I have entered some of
the contacts but not all. I gave into the temptation to look
good. I am very sorry. I deeply value honestly and I was not
honest. I want to be trustworthy and at that moment I was not. I’d
be glad for any comments you have and also to be
forgiven.
I conclude each Coffee with a quote. In his response, my dear friend and board member, Tom Fleming, incorporated the quote into his response to me.
Live
your life each day as you would climb a mountain. An occasional
glance towards the summit keeps the goal in mind, but many
beautiful scenes are to be observed from each new vantage
point. -- Harold B. Melchart
and every once in a while you might see a weed that needs plucking out along the way........
I forgive you for your dishonesty, in the name of Jesus! Only by and thru Him do we see the weeds and then have them plucked out. Thanks for plucking your own weed. I'll be glad to help you throw it on the compost pile where new life can come forth. Your bro. Tom
New life and new love. The good news is that when we violate our conscience, Jesus can forgive us, give us back a good conscience, and get us back on the loving-one-another track.
Blessings,
Rich
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Making your mark September 18, 2005
Dear folks,
A child’s life is like a piece of paper
on which every passerby leaves a mark. -- Chinese Proverb
We are wealthy with children at Plow Creek these days. What marks are you making?
When I stopped over at Tim and Carol’s to have Carol look in my ear with her otioscope, Ciara showed me her room.
Earlier this week in an afternoon I saw Kevin and Kora running around the meadow together.
Sarah held Mary on Friday night while Lorie washed dishes.
Steve has welded the trampoline several times to keep our children knowing the joy of bouncing with each other.
Recently I saw Gabrien leap up into his mother’s arms.
I saw Jeff and Inge bring the Moore girls to the pool at the Met this summer.
This morning half a dozen teachers will be talking about Jesus to our children in Sunday school.
As a child whirls by you today like a piece of paper caught in a gust if wind, make a mark with a smile, a word of kindness, and a silent blessing
Blessings,
Rich
Looking for love at Plow Creek July 30, 2005
Dear folks,
I’ve been looking for love lately at Plow Creek. You know, practical love like David and Louise announcing work projects last night at the potluck and Kate announcing she’ll do childcare for the work projects.
This morning I saw Greg Clark, Tutuk, and Carol Gale weeding by the common building, getting ready for hosting the SMC festival next weekend.
Such love. Especially from Tutuk whom I saw head down to the garden before 6:00 a.m. this morning. And I know Heather Munn and Paul Rhodes were down there pulling corn. Others too, I’m sure.
When you are in danger of dying as I was with my recent blood clot you start thinking about the important things in life like loving one another.
I see people loving one another at Plow Creek and I give praise for the honor of being part of life with each one of you. Love like Rick and Lynn hosting Heather Munn for a few weeks this summer.
Like Neil, Jim Foxvog and Kevin sitting on the ground together at the pot luck last night. I imagine they were talking about the farm, making plans for today’s marketing in Princeton and Sterling but even more importantly, they were loving one another.
We have a good reason to love one another even in those moments when we are not very loveable. In ICU I didn’t feel very loveable when I was hooked up to eight tubes and wires running to three monitors.
And yet our good shepherd was loving me. Since I couldn’t be here to love each of you I took deep comfort in being one of the flock, trusting that our good shepherd was not only looking after me but that he was tenderly caring for each one of you as well.
There’s something about being deeply loved by the good shepherd that makes it possible for us to love one another.
So the next time you wash a dish, pull a weed, or shampoo a carpet, remember, someone at Plow Creek is looking for love and they will find it through your simple act.
This is our good shepherd’s way.
Blessings,
Rich
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High morbidity risk July 14, 2005
Dear folks,
Thanks for all your prayers when I was in the hospital. I needed every one of them. Also, thanks for the lovely card and Green River Books gift card.
I woke up on Sunday morning in St. Francis Hospital and gave thanks for being alive. I could have easily died.
Saturday morning through yesterday morning was series of shocks. The previous Thursday night the area behind my knee was sore. I thought it was just another rheumatoid arthritis pain. When it was still sore on Saturday morning I asked Sarah if she thought I ought to put hot or cold packs on it. She took one look behind my knee and told me to call my doctor because it looked like a blood clot.
I know that clots are dangerous because they can break off and go to your heart and lungs and kill you but I maintained my denial until Saturday afternoon when the doctor at IVCH talked to me about transferring to a Peoria hospital and quoted a vascular surgeon she consulted with as saying, “He’s a high mortality risk.”
I knew that was doctor language for “I am at a high risk for dying.”
I felt so bad. As I said to Sarah, “I’m not ready to die. Not that I’m not ready to meet Jesus. I am. But I don’t want to leave you. Too many people have left you already (referring to her father and step-father.) Needless to say I was emotional.
Thanks to Rick, Lynn, Jim Fitz, and Heather Munn for visiting me on Sunday afternoon and praying for me. I needed that.
Neil, thanks for phoning me on Sunday night and praying for me. I needed that.
Thanks, Margaret and Heather Clark, for coming down on Monday while they had me in interventional radiology to insert the catheter and start the clot-buster medicine. I didn’t want Sarah to be alone when I was having the procedure done. Thanks for being there for both of us.
Thanks, Lynn, for visiting me a second time. After the procedure on Monday my memory of time gets a little fuzzy so I’m not sure which day you visited me the second time. Whenever it was, I needed it.
After the procedure they took me to ICU. I encouraged Sarah to go home and get some rest because she would have had to sit up all night in ICU with me. I thought she needed sleep.
By 3:30 a.m. I had a headache and nausea and felt so alone. I wished I would have asked one of you to be with me. I needed you.
Sarah called the ICU nurses on Tuesday morning and in my infinitesimal wisdom I told the nurses to tell her to come at noon. Poor Sarah. When she showed up at noon on Tuesday I kept tearing up because I had been feeling so alone in my misery for the last eight hours.
I went back to interventional radiology where they took the catheter out, peered around inside the vein, and saw that the clot was gone from the knee to groin. Thank you, Lord. They sent me back to ICU for four hours because I guess I was still a high risk for dying.
When I got to a regular hospital room Tuesday evening I was so wore out I fell asleep in a phone call from Heidi and Jon and, to Sarah’s utter amazement, I slept through getting my blood drawn.
They sent me home yesterday afternoon. I will be on blood thinners for several months.
It was shocking to discover I could have easily died. Please pray for me as I heal physically and spiritually.
For more reflections on my experience check out my blog in the next couple of days. I hope to do an entry in the next couple of days.
This morning I asked the Lord to work together with me to bring good out of this experience. I prayed that he would use it to teach me.
Again, thanks for all your prayers.
And thank you, Lord, for giving me life. May I pour out your love to many.
Blessings,
Rich
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Honoring a life of people art and ceramic art May 15, 2005
Dear folks,
“Donna and I would be better off dead,” Jim Harnish said to me last Sunday when he and I had lunch together.
Although his comment is painful to hear I understand his looking forward to death. When I was in my late teens, early twenties and suffering acutely with my rheumatoid arthritis I often thought about how wonderful it would be to be dead. I told my friends that I wanted them to celebrate at my funeral.
One day soon Jim and Donna will die and we will honor them for their faithful and fruitful lives. Then, as they have asked, we will scatter their ashes on Daisy Hill.
Despite Jim’s longing for death he chooses life over and over again.
We saw that Saturday as he laughed and talked with his friends and relatives at the reception to honor him and his pottery and ceramic art.
I was deeply touched as I saw so many people looking at Jim with love. He and Donna’s bodies are broken and yet they are loved. Yesterday and again this morning I am near tears as I think about David and Margaret’s deep love for Jim as they organized the reception and art show.
Anni Moore bought yellow roses to include in bouquets. Margaret told me that Jim used to buy yellow roses for Donna on special occasion, something that Anni did not know but the God who loves Jim and Donna never forgot.
Bill Newhouse lettered the lovely sign that greeted each of the guests: Honoring the art and pottery of Jim Harnish. How good it is to have the newest village artist honoring our oldest artist.
Sarah made and served punch all afternoon, delighting in watching Jim smile and laugh. Meg, Boo, Anni, Louise, Margaret, and others made and served lovely pies, cookies, and bars.
And each of us wandered through the room, marveling at seven tables filled with Jim’s ceramic art.
When you are old and worn out it is good to choose life and be surrounded by friends who love you and honor your art.
Perhaps Jim’s greatest work of art has been his life with God and his brothers and sisters at Plow Creek.
I honor Jim for the ceramic art of his hands and the people art of his heart.
Blessings,
Rich
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A community of life givers May 8, 2005
Dear folks,
Mothers, at their best, give life. Happy Mother’s Day.
But you don’t have to be a mother to give life. Take Louise Stahnke and Jim Fitz. This week they gave life to Jim Harnish by taking him to the doctor and spending hours with him during medical procedures.
We are a community of life givers.
Late Tuesday afternoon Leonide, Tutuk, and I set up the common room for Evergreen Leader’s Envisioning Path workshop. Sarah came home from work and put on the finishing touches for the workshop by popping popcorn and setting out the snack.
Jim Fitz rushed home from being with Jim H. at the hospital to emcee Peggy Gish’s report from her time with Christian Peacemaker Teams in Iraq. In a war zone where soldiers and insurgents hand out death CPT gives life through listening, loving, and presence.
On Tuesday evening and six hours Wednesday I poured myself out emotionally and spiritually, giving life and teaching 13 people from Gateway Services, people who ordinarily would not have access to leadership workshops.
Boo, Charissa, and Gabrian Graham gave life by making lunch for the EGL workshop participants. Homeschooler Charissa is studying Africa, thus the meal had an African theme. There were two baskets of biscuits to go with the soup. Charissa had baked dough-shaped letters atop of five of the biscuits and placed them in the back basket so that they spelled out s-m-i-l-e. Charissa’s touch gave smiles to people as the passed through the line.
I think it was on Wednesday that I saw Lyn Fitz at the playground, giving life to a group of children playing together.
By 3:00 p.m. of Wednesday I was very tired, having poured my life out through teaching. Louise and Lorie showed up to help clean up and take down the workshop decorations. Kate, who attended the workshop, stayed after to help with the clean up.
Tutuk came to help the workshop clean up from planning Sunday’s worship with Leonide. In a few minutes we will gather to worship the God who gives us all this life that we freely give.
Louise hailed Steve Graham and Bill Newhouse to carry some of the heavier workshop items over to my office in the East House.
On my way home from the common building I was so wore out I stopped by the corner tree by the mail boxes for a couple of minutes of stillness. Bill was walking back across the meadow from carrying workshop materials to the East House.
“Bill, would you come over here for a minute?” I asked.
“Sure,” he said. When I called to him I didn’t know what I was going to ask of him. As he walked over to me I knew what I needed.
“Bill,” I said, “I just poured myself out spiritually and emotionally teaching the workshop. I am really worn out and I need some loving. Could you give me a hug?”
“Yes.”
It was a good, long hug. I sat there in my wheelchair, receiving life from this kind friend. Finally he gave me a kiss on the head and stood up.
“Thanks for being so blunt,” he said.
“I needed some lovin’,” I said. Then he wandered off toward his home and I towards mine.
We are a community of giving and receiving life. Happy Mother’s Day.
Blessings,
Rich
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Two theories to arguing April 24, 2005
Dear folks,
When I was a kid I was fascinated with Will Rogers, an early 20th century American humorist. On Friday, my Sabbath, I did a web search and found lots of his quotes. He was part Native American and said, My people didn’t come over on the Mayflower, we met the Mayflower.
He also said, The 1928 Republican Convention opened with a prayer. If the Lord can see His way clear to bless the Republican Party the way it's been carrying on, then the rest of us ought to get it without even asking.
Here’s another, There's two theories to arguing with a woman. Neither one works.
That quote reminded me of the time, a few years into our marriage, when Sarah and I argued for a couple hundred miles across Minnesota on the way to my parents. Neither one of us can remember what we were arguing about. Maybe something really important like packing the car.
It took me awhile but I learned that I was never going to win an argument with Sarah. So, if you can’t win, why argue?
That sent me looking for a way to deal with our conflicts other than by argument. When I found a way, Sarah and I learned it and that’s one of the secrets to our blessed love.
It was a simple, three-step dance. First, we took turns listening carefully to each other’s thoughts and feelings about any incident that would ordinarily lead to an argument.
Second, we’d take turns describing what we’d heard to make sure we’d heard correctly. Then, third, we’d each tell a story of a time when we thought and felt the same way as the other.
We’d choose stories that didn’t come from our relationship to make sure that we weren’t getting in a jab at the other.
Of course, in real life it wasn’t as easy as it sounds. It was about as easy as learning to dance together on a tightrope. When we tried to do it by talking, as quick as you can say Waltzing Matilda, we’d fall off the tightrope and be right back arguing.
We needed divine intervention. One morning, while on vacation in Minnesota, as I lay in bed fussing and fuming to myself, replaying last night’s argument, and my inability to teach Sarah the dance, the Lord said, “Write it out.”
That day Sarah and I went on a date at the Grygla Caf鬠sat across from one another at a table, and took turns passing a notebook back and forth, writing out steps one-two-three, and working through the conflict from the night before. By the end of the date both of us were pleased to have stayed on the tight rope.
That well may be the strangest and most divinely inspired date ever to take place at the Grygla Caf鮼br >
For many months afterward we stayed on the tightrope by doing it in writing. Eventually, we learned the dance well enough to do it by talking. For many years, when we found ourselves tempted to argue, we’d stop and do the dance. It’s still in our tool box in case we need it again.
Sometimes the dance would help one of us to recognize we’d been wrong and we’d apologize after the story telling. But sometimes neither one of us was wrong. It’s just that God had given each of us a unique set of eyes to see the world and the conflict came from seeing things differently.
The story-telling was the key because it helped us to understand and be understood. How sweet it is to be lovingly understood.
Of course, sometimes we had conflict because a decision had to be made. So how did our listening, making sure we had heard correctly, and story-telling help us make decisions?
Arguing, where you lock on to repeating yourselves over and over, is not a good way to make decisions. Such arguing is fueled by feeling threatened. Our brains aren’t designed to think well when we feel threatened. Our brains are designed for flight or fight when we are threatened. When someone says something to you that makes you either want to hit them over the head with an argument, or run away, you aren’t thinking very creatively.
Sarah and I discovered that after we took turns listening, making sure we had heard correctly, and taking doing the story-telling, we calmed down and it was much easier to make whatever decision needed to be made.
I have one theory about arguing with Sarah. Don’t.
Blessings,
Rich
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The vision of the first song bird April 18, 2005
Dear folks,
At about 5:35 this morning the first bird sang.
As far as I could tell it was as dark as it had been all night. Yet, that first bird had a vision that the light of dawn was coming soon.
As soon as the first bird sang other birds joined in singing: dawn is breaking, day is coming, sunlight is near.
And these birds, as birds have been for millennia, were right.
Blessings,
Rich
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Looking for love April 11, 2005
Dear folks,
Last Thursday night Sarah and I went to Taco Bell on a date. Randi, the young lady at the counter, immediately lit up because we had been there a couple weeks before.
Randi immediately told Anthony, a new guy she was training on the register, that we came to Taco Bell on dates. The word quickly spread among the staff. Later when Anthony took our trays he jokingly asked if we were going on or honeymoon after our date.
“Oh, yes,” I said, “we’ve gone on about 29 second honeymoons.”
Later another young worker stopped at our table and she asked how many years we’ve been married. “Almost 31,” we said.
“And you’re still in love?”
“Oh, yes!” we both said.
“I didn’t think that was possible” she said as she walked away. Then she turned back and said, “I’ve had so many bad experiences with men that I’ve given up on marriage.”
“Oh, don’t do that,” Sarah and I both exclaimed.
As I reflected on these conversations with these young people, I was amazed at how they gravitated to Sarah and me. We were on a date and they kept interrupting us. What was it that drew them to us? First, I am sure they saw our love for each other. They probably haven’t met too many couples our age who go on dates.
But on a deeper level I think they are attracted to us because we have something they yearn for. Sarah’s and my love for each other is shaped by Jesus incredible love for us. Our marriage is blessed by your love for us, by the joy of our life with you in the fellowship and the church.
I feel sad for the young woman who said, “I’ve had so many bad experiences with men that I’ve given up on marriage.” She was so young, maybe 20.
I find myself yearning for a Plow Creek ministry that reaches out to these young people who are longing for love.
Please pray with me that the Lord will raise up a couple to do something like a “Looking for Love” Bible study at Taco Bell on McDonald’s.
Young people are looking for Jesus who makes loving marriages possible.
Blessings,
Rich
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Need some loving? April 2, 2005
Dear folks,
It’s been nearly two weeks since I wrote you. Easter, the Black Hawk College East, feasibility study, and preparing for next week’s EGL workshop is keeping me in motion.
But I decided to take a break from preparing for the EGL workshop and write you.
I love you. Each one of you. And it’s good just to stop and think about how much each one of you loves me. Thanks.
This morning I woke with a slight headache and spent time crying on Jesus’ shoulder. In a busy season I give and give myself and then I start feeling the need for love. It’s so good to turn to Jesus and realize how much he loves me and knows my needs.
Yours too. He knows your need for loving. We elders--Louise, Neil and me--give ourselves to loving you as best we can. Jesus, the chief Plow Creek elder, adds our ounce of elders love to his bucket of divine love to satisfy you.
Need some loving? Drink deeply from Jesus’ bucket.
Blessings, Rich
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Falling asleep in the middle of spiritual oversight March 20, 2005
Dear folks,
Sometimes at Plow Creek when we talk out the responsibilities of elders we list spiritual oversight as one of the responsibilities.
What the heck is spiritual oversight?
Spiritual oversight is seeing what’s going on and seeing it through God’s eyes.
Knowing what’s going on is the first step in spiritual oversight. One way I know what’s going on is listening to complaints.
Yesterday morning someone called me up to complain that I was encouraging Plow Creek people to do a dry wall work project for Living Water in Rogers Park when we have so much work that needs to be done at Plow Creek.
We talked a bit and I’m not sure I handled it all that well. I was a bit defensive but I was glad the person called me and complained. I now know a bit better the heavy weight this person is carrying about the work needs at Plow Creek. As the person said to me, “I want you to work both sides of the street.” Since the phone call I’ve been thinking about how I can work both sides of the street--support Living Water in their church building project and care for the practical needs of this place called Plow Creek.
Prayer is the second step in spiritual oversight. As elders we often see needs that are overwhelming with no quick fixes in sight. Early in elders meeting each week we pray for the needs of Plow Creek individuals and groups. Long term needs that we as elders can’t deal with immediately make their way on to this list. Praying reminds us that God is in charge at Plow Creek and prepares us to act when the Lord does give us something to do about long term, difficult situations.
Last night when I went to bed I didn’t fall asleep immediately so I began to pray. Then it occurred to me that I should worship. I felt a surge of joy. Worshiping the one who is really in charge around here is another part of spiritual oversight.
What a pleasure to fall asleep worshiping our God and practicing spiritual oversight.
Blessings, Rich
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Loving your enemy on Today March 14, 2005
Dear folks,
I found myself in tears this morning as I ate breakfast and watched the Today show. I'm used to watching people killing their enemies on TV but I'm not used to watching people love their enemy.
Matt Lauer interviewed Ashley Smith, a young woman, who was held hostage for nearly seven hours by Brian Nichols, the man who killed three people in an Atlanta courtroom a few days ago.
Seven hours after he took her hostage, Nichols let her go, and when she called 911 and the police showed up, he surrendered peacefully.
A Washington Post story gives a few details of her Smith's amazing ability to love her enemy.
When he first took her hostage she thought he was going to kill her. He did tie her up but the Post story says, "She said as the night wore on, she tried to win his trust."
When you choose to love your enemies you can build trust with them.
Eventually he untied her and she said on the Today show that she read him part of the Bible and a section from chapter 33 of Rick Warren's The Purpose Driven Life.
Now that's loving your enemy.
"When morning came, Nichols was 'overwhelmed' when Smith made him pancakes, she said," according to the Post.
When I heard a couple days ago that Nichols surrendered peacefully I wondered why he would surrender peacefully after having killed so many people.
Now I think I know why. He spent several hours with a follower of Jesus who knew how to love her enemy.
Blessings, Rich
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God has Grandma read the newspaper March 6, 2005
Dear folks,
Lately I have been thinking of a story my grandma told me. One day in the mid 1950’s she read in the local newspaper that a young mother in my home town of Grygla had died. The death left Elton Anderson, a young father, alone, caring for to young girls, Mayvonne and Donna. My grandma turned to my grandpa and said, “Emil, wouldn’t I just love to take care of those two girls.”
A couple of days later grandpa, who was twenty years older than, grandma, was out cutting fire wood. Grandma got worried when he didn’t come home. About that time, Lester, their youngest son stopped over to visit.
Grandma sent Lester out to the woods to search for grandpa. Lester found him unconscious from a stroke. Grandma and Lester rushed grandpa to the hospital. Even though grandpa was unconscious the doctors told grandma that he might still be able to hear. Grandma sat through the night and talked to grandpa until he died the next morning.
A couple weeks after the funeral, Elton Anderson called grandma and asked her to come and live with at his place and take care of the girls. She did.
Decades later when she told me the story Grandma said, “God had me read that paper because he knew that I was going to need something to do after Emil died.”
God cares for us so that we can care for others.
Blessings, Rich
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Beauty in the whirlwind February 27, 2005
Dear folks,
Lately I’ve been meditating on being fearless. I need it. In the last two weeks I’ve had three conversations where I’ve been caught up in a whirlwind of fear. I don’t like being fearful. I desire to be fearless.
The Lord definitely caught my attention a couple of days ago when I wandered into Psalm 27:
The
LORD is my light
and my salvation-
whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the stronghold of my life-
of whom shall I be afraid?
. . .
Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear;
though war break out against me,
even then will I be confident.
whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the stronghold of my life-
of whom shall I be afraid?
. . .
Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear;
though war break out against me,
even then will I be confident.
None of the three conversations involved an army besieging me. In fact, two involved Christian brothers and one was with Sarah who loves me more, and is less a threat to me, than any other person alive.
O Lord, do I need practice in being fearless.
Last week I wrote my letter to you about taking an adventure in beauty as part of the Evergreen Leaders Encouraging Path workshop. Now a true adventure has its dangers, threats, and amazing survival stories. The poor psalmist, who had war break out against him, was definitely on an adventure. In the middle of it he said:
One
thing I
ask of the LORD,
You want to be fearless? Gaze upon
the beauty of
the Lord.this
is what I
seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD
that I may dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD
Part of the adventure is that the beauty of the Lord is in brothers and sisters who scare the dickens out of me.
Lord, I long to gaze into the whirlwind of fear, breathe in deeply, and discover your beauty in each of your people.
Blessings, Rich
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An adventure in beauty February 20, 2005
Dear folks,
Yesterday afternoon, during the EGL Encouraging Path workshop, I had the workshop folks wander around outside on a twenty-minute adventure in beauty.
When Jesus was teaching about our human tendency to worry about where our next meal is coming from or how we are going to get the clothes we need he said, “Consider the lilies.”
I went on the workshop adventure to see how the Lord could encourage me through beauty. When I left the common building I felt the wind in my face. Ordinarily I would have felt it as a cold wind but this time I felt its beauty.
There’s a wild beauty to the wind. I rolled in my wheelchair over to the field south of the meadow and put my face to the wind and thought about how Jesus likening the Holy Spirit to the wind. Who can control the wildness of the wind or the Holy Spirit? I put my face into the wind and waited for the Holy Spirit to show me beauty.
The first beauty I noticed was Esther, Martin and Justin walking by on their way to the wood project. Soon Yohanna passed by and then Steve. How beautiful that they were moved to be on the wood project.
The wood project was too far away for me to see much of the beauty but later David Janzen, also part of the workshop, said that he had gone over to the wood project on his adventure in beauty. He talked with Jim Fitz. He reported the beauty of the Graham children loading wood into a pick up and the beauty of the machines, the tools, being used to saw and split the wood.
Next on my adventure I noticed the Graham’s two golden retrievers, Taffy and Tater, in front of the Prairie House. In the past I have not been fond of the dogs because they bark at me and scare me when I in my wheelchair and sometimes when I am on my feet, I am afraid that they will jump on me and knock me over.
But recently I have been part of conversations with several people about loving pets and loving neighbors. In those conversations I learned more about the Graham’s golden retrievers, their gentleness, and beauty.
So I decided to venture to the Prairie House and enjoy the beauty of Taffy and Tater. As I approached they didn’t bark at me but welcomed me. I wasn’t afraid and that was beautiful.
Both of Taffy and Tater were eager to have me pet them. I petted them and that was beautiful.
Blessings, Rich
Stir me up, buttercup February 13, 2005
Dear folks,
This morning Sarah clipped my toe nails and I thought about love and Valentine’s Day.
In 1977, our first Valentine’s Day together, I wrote a poem for Sarah. Written a few months prior to our wedding, the poem was full of my most romantic thoughts.
It didn’t feature Sarah clipping my toe nails.
But, by a year and two days after our wedding, I had both my knees replaced, making it impossible for me to bend my knees to cut my own toe nails. Sarah has cut my toe nails ever since.
Sarah thanked me this morning for showing her love by washing the dishes.
As Sarah was cutting my toe nails I thought about Jim Harnish. Jim is a man of true love, having cared for Donna for over six Valentine’s Days since her stroke. I look at Jim as he feeds Donna and I think, “I am looking at the epitome of a faithful husband.” It is so good to have older men to look up to and I look up to Jim.
Sarah and I are into more than doing toe nails and dishes for each other. As Louise noted in her worship theme this morning, joy liking to be together. Tomorrow Sarah and I are going on a Valentine’s date at 4:45. She is still beautiful, a great and funny conversationalist, and I love looking into her eyes and hearing her voice. She’s a joy to be with.
Since our first Valentine’s Day I’ve expanded in my romantic vision to include toe nail cutting and dish washing as well as “stir me up, buttercup.”
Blessings, Rich
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I’m in February 8, 2005
Dear folks,
Last night in our members meeting Lyn Fitz, when we were discussing the possibility of creating a Plow Creek internship, said something like, “What I want to know is who wants to lead this? Who has the energy for it?”
These are good questions.
Because we see the drawbacks of rampant individualism in the USA, we sometimes find it hard to speak up at Plow Creek and say, “I want to do this.” Or “I feel called to do this.”
Paradoxically, community thrives when individuals speak up and say, “I’ll do it.”
“If you have a group of people and all of them are saying “I,” you actually have a group,” says Bernice Johnson Reagon, a civil rights pioneer, in a recent issue of Sojourners.
“If you have a group of people,” Reagon continues, “and they are saying “we,” you don’t know who is going to do what.” Just try to organize something. “You say we gon' bring food tonight.” If you are the nervous wreck organizer, you will leave that meeting and you will end up bringing food for everybody because you won’t know who or if anybody’s going to bring anything…because nobody said, “I’m bringing this.”
Her conclusion: You don’t get a group until you get some individuals who say, “I’m in.”
So let Neil, Louise, or me know if you want to be on the committee working on details of the proposed internship. Just say, “I am in.”
Blessings,
Rich
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Loving our Muslim neighbors January 30, 2005
Dear folks,
Several years ago a woman at Plow Creek asked me, “Why do you pray to Jesus instead of the Father?”
I thought of that question again when I listened to Mohamed Salem, our speaker this morning. Mohamed made a point of clarifying Muslims do not worship Mohammad, Jesus, or the Father. For them it is important to worship the name given for God in the Koran, Allah, the root word from which we derive alleluia.
I grew up in a church that would never have lent its pulpit to Muslims. Instead, the church of my youth would have focused on evangelizing Muslims. What is different about Plow Creek?
I still believe Jesus when he said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man comes to the Father but by me.”
Yet I believe that humbly. I am well aware that Jesus said things that could make one think he was not inviting people to worship him but God alone. For instance, both Mark 10:18 and Luke 18:19 record Jesus as reprimanding the rich young ruler who called him Good Teacher by saying, “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good–except God alone.”
Is Jesus saying that we should not worship him, only God, in his response to being called “good teacher"?
I can see how one could argue that.
Our guest speaker, Mohamed Salem, pointed out that Islam came out of a specific context. For instance, Mohamed pointed out that at the time and place the Koran emerged as a holy book, culturally the role of daughters was a dangerous role. In fact, firstborn daughters were sometimes killed to make sure the firstborn was a son. Hence Allah said in the Koran that one of the ways to paradise is to raise two daughters.
Our speaker didn’t say it explicitly but another cultural context Mohammed began teaching in was one in which there were a multitude of gods. Part of Mohammed’s correction was to teach that there is one God, Allah. Mohammed suffered much persecution for teaching there is one God.
The Islam teaching that there is one God creates tension between Muslims and Christians because it appears to Muslims that we Christians are slipping back into multiple gods with our Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Long ago I gave up trying to explain or defend the concept of the trinity. The biblical writers did not try to explain it so why should I? (Trinity is not a word found in our Bible.)
That brings me back to my Plow Creek sister’s question of many years ago, “Why do you pray to Jesus instead of the Father?”
I was surprised when she asked me the question. I wasn’t aware that I prayed to Jesus instead of the Father. She said that when I prayed in public I always prayed to Jesus. Since then I have tried to pray to both the Father and Jesus.
In my own quiet times I pray to the Father (or often I use the Aramaic word that Jesus likely used--Abba). I also pray to Jesus. In my devotional life I am profoundly influenced by the image Jesus used in John 15: “I am the vine and you are the branches.” I pray to Jesus because I think he’s the Son of God and I want to be as close to him as a branch to a vine. I want my life shaped by him like the vine shapes the life of the branch.
And I pray to the Holy Spirit too although I can’t point to chapter and verse as to why I do.
Today Mohamed Salem said that after he and his congregation met Bill Newhouse from Plow Creek they were eager to visit us because they sensed Plow Creek was a loving place.
I was touched by that comment because we will never be able to settle all the theological issues that we Christians differ over let alone those we differ over with Muslims.
But if we are known as a people who love each other and our neighbors as ourselves I think Jesus is happy with us. And our Muslim neighbors will be happy to discover that we love them as ourselves.
Blessings,
Rich
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January 23, 2005 The American worry
Dear folks,
Leonide Begly startled me this morning as she reflected on the American dream from the perspective of growing up in Haiti.
In the adult teaching time we’re doing a series of teachings on the American dreams of a better life and God’s dreams of a better life for us.
This morning we began to look at God’s dreams for us in the manna story in Exodus 16. God’s dream was to rain down bread from heaven for his people, enough for one day.
Now in the American dream that’s a nightmare. If we knew somebody who had enough food in their cupboard for only day, we’d feel real sorry for them. And if we had enough food in the cupboard for one day, we’d likely be very worried.
But this is part of God’s dream: that he rain down enough manna for his people, one day at a time.
In the reflection time after the teaching Leonide said that in Haiti people have enough food for a day and they don’t worry about it. Some days, she said, they don’t have food but that’s okay. Sometimes they don’t have electricity and that’s okay. People use a candle of a lamp then.
But in America, she said, people worry because they have to have everything. They have to have electricity, heat, and phone. And you have to worry, she said, about making enough money to pay for all these things.
One of the gifts of being part Plow Creek being a global village practicing the peace of Jesus is that we can see life through the eyes of people who did not grow up in the American dream.
In Haiti, Leonide continued, you don’t have to have all these things so you don’t need to worry about them.
Ah, I said to the group, the American dream is the American worry.
Blessings, Rich
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Leaping into teaching on money January 13, 2005
Dear folks,
I haven’t taught very much on sex and money.
Considering how much time we humans spend thinking about these topics, I’ve been negligent. I may have taught a time or two on sex but I can’t remember once I’ve taught specifically on money. We did show a series of tapes on First Fruits Living a few years ago but I haven’t done the work of studying scripture and teaching on money.
I’m about to take the leap.
The next two Sundays in the adult teaching I’m going to focus on money and the dreams of a better life.
Our culture teaches us a lot about money and dreams of a better life. I’ll never forget our five-year-old Hannah deciding she wanted a perm. She bought a perm kit (is that what you call it?) and Sarah gave her a perm.
It didn’t turn out the way she expected. If I remember correctly, by the second day most of the curl were gone. At that point she said in tearful voice, “I don’t like my perm but I have to, because I spent all my money on it.”
America is the biggest, rich nation on earth. All of us grow up swimming in the thoughts and attitudes that have created this wealth. How is it that a five-year-old sets her heart on getting going to the store and buying a perm kit?
I must confess I’m attracted to books about how to get rich. The other day I heard the title of a book, Start Late and End Rich. One part of me scoffed at the title and another part of me thought, “Wouldn’t it be great to have enough money when I retire so that Sarah and I could be free to travel and do what we want?”
And this from a boy who has been part of the PCF common treasury for 27 years with no personal retirement plan.
Our culture offers us all kinds of dreams of a better life connected with money.
I’m going to focus on four scriptures. First, the manna story in Exodus 16; second, a jubilee-based harangue in Jeremiah 34:8-17b: third, Jesus on not worrying about food and clothing in Matthew 6:25-34; and last, Paul on giving because of grace in II Corinthians 8.
I think I’ll title the series: “Money and the dreams of a better life through manna, jubilee, and grace”.
To begin the series I’m going to have us list out the dreams of a better life our American culture connects with money.
Then we’ll look at the four passages of scripture. Scripture dreams of a better life too and we’ll see what role money plays in the scriptural dreams of a better life in each of these passages.
Come, take the leap with me. Let’s study money.
Blessings, Rich
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