Resignation Letter

Grace and greetings.

Below is the letter I am sending out to each family that are members of the congregation. Since we do not have a newsletter or similar type of communication, I was asked to send the letter before Sunday so that people are not too shocked on Sunday. (Of course I tried to cut and paste again, but it did not work, so I get to type it all in).

The Peace and Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you always.

Over the past three years, you have opened your homes and hearts to us. We came as outsiders and you continue to shower us with your love and prayers, just as you have received our love and prayers. As you know, our family has had a hard time physically because of health problems and concerns with the lack of available health care. As prayers for guidance and healing continued, a position opened up in Anchorage at Immanuel Presbyterian Church as Interim. I have agreed to accept the position at Immanuel so we will be closer to health care providers. This is not an easy decision, nor is this an easy letter to write.

There will be a congregational meeting called for Sunday February 7th following the morning worship service to dissolve the pastoral relationship effective as of February 28, 2010. My last Sunday in the pulpit will be Sunday February 21st; then we will leave February 25th for the Presbytery of Yukon Meeting in Anchorage.

I know these transitions are always hardest on the congregation; but the congregation just elected two strong classes of church officers of Deacons and Session Elders. They will be able to lead you on this journey as you await your new Interim Pastor. It is my prayer that you will continue to seek the Holy Spirit to fill you and show you the direction of the path God the Father and Jesus Christ has set before you. I know you will prevail, for God is always with you.

In the love, peace and name of our Lord Jesus Christ;

Rev. Ian MacInnes-Green

Denial Is a River in Egypt

Grace, greetings and Happy New Year.

I realize that it has been a while since I have written. A couple of things come into play for this; one I write things out in my head while I am away from the computer, and then when I arrive at the computer, I lost what I wanted to write. Two, as I look back on the past six or seven months, I need to come to terms and admit that I was more depressed than I had realized. (Yes, I was on medication throughout the time, just as I have been most of my adult life).

The depression was different this past year than in other times in my life, which is why I had a hard time seeing the depression for what it really was. Usually, along with my depressive moods and lack of energy, I would have the depressive thoughts as well. But this time, my moods varied and the thoughts were not so depressing; it was more that I did not have the energy to do the things I wanted or needed to do; like keep in contact with others outside of Barrow, via email, telephone or this blog.

Now comes the point in life where I need to move forward; there is nothing I can do about the past. As one person keeps reminding me, in the Bugs Bunny comics, Bugs would pop up out of the ground with a map in hand and say: "I knew I should have turned left at Albuquerque." It was there and then that the adventure started, not returning to the point of the wrong turn. So where do I go from here?

I am not sure where the new year will take us, but I know that God will be a part of it all. I continue to invite you to be a part of it.

Peace and blessings.

All Saint's Day

Grace and greetings.

This is a day of celebration and remembrance as we look to those who have passed on before us. In my 2 and half years here in Barrow, I have officiated over 90 funerals, including the one that I will be officiating tomorrow and one later this week. Both funeral were unexpected. The one tomorrow is for a full term baby that died in his mother's womb three days before being born. The other is for a man that we do not know how or why he died. I saw him at the post office on Tuesday, and he died Friday morning.

The following is my meditation for tonight's service.

For some reason, neither the cut and paste, or the copy and paste are working, so I will try later to edit this and update it.

Until then, Peace and blessings.

Halloween 2009

Grace and greetings.

It was a rude awakening here this past week weather wise; for the last couple of weeks we have had relatively warm temperatures, but Tuesday the cloud cover moved away and the temperatures dropped 20 degrees. Then last night an ice fog came through, leaving ice crystals on all metal, it is kind of cool...

But this is Halloween, the week where Sam and I go around and around on how he should focus on life. For him, the only reason to slog through the other 364 days of the year in to live for this night. All week he plans on how he is going to dress up, for school, after school, the Halloween dance, the haunted house, and then of course, tonight. All else takes a back seat to this week, including the script for the two movies he has been working on for the last month. It goes without saying that his homework is somehow non-existence for the past week as well.

Well, it is time to go review tomorrow's two sermons, or at least one sermon and one meditation--a short sermon--

Peace and blessings.

October Saturday Afternoon

Grace and greetings.

Again, I am late in letting you know what is going on here at the "Top of the World", (at least as far as the United States is concerned.)

I survived the Presbytery meeting, sort of. The Saturday of the meeting, I ended up throwing up all day, and sick Sunday as well. As it turned out, the group from Taiwan and our Presbytery executive filled in for me at both services, so I guess it was okay. The meeting it self had a few moments of concern, but otherwise went well.

We had some disappointing news from Sam's teachers this past week; even if he passes all his classes this semester, and at this moment is in doubt, he will still be half a credit short in math, so he will be sticking around until the May 2010 graduation. Other than that, he is acting out as most teenagers, defying his parents, already knows everything, and trying to go his own way, (as long as the parents pay of course). He is still looking at film school for after high school, but we will see where he ends up.

I got to speak with my daughter this afternoon. She is now stationed at Fort Gordon, Georgia; but the good news is that she is in school for computer work rather than in Haz Met. I feel much better now that she is safe around computers than the dangerous materials. Her family is still in Birmingham, only four hours away, but she does not have gas money to get there. She is planning to spend Thanksgiving and Christmas with her family though. Yes, I wish that she were stationed at Fort Richardson outside Anchorage, but feeling good that her training will take her in a different direction.

Last month, Kim ended up with swollen feet, ankles, and legs. We ended up taking the next plane out so she could see a cardiologist and her pulmonologist. After she was given some diuretics, she ended up losing 25 pounds of water weight. Though she is still swelling, it is not as bad as before, she is suppose to see her pulmonologist in November. Both she and Sam are fighting sinus infections, so we will see how the health of the family lasts.

Winter has finally arrived in Barrow, we think. The last several days have been snowy and blizzards, today is just overcast with dark clouds off the coast. The air temperature has been in the twenties and thirties, but the wind chill has been down around zero.

The Angels and Yankees have been rained out for today, but I ask for you to continue to believe, as the Angels will take the next two games in New York and go on to the World Series.

Peace and blessings.

Presbytery of Yukon

Grace and greetings.

For the next several days, we will be hosting the Presbytery of Yukon. In the Presbyterian Church system, we are set up much like the United States government. Starting at the local level we have the individual congregation; then we have a geographical level called the presbytery, which there are 177 presbyteries in the Presbyterian Church (USA), [PC USA]; then presbyteries are grouped into another geographical organization called Synods, there are 16 synods in the PC USA; then there is the denomination known as Presbyterian Church (USA).

The Presbytery of Yukon is made up of 23 congregations from Anchorage on north, and everything west of the United States/Canadian Border. We meet twice a year, rotating to different places each meeting. This time the meeting is here in Barrow. We will have close to 100 people participating in the three day event. Today is mostly different committee meetings and registration for people coming in. Friday and Saturday will be the actual meeting dates with a worship service Friday evening celebrating communion (also known as the Lord's Supper).

This meeting and worship service is going to be special, as we have a group from the Taiwan Presbyterian Church to sign an agreement between the indigenous people there and here in the North Slope and Western Alaska. The agreement will be signed in five languages; Tiawan, English, Inupiat, Yupik and Korean. The agreement is that the different groups will learn from each other; the Alaskans will share their political knoweldge; while Taiwan will share their success in reclaiming native languages and values.

We are hoping this will be a spirit-filled meeting and that you will join us, physically, mentally or spiritually.

Peace and blessings.

More tragedy in the midst of celebration

Grace and greetings.

It has been a long time since I have posted anything here. It has been a wild a crazy summer, I will try and fill in the past in the next few post. Part of my own personal problem is that I write my post in my mind, but want to post with pictures. But I do not have the pictures I want, so I put off writing the post. So I am back to writing the post and worry about pictures later.

The spring whale harvest was very poor this year, so the fall whaling season was looking for better results. The spring season is usually the big hunt, but this year only four whales were caught. So when the fall whaling started last Saturday, the first three days caught ten whales, and lost one of the twelve possible strikes. (The whalers are allowed 26 "strikes" each year for the eight villages here in the North Slope. A strike is one shot; it would be like having only 26 arrows, if one misses, you lose). So people were feeling pretty good with the whale hunts...

Last Monday, on the way to school, two four year old girls fell through the ice while walking across the lagoon. Once they were discovered, they were not able to revive them, even though they tried all the way to Anchorage.

With the families traveling to Anchorage, and me sick all last week, I was still not sure who the families were, or who was going to officiate the funerals. Part of my problem, was that nobody ever contacted me. As it turns out, the aunt of one of the two girls, contacted her pastor, rather than me, who probably should have been contacted. As it turns out, the mothers' are cousins, so the two girls grew up together.

I met with the families the night before the funeral. Though I was still not sure, I recognized the parents, but not sure of their relationship to the church. We planned the service with the pastor that was first contacted preaching and me officiating the service.

During the visitation, one of the uncles came up to me to comment that the wedding that I officiated only five weeks ago, one of the girls was the flower girl that I carried down the isle at the end of the wedding service. So I probably had met both girls...

Like in life, the two girls were buried in the same grave site together, in different caskets, to remain forever side by side.

Peace and blessings.

Turning our lives around

Grace and greetings.

It has been several weeks since I wrote anything here or on Facebook. I hope to fill you in on our lives here in the North Slope; but tonight I am going to get back in the swing with my meditation from this evening.

“Turning Our Lives Around”
Ephesians 4.25-5.2

This is a continuation of the reading from last week, reminding us that we are one in Christ; One faith, one baptism, one Lord and Father of All. As we hear the writer from the Letter to the Ephesians, how we are to deal with each other. It sounds so easy, but like many other simple ideas and concepts, they are hard to keep up and follow.

As we follow the reading, we are told that it is okay to become angry, and we do. But that we are not to hold on to our anger, especially over night. If we need to speak to somebody about our anger, speak in a way that will build up the Body of Christ, not to tear it down. We each think that when we “speak our peace,” we do so meaning to encourage one another. But in reality, all we do is continue to anger and frustration rather than bringing about true peace.

We hold onto our anger and grief; our resentment and bitterness. I can speak to my own holding on to my hurts and frustrations throughout my twenty plus years of ministry. Soon it becomes too much for me, and I will speak words that I do not mean to speak, and they will come out at the wrong person at the wrong time. We are reminded to be imitators of God. God can be angry with us, but God forgives us, and welcomes us back.

What would the world look like if we were able to live this simple statement? Would the world be a different place if we did not hold onto resentment, bitterness, wrath and anger? Let us start in small places where we have the ability to make those decisions, starting one day at a time, one moment at a time.

What would our lives look like if we looked at each other as Christ sees us, with love? How would that change our responses to each other? This is not something that is going to happen all at once, but we can try. We can try one moment at a time. If we stumble, holding onto our anger and resentment; give it to God, let God hold onto it for you. Let God wash the situation; let God wash your resentment and wash the other person with love. See where that takes us. Then build up on it, one moment at a time, once here, once there, and see how our lives can be turned around by God’s love that works through each and every one of us. “Forgive each other as God has forgiven you. Be imitators of God as beloved children. Live in love, as Christ loves us.” Amen

Peace and blessings

Bright Thursday morning

Grace and greetings.

We have made it to Anchorage on our two week whorl wind tour.  We spent the Fourth of July with my brother and his family in Portland; enjoying the time with them; the fireworks and the excitement of the neighborhood fireworks setting the neighbors lawn on fire that was quickly put out.

We spent a week in Seattle shopping, seeing old friends and being able to spend time with my sister and her partner.  We looked at schools for Sam, and the winner so far is the Art Institute of Seattle.  They have several Bachelor of Arts programs.  The two tracks that Sam is interested in is "Animation" and "Digital Film."  He is leaning towards the film making but we will see what happens over the next year or so.  One of the pluses for the Art Institute of Seattle, is that it is a three year program, but goes throughout the year, which means one can not spend the summer making money to pay for the next year.

Tuesday Kim finally had her court date with the Social Security Disability judge which was held via video teleconference.  The judge had two witnesses: a psychiatrist and a vocational expert.  Our attorney was impressed that the judge had done her homework and reading Kim's file.  Because of that, after Kim's testimony and the one of the other experts, the judge ruled that Kim fit the definition of disability without all the other testimony we were ready for, including me.  That is a big relief for us.  Now Kim needs to figure out who she is now that she has been declared "disabled." 

The rest of the week here is going to be spent doing the normal vacation type events: catching up on movies, shopping, doctor appointments and seeing a tour of some of the glaciers tomorrow.  Since there is no movie theater in Barrow, Kim and Sam came down with a list of movies in mind.  The movies we have seen so far: Star Trek, (with my brother and his family), Wolverine, Angels and Demons, Transformers, Night of at the Museum, and Harry Potter.  For me, the best was between Harry Potter and Star Trek; for Kim it is those two and Angels and Demons; for Sam it is Wolverine.

Well, it is time to get some breakfast.  I will try and post our time with the glaciers later, after I can up load the pictures on our own computer.

Peace and blessings.

Grace and greetings.

Kim and Sam have now joined me in Seattle. We spent the July 4th weekend with my brother and his family in Portland, and we promptly were sun burned.

While we are back in Seattle for this week, Sam has been catching up with some of his friends and so are we. We have done many of the tourist stuff, like buying clothing, shoes, etc; and of course eating out at real restaurants that we have been wanting to try again.

Last night we were able to make it to the Texas Rangers-Seattle Mariners game. We were hopping for good seats but still ended up in the upper deck, which of course the sun beat down on us until the fourth inning, after it finally became a wonderful night. Unfortunately the Mariners lost 6-4, where just like last week against the Angels, the Rangers scored all their runs on home runs.

What is amazing at the moment, is that we have not seen that many movies yet. In the past when we get out of Barrow, the first thing Kim and Sam check out is what movies are playing. We have only seen two so far, "Transformers" and "Star Trek." Though Kim and Sam really loved Transformers, I thought it was a let down from the first one, and too much fighting of the transformers, still had a hard time figuring out who was who.

Today we are on our way to a church retreat to see some friends that we will miss if we go to church tomorrow. Then we will have dinner with my sister and her partner. Then we leave for Anchorage on Monday for Kim's Social Security Disability hearing on Tuesday.

Well it is time to get ready to go out into the "HOT" Seattle weather...okay it is only in the low 80's, but it is hot for us.

Peace and blessings.

A Walk on the Beach

Grace and greetings.

Yesterday, I went for a walk on the beach. To get down from the retreat center to the beach I had to take a set of stairs that I was told that was equal to a ten story building. Once I got down to the beach, I saw things that I have not seen in a while, sea weed, algae, sand dollars, shells and more algae, and more drift wood. Along the way I found a carving in the sand wall. I was first attracted to the shell below the carving, then I found the carving. As I walked along the beach on Puget Sound, I found a few other carvings as well.

After about an hour and a half of walking, I realized that I did not put on any of the sun block that I purchased on Sunday for just this occasion, oh well. By the time I got back to the retreat center, my arms were a little pink. It was not until over night that the slight burn on my arms and parts of my legs showed up. After all the time out, I was very luck that it was a very mild sun burn, it could have been a lot worse.

We have three more days here, then Kim and Sam will join me from Barrow and we will head to Portland to spend the July 4th weekend with my brother and his family.

Peace and blessings.

Monday in Seattle

Grace and greetings.

I have made it to Seattle for a conference on Preaching. Like the picture here on the left, I will be looking backwards in this blog. I took the picture while waiting for Samuel to get out of his driving class out at the college. While sitting there, I noticed the telephone poles in the mirror and just liked the way they lined up, one can tell that they go on into the distance, but able to see each pole by itself.

The past week was long; I was trying to get things tied up so I could leave, but also dealt with other matters that drains the person mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually. But I also was able to play volleyball again; that by it self can restore my soul. It felt good to be on the court, and not having my knees hurt. I think it goes back to earlier in the year when the doctor injected my knees with steroids and a pain killer, as well as taking glucosamine/chondroitin. I had tried the glucosamine before, but I guess I did not take it long enough, or I did not give it time to work with my body. This time I had been on the glucosamine for about a month before I started to play volleyball.

I had not been able to load my pictures from the camera to the computer, so I had to wait until I got a new cord in Seattle. I ended up buying a card reader, but it would not read the card. Then, while looking around on my computer, I found a SD slot for the card, and it loaded right up. Here all this time I was waiting for something so I could share my pictures, and I had it with me all the time. The same can be said about our relationship with God and each other, sometimes we feel that we need to do something, or be about something, instead of just letting God do the work with us and it happens.

Well, it is a fantastic afternoon here in the Seattle area, so I am going to go out and enjoy the trees, as well as the rest of the area.

Peace and blessings.

Happy Father's Day

Grace and greetings.

Following this morning's service, I had the opportunity to speak with my father, wishing him a "Happy Father's Day." He said they got up and went to church, then out to eat with some friends, enjoying their day. They had arrived shortly before I had called, and being true to my father, he was starting the grill for some chicken.

Here, we had lightly blowing snow, but now it is sunny. Though today is also the Summer Solstice, we are not really affected here as else where, for the sun does not set until August.

Anyway, I got a chance to relax in between services to watch the Angels-Dodgers game, only to get frustrated when the Angels blew both of their chances with the bases loaded and gave the game away. At least Matt Kemp scored the first two runs for the Dodgers. From what I understand from old classmates from Edison High School in Huntington Beach, that is where Matt went to school; not the same years of course...

I am not sure why I am also putting in my message from tonight's service, I feel burned out and tired, and this just seemed flat, maybe it will do something for somebody out there. Then again, it could just be a lousy sermon.

“OPEN WIDE YOUR HEARTS”
2 Corinthians 6.1-13

In the lectionary reading this evening, we pick up a few verses where we left off last week. Paul is still trying to get through to the Corinthians with whom he has had an up and down relationship with throughout the time since Paul helped start the Christian Church in Corinth. In reading of the two letters that we still have in existence, we realize that there are references to other letters that Paul wrote to the church, trying to heal the factions within the congregation.

Paul writes to the church on behalf of the other workers, stating they are “Ambassadors for Christ” coming to them with authority. But he also asserts that as we are all in Christ, we are ALL NEW CREATIONS; we are all made new. Within the newness of Christ, we should be able to put aside our differences and come together and sisters and brothers in Christ. Paul requests that they do not take God’s grace in vain; for God’s time will be when it happens, and it God’s time is now.

Paul appeals to the group in Corinth to trust in the message that Paul and the others working with Paul bring to the people. Paul writes of his troubles that he has experienced, in Corinth and throughout his ministry. Paul tells of his pain, his loss, and his love for the people of Corinth. Therein lays the message of Christ that is so often lost in the world of riches and might. So often in the world, we look to superior military might; we look at the riches of a person or nation. But Christ came with his strength in his weakness, by going to the cross. Paul too expresses his weakness means strength in Christ. The message is not as the world gives, but as Christ gives to us. As we empty ourselves, we find God.

All too often, we end up in arguments in the church. Sometimes those arguments can be summed up with the quote: “The reason that fights in churches get so vicious is that the stakes are so low.” We find ways to divide ourselves over petty differences. We get into arguments over the color of the carpet; over who is doing what for which committee; who got snubbed at the nominating committee; whether a picture or flags belong here or there. The arguments are not over salvation or how to fully use our gifts for the betterment of the Realm of God.

It is this type of arguing, over the pettiness of the church, that Paul is writing to the people of Corinth and to the people of the future church. Paul is telling the people of Corinth, that like any parent of an adult child that is misbehaving, and fighting tooth and nail to prove it; Paul is saying, “We have spoken frankly to you Corinthians; our heart is wide open to you. There is no restriction in our affections, but only in yours. In return—I speak as to children—open wide your hearts also.” (Verses 11-13)

Open wide your hearts to God, and as we open them wide to God, we will be opening them to each other as well.

Peace and blessings.

Rotarian Again

Grace and greetings.

Tonight I joined the Rotary Club again. I was a member when we lived in Columbus, Ohio. Sam was born while I was a member, and for the first year of his life, I could swear that he had a better attendance record than several members; the same could be said of Presbytery meetings at the time. Now I am a member of the furthest northern club, (any real surprise there?)

After the meeting, Kim and I drove around a little so Kim could have some time out of the house. As we were driving, out of the ice we could see lone seals here and there. This was the first time that I have seen a wild live seal up here, cool.

We are also trying to get the church ready to paint, though the weather has been some what dry, it still has been pretty cool, high 20's to high 30's, but the wind chill around 25. Hopefully we can start painting sometime next week.

Right now, other than trying to get Sam to do something other than watch TV or be on the computer without World War Three, life is going along about the same right now. No funerals at the moment, but several weddings scheduled. I get to get off the North Slope next week with a conference in Seattle for a week. Then Kim and Sam will join me in Seattle, and we will have a little more than two weeks in Seattle and Anchorage before coming back to Barrow for two weddings. Good reason to be coming back.

Peace and blessings.

Four Funeral and a Wedding

Grace and greetings.

This past week has been another emotional roller coaster and left me drained. After the funeral on Monday for Martha Marie, the murder victim, another prayer was answered but it meant the passing of another person. Martha Aiken, a pillar in the community and church for many decades entered the Church Triumphant with a smile and tear Tuesday morning. She had been ill for the last several years, and truly missed her husband, Robert, who had passed away several years earlier. Her funeral service was probably the longest that I have attended or officiated, five and a half hours. Her sister, the Reverend Mary Ann Warden, helped officiate the service with me. It was a time of mourning, as well as a time of celebration.

Then yesterday, we had another celebration, a time of joy with a wedding. It was good to have the people gather for a joyous occasion. From last Tuesday to yesterday, that meant four funerals and a Wedding. I kept looking around for Hugh Grant to show up...oh wait a minute; the movie was four WEDDINGS and a funeral.

Here is my message from this evening....

“We are a New Creation”
2 Corinthians 5.6-17

As we hear the words of Paul, we can with confidence come together to become one in Christ. With Paul, we yearn to be with God, but we are still here, alive in this place and time; so even if we are not comfortable, or at home in our own bodies, we live them for God. As we go about the business of our own lives, God will call in account of our lives for what we do with the gifts God has given us; do you use the gifts for good or ill?

Christ is giving us the opportunity to choose which of the many answers we may have in life, to choose to live solely for God. Make all our choices for God, in all that we do. Many of us speak of our faith, our ability to pray and sing for God; and then walk by our sister or brother as if they do not exist. We may continue to see others from a human point of view, and make our judgments on what we see and what we know. We make judgments on where they may or may not go to church; what clothes they wear; where they may or may not work; how they treat their families. If we have Christ in our hearts, we are given the gift to no longer see each other in human terms, but as God sees us. Do we see somebody who is intoxicated or high most of the time? Or do we see the Child of God who hurts so much, that the only way they can deal with the pain is to drink?

Throughout the ages, the people in the church have been called hypocrites, because they are seen professing their faith on Sunday morning, and rejecting the existence of their Christian brothers and sisters week in and week out. Being human, we hold on to grudges; old beliefs; past histories of each other. We are called to view each other as God views us, we are called to forgive and to love so that we may become a new creation in Christ.

But that new creation is not just for us as individuals, it is for us as a society as well. We have experienced death in our own community all too often. We mourn our loss, and look to one another to comfort us. Do we hear the call to life? Do we as a community realize that we are a New Creation, called and loved by God?

God continues to bestow gift after gift upon us, as individuals and as a community. Are we willing and able to recognize those gifts from God? Sometimes we think, God answers the prayers of one that may not favor many. Martha Aiken prayed for the last year or so to be lead home. Many of us, myself included, were not ready for her to leave. But now that she has returned home to God, there are others that will be called to step forward to become the pillar of the community that Martha was for us. Sometimes we follow in somebody else’s shadow or footsteps, never to take on the gifts we are given until that person is no longer with us to rely on. As Jesus was preparing his disciples for his departure, he told them that he had to leave in order for the Holy Spirit to come and guide them. In Martha’s case, she knew her faults and failings, she knew too, that many people placed her on a pedestal; which is the last place she wanted to be. She wanted to live her life for God, using the gifts that God gave her, that she may be a New Creation and help the Inupiat people to be that beloved New Creation as well.

Go and claim your gifts; proclaim the gifts that God has given you, as individuals and as a community. Become that New Creation. Tell all the world, so that all may know; In Christ Jesus, we are a new creation, our old life has passed away, and everything has become new again.

Peace and blessings.

Children of God

Grace and greetings.

The funerals for the young couple that died last week are almost over. Friday, we had the funeral for Scooter, who had done the shooting. Tomorrow we will have the funeral and burial of Martha. I am still not sure what I will be saying tomorrow, but I pray that it fills the need and speaks of God's love for us.

I have included my message from tonight's service. As it deals with adoption and the accidents of birth, one person suggested using parts or all of it tomorrow since Martha was adopted, as many are in the North Slope. We will see if I use it or not. Anyway, here is my message from tonight...

“Children of God”
Romans 8.12-17

This past week as people in the group in the internet were discussing this passage, they we attracted by the phrase, “For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear but you have received a spirit of adoption.” As they were telling of stories of individuals that had been adopted or knew of somebody adopted, for they did not know too many people around where adoption took place. Then I wrote, explaining my observation here in Barrow, and I am sure that it is true in most of the indigenous cultures, that adoption is a common place event, affecting most of the families here one way or another. Not only that, but with the adoption, the person is part of BOTH families, the birth family and the adopted family. Then another person commented that she experience the same thing with the Inuit people in Northern Canada. There are many things that the dominate culture of the “white European decent” can learn from the Native cultures, particularly when it comes to dealing with extended family.

In the passage from Romans, we hear that by the Spirit, we are adopted into the family of God. I personally have a problem with that statement. The reason I have a problem is that before anything else, there was God. God formed the chaos into Creation and blessed it. God created us in God’s image and blessed us. So even at the very beginning of time or at the time we were in our mother’s wombs, we were already in the image of God, we were already called by God, we were already in the Family of God, and God continues to create and bless.

There are many times that we forget who we are, and become wrapped up into the chaos of the world around us. We lose the voice that speaks to us of God’s love and God’s inheritance. We abuse the gift we have and need to turn again and remember who we are, that we are the Family of God.

A famous preacher, author and retired seminary professor, Fred Craddock tells of a time when he and his wife were eating at the Big Bear Inn in eastern Tennessee. While they were waiting for their meal to arrive, an older man, about 80 sauntered over to their table and said, "Good evening. Y'all on vacation?" "Yes," said the Craddocks. As they talked with the man, the subject of Fred's occupation came up. It's always interesting to see how people will respond when they find out you are a pastor! When the stranger learned that Fred taught at a seminary, he said, "Oh you teach preachers! I have a story about a preacher," and the man pulled up a chair. The old man said, "I was born back in these mountains. My mother was not married, and the reproach that fell on her, fell on me. The children at school had a name for me and it hurt a lot. During recess I would go hide in the weeds until the bell rang. When I went to town with my mother, the men and women would stare at her, and then they would look at me. It was a painful time. I guess I was in 7th or 8th grade when I started to go hear a preacher. In a way he frightened me, and in another way I was attracted. When he spoke, he thundered. I was afraid that people would say 'what's a boy like that doing in church?' so I would go in just in time for the sermon and then I would rush out. One Sunday, however, some women lined up and I wasn't able to get out. I began to sweat and get cold and I wondered, 'Oh no, somebody's going to say to me, what's a boy like you doing in church?'" Just then I felt a hand on my shoulder. I looked out of the corner of my eye and saw the preacher! I thought to myself, 'Oh no, he's going to guess.' The preacher looked straight at me and stared into my face. And then he said, 'Boy, I know who you are and I know who you're father is. You're a child of.... you're a child of.... you're a child of God. I see a striking resemblance!' Then he patted me on the shoulder and said, 'Go claim your inheritance, son.'" At that, the old man got up to leave. Fred Craddock asked, "What's your name, sir?" The old man turned and said, "Ben Hooper." Ben Hooper who had served as Governor of Tennessee for two terms!

We are of two families, one of Spirit and one of Flesh. God created us to be in the world around us, but not to be of the world. Jesus, born of the Spirit and Flesh, showed us how to go about our lives without getting caught up in the world around us. God has bestowed many gifts upon us; though sometimes we luck out with the families that we are born into, we are all of the family of God. Like Ben Hooper, go and claim your inheritance.

Alleluia and Amen.

Peace and blessings.

Thursday Afternoon

Grace and greetings.

I wanted to continue posting pictures for the blog, but something wrong with the cord that transfers the pictures from the camera to the computer; so the pictures may have to wait until after I get outside (off the North Slope-also means outside of the State).

Life is still going on here. Right now we are waiting for the Medical Examiner in Anchorage to release the bodies of the two involved with the murder-suicide. It looks like I will be officiating the funeral for "Scooter" first, maybe tomorrow if his body arrives on tonight's flight. That means Martha Marie's funeral will be either Saturday, Monday or Tuesday. With Martha's funeral, it will mark my 82nd funeral to officiate in the two years that we have been here in Barrow.

At the church, we are trying to get the building ready for the fall Presbytery meeting here in October. The painting season for outside is very limited and short. Right now we are trying to scrape the old paint off, but it starting snowing Saturday afternoon, and I have not tried since due to the rain and work schedule.

Right now, we are trying to get things ready for Kim's Social Security Disability hearing next month. She is very anxious in filling out all the paperwork, but then again, there is a reason we are filling for disability...

Sam finishes up his driving classes tonight; the class only lasted for four weeks, so we will probably wait and give him more driving time before trying for his license.

Peace and blessings.

Day of Pentecost

Grace and greetings.

I had been writing a blog all week long in my head, but never getting it down in print. The last several days have been emotional rollercoaster. Thursday, snow returned, leaving us with a light blanket of snow which melted by the end of the day. But I also received notice of a death in an Anchorage hospital of a church member who had suffered several strokes. Before his last stroke, he was seen throughout town in one of his two wheelchairs; one motorized that he was able to zip along with; the other he pushed himself backward with his one good foot.

Then Thursday afternoon, a couple from Chicago came to Barrow for the day, and had arraigned for me to renew their wedding vows for their 30th anniversary. This was the first time that I had officiated a service for rededication of vows.

Then on Saturday morning, the community of Barrow woke up to the news of a high school couple whose relationship was not working out; the young man shot his ex-girl friend and then shot himself. He died of his wounds, and she is currently in Anchorage; last I heard was on life support. (Monday afternoon: I have since found out that she did pass away yesterday.)

Saturday night, snow returned, as if to blanket our sorrow and pain with several inches of the white stuff. We went out to dinner to celebrate Kim's birthday, then came home to watch "Gandhi."

Most of the snow is gone as I type, but the pain is still there from yesterday's shootings. But God's spirit continues to flow down upon us, and through us. Here is my meditation from this evening....

“Pray the Spirit”
Romans 8.22-27

On the evening of Pentecost, we gather to worship and pray together. In this passage, Paul starts off that the whole creation is groaning in labor pains. The whole creation, everything in creation is before God, praying. All life, all animals, all mountains, and valleys, beaches and streams are lifting prayers and praises up to God. We join our voices with all of Creation in our worship of the Lord our God. Even those times where we do not know where our next step should be, we worship God.

Yesterday brought out the pain and anguish of prayers that could not find any answers. Prayers that mothers remembered the birthing pains they went through for life, to see life taken from them. Questions continue to be asked, and it seems as though no answers are coming. We know that we are God’s children; we know that God has blessed us and continues to call us forth for adoption to redeem us. But as we hold our dying loved ones in our arms, we continue to lift up our prayers, hoping against hope that God will answer our cries. Paul writes, “For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.”

We come before God, knowing that God will be able to use our grief to bring us into God’s light and love. There is a book that has been out for the last couple of years now that many people have read; it is “The Shack” by Wm. Paul Young. The story is that of a father, and family that has lost their youngest daughter to a rapist and murderer. Though her body has never been found, they did find the remains of her cloths, blood stained; but still they hold out for hope. The book tells of the story of the father, Mackenzie, and how he has dealt with the great loss through his depression that he names “the Great Sadness.” Four years after his daughter’s disappearance, Mackenzie is given a note to meet God at the Shack where his daughter’s cloths were found. The story goes on to report about his time and meeting with God. Of course, as in all good books, there are twists and turns, guilt and redemption. Some questions are answered, many other questions remain.

In the Romans passage, we read that as the whole creation in pain, and yet continues to lift up prayers and praise to God. We read that even in the times it is the hardest for us to pray, even when we are in our own Great Sadness, God’s Spirit, comes to pray for us, and intercedes for us even when we can do nothing more than sigh. Along with the Great Sadness, there is the Great Nevertheless; though odds seem to be against us, nevertheless God comes out victorious in the end. Even when the disciples were faced with the death of Jesus, and lost all hope, nevertheless, God brought Jesus back from the dead, and promised the same for us.

This is the day of Pentecost, the day that the Spirit fell upon the Disciples and spread throughout the land and the ages. The Spirit of God continues to come to us, praying for us, lifting up our voices for us, even in those times when we can find no voice of our own. Though we walk through our valleys of shadow and death; as we experience our own Great Sadness; nevertheless, God comes through in the end, God DOES Triumph.

God is here; God is with us; God is here with us always. Alleluia and Amen.

Peace and blessings.

Still Around

Grace and greetings.

Things are still happening here in Barrow, we are alive and kicking. I am preparing for another funeral and thought I would sent a post while I have the internet connection. Last night and earlier this morning I was having trouble, yet again, with my internet connection. Someday I would like to get a real connection for the church.

Here is my meditation from last night.

“God’s Promise”
I John 5.6-13

In the court of law we are sworn in to “Tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.” In the letter from I John, we hear that God has testified to the truth about the relationship between Jesus and God. Not only is there human testimony, but God’s testimony as well. “This is the one who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ, not with the water only but with the water and the blood. And the Spirit is the one that testifies, for the Spirit is the truth. There are three that testify: The Spirit and the water and the blood, and these three agree. If we receive human testimony, the testimony of God is greater: For this is the testimony of God that he has testified to his Son.” (Verses 6-9)

God comes before us to testify on Jesus’ behalf, and we the jury, are called on to believe the testimony of God. God comes to us throughout history continuing to speak to the human situation and call us back into relationship with God. All along the way, God gives us divine witnesses along with the human witnesses. Jesus comes along to “drink the same dirty water, walk the same dusty roads, and sleeps in the same fragile tents as human witnesses. That witness is very often indistinguishable from other human witnesses.” (Feasting on the Word; year B, volume 2, page 538.) We continue to read throughout scripture how God’s testimony mingled with human testimony, side by side, together.

Therein lies the paradox that we are called to hear and believe. God comes to us, in the lowly places, and not with trumpets blasting, “here is the word of God…” God continues to come in the midst of our lives to give witness, but are we able to give the ear to hear, and the heart to believe? Many people would prefer that God would silence all other voices, in fact many try to do this on their own; but God continues to come to us, quietly, in our own dusty roads, drinking the same dirty water and sleeping in the same fragile tents as we do. Jesus lives with us, walking with us, drinking with us, sleeping with us, and still giving testimony to us about God, and God gives testimony back concerning Jesus. It is like a comment about the Trinity: “God laughs with Jesus, who sings with the Spirit, back and forth, as they are one.”

As we read in this letter by “the elder,” he does not so much speak to us, but sings with us, in the hope that sooner or later we will recall the tune and melody of our own heartbeats to a rhythm long forgotten but not completely lost, that we too may sing along. In the world of sin and grace, we come to hear God’s call, God’s testimony to the truth. God calls us to join in to be witnesses of the truth; that we too may sing with God; sing to the Creator, who sings with the Son and the Spirit, reminding us of the tune that continues to beat in our hearts. Hear God’s song so we may sing along, giving witness to all that may hear us.

Peace and blessings.

Updates

Grace and greetings.

A few people have written me concerning Kim and Sam, so I thought I would answer here too since I brought them up in earlier writings.

The story, "The Miracle Boy," though was written earlier this year for a writing class, took place last year at the end of March and beginning of April 2008. Sam is doing better, he still has his days as well, but he will be finishing up the school year with finals next week. Then he will return this coming fall to finish up the two credits he is short from graduating. He is not sure where he will go, but he knows that he wants to go to college. His plan is to live at home for a year or so to save some money before going off to the big cities. He will probably continue his education with classes out at the two year college here in Barrow. Sam started taking Driver's Education out at the college last night and it will run for about five weeks, two nights a week.

Kim is slowly over coming her pulled two teeth and dry socket. After everything is healed, about six months to a year, they will put in permanent bridges. As for her Social Security Disability hearing, the Judge has postponed the hearing for two months so we can find legal representation. We will meet again July 8th, this time in Anchorage. Otherwise, she is still trying to do things without getting sick again, either with the pneumonia or falling down as she still has the weakness in her right side.

My own depression cycle is starting to lift. This morning I am feeling and thinking clearer than the last several days. Time will tell. Of course, one of the problems of living in the Arctic is the availability of services. The counselors over at the Mental Health have gone from missing one clinician, to now they are down four. There is only one clinician for the North Slope at the moment, with another person helping out when she can. The North Slope is made up of eight villages, with the geographical size of the State of Minnesota. Each of the clinicians would take a week in one of the villages and spend three weeks here in Barrow. Now they are down to just the one. Of course when we ask if there is any body coming in the near future, they can not say anything, which means probably not. The loss of the last two clinicians was especially hard on Kim and I, for they were the people we were seeing. It is much harder on Kim, because she has so few that she can trust right now.

Well, I have to go and get Sam to school.

Peace and blessings.