Teachers are the Greatest

We always seem to underestimate the significance of simple things. One of these is the Sunday school. Sunday schools were begun in England almost 180 years ago. They were initially designed to provide education and spiritual guidance for children who were working in factories on other days of the week. Eventually the movement evolved to provide spiritual direction and Bible instruction for children in many churches.

My son Jonathan phoned home this week to report that he had just met the woman who taught his Sunday school class from 1983 to 1988. Jonathan and Emily have been in Louisville, attending orientation as Presbyterian mission workers. (They leave for Taiwan next month.) The commissioning service was held as part of the national meeting of The Presbyterian Women this week. Carolyn Coffman, Jonathan's teacher was in attendance. She and her husband Turner taught a little group of kids every Sunday morning at Saint Andrew Presbyterian Church in Suffolk, Virginia. Saint Andrew was a new church development at that time, and the number of children was small at first. So we had grades one through six at one table for most of those years. Turner was an engineer and Carolyn taught junior high school. They had many excuses for not teaching, but they took the responsibility upon themselves cheerfully.

I think that much of what Jonathan knows about Bible stories and Bible content was gained during those five years. As pastors, Jean and I were grateful to have other people showing our two sons that faith is important and that spiritual tasks are worth our best efforts. Carolyn and Turner provided that loving message to Jonathan each Sunday. When we left Suffolk and moved to Toledo, Ohio, in 1989, we could not express adequately what it meant to us and our family to have such wonderful people in our lives.

Who knows exactly how a life is shaped and directed. Only the Lord. But there is no doubt in my mind that Carolyn and Turner are central figures in the life of Jonathan.

What Summer Is For

The routine of life remains busy at First Presbyterian Church, but the focus has changed for the summer. Other seasons of the year seem to be "for themselves." Fall is for fall activity. December is for Christmas. Spring is for Easter. Summer is not just for itself, but for picking up the unfinished pieces from this last school year and planning for the coming year.

The 2008-2009 school year ended several weeks ago. I appreciate the summer months as a season to look through all the notes and papers that accumulated and were not handled. These items are ones that were not urgent and could wait until now. But some of them are quite important and require careful attention.

The school year that starts in September will be an exciting one at the church. We begin with Rally Day and a Sunday to dedicate a classroom refurbished by the Cornwell family in memory of Kate Cornwell. Quickly we move into our bicentennial celebration in late September and early October. Then there will be a four week period devoted to renewing our mission for the church's third century and receiving pledges for the 2010 year. Following that is Thanksgiving and Advent. I expect the weeks will fly by once we hit September.

So summer is different, but it is not dull. We also have some pleasant summer activities, including band concerts, picnics, and several activities for children. It all looks very good.

Middle of May

The spring is flying past, and it feels like there are a thousand things to do.  When I hit periods like this I try to keep the focus on people.  I am active in a couple of the church groups that have started meeting during the last year.  I enjoy the Wednesday evening group quite a lot.  It includes a number of younger professionals, and some of them have kids.  My wife Jean and I help with the food prep most weeks, and sometimes we work with the child care people.  It is good to know some of the little kids in more than a casual way.  I also am active with another group that has been around for several years.  Those meetings lately have been over lunch after church on Sunday.

Someone asked me again about small groups and the meaning of the groups movement.  It really is nothing new, but groups are more important than ever.  In past years we had lots of Sunday school classes that held social events on a regular basis.  Now it is harder to get people to come out for an extra hour on Sunday mornings.  Groups meet at the convenience of those involved.  They provided extended periods of time to build deeper friendships and to root ourselves in a new environment.  Groups are probably more important to newcomers and to people who do not have family nearby.

I read a blog this week that talked about groups in the context of "tribe."  That resonates with me as being right.  People seem to have fewer loyalties to big groups, looking instead to smaller networks of friends for support and encouragement.  I am wanting to do anything that will build community into the life of the church.  We learn more about faith and healthy living in a setting where people are more open and honest with one another.  This is happening in the small group meetings that I experience

Seasons of Life

Sunday is Palm Sunday and the beginning of Holy Week.  These days and the weeks of Advent and Christmas are the two great seasons in the church year.  I was raised in a church that did not emphasize the church year, and I have come to appreciate the seasons that are part of our life at First Presbyterian Church.

Today I was listening to a television interview with the actor John Travolta.  He observed that life is filled with massive amounts of evil and suffering.  Then he said that he tries hard to find signs of hope and happiness in life and to focus on those.  Those words seem to me to be wise.

I find myself feeling saddened when we look at the final of days of Jesus' life, including the betrayals, hostility and violence that he faced.  It is appropriate that we include these dark images in our thinking, so that we can be realistic about life.  The world in which Jesus lived is one in which we live also.  We must not be naive.

This is the backdrop for the miracle of Easter.  Even in the struggle and darkness of life God is at work.  Our hope is in the new beginning of a resurrection.

Since the recent death of my wife Jean's father, I have been thinking more about the endings of life.  The African American spirituals often use for death the image of a river.  The river is cold and wide.  The prospect of passing through it raises doubts and fears in our spirits.  But there is safety and new life on the other side.  This is what gives us courage.  Easter is a sign and symbol of that great hope. 

Spring

I am working in my home office today, looking out the window as I type. Spring is surely arriving. The little daffodils are up and in full bloom, sheltered and warmed in the flower bed next to the garage. The crocuses by the front door are up, but there are no blooms yet. It's too cold where they live, but they are almost ready.

At First Presbyterian Church we are in the middle of Lent and Easter will soon be here. The end of winter included for our family the death of my wife Jean's father. He was the family patriarch, a sign of strength and stability right up until the end of his life. He also was blessed with a clear mind for all of his ninety-six years. We will miss him and his wise counsel.

The sermon I am working on for Sunday comes from a text in Ephesians 2 on God's grace and forgiveness. It speaks of personal and corporate renewal, and the possibility of fresh beginnings. We all need encouragement and hope. These we find in the coming and spring and the joyful message of Easter.

Real Winter

We are right in the middle of winter here in Athens. Several years ago I identifed a period as "the real winter." It starts on January 15th and ends with March 1st. During these six weeks I try to pace my work more carefully, and I try to be especially kind in my interactions with other people. This year's real winter has included several very cold weeks and an entire week of serious snow and ice. The last several days has been unusually warm and gentle, a kind break in the middle of "real winter."

We have had several deaths and funerals in our congregation this year. Those who passed will be missed by our congregation. Memorial services were varied, reflecting the written wishes of those who died and the desires of their families also. People sometimes say that these periods, where we have several funeral service, must be hard for me. There is extra preparation to do, but the services are actually an encouragement. As we grieve we also give thanks to God for the life of the person who has died. A memorial service is usually encouraging and inspiring. When we see God's grace in the life of another person, it gives us hope that we will find strength to live well and to follow God faithfully also.

Our congregation includes many older people, but we are also seeing a group of younger adults gathering at our church. Many of them attend a Wednesday night supper and discussion group. They have been reading the book The One Life Solution by Henry Cloud. It's a great thing to see new friendships and loyalties growing. Participation has been strong, even when the weather was challenging.

Several years ago I read a book of poetry about the later years of life. I think the title was Green Leaf in Winter. The theme was that small signs of hope and grace are seen even in the challenging seasons of life. I have been seeing that happening this winter.