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Our top story today concerns my son, Ben. Loooong story short, he was married for about 3 yrs back in 2015, things went sideways, and now they've been talking about getting back together. While my son is not concerned which way that goes, he is deeply concerned for her health. She's Anorexic, and as happens with that, a plethora of other issues have arisen. Now, she lives about 30 minutes East of Chicago. She has, therefore, visited all of the hospitals there. She gets "ignored" at all of them. While the rest of us in the family don't trust her, we don't hate her and want to see her condition improve. Pray for discernment and wisdom on Ben's part as he considers the near future.* He's in Maine with his father, currently, and so this move would put him halfway across the country from us. We want what's best, no matter what that looks like; but we just want to be sure he's doing the right thing.
Meanwhile, Mike's voice has not come back yet. He FINALLY went to the walk-in early last week, but they refused to treat him. They thought that, just because he mentioned Amoxicillin by name, that, "He knows the names of drugs, so he must be looking for some." Even though there is NOTHING in his medical history to suggest this. :/
Nothing new from Andrea and Matt, so I'm given to presume he's still in the local Nursing Home/Rehabilitation Center down the street from me.
I had a nice time out with my parents yesterday, thanks to Mike bringing me the minivan so I could take them to visit Craney Hill Tower in Henniker. It's a special time when we can get up there. Not only because my grandfather (mom's father) was Lookout for 13 seasons; but he also built the road that leads up to the tower from the main road over the hill.* While we were early enough to beat most of whatever crowds may have gone up later, there was a young man in the cabin of the tower who is part of the NH Fire Tower Facebook page. He heard our story and requested to take a picture of us in front of my grandfather's picture that sits above one of the windows up there so he could post it as part of the tower legacy!!* He was also kind enough to come down the steps with us to assure my parent's safety. (particularly dad's, as he uses a cane now) Sadly, we're fairly certain this was my father's last climb up the tower, if not up the hill itself. While he was okay going up, he needed to rest about 3/4 of the way down the road going back to the car. His legs simply wouldn't carry him any farther until he sat for a bit. (as it was, he had trouble just getting into position to sit down on the chair-height rock nearby) :(
I realize that I'm interrupting the flow of the message series from CenterPoint again, but as Mike would say, "That'll happen in a job this big!!" lol I've just been so overwhelmed with trying to catch up after our trip last month and watching my granddaughter, Brandi, and keeping my own health and house up that I decided these messages should come next. They are, after all, consistent in the dates of everything, and it means that I don't have to search our church website for the next missed message so I can notate it before blogging. Maybe Tuesday, we'll see... but for now, we'll get moving on this one.
Whenever I get overwhelmed with everything going on in my life, I like walking in the woods; if possible. That's partially why I walk to the parks so much. It gives me both quiet and exercise. I like the quiet solitude so I can clear my mind and pray. That's why parts of this message really resonate with me. I'm sure they will with you, as well.
The opening thought, brought by member, Mark Baxter, was that both faith and yeast can transform.
As Pastor Scott was just getting back from a trip to Ireland, Council Pastor Lynn Bujnak led the service.
The Children's message was presented by Laura Slate. She talked about how it takes work and patience to see a seedling grow in a cup at school. Likewise, growing our faith in God takes work and patience.
The Scripture Readings were the following --
Isaiah 43:18-21
New International Version
18 “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.19 See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.20 The wild animals honor me, the jackals and the owls, because I provide water in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland, to give drink to my people, my chosen,21 the people I formed for myself that they may proclaim my praise.
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Matthew 13:33
New International Version
33 He told them still another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty pounds[a] of flour until it worked all through the dough.”
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Pastor Lynn's sermon was titled, "Refugia and Other Signs of Hope"
She started by encouraging us to create "pockets of resistance" in life. (My notes say "love" here, but Idk) Pastor Lynn went on to explain that the word "refugia" (or "refugium") is a biological term describing an area of safety in an otherwise unstable environment. In our context today, it speaks of life in the midst of catastrophe. More to the point, finding (or creating) peace in the midst of life's chaos.
Of course, as Christians, we know that the best source of peace in life is God. We seek shelter in Him, and all is well. (not to say that the bad isn't happening, just that we are unaffected emotionally by it)
She went on to remind us that we are called by God to hold each other up, and by this, we hold the world in better stead. We have a responsibility to support each other.
We've all seen flowers growing in the cracks of concrete sidewalks, I'm sure. This sign of resilience is there to show us that life goes on in spite of challenges. It proves that hope is tenacious. Resistance against our otherwise hostile environments can bring rebirth in the face of death and destruction.
While we don't always see the start of the problems we may observe, we can share our faith with those in need and offer help. To bring out this point, Pastor Lynn quoted from the Common Book of Prayer, "Let not the hope of the poor be taken away."
She closed the message with a beautiful poem by Wendell Berry called, "The Peace of Wild Things" --
When despair for the world grows in me
and I wake in the night at the least sound
in fear of what my life and my children’s lives may be,
I go and lie down where the wood drake
rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds.
I come into the peace of wild things
who do not tax their lives with forethought
of grief. I come into the presence of still water.
And I feel above me the day-blind stars
waiting with their light. For a time
I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.
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She commented on the idea of "day-blind" stars; saying that this is a reminder for us that God is always there whether we can see Him or not, just as the stars are still there during the day.
She encouraged us to always look for the "refugia" in our lives and asked us to consider the question, "What feeds our hope and resistance??" The answer is where we will find our "refugia". Amen.
-- God Bless!!
Footnotes:
Ben was raised in church until he was about 11. He has since become an Atheist, so pray that God's will be something completely unavoidable to him.
You can find articles on my grandfather in the Aug. 1971 issue of Yankee magazine and the Summer 1972 issue of NH Roads and Highways.
As of this moment, I haven't seen the post yet. My membership on the page is pending as of last night when I posted the pics from our walk.
Music -- never any rights, I promise!!
Opening hymn
Anthem - soloist, Sue Rowell
Hymn 2
Offertory, soloist, Sue Rowell
Closing hymn
