I Lost My Kid (Again)
“Our shared task is to equip congregations for ministry–a thousand churches in a million ways doing one thing–following Christ in mission, in a lost and broken world so loved by God”. (From the mission and vision statement of the Reformed Church in America)
On Wednesday I was talking to Cathy about what a good time I was having with my Kids Hope kid. Read more »
167 Discipleship
And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28: 18-20)
Warren and Lynette Jee, Mark Mast and I turned the corner from Jackson Street to Main Street in Fishkill yesterday. As we reflected on the turn of events that had brought us to this place, we all agreed that only God could have been working out the GPS guidance system that made this moment possible. Read more »
The staff was on retreat this past Wednesday at Linwood Spiritual Center. My pastor friends asked me on Thursday why we go on “retreats” and not “advances.” It was a day of advances as we spent time looking at goals for 2012. Read more »
He said to them, “Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. And they went away in the boat to a deserted place by themselves. Mark 6:31-31)
Last Saturday I was in Times Square; it was packed. This Saturday I will be at Graymor; it will be peaceful. The only way I can handle a Times Square world is to come away to a deserted place. I have found that our yearly “Day Away” is one of the most important ways that I get ready for Christmas. Read more »
This weekend thirty-eight kids from Hopewell, eight kids from Arlington and ten leaders from both congregations will be headed to Lake Champion. It will be a life-changing weekend for them. It seems a good time to update you on youth ministry at HRC. Read more »
I planned to register my mom’s car today. I didn’t think that 11/11/11 would be Veteran’s Day and the DMV would be closed. I imagine you would not forget that if you were around when “The Great War”, World War I, ended on November 11, 1918. Read more »
Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints. (Psalm 116:15)
My mom’s funeral service was the afternoon of Reformation Sunday. We sang that great hymn of John Calvin (the father of the reformed churches), “I Greet Thee, Who My Sure Redeemer Art.” It was a hymn that my mom chose for her funeral and I have never sung those words with such meaning as last Sunday. Read more »
I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us. (Romans 8:18)
Those words have never meant more to me than as I read them with my mom as she struggled to take her last breath. To recognize that she was moving into that moment when she would see the glory that was about to be revealed to her was holy. Read more »
More Than You Can Ask or ImagineNow to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen (Ephesians 3:20, 21)
Baseball is beautiful! As I watched Alex Rodriquez bat last night I was fixated on the moment when the ball was leaving the hand of Detroit’s closer, Jose Valverde. That split second before the outcome was determined I knew that either there would be glory for A-Rod and New York, or cheering in my brother- in-law’s home in Holland, Michigan. To be caught in a moment when history is about to be written, one way or the other, is exciting. Read more »
This Odd and Wondrous CallingTwenty-five years ago “Smokey” Joe Holbrook stumbled up the steps to the pulpit in the Middlebush Reformed Church. The stated clerk of classis, my friend Paul Walther, jumped up to give my grandpa a hand as he ascended the pulpit, but my grandfather refused and as he straightened his bent body he seemed to receive a power that I knew not of, and, as if plugged into that pulpit, he was energized to give his charge. It was the day of my ordination, World Communion Sunday, the first Sunday of October 1986. Read more »
I rejoice in the Lord greatly that now at last you have revived your concern for me; indeed, you were concerned for me, but had no opportunity to show it. Not that I am referring to being in need; for I have learned to be content with whatever I have. I know what it is to have little, and I know what it is to have plenty. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being well-fed and of going hungry, of having plenty and of being in need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:10-13) Read more »
“We exist to declare God’s significance” (From Warren and Lynette Jee’s Skype Login)
Ten years ago in the tent, Randy Prentiss came to his first worship service at Hopewell. In little more than a week, he was hired as Hopewell’s first full-time Pastor for Youth. It was an amazing story of God’s timing and our need. Read more »
h2Ten Years Ago in the Tent/h2
“9/11 was this moment that we came together, and it lasted about three-and-a-half minutes.” (Alan Wolfe, director of the Boisi Center for Religion and Public Life in an article from today’s NY Times a title=”NY Time article” href=”http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/09/nyregion/omitting-clergy-from-911-ceremony-prompts-protest.html” span style=”text-decoration: underline;”Omitting Clergy from 9/11 Ceremony Prompts Protest./span)/a
I remember being together in the tent ten years ago on 9/11. Without planning or publicity, people streamed into the tent to hear a word from God and be together in a time of tragedy. This Sunday, we will be back in the tent at ten o’clock. We will remember 9/11. !–more–
All five of our worship services will be in one place, followed by a picnic on our property. It will be the beginning of our span style=”text-decoration: underline;”a title=”Signup for 40 days of Joy!” href=”http://hopewellreformedchurch.org/2011/09/02/signup-for-40-days-of-joy/”Forty Days of Joy/a/span. All the congregations of Hopewell will work through the book of Philippians in these next forty days: in large group on Sunday, in small groups throughout the week and personally in devotions each day.
I don’t sense in our country there is the same desire to hear a word from God in our current time. The front page of the paper talks about the controversy in New York City with no clergy represented in 9/11 remembrances. Ten years ago, clergy of every stripe gathered in Yankee Stadium for a national prayer service. At the National Cathedral, as well, there is controversy on who is invited and who is not invited to an interfaith prayer service. The unity that we celebrated ten years ago in tragedy seems to be torn apart ten years later by reality.
The reality is people are weighed down; by wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, by political division in Washington and state capitals, by an economy that is stagnant and losing jobs, and by this last week’s storms that have washed away homes and, for many, hope.
We need to come together under the tent and be reminded as we were ten years ago: “God is our refuge and our strength a very present help in times of trouble.” (Psalm 46)There is a word from God for this time and for this day. It is a word of joy that can be deep seated in our spirit and sung in any situation. It is the joy of knowing that we have been called together in Christ for a greater purpose and plan, and the God who began a good work in us will bring it to completion in the day of the Lord.
I don’t know that people will stream into churches like they did ten years ago, but there is no other place to go for those words of eternal life. It is there that we find our joy in a post 9/11 world. I look forward to being together again under the tent this Sunday. I pray that the people come streaming in to a place of joy.
In Christ, Taylor
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h3Forty Days of Joy/h3
emI thank my God every time I remember you, constantly praying with joy in every one of my prayers for all of you, because of your sharing in the gospel from the first day until now. I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work among you will bring it to completion by the day of Jesus Christ./em (Philippians 1:3-6)
September 1 the roles in our house shift from me getting up early and making the coffee and Cathy making the bed, to Cathy getting up early, making the coffee and me making the bed. It is a clear sign that the season has shifted and the school and church program year has begun. As we make that shift there are three things I want to place before you:!–more–
1) strongForty Days of Joy-/strong Next Sunday, September 11 at 10 AM, all five of our worshipping communities will be together under the tent at Hopewell. It will be our celebration Sunday and the kick- off of our span style=”text-decoration: underline;”Forty Days of Joy/span focus on Philippians. The whole church will spend time in this very special letter of Paul. With all the realities of a Post 9/11 world we will look at what it means to “Rejoice in the Lord always.” On that day we are asking folks to sign up for a six week small group that will read Philippians together. Those groups will start the week of September 18 and run through the last week of October. In the large group on Sunday morning, small groups throughout the week and through personal devotions every day, we will look at the biblical understanding of joy. Each Sunday we are hoping to have a “Testimony of Joy” from someone in our congregation who reflects this truth. Our goal is to have 400 people in small groups for this season. This is good news of great joy for everyone.
2) strongA Pastor for Youth and Young Adult Ministries-/strong Our youth group is in a time of great excitement. Having come off summer mission trips, there is a feeling of connection with kids and engagement with mission that is exciting. We want to build on that with a strong program for the fall. A critical piece of this is leadership. Last spring I shared with you that Consistory had approved a preliminary search for a Pastor for Youth and Young Adult Ministries and authorized the pastors to explore potential candidates for that position. Conversations and interviews have taken place with various people throughout the spring and at the beginning of this summer a couple from South Africa came before us as very strong candidates to replace Randy Prentiss and lead our youth ministry. The connections of God’s timing and calling in this are too many to outline here, but Warren and Lynette Jee have worked with J-Life ministries in South Africa for many years, training youth leaders in worship and discipleship and leading in youth ministry themselves. Consistory recommends them to the congregation to fill this position. Warren and Lynette, through Skype, have met the entire consistory and some of the youth leaders at Hopewell. On Sunday, September 18 at noon, we plan to have a Skype interview with a larger group of people involved with youth and any others interested. Consistory has recommended unanimously that we go forward with Warren and Lynette and if all goes well on September 18, we will begin the process to bring them over here by the end of October. In the meantime, plans are being made for the leadership of Randy Prentiss and a core group of committed people to make sure the energy that we recognize right now continues throughout the rest of the year.
3) strongHurricane Irene-/strong The final thing I share with you is that we are looking into what steps we need to take to address the damage done by Irene. People are assessing needs and responses. We will take a look at what churches in our synod need help. In the meantime our denomination is taking donations for Hurricane Irene relief at a href=”http://www.rca.org/rcws”www.rca.org/rcws/a .
September is here and the coffee is on. I look forward to this season of joy.
Rejoicing always,
Taylor
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Earthquakes and hurricanes–it sounds like the second coming. We shall see, but tomorrow we are planning for church. Last week with our painters I was accused of being an “incurable optimist,” so I believe that Irene will not be the end of the world as we know it. However, as I proclaimed last week, we should be biblical realists–those who recognize the tribulation in the world, but look with hope at God’s ultimate plans. So for tomorrow we will obey the civil authorities and if they tell us not to go out we will stay in. Short of that command, each person should decide what is safe and reasonable to do. We do not want to put anyone in danger. Read more »
“If you would win a man to your cause, first convince him that you are his sincere friend.”
~ Abraham Lincoln
Last Friday I was at the Willow Creek Leadership Summit hearing vision cast about what makes a great leader. This Friday I am under the tent at VBS watching a great leader lead. Sheryle Silvern should have spoken at the Leadership Summit. Read more »
Tomorrow we head to North Carolina for a nephew’s wedding where Cathy’s extended family will all be together. After that I will head to Holland, Michigan, to participate in a Bast Preaching Fellowship that will include twelve preachers together at Western Seminary to reflect on the art of preaching. I look forward to these two weeks away, but as I leave I am looking forward to the fall and want to update you on what is coming. We had a major consistory meeting last night and we made some significant decisions that I want to share with you. Read more »
I am heading back to the States tomorrow. My dreams are shifting from the Dominican Republic to preaching in Hopewell without the proper clothing (please don’t ask). I know it is time to go home, but my time down here has, once again, been transforming. Read more »
I remember the first time I met Lourdes. It was on Long Beach Island at Harvey Cedars in 1998. She was a youth leader at the fall retreat. What struck me about her were her eyes. Her eyes seemed to be wide opened to everything in the world. They looked full of life, energy and joy. Read more »
“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted…..He has made everything suitable for its time.” (Ecclesiastes 3)
My ChristCare group is studying the book of Ecclesiastes. As tomorrow we come to chapter 3, I was thinking how much this reflects some of the transitions that we are going through as a church. We are in a season of transition with three staff members. Read more »
The Missional MileTherefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrew 12:1)
It used to be that a 5K run was a walk in the park for me, but that is no longer true. With aching Achilles and constricting calf muscles a 5K is a challenge, but I will be out there on Saturday because I am so happy that HRC is sponsoring a run that celebrates health and wellness. Read more »
The Vision for MissionYou could say I am “killing two birds with one stone” today. This afternoon I am headed to Warwick with twenty other people from HRC for a mission weekend working on the camp. Kevin Phillips asked me to lead devotions for this trip, so I am getting ready for three talks at Warwick to the group. I will be back on Sunday to preach on the holy catholic church, but before I do that, I will have laid down the vision for mission, the mission itself, and the method for mission in the church today. I thought I would give you the brief overview in this In Touch. If you are going to Warwick you need not read any further. Read more »
Water is Thicker Than Blood
For my In Touch today I give you the link to an article that was published in RCA Today that Mark and I wrote. It is about being in the Reformed Church in America. Read more »
It was tulip time in Holland, Michigan. My daughter was graduating from Hope College and the tulips’ timing was perfect this year. A cold spring held off their blooms until the tourists from around the world had arrived. Sarah, my graduate, was working Windmill Island, charging tourist $7.50 to get in to see an original Dutch windmill and a replica of a Dutch Village. She was amazed that the windmill seemed to draw people from all over the world. Apparently Tulip Time has become a popular tourist destination for Indian tourists. Tulip Time is not just for the Dutch anymore.
Rain was predicted for graduation, but there was not a cloud in the sky as Sarah stepped into her future, and I was able to give her her diploma and a kiss in the front of the outdoor stadium from which they graduated. It was a glorious day. Family and friends had gathered to celebrate this commencement (beginning) and to bless her on her way. Read more »
Our confirmation group has begun writing their credos. It is a good time for you to think about yours. For the next ten weeks, we will be looking at the most universal creed of the Christian faith, The Apostle’s Creed. After the resurrection and ascension of Jesus the church was established and began to explode; in numbers and in doctrines. The Apostle’s Creed was the early church’s affirmation of the central tenants of the faith. The main focus was in understanding who Jesus was and who Jesus is. Christians through the ages have accepted the creed as a basic affirmation of what it means to be Christian. Read more »
Every year I write my Easter message on Good Friday. Is that a bad thing? In the midst of a day of fasting and preparation for a service of darkness in the evening, the Easter message takes shape. It would be a different message if I wrote it after the brass plays, the Hallelujah Chorus is sung and all the lilies have opened. It would be different, but I don’t know if it would be good.
Easter speaks to the darkness in our life and in the world. John begins his gospel affirming “the light that shines in the darkness and the darkness will never overcome it.” John ends his gospel by showing us what this means. Yesterday I spoke with a woman who is struggling with chronic illness and health setbacks, then a man who is on the continual verge of financial ruin, and heard of another person whose emotional distress has put her in the hospital. The darkness is real and around us. Read more »
It has been a week of great theology. My ChristCare group met this morning to decide definitively between free will and predestination (we didn’t). A woman was in my office talking to me about the need to have some messages on our understanding of Hell. I had multiple conversations about Rob Bell’s new book, Love Wins: A Book About Heaven, Hell, and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived. I had another conversation with a person who was struggling to make the connection with God and it was just not working. I met with about 15 kids who will be coming to the table for the first time and we talked about baptism, communion and the church. Read more »
By now I guess most of you have finished your 2010 taxes. A week from today they are due. My prayer is that everybody at HRC would get audited. That sounds like a strange prayer, but give me a moment to explain. The other day, I spoke with a couple who were being audited again for their charitable contributions, even though the last time they were audited the auditor gave them a letter explaining that they are exceptional givers and the IRS should not bother them again. In this first audit, the couple prayed they would get an IRS agent who was understanding. The tax woman turned out to be a pastor and was very appreciative of the commitment they had to the causes of Christ in their lives. Still it seems the IRS is not convinced that people legally give so much money away, so once again they have been called to give and account for their giving. I think that is great! (They are not as excited as I am.) Read more »
This Sunday evening at the Christian Service Award Dinner for the Regional Synod of New York, Hopewell will be honoring Rich and Faye Lotze. It is always dangerous to single out any one person or couple to honor when so many people serve in so many ways around here, but without doubt I think everybody would agree that Rich and Faye represent the best of Christian service and leadership. They have been ministering here since 1970. They are, to me, what makes Hopewell such a great place to serve: healthy leaders that are willing to serve in any way to advance the work of Christ at HRC and in the world. When Jesus said “you are the salt of the earth,” he was talking about Rich and Faye. Read more »
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem,….” (Acts 1:8)
I realize when we talk about “Jerusalem Ministries” at Hopewell people may be confused. Kevin Warren is taking over our Jerusalem Ministries. That does not mean we are sending him to the Middle East to study Hebrew. It means that he will oversee local mission at HRC. It used to be that when we thought of mission, we thought of the “ends of the earth”, but more and more we are talking about bringing it all back home to our backyard. Read more »
“But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.” (2 Peter 3:18)
Consistory started its new year on Tuesday night with a fun question: “What was your favorite car that you ever owned?” The answers were quite diverse, from sports cars to clunkers, to old pick up trucks with “three on the tree”. But the answers to the deeper question of “where would you like to see Jesus in the ministry of HRC in 2011, came to amazing convergence, primarily in three areas: Read more »
This Sunday we will have a Super Bowl party at the church. It will be at noon. Actually, it is our congregational meeting, but it will be better than the Super Bowl, because it will reflect on lives changed forever through the ministry of HRC. I hope you will be there. We will look at the past year, celebrating the ways this ministry has been blessed. We will look forward to the coming year and ways that we will be a blessing. We will hear financial updates, joys from our shared ministry with Arlington Reformed, updates from Common Ground, and Steve Dambra will share what is happening at Journey and Odyssey. Bruce Smith has, once again, prepared a slide show reflecting the year that was. Michael Reynolds will present the 2011 budget. You will have an opportunity to share where you have seen Jesus this year in HRC’s ministry. Read more »
As we work through this series on Revelation coupled with the theme of 167 Church, it is a time to remember what we are about and the vision we are living into. A number of years ago as we spoke of vision, I used the term that we want to be a “both-and” church and not an “either-or” church. Jim Belcher’s book, Deep Church, has reflected and spoken to that theme for me. In this series, we are looking at Belcher’s themes of a third way for the church as we move into the 21st century. Each of his deep church themes picks up the “both-and” approach. Read more »
I watched a PBS series on the Dutch in New York. It was enlightening to see how the first European settlers of Manhattan Island lived. It was a dynamic, open and diverse community that reflected freedom of religion, racial diversity and democratic principles. There were slaves on the Island, but a taste of the freedom that would be America was present on the “island in the center of the world”. Read more »
“Everybody’s going to be O.K., she would want that.” (John Green)
Christina Taylor-Green’s father spoke those words at her funeral in Tucson on Thursday. A simple statement of faith coming from the pulpit of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Roman Catholic Church that is deeply profound. It amazes me that a father could speak at all so close to the death of his daughter, but to speak words of hope that are at the center of the Gospel is even more amazing in the face of such tragedy. Read more »
In twenty five years of ministry I have rarely preached the second Sunday of January. Our denomination (the RCA) has a clergy/spouse retreat called Freedom in Ministry on this date. Cathy and I have made it to that retreat every year we could. Cathy is off the planning committee for FIM and she is driving Sarah back to Hope College this weekend, so I am here and I am glad. Read more »
