Pastor’s Pen
Welcome Spring
Dear Friends,
“Today is the first day of spring!” My neighbor reminded me, as we chatted when we met on our morning walks. A lovely thought even if the weather is still a little unpredictable. But hopefully, the deep winter chill is mostly behind us. Somebody told me it was the coldest New Jersey winter in ten years. Thankfully, the daffodils are growing and swelling with each day of sunshine to make the children remark about them while waiting for the school bus.
All wildlife has accelerated their levels of activity as they prepare for the mating season. American Robins seem to form groups as they forage together, and squirrels are heard rustling in the dry leaf litter before you catch a glimpse of them. But my favorite signs of spring are the evening chorus of the swamp wildlife and the dawn chorus which percolates my sleep in the early hours before I have to get up. Now the temperatures are milder, it is almost time to open the bedroom windows a crack, to avoid waking in the night feeling too hot and also enjoy these diurnal treats as they lull us to sleep and gently nudge us awake.
With all the swelling of buds and growing we see in the transforming landscapes around us, we are reminded that Lent is not only a time of penitent reflection but also a time to grow. And, it is fitting, during this emergence of new life from what once seemed dead and frozen that we celebrate the end of Lent with the final crescendo of the resurrection and the Easter story.
Pastor Cliff
What is Your Purpose?
“The two most important days of your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why.” Mark Twain
Dear Friends,
Perhaps you remember when you began to ask about your ‘why’. I was in my teens, but it took me into my twenties to find the right path for me. Whereas some people discover from an early age and others later in life.
It seems like the first disciples had good days and bad as fishermen, but that was par for the course and just the way life was. Jesus came to them as they mended their nets after a fruitless night’s work. Perhaps Jesus used the opportunity to impress them or engineered the situation for His purposes. We’ll never know. Jesus climbed into their boat and told them to push the boat out into deeper water to let down their nets. The result was a miraculous catch, which grabbed their attention, showing them that they were lesser men without Him. They were afraid, but Jesus said, “From now on, you will fish for people.”
Up to that point, they thought they knew what their purpose in life would be. But the Lord of Creation revealed that He had something they needed. He gave them a new reason to live, and immediately, they followed Him.
Those disciples didn’t need to go to college or university, they learned about discipleship on the job as they followed Jesus. They brought life skills and experience. And though they left their nets to follow Him, they did return to fishing for a while. So, following Jesus does not always disrupt your life, it just requires the change of focus to change your world.
Pastor Cliff
Jesus Knocks on the Door
Dear Friends,
This week, I was feeling a bit stiff and achy, as the odd joint is beginning to creak, so I decided to go for a swim to help loosen off. The pool was fairly busy, due to half of it was taken up, almost turning what was meant to be a relaxing activity into a contact sport. The great thing about swimming is that it doesn’t take as long as the gym, and the health benefits are just as beneficial if not better. If you go often enough, we might bump into each other. It’s amazing who you meet at the YMCA!
Some people are fairly quiet in the changing room, whilst others are very chatty. I guess we all have our moments. As I was almost dressed, a gentleman returned to his locker which happened to be next to mine. And as soon as he spoke, I could detect his English accent. He had a keen interest in the history of castles and was enthusiastic about his train rides from England to Scotland and the castles you can see as you speed past. As I was about to leave, someone else heard us and engaged us in our shared interest in soccer. So, there we were, all three of us with accents, united by the ‘beautiful game’. Whether it’s soccer or something else like music, or the weather, there will always be something to provide a common denominator to bring people together.
Whether we go to the pool, the park, the library or the diner, we discover that human beings are social animals who mostly crave interaction. Each month when the Second Saturday gang gather at Rosie’s Diner for breakfast, there are always the familiar faces who also make it their regular gathering place.
This is one of the many things I love about our congregation at UPC Flanders! There are many opportunities to encourage our sense of belonging, from the welcome at the door and in the pew, to the coffee hour after the service.
Remember, even if you are not able to come in person, we can always come to see you. Please call me to advise on the best time, or I may just turn up at your door to make sure you are okay.
Jesus was always knocking on someone’s door; seeking them out, whether they were in hiding or not. He was never comfortable with leaving people out in the cold. He still gathers us in today!
Pastor Cliff
Balancing the Scales
Dear Friends,
As the rich get richer and the poor get poorer, it is reassuring at least to know that our Lord Jesus remained faithful to God’s bias for the poor. In the Old Testament, God encouraged kindness towards strangers and widows in the land (e.g. Ruth’s story). And this theme is continued in the New Testament from Mary, the mother of Jesus in the words of the Magnificat (Luke 1:46-55) and then throughout Jesus’ ministry beginning with His reading and preaching His first sermon in the synagogue in Nazareth. Perhaps the shortest sermon He ever preached.
Luke 4:14-22 records the occasion. It immediately follows His temptation in the desert and begins by telling us that He is led by the Spirit. And Luke tells us, Jesus reads from the prophet Isaiah,
18 “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free,
19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”[f]
The year of the Lord’s favor is another way of describing the Year of Jubilee. God’s design for Israel’s economy that every fifty years, debts are forgiven, lands and property are returned to their original owners.
I wonder if we were to implement a year of Jubilee, how would it be applied ?Would there be a restoration of land to its rightful owners, such as a return of land to indigenous peoples? Could debts be forgiven? And would that include all debts including student debts? Would there be reparations for the descendants of slaves? Is that what God meant when He told Isaiah to write what he did?
There is no doubt that if God’s bias to the poor was implemented today, and debts were forgiven we all might witness a liberation of the oppressed, and a lifting up of the downtrodden. Of course, those gifted with the ability to make and create wealth would soon rise again, but the rest of us who are more moderately gifted would appreciate a second chance, another bite at the cherry and a new beginning.
Pastor Cliff