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From District Conference 2016: Reflections from Past DEs

PAST DISTRICT EXECUTIVES REMEMBER NORTHERN PLAINS YEARS

Northern Plains Brethren held their 150th District Meeting August 5-7, 2016.  To recognize this milestone, past District Executives shared memories of their Northern Plains years.  Connie Burkholder (1996-2006) spoke at the Friday evening worship.  The next day, letters were read from Joe Mason (1995-1996), Tom Bowser (1992-1995), Jim Miller (1985-1992), Charles Lunkley (1977-1984) and Martin Gauby (1972-1976).  

Martin Gauby (1972-1976)

The letter from your District Office inviting us to attend your District Conference in Des Moines this coming August was a wonderful offer which I would very much like to accept. However, my health at this time is not good enough to consider our being with you at that time.  We will be in prayer for your conference and your District life and work.

As I think back over the four years I was privileged to serve as District Executive for Northern Plains, and the two districts in Missouri and Arkansas, it would be great to speak in person of my gratitude, but let me try to put it in a few words.

The position was not one I had even thought of, but when the invitation came asking if I would consider applying, we accepted that as a door opening, to serve a few years in Edith’s home district.

I remember so vividly the support and encouragement of all the people I had the privilege of working with. We did not always think alike, but we were always on the same team. I had the prayers and support of pastors and District officers. It was a joy to worship in all of the churches, to support pastors, and perhaps give encouragement. I was so lucky, never once having to cancel a meeting.

Our memories, prayers, and best wishes will always be with you. We have fond memories of our years of service to you and the churches of the Northern Plains.

Martin Gauby, 9080 W. Arabian Drive, Boise, ID  83709

Charles Lunkley (1977-1984) from his daughter, Carolyn McDaniel

Thank you for inviting Charles Lunkley to your 150th Celebration.  He would love to be there to celebrate with you, however his health is not sufficient to allow him to do that.  He remembers with fondness the churches he served both as pastor and district executive.  He will be 98, on his birthday, July 2, 2016.  He started his full-time ministry at the Prairie city, Iowa, Church of the Brethren in 1947.  I am currently writing a book on his and Rozella’s life in the pastorate and mission field, so I have many facts and details in mind.  I don’t know when I will finish it, but hope to title it “Movin’ On”, Letters from Africa – a personal true story of a missionary family in the 1950s”.

Dad is virtually blind, with only slight vision in one eye, and he has Parkinson’s disease which limits his abilities considerably.  His mind is still sharp and he enjoys her visits from family, friends and caretakers.  He also enjoys listening to books on tape.  He sends you his greetings with regrets he will not be able to attend.  He lives in an assisted care facility owned by our daughter and her husband, just a few miles from me.

Charles Lunkley, 1256 N-400 W., Apt. 3A, Marion, IN 46953-9236

Jim Miller (1985-1992)

There are so many good memories of people, churches, the land, the sky and just the good air and clouds in the various seasons we lived in Northern Plains District.  Let me share a couple that stand out:

Our country was experiencing “The Farm Crisis” in the late 1980’s. This was a major issue for our families, communities and churches.    It was a challenging time for small towns and rural communities.  We saw small businesses, schools, and vital support systems evaporate especially in the rural areas.  Through that time, renewed commitment to discipleship and service grew in many of our churches.

I really felt the welcome and support in many of our churches as I would travel throughout the district.  There were a number of 1,000 mile week ends with several visits for search committees, worship, district sub committees, etc.  Personally, it was an uplifting time in building new relationships and assisting church leaders in their ministry and service.

Creative efforts were found for training pastors.  The challenges included long distances, a shift to part time pastors who also had other employment, and integrating ministers new to the Church of the Brethren.  However, there was a willingness to work so that solid pastoral training was accomplished.  Programs like EFSM, TRIM (with the support of McPherson College) really did make a difference.

I learned to appreciate the warmth and energy of the Northern Plains Brethren. The resources and staffing for the district continued to down size, but the vitality and genius of our life together was strengthened. With the constraints of time and travel, “the district” didn’t do a lot together throughout the year, but the District Conference Weekend, with fellowship, urban rural auction, All District Sunday Worship and the Mon-Dak Family Camp week end, it is impressive what a high percentage of the Brethren in Northern Plains came to these annual events.

To bring you up to date, since I left Northern Plains in 1992, I completed 19 years as District Executive in Shenandoah District, retiring in 2011.  Since then, I have kept challenged with volunteer work at the Young Center for Anabaptist and Pietist Studies at Elizabethtown College (PA) and with ESL tutoring in the Harrisonburg VA immigrant communities. Currently, I am interim Pastor at the Mill Creek Church of the Brethren in eastern Rockingham County.  

Mary has just retired as an RN with hospice. Before that, she was a floor nurse in a regional hospital and had been a visiting home nurse.  This summer we are looking forward to time with our two children’s families, which include four grandchildren!  Our daughter Angela is married to Gerhard Hoffmann and they live in Pfullendorf, Germany. They have two children, Benjamin and Katelyn.  Our son, Greg, is married to Krista Knicely and they live in Harrisonburg, VA with their two sons, Corbin and Brennan.

Wishing You God’s Richest Blessings.  

Jim Miller, 106 Hickory Lane, Bridgewater VA 22812-9555

Tom Bowser (1992-1995)

Let me begin with greetings to the good people of the Northern Plains District.  I began service as your District Executive in September 1992 and completed my service in September 1995.  I have some good memories of those years, and I have been influenced by some of those events.

One of my goals was to visit every church and every pastor.  If my records are correct, I visited almost all of the churches, and I preached twenty times in district congregations.  Camping ministries are an essential mission of any COB district, and so I supported both of your camps.  Involvement in district board and commissions were important for me as well.  And I welcomed the rejuvenation of your disaster ministries following the flooding of 1993.

Although I have never found traveling a hardship, I marveled at the way you viewed distances.  Our whole family loves camping, so we drove to Camp Mon-Dak for family camp in July 1993, taking two days each way.  Traveling to North Dakota for a regular district board meeting on an overnight bus trip was one of the highlights of my time with you.  It struck me how many people from the Mon-Dak area traveled to district board meetings in Iowa, not only without complaint, both with enthusiasm for the work of the district.

Since leaving Iowa, I served as pastor in Nokesville, VA, and served as interim pastor in nine churches in Southern Ohio District, two of which I served twice.  I have served on ministry commissions and district boards.  I also served as district moderator once.  And despite knee and hip surgeries, I have kept involved in the brethren disaster ministry.

One of the gifts of retirement is the opportunity to reflect on past ministries and relationships.  I appreciate the chance to remember my time in Northern Plains District.  I am sorry Paula and I cannot attend your district conference, but I enjoyed the time I took to think of you.  May God continue to bless you as you move forward in faith.

Tom Bowser, 4224 Gorman Ave., Englewood, OH 45322-2623

Joe Mason (1995-1996)

Congratulations to you and your long history of continuous ministry “To the Glory of God and our neighbor’s good” in the Northern Plains region.  You’re 150th anniversary is surely a time for celebration with such a long history of continuous ministry.  Rejoice and be glad for all the blessings that God has given you.

In September 1995 I gained a very special feel for Northern Plains District of the Church of the Brethren.  Five months earlier my wife, Peggy, had died and then later in the summer Karen Miller, Director of District Ministries, asked me to do a one year interim as District Executive in Northern Plains District, foreign territory to me.

After having retired six years earlier from 18 years as a pastor and 22 years as a District Executive it seemed pretty natural to take on that assignment.  My years of ministry had been to the eastern part of the US (Virginia, Pennsylvania, Ohio) so venturing west of the Mississippi was an adventure.

In Middle PA and Southern OH where I had served as DE, I could drive to 90% to 95% of the churches in the District within about an hour.  Northern Plains is geographically so very different but I soon sensed a kind of closeness, a warm fellowship among the churches and the people that is unique.  When you have District Conference it is a real EVENT.  You Brethren come together and stay together for several days and enjoy the finest of Brethren fellowship.  There was, and I’m sure still is, a genuine sense of Mission over these vast plains.

Stover Memorial Parsonage was graciously prepared as my residence for that year.  I’m not sure I did very much during that year, but I did get into most of the churches.  Your current DE, Tim, and I even took an all night train trip to Big Sky congregation in Montana for an ordination.  I drove every day to the district office in Ankeny where I was frequently visited and given advice and pastoral care by Tim, who was pastor there at that time.  My reminiscing could go on and on — you know how it is with old codgers.

Now, however, you are together celebrating the 150th year of Church of the Brethren ministry in the Northern Plains.  May you rejoice that “This is our Story” and may you sing with gusto, “This is our Song”, and may you “Continue the work of Jesus, Peacefully, Simply, Together”.

Joe Mason, Timbercrest Community, PO Box 501, North Manchester, IN 46962

Connie Burkholder (1996-2006)

I’m delighted to be with you this weekend for this celebration of the district’s history and faithfulness.  I bring you greetings from the Western Plains District and the Monitor COB and all the sisters and brothers there.  Thank you for the invitation to celebrate these 150 years with you, and for this chance to share brief reflections on this occasion.  Thanks to Tim Button-Harrison and the planning committee for the invitation!

As I reflect on my experience and ministry in Northern Plains, what stays with me is the persistent willingness on the part of so many of you to go to great lengths to be a district, to be in a community of faith over this vast area with scattered churches, and to find ways to be in ministry even when small numbers of people are present.  A prime of example of that persistent willingness was the District Board Bus Trips to the Mon-Dak area.  We made 3 of those trips during my tenure and I don’t know how many were done before or after that.  Every district in the denomination holds their District Board meetings in various locations; but this district is the only district that I know of that has that kind of intentionality and willingness to go those kinds of distances to stay connected as a community, as a body of Christ.  This is our story; this is our song of faithfulness.

I know that the District Board Bus Trip is a thing of the past now, but in this time, you are doing other things that show a persistent willingness to go to great lengths to be community together.  The division of leadership  from one full-time DE to other persons who supplement and complement Tim Button-Harrison’s work shows a willingness to be creative with resources so that connections can be made and ministry can be accomplished.  Surely this strengthens the district with gifts and skills of a variety of people being used instead of relying on just one staff person.  This is our story; this is our song of faithfulness.

I’m intrigued by another way that I see you being creative in your persistent willingness to be community together and that is in the Sending of the Seventy.  What a brilliant way to nurture the relationships in a much broader way than just a DE visiting!   This is our story; this is our song of faithfulness.

Another aspect of the persistent willingness to be in ministry as community is through the several churches that are Ecumenical Shared Ministry Churches– where the COB has been paired with another denomination in a shared ministry.   These congregations operate a little differently in each circumstance, but in each case the arrangement allows for opportunities for worship, service, outreach, and mutual support in places where Brethren are few in numbers.  It takes commitment to relate to one denomination, much less maintaining relationships with two denominations.  And yet, that’s exactly what some of you do!  This is our story; this is our song of faithfulness.

And then finally a visual aid of persistent willingness to be community together – a T-shirt that, I think, was already in progress when I first came to the district in 1996.  As I recall, Lois Hermanson from the Kingsley Church – one of those Ecumenical Shared Ministry congregations at the time – was instrumental in getting this together.  On the front are pictures of the church buildings of the district – – as many as she could round up.  And you know that means persistence in tracking down people who are willing to provide or take the pictures.  And on the back is a map of the District with location and the names of the churches.  I wear this T-shirt from time to time.  And I do so with fond memories and with joy, because this, too, is our story; this is our song of faithfulness.

I pray that the persistent willingness of this district to be faithful in building community and ministry continues strongly for another 150 years.  Congratulations!  And God’s blessings to all of you, my brothers and sisters.

Connie Burkholder, 614 North Hartup, McPherson . KS 67460

District News & Announcements – August 2016

District News & Announcements

August 2016

District News & Announcements – July 2016

District News & Announcements

July 2016

District Conference Announcements: August 2016

This Is Our Story, This Is Our Song: Looking Ahead to District Conference

Rhonda Pittman Gingrich, Moderator

Wow! It is hard to believe almost a year has passed since I embraced the call to serve as Moderator of the Northern Plains District.  We will gather for the 150th “Big Meeting” of the Northern Plains District, August 5-7, 2016, at the West Des Moines Christian Church. Here are some important reminders.

An Invitation

I hope you—and many others—are planning to join us as we gather to re-member our chapter in God’s Story, our verse in God’s Song and look ahead to the future. Even if you can’t be with us for the entire weekend, please consider joining us for table fellowship, recognition of milestones in ministry and congregational life, worship, and the ice cream social on Friday evening; for the auction, table fellowship, the festival of story and song, and the anniversary celebration on Saturday evening; and/or joint worship with the West Des Moines Christian Church on Sunday morning. For more information about the schedule, workshops, and other activities taking place throughout District Conference, click here.  If you are planning to join us for any or all meals you must register as soon as possible. To register, click here.  I look forward to seeing you.

Mutual Hospitality

Each congregation is invited to bring 3 dozen cookies or bars—or another snack item (fruit tray, snack mix, cheese and cracker tray, etc.)—to be shared throughout the weekend. In light of our anniversary celebration, congregations are encouraged to consider whether there is a special cookie or bar that holds significance within your life together. If so, bring that cookie along with a brief paragraph telling the story of that cookie.

Service and Outreach Projects

The District Witness Commission invites conference-goers to participate in a variety of service/outreach projects. You can bring Church World Service Hygiene Kits or Clean-up Buckets (for more information http://cwskits.org/); diapers for Haiti; non-parishable food for the DMARC Food Pantry; backpacks for local children; contributions to support Northern Plains District Disaster Response efforts; or money for any of the above (checks should be made payable to Northern Plains District with a note in the memo line designating the specific project).

150 Random Acts of Kindness

In the months leading up to District Conference, the District Conference Program Planning Committee challenged congregations in the district to collectively engage in 150 random acts of kindness—or to put it another way, 150 acts of ministry—within your surrounding communities, and to take pictures of your efforts. (Just to be clear, that’s a combined 150 acts as a district, not 150 acts by each congregation?) Although we are celebrating a significant milestone in our life together, we don’t want to focus solely on the past. As God’s people we are part of a continuing story. What better way to celebrate that than to actually embody our identity as a “sent people” and to reach out in service to those in need. Please bring a copy of your pictures to District Conference for inclusion in a collage that will celebrate the ways we are still engaged in vital ministry in the upper Midwest.

Symbols of Your Ministry

The District Conference Planning Committee also invites each congregation to bring something that represents your congregational story to District Conference. The Northern Plains District is comprised of its congregations; without the congregations there wouldn’t be a district. These symbols will be brought forward during a processional as part of the opening worship service on Friday evening and used to create our worship center.  If you haven’t already identified your symbol, the possibilities are endless: an historical artifact, a piece of art, a symbol of a long-time and continuous ministry in which you are engaged, a symbol of new vitality.  Hopefully the selection of the item won’t be a unilateral decision made by the pastor or a small committee, but a decision made by the congregation as you reflect together about your story and the ways your story intersects with God’s story. We would also like each congregation to choose a representative to be part of the processional, bringing your item forward. There will be a rehearsal for the processional at 6:00 p.m. Friday evening; it would be helpful to have all congregational representatives participate.

Conference Books and Worshipful Work

When we gather, there will be work to be done. Conference Books will be mailed to all delegates before District Conference. Delegates, please take time to look through your conference book when it arrives. It will include: biographical sketches about those who have been called to serve during the coming year; the proposed 2017 budget; resources related to the decision we need to make regarding how we will call leadership in the future; reports from the District Board and Commissions; and reports from various other organizations, agencies, and individuals. It also includes an invitation to worshipful work, articulating a vision for the tone of our work as we gather in the presence of God and intentionally seek the mind of Christ in our discernment. Between now and District Conference, I invite you to join with me in a period of prayer and preparation for the work before us.

Holiness in our Midst: Session 47

SESSION XLVII: ON LOST PLACES

STORY CIRCLE PROMPT: Remember a place that is now shuttered or lost forever. Why would you like to go back there?

The place I would like to return to is the “Doug Out” in State Center, IA, a restaurant just off Highway 30. It was my home-away-from-home in the 1990s, a point of balance in my uncertain world as I re-established life in Iowa after caring for my grandmother during her last years. The baseball-themed place was owned by Doug Riley and his wife Julie. The walls were covered with posters from Wrigley Field and autographed photos of famous ballplayers. National League pennants were on one side of the place, American League ones on the other. Baseball caps dangled on strings from the ceiling; tall men had to duck.

Most of all, the “Doug Out” was a place of belonging. A cross-section of real people came through the doors. Once I spied a sweatshirt that read: “Lifestyles of the Poor and Obscure.” One regular wore a cap that said, “I drive fast to give my Guardian Angel something to do.” Another had a bumper sticker: “Never cuss a farmer on a full stomach.” The daily intergenerational gathering of the usual suspects had the ambiance of the back fence, potluck, church social and family reunion all rolled into one. Waitresses Janice Olson, Julie’s mom, and Rene Ward noticed when I wasn’t there or deviated from my usual order. It was like church, without having to sit still for a sermon. I would like to go back there today and bask in the raucous laughter and unconditional acceptance of that particular community of great storytellers. National and world disasters seemed less threatening when we faced them together around a big table with delicious food. For several years, the “Doug Out” was my “third place,” even before I was familiar with the term. According to Wikipedia, “a third place” is the social surroundings separate from the two usual social environments of home (“first place”) and the workplace (“second place”). My daily restaurant was my safe place of renewal, with great conversation and great burgers!

FOR PERSONAL/JOURNAL REFLECTION:

1. Read the above reflection.

2.   Write about a place, now gone, that you hold dear in your memory. Why was it important to you? What drew you there? What kept you there? Why would you like to go back there now?

FOR GROUP STUDY:

1.   Read aloud Session XLVII.   

2.   Ask each person to answer the Story Circle Prompt.

[View Past Sessions Here]

Note: Holiness in Our Midst: Sharing Our Stories to Encourage and Heal is a monthly on-line feature created by Janis Pyle to facilitate sharing of our personal experiences, thoughts, beliefs, and spiritual practices with one another, especially through stories. Barriers are broken down when we begin to see all persons, even those with whom we disagree ideologically, as sacred and constantly attended to by a loving Creator. Each column is accompanied by a “story circle” prompt and study guides for personal and group reflection. To share your stories, contact Hannah Button-Harrison at communications@nplains.org. Janis Pyle can be reached at janispyle@yahoo.com.

Message from the Moderator – Our Story Our Song: Consummation

Our Story, Our Song: Consummation

Rhonda Pittman Gingrich, Moderator

Throughout the Biblical Story, God repeatedly reminds the people to remember the Story. As God’s people, it is important for us to remember and tell God’s Story and to sing the songs of our faith—in good times and in bad times—so we don’t forget who we are and whose we are. When we forget who we are and whose we are, when we fail to remember and tell God’s Story and to sing the songs of our faith, we run the risk of allowing our identity and lives to be shaped by the prevailing stories of society. God’s Story must not simply be remembered (recited and heard), it must be re-membered (pieced together and retold in ways that connect intimately with our lives), understood, and embodied.

So as we continue to move through this year, I invite you to join me in an ongoing exploration of the overarching Story of God and God’s people—a story that continues to unfold through us today. To provide structure for this journey of remembrance and reflection, I am drawing on The Story of God, The Story of Us: Getting Lost and Found in the Bible by Sean Gladding.

So grab your hymnal and your Bible and join me in exploring the Story that reminds us who we are, whose we are, and who we are called to be and become.

Sing: Beyond a Dying Sun (Hymnal: A Worship Book, 323)

Read: Psalm 95-100; Daniel 7-12; Revelation 1-22

This month finds us exploring the closing chapters of the biblical story. In spite of great persecution, the early church continued to grow and flourish because of the fearless and faithful witness of those who had experienced the transformative power of the Gospel, God’s word made flesh in the person of Jesus. However, with the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 C.E. by a Roman Empire that felt threatened by allegiance to any other power, human or divine, many early Christians were forced to flee their homes and communities. The threat of increased persecution throughout the region began to take its toll on God’s people. Like the Isrealites in exile, they needed a “word of hope, a reason to keep going; they need[ed] to hear from God, to hear that God [had] not forgotten them, and that their suffering [was] not in vain” (Gladding, 222). The letter containing Jesus’ revelation to John began to circulate among the early churches, offering just such a word of hope.

Today we continue to live in trying times. While here in the United States, Christians, as a group, do not face persecution for our faith in the form of physical threat, there is much to lament. Christians elsewhere around the world, including our Nigerian brothers and sisters, do face the threat of physical violence on account of their faith. Fifty years after the Civil Rights movement, racial tensions seem to be on the rise in this country, provoked by increasingly hateful and intolerant rhetoric. Brothers and sisters of color—Christian and non-Christian—live with the very real fear of unprovoked violence. The gap between rich and poor continues to grow. Acts of terrorism seem to occur more and more frequently, as do senseless mass shootings. Wars rage around the world. And the church is not immune to the troubling spirit that pervades our world. Our own church is deeply divided. It seems as if the realization of God’s kindom is far, far away, a lofty, unattainable ideal. We, too, need a word of hope.

Note: The word kindom (above) is not a typo. I have intentionally chosen that word as opposed to the more traditional kingdom. The word kingdom carries with it connotations of patriarchy, domination, and disparity. In contrast, the word kindom suggestions relationship, connection, and mutuality. This does not mean the word kingdom cannot be redefined and reclaimed by the church in light of what Anabaptist scholar, Donald Kraybill, has articulated as Jesus’ “upside-down” kingdom”, where the patterns of dominant culture that favor the rich and powerful are set aside in favor of practices that uplift the marginalized. But until that definition is more widely understood, I think we must be thoughtful about the language we use and the negative connotations our language may carry causing harm to others and shaping our own understandings in unintentional ways.

But back to the story…John’s revelation was addressed to seven particular churches: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea. Although there were far more churches, these seven were located in cities that also served as important centers for the imperial cult, the worship of the emperor. Therefore, the early Christians in these communities faced extreme persecution.

For a people who had developed tunnel vision, only able to see the hardships that characterized their day to day existence, the Revelation reminded them that God reigns, calling them to look up and beyond to find their hope. These early Christian communities may have been suffering oppression under the rule of Rome, but the Revelation reminded them—and us—that although empires rise and empires fall, God remains faithful. When life’s circumstances overwhelm us, aren’t we also susceptible to tunnel vision that prevents us from seeing God’s reign and embracing our call to partner with God in building the kindom?

The message to each individual church has a similar structure.  In the opening lines to each church, Jesus is identified in ways that echo the language of the first chapter of Revelation: “the faithful witness”, “the firstborn of the dead”, “the ruler of the kings of the earth”, “the first and the last”, “the living one”, the source of light, and the wielder of the “sharp two-edged sword”. (Revelation 1:5-20).  Jesus then identifies with the specific situation each church is facing, commending some and chastising others. Then Jesus gives exhorts each church. These exhortations seem to carry four distinct messages for four distinct groups: “To those wavering in their conviction, the Revelation counsels faithfulness; to those holding firm in their obedience to God, it encourages endurance; to those who are losing their life through martyrdom, it promises reward; and to those persecuting the faithful, it pronounces judgment” (Gladding, 225). Jesus then offers a promise to each church—a promise of presence, a promise of victory, a promise of life—ending each message with the same phrase: “Are your ears awake? Listen. Listen to the Wind Words, the Spirit blowing through the churches” (Revelation 2:7, 11, 17, 29; 3: 6, 13, 22, The Message).

These individual messages, as well as the visions that follow, are full of images and symbols: allusions from Scripture and the culture of the time.  The repetition of patterns of numbers serves as a reminder that God’s world is not a world of chaos, but a world of order. The sea represents chaos, just as it did at the dawn of creation. The dragon represents the Devil. The beast emerging from the sea and welcomed by the dragon represents Rome (at times described as Babylon). The beast with horns like a lamb, but the voice of a dragon, represents the imperial cult, demanding worship of the emperor. The Lamb represents Jesus, the living one who conquered death, who rules as Prince of Peace. The sword of Jesus’ mouth, represents the Word of God. The throne represents God’s reign, realized and enduring. And so on.

Throughout the Revelation, the faithful are called to overcome all that stands in opposition to God’s reign, to seek and enter God’s kindom, remaining faithful to God and God alone. We are not immune to powers that stand in opposition to God’s reign. What are the parallels between our own country and Rome/Babylon in relation to the idolization of economic prosperity and the protection of that prosperity through military might? What are the forces that use seduction and false promises, power and might, wealth and status to further their own interests at the expense of others? What is it that draws your allegiance away from our God?

Those to whom Revelation was originally addressed understood that to pledge allegiance to God and live a life transformed by Christ, could mean death. But the power of the Gospel is in the promise that death does not equal defeat. Perhaps we are not facing martyrdom as a result of our faith, but we continually face death: the death of relationships, the death of dreams, the death of ideas, even our own natural mortality, but death does not equal defeat. “This is the hope of the Revelation. For this letter challenges our imagination. It lifts the veil from our eyes and allows us to see our situation—and indeed, all of history—from God’s perspective” (Gladding 227). This is not to say that belief in a mystical future becomes more important than the here and now. Rather, when we view our world through God’s eyes, our world is transformed and we are empowered for faithful living in this time and this place.

Although the Revelation is ripe with battle, above all, God’s reign is characterized by peace. “When Rome brings ‘peace,’ it creates a wasteland. But the Prince of Peace, Jesus, [who suffered violence and apparent defeat at the hands of the empire], will one day bring an end to violence” (Gladding 232). As I write in the wake of the death of Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and Philando Castile, in Falcon Heights, Minnesota, both at the hands of police officers, and the death of several police officers in Dallas in a senseless act of retaliation, my imagination is challenged by this promise of the end to the violence that has plagued humanity since the early days of our Story when Cane killed Abel. How does the vision of God’s kindom challenge your imagination and empower you for faithful living?

In the closing chapter, everything comes full circle: creation is restored to its original state; God dwells in the midst of God’s people—the church, the City of God; and covenant love flourishes. After all, this Story of which we are a part, is a story, a song of unconditional, incarnational love.

And so we have reached the end of the biblical story, but we must remember that God’s Story continues to this day. This is the lesson of Revelation: God’s Story will continue to unfold until God’s kindom is fully realized.  As God’s people, we are not called to twiddle our thumbs and wait passively for the consummation of God’s kindom, but to actively partner with God in the creation of God’s kindom, “to heal and restore shalom to all that is broken in God’s beautiful world” (Gladding, 235). God’s love incarnate, God’s word made flesh, finds life and breath in the church, the body of Christ. This is our Story, this is our Song.

Sing: Oh, Holy City Seen of John (Hymnal: A Worship Book, 320)

Holiness in our Midst: Session 46

SESSION XLVI: ON BEING LOST AND FOUND

STORY CIRCLE PROMPT: Share about a time when you were lost, then found.

Bible verses from Luke 15 help me when I am figuratively lost: the Parable of the Lost Sheep when I’m feeling alone (Luke 15:1-8); the Parable of the Lost Coin when I’ve lost something (Luke 15: 8-11); and the Parable of the Lost Son when I have relational issues (Luke 15:11-32).

But these verses weren’t helpful when I was traveling late one August night, literally lost.

I had missed the 1-80 exit on my way to the 2015 Northern Plains District Conference in West Des Moines, IA. The bright green freeway signs indicated I was in Altoona, somewhere close to Adventureland theme park. I took the nearest exit and turned into the parking lot of the Flying J Truck Stop, trying to get my bearings. I’ve always been directionally challenged. I tend to conjure up worst case scenarios when I find myself on unfamiliar roads. (What if I keep making wrong turns…forever…?)

I wound my way through the vast restaurant looking for truck-driver types. At a counter in back, I came across a bunch of them talking up a storm. I addressed them as a group, saying simply that I was lost and could anyone help me. They were polite and kind. They turned to a guy named Joe and designated him as the spokesperson for the group. “Joe knows his way around here,” they said.

“Well, first of all, Miss,” Joe said, “you aren’t lost, you’re just misplaced.” The work misplaced somehow immediately righted my world in a healing way. I was “somewhere,” not “nowhere.” Then he wrote down detailed exit numbers, and the whole group wished me well on my journey. Traveling the rest of the way to the conference, I thought about Hebrews 13:2 and those who show hospitality to strangers as being “angels unawares.” A Good ol’ Boy had given me divine guidance: hope from a new philosophy on being lost and perfect directions on a greasy napkin.

FOR PERSONAL/JOURNAL REFLECTION:

1. Read the above reflection.

2.   Write about a time when you were lost, literally or figuratively. Where were you geographically? Or in what state of mind were you at the time? How were you found? How did the experience change you?

FOR GROUP STUDY:

1.   Read aloud Session XLVI.   
2.   Ask each person to answer the Story Circle Prompt.

[View Past Sessions Here]

Note: Holiness in Our Midst: Sharing Our Stories to Encourage and Heal is a monthly on-line feature created by Janis Pyle to facilitate sharing of our personal experiences, thoughts, beliefs, and spiritual practices with one another, especially through stories. Barriers are broken down when we begin to see all persons, even those with whom we disagree ideologically, as sacred and constantly attended to by a loving Creator. Each column is accompanied by a “story circle” prompt and study guides for personal and group reflection. To share your stories, contact Hannah Button-Harrison at communications@nplains.org. Janis Pyle can be reached at janispyle@yahoo.com.

District Conference Announcements: July 2016

This Is Our Story, This Is Our Song: Looking Ahead to District Conference

Rhonda Pittman Gingrich, Moderator

During the twenty years I have called the Northern Plains District home, attendance at District Conference has been in a gradual decline. I hope many who have not been to District Conference in recent years and/or who have never been to District Conference, will attend all or part of the “Big Meeting” this year to help us celebrate 150 years of continuous ministry in the upper Midwest. While there is business we must attend to during to worshipful work sessions on Saturday, just as Annual Conference seeks to “unite, strengthen, and equip” the denomination, the District Conference Planning Committee seeks to “unite, strengthen, and equip” the members of our district for continued ministry.  To that end, worship, workshops, exhibits, opportunities for fellowship, and an auction to support the ongoing ministry of the district are also integral parts of District Conference. Come share the experience with your brothers and sisters from across the district, August 5-7, 2016 at the West Des Moines Christian Church. Registration materials are now available at nplains.org/dc. It is imperative that anyone planning to join us for a meal register and order meal tickets so we can plan accordingly.

Schedule

Friday, August 5, 2016

10:00 a.m.–Noon Executive Committee Meeting

Noon-1:00 p.m. Lunch for Board (served by Ankeny and Stover)

1:00-3:00 p.m. District Board Meeting

3:00-6:45 p.m. Registration/Auction Check-in

3:30-5:00 p.m. Ministers and District Board Gathering

5:00-6:30 p.m. Evening Meal (catered)

6:30-8:15 p.m. Nursery/Preschool Child Care

6:30-7:00 p.m. Gathering Music/Milestones in Ministry and Congregational Life/

TRIM Graduation – Randy Johnson

7:00-8:15 p.m. Worship (Rhonda Pittman Gingrich Preaching)

8:30-9:30 p.m. Ice Cream Social (hosted by district youth)/Choir Rehearsal

Saturday, August 6, 2016

7:00-8:00 a.m. Nurture Commission Breakfast

8:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. Registration/Auction Check-in

8:00 a.m.-Noon Nursery/Preschool Child Care/Children’s Activities/Youth Activities

8:00-10:15 a.m. Worshipful Work

10:30-11:45 a.m. Workshops (3)

11:45 a.m.-12:45 p.m. Lunch (prepared and served by WDMCC/Choir Rehearsal

Noon-12:45 p.m. Young Adult Gathering (over lunch)

1:00-3:30 p.m. Nursery/Preschool Child Care/Children’s Activities/Youth Activities

1:00-3:30 p.m. Worshipful Work

3:30-3:45 p.m. Passing the Gavel/Consecration of New Leadership

4:00-6:30 p.m. Auction (or 15 minutes after conclusion of Worshipful Work Session)

5:00-6:30 p.m. Supper (during auction)

6:40-8:30 p.m. Nursery/Preschool Child Care

6:40-7:00 p.m. Gathering Music

7:00-8:30 p.m. Festival of Song and Story

8:30-9:30 p.m. Anniversary Cake and Celebration

Sunday, August 7, 2016

8:00-11:30 a.m. Nursery/Preschool Child Care

8:00-9:15 a.m. Workshops (3)

9:15-9:45 a.m. Choir Rehearsal

10:00-11:15 a.m. Closing Worship (Jeff Carter Preaching/Joint service w/ WDMCC)

11:30-1:00 p.m. District Board Reorganization (over a meal of leftovers)

Workshops – Saturday, August 6, 10:30-11:45 a.m.

“Can I Get a Witness”   Jeff Carter

For Brethren, being a witness is more than simple recitation of a faith statement. Our formation as a people of God grounds us in a tradition that gives us clear insight into how we are to live and witness to our faith in Jesus Christ by word and deed. Such a witness is not dependent upon a creed or statement of belief, rather a formation that inspires our hearts, souls, and minds to respond to the call of God in ways that are authentic to who we are as disciples.

  Bio- Jeff is President of Bethany Theological Seminary, a position he has held since 2013. Prior to his appointment as President, Jeff served as a pastor in the Church of the Brethren for 20 years, is a former Brethren Volunteer Service worker at the Washington Office, and has participated in numerous denominational programs and served on committees. He is former representative to the World Council of Churches and in 2011 was nominated by Sen. Jim Webb (VA) to be Guest Chaplain to the US Senate.  

“Music and Worship”   Carol Elmore

Is it important what music we sing in worship?  I say “YES!”  We teach much of our theology through the hymns and songs we sing in worship!  Let’s talk about what else might be important…style? balance? instruments? who chooses the music?  who leads?  Do we have to change music styles in order to gain the younger folks?  Is it okay to leave behind a generation, to gain a new generation? Come, and let’s talk…and sing!

  Bio – Carol Elmore has served as Minister of Nurture and Music at Oak Grove Church of the Brethren in Roanoke, VA since 2004, and has directed the adult choir for an additional 10 years.  She and Mike have been married for 26+ years and enjoy camping, and following their kids’ sports, concerts, etc.  Her favorite job is “mom” to Landon (new graduate of Bridgewater College) and Kate (just completed her freshman year at Bridgewater College).  Carol, herself graduated from Bridgewater in 1987.  She was honored to coordinate and direct the music for Annual Conference in 2013 (Charlotte, NC) and in 2015 (Tampa, FL).  Church music is a passion of hers.  She appreciates the opportunity to be here this weekend!  

“Finding the Balance Sheet”  Jan Fahs

Church budgets are a necessary tool for congregations. As a church treasurer, how can you help build and track your church budget to make sure good accounting practices are being implemented and followed? Learn how to stay on top of your budget and explain it effectively to your congregation.

  Bio –  Jan is a long-time member and current church treasurer of the Manchester Church of the Brethren. Jan has been a Certified Public Accountant in Indiana since 1996, co-owner of Fahs Brown Plumbing, owner of Fahs Brown Financial Services, and Associate Professor of Accounting at Manchester University from 1996-2007.

Workshops – Saturday, August 7, 8:00-9:15 a.m.

“Living Together in Times of Change and Conflict”  Jordan Bles

Change and conflict has never been far from the life of the Church of the Brethren. This has perhaps never been more true than in the time leading up to, and through, the 2016 Annual Conference. On Earth Peace is committed to working for justice and reconciliation in the midst of conflict. Conflict is messy and uncomfortable at best and painful at worst, but it is the only way to get from brokenness to peace. Come learn more about how we can walk this journey together, and what it looks like to live in relationship in the midst of the conflict around us.

  Bio- Jordan Bles is currently chair of the board for On Earth Peace. He is also a    

Community Engagement Specialist for Church World Service based in Des Moines, IA. Previously, he has served the Church of the Brethren and National Council of Churches in their Washington, DC offices. He is married to Robyn Bles, Associate Minister at West Des Moines Christian Church.

“Nigeria Crisis Update”     Carl and Roxane Hill

Church of the Brethren has a long history of involvement in Nigeria. We will briefly review that history along with an overview of the problems encountered by our sister church Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa a Nigeria (EYN). We will outline our response to the Nigeria Crisis and focus on what we are during in support for the people of Nigeria in 2016.

    Bio – Carl and Roxane Hill are the Co-Directors for Nigeria Crisis Response. They are both McPherson College graduates. They have been married for 38 years and are the parents of three grown children and six grandchildren. Through their 2 years teaching at Kulp Bible College, they came to love the Nigerian people. News of the destruction to the EYN (Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa a Nigeria) area (where they lived) has touched them deeply. They feel privileged to serve Church of the Brethren in their role as ambassadors between Nigeria and America.

“Meeting the Needs of our Neighbors ”   Michelle Leonard

How does one synchronize the call of pastoral ministry and the call to serve as a police chief in a local community? How does each call blend themselves to a response to the District’s “Sending of the Seventy” emphasis on meeting the needs of our neighbors? I believe they synchronize very well. Come and let’s have a conversation that relates to this.
  Bio – Michelle Leonard was called to the ministry in 2014 and is currently serving as the Pastor of the Panora Church of the Brethren. She has served 23 years in law enforcement and is currently the Police Chief of Dallas Center. She is married and they have 5 children and 3 grandchildren. Her husband is also in law enforcement.

Did You Know: Bringing Brethren History Home

Bringing Brethren History Home: ‘A Field Trip’ through Time

By Janis Pyle

“Sure,” I said, when 2016 District Moderator Rhonda Pittman Gingrich asked me in late January to do a newsletter story about where and how churches were planted in the Northern Plains District. How hard could that be? She mentioned that District Executive Tim-Button-Harrison had some historical documents as a beginning point.

Tim loaned me the documents. I studied them for a month, truly trying to make sense of the assignment. My head was swimming as I went over and over the historical artifacts. Facts about the 32 current Northern Plains churches, all started in different ways. Lists of dates, places, along with families I had never heard about. Minutes from church board meets and district conferences, some sad, a few even chuckle-worthy. Trouble was, using the history books at hand, I couldn’t find a framework to write a credible story. Remorsefully, I turned the books back over to Tim and, as graciously as possible, shared with Rhonda that I had bowed out of the article to be published as part of the District’s 150th anniversary celebration. End of (non) story. Right?

………..

A week later, Tim caught up with me at a committee meeting. He asked if I knew that two Brethren Pioneers were buried within a 20-mile radius of my home in Nevada. He then answered his own question: “Henry Flora and Samuel Garber. “ He asked: “Would you like to go visit their gravesites?” He even offered to take me on a “field trip” to visit them. “Well, okay,” I smiled, knowing he was determined to make Brethren history a living thing for me. Maybe, writing about the trip itself could be the energizing idea that would help me complete a story.

………..

On May 19, Tim picked me up in Nevada, accompanied by a big bag of Brethren books, and headed toward Maxwell. He stopped for a moment in front of the former Maxwell Church of the Brethren. The Maxwell church has been remodeled into a private residence. Tim, ever-curious, said that only time constraints prevented him from knocking and asking for a spur-of-the-moment tour. For me, memories flooded back just seeing the “little white church” again. Sunday morning services. Garden flowers on the altar. All-day quilting sessions. Potluck dinners. Sunday school in the basement. This was the church home of my Brethren grandparents, Joe and Bessie Albright of State Center. My church, too, when I came back to Iowa from Chicago to care for my grandmother in her last years. Harold Smith was more like family serving as our pastor over 40 years. Tim broke into my musings and reminded me that Henry Flora was a founding member and the first minister of the Indian Creek Church, the mother church to Maxwell. I was beginning to see the strong connection between the early church leaders and my own history. And we were on the way to visit Henry Flora’s grave.

………..

The next stop was an impromptu one at the home of John and Carol Beal on Main Street in Maxwell. Their family has faithfully served as caretakers of the Maxwell Church of the Brethren Cemetery, where Henry Flora is buried. They belonged to the Maxwell Church until it closed; our lives overlapped for many years. I had lost touch with them. Carol and I renewed our strong community ties and got caught up on our families as Tim got the exact location of the Henry Flora family gravesite from John. Time melted away as I sat in their living room. Before we left, the Beals said that we should also stop at the Pioneer Cemetery at the south end of Maxwell to look at the community monument that includes Henry Flora’s name.

………..

At the out-of-the-way Pioneer Cemetery, tucked behind a grain elevator, Tim asked me to read about the Indian Creek church from a bound volume, History of the Northern Plains, Church of the Brethren, 1844-1977, before climbing a small hill to the site. I learned: “It was through the concern and tireless efforts of Henry Flora that Brethren pioneers moving from the East into adjoining counties were sought out. This concern gave rise to the Des Moines Valley (later Ankeny Church of the Brethren), Dallas Center, Panther Creek, Coon River, Harlan, and Prairie City Churches.” (p. 109) A large stately vertical stone listed a score of Maxwell leaders, an indication that Henry Flora and his wife were community as well as church leaders in the town where they lived. Tim discovered an additional marble monument, with an open bible engraved on it, with Henry Flora’s name. Tim pulled the weeds around it. I stood for a moment in the morning sun in gratitude for the Flora family’s devotion.

………..

We travelled south of town to the neat and picturesque Maxwell Church of the Brethren Cemetery where Flora was laid to rest. I wondered aloud to Tim about how the early churches came into being. He referred me back to the History of the Northern Plains. I read about how the Des Moines Valley Church was established around 1868: “…the first meetings were held in early country schoolhouses or in homes. Sometimes ministers from a great distance would ride horseback or come by team and buggy to assist and give encouragement to the group. Some of these early minsters were George Baker, Michael Garber, John Garber, and Henry Flora.” (p. 83) Tim reminded me of the perseverance of the early leaders, noting the section on the Harlan (Botany) Church: “The first minsters’ visit to Shelby County was made in June 1863 by Elder Flora (Indian Creek) and J.D. Haughtelin (Coon River). The first baptismal service was on Saturday afternoon of that visit, and the first Love Feast was held that evening. A series of meetings was held in January, 1865, by J.D. Haughtelin and Wm. Hillary. ‘A number of persons were converted, and were baptized in ice water, in zero weather, without any inconvenience.’” (p. 155) We found the exact site for Henry Flora’s family.  I lingered to visit the graves of so many persons connected with my Maxwell church, including John Beal’s parents. I was mindful that without the vision and hardiness of the early leaders there would be no Maxwell Church.

………..

“Now, on to ‘visit’ Samuel Garber!” Tim sing-songed, as we headed east out of Maxwell. Using a 19th Century Iowa plat map (on his smartphone!), he navigated gravel back roads to the small Malta Cemetery on a hilltop southeast of State Center. Samuel Garber (1806-1874) was a minister, born in Virginia, who spent his last years few years in Iowa. He was best known, Tim said, for being one of the first Brethren abolitionists. He told me that a full account of Garber’s’ brush with the law on his anti-slavery stance appears on the first page of The Brethren Encyclopedia, which he had happened to bring along. The other reference book at hand was The Tie That Binds the Samuel Garber Family, a gift to the Northern Plains District from compiler and relative Linda Thompson. She wrote about the joy of discovering Samuel Garber’s tombstone at this cemetery in 2004: “The top part of the stone, when uncovered, revealed the engraving of an open book, most likely an image of the Bible, at the top of the stone. What a testimony that he who had proclaimed the gospel to others for so many years would be known by future generations as a man who valued the Word of God. The tie that bound his family together was the scarlet thread of the creation–redemption story that is woven throughout the Bible.” (p. 74) A picture of that grave stone was in the family history. Tim discovered that it was now in two pieces, each erected separately in the cemetery. The value of Samuel Garber’s story to my life was one of encouraging me to keep being engaged in the issues of the day, even when it involves being at odds with the authorities. I took note that one commonality between Samuel Garber and Henry Flora was the same open bible engraved on their tombstones.

………..

When Tim was driving me back to Nevada, I noticed that we were just a mile from where my Brethren grandparents lived. Could we drive past my family’s farm? I asked. He said yes, of course. We drove slowly by the large white farmhouse, evergreens still lining the driveway. Tim saw that the current owner was in the yard. Tim’s gift of social fearlessness once again kicked into high gear. “Do you want to talk with him?” he asked. Yes! My “field trip” would include a close-up view of the fields of my childhood! I ended up not only seeing the outbuildings but also touring the whole remodeled home! I hadn’t been inside the home for 25 years! At first, the side trip seemed incongruent to my primary mission of tracking down Brethren pioneer church leaders, but this detour seemed connected, as I was reminded of the source of the stable, well-grounded life that my grandparents built. Their base was a Brethren church community, one founded by those early church leaders I had just encountered. What would my family have done without the Maxwell Church? My grandfather Joe died in 1981, and my grandmother Bessie didn’t drive. Jimmie (John’s father) and Naomi Beal picked up her and companion Sadie every week for church service. Other couples helped her gather groceries and get to Tuesday Ladies’ Aid. For almost 10 more years, my grandmother was able to live independently, keeping the farm in the family for us to enjoy.

………..

I mused later to Tim that my “field trip” was a full circle tour. I learned how the central Iowa churches had been planted, and then realized the ripple effects of one of those churches, the Maxwell Church, on my family’s life. Surely, the most lasting legacy of church planters, not contained in the history books, is the one I felt that day, the mutual care and concern among the members that lives on and extends to new generations.

#######

Message from the Moderator – Our Story Our Song: Church

Our Story, Our Song: Church

Rhonda Pittman Gingrich, Moderator

Throughout the Biblical Story, God repeatedly reminds the people to remember the Story. As God’s people, it is important for us to remember and tell God’s Story and to sing the songs of our faith—in good times and in bad times—so we don’t forget who we are and whose we are. When we forget who we are and whose we are, when we fail to remember and tell God’s Story and to sing the songs of our faith, we run the risk of allowing our identity and lives to be shaped by the prevailing stories of society. God’s Story must not simply be remembered (recited and heard), it must be re-membered (pieced together and retold in ways that connect intimately with our lives), understood, and embodied.

So as we continue to move through this year, I invite you to join me in an ongoing exploration of the overarching Story of God and God’s people—a story that continues to unfold through us today. To provide structure for this journey of remembrance and reflection, I am drawing on The Story of God, The Story of Us: Getting Lost and Found in the Bible by Sean Gladding.

So grab your hymnal and your Bible and join me in exploring the Story that reminds us who we are, whose we are, and who we are called to be and become.

Sing: O Holy Spirit, Making Whole (Hymnal: A Worship Book, 300)

Read: Acts; 1 Peter; 1 Corinthians; Philippians; Colossians

As we pick up our story this month, Jesus’ disciples are waiting in Jerusalem as Jesus had instructed. For forty days after his resurrection, Jesus appeared to his disciples in a variety of settings, continuing to teach and prepare them for their ministry. Just prior to his ascension, he told his disciples to wait in Jerusalem to receive God’s promised gift of the Holy Spirit to inspire and empower them.

For ten days the remaining eleven disciples (minus Judas) gathered in Jerusalem with over a hundred other faithful followers of Jesus—both men and women—to pray. During this time, they also called Matthias, who had accompanied Jesus and his disciples “from the baptism of John until the day when [Jesus] was taken up”, to replace Judas as an apostle (Acts 1:22, 26).

The crowds in Jerusalem grew continually during this time as Jewish pilgrims arrived to celebrate Shavuot (Hebrew for “weeks”). The Festival of Weeks marked the seven weeks or fifty days between Passover and the start of the second holiday in the annual cycle of holy days. Originally a harvest festival celebrating the first fruits gleaned from the fields, Shavuot evolved into a celebration marking God’s gift of the law on Mt. Sinai, God’s covenant with the Israelite people (http://www.patheos.com/blogs/markdroberts/).

On the Day of Pentecost (the “fiftieth day”), as had been their practice in the preceding days, the disciples gathered with the other faithful followers (about 120 in all) for prayer.  “And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability” (Acts 2:2-4). While not a direct parallel in terms of symbolism, the rush of the wind and the appearance of tongues of fire marking the arrival of the Holy Spirit echo the descriptions of the moments in which “the glory of the Lord” filled the tabernacle after it was completed (Exodus 40:34-38; Leviticus 9:22-24) and later the Temple at its dedication (1 Kings 8:10-13). “The Holy Spirit is the living presence of God among us, no longer “restrained” by a building” (Gladding, 205). With the gift of the Holy Spirit, “the glory of the Lord” filled the new temple, the gathered body of Christ.

As those gathered were filled with the Holy Spirit, they began to proclaim the Good News in a variety of languages. This caught the attention of others and a crowd gathered as pilgrims from all over the world caught snippets of their own languages floating through the open windows and doors of the room where Jesus’ followers had gathered and drew near to hear what was being said. In this moment, God’s people experienced a reversal of the chaos that ensued when God “confused the language of all the earth; and…scattered them abroad over the face of all the earth” in response to the arrogance that led God’s people to build the Tower of Babel in an attempt to reach heaven (Genesis 11:1-9). Wonder and amazement filled the crowd.

Then, Peter rose to address the gathering crowd, drawing on the words of the prophet Joel, embedded in their own story as God’s people, to reassure them that they were not drunk or crazy: “I will pour out my Spirit on every kind of people: your sons will prophesy, also your daughters; your young men will see visions, your old men dream dreams. When the time comes, I’ll pour out my Spirit on those who serve me, men and women both, and they’ll prophesy” (Joel 2:28, The Message).

He continued, proclaiming the Good News of Jesus’ life, ministry, death, and resurrection: God’s love incarnate; God’s vision and mission embodied; God’s promised Messiah. The Good News that so many, blinded by preconceived ideas, failed to recognize was living in their midst.  Moved by the power of Peter’s message reinforced by the signs of God’s Spirit moving in the midst of Jesus’ followers, many in the crowd answered Peter’s call to change their lives, renew their commitment to God, and be baptized. About three thousand were baptized that day and the church—the ekklesia, those called out of the world to belong fully to God and one another—was born.  On a side note, it is interesting that this number—3,000—parallels the number—3,000—who were lost because they broke the initial covenant between God and God’s people by worshipping the golden calf at the base of Mt. Sinai (Exodus 32:25-35). “Here, on the day that the first people are drawn into the new covenant, about three thousand are added to the disciples’ number. Sinai [was] not…forgotten; God [was and] is faithful to God’s covenant. What was lost was…reclaimed (Gladding, 207).

But back to the story…From that day forward, the apostles continued to proclaim the Good News in word and deed: preaching and teaching, healing people, casting out demons, even raising Dorcas from the dead. As was the case in Jesus’ own ministry of healing, not only did those they touched experience personal physical or emotional healing, but also a restored relationship with God and just as importantly, a restored relationship with their community. As a result, the church continued to grow. Those early faith communities committed themselves to koinonia (a Greek word for communion), “fellowship created by intimate participation in each others’ lives” (Gladding, 213).  They worshipped together in the temple, broke bread together in one another’s homes, devoted themselves to the apostle’s teaching, prayed together, sang together, encouraged and supported one another, held all things in common, provided for the needs of all, enjoyed fellowship with one another, and lived a life of praise and thanksgiving, constantly building up the body of Christ.

But this doesn’t mean that life in the early church was without risks and struggles. The early Christians faced persecution, imprisonment, even martyrdom.  Just think about the stories of Peter and Stephen and Saul/Paul. The early Christian communities experienced internal conflict. Acts tells of the conflict within the church over the inclusion of Gentiles and the letters the apostles wrote to the early church were often written to address conflict. Further, as evidenced in the conflict the early church experienced, many (including the apostles) were slow to embrace God’s vision of a faith community that extended beyond the cultural community of the Jews, who had historically claimed the identity as God’s people, to include all people: Jew and Gentile, slave and free, male and female (Galatians 3:28). But the stories of the early church emphasize the importance of this vision. Consider Peter’s vision (recorded in Acts 10) or the many accounts of “outsiders”—Gentiles, slaves, women—who committed their lives to Christ, claimed their identity as “God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved” (Colossians 3:12), and became leaders in the early church: the Ethiopian eunuch, Cornelius, Lydia, and Priscilla.

The early Brethren modeled their life together as the ekklesia after the patterns and practices of the early church. Do we experience koinonia in our own faith communities, that genuine communion with one another rooted in intimate participation in each other’s lives or are the relationships we share shallow and trivial? Do we balance liturgical worship of God, with worship expressed through our love for one another and our neighbors in need? Do we reach out and welcome those who are different from ourselves? Do we fully embrace the blessings and the risks that come with living as the body of Christ in the midst of a secular world? As congregations, as a district, as a denomination, as the church universal, are we constantly striving to “grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body’s growth in building itself up in love”? (Ephesians 4:15-16)

As Brethren prepare for and gather in Greensboro for Annual Conference, June 29-July 3, and as we prepare for and gather in West Des Moines for District Conference, let us pray for the church that we might find deep hope and profound joy in our communion with God and one another and in being part of God’s ongoing work of new creation.

“O God who has called men and women in every land to be a holy nation, a royal priesthood, the Church of your dear Son; unite us in mutual love across the barriers of race and culture, and strengthen us in our common task of being Christ and showing Christ to the world he came to save. [Amen.]” (John Kingsnorth)

Sing: Renew Your Church (Hymnal: A Worship Book, 363)