Chills

Three words send chills through children and parents at this time of year...twelve little letters that call them to return to a way of life that seems distant in the glow of summer: Back to School.  Most likely you are hearing these words right now in the context of an invitation from retailers advertising their seasonal sales on everything from pencils and backpacks to shoes and cell phones.  It is a well known fact, at least advertisers would have us believe so, that one cannot return to school without spending large amounts of money in preparation for that return.  Going back to school, however, is much more that the accumulation of stuff.  For some it is a first-time journey into a world that holds great promise and great fear.  That can be said of kindergartners and college freshmen.  It is a reminder of the continuing and ever-changing seasons of life that open new and challenging doors.  In its traditional setting, it is also a reminder of a familiar movement toward the fall and winter months, holding for us their own blessings and challenges. No wonder there are chills in the midst of a sunny August day! 

 

Some of us would say such transitions are no longer part of our story, and yet, for most, if not all of us, there is an ever-moving rhythm of life that continues to usher in moments of preparation for something on the horizon.  Fear, uncertainty, joy, excitement, hesitancy...these and other emotions and expectations become partners to us along this journey.  Last Sunday we talked about Joshua and the challenges before him and the children of Israel as they prepared take their next steps across the Jordan and into the realization of God's promise.  The Lord encourages Joshua for his first day on the job through these words of encouragement: "Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."  That assurance didn't suddenly make all the giants in his path disappear, but Joshua did find courage in these words to step out in faith and the people followed.

 

Whatever lies before you as a challenge this day, keep those words in mind.  The chills can be overcome through a power greater than you or the circumstance you are facing.

 

Jim Abernathy

Wonderfully Complex!

I have been married to an early riser for thirty-one years.  I thought at first it was just a phase that she would grow out of, or at worst, a bad habit that I could help her change.  I gave up on that theory thirty years ago!  At 4:45 every morning, the alarm sounds, Cindy jumps out of bed, and with our miniature schnauzer Max following her every step, she greets the day with enthusiasm and great expectation.  I made a mistake a few years ago of buying her a glow-in-the-dark alarm clock with enlarged numbers just so she could be reminded of how early she was waking me up each morning.  The problem with this alarm clock, however, is that it not only has an enlarged clock face, but also an enhanced bell that rings loud enough to stir the blissful dreaming of residents within a half mile of our house.  She usually is pretty good about turning the ringer off fairly quickly, but most mornings, the damage has already been done. 

 

Now, understand, I am not a late sleeper, usually rising before 7 a.m. each morning.  Those extra two+ hours of sleep, however, when missed, do make a difference in my approach to the day. Some mornings I roll over and drift back into slumber, but that is not always the case.  I could get up and join Cindy and her walking buddy for their pre-dawn tour of our neighborhood, but I would only be in the way.  They walk and talk at such a fast pace I would quickly fall by the wayside.  I have an ally in Clayton who occasionally questions his mother's morning routine, wondering why anyone would voluntarily choose to get up so early, but he too has learned to accept these strange happenings as just another of his parent's traits not to be emulated.

 

In the end, we all acknowledge that these unique qualities on display within our family mark us as individuals whose choices are our own.  I suppose that is something to be grateful for, although, I must admit, that's not on my mind when the bell tolls at 4:45 a.m.

 

Psalm 139:14 says that we are fearfully and wonderfully made.  The New Living Translation says, "Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!"    The uniqueness of all of God's creation is on display before us every day.  That is a gift to be treasured...a gift to be made room for...a gift to acknowledge and celebrate.

 

Some of you may have to set your alarms a bit earlier this Sunday as we begin our August Sundays at Westwood.  Worship begins at 9, followed immediately by fellowship time for everyone in Whitten Hall, then Bible study there for adults in one joint class beginning at 10:15, while children and youth attend their regular classes. This change allows some of our teachers a break, an opportunity for greater fellowship, and a bit different format for worship each week.  We will conclude around 11:15 each week so you can head out for further adventures with your family and friends.  Dress comfortably and invite a friend or neighbor to join you.

 

Yes, Lord, thank you for making me (and everyone) so wonderfully complex!

 

Jim Abernathy

Seek First the Kingdom

As I came to a stop at a red light this morning, I happened to look in my rear view mirror to see a white van slamming on his brakes and swerving to the right to avoid rear-ending me.  Suddenly a second black van appeared from behind him, swerving to the left.  When they both came to a stop, one was on my right and the other on my left, three vehicles across, sharing a lane meant for one.  Neither driver was paying close attention it seemed until the very last moment.  I had not stopped suddenly nor had these drivers been following me too closely.  I was in my lane, properly stopped, but could have done nothing to prevent the accident if they had not swerved around me at the last minute.

 

It reminded me of another such incident several years ago that didn't turn out so well.  I was sitting, again at a red light, when I looked into the rear view mirror to see a white van heading straight for me, going much too fast. The driver later said he was trying to get out of the way of an ambulance and didn't see me until it was too late.  I spent the rest of the afternoon in the emergency room having a rather long gash in my head stapled closed.  The Methodist minister, driving the church van that hit me, was very apologetic as he prayed with me in the ER.  (I have been wary of Methodists in white vans ever since!)

 

In both cases, there was nothing I could have done to avoid the situation.  In both cases, I had done the right thing, observing the changing light and stopping appropriately.  In both cases, the drivers were distracted by something that made them lose sight of a stopped car.  One solution perhaps for this driving danger might be to stop looking in the rear view mirror, or perhaps I could just keep an eye out for white vans and pull over to avoid them.  Neither solution is a good one, however, because neither is the root of the problem.  Distracted driving is a real problem, but more so, distracted living.  Our inability to focus our attention these days is a significant challenge to meaningful, purposeful living.  We seem to be caught up in so many things and we struggle to truly focus on anything well.  We find ourselves trying to process too much information and the overload places us at times in dangerous circumstances.

 

I understand the lure of all these distractions. I have embraced many of them myself.  Not looking in the rear view mirror won't make rear-end collisions, or near collisions stop.  Perhaps if more of us limited the distractions while driving, walking, listening in personal conversation or in personal and corporate worship, we would be able to focus on that which needs our attention most in the moment.

 

A dad sat down in front of me at a Nats game recently with his two year-old son.  It was their first trip together to the ball park.  The little boy was focused on his cheddar goldfish for awhile as well as his juice cup.  But when he finished those, he began to wander.  Problem was that his dad had become distracted by his cell phone and was texting someone.  The little boy made it to the end of the row before his dad realized he was gone.  The dad's distraction created further distraction for those of us watching this scene unfold and none of us was focusing on what we had come to the ballpark to do, watch the baseball game.

 

As a follower of Christ, I am called to seek first the kingdom...everything else, then, finds its place.  I don't always follow that formula, but in an often distracted world, that might be a good place to start.

 

Join us Sunday for worship and Bible study, then Sunday evening for Westwood's Got Talent and the ice cream fellowship to follow.  I believe the evening entertainment will keep your attention and I know the homemade ice cream will! 

 

Oh yes, one final thought, keep an eye out for those white vans in your rear view mirror...particularly the ones driven by ministers! 

 

Stay focused.

 

Jim Abernathy

The Same...Yet Different

I had the privilege a few years back to attend the British Open golf tournament, held that year in Liverpool, England.  Traveling by train from Hawarden, Wales where I was studying at the time at the Gladstone Library, a friend and I walked onto the course at Royal Liverpool to find not the lush green fairways of American golf, but the stark, rough edges of British links golf.  The difference was highlighted further by the fact that Great Britain was suffering through its worst drought in more than a century. 

 

Watching the coverage of this year's Open from Muirfield on the east coast of Scotland, shows the conditions a bit greener, yet still quite stark.  That is the nature of links golf.  Deep heavy bunkers, brown narrow fairways, tall unkempt rough, and fast multi-colored greens.  In many ways it is the same game played on the courses of America, and yet in many ways it is a very different game.

 

Scotland is the birthplace of golf and as such, one might argue that links golf is the purest form of the sport.  The evolution of the game as it has spread around the world, however, has taken the game in its original form, and transformed it...the same game...yet different.

 

You might not be surprised to hear this from me, but I think there are similarities between this diversity in the game and the distinctive nature of every Christian community of faith.  Paul used the analogy of one body, yet many parts to describe the Christian community.  The variations seem to be a necessary aspect of kingdom building.  That which unites us is the same Christ, and as such, "we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another." (Romans 12:5) 

 

This diversity of faith practice not only varies from country to country, but community to community, and church to church.  Westwood does not hold the keys to the kingdom any more securely than another Christian community, but somehow, in all the variations of telling and living the story of Christ that characterize the Church, God still works and lives are transformed.  Thanks be to God.

 

Continue to remember our youth as they complete their Impact work in Louisa.  They will be returning home tomorrow and sharing a report in Sunday morning's service.  

 

Finally, celebrate the variety of life that marks our human experience.  Though such diversity has its challenges, it is a wonderful gift from the Creator.

 

Jim Abernathy

Thanks!

Reality at times falls short of anticipation...you know, the excitement leading up to an event or relationship encounter that is dashed when things don't turn out as one hopes.  Disappointment marks these experiences that we all have had from time to time.  That is not the case for Vacation Bible School 2013 at Westwood.  What a wonderful week!  So much time, effort, and prayer goes into this annual labor of love and this year was certainly no different.  Hopeful anticipation was realized as children and workers made this a week to remember.  Thank you Westwood for investing so much in the spiritual growth of children.  Let us continue to anticipate what God will do through the seeds that have been planted this week.  To our directors, teachers, youth and children...THANKS FOR A GREAT WEEK!

 

Our youth leave Sunday for a Impact! Virginia.  Every year they anticipate a great week of hard work and ministry opportunity as they help to rebuild houses and lives.  They make such a lasting difference in so many lives.  We will commission and send them out in the early moments of worship Sunday so plan to be present for this special time and to pray for them throughout the week.

 

Let us continue to anticipate the blessing of God's presence as we gather for worship Sunday morning  and as we consider future ministry and fellowship opportunities.  We will find God faithful.

 

Jim Abernathy

"We Mutually Pledge to Each Other..."

Our nation celebrates it's 237th birthday today.  Parties, parades, speeches and fireworks will fill the day and night.  Why shouldn't we celebrate!  There is a rich history and wondrous heritage that is shared by those who call themselves "citizen."  Many of us were born into this treasured identity and have grown up learning and sharing the stories of sacrifice and perseverance that built this nation.  Others have intentionally chosen citizenship, drawn to this country by its opportunity and its freedom.  The United States of America has been a place of welcome where many have found a home, encouraged by the hope of liberty.  Nineteenth century poet, Emma Lazarus, whose sonnet, "The New Colossus," framed the invitation of freedom in the context of one of our national treasures, the Statue of Liberty, wrote, "From her beacon-hand glows world-wide welcome..."  Indeed, the world has been welcomed here, many have embraced that invitation, and our nation has been strengthened and enriched as a result.

 

This great melting pot of religion, ethnicity, race, and varying culture speaks to the uniqueness of each person, but also to the significance of community and sacrifice.  Freedom offers great opportunity, but also great responsibility.  It seems that we have struggled with these particular characteristics of liberty of late, caught up more in our political agendas and personal interests rather than in focusing on a willingness to work together for the greater good.  In an editorial in this morning's Washington Post entitled, "A Call to Service,"  EJ Dionne cites a powerful sentence in the Declaration of Independence that he says we often forget; "And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the Protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our Sacred Honor."   He then comments on what he calls our nation's current "season of discontent," as he writes, "...we are more likely to invoke the word 'we' in the context of 'us versus them' than in the more capacious sense that includes every single American."  These are sobering words for they warn us about the dangers of defining our focus too narrowly.  Debate and disagreement are gifts of freedom to be tolerated as open doors to greater communication and consideration.  The greatness of our nation is not found in a particular party or political persuasion, but in the recognition that freedom's "world-wide welcome" calls us to a willingness to work and walk together, despite our differences.

 

And so, there is much to celebrate today, much to be grateful for, and much still to do in this great land of freedom.  With gratitude to God for blessings too numerous to count, let us celebrate this special day, committing ourselves anew to service, and in the same spirit of those brave souls who committed themselves to this grand experiment of freedom 237 years ago, let us "mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor."

 

Happy 4th of July!

 

Jim Abernathy

Working Together

Cindy and I attended the Nats/Diamondbacks baseball game yesterday afternoon at Nationals Stadium.  It was a rare 4:05 start time, but with a rain delay, the game did not actually start until 5:05. Having arrived at 3:30 to get our seats and find the requisite hot dog vendor, we found ourselves doing something neither of us have done with any frequency...sitting outside in the rain.  Now, sometimes we warmly reminisce about the pitter patter of a gentle shower or the awesome power of a mighty storm. However, when you are sitting in an open-air stadium waiting for a game that's not going to start on time, trying to stay dry while eating a $9 hot dog, it's a bit of a different experience.  In the interest of full disclosure, I must tell you that our seats were just under cover, so though the occasional wind-blown drop did fall on us, we were mostly dry.  The rain fell steadily for over an hour and I wondered, though I didn't tell Cindy, a somewhat reluctant baseball fan, that it could be hours before the game got under way.   Around 4:20 the rain stopped and the ground crew sprung into action.  As many baseball games as I have attended over the years, this was the first time I witnessed personally a ground crew preparing the field for play after rain.  They began by pushing the water off the tarp that covered the infield with big brooms. Amazingly, the water was absorbed into the grass through what I am certain is an expensive drainage system.  These twelve to fifteen crew members each seemed to have a particular task. Moving quickly and with purpose, they began rolling up the tarp after the water was removed.  It was the kind of thing you watch and wonder, "how will they ever get that tarp back on the drum and under the larger tarp that it rests under in good weather?"  It's the same question many of us have had when trying to fold a map or refit one of those inflatable mattresses back in its box.  These guys, of course, were pros. In just under forty minutes, they got that field in great playing shape. What was a few minutes before a soggy mess, now became a viable major league playing surface.  The players hit the field, the umpire yelled, "play ball!," and the stands, once empty, swelled with enthusiastic fans.  It's amazing what can be done when people work together with purpose.

 

The same can be said for the church.  In all kinds of circumstances, people of faith gather to accomplish together what they could not do on their own.  Working side by side with purpose, brothers and sisters in faith meet the challenges brought on by the storms and difficulties of life, strengthening the community, empowering the church to answer Christ's calling to be salt and light to the world around us.  The task at times seems more than can be done, but the blessings are worth the effort.  VBS is just around the corner and serves as a great example of what happens when we all work together.  For just a few, this would be an overwhelming undertaking, but when we work together, committing time and resources, the job is done well.  In recent years we have seen this affirmed again and again during VBS week.  This year will be no different.  In ten days, children will be welcomed, taught, and loved because a family of faith, led by the Spirit of God, worked together to make it happen.  Glory to God!

 

I look forward to seeing you in worship this Sunday as we focus on the theme of liberty.  See you then!

 

Jim Abernathy