Orchard Ridge United Church of Christ

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 11
Every season, every change in the weather, the sun moving in and out of the clouds brings a sense of renewal to my life. Spiritually I stay focused through changes in the weather and in life by remembering the unconditional love that God has for me. “Be Still My Soul” is one of my favorite hymns and never fails to remind me of other souls in the world; others that experience God the way that I do. Spiritually I am strong through the strength and love of God who loved our world so much that he gave his only son so that all might have eternal life. What a powerful thing to do. I feel a sense of hope and of renewal from God’s love and the love of those who care for me in my church family and in my family of origin.

Laurie Irwin

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 12
In another church community in which I was a member, I took a class in which there was a brief mentioning of Brother Lawrence, a monk from the Middle Ages. Brother Lawrence had written a book on practicing the presence of God – I think the book was based on letters he had written. I found this book at UW Memorial Library. There are probably other books written by or about Brother Lawrence.

At one time, Brother Lawrence was the monastery’s dishwasher. He worked very hard on doing this menial task with great love, affirming consciously his love for God, somehow finding a way to “practice the presence of God” while washing the pots and pans or in any task or situation he would face. Brother Lawrence went through his own “dark night of the soul,” going through a long period of sadness. He wrestled with these feelings, until finally he got to some sense of acceptance and surrender. He accepted his feelings of sadness, somehow accepting this as God’s will, finding God in this sadness, and surrendering these feelings over to God. It was only then, in that time of acceptance and surrender, that he felt those feelings of sadness begin to lift.

One time, I did my own Brother Lawrence. I had just returned from visiting my family of origin. I was at home, ironically, doing the dishes in the sink, since I don’t believe in automatic dishwashers. For whatever reasons, my visit was bringing up issues, and I felt a vague and deep sense of sadness. The sadness was hard to put into words, and I did not have a sense of why or what it was about. I let myself feel the feelings for a while, and then I prayed, “God, if it is Your Will that I feel sad right now, then so be it. I accept these feelings, and I surrender them to You. Thy Will Be Done.”

It was in that moment of surrender, like Brother Lawrence, that I felt the light of God shining within me. The feelings of sadness lifted, to be replaced by the joy in God’s presence.
We can all practice the presence of God in whatever task or situation we find ourselves in, even in washing our dishes.

Timothy Johnson

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 13
There Are Years (Anonymous)

Your way through life
will not remain the same.
There are years of happiness and years
of suffering.
There are years of abundance,
and years of poverty,
years of hope, and of disappointment,
of building up, and of breaking down.
But God has a firm hold on you
through everything.

In the last ten years, I have discovered the gift of poetry in bringing a deeper reflection to my days. Earlier, poetry had been held captive by my academic experiences, which more often left me feeling a little dense or awkward. Freed from any other criteria than what a poem can evoke in me, poetry brings me a deep connection with the universal experience of being human, and the hopes we all bring to our lives. It reminds me, as this poem above does, of both the reality of my experience and what is core in my beliefs. And so, I’ve collected many “friends” in poems. I marvel at the messages they have to offer when I take a pause, sit quietly, and sift through them until a line, a phrase, an image reaches out to grab me and invite deeper reflection.

For me, I’ve found the poems of both Mary Oliver and Wendell Berry to be particularly powerful. They have several anthologies, but ones I’d recommend to those interested are Thirst (Oliver) and The Selected Poems of Wendell Berry. For a wide range of poetry, website sources include www.poetryfoundation.org and a free daily poetry subscription service at panhala@yahoogroups.com.

Barb Hummel

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14
Lord, what do you see when you look at me?
I hope you don’t just see a teenage girl,
Who has messed up a few times in her life,
still trying to figure out what the real world holds.
Many adults just look at me and see a girl that’s fifteen,
never looking past that and get to know the real me.
Many of my positive qualities are left unseen,
Like this dream I have, that young ones could, loosen up the tension and not jump every time we think we are being told what to do,
when an older individual just tries to make our lives simpler.
To some, faith is just a word.
To me, faith is that helping hand I needed to survive.
Little do I know, maybe faith was the reason I was heard?
I love my Lord; he has tested me, and I am still here.
So I know I can succeed.
Me, without him? That is like me not knowing how to breathe,
He gives me my breath so I can relieve my stress
and ask him, “what in the world should I do next?”
I learned that God loves me no matter my shape or if my hair is a mess.
He is one I can be real with and not feel the need to impress.
Because all God cares about is me, you, and every girl or boy on the street.
He is my outlet whenever I’m feeling down or stressed,
He picks me up and renews me with a new breath.

Hanna Josephs

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 15
During the past year, I’ve experienced a renewal in my Christian faith by taking time and reflecting on the beauty of life and of those around me. I have always thought that being a Christian was about how I lived, interacted with others, and being sensitive and responsive to the needs of others. But after stepping back and realizing that it was the simple things that can make a difference, such as giving a few hours of my time to a cause, or taking time to engage in a sincere conversation with another, giving a smile, or extending a handshake, I realized that in the past, I was missing something in my faith. This realization has given me a sense of renewal and has energized my faith making it more meaningful and satisfying, reminding me that I am really someone who can have an impact which thereby makes my faith real to me.

The renewal of my Christian faith is recent and is attributed to making a commitment to find a Church that would help provide more meaning to my Christian upbringing. We found a Church (ORUCC) that we thought is more focused on living as Christians as opposed to being focused primarily on worship. Meaningful worship is important, but to me, it can only be meaningful if I honestly can say to myself that I practice my Christian belief outside of worship time.

The sense of renewal for me has also come about as a result of becoming a part of a community that respects diversity, a community that recognizes that God created us all equal regardless of our differences, becoming a part of a community that does not judge others, and joining a community that focuses on looking forward and seeking ways to live and practice our Christian faith.
Respecting the diversity of people and beliefs around me have helped me to become a stronger Christian. Appreciating and understanding the needs of those less fortunate has helped me to be more giving and fair with those who are struggling, with those who are making an effort, and with those who are doing the best with their limited resources.

I believe I’ve become less judgmental and see people and situations as they are, particularly being more respectful of those with differing beliefs or opinions. The warmth and sincerity from those I’m around causes me to reflect how wonderful people are and the importance of relationships.

The renewal I’ve experienced has helped me to grow within my faith. I’ve taken steps significant for me in renewing family ties and becoming more neighborly. What has prompted me moving forward with these steps is hard to describe or pinpoint other than I’ve opened my soul to enable the Spirit to help me make a positive difference in the way I interact with those around me. Seeing the difference in my relationships and how they have come about with effort on my part in wanting to be a stronger Christian has certainly resulted in the sense of “renewal” for me that has energized my desire to grow as a stronger Christian, a process as I see as never ending.

Jim Frymark

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 16
“Go Tell It On the Mountain!” It is Sunday, January 6, 2008. I just returned home–slowly–very slowly thru the fog from another lively, fulfilling church service. The young people sang “Go Tell It on the Mountain–we all sang “Go Tell it on the Mountain”.

And I feel like I have something to TELL. I want to tell what excites me about our church. I go to church and I immediately see friends–warm, loving friends whom I am anxious to visit with.

The church service is, of course, the highlight. My own thinking about the big questions if life is constantly in flux. Surely, at my age I should have found all the answers but that is not the case. I hope that I am continuing to grow in understanding. This is in part because of Winton. He continues to study the old and reaches out in many ways to get further insights which he shares with us. That is one of the high points that makes our church spiritually alive. Each member is accepted where they are in their beliefs and understanding, and if one desires and has the time the opportunities to learn are readily available– such as through several Bible study groups, Java, and special opportunities throughout the year.

And today with those young people singing and playing their instruments, wasn’t it joyfully inclusive! We were proud of them and appreciate their sharing their special talents. We are fortunate to have John Pray working with them.

After church people were lined up to offer help with IHN, the needs of which had been presented in a fun, inviting manner. We are committed to justice and support our many programs. Some of them I can no longer physically support but I can sing “Go Tell It On The Mountain”!

Ellen Fluck

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 17
I have a porch off the back of my house that has a cement slab floor. The floor is slightly sloped to the center, where water usually sits. When the temperatures hover around freezing, we are treated to a spectacular show as the water freezes. Crystals form, and the fractal patterns are so intricate, beautiful, and astounding! My family is so lucky to be privy to such a secret treasure!

Occurrences like these, both inside and outside, are what usually inspire spiritual renewal for me. I marvel in the wonders of nature; the intense orange of a Baltimore Oriole or the rich indigo of a bluebird; the salt in the ocean; the incredible sweetness of a peach grown in my back yard; the intricacies of a snowflake; a chicken producing an egg, and doing it daily. Not to mention a woman growing a child!! These things amaze me! They serve as a constant reminder to me that God is at work all around me….how couldn’t I have faith? Humans certainly did not make these things, nor do they have any control of them. It would be obscene to lack faith when I take so much enjoyment in God’s natural wonders. God’s presence is undeniable!

Gretchen Olson