Wayne County Flier

Things Change in March

Things change in March.  Just as the seasons find new direction and purpose in March, so our lives have the capacity and possibility of change every year through the season of Lent.

We find as we mature that change is a constant partner in life.   Attempts to mitigate and minimize change is perhaps or first reaction. However, a time of reflection can be helpful to calm our hearts and help us realize that this new development in our lives, once we are acclimated, may lead us to an even better path.  Lent can be just such a time or season.  Lent, this time of waiting before Easter arrives, mirrors our lives in waiting for Christ to return. Lent offers a perspective, a time to heal, a time consider the past and the future.  Lent is valuable for those who are serious about reflecting the kingdom of God in their daily lives. 

My grandmother Ruth always said March is the month of mud. And so it is, and with Lent as well.  Clear as mud at times, our path forward through the 40 days of Lent can be difficult and tiring.  And yet to stay put, hunkered down in fear of what might happen, is to live devoid of faith and hope.  The greatest of gifts; faith and hope.  They are the wonder-workers of Lent.  Let us gather in faith and look forward with hope, letting go of all fear, knowing Christ Jesus, our goal and partner, will not disappoint, will not leave us orphaned in the cold mud of March.  Things change in March.  John 14.

Ode to My Teacher

My best teacher had it right; Love first, then take attendance.

I saw the girl with holes in the soles of her shoes. So did my teacher.

I saw the boy with a bruised cheek.  So did my teacher.

I saw the bus-driver with the jar of Rolaids. So did my teacher.

I saw the coach with the bloodshot eyes. So did my teacher.

I saw the janitor cleaning toilets, not looking me in the eye.  So did my teacher.

I saw the lunch lady’s rosary clutched in her hand. So did my teacher.

I saw the administrator’s cuffs worn thin on their best suit.  So did my teacher.

I saw my teacher’s best gift for each student; and I am reminded...

Love first, then take attendance.

Holds February

Just halfway through the season of winter, holds February.

Solid as ice, frozen as the frost line 36 inches deep, without compromise or apology February brings its winter mix to bear in four fleeting weeks.  Even as the days linger briefly longer each evening, the sun has also cut a new course inches higher in the daytime sky.  We feel the fullness of the winter landscape, the load of snow under foot, and listen to the cry of the wind following old slicked up routes into depths of our souls.  But surely we do not despair.  God is present, even in the deep winter.

We take a break from moving and lean against the South facing concrete block wall of the garage as we find the sun a warming friend.  The dog would like his ears scratched and we notice the ice is melting and evaporating from the dark wet pavement on the hiway leading back into town. The smell in the air is one of winter snow but is also tinged with a spring like scent.  Yes, we can smell it, as well as see the changes taking place in our world.  We feel the warming, the melting, the frost as it begins to move.  

“Not long now,” the old timer who drops off pig starter from the Coop says about the coming of spring.  “Not long now,” you think as you notice the mud which has found its way onto your chore boots.  “Not long now,” you begin to sing as the sun drops in the Western sky with hues of colors saved only for the sight of Gods and angels.  “Not long now,” you hum as you hang your coveralls in the basement closet.  The smell of soup, fresh bread, and strong coffee overpower your thoughts and you are thankful.

And as quickly as it came, February is gone once again.  It is a month to be experienced, a month of changes, some subtle, others quite profound.  The baby arrives, one season is finding completion as another is beginning, and grandmother says a final farewell. Live well each day of February and find the glory of God in every footstep of the grand parade taking place, right in our own backyard.  Discover again who truly holds February.

Do Not Worry

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear.  Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?” Matthew 6:25 NRSV

Do not worry.  Easy said, hard to accomplish.  I have shared this advice with persons many times over the years.  From folks caught in a bad relationship situation, or an awful illness, to a tragic accident, to not worry and remain calm is a real gift.  It seems we all worry at times.  It is how we are wired for life. 

This passage from Matthew comes to us toward the end of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount.  Now please take a second closer look at the text.  Christ tells the people to not worry about what they will eat and what they will wear for clothes.  Jesus says nothing about missed house payments or flat tires.  Jesus say nothing about running late into work or failing to get our assignments completed.  It seems the dog needing shots and the Internet fading while the stove is boiling over in the midst of a leaking roof is just not that big of a deal.  First things first.

Jesus tells us not to worry about food and clothing. Those two are pretty high up on the list of essential human needs.  And he picks these two, which we all take for granted in this society, as a way of saying, “If you do not have even these basic needs covered, relax I have got this for you.  And if you do have these two covered then you should have no real worries at all.”  Relax people and do not worry.  This is God who created the world and calms the storms.  Calm down. 

This passage is also a go ticket for the church who serves as the hands and feet of Jesus Christ for the world.  We must be out and about providing clothing and food, taking care of the basic stuff for people.  But not just some people but any person at all who shows up without food and clothing.  Boom, the church should spring into action and heal the situation. 

Should the church also fix the internet, the dog, the flat tire, or the leaking roof? Perhaps, but first things first.  Food and clothing should be free if needed, or almost free. Let’s keep the children fed and warm with clothes on the backs of our neighbors and friends, even especially the strangers in our midst.  But do not worry.  Never let worry become your partner.