May 2006 Archives

In Remembrance
Psalms 22:27, Isaiah 40: 27-31, Hebrews 12:1
May 28, 2006
Memorial Day Reflections
Rev. Nancy Pfaltzgraf
Did you remember your first day of school, the day you got your driver's license, or your 21st birthday? Do you remember your baptism, your confirmation day, or the first time you took communion? Do you remember the day a loved one died, the day you were married or the day you found out you were pregnant for the first time? For most of us the idea of remembering simply means conjuring up past events, sometimes joyful and sometimes painful, and reminiscing about them. But Pastor Joseph paints a slightly different picture of remembering when he talks about a picture that sits on the desk in his office:
On my desk is an old picture of five men. One man is seated and the other four are standing around him, each with a hand touching one of his shoulders. The seated man is my grandfather. The four standing men are his younger
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brothers. As leader of the clan, my grandfather had the dream of coming to this country to flee oppression and the ravages of war. He worked hard to make enough money to send his brothers, and finally himself, over to this country. He was a man of vision, courage, faith, and commitment. Every time my own convictions, courage or faith falters, I look at the picture and I "remember" who I am and where I came from. Those remembrances are the things that give me life.
What sets us as human beings apart from the rest of creation is our ability to remember and to reflect on that remembrance; to remember and in our remembrance to discover meaning; to remember and in our remembrance to create a new and as yet unrealized future.
In ancient Hebrew the word is Zakor meaning literally "to remember" means far more than just to recall. To remember means to make alive again; to remember who we are and the source of our
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life; to remember and give life to God's presence in our lives. Thus, Abraham and Sarah, Miriam and Moses, David and Deborah come rushing into the present with their stories of faithfulness and hope when we remember them. Jesus lives again in us when we re-member him.
So it is that throughout the book we call the Bible we find many calls to remember. In fact the word remember occurs 159 times in 155 verses and the word remembrance occurs another 26 times in 23 verses. Sometimes people call on God to remember God's promises, sometimes it is God who promises to remember, but more frequently God speaks through one of the prophets or Jesus calling people to remember who they are and what God has done in their lives. In remembering the relationship is kept alive and strong.
In the Biblical sense then, to remember who we are, who God is and what God has done for us is to find healing and wholeness. This remembrance of the past helps us to see what God is doing for us, in
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us, and through us for others in the present. Jesus said that it is in this sacred remembering that we find salvation.
It is no surprise then that in Jerusalem one of the holiest shrines of the Jewish world is the Western Wall, part of the retaining wall supporting the temple mount built by Herod in 20 B.C. It has become a place of remembrance and prayer; a place of physical contact with the whole of God's action throughout their sacred history; a place of hope for God's action in the future. Jewish people come to this wall from all over the world. Many write prayers and messages on paper and stick them between the cracks. At the wall you can hear some of them wailing or crying for the loss of their great temple or for the loss of a loved one. This is why this Wall of Remembrance has often been called "the Wailing Wall."
Tomorrow is Memorial Day. For some, this day is just another day off; a day that often marks the beginning of summer; a time for picnics and parties, a time for planting gardens and working in the yard. But that has not always been the case. Memorial Day was instituted to commemorated soldiers killed in the American Civil War. Its observance later extended to all those from the United States who died in any war. It was and is a day to remember the men and women who have sacrificed their lives that we might live in freedom; a day to honor them and their families who mourn their loss. But, if we choose to make it so, it can also be a day to remember and honor the sacrifices of those who continue to serve their country, in times of war and times of peace. It can also be a day to remember and honor others who have touched our lives and give thus to them life again. And most importantly, it can be a time to remember God and the ways in which God has spoken and acted in the past, so that we might be open to trust the ways God continues to speak and act in the present and the ways God will speak and act in the future. It is a time to remember Jesus and the way in which he proclaimed God's love and mercy, God's grace and compassion, so that Christ might continue to live in us. It has been said that we will live as long as the last person who knows our story.

So it is that today we have our own Wall of Remembrance, and we have set aside a time for holding in prayer those we treasure in our hearts as well as a time for honoring the sacrifices of those whose names we may never know. During the prayer time that follows as we offer petitions for particular areas of remembrance, we will light a candle and then keep a time of silence for your own prayers of remembrance. You were each given a piece of cloth as you came in. You are invited to write the names of people you wish to remember and honor on the cloth as we move throughout the time of prayer. Let this be for you a time to remember and this re-experience the power of Christ to bring hope to those who are hopeless, rest to those who are weary, and love to broken hearts everywhere. Let this be for you a time when Christ meets you where you are and brings grace and forgiveness, mercy and healing to your life and the lives of those for whom you pray. Amen.

Living Love
I John 3:16-20 & 4: 17-18 & 20-21 (MSG)
May 14, 2006 - Mother's Day
Rev. Nancy Pfaltzgraf
To say that Mother's Day has not always been my favorite celebration is the understatement of the year. As a child, of course, I loved making stuff for my mom. And as a mom I loved all the precious gifts my children created just for me. Even so, the truth is that, as a young mother who was quite insecure about her mothering skills, I actually hated Mother's Day. To me, being a good mother was the most important job I would ever have. Yet, what training did I have? I spent twelve years in school getting a basic education. I spent four years in college learning how to be a nurse. I would also spend another four years in seminary learning how to be a pastor. But where could I go to learn how to be a good mother? So when Mother's Day rolled around it seemed that all the cards extolling the virtues of mothers and the sermons and poems that often put mothers on a pedestal, just a little lower than God and the angels, left me feeling even more inadequate and insecure about my role as a mother.
In time, however, my insecurities began to lessen and my attitude toward Mother's Day began to shift a little. I remember one day as I stood in my back yard. My daughter was two years old and she gave flesh and blood meaning to the phrase "terrible twos." I remember crying out to God, tears running down my checks, silently screaming, "What am I supposed to do with her? I don't know how to control her. I don't know how to make her behave. I'm a failure as a mother! What am I supposed to do?" In the silence that followed a voice so clear it might have come from someone standing beside me, spoke inside my head, saying, "Just love her the way I love you. That's all you have to do to be a good mother. Just love her!"
In time, through reading lots of books, spending untold hours praying for wisdom and guidance, and listening to caring friends, I came to understand that such love was enacted as I sought to cherish my children and call forth their uniqueness, their gifts and their own inherent wisdom and beauty. Yes, I had to make a safe container in which they could grow and make sure they knew how to get along in society. But my most important job was to nurture their own unique growth in much the same way one nurtures the growth of seeds planted in the garden. I needed to till and tend the soil of our lives, providing just the right amount of moisture, learning what mixture of nutrients would feed them so they would grow healthy and strong, and removing rocks and weeds that could hinder their growth and mine.
But the most major shift in my attitude toward Mother's Day took place when I came to understand both its origins and its potential. In the United States the earliest call for a Mothers' Day was initiated in 1858 by Anna Reeves Jarvis, a local teacher and church member, who called mothers together to work for improved sanitation in her town. In 1870 Julia Ward Howe also tried to establish a Mother's Day by issuing a Mother's Day Proclamation and then in 1872 she began promoting the idea of a "Mother's Day for Peace" to be celebrated on June 2, honoring peace, motherhood and womanhood. Her proclamation read in part:
As men have often forsaken the plough and the anvil at the summons of war, let women now leave all that may be left of home for a great and earnest day of counsel. Let them meet first, as women, to bewail and commemorate the dead. Let them solemnly take counsel with each other as to the means whereby the great human family can live in peace...each bearing after his own time the sacred impress, not of Caesar, but of God.
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What we know as Mother's Day finally came to pass in 1914 through the efforts of Anna Jarvis, the daughter of Anna Reeves Jarvis, who sought to honor the work of her mother and all women to build a better world. As important as it is to honor and say thank you to our mothers, somehow these early aspects of Mother's Day have gotten lost in the cards and the flowers and the gifts.
In 2002 at the Global Peace Iniiative of Women Religious and Spiritual Leaders, Amma, a renowned religious leader from India, captured the heart of what those originators of Mother's Day had envisioned when she said,
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"With the power of motherhood within her, a woman can influence the entire world. The love of awakened motherhood is a love and compassion felt not only toward one's own children, but toward all people, animals and plants, rocks and rivers -a love extended to all beings. ... The essence of motherhood is not restricted to women who have given birth; it is a principle inherent in both women and men. It is the attitude of the mind. It is love -- and that love is the very breath of life.
It is such love, the love embodied in Jesus, that the author if I John calls us to live.
In her book Urgent Message from Mother: Gather the Women, Save the World, Jean Shinoda Bolen writes:
"Women want a world that is safe for children. ... For peace to become a reality, women have to gather together, learn from each other, and then work with men toward ending violence as a means of winning arguments or gaining power -in households or in the world."
In 1979 Pope John Paul II said, "To reach peace, teach peace." So this year, I'd like to reclaim the origins of this special day and share with you a wonderful resource I found on the Institute for Peace and Justice website. It was created by Jim and Kathleen McGinnis creators of the Parenting for Pace and Justice Network. It is titled simply the Family Pledge of Nonviolence. There are also versions of this pledge for schools, congregations, and youth groups. As I read it, it seemed to me to be a wonderful tool that we can use to tend the garden of our families -no matter how old or young they are, whether or not we have children- to insure that all of us grow into the people God created to become. It is also, I believe, one way to put our love for our children and for the world into tangible actions. It is a tangible way to empower our families to be Jesus to the world. You each have a copy of the family pledge -which I adapted by adding some of the language that I found in the Preschool Pledge, since many of you have very young children. In closing, I'd like us to read through the pledge together, beginning with "To Respect .."
To Respect Myself and Others
To respect myself, to affirm others and to avoid uncaring criticism, hateful words, physical attacks and self-destructive behavior.
To Communicate Better (To Say How I Feel)
To share my feelings honestly, to look for safe ways to express my anger and to work at solving problems peacefully. [to practice safe ways to talk and act when I feel mad, and to work out my problems peacefully.]
To Listen
To listen carefully to one another, especially those who disagree with me, and to consider others' feelings and needs rather than insist on having my own way.
To Forgive
To apologize and make amends when I have hurt another, to forgive others, and to keep from holding grudges. [To say "I'm sorry" and mean it when I've hurt a person, to forgive others when they hurt me, and to "check in" ("Are you ok?") when I see someone who is sad.]
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To Respect Nature [the Environment]
To treat the environment and all living things, including our pets, with respect and care. [To treat the environment (places we live, work and play) and all living things (people, animals, and plants) with respect and care.]
To Play Creatively [Safely]
To select entertainment and toys that support our family's values and to avoid entertainment that makes violence look exciting, funny or acceptable. [To play in fair and safe ways, and to only use toys, watch TV programs or play games where people and animals are treated safely and fairly.
To Be Courageous [To Be a Strong and Fair Friend]
To challenge violence in all its forms whenever I encounter it, whether at home, at school, at work, or in the community, and to stand with others who are treated unfairly. To speak up whenever I see anybody or anything being treated unfairly.
My dear children, let's not just talk about love; let's practice real love. [I John 3:18] And in this way we will take Jesus to the world.
A Happy, Joyous, Peace-filled Mother's Day to each and every one of you! Amen.
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God's Fruity People
John 15:1-8
May 7, 2006
Rev. Nancy Pfaltzgraf
Jerry and Valerie had been life-long Disciples and when they arrived in the Milwaukee area for a short term job assignment, one of the first things they did was visit our congregation. They soon became regular worship participants and before long they were also involved in our weekly Bible Study and volunteered to help out in numerous ways. They were only in the area for about four years, but they made a tremendous impact on all of us. They were quiet, gentle, strong, loving people of deep faith who always seemed to know the right things to say or do.
Jerry was an engineer and one of those behind the scene fix-it guys. Shortly after they arrived little tasks at church that had needed doing for a long time -like fixing the screen door to the house we used for our office- just seemed to get done. We were a small, often financially struggling congregation and we depended on members to do things that most congregations hire people to do. I remember at one congregational meeting when people were excited because it looked like we could finally afford to hire a trash removal service. After listening for a while Jerry said, "Why would you want to do that when I'm glad to take the trash and recycling home each week? As long as we're living here, I'll be very happy to serve in this way. That way we can use the money to help people?"
Valerie was one of those people who just seemed to radiate a deep peace and profound love that sprang from her very core. Time and time again in our Bible Study when someone shared a concern Valerie was the first one to ask, "Would you like us to pray with you?" If someone talked about some tragedy they saw on the news, Valerie would always call us to prayer, not just for the victims, but for the perpetrators as well. I remember one time when Valerie was going to have cataract surgery and I was going to the hospital to have prayer with her before surgery. It was one of those days where I had far too many things to do in the time I had available, so I found myself pulling into the hospital parking lot much later than I'd hoped to arrive. I tried to slow down and take a few deep cleaning breathes as I walked to the door, and I thought I had done a pretty good job. But as I greeted her Valerie looked deep into my eyes and said to me, "You look pretty stressed. I think I need to pray for you." And without waiting for a reply she took my hands and offered a beautiful calming prayer. When she finished she said, "OK now I think you're ready to pray for me."
"I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, ..." [John 15:5]
Mrs. Highlander was my husband Tom's seventh grade Sunday School teacher. She had been the 7th grade teacher for at least ten years by the time Tom hit 7th grade and continued teaching for many years after he passed through her room. She was a simple woman, who worked side by side with her husband on their farm and found great joy in sharing God's love with 7th grade youth. "When you were in her presence," Tom says, "you knew you were loved. She just made you feel special. Not just me, but every single one of us sometimes unruly 7th graders, she helped us know we were special and truly loved! Thinking about it now, I'd say she was God's love in action for me."
"I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, ..." [John 15:5]
I first met Yolanda in the spring of 1985. She was on the search committee for the Disciples of Christ congregation in Wisconsin where I eventually served for fifteen years. During the ten years or so that I had the privilege of being her pastor, Yolanda's passion for justice and her deep compassion for the forgotten ones of society led our congregation to develop what she called a "hands-on outreach program." We did many projects with Hebron House the transitional housing shelter for homeless families in Waukesha. We worked with the Next Door Foundation, a multi-faceted program that sought to empower the residents in one of Milwaukee's poorest neighborhoods. We participated in regular Habitat for Humanity work days and helped to staff the Waukesha Food Pantry. Yolanda eventually moved to California, graduated from seminary and began to serve congregations in the San Francisco Bay area, where she continues to help congregations find ways to serve the needs of the forgotten ones of society.
"I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, ..." [John 15:5]
Kerry was my pastor for nearly ten years. He is one of the most deeply spiritual, kind, loving, compassionate people I have ever met. He is the human instrument God used to get my attention and facilitate my call into ministry. Kerry's honest humility and willingness to share his own doubts and struggles with his faith helped me see that you didn't have to be perfect or have all the answers to serve God with your whole heart. His constant affirmation of my strengths and his ability to see potentials within me that I had no idea I possessed, gave me the
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courage to step beyond my comfort zone and try new things. His profound love of God and his deep love of people stirred something within me that made me want the kind of joy that overflowed from his heart.
"I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, ..." [John 15:5]
Jerry, Valerie, Mrs. Highlander, Yolanda, Kerry, just a few of God's fruity people. I could share dozens if not hundreds of other examples with you; fruity people Tom and I have known who have blessed our lives. I bet, if I gave you the chance, each of you could tell me stories of those fruity people who have nourished your life and fed your spirits.
"I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, ..." [John 15:5] Just as branches on a grapevine grow grapes and not apples or oranges or cherries, branches that are connected to the vine that is Christ grow the fruit of a Christ-like life; fruit that has the character of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control; fruit that feeds the world's hunger for love, and nourishes the world's longing with compassion. It's Christ promise to us. Just as branches on a grapevine are fed by the rich nutrients and moisture flowing from the soil through the vine in order to produce succulent fruit, as we abide in Christ we are fed by the ever-flowing sap of Christ's love through prayer and worship, fellowship and service and we bear the tender fruit of love. Just as the vinegrower prunes the branches to assure a plentiful harvest, as we participate in communal study and reflection seeking the support of a spiritual community to nurture our growth the Divine Vinegrower prunes away those habits, fears, beliefs, ideas and attitudes that keep from being God's fruity people. Our job is to abide, to stay connected, to trust that all things work together in God's love to bring a fruitful harvest.
"I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, ..." [John 15:5] Amen.
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