over and around the rainbow

One year ago this fine group saw my potential and on behalf of RMC, invited me to be Rainbow’s pastoral candidate. Of course some of them left promptly on vacation and weren’t even there the Sunday I preached! Anyone who has been on a search committee knows that those vacations were well-deserved.

We gathered for a meal on June 1 in part so I could give a little speech entitled “Things you failed to mention…”

Here are just a few of the highlights, along with a few more I’ve thought of recently:

• My first pastoral requests would include: Helping someone apply for U.S. citizenship, helping a couple with an adoption-related grant, and visiting with local law enforcement! Don’t worry, it wasn’t me breaking the law.
• Trains, trains and more trains and hills, hills and more hills
• That EVERY major snowfall this winter would occur on a Saturday night
• That sometimes ads for chicken become part of the Sunday morning worship experience
• That so many fine people would be moving away during my first year
• That Steve Goeke would be the kind of banjo player that Jesse could only dream to have in his life
• That when you JOKINGLY send Rosi a link to something called “Bethlehemian Rhapsody,” the next thing you know it’s happening
• That you serve some of the best, strongest coffee
• That I would see deer regularly on my short commute to church (and that I would get hit by frisbees when I go through Rosedale Park)
• That 270 people would be in attendance at Easter
• That I would be the proud owner of FOUR beautiful Rainbow scarves. Why stop there?

And finally, they failed to mention that on June 6, 2014 Jesse and I would feel profound gratitude for where we are at and what is ahead. Thank you Bob, Ky, Gail, Mike, Duane, Natasha, and Karen. And thank you to the family members and friends who endured the LONG meetings and who respected the need for confidentiality through this process.

The search committee didn’t have the nerve to tell me what I failed to mention to them during the interview. We’ll save that for evaluation time.

Today I’m thinking of our family friend, Phyllis Schrag. Phyllis told me that when she was a little girl her pastor would often say the phrase “Fill us with the Holy Spirit.” What she heard was Phyllis with the Holy Spirit. She felt so special until she realized that the prayer wasn’t about her. Well, at least it wasn’t JUST about her.

Pentecost is this Sunday, a good time to consider what it might mean to be filled with the Spirit as individuals and as a church. It is also a good Sunday for a baptism (Scott Weast). After all, Pentecost is when we celebrate the birth of the church.

Pentecost, or the Feast of Weeks, was a spring barley harvest festival held 50 days after Passover. At the time of Pentecost people from all over the Roman Empire gathered in Jerusalem to give thanks for the harvest and to remember the giving of the law to Moses on Mt. Sinai. The writer of the book of Acts tells us that people from all over the Empire flocked to this festival. At one such Pentecost celebration something extraordinary happened. A sound was heard like the rush of a violent wind. Soon, people began speaking and understanding languages that they had not previously known. What did this look like you may wonder? Here is one artist’s depiction titled “Outpouring.”

The artist Kathy Ammon writes that “Outpouring” is an expression of the glorious light of God pouring out God’s Spirit over the people. Like a bright light shining in the wilderness, flowing like a river over the thirsty, the lost and the broken, there is blessing and healing through the hope and peace of Jesus Christ.”

May this outpouring of love and spirit be evident as we gather for worship on Sunday.

The time is almost here for Renee Reimer to move to Kansas City and begin as the new Rainbow Youth Program Director. A group from Rainbow consisting of some youth, youth sponsors and youth support board members will meet her at her new apartment on Friday the 6th in order to help her unload.  On Sunday the 8th we will welcome her in worship.

Thanks to the hard work of trustees, staff as well as a generous donation of office furniture by Marjorie Jantz, we have an office ready on the 2nd floor next to the junior high and senior high classrooms. Take a look!

This coming Sunday Natasha VanDyke will have a giant poster for everyone to sign welcoming Renee. Please find it in the fellowship hall. Natasha has also invited junior and senior high youth to fill out individual profiles to help Renee get to know them. She would like this to be given to her no later than June 7. If you have questions, contact Natasha. And here is a link to another post about Renee in case you didn’t see it earlier.

Recently my husband was standing in line for potluck and noticed that there was a whole area of the church he had never seen before. “What’s the Rainbow Room?,” he asked. I explained that Head Start met there during the school year and that Freedom School uses the space in the summer.

Jesse’s question made me wonder how many other people at Rainbow know or don’t know about this space on the east side lower level. I also wondered how many people realize that every morning when I get to church the first thing I see is a line of cars/parents who are dropping off their children, sometimes as early as 7:30 am. The children (20 or so) stay as late as 4:00 pm. That is, until recently. Their year just ended last week Thursday.

1444 Southwest Boulevard has long been a location for Head Start, starting first with the Rosedale United Methodist’s commitment to educational opportunities for children.

I don’t have much interaction with the children and teachers of Head Start. However, in April I gave the children and teachers a tour of the church building. My two favorite parts were leading them in singing in the balcony of the sanctuary (they seemed in awe of the stained glass windows) and showing them some things in my office. I gave them all pipe cleaners to put on their wrists and then I snapped this photo:

We have decided to make use of this space for children’s Sunday school during the month of June. Hopefully learning will continue to take place in this beautiful space for all kinds of people this summer, making it a true Rainbow Room!

Here are a few things heard and found after our worship on Sunday: First, I found this on the first page of our copy of Martyrs Mirror:

It’s a beautiful note from Jesse’s parents on the occasion of his baptism. There was also a sweet note from a couple at church thanking Jesse for sharing his energy, music, humor and talents.When I discovered this I thought of a story I heard once about a grandparent who gave his grandson a Bible for high school graduation. He kept asking his grandson if he had opened his Bible yet. “Yes, grandpa,” he said. It wasn’t until many, many years later that the grandson ACTUALLY opened the Bible. Low and behold, there was money stuck between each and every page. Lesson? Grandpas often have a way of knowing when we are lying AND you never know what unexpected treasures you will discover inside the pages of a book!

Now to things heard: (If you haven’t listened to Sunday’s martyr presentation go here.)

• “My young son turned to me and said, ‘This is interesting!” (She then went on to say that she has never heard her son say this at church.)
• “What if Lonnie presented this at the Mennonite World Conference or what about Mennonite Church USA conference?”
• “Who was your favorite martyr today?” This then led to a discussion of whether there should be martyr trading cards or something. Slightly irreverent, and yet funny.
• “I just don’t know how to relate to these stories and people! I am working so hard at self-care and finding balance. These stories are just too extreme!”
• “I trembled several times during the service.” (I didn’t know if this was a good thing or bad thing.)

I’m sure Sunday lunch conversations were lively with your reactions and responses, your appreciation and/or dismay. A lingering question for me is how and if these stories and lives matter today. We live in such a different time. Still, there will always be times we are called to take a stand as a result of faith and take risks in doing so. I appreciate how David Augsburger puts it in his book Dissident Discipleship. He says that often times discipleship does not lead in a spectacular act of martrydom. Rather, it is “a set of Christlike instincts and reflexive responses of love that gradually take shape in our lives over a period of years.”

There will be more said about this on Sunday. Plus, more will be said about one person who definitely had Christlike instincts and lived a full life of love. His name is Dr. Vincent Harding. I learned of Dr. Harding’s death this morning and I have been reading about him all day. Come Sunday to learn more about this radical disciple and click here for a past blog post that mentions Dr. Harding.

And here are a few other responses to Dr. Harding’s recent death:

Christian Century article

Red Letter Christian article

MCUSA tribute by Joanna Shenk

At home we have a book called Martyrs Mirror. Once in awhile I’ll look over at it and see the dust starting to gather around it. It hasn’t been off this shelf for awhile in other words.

The book was first published in 1660 and it documents many of the stories and testimonies of Christian martyrs, especially Anabaptists in the 16th century.

Some Mennonites still grow up with the Martyrs Mirror sitting on the coffee table in the living room, although I would venture to say that not near as many as in the past. Maybe that’s because it’s not an easy book just to pick up and start reading. Some would go so far as to say that the visual depictions of these horrendous scenes of execution and torture is the thing of nightmares. I have a friend who couldn’t sleep for weeks, perhaps still has trouble sleeping, after being shown a tongue screw and told how it works. Not only that, this same friend grew up thinking that if she didn’t become a martyr she must not be following Jesus. That is a heavy thing to carry as a young child! You can read more about her experience here: Staying Alive.

Mel Goering, in an evocative article called “Dying to be Pure: The Martyr Story” criticizes how Mennonites have idealized Anabaptist martyrs. He argues that Mennonites seem only “to feel good when they feel bad.” “Mennonites within the church,” he writes, “can always feel bad because they are not living up to the ideal. One is never allowed to feel good about accomplishments, lest one show pride.” Goering would go so far as to say that we, who are culturally immersed Mennonites, need different stories/models of faith. In his opinion, martyr stories within Anabaptist history do not provide guidance on how to be faithful while immersed in secular culture, in secular institutions, and in church related institutions immersed in secular life. “Contemporary Mennonites,” he writes, “need stories that assist with the development of character patterns able to have conviction in the midst of openness, to be effective without given up ethics, etc.” You can read his full article here: Goering article

These are the critiques that were swirling in my head the day Lonnie Buerge mentioned that he would like for an upcoming worship service at Rainbow to focus on and celebrate certain Christian martyrs. Lonnie first became intrigued with the Anabaptist martyrs while a student at Goshen College. Ever since then he has been on a quest to understand the lives and stories of these martyrs. His is a quest I admire: He wants to focus less on the gory details of their death and more on their lives and faith-what led them down the path of martyrdom.

Lonnie has spent considerable time over the past few months studying the lives and stories of martyrs across geographies, time and traditions. This project has culminated in a martyr presentation of sorts, which will make up most of our worship this coming Sunday.

I realize that the thought of hearing stories of martyrdom might not sound like the most uplifting thing to do on a Sunday morning. More than that, some of us might have reservations when it comes to putting certain martyrs on a pedestal, turning them into these perfect models of faith. And yet, I trust that Lonnie will present these lives and stories with humility, with curiosity and grace. He will invite us into a conversation with these historical figures, some of whom might leave us dumbfounded.  You can read some of Lonnie’s reflections here: lonnie’s reflection

I will write another blog post about martyrdom next Sunday. (That is, assuming I make it until then! I say this because I have the following on my calendar: Martyr rehearsal, May 17 at 3:00 pm.)

Finally, I’m going to trust that no one will lose sleep or have nightmares as a result of this service except maybe Lonnie 🙂

One year ago today my husband and I were packing for a weekend get-a-way to celebrate our wedding anniversary (May 11). We had hoped to leave at noon. That was the plan until I received a call from Ky Stolzfus, chair of the Pastoral Transitions Committee at Rainbow. “Would you accept our invitation to be the pastoral candidate at RMC?,” he asked. And then he added something about wanting to announce it at Rainbow the following Sunday. I think I stopped breathing. Good thing Ky is a doctor.

Needless to say Jesse and I didn’t leave town at noon like we had planned. However, we did get some time away and there were many, long moments of silence during that car ride. It wasn’t a bad silence. Rather, it was the kind of silence that is the only response when faced with such a big decision and potential life change.

This morning I am again filled with such silence as I look back on this past year. So much has changed. So much was left behind and yet so much is here. Praise God I have not stopped breathing. In fact, I think we have found some sort of rhythm here in Kansas City and we have so many people to thank for that. This includes the Pastoral Transitions Committee and their significant others who endured many nights without them during those LONG meetings. Jesse and I are looking forward to hosting this group for supper on Sunday, June 1.

I’m glad to be here Rainbow. And yes, Jesse and I will find a way to celebrate on Sunday for our 12th wedding anniversary. That is, assuming Ky doesn’t call with other news between now and then.

The table  at Gail Goeke’s office where I had my first face-to-face interview with the Pastoral Transitions Committee. Don’t worry, I didn’t make this gesture during the interview, nor did I wear a purple sweatshirt to the interview.

The title of this blog post comes from a hymn text by Ruth Duck. (We will sing the full hymn on Sunday.) Rosi and I thought it was a fitting text given that this Sunday we will be celebrating our Sunday school teachers and the way instruction in the faith can be a Doorway into radical discipleship (our worship series theme this month).

Some of my favorite doors to walk in and out of in the church are our SS classrooms. Why? Just look at these photos!

Beatrix

By the looks of these photos our teachers care for the lives entrusted to them, teaching about and modeling God’s love for the world. If that isn’t holy work I don’t know what is.

I once knew a Sunday school teacher, Bertha Harder, who would come to church first thing every Monday morning. She wanted to read over the curriculum and prepare the room for the coming Sunday. “The children will know if I’ve been here ahead of time to prepare,” she said. At Bertha’s funeral I suggested that Bertha was an “arounder,” a phrase Timothy Geddert uses in his commentary on Mark chapter 10. Bertha tried to position her life around Jesus and invited children around her to do the same. More than that, over her lifetime she taught children that Jesus’ circle involved espousing inverted values-values the world may not always prize: service, humility, welcoming the weak and protecting the vulnerable.

I think we have many “arounders” here at Rainbow. Even Mike Peters, our high school teacher, finds creative ways to talk about Jesus’ inverted values. Here he is standing on his head. He was making some kind of point about how hard it is to read the Beatitudes upside down, and how it’s even harder to live the Beatitudes in our daily life.

This Sunday we (learners, teachers and pilgrims) will consider Deuteronomy 6:1-9, we will give Bibles to soon-to-be 4th graders, we will recognize our Sunday School teachers, and we will give Hymnals to our high school graduates.  Maybe there will even be some head standing. You never know at Rainbow.

My dad, Keith Harder, and I tried our first-ever dialogue sermon on Sunday, April 27.  You can listen to it here: http://rainbowmennonite.org/media/

Timothy Harder

In this dialogue we talked about doubting Thomas, the one disciple who wished for a little more evidence that Jesus really was raised from the dead. Timothy, while also a character in the Bible, refers here to my brother who died at age 13. My dad and I talked a little bit about Timothy in the context of talking about doubt, hope, death and resurrection.

Here is the picture of my oldest brother Scott and my older sister Katherine standing in front of the tree we planted in memory of Tim. I think you can probably tell which one I am. This tree has since grown to be 15-20 feet.

My first church family was Fellowship of Hope in Elkhart, IN.

This makes me feel grateful that we have our own memory garden here at Rainbow.

The last thing I’ll share is an article my dad wrote about Tim called A Father’s Day reflection. It appeared in The Mennonite on June 6, 2006.   Article

We were grateful for this chance to share on Sunday.

Are there other dialogue topics that I/we should consider for the future?

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So what is stopping you?