Jim's Tribute to Judi

Jim's tribute to Judi

Jim talked a bit about Judi. (The graveside ceremony is the post just before this one.)

Here's the video:

Judi Buchfuehrer's graveside service

Following (in two parts) is the video taken at Judi Buchfuehrer's Orthodox funeral.

Lent

Great Lent in the Orthodox Church started on the 15th. I decided to give up meat (everything except fish) for Lent. In the past I've done things like chocolate or sweets and that's not really a stretch. It's supposed to be a sacrifice, right? It's something I'll miss and when I think about it, I'll think of Jesus and the sacrifice He made. I'm sure I'll be thinking of it a lot because I'm finding that I need to be pretty creative when it comes to feeding myself. This morning I made myself a mango, strawberry, raspberry, orange, blueberry and pomegranate smoothie. I had the rest of the smoothie and scrambled eggs with swiss cheese, spinach and tomatoes for lunch (very late lunch) and wasn't even hungry at dinner time. I was still full from the eggs. Tomorrow I'm going to try the Chocolate Mousse that was on Dr. Oz's show.

"I will lift up my eyes unto the hills from whence cometh my strength."

From the Orthodox Church of America website:

"Let us fast with a fast pleasing to the Lord. This is the true fast: the casting off of evil, the bridling of the tongue, the cutting off of anger, the cessation of lusts, evil talking, lies and cursing. The stopping of these is the fast true and acceptable. (Monday Vespers of the First Week)"

So THAT'S what I need to be fasting from. That's a lot harder than just denying yourself food or other stuff. I'm going to have to write that out and put it where I can see it all the time.

Easter

I posted this last year and, as it's so good and so fitting, will re-post for this Easter.  I hope it touches any who watch it as much as it still touches me.  A blessed Holy Week to you all, my favorite time of the whole year.

Dave Tiller

Our friend and Mike's co-worker, Dave Tiller, went Home to the Lord this past Wednesday.  That would be the reason why I haven't been on here as much as I would have liked to.  There was just too much going on and I had to let go of some things.  When I can, I'd like to write about Dave, but not right now.  I need a week or so to wind down.

New Year

"What a fellowship, what a joy divine, leaning on the everlasting arms, what a blessed mix, what a peace is mine, leaning on the everlasting arms. Leaning, leaning, safe and secure from all alarm, leaning, leaning, leaning on the everlasting arms."

I love the start of a new year. It's a time to start over, to not worry about what didn't get done the year before. I can let it all go and start from scratch. My mind is whirring with all of the things I want to do. Topping the list is our bedroom.

"When peace like a river attendeth my way, when sorrows like sea billows roll, whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say, it is well, it is well with my soul. It is well, it is well, it is well, it is well, it is well, it is well with my soul. My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought! My sin, not in part but the whole, is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more, Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!"

Not only do I get to begin anew, I get to begin anew with Mike on days. That's normally not a shift we prefer, but when it's 12 hours of graves or 12 hours of days, I prefer the days. It means that I can work in our bedroom and get it to looking like a bedroom again, as opposed to a storage room with a bed.

"On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross, the emblem of suffering and shame; and I love that old cross where the dearest and best for a world of lost sinners was slain. So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross, till my trophies at last I lay down; I will cling to the old rugged cross, and exchange it some day for a crown."

The new year was ushered in rather quietly with me riding with Mike until 1 am or so. The snap, crackle and pop of the fireworks resonating across town was the only "excitement" which is ok by me. I don't even think they got a deuce, it was fairly quiet. Not bad for 6 hours of OT.

Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father; there is no shadow of turning with Thee; Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not; As Thou hast been, Thou forever will be. Great is Thy faithfulness! Great is Thy faithfulness! Morning by morning new mercies I see. All I have needed Thy hand hath provided; Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!

2008 promises to be a year full of change. There's an excellent chance that Katie and Emma will be moving out. It all hinges on Katie being hired as a dispatcher by the PD. She scored well on the initial test and her oral is scheduled for the 11th. If all goes well, she could start there in March or so . . . maybe even February. India turns 18 at the end of March and she's already saying that she's moving then. It would not surprise me in the least if she wants to go live with her aunt. I just want to see her graduate and then I can relax a little. We could conceivably have an empty house come April!

2008 could very well be The Year of Adjusting.

More a little later on Mom's Guide to Dating or What I've Tried To Teach My Three Daughters About Picking A Good Man Based On What I Learned The Hard Way.

Ironies of Distraction: The Way Of Who?

Jon had an interesting post to which I commented. I think my comments stand alone so I just pasted them here. Call me lazy. :0)

Melodee said...

I think a lot of people don't realize (maybe mostly the parents) how much partying and sex is happening at Christian schools. Our main Christian school, that serves our area up here in the boonies/aka wild west, has just as many wild kids as our high school does. The kids have just learned to hide it better. For example, going out behind the Ag farm to drink Jack Daniels is just plain dumb. Spending the night at Susie's house (because Susie and her family go to X church and Susie's parents just KNOW she'd never ever do anything wrong) and getting drunk there when her parents are out of town (because her parents trust her to stay at home alone because little Susie would never ever do anything wrong) is the "smart" plan. Live in a small town. You get wised up (wised up?) quickly.

Do they require any thinking types of book at VC? C.S. Lewis? Dr. Francis Schaeffer? Os Guinness? G.K. Chesterton? George MacDonald? Kids may not be interested in those books at that age, or they may be over their heads, but later on something might click and they might have an aha! moment. Plus, someone might just enjoy them. Screwtape Letters should be mandatory reading.

For the record, I think that the whole "why didn't anyone tell me that before" thing has been going on for years (forever maybe?). I think it's just when we grow up and start to think for ourselves (and you could be really old when this happens . . . like even 30) is when our faith gets to that make or break point. I think most everyone needs to go through that so that they're thinking for themselves and they choose to believe on their own, not because someone told them they'd burn in Hell for all eternity if they didn't choose Jesus.

8:27 AM

Favorite Book Quote and Religious Ranting

"Do not be deceived, Wormwood. Our cause is never more in danger than when a human, no longer desiring, but still intending, to do our Enemy's will, looks round upon a universe from which every trace of Him seems to have vanished, and asks why he has been forsaken, and still obeys." The Screwtape Letters, C.S. Lewis

Mother Teresa was a saint.  I don't know that I could go for 50 years of doubting and feeling alone and still believe and act upon those beliefs.  I would like to think I would, but I don't think you could know unless you'd done it.  And to those people who say she must not have been a Christian, I say SHAME, SHAME, SHAME ON YOU.

Don't let anyone try to tell you what God sees in someone else's heart.  He's the only one who knows.  NO ONE has the inside scoop.  No one but God has the right to make judgments.  If someone tells you that Catholics, Orthodox, Mormons, Buddhists, etc., or any group of people or an individual or anyone is going to Hell, reject what that person says.  They can keep their opinions to themselves.

Favorite book quote

"Do not be deceived, Wormwood. Our cause is never more in danger than when a human, no longer desiring, but still intending, to do our Enemy's will, looks round upon a universe from which every trace of Him seems to have vanished, and asks why he has been forsaken, and still obeys." The Screwtape Letters, C.S. Lewis

Quiet in the house

It's quiet here. It's a bag of mixed blessings. On the one hand, I like having time to myself to do those things I've been trying to get done for so long. My room is getting put together and I pretty much know where everything is. The gigantic oak desk is out of there, waiting for a den. I got my dresser all cleaned off last night and pictures are back up on the walls where they belong. Well, most of them are. I still have some of my own photographs I need to print out and put into frames and then find homes for them. My computer's become used to being down there and I like not having it in the living room. Grandma's black buffet/desk is finally cleaned out and put in some semblance of order. I've condensed us out of 3 desks now and most everything is in the black desk. Upstairs, the TV isn't housed in the entertainment center any more. We're going to donate that to the PD or to the hospital thrift store. I'm using the antique Korean chest to house the TV and all its' accouterments. It's nice paring things down.

On the other hand, it's very quiet. I miss Emma. She'll be back tomorrow, though, so I will enjoy this brief respite. Like I said, it's a bag of mixed blessings. Katie is camping with "friends" and Emma is with her. When I commented to Mike's dad some weeks ago how difficult it will be when Emma no longer lives with us and how quiet it will be here, he said, "But you'll get used to it. And that's how it's supposed to be." He's right, of course. Little ones are meant to be raised by their parents. I just pray that the circumstances at that time will be much better than they are now. I would love nothing better than for Katie and Emma to be on their own, Katie with a good job, Emma with either us watching her or someone else just as good (is that possible?), happy, content, doing what is Right.

It struck me this morning how I wish that our church-going wasn't "broken." I know that it was right for us to leave the old church and go to the new one when we did . . . and then to switch back when we found that the new one wasn't home. I just wish that the timing had been better. It caused a disruption for the kids. They never fit in with the new one and when we went back to the old one, too many years had passed for them to feel part of it again. It's so much easier when they're younger and they go with you because you go. I know (mostly) it will all turn out OK. They've all been raised with the foundation intact. It's just up to them now to take it up themselves. Seeing hardness of heart is distressing in anyone.

I haven't been to the old church in months. That one is not the right place for us. I always hated the "praise songs" and thought they were insipid and they weren't into using the old hymns. I wish Father Bruce hadn't left the Catholic church. I think we might have liked that. Mike's new rdo's include Sunday now (that's a first!) so I'm thinking maybe I'll see if he wants to go to the monastery and see what he thinks. It will be very different for him. The Eastern Catholic service (especially for one raised in Protestantism) is awesome in the truest sense. It's close to the Eastern Orthodox church and that's what I like. I've never been to a service where I truly felt like I was worshipping in the presence of God as I did there. I hope Mike wants to go.

Here's my favorite hymn . . . well, one of my favorites:

IT IS WELL WITH MY SOUL

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

It is well, with my soul,
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blessed assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.

It is well, with my soul,
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

It is well, with my soul,
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it is well with my soul.

It is well, with my soul,
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.


- Words by Horatio G. Spafford, 1873
- Music by Philip P. Bliss, 1876

The words to this hymn was written after two major traumas in Spafford's life. The first was the Great Chicago Fire of October 1871, which ruined him financially. Shortly after, while crossing the Atlantic, all four of Spafford's daughters died in a collision with another ship. Spafford's wife Anna survived and sent him the now famous telegram: "SAVED ALONE." Several weeks later, as Spafford's own ship passed near the spot where his daughters died, he was inspired to write these words.

Bliss originally named the tune "Ville de Havre" after the ship on which Spafford's four girls perished, the SS Ville de Havre. Ironically, Bliss himself died in a tragic train wreck shortly after writing this music.

Patty & Pete

My sister and brother-in-law have just made a huge lifestyle change. They moved from the house they've lived in the last eleven years and moved into an apartment in a lower income, predominantly ethnic, neighborhood. Patty works for a (for lack of a better term) community center their church started in this neighborhood. Actually, it's more of an open house sort of thing for kids. They do their homework, play games, go to camps, and do stuff in groups. It's all very organized and the place looks like small classrooms inside. They wanted to make more of an impact on the kids' lives so they thought if they moved there and immersed themselves into the kids' world, they could. Apparently, they have. There are kids dropping in at all hours and they've been doing a lot of stuff in the neighborhood. They've only been there since the first, but I think they're really making a difference. Talk about living out your faith. I'm very proud of them.

Works Produced by Faith

In keeping with the discussion we've been having the last week or so, I found this. It's the notes part of my Orthodox Bible.

Matthew 25:31-46 Commentary

Here is the majestic climax of the discourse, which is not simply a parable but an account of the universal judgment. Since the Cross is now near for Him, Jesus raises up the hearer to the sight of the glory of the Son of Man, His judgment seat, and the whole world before Him. He shows the heavens opened and all the holy angels (v. 31) present to witness His judgment. For if the first coming of the Son of Man was in humility, to serve and to die, the Second Coming will be in glory, as a King to judge all the nations (v. 32).

The standard of judgment is uncalculated mercy toward the needy. The works produced by faith are emphasized, for a saving faith produces righteous works. It is possible to fool ourselves about whether we truly believe, but what we do so reflects our true inner state that we will need no other evidence before God's court. The needy are the intimate brethren (v.40) of Christ. The least of these (v. 45) may refer primarily to Christian missionaries or to needy Christians and, by extension, all who suffer. Jesus identifies Himself with the poor and the outcast and invites to brotherhood all who are kindled with love for others (1 John 4:20). These are crowned with grace.

I'll comment more later. It really struck me.

I hate labels; emergent, emerging, postmodern, modern, whatever

I just read the article, "Five Streams of the Emerging Church, Key elements of the most controversial and misunderstood movement in the church today." You can read the article here . That title made me think about some comments made about the Orthodox church. There are people who have labeled it a "cult" because they light incense and sing antiphonal chants. That's just plain ignorance. All you have to do is to look at both the Old and New Testaments to see that all of that is historically based.

That makes me think of something else I don't like. I've heard people in my church say that repetitious praying is wrong. What do they think the Lord's Prayer is? What about Psalms? It's not the words and the prayers that are wrong. It's peoples' hearts and motives. As you can see, my thoughts are kind of here and there so this may not flow as well as it could. Bear with me.

I really don't like labels because it doesn't explain what the something is. Because of that, I've been spending the last week or two reading up on the labels "emerging, emergent, postmodern, postmodernism, modernism" and some others that escape me because it feels like my brain is too full. I'm finding it difficult to sort out all of my thoughts, but I will give it a shot. The article I referenced above did a fairly good job at explaining what the "emerging church" is. Why do they have to give it a name?

I also checked wikipedia here for a good definition of postmodernism. From what I can tell, it means that modern isn't necessarily the be all and end all and that tradition and the "old" way of doing things may actually be better sometimes. From wikipedia, "of, relating to, or being any of several movements (as in art, architecture, or literature) that are reactions against the philosophy and practices of modern movements and are typically marked by revival of traditional elements and techniques."

I am hungry for a decent church that is akin to the church my dad pastored from 1972 until 1985 (86?). It was a community of believers; a SMALL community. We weren't just a place you went to on Sundays, it was a complete part of our lives. We were entwined, all of us. When I think of The Fellowship, I think of training grounds. It was a place where you were being prepared to go out into the world. The churches around here just aren't like that. They have their small groups. They have the people who see each other every Sunday. They have their elder/pastors who take the high school kids out by the bars on Wednesday nights and tell them that they have to witness to people. I don't like that. I don't believe you should force that on anyone . . . the witnessing part. I don't like them saying that such and such a group of people won't be in Heaven because of their lifestyle or whatever. (I mean, come on, how can anyone play God and say that Mormons aren't going to Heaven?) That's just not right. We don't know and we can't know anyone's heart.

And that brings me to my next thought. Who came up with all the exclusionary stuff about Heaven? Have we misinterpreted the parable about getting a camel through the eye of a needle in talking about how hard it is to get into Heaven? What about Catholics who don't pray the same way as Protestants, i.e. asking Jesus into their hearts? And Mormons? What about people who love Jesus and follow him and treat others better than themselves but they haven't prayed that prayer? You can't tell me that they won't be in Heaven. What about people who've never heard of Jesus but who follow God and love Him?

I believe that we have to have a balance in our lives and in the Church as a whole. I don't think we should ONLY focus on social issues or missions or growth or whatever to the exclusion of everything else. We need to remember that The Church is the ENTIRE body of believers. I wish that we didn't have all of the divisiveness and factions that I think we have now. This group says that group is wrong and not the TRUE church and vice versa. We need to put our collective emphasis on serving God by serving others and, in the process, letting them know about His love for them. What's that old song we used to sing in high school . . . " . . . they will know we are Christians by our love . . . "

One of the things I liked about the article from Scot McKnight was what he said about the focus of The Church. He said, "I ask my fellow emerging Christians to maintain their missional and ecclesial focus, just as I urge my fellow evangelicals to engage in the social as well." I also liked what he had to say about living out your faith, not having it just be something you believe, but something that you act on, too. He says that the "emergent church" is "Praxis-oriented." He goes on to say, " The emerging movement's connection to postmodernity may grab attention and garner criticism, but what most characterizes emerging is the stream best called praxis—how the faith is lived out. At its core, the emerging movement is an attempt to fashion a new ecclesiology (doctrine of the church). Its distinctive emphases can be seen in its worship, its concern with orthopraxy, and its missional orientation."

When I read the stuff about the emergent church, it kept coming back to me. It's not a new idea at all. It epitomizes Mother Teresa. She loved God. She obeyed HIm. She served Him. She served others. She spread His message. Her focus was social, missional and ecclesial.

This is a fraction of what's been going through my head. As more of it congeals, I'll add more. I'm definitely interested in hearing what you have to say so if you'd like to leave me a comment, please do.

Saving Souls or Serving?

July 6, 2007 - I wrote the following on May 31 and have more to add, but I want to get this on, so I'm just going to post it now.

So, just what IS our primary purpose as The Church?

It's always been my belief that my purpose on Earth is to glorify God. Period. I'm to glorify God in whatever I'm doing, whether it's in a paid job, as a mom, a wife, a daughter, a worker, a citizen, a taxpayer, a consumer, a steward, and on and on. But in the last several (or more) years, I've been wondering. Is there a PRIMARY primary purpose? Are we supposed to be out there witnessing and "saving" souls and spreading the news of "salvation" as the pastors of my church believe? Or are we supposed to be out there in the world, serving and loving others and "witnessing" without necessarily using words. According to at least one of the pastors of my church, if you're not out there saving souls for Jesus, aggressively spreading His message to everyone you meet, then you're not living as a Christian. But then I look at one of my greatest heroes, Mother Teresa, and I don't see her out there being the great evangelist in that way. She loved people and served them at their level. She said that when she saw a sick or thirsty person, she would say to herself that that was Jesus and she would help that sick or thirsty Jesus. Everyone knew WHY she was serving. It was because she loved Jesus. She wanted people to know that whatever she did, it came from God. She did it for God.

I want to be a part of a church that loves Jesus and serves Him in the world without going around belting people about the head and shoulders with a Bible and a message of damnation. The older I've become, the more I've come to really hope that the mainstream Protestants have it all wrong and that we've bastardized the original message so much that it's now completely wrong. I think the whole "ask Jesus into your heart and then you're saved" is all wrong. I don't think that we HAVE to "ask Jesus to come into our hearts." I believe that what we are supposed to do is make a day by day effort to live as Jesus would want us to live, to glorify God in all we do, to put His needs first and ours second. Putting His needs first means putting your needs second. Jesus wants you to love others more than yourself. That's (in my little brain) one of his needs and you do that first. I think that's what it means to work out our salvation. It's not a one-time thing. It's an entire life, a day by day effort. You don't just do it once. You do it over and over again.