State of Mind or State of Grace?
“Age is just a state of mind.” At least that is what we are told! If that’s true, however, I recently found myself in quite “a state” when I had the opportunity to visit my Alma Mater for only the second time since I graduated over 20 years ago. I was back on campus for a couple of days to visit the school with my 18-year-old daughter as she narrows down her college search. In one sense, I was amazed at how being back on campus instantly made me feel like a kid again! Almost immediately I felt “at home” on campus and quickly noted how little seemed to have changed in two decades: many of the same buildings, some of the same faces, and (in the case of the dining hall) even the same smells! I was transported back to a time and place filled with many fond, formative (and youthful!) memories. In another very real sense, however, the whole experience made me feel every one of my years. Walking the campus this time not as a student, but from the perspective of a parent considering leaving my first-born child, even in a place I love and cherish, caused me to quickly regain full awareness of my current age and stage of life. As I grappled with this odd juxtaposition of feeling simultaneously young and old, the Lord nudged me with a simple reminder from Hebrews, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” (Hebrews 13:8) As I look to the past and specifically reflect on those college days, my happy memories are also peppered with memories of doubt, uncertainty, and more than a few regrets. The
This is not the End of the Story
“Dear Sisters in Christ,” the email began. The last time I received an email like this, it was to tell me of that a classmate’s husband was now living eternally with Our Father in heaven. I kept reading, “it is with great sadness that I share with you the news that the Lord Jesus has graciously gathered our sister’s little one, unto Himself.” I stopped and re-read my mind not fully comprehending what I had seen on the screen. As realization hit me, my heart lurched in my chest. Tears started falling from my eyes as I thought back to last summer when she shared the news of her pregnancy and anticipation of meeting her little one with us. Every question running through my mind encapsulated by the biggest one of all, “Why, Lord?” Where do we find comfort when we experience news of this kind? When the tragedy touches our own families? What words of hope can sustain us and those we love and care for? “I have said this to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” John 16:33 “It is natural for our flesh and blood to be bold and cheerful as long as there is no suffering and grief. Thus, the proverb declares: ‘I do not fear ten men so long as I remain alone.’ But when our situation changes, when trials and temptations come along and oppress us, we immediately forget the beautiful promises. Then the comforting thoughts vanish, as though Christ had never given a promise or had left no comfort at all. This is why Christ
Guest Blog: Care Ministry in Action
The following is a guest post by John and Melody Pruser, trained Stephen Ministers who are also a part of the newly formed Holy Cross Care Team. We are grateful for their ministry among us! For more information about Stephen Ministry, the Holy Cross Care Team or to receive care for you or a loved one, please contact Pastor Tom or Deaconess Intern Rachel Fruge. Following the conclusion of Stephen Ministry training in the Spring of 2019, Melody and I were curious and eager to see what The Lord had next planned for us. Over the summer we became a bit anxious as we were ready to serve, but had not yet found the path for which we would be chosen. As Christians we all know that God does things on His own time, and in hindsight we as individuals give a collective joyful sigh of “oh yes, now we see exactly what our Father had in mind”! In late summer I made a trip to Sam’s. At checkout I noticed a couple from Holy Cross that we had met in the new members class (yes, new members class tour #2 for us; we apparently didn’t get it right during session #1). It was apparent to me that they could use a hand in getting their supplies out to the car and loaded up so I followed them out and re-introduced myself as a fellow member of HCLC. On what was a very hot day, we had an enjoyable ~10 minute conversation before saying our goodbyes and heading home. In follow up, we spoke with Pastor Tom and Shelley Duke (as Stephen Ministry leader and friend) just before the Care
Easy Doesn’t Do It
There is a book on my shelf titled “World Religions Made Easy.” The blurb on the cover says it’s an “easy-to-understand pocket reference guide.” Though I don’t take issue with the idea of trying to make the religions of the world more accessible to the student or seeker, the whole idea of boiling down people’s belief systems into tables, charts, and blurbs seems a little much. Take, for example, Christianity, which appears as a 7-column centerfold! Oy Vey! How well do you know the faith you confess? Better yet, how well do you know this Jesus whom you follow? It’s one thing to take a static, chart-driven reference guide approach to the religions of the world, but the reality is that the loving and dynamic relationship of the Father with his creation through his son Jesus is not a chart or graph. And the fullness of it definitely can’t be captured in a pull-out! In one sense, the message of the cross is “easy,” Christ suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God…. That’s 1 Peter 3:18, NKJ version. The work of Jesus saves us. Boom. Done. Alleluia! Amen! But once having been reconciled to God through Christ, we are called into this vibrant, dynamic relationship of following Jesus, growing in faith, and learning to love and serve our neighbor. It’s not so much that the relationship is hard or complex, but it isn’t easy. And that’s a good thing. Think about those “real” relationships you have face to face with people—not like the static ones on social media. The real ones take time and effort but also yield great results—everything from
Drop the carrot this January!
January is always the month of new: new year, new you, new church series and so on. It also holds a special new for me; a new age. As I reflected on this new age, (I won’t tell you which) I started to think about my identity. Who is Haley? A realization struck me. For many years I have hung “new in Christ” out like a carrot in front of me, saying to myself, “oh yes, Jesus has made you new, forgiven your sins and all but you still have so much to achieve to really be new.” Read your Bible more, pray more, worship better, teach better, show up more often and on and on the list would go of how I could make myself new in Jesus. Read that sentence again. Do you see the mistake I made? Sitting on my couch I realized it. You see, I AM new already and it has nothing to do with me. Jesus has completed the work in me. It is a part of my identity. No amount of my “good Christianisms” can ever make me newer than I am now! It was a beautiful moment because the carrot dropped right off the stick. No longer am I striving towards newness but living out of it. It gave me the hope and bravado to tackle anything that comes my way that I haven’t felt in a while! In this new year, I pray for a lot of newness for all of us, but mostly I pray that God helps all of us to live out of the newness in Christ and drop the carrot!
Dethroning the Queen of Everything
“These will wage war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, because He is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those who are with Him are the called and chosen and faithful.” Revelation 7:14 “You are not the queen of everything”. That phrase first took its place in my regular parenting vernacular alongside the likes of, “don’t talk with your mouth full,” and “because I said so,” when one of my children was very young. At the time she and I were spending much of our bedtime reading with Ann Estelle; “the self-proclaimed queen of everything” and spunky protagonist of many of Mary Engelbreit’s children’s books. As entertained as my daughter was by the antics of the feisty and precocious Ann Estelle, I often found myself relating well to (and commiserating with!) her parents. The truth was that I saw quite a bit of my daughter in Anne Estelle and her unshakable confidence that she knew the best way to do anything and everything! “Remember,” I would remind her. “You are not the queen of everything.” I won’t say which of our children heard this gentle admonition most often or discuss the means (ahem, parent) by which she may have acquired this strong willed nature, but suffice it to say that this handy little phrase has been oft-used in our home over the last couple of decades. I had not, however, thought much about Ann Estelle or the “self-proclaimed queen of everything” in quite a while. Then last week I was having one of those mornings when I was having trouble “being still.” My brain was swimming as I drove to work. I was frustrated with
