First Day of Summer Garden Update!

Zuchinni beginning to ripen on the vine.

We've had good luck and bad luck in the garden this spring. The apple trees continue to show blighted leaves despite (in spite of?) several applications of various non-chemical solutions. The trees can drop all their leaves and still be essentially healthy, but my goodness, it still causes feelings of discouragement.

The blueberry bushes also seem to be limping along. Jennifer Hudspeth has determined, with a consult from Extension, that they may have an iron deficiency. So: we have applied both an iron supplement and plenty of blood meal (which has a high iron content). The blood meal attracted the attention of a few wandering dogs, but they have since wandered off...with a little help from Mr. Boot.

The zucchini--pictured above--is doing so-so. A few are fruiting but a couple of the plants have been attacked by borers and are showing the usual dripping, disgusting, and slimy characteristics left behind by these pests. Basically, we're taking the zucchini day by day. The okra also appears marginal but that seems to be the nature of okra: one day it's lousy and the next day it is four feet tall and thriving.

We have harvested potatoes and onions and have planted tomatoes where the potatoes were and will probably put in some fall weather crops where the onions were. The squash appears to be doing well, the flowers are spectacular, and the evil Japanese Beetle has been temporarily defeated.

One remarkable thing has been observed: yesterday morning we glanced around us and noticed nice big fat bumble bees hovering around the squash blossoms. Further observation caused us to see that the garden was filled with literally hundreds of bees; there were everywhere; in the squash, the cucumbers, and hovering around each zinia blossom. It was really wonderful to see them.

A view of the zinias supervised by a sunflower sentry.

Lush and Lovely: we have had an abundance of rain and sunshine this year. Praise God!

More Fireworks Stand Photos

Who is this mystery man behind the box?
Thanks to volunteers of all ages who braved the heat and helped out.

Serving the Lord by Bringing Joy

Unloading the Fireworks Truck

Sometimes we sort of jam "one more thing" into an already busy day or week. First Christian Church Berryville's annual fire works sale is surely another "one more thing." That's why it is important for us to stop for a moment to think about just how much fun fire works are, and to imagine the sheer excitment and joy that folks feel when they see (and hear!) "the rocket's red glare."

Fred West (center) with helpful trailer elves assisting.

Thank you Lord, and all the the members of First Christian Church Berryville, for making it possible to celebrate America's Birthday with a bang! We are so blessed to live in this special country.

Should We Start A Child Care Center?

One idea under consideration by the FCC Finance Committee (and other interested parties) is to start a licensed Child Care Center in His House. The Child Care Center would necessarily be compatible with our current programming for children and the current users of His House would not be displaced or moved.

The reasons for our thinking about starting a Child Care Center are the following: 1) Child Care Centers often attract new members to a congregation; 2) It would increase the use of an under-utilized facility; 3) It would create a job for a Member and it would add a needed resource (child care) to the community; 4) Fees charged would provide some revenue to the church.

There are some downside variables as well. They are: 1) we would have to go into pocket in the amount of about $1200.00 to cover the start-up costs; 2) we would have to provide administrative support, supervision of staff, and maintain business records; 3) we would have to apply for a license, secure insurances, and make sure that the Member(s) chosen to provide the child care are reliable, committed, and can pass a criminal background check, and; 4) It is possible that no qualified Member will be interested in this employment opportunity.

Roughly speaking, we would need to provide care for between 8 and 10 children—or more or less depending on the ages of the children. The costs of running a child care center on this scale would be about $38,000 a year which includes a salary of about $20,000 annually for the staff person. The gross revenues would be between $36,000 and $49,000 depending on the number and age composition of the children and whether or not we used a sliding fee scale (discounts for Members, etc.)

Whether to start a licensed child care facility is only in the discussion phase. This information is sent to you because it makes NO SENSE to take the idea any further unless there is a considerable amount of agreement among the Members that we do it. If opening and running a child care center over the long haul is of NO INTEREST to the membership we should not do it. PLEASE let us know what your thoughts and feelings are. You can leave an anonymous comment here, or you can e-mail the Chair of the Finance Committee, Dan Krotz, at danielkrotz@gmail.com and he will pass your thoughts along to other members of the committee.

Discovering the Contemplative Tradition and the Prayer-Filled Life

Sermon by Judy Turner

1"I tell you the truth, the man who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. 2The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of his sheep. 3The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. John 10:1-4

Jesus came that we might have life in abundance in relationship with God. The same relationship He had with God the father, with all the joy and delight and depth of intimacy, he makes available for us. This relationship results in our living the kind of life Jesus lived, loving God and people, putting that love into action.
Let’s think about what a relationship has to have. Relationship requires communication. If there is no communication, there is really no relationship. Jesus describes a life of following Him as we hear His voice. He continually communicates with His followers, and they know His voice. If Christians are honest, we may have to admit we don’t have much of a relationship with God. Oh, we go to church and we pray. We talk to God, maybe even talk to God a lot. But we really don’t experience God communicating with us.

The spiritual practices of solitude and silence are key to our experiencing an authentic relationship with God, in which we “hear” God speak. These practices are often associated with the Christian Contemplative Tradition. Let’s talk about how the Contemplative Tradition emerged. As early as the Third Century AD some Christians were distressed by how secular and apathetic the church had become. They saw fellow Christians whose lives weren’t different from others in the culture, pursuing the same worldly ambitions and values. They looked at the church and didn’t see the character and actions of Christ, nor the vital Godly community described in the book of Acts. These individuals left society, went out into the dessert to devote themselves to prayer in solitude and silence and to discover God. They practiced self-discipline, sometimes in ways we would consider extreme, but they developed a reputation for wisdom. People would come out to the desert to seek the Godly counsel of the desert Fathers and Mothers. Abba Anthony, one of the best known of these Desert Fathers, after 20 years of solitude in the desert, was sent back into the world to preach the gospel, teach, counsel, heal the sick. He worked tirelessly with the poor in mines and prisons and confronted unjust judges. He often brought reconciliation between hostile groups.

As time went on, some of these Christian contemplatives lived the life of prayer together in some form of community. By the 6th Century Christian monasticism was an identifiable movement, with people seeking to live the life of Christ together. Benedict was the founder of monastic communities that survive to this day. His rule, which involved living simply in a daily rhythm of work and prayer provided a model for many other monastic communities. The monasteries that thrived in Ireland from the 5th through the 9th centuries also became centers of evangelistic mission, learning, and the arts. The monastic tradition continues as the most visible expression of the Contemplative Tradition in Christian life.

I’m grateful for monastic communities which nurture the life of prayer through offering places of solitude and silence. Discovering this stream of life in Christ literally saved my life in ministry. I’ve shared with you the story how after 3 years as a pastor, I thought I would have the shortest ministerial career in history. My life was a frenzy of activity running from one meeting to another, one crisis to another, and then Sundays rolled around I swear every other day and I had to have a sparkling sermon, and then those weeks when I couldn’t handle one more thing, someone would be so inconsiderate as to die, without checking with me as to whether it was a convenient time for a funeral. I was burning out fast. A friend suggested going to the Hesychia House of Prayer near Paris, Arkansas, a ministry offered by a several Benedictine nuns who lived a quiet life of prayer themselves and offered a quiet place for people to come and seek a deeper life in God.

It was hard at first to settle into the silence, but like the woman knitting before the face of God, as I just tried to be attentive to God, I discovered that God does communicate in all kinds of ways. My relationship with God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit became more real and intimate. I actually learned to enjoy God, as we took long walks together, or just sat in the evening on the porch and watched the sun set. Not just reading scripture but meditating on it, the words came alive and spoke very personally to me. Some of God’s communication was hard. The Lord confronted me about why I was working so hard in ministry- and I had to admit a lot of my motivation was not to serve Him, but to succeed in my chosen career. He confronted me about how I was going about things – driven by my ideas and goals, not even asking Him what He wanted for His church. I saw how destructive the ego-driven life is, especially when it poses as Godly. I shed tears of repentance, and asked that Jesus show me a whole new way of living life in ministry. As my spirit came to life, I realized how dead I had been and how gracious God was to not let me keep on like that, but invite me to a time away so He could draw me closer and speak to my heart. My shepherd Jesus spoke to me and invited me to continue making space in daily life to just be with Him and continue getting to know Him. And I discovered the practices of daily prayer in solitude and silence as necessary to my spiritual well-being as eating food is to my physical well-being. I still try to get away for extended times of retreat, but one of the habits He has helped me develop is to make times of silence and solitude in the course of every day, even if it’s just for a few minutes.

Every movement has its extremes and dangers. Contemplatives can become “so heavenly minded that we are no earthly good.” The life of prayer is not an escape from the world, but genuine prayer powerfully connects us with the suffering and pain and injustice of our fallen world. Another danger is consuming asceticism, engaging in practices that deny the body to the extreme that health is endangered. The practice of solitude can be taken to the extreme that one is not connected with a community of faith. That is a danger, because the Christian life is designed to be lived in community with other Christ-followers.

But the benefits of the prayer-filled life are huge. Some of these benefits are described by Richard Foster in Streams of Living Water:
· We experience a deepening love for God that feels more like a gift than an achievement
· We experience peace, a quiet rest and assurance. It is not the absence of conflict and problems, but a sense of God’s Presence in all our circumstances.
· Delight is a part of growing intimacy with God. There is pleasure, friendship, joy- deep joy. And playfulness.
· Wisdom is a fruit of time spent with God. This is not only knowledge, but being able to see as God sees and to rightly discern what is of real value and to find the right path.
· Transformation: As we are attentive to God, God gradually transforms the heart, the will, the mind, the imagination, and the passions. The result is the transformation of the entire person into the likeness of Christ. More and more we take on His habits, His hope, faith, and love, His actions.

When you discover a great restaurant, a wonderful place to visit, you enjoy telling other people about it. You want others to experience the benefits you have received. I have looked forward to this sermon, as one pilgrim on the spiritual journey telling another pilgrim where there is food, rest, and delight. Silence and solitude are practices which lead to growing intimacy with God. The work in the world which makes an eternal difference flows from this depth of relationship with God.

Pearl Harbor All Over Again!!!

Popillia Japonica aka Dirty Rotten Scoundrel

Polillia Japonica, otherwise known as the Japanese Beetle, has invaded our Church Garden and is happily munching the blueberries, the zucchini, and the spuds. Garden Manager Kari Keever made a quick inspection of the plants and came away shaking her head. Last year, several gardeners were defeated by these pesky invaders--but this year--we laugh in their faces!*

That's because we are using several organic concoctions that drive the little buggers wild and then kills them deader than a doornail.** One such potion is a mixture of Redman chewing tobacco and Ivory Soap. You take a plug of Redman, soak it in a pint of water, mix in a 1/2 cup of Ivory Soap, add water, and spray. It is a short term solution--you have to spray every other day--but it is fun to see the beetles roll over and wiggle their feet in the air before they die an excruciating death. (Thank heavens we're not Buddhists.)

Otherwise, the garden is doing well. Stop by and take a look.


*It looks really stupid when we do this so, if you try it at home make sure the neighbors aren't watching.


**What is a doornail, by the way? What does a doornail look like? And, how does it differ from other nails?

Foundations for Unity and Spiritual Enrichment

(This is an expanded version of the sermon manuscript I used May 30).

In Ephesians 4:1-6, Paul writes, I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call—one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

Christian unity is a hard thing to come by. When and where it occurs, it must be regarded as a miracle of the Holy Spirit. If a congregation is going to maximize unity, it must do three things.

1. A congregation that wishes to maximize unity must be very clear about what unites it.

For nearly two years, our elders have been defining the basic beliefs and values around which they will offer spiritual leadership to this congregation. They are not changing the basic requirements for membership; they ar not amending the constitution, they are not taking away the freedom and responsibility of each member to interpret the Scriptures for himself or herself, but they are establishing the boundaries of what we will teach and practice when we come together and when we act in the name of the church.

(For those who are interested, we will have small group opportunities later this summer or in early fall to examine the work of the elders. I want to emphasize that, if you find things in their document that you question, the first step is to study carefully the scriptural foundation of their position, and, if you are still concerned, to communicate your concern to the elders who have a procedure in place for considering difficult issues, suggested changes, etc.)

We as a church operate with an authority that is Bible-based, Christ-centered, Spirit-led, and mission-oriented. We have a common calling which we express in our mission statement:

Building a Community of Hope through Jesus Christ

1. Drawing people to Jesus

2. Becoming more like Jesus

3. Doing the work of Jesus

We focus our faith and message around our common beliefs which we summarize in this way:

The Twelve Foundation Stones of Christian Life (Summary)

1. One God (the Father)

2. One Lord (the Son, Jesus Christ)

3. One Spirit (the Holy Spirit)

4. One Faith (in the Gospel)

5. One Hope (in the New Creation)

6. One Baptism (into Christ)

7. One Body (the Church)

8. One Bread and One Cup (the Lord’s Supper)

9. One Book (the Bible)

10. One Plan of Salvation (by Grace, through Faith, for Good Works)

11. One Law (the Law of Love for God, Neighbor, and Fellow Believer)

12. One Mission (Sharing the Gospel in Words and Deeds)

We unite on these foundation stones.

We practice:

The 9 Ways of Christian Spiritual Growth

1. Study

2. Prayer

3. Worship

4. Fellowship

5. Service

6. Giving

7. Showing Compassion

8. Sharing faith

9. Spiritual Honesty

Those are few of the things that unite us. If we know what unites us, we will less likely divide on lesser matters.

2. A congregation that wishes to maximize unity must discipline itself not to introduce unnecessarily divisive matters.

Some divisive issues will necessarily arise and must be decided. For such issues, we have spelled out a decision-making process that will be led by the elders. It is a Bible-based, prayer-grounded process that aims to establish as much consensus as possible before proceeding to any votes. Sometimes the consensus created through such a process is sufficient so there will not need to be winners and losers in a voting process. Other times, when a final vote must be taken, those whose opinions or preferences do not prevail will at least know that they have been heard, valued, and treated with fairness and respect.

Second, we intend to train our Sunday school teachers, worship speakers, small group leaders, and so forth, in how to keep their teachings on solid ground around which most Bible-believing Christians can unite. That means usually steering clear of speculative points on which Bible-believing Christians are not united and steering clear of most political discussions. When it is necessary to address controversial issues, it should be done in a Bible-based and even-handed manner. While it is proper and necessary for the church to address moral issues that are clearly addressed by Scripture, it is improper to carry those discussions into arguing about particular political parties, candidates, or legislative proposals. For example, it is perfectly appropriate for us to encourage Creation Care, the development of local, sustainable food production, and local, sustainable job creation. But we as a church do not have to get into what government should do about these concerns. If we show restraint in expressing our political opinions, then Democrats and Republicans, libertarians and distributionists, conservatives and liberals, not to mention idiosyncratic independents, can work together peacefully to build a community of hope through Jesus Christ.

3. A congregation that wishes to maximize unity must work hard to develop appreciation and understanding of all Bible-based spiritual practices that present opportunities for spiritual enrichment.

Rather than approach the matter of different traditions of spiritual life as an issue in which there must be winners and losers, right and wrong, it is far, far better if we will all seek to stretch ourselves to learn to appreciate the richness that each tradition brings to our Christian lives. This summer, Judy and I will be offering a series of twelve sermons about Six Streams of Living Water that can enrich our spiritual experience, two sermons on each stream. The Six Streams concept is publicized by the Renovaré organization for which the best known leaders are Richard Foster, Dallas Willard, and James Bryan Smith. Among Renovaré leaders are representatives from across North America and all continents--Quakers, Methodists, Southern Baptists, Anglicans, Episcopalians, Lutherans, Nazarenes, non-denominational mega-churches, and a lot more Christian groups--working together. They prove that united Christian work is possible. Unfortunately, churches of our day tend to be divided into groups that practice only two or three of the Six Streams and view the other streams with suspicion or hostility. This was not true of our Restoration Movement founders Barton Stone and Alexander Campbell, for whom all the Six Streams were active parts of their spiritual lives. Let’s preview the Six Streams and their place in our Stone-Campbell heritage.

Before we list the Six Streams, let’s be clear that there is a negative stereotype in circulation among some Christians about each of the Six Streams. But when we live out each of the Six Streams with wisdom, discernment, and appropriate self-discipline, each steam contributes to the spiritual vitality and balance of our individual lives, of our local congregation, and of the body of Christ as a whole. There are some bad apples in each barrel, but, if we sort things out, that should not keep us from enjoying the good fruit.

Stream 1. The Contemplative Tradition and the Prayer-Filled Life

The negative stereotype here is of people who have withdrawn into private devotion, who are so heavenly minded that they are of no earthly good, who lack practical strength (and for men, masculinity).

But this stream at its best is about our personal devotional relationship to God and about our examining our lives in the presence of God. It is about creating the time and space to listen to God, to express our love for God and to let God shape us. Some of the toughest Christian men in history have fought great spiritual battles by means of this tradition.

Our founder Barton Stone believed that only a prayer-filled life could be lived with true love and devotion to God and with consequent Christ-like character and spiritual empowerment for serving the mission of Christ.

Our founder Alexander Campbell even used the word stream when he wrote of this tradition: “We need…to cultivate a prayerful temper habitually and constantly…. Our hearts cannot be kept right…(except by) living near, very near to God, in our daily and constant meditations, prayers, and thanksgivings. The stream of …(prayerful living) is a clear, constant, tranquil, swelling current that bears the soul nearer to …God.… Say not this will interfere with your business of life. Time is given you for no other purpose than to be saved…, purified, sanctified, and fitted for heaven; and your daily and constant business is, to give all diligence to make your calling and your (divine) election sure.”

Stream 2. The Evangelical Tradition and the Word-Centered Life

The negative stereotypes of evangelical in today’s world include the words: angry, judgmental, right-wing, manipulative, shallow, ignorant, and so forth. But true and beneficial evangelicalism is founded on (1) the dependability of the Word of God revealed in the Scriptures and made flesh in Jesus Christ, (2) the necessity of being born again, and (3) the importance of proclaiming the saving, transforming Christian message. By this criteria, our founders Stone and Campbell were unquestionably evangelicals and clearly saw themselves as such. Stone and Campbell had very different worship styles and some theological differences, but it was their common allegiance to the evangelical stream that forged and maintained their unity and made them so effective as our movement spread rapidly across the American frontier.

Stream 3. The Holiness Tradition and the Virtuous Life

The negative stereotype of the holiness tradition, truer at some point in the past than now, is that it is about not doing things like dancing, playing cards, or watching movies; about being prim and prudish.

But the holiness tradition at its best is about cultivating the positive godly qualities of living toward which all true Christians should aspire. Both our founders Stone and Campbell saw as a major purpose of our post-conversion Christian lives that we be transformed into the likeness of Christ and that we live out this likeness in moral purity in our daily lives. For Stone, it was the gradual and continual emergence of Christ-like character in new believers that assured us that they had indeed been born again, and it was their Christian lifestyle that testified to their unsaved neighbors of the truth of the gospel. Campbell said that the everyday aspiration of the Christian should be, “Make me by thy transforming grace, Lord Jesus, daily more like thee.” They saw the development of this holy character as one of the major purposes and benefits of Christian fellowship.

Stream 4. The Social Justice Tradition and the Compassionate Life

Just as the evangelical tradition carries a negative stereotype in many liberal churches, so the social justice tradition carries a negative stereotype in many conservative churches: it is seen naïve do-goodism and as aimed at leftwing politics. This is truly unfortunate. The Protestant social justice tradition was born from evangelicalism and had a long and impressive history within evangelicalism before the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century split of Protestants into liberal and conservative camps. Social justice went to the liberal camp and evangelicalism went to the conservative camp, and the church was much the poorer for the split in both cases. Living before the split, our founders Stone and Campbell saw social justice causes as extensions of their call to Christian holiness. In various ways, both spoke, wrote, and acted compassionately against the wrongful use of force in the oppression and deprivation of fellow human beings. Stone, for instance, found a sacrificial and informal way around that laws that seemed to forbid him from freeing the slaves he had inherited. He moved away from them, from Kentucky to Illinois, leaving behind his property and church associations in Kentucky, but maintaining a lifelong interest in the spiritual and social well-being of his former slaves.

Stream 5. The Charismatic Tradition and the Spirit-Filled Life

The negative stereotype of the charismatic tradition is associated with speaking in tongues, extreme manifestations of spiritual gifts, fascination with wild prophecies, all of it without much exercise of Bible-based discernment. As the Renovaré organization uses the term charismatic, it focuses simply on the presence and work of the Holy Spirit in the lives of believers, not on the extreme practices. The Bible is clear that the operation of the Holy Spirit in the lives of believers and in the life of the church is essential. Our founder Barton Stone put it this way: “The denial of the direct operation of the Spirit cuts the very nerves of prayer.… Such a doctrine stands opposed to the spirit and practice of Jesus, (who is) our pattern, to the doctrines and example of the apostles and primitive saints, and to the experience of every living Christian.” Stone was open to extraordinary manifestations of the Spirit such as happened at the great 1802 revival, sort of the Restoration Movement Pentecost, he led in Cane Ridge, Kentucky, but Stone also was carefully discerning about such practices, evaluating them according to Bible-based criteria. Although Alexander Campbell was not inclined toward extraordinary manifestations of the Holy Spirit, he respected the faith of Barton Stone. Furthermore, he believed that the Spirit who had inspired the Scriptures also actively and personally worked in the lives of baptized believers to enable us to understand and apply the truths of Scripture. Campbell’s evangelist Walter Scott presented the Five-Finger Exercise as the foundation of Christian living; the fifth finger was “the gift of the Holy Spirit.” It is rather hard to get around that. It is the heritage on which our church was built.

Stream 6. The Incarnational Tradition and the Sacramental Life

The negative stereotype of the sacramental tradition is that it is about dead ritualism, about going through the motions with little or no spiritual awareness. The positive emphasis in this tradition is making God’s presence visible in the concrete details of daily life. This applies first to the actions that the church has historically viewed as sacraments, most broadly Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. These two acts were so much an emphasized part of the Stone-Campbell movement that the Baptists accused Stone and Campbell of being sacramentalists, which apparently was a dirty term to the Baptists of that day. Baptism and the Lord’s Supper were important to Stone and Campbell because they applied the grace of God to the hearts of believers. Barton Stone did not leave his sacramentalism at the church. He saw the physical labor of farming and the intimate joys of marital love as sacramental as well. Everything came from the hand of God, and every experience was capable of conveying something of God.

This summer, we will be exploring how we can strengthen the unity of our church and enrich our spiritual experience through the Six Streams of Living Water. We have representatives of all the Six Streams in this congregation, but sometimes we fear one another rather than respecting and understanding one another. Sometimes we look at Streams with which we have little experience as threatening rather than as potentially enriching. I deeply hope that we can begin to see the possibilities of mutual enrichment that exist right here in our fellowship and in the benefits of all Six Streams of Living Water.