Author: Allyson Hoekzema

The other night I was able to sit out under the stars and marvel at the wonder of God’s creation and it reminded me of how throughout the New Testament we find verse after verse listing all the benefits of those who are in Christ Jesus. Verses that seem to sparkle like those stars in the night sky, randomly scattered throughout the Word of truth – for all who will take time to see them. Like what we find in Romans chapter 5 as Paul says we can be given peace with God; no longer separated from Him through sin, but rather redeemed through the precious blood of Jesus Christ. In Christ we are enabled to approach the throne of grace for mercy to find help in time of need, what a great reminder.

But then Paul also reminds us in verse 3, “Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings…” Rejoicing in suffering is not our normal reaction to troubles, is it? At least they are not a twinkling light I want to identify. Yet, he is not suggesting that we simply have to grin and bear the trials and tribulations as best we can. Rather he is reminding us in verses 3-5 to keep looking at the stars of God’s goodness—that these troubles can lead us closer God, as he encourages us not to complain. Rather to remember that suffering for the sake of Christ, is a badge of honor for the saint of God.

We are not called to rejoice because we are suffering. But we are to maintain an attitude of thanksgiving and praise in the midst of our suffering. “…knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope,—something we all need more of today—and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” Now that’s a star I need to see in the midst of the darkness around.

May our lives be lived as a testimony to God’s goodness and grace. As Php 2:13-16 says, “God is working in you to make you willing and able to obey him. Do everything without grumbling or arguing. Then you will be the pure and innocent children of God…Try to shine as lights among the people of this world, as you hold firmly to the message that gives life.”

Chaplain David

Summertime is here. It is time for flowers in bloom, baseball games, family get togethers, county fairs, and car shows. I went to a car show and became a bit homesick for the good old days of my youth.

My first car was a 1957 Chevrolet BelAir. I remember cruising the main street with my friends. My memory recalled a very idealized version of my friends. Today, we don’t wear bell-bottom jeans, and we have a lot less hair than we did back then. My high school friends are married and have grandchildren. I guess I’ll never be able to go back to that time and those places except in my memory.

The Welsh language has an interesting word that has no equivalent in the English language. The Welsh word is “hiraeth”. The word means a homesickness for a home to which you cannot return, a home which maybe never was, the nostalgia, the yearning, the grief for the lost places of your past.

This feeling of nostalgia and yearning for the past is very familiar to people throughout history. Some Israelites longed for the food of Egypt after they were freed from slavery. When the Israelites were in captivity in Babylon, they were nostalgic for the good old days when they worshipped in their temple.

It is common for us to be homesick for a person, place, or time in our past. I think it is a way to deal with the changes we go through in life.

One afternoon, a resident of an assisted living facility was looking at pictures from her past. Another resident joined her and asked her questions. Others joined in the conversation. It was a delightful way to remember the past and live in the present. The residents knew they would not be able to go back to those good old days. They didn’t really want to go back to them. The residents just wanted to share their memories. They found meaning in sharing their good old days with others.

It is good to remember the good old days. Those good old days brought us to today. Through all our days we are reminded that God loved us with an everlasting love (Jeremiah 31:3).

Chaplain Jeff Meyers

Stepping outside my front door this morning, the beauty in my yard was amazing! The flowering trees, the colorful flowers, the mix of birds singing and vying for their place at the bird feeder! It was all so inviting that I began thinking of the hymn, For the Beauty of the Earth and wondering what inspired someone to write this hymn. So here is what I found from The Story Behind: The Beauty of the Earth, hymncharts.com.

For the Beauty of the Earth was written by Folliott Sandford Pierpoint in the spring of 1864 in Bath, England. He was an accomplished poet at just 29 years old and his soul was stirred with gratitude as he looked over his hometown of Bath, England one spring morning.

This hymn was originally written for communion services, with eight verses progressing from physical creation to the spiritual beauty of the church. Over the years, numerous revisions and variations of this hymn have been serving a variety of denominations well.

While perusing through the verses, one will note there is a theological scope to this hymn from the natural world to human relationships, to the church and ultimately Christ himself.
The last verse of the hymn goes like this – For thyself, best Gift Divine, to the world so freely given, for that great, great love of thine, peace on earth and joy in heaven. Lord of all to thee we raise, this our hymn of grateful praise. In this verse, we see an echo of Luke 2 verse 14’s cosmic connection between earth and heaven.

I like to think the beauty of the earth is a teaser of what is to come in eternity. I believe the colors will be more vibrant and the sound of the birds will be sweetness to our ears. After all, our bodies will be perfect (Philippians 3:21) and we will see and hear 100%! God created the beauty of the earth for us to enjoy and even though our disobedience marred that beauty, through Jesus’ shed blood on the cross, we are forgiven. Someday, when God the Father says, today is the day, Jesus will return and there will be a new heaven and a new earth (Revelation 21:18-23) in all its beauty.

We are living in the ‘already, but not yet,’ meaning we are present in this life (already) and yet waiting to see the future (but not yet). Spend time enjoying God’s creation, reflecting on its beauty and looking forward to the new heaven and new earth!

Chaplain Val

John 17: 20-21 “I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message. I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me. (NLT)

As Jesus approached his trial, death and resurrection, his greatest concern was for the unity of his followers. He prayed for his community of disciples then and in the future, including us today. That means he prayed for Baruch Senior Ministries, for me, for you. Specifically, he prayed that we would experience complete unity and be perfectly one. Jesus shared that Communities of Faith best show God’s love to the world when we live in unity.

What does it mean to live in unity as people and communities of faith? One pastor summed it up this way: “being on one another’s side” as we work together in love to do the mission of Jesus.

Living in unity means acting together even when we don’t think alike. Unity doesn’t mean that people have identical or even similar opinions or views. It doesn’t mean that you agree or like the same things. The disciples had different opinions and behaviors, but they learned to act together to share the Good News.

Living in unity means prioritizing our emotional and spiritual energy on important matters, not trivial ones. This means working together to do what Jesus commanded: to show and tell the Good News of God’s love for all people. Somehow we need to find ways to notice and release all that distracts us.

Living in perfect unity means wanting good for others and being supportive. This means intentionally encouraging each other instead of gossiping or demeaning one another. This is letting go of seeking our own way. Living in unity means to learn from our differences, respect and love one another, even those we dislike.

In your church/community/family, what are your priorities? How do you support one another? Where and when do you engage in disunity? As people of faith and communities of faith, let us be on one another’s sides and live in unity as Jesus prayed.

Chaplain Karen