Three Words for Fall

Dear Brothers and Sisters;

Grace to you, and peace from God our Father, and our Lord, Jesus Christ!

Over the past several months, I have received three distinctively different – but very apropos – prophetic words from three distinctively varied but well-trusted sources.  These words are not only applicable for our lives together as the church – and our lives individually – they are also good missional watch-words for us as we go through the fall and winter months – thru Thanksgiving, Advent and Christmas, into the New Year.

These words are:  GET GROUNDED… STAY GROUNDED… and STAY THE COURSE.

These seemingly simple concepts are essential to the Body of Christ today.  The prophet, Micah, echoed these watch-words when he wrote “he has shown you, O man, what is good, and what does the Lord require of you, but to do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with God.”  (Micah 6:8)

How do we put these concepts into practice?  How do we get grounded?  How do we stay grounded?  How do we stay the course?  The answers to these questions are from the “Easier said than done” department – yet they are not impossible to put into practice!

Get Grounded:  One of the things that happened in a consumer-oriented society was the establishment of a buffet-style mentality.  If you don’t quite like what’s on your plate, you can always go back and try something different.  Another by-product of this mind-set is the phenomenon of church-shopping.  When I go to buy a new electronic gadget or gizmo, I will visit a few different stores, and compare the different devices to find out which one fits my needs, which one has the best price, and then if my criteria are met, I will make the purchase, and then put said gizmo to use.  So it is with church-shopping (not necessarily a bad thing)  but I’ve also got to know what I am looking for.  Am I made to feel welcome and ‘at home’ here?  Do people interact with me, or am I pretty much left alone?  Am I here because I am looking for something here, or am I here because I don’t like something that happened where I was before?  When someone tells me at church on a Sunday morning (and yes, I’ve had this conversation with many different people over my career thus far…) that they are “seeking” or “looking for something” my reply is to tell them “let God speak to your heart this morning.”

Stay Grounded:  I am reminded of a song from “South Pacific” (the Rogers and Hammerstein masterpiece)…  “Once you have found her, never let her go.”  Translated into “Christianspeak” that thought might sound something like “once you have found where God wants you, stay where He wants you.”  If your place of anointing is in one area, if God is leading you in a certain area, or in a certain fellowship, follow  the words of Poor Richard’s Almanack and “grow where you are planted.  From an agricultural perspective, any farmer or gardener will tell you that it is impossible for roots to grow, and for a plant to get the nutrients it needs if it is constantly being uprooted and re-planted every few days.  Eventually the plant that is being constantly uprooted and replanted will die… or at the very least will be stunted and mis-shapen in its growth.

There are, however, some instances in which being trans-planted is a good and healthy thing.  I remember  meeting up with a former parishioner one day who had informed me a year before that God was leading her to go to another church – where the rest of her family was going.  After praying with her, I bade her a bittersweet “fare-thee-well”.  One year later she joyfully shared with me that the move she made was even better than she could have possibly imagined!  She and her family were really growing there, and she was exactly where God wanted her!  She was really glad that she followed the move of the Holy Spirit, and thanked me for encouraging  her to go (and grow) where God was planting her.  Today, we are still very close friends with this sister and her family, and it is always a joyful reunion when we run into her at the grocery store, or at a restaurant, or at another community event.  I also rejoice to take note of the fact that while God was leading her to where HE wanted her, that HE was also leading other people to be planted and grow right here!

Stay The Course:  Jesus, one day, told his disciples a parable of a mustard seed.  A little, insignificant seed, no bigger than the period at the end of this sentence.  Or this one.  Yet, when it is planted in the soil, and is allowed to germinate and grow, it can become so big that it provides shade for the whole garden.  So big, he continues, that even birds can build their nests and live in its branches.  Elsewhere, Jesus also tells us that if a seed falls to the ground and dies, it will grow and bear much fruit.  In like fashion (and we have seen this kind of spiritual growth here…) if we die to self – if we give up our own agendas, devices and desires – and focus on what God wants for us here – we, too, will bear much fruit for him.  

If we allow ourselves to be led by the Holy Spirit to go where God wants us, and if we allow our spiritual roots to grow deep into where we are planted, just watch how HE will  use us to be a blessing to others!

As we prepare to gather around the table with our families to give thanks for each of our many blessings, let us remember to be a blessing to others.  Let us remember those who are in need – and let us remember that HE gave HIS best to us when we were in need.  For God so loved us – that HE gave us HIS son.

Monica, Amanda, and the whole Beres-Calandra family join me in wishing each of you a Happy Thanksgiving!  A Blessed Advent!  Merry Christmas!  May this season of sharing and caring also be a time in which you and your family experience great blessings!

I Bid You Peace!

Dr. Ken+

But Seriously, Folks...

“But Seriously, Folks…”

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ;

Grace to you, and peace from God our Father, and our Lord, Jesus Christ.

A young lady walks into the narthex of a church one Sunday morning, and sees a plaque on the wall with a whole lot of names.  She asks the person handing out programs at the door “What’s with this plaque on the wall?  What are all these names?”

The usher answers, “these are the names of people who died in the service.”

She asks again “The 9 o’clock service, or the 10:30 service?”

But seriously, folks…  The word of God for today is for the church to stop “playing” religion, and concentrate on our relationship with Him.  After all, His word tells us to “Seek Him while he may be found, and call upon him while he is near.”  His word also tells us to seek and save the lost, reminding us that we are saved by grace and not by works (“so that nobody can brag about it…”)  That we are not under the law, but under grace (accentuating the point that legalism has no standing in the Kingdom of Heaven.)   His word also tells us not to judge one another (“… lest ye be judged…”) and strongly offering us a cautionary word that it is the Holy Spirit that convicts us of our sins, but also of our righteousness (or, more accurately, our lack of righteousness.)

I like the words of Comedian, Mark Lowry, on the subject of “Love the Sinner, Hate the Sin…”  “Love the sinner, hate the sin? How about: Love the sinner, hate your own sin! I don't have time to hate your sin. There are too many of you! Hating my sin is a full-time job. How about you hate your sin, I'll hate my sin and let's just love each other!" 

Does this mean, by any chance, that I’ve “gone soft” or have “gone off the tracks?”  Absolutely not!  If anything, in these last few weeks, I’ve had opportunities to reflect, meditate, seek the Lord, and regain something that is often lost in the shuffle… a little thing called “perspective.”  Often, in the world of the church, we get caught up in the minutiae of “churchianity” that we are prone to concentrate on the things that seem out of place, rather than focus on the presence of the Holy Spirit.  I am reminded of a Priest I knew years ago, who one morning, in the midst of the service, noticed that one candle on the side altar was out of place.  He spent the rest of that morning castigating those gathered there about having something out of place, that he completely missed out on the greater message… that they were gathered there to worship God in spirit and in truth.  The message of religion versus relationship can be defined thus:  Religion is focusing on us… Relationship is all about Him.

But seriously, folks…  I am also reminded of a young-ish church lady who was very concerned with the status of her church.  She wrote to “Dear Abby” asking for advice regarding her concern that the church suppers, yard sales, women’s teas, and other such activities were no longer  working, and that her church seemingly was deteriorating.  “Dear Abby,” she wrote, plaintively, “we’ve tried everything else… what can we try?”  Dear Abby’s laconic reply was “Try prayer, try worship, try faith, try relying on God.”

The good news here is that we have a God who loves us unconditionally (and yes, our walk with Him is really all about love…)   It begins with the Biblical truth that “God Is Love.”  And it continues with the truth that “Greater love has no one than this, that he lays down His life for his friends.”  And it focuses on the call telling us “beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God, and everyone that knows God loves God… for God Is Love.”  (Hey, look, I’ve argued this in a circle…)

As we prepare to go back to school, back to work, back to church, and step into the changes that come with Autumn, let us not grow weary of doing good (for we shall reap a harvest in due season), let us not grow weary of doing justly, loving mercy, or walking humbly with God.  Let us stay focused on what’s really important here… Simply this… Is your name… is my name…  written in the Lamb’s Book of Life?  It all boils down to the question of what you did about Jesus during your life.  Did you ask him into your heart to be your forgiver and leader?  Did you spend your life sharing his love with others, not only through your words, but through acts of kindness (whether random or not), and acts of beauty (whether senseless or not)? 

But seriously, folks…

As we step off into the fall season, let us find new and wonderful ways of sharing his love with one another, and with those around us. 

But seriously, folks…  I bid you peace…

Dr. Ken+

In the Good Old Summertime

Dearly Beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

Grace to you, and peace from God our Father, and our Lord, Jesus Christ!

A visit to the doctor’s office can be an unnerving prospect – especially if you are not feeling well -  especially if you feel as if there might be something amiss with your health.  Then again, that is probably the best place for you to be if you have any concern about your physical well-being.

On a spiritual level, if you feel as if you need something, or if you feel as if something is amiss with your spiritual well-being, there is a place where you can go for help, too… a place where you can hear an encouraging, uplifting word… a place where you can have someone pray with you, or just sit quietly with you… a safe place where you can experience God’s presence… a place where you will not be judged, but where you will be welcomed extravagantly… Evangelist and Pastor John Hagee calls this place “A hospital for the wounded… a place of solace and healing… not a Country Club for spiritual Fat Cats.”  This place is the church… your church…

While a visit to a church – any church – can be a bit scary – a visit to a church can also start you on the road to an experience of blessings, fellowship, and friendship, and even spiritual growth.  In the words of Comedian Bill Cosby, “if you’re not careful, you might learn something.”

As I am writing this missive, I am mindful of the fact that summer is upon us once more, and for some that means going away for a well-earned vacation.  For others, it means taking some time off and visiting friends and family, and other houses of worship.  Many new experiences await us In the Good Old Summertime!  Whether you Meet Me In Saint Louie or stay here for a Summer In The City, one thing is certain… The Lazy, Hazy, Crazy Days of Summer are a great time to reconnect with your life of prayer, and the chance to spend some time in fellowship with Jesus can be very invigorating.  Please do not neglect the Sweet Hour Of Prayer, because Every Day With Jesus is Sweeter Than The Day Before.

As we step into this summer, let us not forsake the fellowship.  I look forward to seeing you in church this summer… to sharing God’s word with you each week, and to continue growing with you under the banner of God’s love.  To our Travelling Christians, where-ever you go this summer, whether you go to the Big Church in the city, or to a Little Brown Church In The Vale, know that your church family at home is praying for you.

 I eagerly anticipate watching God’s hand move among us this summer.  May He bless you abundantly!  See you in Church!

I bid you peace…

Dr. Ken

Methinks The Last Great Day Has Come

A Historic Snapshot…

The Rev. Abishai Alden was the fifth pastor of the Montville Center Congregational Church (Montville, CT).  During the pastorate of Reverend Alden, one of the most phenomenal things to occur to this church happened.  On May 23^rd, 1823, according to the New England Farmer Newspaper, the following event took place.

“On Sunday afternoon this vicinity was visited by a thunderstorm which prostrated several barns, fences, trees, &tc, and occasioned other destruction.  At Montville, while the Rev. Pastor of the church in that place was directing the attention of his flock to the tempest by reading the hymn which begins:

                                “Methinks the last great day has come

                                Methinks I hear the trumpet sound

                                That shakes the earth, rends every tomb

                                And wakes the prisoners underground.”

                                (sung to the tune of “Old Hundreth” – a.k.a. “The Doxology”)

A bolt of lightning struck the cupola of the meetinghouse, shattered the belfry, shivered several of the posts and pews in the interior, and instantly killed Mrs. Bradford, a widow aged 72, and Mary Comstock, a child of nine years of age, and injured several other persons.”

Caroline Chester Comstock was prostrated by this stroke, but survived and lived to a ripe old age.  Immediately following this awful event was the most powerful revival ever enjoyed by this church.

The Montville Center Congregational Church was founded in 1722, and continues today as the Oakdale Community Church.  Rev. Kenneth D. Beres (my father) served as the pastor of the Montville Center Congregational Church from 1970 to 1978.

Thank you for letting me share this memory with you...

I bid you peace...

Dr. Ken+

Lent 2012: Love Kindness

Dearly Beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ Jesus;

Grace to you, and peace from God our Father, and our Lord, Jesus Christ!

 We are now well-launched into the New Year, and the Lenten Season – and spring will very shortly be upon us.  This is a wonderful time of renewal, of celebrating new life, new beginnings, and new paradigms as we walk along the way with the one who said “Behold, I make all things new.”

 The beautiful thing about our walk with Jesus can be seen in one of my favorite praise choruses:  “Every day with Jesus is sweeter than the day before.”  And so it is as we walk along with him we meet and welcome new people into our lives, explore new things, and learn new lessons.  We not only celebrate the precious memories of times past, we are also creating new memories and new traditions which will be celebrated by the next generation… and the next.  We could mourn the loss of the leaves on the trees from last autumn, or we could eagerly anticipate the soon-to-arrive flowers of spring and the lush green leaves which will once more adorn the trees!  What beauty awaits us in the spring and the summer ahead of us!

 In the midst of these ruminations, my mind turns to the subject of Lenten Disciplines, and the question “What are you giving up for Lent this year?”  While some of our answers might be brave and even noble, such as giving up smoking or drinking, or giving up eating the wrong kinds of foods, some of our other answers might be goal-oriented, such as shooting for a specific weight, perhaps we need to take a newer, more positive approach to Lent.

 Rather, ask what discipline am I taking up for Lent?  Lent should be a time in which we can learn a new skill – such as being a blessing to someone – or when we can learn a new thought process – such as thinking and speaking positively rather than negatively.

 Micah 6:8 gives us guidelines for addressing this all-important question:  “He has shown you, O Man, what is good, and what does God require of you – to do justly – love kindness – and walk humbly with your God.”    The people of Israel were asking the resident prophet, Micah, what God wanted from them, and the gentle answer was threefold:  Do justly (walk with integrity), Love Kindness (be kind to one another) and Walk Humbly with God (don’t put on airs, and don’t think you are more important than anyone else around you… but humble yourself in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.)

 Let us take these three teaching points as our collective Lenten Discipline as we walk together thru this season of preparation leading up to Resurrection Day!  As we do this together, the words of an old favorite praise chorus will come into sharper focus:  “Yes, they’ll know that we are Christians by our Love…”

I Bid You Peace…

Dr. Ken+

Stop... Look... Listen...

It is hard for me to wrap my mind around this concept, but the calendar keeps telling me that it is February already, and almost two months has passed since my last posting on this blog.  How could this have happened?  For me, I guess, it points to the passage of time more than anything else, and in the words of some tin-pot timeless philosopher, "Time and the tides wait for no man..."

It has been a hectic (if not harrowing) dowhill rush from the morning I came home from my (now) annual retreat at the Holy Cross Monastery in New York, thru the Christmas rush, past the New Year's celebration, and plunged head-first into 2012.  The first week of the New Year was filled with three funerals, a boatload of planning for our (then) upcoming Annual Business Meeting of the First Congregational Church, as well as a host of other things to contend with. 

It is no mystery, then, that on the second Sunday of January I experienced an emotional crisis.  Perhaps that morning I should have called my Associate Pastor to step in for me that morning, and either go somewhere else to worship, or just stay at home and watch a movie.  The events of that fateful morning started off with a ludicrous argument, and then leaving my home in a whirlwind of anger and despondency... From the moment I stepped into the pulpit that morning, I knew that this was going to be a Sunday service which was going to be a life-changer...

At the beginning of the "Prayers of the People" portion of the service, I asked (as is my custom), "What may we pray together about?"  My wife was the first person to raise her hand, and she startled me by saying "I think we should start by praying for you."  I sank into the second pew on the gospel side of the sanctuary, and she stood in the pulpit and shared from the heart, that the life of a pastor is not an easy one, that it is filled with everything from joy and laughter, to despair and tears... and everything in between.  After she stepped away from the pulpit, she took me by the hand, and gave me a big hug.  Tears were flowing from both of us, and our chief deacon, Al, and my Associate Pastor, Randy, gathered with us, and led the congregation in praying for us.  After what seemed like an eternity of being prayed over, I managed somehow, by God's grace alone, to get through the rest of the service.

After the service was over, Monica and I gathered with Al, Rev. Randy, Karen (his wife), and Cindy (our Executive Board chair), in my office, and we prayed together some more.  I shared with them, from the heart, that I felt empty.  We then opened the Bible to the 23rd Psalm, and focused on the words "He maketh me to lie down in green pastures beside the quiet waters... He restoreth my soul."

The lesson for that day, and for all of our days, from the 23rd Psalm, is that it is a good thing to be about the work that God has for us... but it is also a good thing to take a step back and rest.  It is a good thing to stop what you are doing... look at the beauty that is around you... and listen to the Word of God.  It is a good thing for people to take a sabbatical... or go on a retreat... or take a day (or two) to plug into the Joy of the Lord...

Next time you pass by my house... Do not be alarmed if you see my car parked in the driveway... Stop in, and share a cup of coffee!  The coffee pot is always on, and you are always welcome!  The Parsonage of the First Congregational Church is not only where I and my family live, it is also my base of operations... it is where I work... where I study... and where I hang my hat at the end of the day... that is, when I am not out in the community visiting with you... or sharing Christ's love and grace with people around me in the marketplace... or at the Hospital... or at the Assisted Living Facilities throughout this area. 

Know that you, too, are loved and greatly appreciated... and I consider it an honor to serve you as your friend, as your pastor...

I Bid You Peace...

Dr. Ken+