Mosaic Mennonites

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Can You Bear the Thought?

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Recently I heard a woman say that she was glad that she was fearfully and wonderfully made.  What does it mean to be fearfully and wonderfully made and what does that mean to you?   

I wasn’t sure, so I looked up “fearfully.”  It means full of fear, in an anxious manner, apprehensively, dreadfully, and extremely.  How does that relate to being fearfully made?  How does one behave knowing that they are fearfully made?   

We were not just made full of fear; we were made so amazingly that we come to revere the one who made us.  It is not that we are fearful at all, because God says that he did not give us the spirit of fear (2 Timothy 1:7).   

But it says that we are made so well that we have a reverent fear of our creator.  Our Father does not want us to have a timid or cowardly fear of Him or anyone else.  God wants us to know that we were made so well that it is difficult to comprehend.   

When I ponder this word, it stirs up a feeling of being in awe … you know how when something is so beautiful it is hard to keep looking at it?  Or when something tastes so good that your senses feel like they are exploding? That is the fearfully made part.  That is the, “Oh my, look what God did in me, for me, for His Glory” part. That is the, “Oh, thank you Jesus for what you did for them and for you and for us.”   

We are all fearfully made.  So now, can we bear to look at wonderfully?  Can you imagine just thinking about yourself and your issues, your drama, and your thoughts being wonderfully made too?  Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good (Psalm 34:8) and that our Lord made us very good (Genesis 1:31).   

“Wonderfully” means full of wonder, in a way that inspires delight or admiration, extremely well. I can barely stand it!  I am so humbled by the thought that God chose to give that to us, you, even me.  I think of the word wonderfully and think “amazement”!   

We are fearfully and wonderfully made.  Putting those two words together and thinking about this human form on earth gives me hope. When we live in the fear of the Lord and the wonderment of how God created us, it gives us faith.  We become unstoppable with God!  

What joy if we really believed that and lived it and believed it about everyone else! What kind of world changers could we be? What if we believed that the entire human race is fearfully and wonderfully made, even if they don’t look like you or me, even if they/we limp or stutter, even if our bank accounts are not the same, even if we don’t speak the same language?  

What if we believed that ALL of us are fearfully and wonderfully made, even those of us who don’t even know it yet? How might that change the world? 

Need Something? Start Something!

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I love a good DIY project every once in a while. I find joy in making the things I need instead of buying them from the store or paying someone else to do it. I’m not alone. Many people share the same sentiment as I do – just look at how many people turn to Pinterest to fuel their next home improvement idea! 

However, when it comes to a community need, people are more hesitant to start something. It’s so much easier to just participate in something that’s already been prepared by someone else. 

I totally understand why some are so hesitant. Sometimes I am too. Being the one who starts something can be overwhelming. You have to assume responsibility, and you make yourself vulnerable to other people’s judgement. But without anyone sowing the first seed, we’ll miss an opportunity of something great growing among us. If you see a need in your community, maybe it’s God’s calling for you to start something.  

Keep in mind these three simple points, to help you get started: 

1. Start Small 

When you have a grand idea, sometimes it’s hard to even begin! Not all efforts have to start big or are perfect and polished. Most people know this verse by memory: “For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.” Matthew 18:20 (ESV). Maybe your idea begins with one or two people, and it’s not perfect from the get-go, but that’s okay. Start small, bigger things will follow. 

2. Start Close 

When you’re feeling overwhelmed, bring in people who are close to you. Share your thoughts, concerns, and goals. Maybe you’ll gain a supporter or even a partner. No one can survive alone, and we need to bear one another’s burdens (Galatians 6:2). 

3. Start Sincerely 

Before starting your great idea, make sure your heart and head are in the right space. Find the purpose of your idea and keep that in mind as you’re starting your journey. God’s provisions and guidance will surely follow. Let this verse from 1 Peter 3:8 (NRSV) give you hope and strength: “Finally, all of you, have unity of spirit, sympathy, love for one another, a tender heart, and a humble mind.” 

I hope this inspires you to kickstart that project or idea you’ve been putting off, no matter how small. 

My Cry of Terror

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My friend, Jorge, and I had been climbing the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta in Colombia for more than six hours. The rolls of bread we bought in the early morning were now battered and hard as a stone; we decided to throw them away. We hoped to soon find a place to buy food and water.

The road up the mountain was lonely, and we couldn’t find any place to stock up on water and food. Soon it was dark, and we couldn’t see the road. We found an abandoned house, desolate, without doors or windows.  We spent the night on the floor of that house. We were hungry and thirsty. We regretted having thrown away the stale bread that would have turned into a feast. As the saying goes, “With hunger, there is no stale bread.”

In the early morning darkness, I was awakened to giant eyes staring at me, embedded in a horrible, horned face only half a meter away.  I stuck my head through the window. I let out a cry of terror that woke up my friend Jorge and echoed through the mountain. The face with the giant eyes that were watching me opened its mouth and emitted a low, “Mooo,” as hideous as my scream. The cow and I were terrified of each other. All three of us experienced a tremendous terror.

After the terror of the encounter with the cow, the first rays of the sun were beginning to appear. In the distance, far down the mountain, we saw smoke rising from what looked like a house. We went down to find peasants who offered us two large cups of coffee, sweetened with sugar cane molasses. This sweet coffee gave us enough energy to continue on our way.

I was 17 years old when this story happened. Throughout my life, I have thought of this story as I reflected on the Lord’s prayer, especially “Lord, give us today our daily bread.”

I recently learned that a high percentage of US households throw away approximately $100 worth of food in good condition, each month. This food, bought in excess and then thrown away while still viable, is worth approximately $1,200/year.  As a result, my wife and I made the decision to not buy food in excess. We prefer to visit the supermarket more frequently and consume the food we buy, so that little goes to waste.

A Glimpse into the Future

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This week, I had the opportunity to hold my newly born grandson. What a precious gift from God! As I held this tiny life in my hands, I began to wonder what his life will be like when he grows up. How will my relationship with him shape his future faith?

Soon my mind went even further – what will his children and grandchildren be like? Will they have a faith in Jesus? I realized in that moment that my vision of the future is often very short-sighted. My life, and even my faith, is driven by what I can see and what will happen during my lifetime. But God’s vision has always been far-reaching and generational.

Mike Clemmer holds his new grandson. Photo provided by Mike Clemmer.

Years ago, a missionary friend told me about a group of pastors in Italy. These pastors longed for a place of retreat from the rigors of life and a place where discipleship could happen. One day, a very excited pastor took my friend to see the group’s new purchase: a 50-acre property on top of a mountain. There was no road access, electricity, or source of water to the property – just land. The next generation would build the road, get electricity and water. Their collective hope was that, in 100 years or so, this place would be a Christian retreat center for many people to use. My friend was stunned by this vision of the future by the current generation of Italian pastors. In our world of immediate results and gratification, this type of visioning seems impossible.

Yet, this type of vision is what God often calls us to – a trust in what God is yet going to do. Indeed, God’s work is beyond our human comprehension, but we often fail to remember that God has always been a generational God with a plan. This was true of Abraham who never saw his family be “as numerous as the stars” as he was promised. It was true of Moses who never entered the Promised Land. It was also true of all the faithful saints who Paul says, “were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what was promised” (Hebrews 11:39, NIV). These stories show us a trust in God’s plan that was bigger than their own reality. Their commitment to God was unwavering, even though the final goal was not in sight.

God’s plan for future generations continues – despite God’s well-intentioned people sometimes unknowingly working against it. As I hold my grandson, I find myself in the category of being a well-intentioned PopPop who perhaps hopes to influence him towards my way of understanding faith. I want all the best things for my grandson – health, happiness, and a faith in Jesus, but need to be reminded that God’s plans are always good, and I need to trust them.

I also am a well-intentioned follower of Jesus who has the best intentions for the church. God has a plan for both my grandson and for the church – and it is a plan that is unimaginable. It is a plan for what the Italian mountain retreat will look when completed and for what the church will look like generations from now.

Perhaps my best gift to my grandson is for me to focus on being a faithful follower of Jesus who prays for him daily, models daily obedience to Christ, and commits to growing closer to Jesus.

That is both investing in the future generations of my family, as well as the future generations of the church.

Calling Down Fire from Heaven?

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In I Kings, the prophet Elijah had called for a gathering at Mount Carmel. The single agenda item was to discern which God was the true God: Yahweh or Baal.

“Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and the stones and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench. And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces and said, “The Lord, he is God; the Lord, he is God” (I Kings 19:38-39, ESV).

As the fire fell, so did the people; as God responded to the prayer of the prophet, the people fell on their faces.

There were several things that led to this gathering, but a key factor was that the Lord’s prophets had been being killed off. This might seem like religious persecution to us; however, it’s important to understand the context.

“The polytheism of the ancient world was an open system—there was always room for more gods … No question arose in ancient Near Eastern theology of whether a certain god was a ‘true god’ or not, though there were discussions of some gods being stronger than others.

Prophets in the ancient world often served in the hire of the king and, more than anything else, served as mouthpiece for the gods to support the legitimacy and programs of the king. The prophets of Yahweh, therefore, would not likely offer support for the legitimacy of Ahab and Jezebel’s rule, and this made them enemies of the state.”

Keener & Walton, NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible: Bringing to Life the Ancient World of Scripture

This background helps us understand the role of prophets within politics and culture. However, might it also be possible that the confrontation playing out on Mount Carmel was not only between the prophets, but also between Baal and Yahweh themselves? To be sure, there was and is no god that can compare to Yahweh. In this regard, there really was no threat to the most high God.

How might this relate to our world today? Is there more going on in the unseen realm that is happening in the world today than we as God’s people realize?

Paul tells us, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (Eph. 6:12, ESV).

While this is true, we still need to deal with flesh and blood. Rather than killing all the prophets of Baal today, we look to Jesus who shows us how to deal with those working against the unfolding reign of God.

In Luke 9:54, Jesus rebuked two of his disciples for wanting to call down fire from heaven, similar to Elijah, on the Samaritans who had not received Jesus. On Mount Carmel, fire fell on the sacrifice prepared by Elijah.

What or who tends to make us angry? Do we, like the disciples, wish we could call fire down from heaven? What if we would act, instead, to the contrary, as Paul writes, “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head. 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Romans 12:20-21, ESV).

How might we engage in releasing more of God’s consuming love in the world? Is there someone you need to do good to instead of calling down fire from heaven?

Learning Dinosaur Names

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What was it about Jesus that drew the little children to come running to him? Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs. Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a child will never enter it.” (Mark 10:14-15, NRSV)

Wayne and I spent two weeks in May with our nearly four-year-old grandson, William. William is curious, observant, and eager to learn. He is aware of his surroundings and seeks opportunities to explore and learn new things.

Grandson, William, and his beloved dinosaurs. Photo provided by Mary Nitzsche.

On our walks, William noticed bugs, spider webs, rocks, butterflies, squirrels, sounds, and signs. When we approached nature signs at the lagoon, he insisted we stop and read the bird or plant names on the sign (even if they were difficult to pronounce or understand).

William is all about dinosaurs. He is eager to learn all he can about different kinds of dinosaurs: how to pronounce their complicated names, what kind of food they ate, when they lived on earth, and special features they had. His delight in observing and learning is contagious. I could imagine him running to Jesus, sitting beside him, and listening to what he had to say.

William’s curiosity and excitement for learning inspired me. I began noticing spider webs, butterflies, sounds, and rocks on our walks. I enjoyed watching the hummingbird sitting in her nest in a tree outside the window. I was eager to learn more about dinosaurs and even how to pronounce their long, complicated names!

In reading the gospels, we notice that Jesus attracted people who had little power or influence and were not always seen or heard. Jesus valued all people regardless their age, economic status, education, gender, health condition, or faith commitment. Because humans are created with a need to be accepted, loved, and belong, it’s no wonder children came running to Jesus sensing his acceptance and love for them. He saw, heard, and valued them and commanded, “Do not stop them!”

Mary Nitzsche and her grandson, William, read nature signs together. Photo provided by Mary Nitzsche.

Jesus continues on this topic, saying that to experience the fullness of God’s kingdom, one needs to receive it as a child. What child-like qualities are important for receiving and experiencing the kingdom of God? In the gospels, the people responsive to relationship with Jesus were ones who were curious and eager to learn more about Jesus and what he had to say. Little children tend to be curious, observant, and eager to learn. No wonder children came running to Jesus sensing his affirmation for these qualities.

My grandson’s spirit challenged and inspired to approach my faith and understanding of Jesus in a child-like spirit of curiosity, delight, alertness, and openness — to see, notice, and hear what the Spirit is saying to me. At a season of life when knowledge of the scriptures, certainty of belief, and established spiritual practices or rituals, are well developed, I am reminded of the importance of being curious, observant, and eager to learn.

May the little children lead us in experiencing the fullness of God’s kingdom on earth. May our delight in living God’s kingdom values inspire others to come running to Jesus.

A butterfly noticed by Mary’s grandson on their walk. Photo provided by Mary Nitzsche.

Sleeping Uphill in Shame

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Like many children of my era, I not only shared a bedroom with my older brother, but we slept in the same bed.  The promised bunk beds, similar to the promise of chunky peanut butter, never materialized.  In our bed, there was a clear, imaginary line down the middle which, if crossed, was fair game for a brotherly punch.    

One particular night, we were doing a bit more than our usual messing around. I do not recall the exact details, but there was a loud snap that echoed through our room. We had broken the bed slat at the top of the bed. Living in a small ranch home, we were pretty sure Dad heard the commotion and would soon be appearing in our room.   

So, we did what many young men would do … as dad opened the door, our angelic faces rested on our pillows as if we had been sleeping for some time. Dad calmly asked if everything was ok and we quietly said yes. Dad closed the door.  

After Dad left, we quickly realized sleep was not going to happen. The problem was our bed was tilted with our heads low and our feet high.  As the younger brother, I was instructed to go tell Dad we needed some help. A few bricks solved our problem until the broken slat could be replaced.    

Randy Heacock (right) with his brother, Brad (left), with whom he shared a childhood bedroom, and their mother (center). Photo provided by Randy Heacock.

This is just one of many experiences in which my Dad’s calm demeanor, in the face of my foolishness, has shaped me. Fortunately, as a result, I find it easy to ask for help.  I treasure this as a true gift because I hear from many how hard it is to ask for help, admit need, or worse yet, name personal failure.  

Sometimes shame arises from the inability to admit our needs, desires, or failures. I have heard stories while serving at Doylestown Mennonite Church of the creativity, energy, and anxiety people expended to hide their family television from the bishop at one point in their lives.  A friend recently told me of a grandparent’s wedding ring that has been hidden in the family since 1922.    

I wonder how these experiences have shaped us to keep secrets and to bury our shame. There are layers of shame – as individuals, families, faith communities, and in our institutions. Our larger societal emphasis on public image only adds to this struggle. Often help is within reach, but we remain silent and even proclaim everything is just fine. Ironically, often our struggle is obvious to others … just like my dad knew we needed help with our bed but didn’t offer to help until we asked for it. 

I am reminded of the hymn, “The Love of God.”  One way to experience the great love described in the hymn is to name one’s needs before God. Sometimes we need to risk our fear of shame when we insist all is fine, while actually trying to sleep uphill on a broken bed. What transformations might happen in our lives, families, churches, and institutions if we begin to trust God with our needs, weaknesses, and failures? 

As you rest your head tonight on your pillow, when God asks is everything okay, how will you respond?   

Independence Day

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Cicadas have been a big deal in my Baltimore, MD neighborhood.  Ever since Brood X emerged in mid-May, they have dominated conversation in Facebook groups, in the checkout line at the grocery store, and between neighbors stopping on the (cicada-strewn) sidewalk to chat. 

Kstern, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Maryland is near the epicenter of the emergence in Washington, DC, and boy, are we aware of it.  One neighbor had so many cicadas in her yard that they hung like leaves from the bushes lining her walk.  Others couldn’t walk in their yards without a constant crunch, crunch underfoot.  Conversations outside were difficult and the incessant cicada song could be heard indoors, even with all the windows closed.  At its climax, the cicada song was like thousands of dentist drills going at once.  You couldn’t escape it. 

We spent weeks trying to convince our three-year-old that she could be scared and brave at the same time, that it was safe to go outside, that the cicadas were harmless (if just a little clumsy and annoying).  We covered our young bushes and trees with netting so that the cicada’s insistent egg-laying wouldn’t kill off too many branches on plants that were too young to survive that kind of massive pruning. 

For six weeks, we’ve had our eyes on the calendar.  The experts promised us that the cicada’s above-ground life cycle would wrap up by July the 4th. 

Our Cicada-Independence Day. 

In the last week, as the sound has died down and we have been able to walk in our yard without stowaways catching a ride on our clothes or hair, I have realized how much tension I had been carrying for the last couple of months. 

Photo by Scott Webb from Pexels

It wasn’t that the cicadas were dangerous or even extraordinarily disruptive.  But having them around meant being constantly on guard.  It meant having to think through and plan for what, before, had been simple or reflexive.  It meant living with constant noise, constant fear (for my daughter), and constant inconvenience. 

As we approach the Fourth of July weekend, I am aware that there are many families in my city who are still waiting for their own Independence Day.  And just like the constant dentist-drill song of the cicadas has worn me down, many families are exhausted just from trying to live life under the extra “noise” of systemic racism, violence, or unjust economic policies. 

Many of these encounters in and of themselves aren’t enough to wear someone down.  But when they’re concentrated on a minority of people, they can accumulate to do real harm—just like the excessive pruning of young bushes and trees by the cicadas.  It all adds up. 

As the adult cicadas are dying off here in Baltimore and their young ones are burrowing into the ground for another 17 years, I find my home and yard are becoming livable again.  But as I’m tempted to settle into my own peaceful space, God shakes me from my easy comfort and calls me to a new alertness—because none of us are free until all of us are free. 

This is the kind of [Independence Day] I’m after: to break the chains of injustice, get rid of exploitation in the workplace, free the oppressed, cancel debts….  If you get rid of unfair practices, quit blaming victims, quit gossiping about other people’s sins, if you are generous with the hungry and start giving yourselves to the down-and-out, your lives will begin to glow in the darkness, your shadowed lives will be bathed in sunlight… You’ll be known as those who can fix anything, restore old ruins, rebuild and renovate, make the community livable again.

Isaiah 58:6-12, MSG, italics added