Tag: god

May 6, 2025

Today was my first Tuesday where I did not head out to Poole Church. I did some chores around the yard, and did some errands in town. I read some books, did the crossword, and I tried to finish my jigsaw puzzle of the Kissing Bridge of West Montrose. I will not bore you everyday with my plans and schedules, but I thought maybe you might want to know. 

During our Anabaptist tour, I reflected on the book of Acts. The book is a travelogue with some of the important events with the early church. The church began in Jerusalem, and then went to all over the known world including Rome. It is one of the longest books in the New Testament, and provides us with a glimpse of the early leaders like Peter, Paul and Jesus’ brother James. After chapter nine, it is mostly about Paul and his interaction with the early churches in Corinth, Philippi and Ephesus among the many cities that he visited, and wrote letters to those communities.

I do not think that Paul intended to write Scripture. He was a good Jewish believer, and so the Law was enough for him. He was a Pharisee, and so was connected to the politics of the synagogue and temple. According to Acts, he often went to a synagogue when he came to a new city. He wrote his letters for encouragement and some admonition. The churches did not always get along with each other. This is why the letters are so good, they are about real issues. And Paul did not announce these letters as Scripture. It took the church over 300 years to announce these letters as God’s word. 

I offer you the trillium flower as a symbol for the church going forward, with God as the perfecter of our faith.

Praying always for Gaza. AMEN.

March 26, 2025

Good afternoon,

So what are you going to do ? This is the question for me everyday since I announced I would not accept another term of service as pastor here at Poole. It is not only from Poole people, but from friends and family and strangers. Some say that one ‘ should do nothing for six months ‘, while others say ‘ do what you love ‘ and some people say, ‘ it will be revealed to you in a good time ‘. These were sort of the responses I received after recovering from my heart attack in 2007. Well, we are going on a five week trip, two weeks to Europe and then on to Amman, Jordan to visit Hannah and Alaa. We return to Elmira in early May. As a good Type B personality, I am only delaying my decision. Ha ha. Thanks for the question.

The cartoon character ” Pinky ” asks his friend ” Brain ” what are we going to do today ? ” Brain ” responds by saying, ” The same thing we do every night Pinky. Try to take over the world “. Oh, I wish I had such high aspirations. My dad just tried to make it to another day. I guess I am somewhere in-between. I do not have a bucket list of things I need to do. I am not a good planner, but I do want to go to Winnipeg more in the future. I want to get back to my cross-stitch work. I want to advocate more for more justice for all people in the world. I want to get closer to God through prayer and silence. These are not new things, but are old things done in a new time of my life. 

The Philosopher says in Ecclesiastes :

There is a time for everything,
    and a season for every activity under the heavens:

        a time to be born and a time to die,
      a time to plant and a time to uproot,
       a time to kill and a time to heal,
      a time to tear down and a time to build,
       a time to weep and a time to laugh,
     a time to mourn and a time to dance,
     a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
     a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
     a time to search and a time to give up,
     a time to keep and a time to throw away,
      a time to tear and a time to mend,
     a time to be silent and a time to speak,
      a time to love and a time to hate,
     a time for war and a time for peace.        Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

Pray for the peace of Gaza in the twinkling of an eye. AMEN

Fred Redekop

March 12, 2025

Good afternoon/morning,

( We return from the US today )

Luke 11: 37-41

” When Jesus had finished speaking, a Pharisee invited him to eat with him; so he went in and reclined at the table.  But the Pharisee was surprised when he noticed that Jesus did not first wash before the meal.

 Then the Lord said to him, “Now then, you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness.  You foolish people! Did not the one who made the outside make the inside also? But now as for what is inside you—be generous to the poor, and everything will be clean for you.“

Jesus says a lot of things that are written in the New Testament. Here he has declared that he is on his way to Jerusalem. He has met a Pharisee. a Jewish leader, along the way and has lunch. Jesus does not follow the rules of the day. He is always challenging the leadership. Would you have followed Jesus, or would you have been afraid to draw outside of the lines of faith and life ? We tend to want to conserve the tradition. Jesus invites his disciples to change their attitude.

Jesus challenges the attitudes of the Pharisees about greed.  I feel it. I have more than enough things and resources. Am I greedy ? How can this be part of my 40 day Lent journey ? Where is the tipping point of when I move over to being greedy or not ? A very fine line ? And the remedy for the greedy virus in the world is to ” be generous to the poor ” . Do not ask why people are poor, but be generous. There are many reasons that people do not have enough, but we are to be generous. Am I complicit in why people are poor ? Jesus, help me in my 40 days/years of Lent.

Jesus remember me, when you come into your kingdom.

Jesus remember me when you come into your kingdom.      Taize song.

fred

black and white shadows

crush humanity’s freedom

am I complicit ? 

MPL 2025

March 11, 2025

Good afternoon,

I met Vernon Schroeder today. From 1987-1991, I served as pastor at Bethel Mennonite Church in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. It was a small church with many former Russia refugees, and volunteers working at the head offices of MCC in Akron, PA. It was my first pastorate where I made many mistakes, and learned many things that have helped me since then. I did my first funeral, first wedding and first child dedication at this congregation. The church closed about ten years after I left, and it is now part of a different denomination.

Vernon is 97 years old, and has a sharp mind. His wife died two years ago after a struggle with Alzheimer’s disease. Vernon had a heart attack in late 1989, and he read my recent article in the Rejoice! magazine, where I talked about my own heart attack. As we visited today he recounted the event around his heart. He had the balloon procedure that attempted to open up his arteries, and the eventual stents that the surgeon inserted into his arteries. It was the first time that I provided pastoral care in the ICU and heart unit. I felt so inadequate, as I walked into the room where Vernon was hooked up to all kinds of machines and IVs. He survived and thrived, and I survived and thrived as a pastor.Vernon had the same smile that I remembered from 34 years ago. We thanked God for the life God has given to each of us. We talked about our children, and talked about faith. We did not talk about Trump, Trudeau or Carney. There are many people that I have met that have mentored me in the right direction. Vernon is a humble, faithful and positive guy that is one of the many of these people who have been influencers in my life.

Gaza is out of the news, but continue to lift prayers to God for peace to come, and the guns can be silenced. AMEN.

.Fred

black and white shadows

crush humanity’s freedom

am I complicit ? MPL 2025 

February 26, 2025

Good afternoon.

Lent begins in a week. In the tradition, it is time to repent of our sins and failings. We invite God to forgive it all with God’s grace. I think it is all about letting go of our fears. It is not the fear of the Lord or reverence for God. That is a good thing that invites the worship of the grace of God. It is the other fear that we all experience at different levels that we will find in Lent.

We fear the future in many different ways. There are different tiers of fear. Some fear does not allow us to function in our lives. Most fear is somewhat irrational. And fear usually does not change things well. Action is better. Guilt or shame are also places that do not lead to good decisions or results. We fear war, climate change , our health or our age or the economy. We have the ability to act on all of these things in some way. But sometimes fear takes over, and we are lost.

Jesus says in John 14:1, ” Do not let your hearts be troubled . You believe in God “. This is part of the Last Supper. My mind goes to ‘ what am I not supposed to be troubled about ? ‘. Jesus’ words bring a level of fear. Some of the things that bring fear into my thoughts and prayers, I know where they come from in earlier experiences in my life. I cannot seem to tamp or stomp them down. They began a long time ago.

I have brought them to God during Lent, to release me from them. But as I name the fear, they seem to arrive with fury. I am invited to lay them at the foot of the cross, or in the wilderness of the desert. Some have told me that the fear might be a gift to keep me on the straight and narrow road of faith. Maybe. ‘ Believe in God ‘ despite my fears. This will be with me beginning on Ash Wednesday next week.

God of the 40 days of Lent,     I will offer my fears to you,      so I may experience your love and grace,          in explosive ways, Calm me, and bring your peace to my heart, soul and mind.  AMEN

Fred

black and white shadows

crush humanity’s freedom

am I complicit ? MPL 2025