Thursday, July 27, 2017
Meeting A Living Saint
Thursday, August 18, 2016
FROM DAVE KITTLESON
One summer in the late 1970's Randi and I stayed a week extra at camp to earn some spending money for college. Late in the afternoon after burning some disgusting stuffed furniture from the staff lounge, Randi suggested we drive into Strawberry Point and buy a cantaloupe and bring it back to camp. I wasn't much of a fruit eater (I'm better now) but agreed. We cut it in half, scooped out the seeds, and filled the middle part with vanilla ice cream. (I've always been a fan of ice cream) Then we sat outside Cedar Lodge on the the benches and had a refreshing treat. I had never had it before, and still enjoy it today.
Flash forward ahead almost 40 years to the summer of 2016. I was a camp grandpa at Ewalu and camped with Mark and Jill Davidson at family camp for a couple of nights. They often host a staff supper on Friday evening after counsellors finish camp work projects. I asked Mark if we could drive into Strawberry Point. Now you know where this going... They had 3 cantaloupes in Strawberry Point, which I bought along with 2 buckets of vanilla ice cream. I told the story of Randi and I enjoying cantaloupe and ice cream after burning stuffed furniture, and we served cantaloupe and ice cream to the staff of 45-50 guests. Many commented that they had never had them together before and it was very refreshing. No cantaloupe left over.
Monday, September 14, 2015
Marie's Memories of Randi
Saturday, August 15, 2015
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Temptation
Monday, September 07, 2009
Blessing Day
Monday, August 31, 2009
AUG Peer in Burnsville
Sunday, August 30, 2009
House boating
Thursday, May 14, 2009
La Crosse, WI
Lyle, MN --- But, on the Iowa boarder!
She entered my phone # into the computer.
“Oh, Lyle,” she said. “I’m used to weird names like that.”
I leaned over the counter, almost in shock. “How’s that?” I asked!!
“I know a lot of people from Iowa,” she stated as a matter of fact.
“Really, I grew up there.” I said. Confirming that all Lyles must come from Iowa.
I took my movie and went home.
Friday, April 03, 2009
The Careless Farmer
As it happens so often I over assume biblical story is all about me. Mathew 13 contains the parable about the sower and the seed. I have always heard the story from the perspective of the soil, hoping that I am the good dirt that the seed can grow in. But, when the emphasis is given to the Sower the story takes on whole new meanings.
The Sower has a bag of seed. We always assume bags of seed can run out, thus should be used wisely and planted where we know it has the best chance to grow. But, not this Sower! This Sower throws it everywhere, to everybody, good soil, rocky soil, thorny soil; everybody gets in on the free seed deal.
Maybe that supply of seed is not endless. Maybe the supply doesn’t need to be conserved. Maybe it (“It” being what? God’s unlimited grace and love?) can be shared with all. Maybe even those of us that end up with seed that doesn’t always do so well with growing it still get it, lots of it!
That sower seems to be a bit careless, hapless, and not very concerned about aiming. The Sower is not one bit careful with where it gets thrown. Maybe this story is mostly about this seemingly wasteful Sower.
And me? Keep wasting some seed on me please! I never even notice most of it, some I ignore, but a little of it I finally see and may even take time to acknowledge. Thanks God! Maybe Easter really is for all.
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Mystery
Walking into the LutherHill chapel at sunset.
I do believe in God and that we do live in and amongst many spiritual flurries breathed out amongst us all kinds of ways I can’t understand. I suspect there is no theology that hold what can’t be understood.
One of my last days in high school, a class called “Life and Living” we had a substitute. She was a mom of two twin sons, also seniors at Cedar Falls High. She was to show a film about loss and death. Half way through the film she shut it off. She then shared her own experience of being “clinically dead,” I believe during a operation. She described the experience of leaving her body and the meeting of a being of light. There was no doubt in my mind that she spoke truth of her experience. I sensed she had complete confidence in her faith and also had no fear of death.
That may have been one of my first experiences hearing a story of spiritual mystery. As I hear people tell of encounters with angels, demons and ghosts I wonder. I am certain that mystery experiences exist. I am not sure we have words that accurately can be attached to these experiences. I wonder if our attempts to fit such experiences into our world view and theology have any semblance for being named with words.
I am most comfortable with using the word “mystery” and being comfortable with not needing to explain or over interpret. God is. God is present. Our understandings of God can are incomplete. “We don't yet see things clearly. We're squinting in a fog, peering through a mist. But it won't be long before the weather clears and the sun shines bright! We'll see it all then, see it all as clearly as God sees us, knowing him directly just as he knows us!” (The Message 1 Cor. 13:12)
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Kids Are Either Leading or They Are Leaving
Episcopal Youth Leaders in the Diocese of Virginia invited me to join them at Phoebe Needles Center in Callaway, Virginia. The Diocese has only three paid youth ministers in Parishes. Thus the leadership relies heavily on the volunteering adults and a very vibrant faithful core of youth.
One of their issues --- maybe too many youth who want to be leaders.
I woke up this morning reflecting on Jesus’ disciples telling Jesus, “There are too many! Should we send them home?” Jesus’ coment? “Feed them.” And so they did. (Loaves and Fishes)
Youth are either leading or they are leaving. We either equip, empower and allow or the demands of others will prioritize kids time away. The church’s job is less about consumer programming, which assumes kids are attracted by more glitz, more gadgetry, with bigger, and better entertainment. Instead the church is about making of meaning, developing purpose, and giving responsibility in ways that kids know they count!