Simple Sentiments

From Keith,

To the Congregation.

Mark 6:31 “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”

Since his stroke his legs don't always do what he wants them to. The stairs up to the office are difficult to climb. And my office is like a minefield right now getting everything "organized" for my departure. But with octogenarian determination he pushed. His payload was a simple envelope born in hands calloused by a lifetime of labor. He thrust it toward me like an embarrassed school boy and said simply, "We haven't been able to be at church the last few weeks. We're closing up our cabin. But this is for you and Delaine. Rita and I hope you have a great time away. You both deserve this time." I shook his hand. His grip was firm and his eyes brimmed a bit.

There were three gifts he brought. One was invisible to the unobservant. The sentiments of the card was precious. The gift inside, appreciated. But it was the walk that touched my heart so deeply. His gate, his determination, his rugged affection might have gone unnoticed, but this Sabbatical departure has brought forth an acuity to the simple.

In our day of facebook, email, and texts with their abbreviated and instant sentiments, there is something extravagant about a card, a gift, a handshake or a hug.  It goes beyond an emoticon.

I lay on the bed reading a card from the Cash's. The hand written note expresses affection I didn't really know was there. I stand in the atrium cradling a carving by Norm Clifford. It makes me smile just to look at it. He will be our travelling companion so look for him at the Vatican. Coliseum and the finish line of the marathon. I blush at one families insistence and provision that we purchase a creche in Bethlehem. The capstone had to be the dinner Delaine had with her friends from Mid-Life Moms (Her small group, also known as the red hot flashes.) as they gave her one letter to open per week for each of the 12 weeks we will be gone. These are just snapshots of this congregation. Don't imagine that if your expression is absent the impact has been lessened. The thoughtfulness is too full for enumeration. Your expressions of love and support have surpassed all generosity of the Lilly Foundation. 

This congregation excels in simple sentiment. The kind of sentiment that joins hearts and hands. You have illustrated that this family excels in Good Goodbyes. Most people cannot do this. 

Because of His Love expressed through your hearts, we are ready to launch.

Quietly,

Keith

The Amish

THE AMISH

From Keith,
To the Congregation.
Mark 6:31 “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”

The lilt in his voice and the 574- area code tipped me off. Melvin Miller was calling to finalize the details on our Amish Homestay. But there were a few questions he wanted to ask. Would we be suing him if I got hurt? What kind of pay did I expect for my work? How old was I? I assured him we wanted nothing, and I had a strong back and a weak mind. He said we would make a good team. It took me a moment, but when I say team I think basketball when he says team he thinks horse collar. And then he ask if we had teenagers? The last question was a bit of an enigma till he explained. They have one of their eight children, all of whom still live under their roof, that was not walking in the "way". He didn't want that to upset us. We explained we have children. We understand. Not all of our children are following the Lord. But we told them of one who had wandered for a time and had come back to her Lord stronger than ever! And we added how love is a powerful apron string of faith. I could hear Rachel, his wife sigh. She said, "Perhaps God has sent you for our encouragement." The fact that there would be 14 people to cook for never phased he or Rachel! Then he ask his most pressing question, "WHY?" 

It reminded me of a time Delaine and I were in Shipshewana visiting. We struck up a conversation with an Old Order Amish couple at the hardware store. Not just any hardware store... an Amish hardware store. You could buy just about anything there as long as its origins dated to 1886. We stood at the side of their buggy the horse stomping impatiently. The two children were already aboard perfectly coiffed. He was about 9. She was 5. He wore his black button pants, blue shirt, suspenders and hat and she wore her plain dress, apron, and cap. (We might call it a bonnet.) The horse turned his head and nudged Mose with a plea to be on his way. 

As we spoke they indicated to us that they were about to go on a camping trip. The irony of Amish on a camping trip has been something I can't shake. We camp to get away; cook stoves, open fires, no electricity, no running water, outside privies... that's home to them. So why on earth are these folks going camping? Why? 

Their answer is no easier than mine. WHY? Living with the Amish was not going to be a vacation. It is going to involve hard work. Melvin is a dairy farmer, so we will milk (hand milk)  twice a day at 4am and 4pm. And thank goodness we scheduled our time during chicken killin' season. I will behead 200 chickens while Delaine chicken plucks! 

"WHY?", he asks.

It really isn't the religious conviction. Having spent time with an Amish couple, we know their devotion to their faith is not really that different than our own. But there are two things that draw me to this time away. I want to come off the grid. Not like some people speak of when they talk about not using their cell phone for a day, or fasting from Facebook. I need to decompress my lifestyle drastically and dramatically. And there is one other thing. I have a silly notion. I think somehow I am a man born out of my time. I know some men rant about the 350 horses they have under the hood, or boast about their steel horse. I have always longed for and loved just one horse under me. Winston Churchill stated,  “There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man.” I know Churchill said it, but I wish Roy Rogers had initiated this quote. Still it expresses my sentiment! There is something deeply therapeutic in the smell of leather harness and sweat soaked horses. The scent of straw freshly spread in a stall and the sound of hooves on the halfbeat cadence swallows my cares and sings to my soul. 

WHY, is never an easy question to answer. But when The Lilly foundation, that awarded Ovid Community Church the sabbatical, ask what would make my heart sing I knew this was part of it. 

Quietly,

Keith

Dust off the Suitcases

In June of 2011 Keith received a piece of mail he had been looking for.  I happened to be with him on that day running some errands.  We drove by the church to pick up the mail looking for the letter with the famous Eli Lilly emblem on the return address. 

To our surprise, there it was, a letter from Eli Lilly. It would either be good news or bad news.  You see, Keith and several other members of Ovid Community Church had written a proposal to Eli Lilly, applying for a grant.  Lilly is extremely generous with sharing their wealth.  They sponsor a program entitled "Pastors Renewal Program".  It is a generous grant of monies set aside for Pastors and their congregation in the United States to be able to take a sabbatical to renew their minds, strength, and to get some much needed rest.  

A team of several members of the church followed the guidelines, wrote the grant, and waited to hear whether Ovid Community Church would be a recipient of the "Pastors Renewal Grant". 

I will never forget the sound Keith made when he saw the letter with the famous logo.  He drew a large breath, and said "Here it is...."  He had a twinkle in his eye and said....."the envelope is thick, a letter with a negative response would be thinner."  He handed me the envelope and said,  "Let's go home and open it".  We drove home taking turns praying, we asked God to help us accept whatever news the letter brought.  It was like Christmas morning when my parents would say, "Wait for your brother to wake up before seeing if Santa came last night."

We pulled into the driveway and parked.  I carefully opened the sealed envelope, and unfolded several pages.  There, I read the words out loud....."It is our honor to acknowledge that Ovid Community Church, and Pastor Keith Wooden have been awarded the Pastors Renewal Grant".  Before I could get all the words out of my mouth, my eyes filled with tears.  I looked over at Keith and  tears were filling his eyes as well.   It was a surreal moment.  We couldn't hardly talk.  We both just sat there for a few moments staring straight ahead trying to grasp the words I had just read. Then we finally broke the silence in laughter.  It was unbelievable!  Keith and I would be taking a sabbitical for 3 months and traveling. 

When applying for the sabbitical you have to specify what you will be doing with the grant money.  Keith had proposed that he first unwind with an Amish homestay just to come off the grid for a period of time. Then he and I would travel following Apostle Paul's Footsteps.  From Jordan, Israel, Western Turkey, Greece and Rome. Syria is just to dangerous to go to Damascus. During this time we would also be traveling to Athens, Greece for Keith to run in the original Marathon that has been taking place since the first Olympics. Finally toward the end of the sabbatical we would get to take a family vacation together. This is something we have never had the opportunity to do. 

It was all a dream, and now holding in my hands was a letter confirming that we would be traveling to see the land that we had read, studied and loved.

The church would also receive monies to install a defibulator, and healthy cooking lessons.  This whole proposal was about eating, drinking, living, and being spiritually healthy.  Not just for Keith and I, but for the church as well.

The fun would begin, in planning and looking forward to our wonderful trip.  Thank you to Ovid, to Eli Lilly, and to the members who graciously spent hours writing, editing, and devoting time to this grant.

Dust off the suitcases, and get your Passports ready.......... We're going traveling!