Raising Whole Children

This morning there was a breakfast given for mothers at 9 a.m. made by the men of the church. They made waffles, and served fruit and sausage. All the mothers were also invited to take home a geranium provided by The Petunia Patch Greenhouse.

We were reminded that the summer schedule begins on May 24th. The last day of Sunday School will be on May 17th. On the 24th church will begin at 9:30 a.m.

We are also being reminded to invest in our youth. “Stock” will be sold at church over the next few weeks which will go to support the youth going to CHIC. There will later be a “stock holders dinner” held for those who have purchased stock. Those who have helped support the youth in this way will be sent postcards also from the kids who are at CHIC who will keep us up on how they are doing and what they are learning.

Chuck then told us a bit about Sarah Borndal’s planned mission this summer with Grip Outreach for Youth. This is a youth ministry in Chicago for disadvantaged youth and Sarah will be working with them from May thru part of August. We took a retiring offering to help support her in this.

Today Olivia Pearl Grages, daughter of Brant and DeeDee was baptized. Her grandfather Rev. Jim Swanson baptized her with Rev. Shannon also present to deliver thoughts and reflections.

Pearl and Ruth Anne’s class then sang Happy Mother’s Day and the small children in the class ran and gave their mothers a flower.

Ten year old Ali Anderson read scriptures. Her excellent reading ability elicited applause. The Scripture readings were from Acts 8:26-40 and John 15:1-8

The Message: Raising Whole Children

Glen Wiberg spoke of an idea he called “plotting the resurrection.” Hebrews 11:3 speaks of what is seen not being made out of what was visible. A story was told about E.B. White watching his wife planting bulbs in her garden even as she was sick and about to die. Even though her own day’s end was at hand she knew that there would yet be another spring. She went about “calmly plotting the resurrection.”

We are the company of those who plant seeds in the dark days of uncertainty, no one knows how the tender shoots appear. We are oblivious to the end of our own days. Mothers plant the seeds of hope into their young children. We are beneficiaries of the plot of those who went before us and planted the seeds. We stand in a stream of “history making” and would be wise to remember where we came from. We are the end result of someone else’s dream who possibly faced hardship as they came over on a ship to America. What do we have that we have not received? Other planters and planners have prepared the way before us. We also must invest ourselves now in what has value for the future. Don’t get discouraged though you might not see the result yet now.

Hebrews 11 speaks of Jacob blessing his sons while leaning on his staff. Sometimes we are acting on a blessing that we hope for.

Hebrews 11:13 says “All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised, they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance…” They pre-enacted the future for a stream they would never see. We are called to plant bulbs for a spring we may never see. All of us need a grander vision of God’s in-breaking kingdom.

On Mother’s Day we are thinking of a mother’s influence on her children, but a single person can also invest in children. There is something much greater than meeting my own needs in life. Keep alive a sense of miracle and surprise, we may never know where a planting may lead.

Joseph had given instructions concerning the burial of his bones but it was 400 years later when his bones were finally carried to the promised land. A small disheartened church may yet see a new ministry, a child struggling today may see a wonderful future. The thing that keeps people gardening is the sense of surprise and wonder. A story was told of a person who was planning to plant some flowers called “Persian Jewels” and just as they were about to plant the extremely tiny precious seeds a gust of wind came up and blew them out of his hand, and he believed there was no hope for those flowers. Not long afterward though, they came up in another part of the garden.

Resurrection never happens as we plan it out. There’s a mystery beyond our control, beyond the ache and pain of our planting. Once we plant, things will never be the same again. We never know the effect we have on another person, nothing goes down the drain. Not a cup of cold water given in His name, not Persian jewels planted, not your efforts as mothers and fathers.

Be part of the conspiracy of resurrection. His Kingdom can be extended through us even though we don’t see the results. This is the Word of the Lord.