"R. A. K."
by Rev. Dr. Karl R. Kraft, Senior Pastor, 2/6/2012
February is officially here (thank you, Captain Obvious). And with February come Black History Month, Groundhog Day, Valentine's Day, and Random Acts of Kindness Month.
Remember Random Acts of Kindness Month? Remember what we did last year? Remember the little forms we gave out to the congregation? The forms had a message on them explaining that the bearer had just paid for the drive-through meal of the person(s) behind them. Our church's name and Web address were on the form, just in case the recipient might feel moved to see who we were or at least share their thoughts on our Web site.
Well, this year we're observing Random Acts of Kindness (R.A.K.) Month again, but with a twist. Those forms will be available again for anyone who enjoyed that project. But this year, the Justice and Missions Team (sponsors of our R.A.K. Month project) is leaving it up to you to decide on the actual random act of kindness you'd like to offer. They're asking that church members and other participants be creative. And, once you've performed your kind act, to report it back to the congregation!
Now, don't panic. We're not asking anyone to get up in front of the congregation and speak. Here's how the reporting-back process will work: in the narthex, you'll find a display that includes a supply of small cards. Simply jot down the essence of what your random act consisted of and place the card in the box. You don't have to sign your name to it if you don't want to. But we would like to be able to select a few cards randomly to share with the congregation during worship. In this way, your idea could well spur someone else to action ("Oh, OK, if s/he can do that, then I can do this").
Here's the fun part: Justice and Missions has set a goal of 500 acts of kindness for the month of February! If we currently have an average of between 130 - 150 people in church every week, and each person finds one random act of kindness to perform each week, we can easily surpass that goal. Progress will be tallied on the thermometer on display in the narthex. That's why it's important to "report in," even if it's anonymously.
It's the perfect combination of reaching out to the community in the love of Christ while at the same time feeling fulfilled and having fun!
I'd like to end this column with a couple of verses from a poem by Annie Johnson Flint. Ms. Flint was born in Vineland, NJ, and died in 1932 after having endured a life of pain from severe arthritis that eventually rendered her unable to walk. She tapped out her poems with her knuckles on a manual typewriter. These two verses seemed especially applicable to our R.A.K. observance:
When we have exhausted our store of endurance,
When our strength has failed ere the day is half-done,
When we reach the end of our hoarded resources
Our Father's full giving is only begun.
His love has no limits, His grace has no measure,
His power no boundary known unto men;
For out of his infinite riches in Jesus
He giveth, and giveth, and giveth again.
May we do the same this month.
-- (Poem cited in Homiletics magazine, JanFeb2012, pg. 46).
LITTLE RESURRECTIONS
Rev. Dr. Karl R. Kraft, Senior Pastor, 1/30/12
This column should probably have been held off until closer to Easter because it's about resurrections. But the insight came to me last week, and I felt it was worth passing along now.
My congregation and family know that I went through an unusual kind of "mourning" recently when the 1987 Dodge Ram van that we bought as a leftover in 1988 finally was deemed to be unsafe to drive. My mechanic explained that the underside was rusting so badly that critical parts such as the motor mounts were weakening. The radiator hadn't started leaking yet, but it wouldn't be long before it did, he said. So after 24 years of enjoying its services, we had to swallow hard and admit that it was time to find a replacement vehicle.
Now, I know that we shouldn't become attached to inanimate, material things, but all I could think about was how our kids grew from elementary age children through their high school years traveling with us on vacations in that van (for them -- get this -- the big selling point was that it had a cassette tape player)! We went to Disney World together and hauled literally tons of stuff over the years in our maroon and white work horse.
So, we took it to Turnersville Hyundai to trade it in. The vehicle that was, to us, invaluable, netted us a whopping $500 as a trade-in. From there I assumed it would be taken to the junk yard for parts or to a steel recycling plant. But I was in for a surprise.
One of the removable back seats was still in our tool shed in Dover, DE. In spite of the fact that I was sure it would mean nothing to the dealership, I called anyway and told them I still had it -- did they want it? Imagine my amazement when the fellow on the other end said that they had just been talking the day before I called and saying how much they wished they had the seat! When could I get it to them?
Now, I'm not sure exactly what that means, but it sure sounds like the right someone has come along and expressed an interest in fixing up our van. And, if that's the case, then "Betsy" (as we all tend to call our old vehicles) could well be getting another lease on life. Nothing would make me happier.
Just when I thought it was the end of the road for our van, someone came along and extended the road.
That's essentially what resurrection is -- someone coming in at the eleventh hour, that time when the situation seems pretty well over and done with -- and provides a second chance. The same thing happened with the house in which I grew up. My mother was widowed and not even living in the house any more. My brother, who *was* living there, couldn't afford to have all the reconstructive work done that the house required. I had prepared my mother for the inevitable, reminding her about "life cycles" and how the house had served its many occupants over the 200 years it was around, and now it was time to let it fall to a dignified death. But we were in for a surprise -- someone who restored old houses saw possibilities in our homestead, fixed it up, and it's now occupied by a middle-aged couple who love it.
Resurrection. Bringing back to life that which was presumed dead (or dying). That's Jesus' story too, isn't it? There was literally no one who thought that anything else was in store once Jesus died and was placed in the tomb. The disciples felt grateful for the ride he had taken them on for three years, but then headed back to their old occupations. End of story. Even Joseph of Arimathea, who gave Jesus his newly-hewn tomb, believed that he was going to be there forever. But God had a resurrection idea in mind. Another chance after all else failed.
Just like the experiences with our van and my old house, there are "little resurrections" that happen to us all throughout our lives. Even though Easter is still a few weeks away, perhaps we would do well to take note of those times when we're rescued from what seemed to be the inevitable.
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