Monday Manna
Every Monday Pastor Loren starts the week with a brief devotion entitled Monday Manna. You can read them here or email us to be on our mailing list!
Ashes, Ashes
All covered in the same ash.
Formed from dirt, knit with spit.
Charged with God’s very breath.
Then the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and the man became a living being.—Gen 2:7
By the sweat of your face
you shall eat bread
until you return to the ground,
for out of it you were taken;
you are dust,
and to dust you shall return.’—Genesis 3:19
Superb owl
If you know New Providence, I bet you think this post is about our owl, Hootie. He is a superb owl to be sure. But, you know what Sunday holds, “the big game!” You know that image of Julie Andrews dancing in the alps where the hills are alive with the sound of music? That’s me, not caring about football. In fact, my husband came to me while I was getting ready for church with a joke for me. “Hey, I heard Taylor Swift’s boyfriend is going to make an appearance at the Usher concert tonight.” I’ve always been in it for the commercials…occasionally the half-time show. Never the part where they make a basket, or homerun, or whatever they do (kidding, a touchdown, I’ve got that much).
But yeah, this year I’m rooting for Karma…that’s the guy on the Chiefs. One of my friends has said she’ll always root for a strong woman who disrupts the patriarchy, so there’s that, too. When I say I am rooting for the Chiefs though, what I am really rooting for is love. And happiness. And family. That’s always worth investing in. Unless you’ve been under a rock, you have at least heard something about the Kelce family, and certainly Taylor Swift in the last six months. And not just Taylor and Travis, but Travis’ whole family has been brought into the spotlight, his brother Jason, talented in his own right, and their sweet mom who I vaguely remember because her two sons played against each other in the Superb Owl last year. She’s sharing her cookie recipes on The Today Show, and it’s just so wholesome.
So, whether it’s because you’re annoyed by the attention that they are getting, or excited to see what happens next…their romance has caused quite the stir. Should it grab headlines over global disasters and conflicts, no. Should it be big news, no. But it is and I think the reason is not just because Taylor’s face is the most recognizable one on the planet… it’s because deep down we want to see love. We want the swords beaten into plow shares and we want love to win. We want to see that families can still be present for one another. We want to see that people with crazy work ethic can also still find time for one another and be generous with themselves and their possessions. And maybe, just maybe, we can admit that daddies suddenly bonding with their daughters over football because Taylor Swift might be seen for 2.4 seconds on the television screen, is pretty cool.
You may ask what all this has to do with faith and Jesus… well the way I see it the two biggest religions in the country might just be Football and Taylor Swift. If Jesus were to come back right now, I’d like to think he’d be shown on the jumbotron, but I’m not so sure we’d recognize him. So, we’ve got to see if we can spot glimpses of him elsewhere. So… I spy with my little eye…people finding joy in their God-given talents. I spy… people who are loving each other fiercely. I spy… loyalty, generosity, and love. How can we not get swept up in that?
I’m writing this on Sunday night, so by the time you read it, Reba will have nailed the National Anthem as only she can do. Usher will either have elated or enraged the audience with his half-time show. Millions of dollars will have been delivered in commercials. You will have possibly eaten chips and dip to the point of discomfort. The game will be over and true football fans will either be celebrating or disappointed in the outcome. As a fan of love and compassion and decency, I’m way more interested in what this one family has highlighted in the football community and now the globe—the importance of relationships and integrity. So, anyway, Go Taylor Swift’s boyfriend! Go, Chiefs! Go, happiness! Go, love! Superb!
Sincerely,
The Tortured Pastor’s Department(because she doesn’t care about football)
Slow Down
Recently my sweet son (the one who just yesterday babbled nonsense as he toddled around) said something to the effect of, “when I’m grown up I will…” and I say, “don’t wish your childhood away, it will come soon enough.” Then I catch myself in the next breath muttering, “Lord, January has been the longest year!” And then it is God chuckling at me and prompting, “don’t wish your life away.” Perhaps God intends January as a soft launch into the year, allowing a little extra time to meet the annual goals we begin with fits and starts (maybe that is just me). I’ve noticed the last beams of sun linger on the horizon a tad longer each day. Bird songs seem to trill in the air with greater weight as they hit each note. “Slow down,” the Creator seems to chide, “slow down.” Easter will be here in a blink, hazy days of summer will tumble by, then at breakneck speed we’ll fly through fallen leaves and thankful feasts and collapse beneath a Christmas tree once again. Who knows what highs and lows we’ll meet in twelve months’ time. It marches on like a drumbeat…. But I wonder too, what will we miss? What will we miss when we are complaining that the minutes seem like hours and the hours seem like days? Or worse, when we complain that there is never enough time? What blooms will wilt as we hurry by? What stars will streak across the sky? Slow down. Slow down.
What I love about (a New Providence) Sunday
Creak of the solid door
Smells like wood and
Hundred-year-old dreams.
Scarred railings
holding the hands
of each generation
propelling upward
like a steeple in the sun’s rays—
regal and reaching.
There’s a hum in the hive.
The bees start to arrive,
sharing the collective
nectar of their lives.
To the providential land
they infuse golden honey.
A kind word here.
A belly-laugh there.
The tinkling of bangles
and keys as they jangle,
a backbeat to the squeals
of the coming generation.
They produce a twinkling in eyes
that have looked on and seen so much.
In the quiet prayers
of a hushed room;
when the pews groan
they sigh the hopes
of a founding generation
who prayed this space,
this faith—
would outlast them.
And the organ warms
to a sweet, sweet sound
and the glory of the Lord is found.
It streams through the windows,
sunlight blinding.
It echoes in the voices intertwining.
And we are home.
LTM 1/28/24
Faithful Messenger
Windy whirls of white
A wonderland scene
Bare branches shimmer
In gossamer light.
Candy apple red
Flash of cardinal flight
Onto powdery carpet
He deftly alights.
LTM 1/21/24
Like the cold of snow in the time of harvest
are faithful messengers to those who send them;
they refresh the spirit of their masters. –Psalm 25:13
What’s in the Wind
When the wind was particularly blustery the other day, my helpful son went out to the porch and brought in our pillows and cushions that occasionally get tossed off into the grass. It was freezing outside but he insisted on running out the door, sans socks to take care of our things. He was also distressed that our cat Mars was outside in the elements! It is a small thing, but it made me wonder if, in the busyness of life, we rarely observe what is going on around us. How often do we miss the chance to bring someone to safety and provide sanctuary for the proverbial gusts of life? How often does inconvenience to us prevent us from serving someone else? I, for one, hate being out in the cold and wind…I would have left the cat (and the pillows) to fend for himself! How often does discomfort hinder my compassion? If I had heard John declaring Jesus the lamb of God, if I had encountered Jesus, would I have even paused to raise questions about him? Would I have taken the time to ‘come and see’? Do I give a second thought to those living in the elements with nothing to eat? Do I observe those who are silently suffering or writhing in personal pain? I am reminded that the Hebrew word for wind is also the word for God’s breath and spirit. I try to remember this whenever I feel annoyed by the wind as it blows. How is God moving right in front of us and what is God begging us to see, hear, and experience?
All Things new
January one--
New year, new you, a haiku
Break of day, same God.
-LTM 1/8/24
“Do not remember the former things,
or consider the things of old.
I am about to do a new thing;
now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
I will make a way in the wilderness
and rivers in the desert.”—Isaiah 43:18-19
“So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!” 2 Corinthians 5:17
Joy & Love
Journey to the hamlet
Over fields and hills, afraid
Yonder the promise lay.
Long robes of embroidered silk
On camels backs they were carried.
Venturing abroad with gifts so rich,
Eastern magi to enthrone a King.
The Dressing
Food tells a story. How can it not, it is central to our lives. So many of the narratives of Jesus, particularly in the gospel of Luke center around meals. My Grandma Becky was a one spunky lady. She was petite like me. She worked outside the home and always had a garden when I was a kid. She raised my dad and my aunt to adulthood without them killing each other, and she was married to my Papa Tate for over 50 years. Let me tell you, she needed to be spunky. The older I get the more I realize how much Thanksgiving was her holiday. She loved to feed her kids. She would cook forever and dirty every dish in her kitchen doing it. Always delicious. My favorite dish that she always made was fried dressing to go with the turkey. I’ve never seen “dressing” or “stuffing” made this way outside of my family. My cousin Jason and I fight over who will take home the leftovers. So central is it to Thanksgiving dinner in the Tate family that with Grandma Becky gone, Jason, and I make it for our in-laws’ meals. Sometimes we get my mom to make it for Christmas if we do not have it the month before. And on rare occasions Michael will make it just for me. Since my family gathers for Thanksgiving the Saturday after the holiday to accommodate both sides of the family, we don’t always have the traditional meal. This began long ago when for a time my family had breakfast instead of lunch on Thursday. The first time we tried this change in tradition, I was a young teen and my grandmother made turkey and dressing anyway! I loved her for it. So, Thursday night, I made dressing and gravy for dinner. As I fried the patties, I placed them on one of my grandmother’s everyday plates she always used with strawberries on it. I was at the stove when Kemper came through and asked why I was smiling. The counters were a mess, I’d used twice as many dishes as I had planned, and I realized that was just about right. I told him I was communing with my grandma, and it made me happy. I texted my cousin and told him I was making our favorite dish and he said he had done the same. Good, that meant I didn’t have to save any for him! Boy, I can’t wait until the heavenly banquet because I bet she’ll be dishing up dressing for the head of the table, apron on and spatula in hand.
Give Thanks
1 Chronicles 16:34
O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
for his steadfast love endures for ever.
Tribe
Heritage
Ancestry
Neighbors
Kinfolk
Saints
LTM 11/20/23
The Collector
I’m raising a little collector.
Mostly of things I don’t want to collect.
Dirty stones and broken sticks.
Ratty leaves and acorns best left to the squirrels.
No different than our Lord it seems.
Stockpiling followers from the streets.
Tax collectors and lawless sinners.
Outcasts best left to the margins.
LTM 11/12/23
Maple
I love her,
in her golden light,
stretched toward the sunrise.
She reminds me to lean hard
to the light.
Her trunk a crooked spine
traces the lines of my mother’s back.
She bends but won’t break.
She braces for the wind.
Loss of gnarled branches
has not hindered her growth.
Her roots embedded,
calling deep to deep.
LTM 10/30/23
Proverbs 3: 13-18
13 Happy are those who find wisdom,
and those who get understanding,
14 for her income is better than silver,
and her revenue better than gold.
15 She is more precious than jewels,
and nothing you desire can compare with her.
16 Long life is in her right hand;
in her left hand are riches and honor.
17 Her ways are ways of pleasantness,
and all her paths are peace.
18 She is a tree of life to those who lay hold of her;
those who hold her fast are called happy.
True Community
I am in a special position on Sundays. I bear witness to a lot of faithfulness and personal interactions that not everyone can see. Yesterday was a full day at New Providence and an excellent trailer for what the full feature film looks like here in our little church.
Kathy was telling Kemper stories of her cat before Sunday School.
During our study, we talked about wealth and what we do with it around the table.
Covered dishes filled with sides and desserts were carted into the fellowship hall.
Patsy and Marylynn dropped Halloween candy in the study.
I won’t eat it all. I promise.
We will hand it out from Bruce’s yard next Saturday.
We’ve promised not to TP his house while he’s away.
Barry solved the problem of the sanctuary thermostat with AA batteries.
Then my mic died before the end of worship.
The bells echoed through the hallway as they practiced for the prelude.
It was confessed that it is a very stressful piece, but it was beautiful.
Mary-Grace proudly ran up the stairs to show me her latest fingernail polish color.
Jerry shared good news about his and Brenda’s health.
Daisy did a spin in her fluffy pink skirt.
Walter still swears he isn’t worth two cents.
Jeanne and Thad came in and were instantly swarmed with well-wishers.
Danielle reminded everyone of Seedlings Storytime next month. Please help.
Dear friends of Kenny and Pam worshipped with us. Kenny’s sister Theresa as well.
Wally was back after heart surgery, chipper as ever.
Helen celebrated her 90th birthday over the weekend.
Ken noted Jordan’s presence in worship from Richmond.
Ken & Barry took the lead in the anthem. Well done!
Jack & Henry came with their grandparents.
Brooklyn, Layla and Ms. Ginny had coordinating outfits.
We read about playground safety and the kids loved finding their names in the book.
Bruce waited for the BBQ delivery and snuck in for the sermon.
I could hear the kids upstairs like elephants dancing.
A second table was added for all the desserts at lunch.
Addison is playing soccer and loves sugar as much as me.
Mary-Grace held the door open for Mrs. Helen, Bob and Cathy to come in.
Mike made it from his bowling tournament!
The kids scarfed down their food then made Generosity Jars and actually played peacefully.
Layla clung to my leg and decorated my hands with stickers.
Bowling was a topic of conversation.
As were the wild animals of Rockbridge County.
Hogback Mountain BBQ was heaped onto plates.
And the desserts. So many desserts.
I asked Ken & Peter to bring out some folding chairs to the playground for our seniors.
Not a single one of them sat down for the ceremony! Truly the greatest generation.
Daisy brought me a cup of water because I “have to speak a lot.”
Pam talked eloquently about how much the church means to her family, recalling her wedding.
Isabelle took marvelous photos of our celebration.
Ken gave folks instructions on the confetti poppers.
I really didn’t think they would last until the end.
Jeanne ceremoniously cut the ribbon like a champ with her winning grin.
A flurry of work to clean up the kitchen by both members and friends.
Tears of grief. Tears of joy. We remembered we can have both.
Kids ran all over the playground and tennis court laughing.
Colored confetti skipping by blue skies in the wind.
The Aud
For my big birthday we are going to spend the weekend in my favorite place in the world, Black Mountain & Montreat, NC. I can hardly wait. I’ve been blessed to visit some amazing places in my life, but more than the Colosseum, The Eiffel Tower, Stonehenge, and Westminster Abbey combined; Montreat is where I feel awe every time and my soul most at home. Below is a poem I wrote originally in 2012 about my first memory of Montreat Youth Conference.
The Aud
1,000 people gathered together
in a large worship space
built from local mountain stone.
Wooden beams soared overhead
and lanterns dangled from the rafters.
The pews, we'd been told
were older than our grandmothers
and we should treat them with the same respect.
Large windows were open to let in the breeze
from the cooling summer air.
Electricity, I felt waves of it,
as if we touched our neighbors to the left and right of us
we would be shocked with a jolt of the Spirit.
A hush fell over the congregation,
bursting with silent expectation.
Then I heard it,
a strong beat
on a solitary
djembe drum.
As the rhythm grew,
stretching out like a r i b b o n u n f u r l e d
voices began to chant from various corners of the auditorium,
they moved about us,
rising up from our midst and
joined together a dozen in number on the stage.
"Will you listen?" one side of the room would chant
"Come follow me" the other side would respond.
They carried the beat in their feet,
they matched the intensity of the rhythm with their voices,
"I. Will. Make. You. Fish. For. People!"
Final beat, actors froze, lights went out.
I was enthralled.
I felt my heart pounding, blood coursed through my veins,
and the Spirit left me with goosebumps as she blew through the room.
(I was fourteen years old when I attended my first conference at Montreat. I had yet to be baptized but I knew in that moment that I would be. I had seen the Holy Spirit move and I was without a doubt, absolutely certain that this type of worship, this kind of faithful expression was exactly what I needed to do, where I needed to be.)
Opal
October sunrise
Paints gold on the horizon.
Autumn crisp air rattles
Leaves that transform, twirl, tumble.
"So, if you faithfully obey the commands I am giving you today—to love the Lord your God and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul— then I will send rain on your land in its season, both autumn and spring rains, so that you may gather in your grain, new wine and olive oil. I will provide grass in the fields for your cattle, and you will eat and be satisfied."- Deuteronomy 11:13-15
Flowering
Katie loved flowers. I did not anticipate this revelation when I was twenty. Nor did I expect Katherine to hike the AT, Corinne to follow the Weather Channel, Meagan to work out at 5AM, or Jennifer to marry a “car guy”. These things just were not in the cards. Nor did I ever anticipate that we, or our spouses, would take an interest in things like birdwatching out the kitchen window. Nevertheless, here we are.
Katie loved flowers. And she was great at taking care of her gardens. I am envious as I have never, and probably will never, have a green thumb. I want all the beauty of blossoms and none of the work. Is that too much to ask? Why can’t beautiful blooming flowers grow as easily as weeds? In fact, as soon as I get though weeding the front flower beds from one end to the other, weeds are growing right back where I began.
The very first Hanson song that launched them (my favorite band) to fame in 1997, was Mmmbop. The tune is as light and catchy as one can imagine a summer pop song to be. But the lyrics are quite serious:
You have so many relationships in this life
Only one or two will last
You go through all the pain and strife
Then you turn your back and they're gone so fast
Oh, so hold on the ones who really care
In the end they'll be the only ones there
And when you get old and start losing your hair
Can you tell me who will still care?
Plant a seed, plant a flower, plant a rose
You can plant any one of those
Keep planting to find out which one grows
It's a secret no one knows
So, I guess I’ll keep plugging away at these weeds. And when I do, I’ll think of Katie and how she liked feeling the soil under her nails. And how she made her little corner of the world beautiful. Maybe next spring I’ll plant a seed and see how it grows. Then maybe I’ll be the one at forty doing things no one ever expected.
Collector of Quotes
I’ve always been a collector of quotes. When I was young I would fill journals with poetry and on the inside covers of the books I would always record quotes and lyrics that inspired me. It’s even easier now with modern technology to save quotes—I have a whole Pinterest board full of ones that have touched me. If you come in my office you’ll see various scriptures and quotes on my walls. Below are a few that I’ve been mulling over recently. Do you keep snippets of words somewhere?
“I will kindle my fire this morning in the presence of the holy angels of heaven…
Without malice, without jealousy, without envy
Without fear, without terror of anyone under the sun,
But the Holy Son of God to shield me.
God, kindle Thou in my heart within
A flame of love to my neighbor.”
--Alexander Carmichael
“Simply put, prayer is a way of life. It is an attitude of God—consciousness and God-surrender that we carry all the time. Prayer is how we communicate with our God and it is an opportunity for us to bring our gratitude, needs, and concerns before Him.”-Christine Caine
“God, sing over me the truth of how You see me. You made me in love, for love and—somehow—it is enough.” –Kate Bowler & Jessica Richie