I’m talking about – our son Clark, who you probably see wandering around the church every Sunday morning as a child of someone on staff … a 10-year-old boy with the cutest dimples and sweetest demeanor (when he’s not negotiating a legal battle over anything he might disagree with), was in a movie with John Travolta. He played the leading role in a film based on John’s early memories of flying as an eight-year-old boy. The movie is called Propeller One-Way Night Coach. It was filmed last January, which was an adventure in and of itself, but in the past month, we have traveled to France, New York, and Los Angeles for its debut. He signed autographs, conducted countless interviews with very large and prominent news outlets, received good reviews and bad reviews, and became easily searchable on the internet overnight – something that very much gives me pause. That’s the highly condensed story. But the direct impact and potential impact on our family is still rippling through and sometimes keeps me up at night. Just this morning, I had two Zoom conversations with very prominent child actor agents who are both hoping to add Clark to their roster. I’m not going to belabor you with my overwhelming mix of emotions – we can go get a cup of coffee to chat about that sometime (or even better, a glass of wine!). What I will share with you is that this experience, this continued experience, has given me yet another opportunity to put into practice the things we tell each other when life gets shaken up. “God is in control,” or “Trust your gut,” or “Give it up to God”. Or, perhaps the most important bible verse in my life that happens to be framed right next to my bedside: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition, present your requests to God” Philippians 4:6 That framed picture has been in my bedroom since I was 17 years old, when a great friend gave it to me as part of a Bible study we were both in. I bet she did not realize then the number of times I would read and reread and reread and stare at that picture in my life! I haven’t quite figured out how to rest on that advice, but one day I’m going to figure it out … I know it! Before Clark and I left for France, I was journaling a bit and kind of talking myself through some of these complicated emotions. Do not get me wrong, this experience has been AMAZING – I’m so grateful and fully aware of how blessed we have been. But that does not negate the ever-present complicated emotions about throwing your child out onto the world stage in such an unexpected fashion. Anyway … I was journaling through some of my complicated thoughts, and almost immediately in my rambling, I heard a clear phrase pop into my loud and obnoxious brain that was full of worry – “Trust and Enjoy.” It wasn’t subtle. God really does interrupt me – He shoves everything else to the side when He needs to stop the train. Obviously, He knows me pretty well. I wrote those words down immediately and then sat and stared at them. Yes. “Trust and Enjoy”. How simple. How perfect. I tend to live life one step ahead, and most of the time that step ahead is littered with problems that I have imagined, so I can tackle them before they tackle me. I will not be caught off-guard!! In that moment, I felt like God was permitting me to step out of that never-ending cycle and to just be present in this amazing moment and to enjoy this gift that has been given to our son and our family. Through the whole three-week journey full of stories, I never would have believed … I enjoyed, and I trusted. I used those words to help guide my own words when dealing with a moment of anxiety that overwhelmed Clark one night in France. I was able to say those words in my head and not let his worry become my own. I felt like I truly was able to offer him a mother’s comfort in that moment. As valuable as those words are to my own peace of mind, offering peace to my son at that moment was all the more important. Again: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition, present your requests to God” I have that verse visible at my bedside every morning and every night, and now I understand that God meant for those words to be recited daily, for all of the moments ahead. He has a funny way of knowing exactly what to say at exactly the right time. In His Name, Jenny
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Have you ever walked from a dark place into a very bright space? Light has an incredible power over our senses, and sometimes it can be overwhelming. But light is necessary for us to live, and it illuminates the world. In Matthew 5, Jesus uses light as a metaphor several times to describe the life of a disciple. He says His disciples are like a town built on a hill that shines light into the valley (Matthew 5:14). He also says that we are like a lamp that gives light to the whole house (Matthew 5:15). The life of a disciple of Jesus is meant to be like that of a light that shines brightly for others to see. So, what is the light that we have? It is the message of the Gospel. We‘ve been given knowledge of what Jesus has done for us, and it’s that knowledge that changes everything for us. We now have a new life because of Jesus. If you want to be a light in a dark world, remember this: the most illuminating act of all is loving people like Jesus. We are a city on a hill, a lamp shining into a whole house. The darkness around us may seem overwhelming, but the love we show, because of the light within us, illuminates everything. I want to be the person who chooses to share the light of Jesus with others, especially when they are hurting, confused, and are reaching out for some answers, no matter their faith history. Fortunately, I had just such an opportunity a few weeks ago. My youngest son, Spencer, and his wife, Jordan, live with me. Some of you may recall Spencer brought home a black Labrador puppy in December. Life with Cooper has been a challenge, to put it mildly. He has turned into a 75-pound ball of energy. Everything was going well until a month ago, when the kids took him to Hayden Lake for a swim. He found a log on the beach and immediately jumped up on it and began running back and forth. Ever a puppy who only has one speed (70 MPH), he slipped and got his hind leg caught on a branch. It was immediately apparent that he was badly injured. He was pitifully crying in pain. Amazingly, there was a local vet at the beach, and she immediately checked him out and felt that he might have broken his leg. She had them follow her to the office, and x-rays did confirm that there was damage to the growth plate and tendon damage to his right leg. He was sent home with pain meds and instructions to keep him off his leg continually for 3 weeks. That was definitely a challenge for all of us. He had to be carried up and downstairs, kept in a pen at all times, and sadly, even with the medications, he cried pitifully for 2 weeks. This situation was hardest on Spencer. We tried to help him, but this was his pup, and he was up most nights. On a particularly bad night, I came downstairs to see if I could help. He was sitting there quietly, obviously exhausted. He looked at me for a few minutes and then said, “Mother, I need you to pray with me for Cooper. I need God’s help”. My boys were both raised to love God and are believers, but don't attend church. His request surprised me, but I was so glad he reached out to me. We prayed for healing for Cooper and we prayed for patience, faith, and strength for Spencer. I let him know how much his reaching out to me meant. I truly felt as though I was showing the light of Jesus to him. The next day, there was a significant improvement in Cooper’s pain, and I think we both knew in our hearts that God had something to do with this.
Blessings, Ellen
random, don’t despair, I do have an intended presentational order in mind. After all, teaching is my jam! (Is that still a thing – ‘It’s my jam’? Probably not.) So let’s begin there. In the FPC Pre-K class, we have an opening and closing prayer time. And because we are wiggly-jiggly, we first do body-calming prayer prep. The children not only take turns choosing which strategy we will use, but they are also contributing inventors of new ways to calm our bodies in preparation to ‘talk to God’. Adding a repeating movement to an intention helps create body memory, which in turn, supports the desired outcome, even for adults. Pre-K Prayer Prep: 3 Deep Breaths
Centering Breath Prayers Now that we have warmed up our INHALE and EXHALE, we are perfectly positioned to practice Centering Breath Prayers. Sometimes life feels too heavy and dense with so much going on. Often, a simple Breath Prayer of praise or petition, repeated as needed, provides the release necessary for the moment. This style of prayer is helpful to focus your intention in specific circumstances or if you have been reading scripture and an inspired thought has emerged. Simply identify and divide a full thought into an Inhale part followed by an Exhale part. Repeat for 10 to … 100 or more breaths. As examples, here are the breath prayers from our recent Courage to Flourish Women’s Summit:
Walking Prayer Perhaps you, like I, find that praying while outside provides better focus. This is especially true if I am walking and my gaze is captured by new objects as they come into view: emerging spring growth offers thoughts of gratitude for creation; noticing neighbors inspires prayer for the needs only God knows about; even the act of walking provides the opportunity to praise our Lord. Certainly, our own neighborhoods provide ample occasions for prayer, yet I challenge you to walk or drive around the FPC block with the intention to notice all there is for which to offer prayers. The first time this idea was shared was in a Session Meeting. Charlie Nipp shared some of the history of FPC with incoming Elders, and he encouraged us to tour all the rooms in the church, considering how we benefit from the amazing faithfulness of those who were stewards before us. So, with this idea in mind, I am including the legend for the map of the church property and possible prayer topics. The map itself is provided as a link at the end of this blog. Prayer Walk Within & Around the FPC Block Walking either through the church or around the perimeter of the FPC property, consider the decades of answered prayers and the future blessings that will take place because of the love born from the first love of Christ. May you offer prayers of gratitude for the people whose faithfulness has made possible all that we currently steward and prayers of petition that would be a blessing for those coming after us. Sanctuary (1908)
In closing, I am sharing a favorite part of our Contemplative service prayer time. Susan Lauer, the talented crafter of this prayer service, describes it beautifully: “It is like a shield.”
Peace, Yvette
Map of Church Property
every week at Christian services? We never sing at the Buddhist temple.”
I was young and inexperienced, but I had learned enough about different cultures and religious traditions to know not to say, “That’s a silly question. Christians always sing at church services because Christians have always sung at church services!” I thought about the question and realized that it was an excellent one — why do Christians sing in our worship services? This was probably the first time that I realized that singing is not a universal part of religious worship. Music and singing are integral to all of the Christian traditions I have been a part of, and I understand that music is also a very central part of synagogue worship in Jewish communities. We lived in Japan for two years, and I don’t recall ever hearing music or singing at either a Buddhist temple or a Shinto shrine — as far as I know, music is not a part of either tradition, at least in Japan. That left me wondering what the more interesting question is — why do Christians sing, or why do Japanese Buddhists not sing? “I sing because I’m happy — I sing because I’m free …” That is from the hymn “His Eye Is On the Sparrow.” Having grown up in a church, it seemed obvious to me why Christians sing — we find joy and excitement in experiencing love, forgiveness, grace, and mercy, and music is a natural way to express that. One thing I learned living overseas — what might seem obvious to me will not always be obvious to the next person. The Japanese couple who asked me about singing had been attending a Christian church service weekly for at least a year. They had heard and sung dozens of hymns and numerous messages about the gospel, and after all that, they had no idea why we were singing every week! I decided to answer their question by preparing a series of messages for the next several Sundays on why Christians sing. That time was very rewarding for me as I thought about my own tradition and sought to come up with a better answer than “Because that’s the way we have always done it!” I didn’t come up with anything shockingly new — ultimately, I stayed with “We sing because we’re happy, we sing because we’re free,” but I gained a much deeper sense of what it actually meant to me personally. Sadly, music can also be a very divisive issue in Christian churches. Growing up, I was a fan of Keith Green and Larry Norman, two early pioneers of Christian rock music. At the same time, I was in a church where the pastors and elders disapproved of any ‘Christian’ music that included a drum beat, electric guitars, or songs about the devil, including Keith Green’s ‘No One Believes In Me Anymore’ and Larry Norman’s ‘Why Should the Devil Have All the Good Music.’ I was not the most rebellious teenager ever, but I did cause quite a stir in church one Sunday by singing Keith Green’s ‘Asleep in the Light’ as a solo offertory. I caused an even bigger uproar by following that up with ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water,’ which the elders were quite certain was a song about drugs. They responded with a new policy — all offertory music had to be pre-approved by the elders. Thankfully, First Pres did not do a background check on me before welcoming me into the music program! I have also been involved with two churches that almost split over arguments about music. In 1990, Kirste and I attended a church in Portland and were asked to join the worship team. The church was trying to create a blended service — much like ours — that used both traditional hymns and contemporary music. The compromise they came up with was to do the contemporary music first, while many of the older church members waited outside the sanctuary, then they would join the rest of us for hymns and the message. It was really heartbreaking to see people making their dislike of someone else’s music more important than loving their neighbor. I also remember an annual business meeting at a former church with a heated argument about music. One of the church founders argued that because the church was using traditional hymns when it was founded in 1964, that it needed to stay that way forever, I suppose as a safe haven for people who didn’t like modern music. Again, I found it heartbreaking that music was dividing people rather than unifying them. We are so blessed at 1st Presbyterian with an overabundance of incredibly skilled musicians. What I find an even greater blessing is the way that music brings us all together rather than dividing us. I love singing old hymns and playing newer songs, and it is such a joy to be part of a community that embraces them both. Rather than clinging to a single vision of what a church service has to look like, we have joyous and unpredictable chaos — one week we have a ‘normal’ service, the next week we are entertained by a bell choir. One week, it is scandalous rocking from Tom & Craig, the next week a beautiful viola calms our souls. Brass quintets, incredible preludes from Deborah, Renee’s joyful and infectious choir, a wide range of vocal styles from Jenny to Carol — First Presbyterian embraces and celebrates a wider range of music than any church I have experienced, and it is such a joy and a blessing! In His Name, Tom
The natural world is one of God's gifts—a place where we encounter the Creator's goodness, beauty, and grace. As Psalm 19 reflects: The heavens are telling the glory of God; and the firmament proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours forth speech, and night to night declares knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there words; their voice is not heard; yet their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. This summer, I invite you to join us for a new sermon series titled Our Home. Together, we will explore the natural landscape of North Idaho and ask what it reveals about God and God's work among us. From mountains and lakes to forests and valleys, we will consider how the places we inhabit can become windows into the life of faith. The Bible is filled with stories rooted in particular places. God meets Moses in the wilderness. Elijah hears God's voice on a mountain. Jesus teaches beside the sea, withdraws to lonely places to pray, and uses seeds, vineyards, birds, and storms to reveal the kingdom of God. Again and again, God's grace is encountered not apart from creation but within it. As Presbyterians, we affirm that all of life belongs to God. The world around us is not simply a backdrop for our faith—it is an arena in which God is active. The landscapes we love can teach us about trust, patience, belonging, beauty, and hope. They can remind us that we are creatures, dependent upon God's provision and invited into God's care for the world. This series also invites us to deepen our appreciation for the place we call home. In Love1st, we seek to love God, love one another, and love our neighbors. Part of loving our neighbors is learning to see our community with gratitude and wonder. The forests, waters, wildlife, and changing seasons of North Idaho are not accidental features of our lives. They are gifts entrusted to us—places where God's grace continues to meet us. I hope that throughout this summer, we will not only hear God's Word on Sunday mornings but also learn to notice God's presence throughout the week. Perhaps while sitting beside the lake, hiking a familiar trail, tending a garden, or simply watching the sunset, we might discover that God has been speaking through this place all along. I hope you'll join us as we explore Our Home and learn together how the beauty of God's creation points us toward the beauty of God's grace. In grace and gratitude, McLane |
