Wesley United Methodist Church

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  MONDAY MUSING

  My grandfather had a small farm outside International Falls, Minnesota. It was not his main source of income, but he did grow seed potatoes that were sent to California.  I don’t remember much about the farm, but I can still picture “fly strips” hanging down from the ceiling of the old farmhouse. I also recall that at one end of the field was a small, wooded area which bordered the Little Fork River. Finally, I remember the ash that had been harvested from his property and was laying inside an old outbuilding. Growing up, I remember my dad taking some of the ash and making furniture, picture frames, and using it for walls inside of the house in Ely. One piece of furniture my dad made with the ash was a sturdy bench. The bench was usually near the door to the basement. When we came inside the house in the winter, we could sit on the bench and take off our jackets, snow pants, and boots. As useful as the bench was back then, it was not comfortable to sit on for long periods of time. It is very hard and has no back. However, I love the bench, and it is now in my living room in Coleraine. Out of the same ash trees, I have a mantle for my fireplace and five wood candlesticks my dad made out of scraps from the ash. Most people would have tossed or burned them in a fireplace, but my father saw the potential in these scraps and made something beautiful. I love these few pieces of ash. They are solid, carry memories of my father’s love for woodworking, my grandparents farm, and they still have purpose.

  Today, for all kinds of reasons, many people are struggling with what is happening in the world. The church is struggling too, trying to adapt and help people manage their fears and the suffering they see all around them. I know that I am also struggling. As a pastor, how do I remain an authentic witness to the Gospel of Jesus in a world that ignores Jesus’ message of love because it is just too uncomfortable?

  Last evening, I put new candlesticks in the old ash candle holders. I was immediately reminded of another piece of wood, the cross. As I lit the candles, I remembered that Christ called us to be light even when the world seems dark. The words I have been repeating over in my morning meditation is the antiphon used on Good Friday, “This is the wood of the Cross which hung the Savior of the world” and from Matthew’s Gospel,  “You are the light of the world; a city cannot be hidden if it is built on a mountain top…your light must shine before all people so they can see your good works, and glorify God in heaven.”  This week, as the world careens from crisis to crisis, remember that the wood of the cross calls us to seek forgiveness and be merciful and that we must also be light for those who have been left to suffer in the dark. 

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