For the Birds 2

I don't understand birds. For instance, why didn't I see any birds around, not a bird in sight, when I sat on the patio this morning for at least a half hour? Quite often there are birds flying around, such as sparrows, robins, etc., but this morning - not a bird in sight, not even any birds sitting on the high wires across the street or in our back yard.

Another example of how birds "think." Those wrens I talked about in my last blog, how did they think their precious little babies were going to get out of our storage place on their first flight? Well they, or should I say, it, didn't make it. Had it not been for the incessant "barking" of one of the parents the only survivor we saw wouldn't have made it out. I had to go into the storage area and look for the bird and found it sitting inside a small tuna fish can inside of our recycle can. I picked up the can and helped the bird find its way out. Now we have no more wrens in our storage area.

So guess what I did. I built a small wren house and hung it up outside of the storage area. But no birds are around, including the wrens. So perhaps next spring, or maybe this fall yet, the wrens will find their new home, in a safe place, where the babies can get out.

By the way, we do enjoy watching the birds around here, when they're around here. When they're not around here we look for them and wonder where they are. I'm sure they'll all show up at some point.

By the way again, I have to share a bit of our bird watching before I conclude. A few weeks ago on a Sunday morning, I was sitting on the patio drinking my morning coffee when I noticed four, maybe five, birds all sitting on the ground, separated from one another by 20 feet or so, all looking toward the same object, as it appeared at least. They never moved for at least 5-10 minutes, like they were in a trance. What a strange sight as I had never seen anything like it before. Finally one of the birds, all robins but one, moved, turned around and headed the other direction and one by one all the rest did the same. Strange birds, these were, but I'm sure something had their attention, something I couldn't see. Could it have been a snake in the grass? Or a small turtle? Or what?

Oh well, I'm in the sitting mode this morning due to a lack of strength to do much else, so these are some of my thoughts for this day as I continue on my way.

Pilgrim on the way

For the Birds

Hey, anybody still checking this blog? I keep thinking I'm done with doing this, but somehow after a couple of months I come back. Well, I'm back for this time anyway.

We have a really nice patio out our back door, at least we think its nice. We even think its about the nicest one in our little community. Anyway, we like to sit out on the patio in the morning, and evening too sometimes, when the weather is suitable.

This morning we were out there again and watching the doings of our wrens. We call them our wrens because this pair chose to build a nest inside the semi-enclosed storage unit we have off our patio. On the picture at the right its behind the lattice on the left side of the patio. There was really no good place in there where we keep our outside "stuff" to build a nest, so the wrens made one. It turned out to be quite an accomplishment! It looks quite comfy and secluded in the corner on one of the shelves.

We watched with interest as the wrens worked on their project of making a home. They didn't like us sitting on our patio chairs at all, and they let us have it with their scolding. We just told them, too bad, we were here first! But in spite of our interruptions to their work, they got it finished. This whole process took a couple of weeks, and finally in checking one day, we discovered some very small eggs. It was hard to see how many, even when using a flashlight, so we didn't get a count.

Yesterday after seeing the mama fly out I got a flashlight and looked into the nest and lo and behold there were several little tiny heads looking up with gaping mouths expecting some food from mama wren. This morning we were frustrating for mama as she came carrying food for her little ones. She would hop around and sit on different things until finally, after several scoldings, she flew into the storage area to give the food she had in her mouth to the newly hatched "wrenlets."

Through all of this we heard several different sounds from these birds. I'm sure there was communicating going on, and once in a while we would hear their song. These are different wrens than we usually see around here as their song is quite different. But they are wrens nonetheless. In the bird book we have there are so many different kinds of wrens that we haven't been able to say for sure which breed these are.

Its all been very interesting for us and it will be interesting as well when we finally see the little ones fly away and begin their own journey. Until then, and beyond I hope, I remain --

Pilgrim on the way

July 2, 1954

July 2, 1954 was indeed a very special day! Clara and I were married on that day by my father, Henry J. King, in the Arthur Mennonite Church, Arthur, IL. And so, in case your math isn't working, today is our 56th anniversary! We are truly happy and glad we made that important decision. God has blessed us throughout our years together and He has given us a wonderful family - four great children, eleven grandchildren, and five great grandsons! In addition God has brought into our lives many friends from many areas of our country, from New York City to Washington and Oregon. And we are blessed also to be able to live here at Schowalter Villa where we are assured of a place to live and health care for the rest of our lives.


But things change a lot in 56 years! And people change too! This hardly looks like the same couple as the one above. We talked a bit this morning at breakfast about how we have changed in looks. But we have also changed inside too. We have both grown tremendously in our spiritual lives as well. Both of us would have to admit that we were but children spiritually when we were married, and hopefully we are now spiritual adults and still growing. Life has taught us many things, brought to us many experiences that have helped us grow along the way. We are blessed in this way and are indeed grateful for all God has done for us along the way.

We're not great celebrators but we do plan to do a few things to enjoy our anniversary together. A short trip to some places that are unfamiliar and perhaps some that used to be familiar will give us opportunity to just enjoy being together in a little different setting than being at home. We like to go on the back roads and find those little "Mom and Pop" restaurants along the way and not get too involved in traffic and more populated places.

While we both have had some health problems along the way, we are grateful for the health God has given us and we are both commited to be together "in sickness and in health, 'till death do us part."

May God truly bless all of you who may happen to read this post.

Pilgrim on the way

Mothers Day

While I know that today is not Mothers Day, which of course is observed on Sunday, it is Mothers Day for me. My Mother, Anna Hartzler King, was born on May 7, 1891. Her parents were Joseph Hartzler and Susan Hooley Hartzler. The rose on the left is in honor of my mother. Mother passed away on February 5, 1981. If she would have lived another three months she would have been 90.

Mother grew up in a home where her help was needed at an early age, due in part at least, to the death of her father when she was only five years old. Later on, her marriage to my father, Henry J. King, did not change her need to work, as Pop, as we called him, became a traveling evangelist and was away from home a lot while the children were growing up. Mother became an entrepreneur of sorts as she needed to find ways to help support the family, especially during the depression and following. In my lifetime she ran a hatchery, bred registered dogs, and started a greenhouse, which is still in existence in Arthur, IL, known as the Arthur Flower Shop.

I have many fond memories of my mother, including one at a very early age on the farm near Harper, KS. I can remember my mother holding me on her lap in a rocking chair in the front room of that farm house. During my teen years I can also remember many "discussions" between Mother and Father, some of which grew a bit loud, and most of which ended with Pop just becoming quiet and letting Mom talk. That was his way of ending a not-so-pleasant discussion.

I still think of my parents often, even though its been almost 30 years since their passing. Growing up some of my siblings used to think I got special treatment from our parents since I was their "baby." I don't know about that but I do know that I learned to respect my parents very highly and always sought to please them, even though I know I failed a lot with that. I regret that I was not able to spend more time with them in their waning years, but that was not possible since we lived a long way from them then. I was glad that two of my sisters, Estella and Dorothy, were able to be with them a lot during that time, and that they were able to be there during or soon following their deaths.

And so time goes on. Some day my children will have the opportunity to reflect on my life. I trust that their memories will be as good as mine are of my parents.

Pilgrim on the way

Spring

Spring is in the air! It seems like I've been waiting for springtime for a long time. We have truly enjoyed all of the blooming trees and shrubs all around us this spring. It seems as if there are more and better blossoms this year than usual, at least that seems to be the consensus of many here. Perhaps its just that we seemed to have such a long and drawn out winter this year that it makes it seems so wonderful to have all of these beautiful trees. Kansas seems to have a bad name around the country for some reason, but anyone who might happen through this area this spring might have a change of mind.

We also have been enjoying watching some of our plants grow. The clematis sprout and grew, very rapidly it seems. It is more than six feet up the lattice now and still growing. The rose bushes are leafed out and preparing to sprout buds soon. Our two yellow primroses are also starting to develop their leaves so hopefully we'll have some of those showing themselves before too many weeks. We have some red geraniums out front this year which brightens up the front of our house. We have other plants here too and all of them in their own way reveal the power and glory of our God.

There are some other revelations that spring brings, such as the need for some repair and repainting of the dutch windmill and the patio chairs I made a few years ago. The storage area needs cleaning out and a few things discarded. Its a good thing that this time of year gives us "spring fever" which enables us to do the things spring offers us.

Spring also is the prelude to summer. Sometimes summer comes with such gusto that we almost wish for it to be cooler again. I vowed last spring that I wouldn't complain about the hot weather, but I probably did my share of that before summer was over. I'll be glad for summer to come but I won't make such a promise this year.

As the seasons come and go I'm always reminded of how much God really cares for us. He reveals Himself to us in each season and somehow in the more difficult times of the year I try, with my wife's help, to see the good in what is happening then. I see the sun trying to peak through the clouds right now and am reminded again that the sun is always shining, even when we can't see it. God is always there even when we can't seem to see Him or the things He is doing for us.

May God bless your day with peace and joy.

Pilgrim on the way

Communication

Well it has been quite some time since I have done a post. I haven't been sure that I wanted to start this up again, but decided that I needed to do just that.

This communication thing seems to be getting out of hand for me. I started this blogging thing first then got into Facebook to see if I could keep up with what relatives and friends were doing. That was a good thing, at least at first, but I soon discovered that I couldn't relate to all that was being said there. Now they want me to get into Twitter, which at this point I don't intend to do. In our world today we seem to be communication crazy. We seem to need to be "connected" to someone all the time. And by the way, some folks' talking is so fast I can't understand a lot of what is being said. I said once that "you talk fast and I listen slow," and that can make for a problem.

And I heard again yesterday some statistics about how much some people text message one another. Those stats are not only hard for me to comprehend, but to understand as well. Does anyone have time for silence and solitude anymore? If we're not texting, Facebooking, or Twittering we have loud music playing somewhere near, or in our ears, maybe at the same time.

I'm finding that when I get into one or more of the above communication things that I have more difficulty in being able to really communicate with God. True communication with God requires silence, meditation, and opening ones' self to the Spirit of God. It means listening as well as talking. Do we really know how to listen to anyone these days, let alone God? I'm speaking for myself here, but I suspect that others may have the same problem.

Sometimes God allows things to happen in our lives that make us slow down and listen to what He has to say. That has happened to me, has it to you? Someone has said that "silence is golden." Perhaps we all should "go for the gold" more often. Your comments are welcome.

Pilgrim on the way

Remembering - The Pulpit

Back when my father was pastor of the Arthur Mennonite Church, and when he was working full time at Progress Manufacturing Co., he somehow found the time to make a pulpit for our new church building. I'm guessing it was in 1949 when the building was dedicated. This pulpit was made from scrap lumber he picked up at Progress where he was employed making hardwood caskets.

I consider this pulpit to be a work of art. It shows a lot of creativity and "professional" workmanship. And the interesting thing is, it is still in use today in that place. I have indicated to the leadership there that if at some time they choose to "retire" the pulpit I would like to have it. But now I do not have room for something that large, I decided I at least wanted some pictures, which I now have received.

My father used this pulpit for almost 10 years, until he retired in 1958. When I was pastor of this congregation from 1988 to 1995 I used this pulpit. I had a minor change made on the shelf where my Bible and notes were placed, and that change has been a part of the pulpit since.

One thing I learned in seminary was that in the Anabaptist/Mennonite tradition, the pulpit in the churches was always placed in the center or the platform. This placement, I was told, was by intent and represented the centrality of preaching in the worship services. Proclamation of the Word was to be central in the worship of God's people. I was always somewhat confused when we gathered in some of the other places of worship in our town for community services, because there were two pulpits, one on either side of the platform. One needed to observe how these two pulpits were used in order to know which pulpit to go to when reading scripture or preaching. In these churches the altar table was in the center making the sharing of communion central in the service.

And so it was with some feeling of loss when the pulpit in our church was moved to one side. I was attending this church but was no longer the pastor, so I had no voice in this decision. As far as I know the pulpit pictured above is still on the side of the platform and not in the center. What does that mean? I'm not sure. Maybe it means nothing. But I also have seen the importance of the sermon diminished in many congregations by the emphasis on the style of worship and other things, such as sharing from the congregation, etc.

I guess I'm old fashioned, but I still like to hear a really strong message from God's Word given by someone who can proclaim the message with clarity and conviction. I know we can't go back and do things like we used to do but, sometimes I wonder if we aren't truly missing something when preaching is no longer the focus of the service.

I guess that's my line for today. And it all started with "the pulpit."

Pilgrim on the way