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

Rembering - Wheat Harvest

When I was in high school I came to Kansas from Illinois a couple of years during the summer to help my sister and brother-in-law with wheat harvest. I traveled either by train or bus, and I think one time by car back home. These were great times for me. I became reacquainted with my Kansas cousins and other family members, and with the church we had attended when living in Kansas.

Wheat harvest for Mervin was somewhat different than a lot of farmers. He didn't have a lot of resources and used older, less modern equipment. The truck I drove to haul wheat is a testimony to that. This truck didn't have a lift bed so the wheat needed to be shoveled out the tailgate when unloading into the bins. Mervin's tractors and combine worked fine, most of the time, but they often needed some major repairs in the off-season. But Mervin found a way to use this kind of machinery and was able over time to produce good crops.

Doing this kind of work in the summer time in Kansas aided me in getting a nice suntan and working some muscles I never would have used back in Illinois. It also provided me with some "scary" times I could have done without. For instance, immediately after the wheat was harvested we would begin working the ground. Plowing was done day and night when the ground was wet enough to plow, doing that until plowing was finished or when the ground became too hard for the plow to stay in the ground. I was taking my turn in the first half of the night plowing in the "back forty" when the tractor suddenly stopped. It had made a loud clunking sound when it quit and there was no doubt it would not run anymore. What I discovered was that it was in the dark of the moon and when the tractor lights were shut off it was pitch black. Needing to find my way all the way back to the house I followed the plow furrow back to the corner, followed the corners to the end of the field, then the forsaken road back to the house. I knew there were coyotes and other creatures around and not being used to that kind of environment, I was a bit apprehensive as I made that long walk.

As it turned out a couple of pistons in the engine had broken and the engine needed to be overhauled. Mervin and I towed the tractor to the yard under a shade tree and that's where the overhaul was done. That was an experience to be remembered, as I still do.

I cherish such times as those were. I learned to appreciate what it took to live without some of the taken-for-granted things we had at my home, such as indoor plumbing, running water, no stickers in the grass, and having people near by. Those, and others, were things that these people had learned to live without early on in their marriage. I still wonder at times how they did as well as they did.

Pilgrim on the way

Rembering - Moving

Moving. Have you ever stopped to count the number of times you and/or your family have moved? I think mine now stands in the mid twenties. Moves of any consequence always make lasting changes in one's life, such as the one pictured on the left.

This photo was taken just after our family started our move from Harper, KS to Arthur, IL in October 1938. It was taken near Argonia, KS when my oldest sister, Estella, wanted to stop and say goodbye to her boyfriend, John Plank, who was farming in that area. I assume that he took the picture.

As you can see the trailer we used to move was quite full. I've often wondered what all was in that trailer. The trailer was borrowed from Sam Troyer of Harper and would need to be returned early the next year. What we found out was that we could only travel about 35 mph as the trailer would begin to fishtail faster than that. The same was true when we returned the trailer the following year. Our car was a 1937 Ford sedan, which was about one year old at that time. We six people were all in there which was quite a car full.

Our travel that first day was to Harrisonville, MO where we stayed with my mother's brother and family, the Ora Hartzlers. I think we only stayed overnight and continued our journey to Arthur, IL the next day. I don't remember much more about that trip, but can only imagine what it might have been like.

This move totally changed the course of my life of course. We moved from a farm in Kansas to a town in Illinois. We didn't know anyone there, but since we moved due to my Father becoming pastor of the developing church there, it didn't take long for us to learn to know the people. We moved into what was called the "Johnny Kauffman house," for the man who owned it. After a year or so we moved to a very big and cold house at the edge of town on a temporary basis, then soon back into town into a house we would live in for quite a few years. Our family moved at least three more times in or near Arthur in the years my parents lived there. I can recall how most of those houses were laid out and remember many events that took place in them.

I will not recall the other moves that I made following my marriage, but there were many. Perhaps the move that made the greatest impact on Clara's and my family was when we moved from East Peoria, IL to Orrville, OH in 1974. Carol had just graduated from high school and soon left for college here in Hesston, KS. Gordon was a senior in high school and found the transition more difficult than he had anticipated. Ron was a freshman in high school and lost out on violin lessons which he had been taking in Illinois. Lynne was in sixth grade and truly didn't want to move, but somehow made the transition without too much ado. These were life altering changes for our children, changes which affected their life choices.

All of these events cause me to remember many things I haven't thought about for a long time, but they are all events that are part of who I am today. I cherish the pictures we have of these times as they help in bringing the past into perspective with the present.

And so I remain

Pilgrim on the way

Remembering - Angela

This is not a very good reproduction, but it is the front of a card I received from Angela Clark when we lived in New York City. It says, With My Thanks. Clara recently found the card and the enclosed note and brought it to my attention.

Angela was an hispanic lady who lived alone in a high-rise apartment in Flushing, Queens and who somehow found her way to our church. We soon discovered that Angela was walking to church on Sundays but that at times she needed to be picked up and/or taken home from the service. We did that for her many times, and of course we visited her in her apartment on more than one occasion.

Angela was what they term "legally blind," but she had found a way to read. Somewhere along our journeys as they intersected I had told her of the manuscript I had written on Eschatology, and she asked if she could read it. I loaned her a copy of one I had put together in book form not knowing if she would be able to enjoy it or get something from it or not. I discovered through this that Angela was a very learned person and that she had read extensively before her eyesight problem grew worse. The card she gave me includes a very personal and touching note in response to having read the book. I will share most of that note here as a remembrance of this woman we learned to love and appreciate. We found out not so long ago that Angela had passed on to be with the Lord.

Dear Pastor King:
It was a wonderful surprise to receive that book from you.
It is so well written that I was absorbing every sentence,
every word. It is easy to read and understand. I also like
that you have balance in the scripture, which is very important.

I admire you very much because you took a very complicated
subject. I am referring to the title - subject ESCHATOLOGY.
Before, I read about Transcendental Eschatology as eternity
is the form of true being, time is nothing but appearance and
shadow.

The term is very controversial. One idea has emerged. The
Bible presents Eschatology as the driving force of salvific
history radically oriented toward the future. Eschatology is
not just one more element of Christianity but the very key to
understanding the Christian Faith.

To Kant, Barth and others, this subject was completely
different. Your book is more precise, and clarifies better your
thoughts. May the Holy Spirit continue blessing your thoughts.

Please pray for my eyes, they are getting bad. Thank you.

Love to both of you in Christ's name.

Angela

As I have read this card several times the last few days it brings back many vivid and happy memories of this lady. She was truly a jewel.

Pilgrim on the way

Remembering - 2009

I have a couple of posts I want to do about "remembering." I have trouble remembering a lot of things anymore, and certainly pictures and other such things help with that.

This picture was put together by Facebook where I first placed it. As I reflect on the snap shots of the various things and people, I feel that I have been blest in so many ways.

I see some pictures of our immediate surroundings, the beautiful maple tree in our south lawn, the crape myrtle bush by our carport, the beautiful rose that was from some very nice bushes we have just behind our house, and the patio view I enjoyed so much last summer. There also is the very fruitful Chinese date tree near our driveway from which we, and many others, reaped a lot of very delicious dates. For all of these, and others, I am grateful. We have been given a very nice place to live and we do enjoy it.

And then there are the people. It was good to see both of the Stutzman girls again last Thanksgiving. They have grown up so quickly it seems and are now beautiful young ladies. And there's my wife, Clara, with the beautiful robe she made from scratch for our neighbor's daughter, who gave it to her daughter as a gift. I thought it was quite something, and it made me grateful for this expression of one of Clara's gifts. The other picture of her is also one of my favorites of this special person. And there's Al, one of my closest friends, and someone I can bounce anything off of and know it will be o.k. There's also one of my daughters-in-law when their family visited us last summer. Chris is a medical doctor practicing in Ohio, and I was free to solicit her expertise on some of my health concerns. And there I sit in Mervin's room listening to him explain to niece Marianne what that object was hanging on his wall - a hand corn planter. What an invention. There's also a picture of our congregation at worship during the centennial celebration we had last fall. My life is enriched in so many ways by what all of these people have contributed.

Finally I have included pictures of the 1000 word, but small, picture puzzle that our daughter, granddaughter, and my wife worked on last Christmas season when they were here. Clara needed to finish it after they were gone as they didn't get it done before they needed to leave. We enjoyed having them here very much. I have a picture of a brochure promoting a new CD being offered by Third Way Media, an arm of our denomination. It is a reproduction of many of the hymns that used to be sung by the Mennonite Hour broadcast back in the 50's. I enjoy it a lot. And finally there's a picture of the front of the book written by Roma Schmidt for our church's centennial, To Live in Christ. This book covers only the last 25 years of our church's history as another one of the first years preceded it.

And so live goes on. More memories are being made day by day. Some of these will be recorded and many will not. Some will be good, some will not perhaps. Hopefully I'll be able to catch some of the good ones on camera too.

I remain

Pilgrim on the way

War

Recently I was present at an impersonation of a man by the name of A. L. Hess. Mr Hess was one of the key persons who founded the town of Hesston, and of the name of the street on which I live. This presentation was very interesting to say the least, and it gave us a very good picture of who this man was and what he did for this community.

A. L. Hess was not a literary man, but he did write a few poems during his busy life. They were mostly poems about things that happened in his personal life and experience. There are only a few copies of these poems, one of which came into the possession of the presenter we heard. I want to share only one here that carries a lot of meaning. It is on war, and the call to peace. It is my recollection that this poem was written at the close of the civil war. By the way, the initials in his name, A. L., stand for Abraham Lincoln.

-------
War
Inventive man has fashioned great machines
That speed across the earth and cleave the air
They spew their breath of fire and bursting bomb
And carry their destruction everywhere.

Inventive man has found a better way
To deal out death and suffering, grief and woe
Inventive man has found a surer way
To deal his fellow man a crushing blow.

Oh master mind when will you learn to love
When will you learn more merciful to be
When will you seek to emulate a God
Whose dealings have been merciful with thee?

Why are your God-given talents all atuned
To rend and tear, to kill and to destroy?
Resourceful man when will you find a way
To fill this world with happiness and joy?

The dove of Peace lies broken in the dust
A war to end all wars is but a dream
The interval between that men call peace
Is but a prop on which the nations lean.

A time to breathe, a resting spell
Then once again we hear the cannon's roar
The measured tread of soldiers' marching feet
A sight this world has witnessed o'er and o'er.

A. L. Hess

Jeanette - An Incredible Story

This incredible story about a woman in Haiti named Jeanette was seen last evening on NBC news. You can find a video of the story on MSNBC.com entitled, "Rescue offers hope amid Haiti's heartbreak," or turn to the web address below. This woman who was trapped in the rubble and unable to move for 6 days comes out singing. How incredible is that? Her song had to do with not being afraid of death. How incredible is that? My prayer for the Haitian people is still, "Lord, listen to your children praying."

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/34926783#34926783

I remain

Pilgrim on the way

Haiti

One wants to write and comment on the situation in Haiti, but there just aren't words one can say in response to this tragedy. I just want to share here the refrain and one verse from the song, "Lord, listen to your children praying." Praying is all I can do and that is all that most folks in this ravaged country can do.

"Lord, listen to Your children praying,
Lord, send Your spirit in this place;
Lord, listen to Your children praying,
Send us love, send us power, send us grace!

Something's gonna happen
Like the world has never known
When the people of the Lord
Get down to pray.
A door's gonna swing open,
And the walls come a tumblin' down,
When the people of the Lord
Get down to pray.
O when the people of the Lord,
O the people of the Lord,
When the people of the Lord
Get down to pray.

"All the people sang:
Lord, listen to Your children praying,
Lord, send Your spirit in this place;
Lord, listen to Your children praying,
Send us love, send us power, send us grace!

Two Kingdoms

A number of years ago I drew a chart with which I was trying to show the difference between God's kingdom and the kingdom of this world. I no longer have one of those around, but I often wish I had. Sometimes a simple chart is easier to read than a lot of verbal explanation.

There really is no simple way to describe either kingdom. Concerning the Kingdom of God, Jesus said: "The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, nor will people say, 'Here it is,' or 'There it is,' because the kingdom of God is within you." At His trial, Jesus said to Pilate, "My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But now my kingdom is from another place." In the book of Romans God's kingdom is described thus: "For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit." The kingdom of the world is best described by just reading or hearing the news. The kingdom of the world is referred to in Scripture as all that opposes God and His kingdom, and which is controlled by Satan himself, and which is set on destroying all who are subjects of God's kingdom.

And so just living here on earth one becomes aware of what is going on in the world's kingdom(s). What's going on in God's kingdom is best determined by what's going on the lives of God's people. That would not necessarily be the church, as "church" and "kingdom of God" are not synonyms as many portray. Those who are members of God's kingdom are those who have committed their lives to following the King of this kingdom, Jesus, no matter what comes. They are those who seek to pattern their lives after Jesus' teachings and example. These people may be a part of the "church" or they may not. Regrettably we cannot automatically identify church members as kingdom members. Likewise we cannot rule out people who are following Christ and not members of a local body of believers as members of God's kingdom. Am I making sense?

In other words when I want to know what's going on in God's kingdom I simply need to look for what dedicated followers of Jesus are doing. And there are many, many good things happening in the lives of those people. I will not name those for you but simply ask you to look around at what you can see, in your church, other churches, or simply in the lives of people who are living Christ-like lives.

The words of Revelation 11:15 tell us what the end of these two kingdoms will be: "The kingdom of this world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign for ever and ever." Let us all continue to live in the NOW of God's kingdom as we wait for the NOT YET of God's kingdom that is to come. "May thy kingdom come, may thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven."

Pilgrim on the way

Eventful Day

Yesterday, January 11, was certainly an eventful day in the news. Last week the book, Game Change, found it's way into the news some, but yesterday the news media had their fun with this book.

Supposedly it contains some "juicy" news about a number of politicians who participated in some way in last year's national election. One of the things that came out in this book was a statement made by Senator Harry Reid. Reid was quoted as making what has been deemed as a racial remark about the then candidate for president, Barack Obama. This prompted an apology by Reid and an acceptance of the apology by President Obama. There evidently are stories about a number of other persons that have triggered a lot of flap among the news people. I guess that's what these people like to do. But after I hear their initial flip flap, I'm through listening. I just hope that whatever comes of it all will not hurt those involved anymore than they already have been.

Another event in the news yesterday was the confession by ex-baseball player, Mark McGwire. For a number of years McGwire has denied using steroids while playing in the major leagues, including 1998 when he and Sammy Sosa competed for the most home runs hit in a year. McGwire set the record when he hit 70 home runs, and I think Sosa's final number was 66. Sosa had hit 60 or more three years in a row, and now the sports writers are calling for Sosa to 'fess up too. He continues to deny using steroids at any time. Since I'm a sports fan, and particularly a Chicago Cub fan for whom Sosa played, this story was of interest to me. I guess the end result of steroid use in the majors is still to be determined. Some high profile players are still denying the use of steroids while evidence is present that conflicts with that, and other high profile players have come forward and admitted using these drugs and are still playing. That's that story.

There were other stories in the news yesterday that made it an eventful day, such as that of Sarah Palin being hired by FOX news. The political bias of the news networks is very obvious most of the time. Some try to remain politically neutral but sometimes a bias can be seen anyway.

While I walk the paths of this world and seek to keep informed about the events here, I'm first and foremost a citizen of God's kingdom and my deepest interest is in what is happening there. Perhaps I'll do a blog soon about that. I'm just a

Pilgrim on the way

Behalt!

The picture here is a small cut from a very large cyclorama done by a man named Heinz Gaugel. He bagan this 10' x 265' circular mural in 1978 and finished it in 1992, eight years before his death in 2000. You can find the story that was done on this cyclorama here.

This cyclorama is a pictorial depiction of the development of the Anabaptist faith through the centuries. Of course not all Anabaptists (rebaptizers) came from the Amish, as pictured here in this cut My ancestors were Amish/Mennonite, but I traced my wife's ancestors back to the 16th century and found them to be Amish who came from Switzerland.

I often wish I knew more about the faith of my ancestors, and of the Amish of that early era of history. About the only objective thing I know is that my paternal great grandfather, Christian C. King, was a minister in the Amish Mennonite Church. I know also that somehow, someway, the faith I learned in my home was passed down from generation to generation which has given me the opportunity to learn about the Christian faith and make it my own. I desire that for all my descendants, and in our home we tried to provide an atmosphere where that could happen.

I do not know specifically what part(s) of the Anabaptist faith has been retained by my descendants. What I do know is that our children all have claimed the Christian faith as their own and have developed that through the years. Theirs is the responsibility to pass that on to their descendants, and to my knowledge they have been faithful in doing that. I would hope that this would continue as further generations come and go.

Many fear that Anabaptism per se is passing away, even in our churches which claim to hold the Anabaptist faith. I see some of that perhaps, but I do not see Anabaptist teachings totally disappearing from Mennonite Church USA churches. At least I would hope that would not be the case. I still believe that the true teachings of the early Anabaptists were basic truths of the Scripture and that they should not be lost to the church for any reason. I seek always to conform my life to the teachings of Jesus first of all and believe that of all the doctrines, teachings and traditions out there, Anabaptism is the one I will always seek to adhere to.

Those are some of my thoughts for today. I welcome any response you readers may have to share. I continue to press on as

Pilgrim on the way

Third Way Cafe

I invite you my readers to check out the new website I have included in my blog list called Third Way Cafe. This web site has been in existence for many years, but has been continually updated to stay relevant. You might also want to check out the web site listed there for Hesston Mennonite Church, which happens to be the church we attend. This web site is still a bit in construction, but has enough now to be quite informative. You might also want to check our this site.

Outside of the above suggestions, I just have this to say for all you midwesterners, STAY WARM!!! The temperature here tonight is predicted to be about 4-5 below zero! And the NW wind is still blowing. WOW! I'm told it hasn't been this cold in Kansas for years. Hopefully the prediction for next week holds, as they're saying 46 degrees by next Thursday. So the admonition is that if you don't HAVE to go out tonight, don't.

That's all for this post. Perhaps I'll get inspired to do a more "meaty" one in the near future.

Pilgrim on the way

Help!

Well it's 2010 this morning and it just seems like any other morning, and I guess it really is. Or is it? There used to be something magical about the New Year's dawn, but not so much any more. O, we need to get used to using 2010 instead of 2009, and perhaps a new way to say "2010" and remember to put up our new calendars but otherwise its just another day. But that isn't really what I wanted to write about this morning.

Something has happened to my blog spot and I can't seem to find out how to correct it, so I'm asking you techies for help. First of all, the format at the top of this post has changed. Among other things I can no longer choose the font size and type I want. Also, and perhaps the one I dislike the most, is that I cannot upload pictures. After choosing the pic I want and uploading it, the picture shows but when I click "Done" the picture does not transfer to my post, but rather all the programming gobbledygook appears. I've tried a number of things and there seems to be no answer for the problem. Now not being able to post pictures is not "the end of the world," but it is something which I like to do as I feel it enhances what I want to say.

I have some options I am considering. One, quit blogging. I have done this for awhile and often anymore it seems I can't get inspired to do a post for some time. Two, try another way to blog, such as Twitter, My Space, etc., but in looking at those sites I find that they are probably "out of my league" as far as understanding all the lingo etc. Third, blog w/o uploading pictures and use the font I'm given. I really don't like any of the above options, so I'm looking for help in solving this problem. Anyone else ever have this issue to deal with?

I guess that's all for now. I would appreciate any help anyone can give me. Until then I remain

Pilgrim on the Way