I've thought before about the concept of free will, and how God must be frustrated when we make bad choices...commonly pondered things by Reformed folk, right? Yesterday, I was thinking along a similar vein, but more along the lines of how it must grieve God when we choose to linger in mess when there is so much more for us. But when we're in the mess, it's hard to see anything except clutter or chaos all around. I was sitting with one of our teens, and she has a lot of things going on--some brought on by her own choices, others brought on by no fault of her own. I had this moment where I sat there, wanting so badly to be able to protect her from the hurt, to challenge her to consider something more, and to help her trust--really, to just draw her close. I kept thinking of the song "Gather Us In," which we sang sometimes at Calvin, so I haven't heard it for a couple of years. The idea of God drawing us near and holding us close is so comforting to me. I think God stirs in us to be that comfort to each other too, and I pray we can share that safe and stable love with our kids and teens.
-----
We are the young - our lives are a mystery,
we are the old - who yearn for your face.
We have been sung throughout all of history,
called to be light to the whole human race.
Gather us in - the rich and the haughty,
gather us in - the proud and the strong.
Give us a heart so meek and so lowly,
give us the courage to enter the song...
Not in the dark of buildings confining,
not in some heaven, light years away,
but here in this place, the new light is shining;
now is the Kingdom, now is the day.
Gather us in - and hold us forever,
gather us in - and make us your own.
Gather us in - all peoples together,
fire of love in our flesh and our bone...
"Gather Us In" -by Marty Haugen.
Fall Fun...
I love fall...
The Hoboken Kids Halloween Parade, with Andrea and the girl-ies... :)
Aylah, the bumble-bee...
Macy, the flower...
The Hoboken Kids Halloween Parade, with Andrea and the girl-ies... :)
Aylah, the bumble-bee...
Macy, the flower...
Nudity necessitates "evacuation..."
I was sitting in the sanctuary yesterday afternoon during the After School Center, browsing through Writers Inc., preparing a lesson on writing. There were also approximately 30 children in the room, being assisted with their homework by their teenage tutors. Things were humming along, and it was around 5:20--only 25 minutes remained until dismissal.
Greg is a high school senior, and one of our team leaders on staff (highest leadership position). He walked up to me with a goofy expression on his face.
"Deborah. We just brought the rec class inside." He paused. (The rec class had been playing basketball in our parking lot.)
"Okay," I said, "did it start raining?"
"No." Another pause, accompanied by raised eyebrows, a funny grin and grimace. "See, there's this guy on the sidewalk. And he's naked..."
"What???" I asked, already laughing.
Greg was also laughing, as he explained. Apparently this clothing-less man showed up, wandering around the sidewalk, right outside New City. The staff did a great job of immediately ushering our kids inside, and someone on our block must have called the police. By the time I peeked outside to see the commotion, there were 3 police cars and an ambulance blocking our corner. The man was covered with a trenchcoat of some sort (I was quite grateful not to have personally witnessed the nudity).
About this time, parents start rolling in to pick up their kids. At least the nudity was over, but there was still certainly a scene on the street. I stayed in the foyer to greet parents and assure them that we brought the kids inside and all was well in the After School Center.
Life in Jersey City--never a dull moment! Living in the city means you need to have a ready-for-anything type of attitude, which I try to maintain. But entire nudity on the sidewalk right outside New City was not something I was prepared for. Fortunately, that means that it is not a typical experience! Here's to hoping that today is less eventful...
Greg is a high school senior, and one of our team leaders on staff (highest leadership position). He walked up to me with a goofy expression on his face.
"Deborah. We just brought the rec class inside." He paused. (The rec class had been playing basketball in our parking lot.)
"Okay," I said, "did it start raining?"
"No." Another pause, accompanied by raised eyebrows, a funny grin and grimace. "See, there's this guy on the sidewalk. And he's naked..."
"What???" I asked, already laughing.
Greg was also laughing, as he explained. Apparently this clothing-less man showed up, wandering around the sidewalk, right outside New City. The staff did a great job of immediately ushering our kids inside, and someone on our block must have called the police. By the time I peeked outside to see the commotion, there were 3 police cars and an ambulance blocking our corner. The man was covered with a trenchcoat of some sort (I was quite grateful not to have personally witnessed the nudity).
About this time, parents start rolling in to pick up their kids. At least the nudity was over, but there was still certainly a scene on the street. I stayed in the foyer to greet parents and assure them that we brought the kids inside and all was well in the After School Center.
Life in Jersey City--never a dull moment! Living in the city means you need to have a ready-for-anything type of attitude, which I try to maintain. But entire nudity on the sidewalk right outside New City was not something I was prepared for. Fortunately, that means that it is not a typical experience! Here's to hoping that today is less eventful...
Retreats!
It seems to be retreat season at New City. Last week, our new teen staff for this year of After School Center was together for a training retreat. We have a big staff this year--32 teens--and many of them are freshman and sophomores. I am prayerful that their year at New City will be a stretching, growing, and encouraging one!
Today was the first day of our adult staff retreat, and we did a lot of reflecting and brainstorming. Tomorrow is day 2, where we'll get into some of the details more fully. And on Wednesday, I'm leaving with a group of three teen girls to go on a retreat to a horse farm in Virginia. I'm really excited to take these girls--they are fabulous--and to be able to share something that I love so much with them. I hope that it is a meaningful experience for each of them!
In the midst of these things, After School Center enrollment and preparations continue, and I am doing my best to get things in order for a new year. Our first day in September 14, so it is right around the corner.
I also moved to a new apartment over the weekend, so that was of course a project. I'm now living in a great 1 bedroom apartment by myself, but in a house that my friends just bought, so they live on the first two floors and I'm on the top floor. Our house is in the same neighborhood, just a few blocks away from my old apartment. I've enjoyed unpacking, organizing, and deciding how to arrange things. But it's certainly added to the busyness of these few weeks!
Please pray for peace and calm in the midst of such busy weeks. Pray for our teens, as they begin a new employment season. And for our kids, as they start a new school year, and a new season at After School...
Today was the first day of our adult staff retreat, and we did a lot of reflecting and brainstorming. Tomorrow is day 2, where we'll get into some of the details more fully. And on Wednesday, I'm leaving with a group of three teen girls to go on a retreat to a horse farm in Virginia. I'm really excited to take these girls--they are fabulous--and to be able to share something that I love so much with them. I hope that it is a meaningful experience for each of them!
In the midst of these things, After School Center enrollment and preparations continue, and I am doing my best to get things in order for a new year. Our first day in September 14, so it is right around the corner.
I also moved to a new apartment over the weekend, so that was of course a project. I'm now living in a great 1 bedroom apartment by myself, but in a house that my friends just bought, so they live on the first two floors and I'm on the top floor. Our house is in the same neighborhood, just a few blocks away from my old apartment. I've enjoyed unpacking, organizing, and deciding how to arrange things. But it's certainly added to the busyness of these few weeks!
Please pray for peace and calm in the midst of such busy weeks. Pray for our teens, as they begin a new employment season. And for our kids, as they start a new school year, and a new season at After School...
Michigan Summer Vacation...
Here are lots of photographs from the fabulous week I spent with my family in Michigan... :)
Monday and Tuesday--an adventure with Mary...
Grace Adventures' Paradise Ranch:
Sleeping Bear Dunes, bright and sunny the first day:
Not-so-sunny, the second day, but remaining beautiful:
Back at the Ranch, for another ride:
Wednesday--back in Hamilton...
Visiting Crane's Orchard for lunch with Mom and Dad, Ruth, and Grandpa:
Thursday--Laketown Beach and campfire at home...
Saturday--Family get-together with the Strabbing side...
Grandpa and all of his great-grandkids...
The family, in TimberTown... :)
It was so good to be home! I am glad to be back in Jersey City too--another place that is home to me. I did a lot of planning/prep for After School this past week, and next week we have a teen staff training retreat, which I'm excited about. I'm also moving to a new apartment at the end of next week, so it'll be a busy one. And the count-down to After School is in full swing--first day is Monday, September 14th...
Monday and Tuesday--an adventure with Mary...
Grace Adventures' Paradise Ranch:
Sleeping Bear Dunes, bright and sunny the first day:
Not-so-sunny, the second day, but remaining beautiful:
Back at the Ranch, for another ride:
Wednesday--back in Hamilton...
Visiting Crane's Orchard for lunch with Mom and Dad, Ruth, and Grandpa:
Thursday--Laketown Beach and campfire at home...
Saturday--Family get-together with the Strabbing side...
Grandpa and all of his great-grandkids...
The family, in TimberTown... :)
It was so good to be home! I am glad to be back in Jersey City too--another place that is home to me. I did a lot of planning/prep for After School this past week, and next week we have a teen staff training retreat, which I'm excited about. I'm also moving to a new apartment at the end of next week, so it'll be a busy one. And the count-down to After School is in full swing--first day is Monday, September 14th...
Mourning, and hope...
Jersey City mourns the loss of Detective Marc DiNardo. He passed away this morning, after being shot during Thursday morning's shoot-out. His legacy continues through his wife and three children, all under the age of 5. Please keep this family in prayer, as they mourn and grieve the loss of a husband, father, and friend.
At New City, we continue to press on, sharing a message of hope and peace, challenging children and young people that their choices are important and that choosing to live a life "God's Way" is the most important choice you can make.
The mural, in the front of the sanctuary...
Rap and song class...6th and 7th graders ("Asher"), jumping and rapping the Books of the Bible rap...
Morning preaching time, 1st and 2nd graders ("Gad"), listening carefully...
Art class...4th and 5th graders ("Levi")...
Tempest and Eileen, 3rd graders, in "Judah"...
Self-portraits with teen staff...me and Greg...
Trudy and me...
Please keep praying! We ask for God's grace to cover our city, this ministry and our lives...
At New City, we continue to press on, sharing a message of hope and peace, challenging children and young people that their choices are important and that choosing to live a life "God's Way" is the most important choice you can make.
The mural, in the front of the sanctuary...
Rap and song class...6th and 7th graders ("Asher"), jumping and rapping the Books of the Bible rap...
Morning preaching time, 1st and 2nd graders ("Gad"), listening carefully...
Art class...4th and 5th graders ("Levi")...
Tempest and Eileen, 3rd graders, in "Judah"...
Self-portraits with teen staff...me and Greg...
Trudy and me...
Please keep praying! We ask for God's grace to cover our city, this ministry and our lives...
Great Big Love...
Today, this was the "Voice of the Day" quote in the Sojourner's daily email:
Much violence is based on the illusion that life is a property to be defended and not to be shared. -Henri Nouwen.
I am sitting quietly, thinking about these words, and their timeliness. Yesterday, violence seemed to prevail in our streets. Shots were first fired around 5am on a street a block away from New City. I was walking to New City around 6:30am, ready to begin preparations for the day of Summer Camp. But I was only to find the streets barricaded with police cars and officers. I walked around the neighborhood and discovered there was no way to get to New City since all of the surrounding streets were blocked. Police cars and officers were everywhere, with police tape stretched across the streets and flares set out in the middle of the streets. Not really knowing what else to do, I sat on the sidewalk in front of a corner store and waited. I heard shots fired--later to find out that these were the shots that took the lives of the two suspects, one of the suspects being a 22 year-old woman.
I kept waiting, unable to get to New City, and feeling nervous about the prospect of our kids beginning to gather in the midst of danger. I explained to the officers that our Summer Camp was scheduled to begin soon and that our kids would start showing up within an hour and a half or so. I called Pastor Trevor, and we decided to notify our Summer Camp families that we were postponing the day's start. I pulled out my database and started making phone calls to parents. After making many calls, the officers opened up the street I was on, and I was able to walk down the block into New City. I kept calling parents, and by the time I was getting to the end of the list, many people had already heard as it was breaking news across the city, particularly since five police officers were shot. Our teenagers started arriving for work, and some kids who we had been unable to reach also began to gather. I stood at the gate and greeted parents and kids, ushering them inside, where our mural in the front of the sanctuary says "Choose! God's way or My way."
Despite the crowd that was gathering on the next block to look at the crime scene, and the strong continued police presence, and then the droves of media staff who swarmed about, 59 kids gathered at Summer Camp. I continued to stand by the gate all morning, greeting, and trying to be a positive voice of peace and reassurance for both kids and parents. Though we started late, we got back into our regular groove and our "Opening Program" (time of worship, preaching, and games) began.
I kept standing on the sidewalk, in front of New City's gate. Across the street, police, bystanders, and media continued to swarm. Sirens continued periodically, and I had an erie sense as I looked around our neighborhood, and a street I have walked down dozens of times, now heavily guarded by police.
But there was something else too, even more powerful than the scene that I looked out into. Inside New City, our kids sang, chanted, and danced before the Lord. Our Summer Camp theme is "Choose!," based on Proverbs, and the kids called out, with strength in their voices, a rap about trusting in the Lord and choosing wisdom instead of folly. Their voices carried out, reaching my ears outside on the sidewalk. The worship continued, as the kids sang "Great Big Love." The song talks about God's great big love. Overwhelmed by the mornings events, and by the presence of the Holy Spirit in the midst of great darkness and violence, my eyes filled up with tears.
Ours is a God of Great Big LOVE.
The media tells the story of the horrible violence that took place in our neighborhood yesterday. The local paper headline this morning described a "bloodbath," and one news report I read yesterday described our neighborhood as one that is known for being violent and drug-infested. But there were other things happening yesterday in Jersey City. Across the street, we gathered with young people in worship and teaching about a different way of life--one of love, peace and hope.
I find it greatly discouraging when people talk about our neighborhood as a "bad" one, with words painting a bleak and hopeless picture. This is so frustrating to me because it misses hope and beauty. There is Hope! And there is the beauty of the Image of God in each person in our neighborhood!
Yesterday was a day of great sadness and fear, but there was more going on than just those things. There were also reminders that God is at work in the world and in our city, that He is at work at New City, and in the lives of our kids, teens, and families. The violence did not stop our voices from rising in worship. It did not stop our testimony that we can have Hope because of the Great Big Love of a God who sent his beloved child into the world to save it from violence and darkness.
Earlier this week during our teen staff devotions, we sang one of my favorite songs, "All Who Are Thirsty," and these words continue to be my prayer. Please pray these words with me, asking for the Lord's presence, peace, and hope...
All who are thirsty,
All who are weak,
Come to the fountain,
Dip your heart in the stream of life,
Let the pain and the sorrow,
Be washed away,
In the waves of Your mercy
As deep cries out to deep,
We sing,
Come, Lord Jesus, come
Come, Lord Jesus, come
Come, Lord Jesus, come
Holy Spirit, come
Holy Spirit, come
Holy Spirit, come
Much violence is based on the illusion that life is a property to be defended and not to be shared. -Henri Nouwen.
I am sitting quietly, thinking about these words, and their timeliness. Yesterday, violence seemed to prevail in our streets. Shots were first fired around 5am on a street a block away from New City. I was walking to New City around 6:30am, ready to begin preparations for the day of Summer Camp. But I was only to find the streets barricaded with police cars and officers. I walked around the neighborhood and discovered there was no way to get to New City since all of the surrounding streets were blocked. Police cars and officers were everywhere, with police tape stretched across the streets and flares set out in the middle of the streets. Not really knowing what else to do, I sat on the sidewalk in front of a corner store and waited. I heard shots fired--later to find out that these were the shots that took the lives of the two suspects, one of the suspects being a 22 year-old woman.
I kept waiting, unable to get to New City, and feeling nervous about the prospect of our kids beginning to gather in the midst of danger. I explained to the officers that our Summer Camp was scheduled to begin soon and that our kids would start showing up within an hour and a half or so. I called Pastor Trevor, and we decided to notify our Summer Camp families that we were postponing the day's start. I pulled out my database and started making phone calls to parents. After making many calls, the officers opened up the street I was on, and I was able to walk down the block into New City. I kept calling parents, and by the time I was getting to the end of the list, many people had already heard as it was breaking news across the city, particularly since five police officers were shot. Our teenagers started arriving for work, and some kids who we had been unable to reach also began to gather. I stood at the gate and greeted parents and kids, ushering them inside, where our mural in the front of the sanctuary says "Choose! God's way or My way."
Despite the crowd that was gathering on the next block to look at the crime scene, and the strong continued police presence, and then the droves of media staff who swarmed about, 59 kids gathered at Summer Camp. I continued to stand by the gate all morning, greeting, and trying to be a positive voice of peace and reassurance for both kids and parents. Though we started late, we got back into our regular groove and our "Opening Program" (time of worship, preaching, and games) began.
I kept standing on the sidewalk, in front of New City's gate. Across the street, police, bystanders, and media continued to swarm. Sirens continued periodically, and I had an erie sense as I looked around our neighborhood, and a street I have walked down dozens of times, now heavily guarded by police.
But there was something else too, even more powerful than the scene that I looked out into. Inside New City, our kids sang, chanted, and danced before the Lord. Our Summer Camp theme is "Choose!," based on Proverbs, and the kids called out, with strength in their voices, a rap about trusting in the Lord and choosing wisdom instead of folly. Their voices carried out, reaching my ears outside on the sidewalk. The worship continued, as the kids sang "Great Big Love." The song talks about God's great big love. Overwhelmed by the mornings events, and by the presence of the Holy Spirit in the midst of great darkness and violence, my eyes filled up with tears.
Ours is a God of Great Big LOVE.
The media tells the story of the horrible violence that took place in our neighborhood yesterday. The local paper headline this morning described a "bloodbath," and one news report I read yesterday described our neighborhood as one that is known for being violent and drug-infested. But there were other things happening yesterday in Jersey City. Across the street, we gathered with young people in worship and teaching about a different way of life--one of love, peace and hope.
I find it greatly discouraging when people talk about our neighborhood as a "bad" one, with words painting a bleak and hopeless picture. This is so frustrating to me because it misses hope and beauty. There is Hope! And there is the beauty of the Image of God in each person in our neighborhood!
Yesterday was a day of great sadness and fear, but there was more going on than just those things. There were also reminders that God is at work in the world and in our city, that He is at work at New City, and in the lives of our kids, teens, and families. The violence did not stop our voices from rising in worship. It did not stop our testimony that we can have Hope because of the Great Big Love of a God who sent his beloved child into the world to save it from violence and darkness.
Earlier this week during our teen staff devotions, we sang one of my favorite songs, "All Who Are Thirsty," and these words continue to be my prayer. Please pray these words with me, asking for the Lord's presence, peace, and hope...
All who are thirsty,
All who are weak,
Come to the fountain,
Dip your heart in the stream of life,
Let the pain and the sorrow,
Be washed away,
In the waves of Your mercy
As deep cries out to deep,
We sing,
Come, Lord Jesus, come
Come, Lord Jesus, come
Come, Lord Jesus, come
Holy Spirit, come
Holy Spirit, come
Holy Spirit, come
Summer Camp!
July is here, and that means Summer Camp is in full swing. Today marked the beginning of Week 2. It's going really well so far. The teen staff is great, and the kids are fun and are having fun.
I had a moment today watching one of our 3rd graders laugh and smile with one of his counselors. Last week, on his first day, his grandmother came to drop him off with his siblings, and he refused to come inside. The grandma came in and told me she was going to take him home because she couldn't get him to even enter the parking lot. I asked if it was alright if I went out and talked with him. I introduced myself and talked to him for a minute, telling him all the wonderful things that happen at Summer Camp. I told him I thought it'd be really cool if he tried Summer Camp, just for one day, so then at least he could say that he tried it. He slowly wiped off his tears and came inside with me. I introduced him to one of our particularly welcoming and encouraging counselors and asked her to keep an eye out on him. I checked in with him a couple of times throughout the day and he said he was having fun. At the end of the first day, he came out and told me he was really glad that he stayed. And today he was laughing and smiling all day long, which in turn made me really happy too...
I had a moment today watching one of our 3rd graders laugh and smile with one of his counselors. Last week, on his first day, his grandmother came to drop him off with his siblings, and he refused to come inside. The grandma came in and told me she was going to take him home because she couldn't get him to even enter the parking lot. I asked if it was alright if I went out and talked with him. I introduced myself and talked to him for a minute, telling him all the wonderful things that happen at Summer Camp. I told him I thought it'd be really cool if he tried Summer Camp, just for one day, so then at least he could say that he tried it. He slowly wiped off his tears and came inside with me. I introduced him to one of our particularly welcoming and encouraging counselors and asked her to keep an eye out on him. I checked in with him a couple of times throughout the day and he said he was having fun. At the end of the first day, he came out and told me he was really glad that he stayed. And today he was laughing and smiling all day long, which in turn made me really happy too...
June!
I can't believe that the month of June is already coming to a close!
The last few weeks have been busy, though busy with a different flavor from After School. I enjoy my summer hours of starting earlier in the morning and getting out earlier at night. Last week, New City hosted the Job Fair, where we hire our teen staff for Summer Camp and After School Center. It is a three-day event, to help us hire staff, but also to give all the students who attend some concrete skills in areas like resume writing and interviewing. I helped out with a lot of the details, and though it was a great event, it was pretty exhausting. Following the end of Job Fair, the adult staff has a meeting to make the hiring decisions. There were many more students than we could hire, and some of the decisions were particularly difficult. But I think we hired some really great young people, and am looking forward to getting to know them in the coming year.
Earlier this month, we had a dinner to recognize the seniors involved at New City...
Last weeek, Ruth visited Jersey City, so I took a personal day to explore the city a bit with her. It was lovely. Even though it's been in my backyard for over a year and a half now, I hadn't visited the Statue of Liberty until then.
We also went to a SummerStage concert in Central Park, to hear the Indigo Girls. They've been on my list of big artists I'd like to see live for a long time, so I was really excited. It was a great show--they are incredible musicians.
I have no plans this weekend! It is glorious. I've been go, go, go for the last several weeks, so I'm pretty excited to rest this weekend. The coming week will be a busy one, with two New City overnights. Tuesday night will be a lock-in with the teens in leadership positions for Summer Camp, and then we leave with the full teen staff on Wednesday for an overnight camping trip. I'm pretty excited about it, as it was one of my summer highlights last year. We have Friday off to observe the 4th of July, so that is also excellent, and I'm taking the train to an ocean town in Jersey to visit a friend from college. Much to look forward to... :)
The last few weeks have been busy, though busy with a different flavor from After School. I enjoy my summer hours of starting earlier in the morning and getting out earlier at night. Last week, New City hosted the Job Fair, where we hire our teen staff for Summer Camp and After School Center. It is a three-day event, to help us hire staff, but also to give all the students who attend some concrete skills in areas like resume writing and interviewing. I helped out with a lot of the details, and though it was a great event, it was pretty exhausting. Following the end of Job Fair, the adult staff has a meeting to make the hiring decisions. There were many more students than we could hire, and some of the decisions were particularly difficult. But I think we hired some really great young people, and am looking forward to getting to know them in the coming year.
Earlier this month, we had a dinner to recognize the seniors involved at New City...
Last weeek, Ruth visited Jersey City, so I took a personal day to explore the city a bit with her. It was lovely. Even though it's been in my backyard for over a year and a half now, I hadn't visited the Statue of Liberty until then.
We also went to a SummerStage concert in Central Park, to hear the Indigo Girls. They've been on my list of big artists I'd like to see live for a long time, so I was really excited. It was a great show--they are incredible musicians.
I have no plans this weekend! It is glorious. I've been go, go, go for the last several weeks, so I'm pretty excited to rest this weekend. The coming week will be a busy one, with two New City overnights. Tuesday night will be a lock-in with the teens in leadership positions for Summer Camp, and then we leave with the full teen staff on Wednesday for an overnight camping trip. I'm pretty excited about it, as it was one of my summer highlights last year. We have Friday off to observe the 4th of July, so that is also excellent, and I'm taking the train to an ocean town in Jersey to visit a friend from college. Much to look forward to... :)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
