Dear Rose Park,
This past weekend my brother and his family were in town. Kyle is my middle brother; he’s much smarter and far more talented than my brother Matt and I combined. Kyle and his wife Ashley live in Omaha, NE with their two daughters Hazel and Pearl. On Sunday evening, after playing at the park on 6th street near downtown Holland, we all ventured over to one of my favorite places, City Vu, for dinner.
Dear Rose Park,
As I turned off my microphone this past Sunday following worship, Alicia Kramer and her mom Mary Perez approached me with big smiles and a very old looking booklet. It turns out, as they were doing some cleaning around the house they found the dedication folder for Rose Park. Dated July 5-12, 1959, this folder shows the various services that were held to dedicate the sanctuary. As I was reading through it and seeing some of the pictures, I was struck by one of the dates.
Dear Rose Park,
Last week Friday, our beloved Jim Boeve fell on his bicycle and broke his ankle. His better half Vonnie is taking care of him and Jim is doing well in his recovery and if you’ve talked with him, then you know he’s certainly maintaining his sense of humor. When I told Simon and Winnie that Mr. Jim got hurt they were very concerned and immediately set out to make him ‘get-well soon’ cards.
Dear Rose Park,
Did you ever hear the story about the pastor who wanted to move the piano from one side of the stage to the other? He knew he couldn’t just move it all on one Sunday; it wasn’t a question of his physical capability, but he knew it wouldn’t go over well. The piano had always been on a certain side and it had never been moved. So, instead of a shock and awe approach, the pastor decided to be patient. Each Sunday he moved the piano just one inch until it eventually was on the other side. When he was finished, no one even noticed the subtle change.
Dear Rose Park,
As you know, I’m currently the volunteer chaplain at Camp Geneva this week. It’s been an unbelievable experience to care for the counselors, campers, and staff and to witness their faith come alive and grow. This year’s theme for Geneva is praise; it comes directly from these words from Psalm 148: Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord from the heavens; praise Him in the heights! Praise Him, all His angels; praise Him, all His host! Praise Him, sun and moon; praise Him, all you shining stars! Praise Him, you highest heaves, and you waters above the heaven!
Dear Rose Park,
I’m an early riser; most days my alarm goes off at 5:00am. I like the stillness and quiet of the mornings. I also learned relatively quickly after having children, if I want quiet and solitude it either has to occur early in the morning or late at night. Seeing that I’m falling asleep before 10:00pm on the couch I choose to rise a bit earlier than most, take the dog for a walk, brew a pot of coffee and maybe get a crossword in before 6:30am.
Dear Rose Park,
This past Sunday evening, I had the great joy and privilege to attend worship with our friends at Benjamin’s Hope. Sam and I sat across the aisle from Jim and Deb Kiekover and alongside Kylee Duistermars and her two sons, Charlie and Graham. We sang with full voices, laughed with full bellies, and worshipped with full hearts. It was a beautiful service and I hope you can join us next time.
Dear Rose Park,
I had lunch with a younger couple on Monday at El Rancho out on the highway. I got there a little early to get us a table (and to selfishly eat free chips and salsa before they arrived). We caught up, shared stories of little ones growing up, and then we started the conversation that prompted them inviting me for lunch in the first place.
Dear Rose Park,
“I ask not only on behalf of these but also on behalf of those who believe in me through their word, that they may all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given them, so that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become completely one, so that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. Father, I desire that those also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory, which you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world. Righteous Father, the world does not know you, but I know you, and these know that you have sent me. I made your name known to them, and I will make it known, so that the love with which you have loved me may be in them and I in them.”
Dear Rose Park,
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
Paul wrote these words to the church in Galatia some two-thousand years ago. I’d imagine for many of us when we hear the ‘fruits of the Spirit’ we gravitate towards love, kindness, and gentleness. We might feel the tug of the Spirit towards patience, but because our lives are so busy we convince ourselves we don’t have time to wait on God or our neighbors.
