Dear Rose Park,

Last Wednesday I took Simon to get a haircut before the Thanksgiving Holiday. Simon gets his haircut at a barber shop called KO Cutz on College Avenue near downtown Holland. KO Cutz is owned and managed by local Holland boxing hero Johnny Garcia. As you can imagine, the walls of KO Cutz are adorned with all of the newspaper clippings, awards, and belts that Johnny amassed during his boxing career. But when Simon sat down in the chair to get his cut, I never would have imagined that I’d be reminded of the beauty of Advent.

Dear Rose Park,

American poet Emily Dickinson once offered these words as it relates to the convicting power of poetry: “If I read a book and it makes my whole body so cold no fire can ever warm me, I know that is poetry.” I don’t imagine many of us are embracing the rhythms and truths of poetry on a daily basis, however poetry is a common form of language throughout much of scripture. Elements of poetry are present in Genesis, the major and minor prophets, the Psalms and Proverbs, and even the New Testament. One poem in particular sticks out in my mind.

Dear Rose Park,

Flour. Sugar. Warm Water. Yeast. These are the four basic ingredients in order to make bread. The smallest amount of these ingredients is yeast (typically a teaspoon or two) and yet yeast has a tremendous impact on the outcome. Yeast is what makes the bread rise; without yeast you won’t get bread, but instead you’ll have crackers. In this way, yeast is subtle and subversive but it has a tremendous impact on the surrounding culture.

Dear Rose Park,

For the next two Sunday’s we’re going to be talking about generosity. I imagine some of you just shifted in your seats or even raised your eyebrows at the thought of talking about money in the church. First, when we talk about generosity we are not merely talking about our finances. Second, it seems to me that if we avoid the subject of giving our time, energy and resources then we allow for a variety of other sources to dictate our view and posture. In other words, we must talk about generosity if we truly desire to love Christ with heart, soul, mind, and strength and love our neighbors as ourselves.

Dear Rose Park,

What do you think Rose Park will look like in the year 2050? What will the surrounding neighborhood look like? Who will be our leaders and who will be seated in the sanctuary? As we care for the church today, we always keep an eye on the horizon because the church of 2050 is formed and developed today.

Dear Rose Park,

This past Saturday Sam and I took Simon and Winn to the Hope College Donut Run as a part of homecoming weekend. The Donut Run started at 8:30 Saturday morning and it promised delicious donuts at the finish line. Simon and Winn both participated in the .5k run (one lap around the football field and then finishing on the 50-yard line). They both had a great time running with friends and then dancing on the football field with powder-sugared smiles. My heart was filled with joy to see them have so much fun, but the real emotions came in the parking lot on the way back to the car.

Dear Rose Park,

When I was a senior at Hope College I lived on Lincoln Avenue not too far from the train tracks. I lived with a few friends and I can remember when we first moved in it seemed like the noise of the train was not only going to knock the house down (this perhaps says more about the house than the train) but also deafen our ears. However, when I moved out of the house some ten months later, the sound of the train became so commonplace, so much like white noise, we hardly noticed it at all.

Dear Rose Park,

From my desk, the view out of my window is quite narrow; due to the windows being a bit higher and my desk sitting at an angle a majority of my view are the tops of trees and the sky. However, if I were to get up from my desk and stand next to the window, I can see the full beauty of the trees, the birds flying in the sky, a few cars driving down Rose Park Drive, and a few dog-walkers making their way through the neighborhood. When we stand at a distance our view can be quite narrow, but when we come closer our view grows. This truth not only applies to our personal relationships but also our relationship with the Word of God.

Dear Rose Park,

This coming Sunday my wife, Sam, will be participating in the 44th running of the Chicago Marathon. She’ll join the nearly 40,000 other runners as they journey through the streets of downtown Chicago; beginning in Grant Park, heading north to Sheridan and Broadway, then making their way south and west towards the United Center, going through Little Italy and Pilsen, until they finally head north on Michigan Avenue to finish back at Grant Park where with any luck Sam will see Simon, Winn and I with a big smile.

Dear Rose Park,

Typically when we hear or read the word vow we think of a wedding. Images of a bride and groom standing at the altar making promises to love and care for one another in sickness and in health are conjured in our mind. However, vows are not limited to merely a wedding. As a pastor, I made vows when I was ordained; we made vows together when I was installed at Rose Park. This coming Sunday, we’ll make vows again as we welcome new members to Rose Park.