I like to spend some time toward the end of the year to
reflect on the year. This year, I am posting it with a few pictures. I apologize in advance for too much space between some of the pictures. My first time to do this. Of course, it will
not be a weighty theological treatment of the year. Yet, I want you to know
that in the high moments, ordinary moments, and even low moments, I find
Immanuel, God with us, is true. I simply share for any who have interest some
of the key events of the year.
For friends and acquaintances, I wish you the very best
Christmas and the very best as you end one year and begin another.
I begin with a few highlights.
We went to Community United Methodist Church in Vincennes at
the beginning of the year. It was so good to see people who remained faithful
through so much difficulty, as well as some new people. I was the pastor who helped three UMC congregations merge and build this church. The following picture is of Ray Tromley, one of the many leaders of the church who helped make it all happen. I wish I had taken more pictures of the people!
A highlight at Cross~Wind this year was a Mortgage burning
service on November 22. We had 2 hours of worship, and I do not think anyone
noticed the time. This picture is of three pastors involved in the process of merging, building, and paying off the mortgage. We had a meal afterward. It was all so good. Thinking of it
now brings good memories.
One of the joys I have had is re-connecting with college and
Seminary friends, mainly through Jay Clark (second from the left back, young Jack Nicolson look). The picture is Asbury Seminary graduation 1979. It has been a treat. In addition, I have enjoyed
being acquainted with some theology folks through twitter. In that case, I find
it stimulating to find folks who share the same intellectual passion: Barth,
Pannenberg, and Moltmann. On Plasterer's Ponderings, my most popular blogs on Progressive Christianity, Tertullian on martyrs (this surprised me), and the debate in Indiana over the Religious Freedom and Restoration Act. In my lectionary pondering blog, the most popular was on Ephesians concerning the whole armor of God. In my Pannenberg blog, my discussion of Chapter 7 of Systematic Theology received the most hits and Chapter 8 had the most comments. My Karl Barth had the most hits on my discussion of the Trinity and the Holy Spirit.
Cross~Wind has had some very beneficial additions to staff
in working with children.
On the personal side, we had a nice birthday for the 64
year-old George and the 1-year-old granddaughter Edith Annalynn. We celebrated
her baptism in May as well. In fact, May was a big month, as we celebrated my
youngest son’s graduation from IUPUI.
I now offer a few everyday types of remembrances, but they
are important as well. I hope it reminds my friends and me of the way the
habits of life can form character and life.
Triple S (Soup, Sweets, Scripture) is a lunch date I do not
want to miss. It has continued to be a wonderful ministry. I have the
opportunity to teach and learn. The fellowship and food are wonderful. It
remains a highlight of my week. The loss of Sheryl Martin to cancer was felt
very deeply. It has been so good to have Emily step up to lead. In the Fall,
some new persons have added so much to the group as we studied the parables of
Jesus. In the first part of the year, we studied the writings of John, a
favorite of mine.
We are so grateful for the people of this congregation and its staff. Of course, to name people is too risky in this setting. It has been a blessing to be here since November 2008.
Men’s Study has focused on the “Every Man a Warrior”
study.
I have been with the youth group twice a month for our youth
small group.
We had a wonderful Upward Soccer season.
During Lent, we had a wonderful group of studies on
Wednesday night that included many persons involved in Alpha.
I have engaged in two book reading groups. I will say that
both groups have led to much theological reading for me this year, more so than
normal. Interesting, though, that some of the intellectual passions I developed
in my 20s remain with me as I turn 64. One group is studying Wolfhart Pannenberg, and the
other Karl Barth. I
invite you to join the respective blogs if you would like to keep up with some
of my reflections. It is a slice of heaven for me. This reading led to some
work on the philosophy of religion, including Otto Pflederer and several
authors on religious language. The group has also pushed me to read Jürgen
Moltmann again, this time God in Creation
and Trinity and the Kingdom of God.
I also had the pleasure of meeting Stanley Hauerwas. We had a good conversation
afterward. I wished that we could pursue it! We obviously differ, but he would
be an interesting one to explore them. He does not like modernity. He seems to
think that Christianity should serve a political agenda. I would note that I do
not think Christians have ever fully identified with America. They have often
led the way in reform of the nation. In a related topic, I finished the
exhaustive book, A Secular Age, by
one of my favorite philosophers, Charles Taylor. If you want a grasp of what we
mean when we say “secular,” “modern,” and “postmodern,” this is the book. I
enjoyed reading Road to Character by
David Brooks. A few comments follow. The summons of self-vocation is important
in that life asks something from us. Self-conquest as moderation, dealing with
sin and self-control. He deals with struggle, conversion, suffering, and
service. He deals with self-mastery. He deals with dignity and the importance
of non-violence. He deals with love and uses Montaigne as an example. He refers
to ordered love in Augustine and Tillich in Shaking the Foundation. He deals
with self-examination, preferring the approach of Montaigne as modest,
provisional, and tentative. Marcel Proust, In
Search of Lost Time, was a surprisingly insightful read at the end, to the
point where it led me to write around the theme of Share the
Call. If you do not have the time or interest to read all seven volumes,
please read the first and last volumes.
I have been looking ahead about six months and sketching out
sermons. You can follow
my sermons at my blog. That means that each month, I add a month at the end.
This has proven to be a wonderful discipline and keeps me focused.
We have sought to have an active Logansport Cluster. We have
had a mission day in the community that I think went well. Clergy meet at
Buffalo Wild Wings on regular basis.
Of course, I went to Annual Conference session for Indiana
in Indianapolis. We also had a Life Together retreat in the spring and a
covenant day in the fall. I have been part of the District Committee on
Ministry that helps to sift through people who seek credentialing for pastoral
ministry.
I have my concerns about the election of next year, of
course. I one of those on-line preference surveys, fairly detailed, in which I linked
with Marco Rubio 93% of the time. Yes, I do like him. I came to a conservative vision
of the role of federal government in our lives in the mid-1970s, but find
myself concerned with the role of Trump. I am not sure how anyone, even a
devoted progressive, can put in vote for Hillary. My Plasterer’s Ponderings blog
will have updates if you want to know more. Before each debate, I publish my
reflections on the election. Here are a few things on my mind. I have concerns
about how we “vet” those who come into the country from other countries. It
makes sense to me that the government knows who is here and can track them. I
have much concern that radical Islamic militancy/Jihadist is something that
certain groups in America do not take seriously enough. I am not sure how, but
I am convinced that it is better long-term if America deals with the enemy “over
there.” If we do not, their successes “over there” are the true recruitment
tool the militants want. To say, for example, that Republican candidates are a
recruiting tool misses the point. If the militants are willing to kill people
because of what they say, believe, or even draw (Muhammed cartoons), then we
have real conflict of values, that truly is not “who we are.” “They” simply do
not like “who” we are. It becomes enough that we have respect for all persons,
regardless of gender, race, or sexual orientation to put a target on this
country. I want to see reduction of the federal government in its regulation
and the amount of taxes it takes out of the economy. I want to see more of
domestic policy handled by states and localities. I want to see a budget
balanced. I do not think the presence of guns is a major issue. I think some
people derive their political power and economic standing by generating anger between
the races and by stimulating envy of those who have been successful. Here is
the problem with locating what you think is an evil in a group (white, rich,
etc). If you could eliminate the group, would the nation be better. Would you
achieve utopia. My point is, evil and sin are far deeper than the group to
which you belong.
Now, I offer a few comments on the family.
Suzanne continues to work a couple of homes twice a month in
Indianapolis. She had the opportunity to go to Florida for about a week. She
continues to wrestle with thyroid and some other physical problems. A family in the church has relatives who are into these contraptions (gyro copters) for fun.
Tim, Suzanne’s son, continues to stay with us. He is getting
into the trucking business and is doing very well.
On the fun side, we went to Plainfield for their fish-fry. The picture is of Bill and Jackie Clayton, lead pastor when I was the associate. I
have moved away from jogging and toward more P90x2 workouts and sometimes
Anytime Fitness. I got quite ill for about 3 weeks. I also hurt my back toward
the end of the year. Getting better, but still hurts at times. Suzanne got a
bicycle for her birthday. We enjoy going to movies and watching them on Netflix
or DVD. I will mention just a few. American Sniper was particularly good. We
saw Birdman. We saw John Wyck. I watched a wonderful documentary on Netflix,
Gettysburg. We saw Furious 7. Inside/Outside was a wonderful, sad, and joyful
animated film. We finished Season 4 of Once Upon a Time. Creed was a fitting
end to the Rocky franchise. We watched Season 5 of Walking dead, Season 10 of
Supernatural, and season 2 of Blacklist. We finished Continuum Season 4 and
Bates Motel Season 2. Season 4 of Homeland was good, as always. We finished
Season 2 of the 100. We finished Season 4 of Longmire. This show is like a good
novel. We finished Season 1 of Wayward Pines and Fargo. Of course, STAR WARS
EPISODE VII was awesome. We went to come Christmas parties, of course. This is
a good season.
We had some nice Christmas parties. I have a picture of the Indianapolis branch of the family that I share at this point.
We do not usually do this, but we went to a New Year's Eve party in Logansport. I did not listen faithfully to Henry Lee Sommers, but he had a couple of hits long ago: I Want a Girl Like That and Hey, Baby. Great entertainer, if you like that sort of music, and he sang many well known songs. We also saw other persons from Cross~Wind. We were out until 1:30, which is well passed by 10 PM normal bed time. Great way to end one year and begin another.
Peace to family, friends, and acquaintances. Please know that you mean much to me and that you are in my prayers.
George Plasterer
December 2015
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