Dear Friends,
We as Quakers talk about “plain speech”, about not saying more than needs to be said, and saying what is said in as plain a way as possible. But we still might not understand what has been said or what we need to learn from a situation. We sometimes have a hard time listening to each other, but we also have a problem at times with listening to what life is trying to teach us. “I hear what you say” is a more complex sentence than it sounds.
There is a picture in an old photo album of me as a preschooler taking long strides behind my grandfather in the field, to try and make my feet go into his muddy, boot tracks, exactly. I had to leap with one foot at a time to get from footprint to footprint. I was following my grandfather’s footsteps. He had come to America from Ireland in 1904 when he was only three. He lived in the rural country with his older brothers and sisters, and little contact with the outside world. So “hearing” what my grandfather said was difficult for me. He had a very rich, Irish brogue. He was a quiet person for the most part, and I listened to every word he said because I idolized him. I appreciated my time with him. I was always the more “outdoorsy” kid in the family and enjoyed my time in the fields helping him feed cattle and other farm animals, or helping him to plant, which mainly meant sitting in the bed of his truck on a hay bale or holding onto him as he drove the tractor. In many ways I didn’t have to understand the words my grandfather spoke. He showed me a lot more than how to work the farm. He showed me the simplicity of life. While I remember hours and hours with him, I can’t recall one conversation that was more than one sentence or two. Yet, I heard him. He gently showed me how to be his helper and how to grow up with some of his values like his work ethic.
Jesus gently talked in parables to help show the people of Israel and Judah how to understand what he was saying about the Kingdom of God. His language must have seemed like he was talking another language to mere humans who, like we can often be, were more focused on survival than community building. He knew human nature and could tell people’s hearts. To communicate, he knew how to show them in plain language how to incorporate his teachings into their daily walk with him. He told stories that were on their level and represented what he had said but in more simple terms. Many times he had to break the parables down for the disciples, even the seemingly easy ones to understand.
But from stories Jesus chose to tell, and the answers that Jesus gave to the questions of the disciples, we ourselves learn how to think more like Christ thinks and to incorporate Jesus’ teachings into our daily lives. Many times, Christ still speaks to us in parables by giving us life situations to learn from. We have to stop and look at the situations so that we learn what is being said. But we have to be willing to be aware, to self-reflect, and to make changes for these parables of life to make any sense.
Jesus talked to many people from many different walks of life. But he was kind enough to make it so that they could understand him. Is he still speaking to you? What parable is being taught?
I can’t believe the month of March is already here. I am still getting small bits of the artificial Christmas tree up in the vacuum cleaner. But it is here almost and there is much that will need to be done in March.
First of all, much of my schedule will be in flux. Joe and I are going next weekend to the Quarterly Meeting in Camas, Washington, where I am to present a proposal to start a grant program for the yearly meeting to help churches like ours to access some of the yearly meeting’s funds for specific projects. Brion Pinkerton will be the speaker, so please come to church on March 8 to hear his wonderful and upbeat message. Stay for a potluck, which is always fantastic and a great time of shared community. When I get back, I will go to New Hampshire from March 23-28 seeing my daughter. Somewhere in there I have a First Day School lesson to write for Barclay Press on 1 Peter 4. And all the regular activities that are going on in the month.
One thing that is going on this week is we are feeding the people of the Tribal Transitional Housing program in town on Wednesday. The food has been signed up for, so no one needs to bring anything extra other than those who have already committed, and I will only need to heat some of it and take it over. If you want to help with transporting the food from the church to the Transitional Housing, please be here at the church at 4 PM.
Another is that we have begun learning the protest songs that come from Singing Resistance movement out of Minneapolis. We are glad to have Griffin Toffler leading us in learning these songs. There will be a time to learn and sing resistance songs on Sunday afternoon at 2:00.
We will also have a time to sing them again on March 21 at a candlelight prayer vigil. Are you tired of worrying about the current lack of compassion and long sightedness of the government’s choices it is making on immigration, diversity and inclusion, or various forms of white nationalism? We can all join together to share a candlelight time of prayer followed by singing songs of hope and community. This will be at 6:00 PM in the church building on March 21. A flier is attached.
Braver Angels Oregan Rural/Urban Project is meeting on March 14 from 1-3PM at the Klamath Community College (7390 S. 6th St., Bldg 4) to listen to one another. The question it poses is “Can big cities can understand rural communities?” There will be a town hall format with a group facilitator, and an opportunity to participate in a caring, smart, insightful discussion with caring, smart, insightful people. You can register at https://bit.ly/4rr7OLh.
I have attached the minutes from the last business meeting last Sunday. If you haven’t seen it already, the new sign is up and can be read from the road by the cars that pass. Thanks Jill and the Stewardship Committee for getting this beautiful witness out into the public. Thanks for all of the hard work done by so many in our community. It has been an active February and will be an active March.
The announcements will be pasted below and are also in the bulletin that is attached.
Blessings dear Friends,
Leigh
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