A PUBLICATION OF THE WHEATON CHRISTIAN REFORMED CHURCH ... · A PUBLICATION OF THE WHEATON CHRISTIAN REFORMED CHURCH VOLUME 16 ISSUE 8 April, 2012 711 East Harrison, Wheaton, Illinois

A PUBLICATION OF THE WHEATON CHRISTIAN REFORMED CHURCH VOLUME 16 ISSUE 8 April, 2012

711 East Harrison, Wheaton, Illinois 60187 Phone 630-668-6054 Fax: 630-668-3810 Web: wheatoncrc.org Page 1

Hang a Frame

By Pastor Kyle

Several months ago our elders took up the topic of how to

encourage more people to celebrate Communion at our

church. We’ve had a policy since the early 90’s that

invites children to come to the table after professing their

faith to an elder or the pastor, but many children and

young adults have slipped through the cracks in the

system.

Our denomination’s yearly leadership meeting, called

Synod, last year urged churches to focus on encouraging

children to celebrate communion. Our elders came up

with a statement that reads: “Consistent with the recent

decision of Synod regarding children participating in the

Lord’s Supper, our Church welcomes baptized children of

professing members to the Lord’s Supper upon

completion of their 2nd

grade Sunday School class. The

formal invitation to the Lord’s Supper will be combined

with the presentation of Bibles to our 2nd

grade Sunday

School class.”

As mentioned, many of our youth and young adults

currently don’t celebrate communion even though we’ve

had a policy in place to invite them while they are

children. For some the prospect of standing up and

making a formal “Profession of Faith” has gotten in the

way. While the elders value a person making a public

statement of faith, our current mechanism seems to

dissuade rather than encourage young people to make that

statement of faith and be nourished at the table.

In our baptismal vows we as a church promise to

encourage the children and enable the parents to raise

their children in the faith. To do that we’ve changed the

mechanism somewhat to make it less imposing but also

are taking the responsibility as spiritual leaders of

Wheaton CRC on a yearly basis to encourage young

people to make a statement of faith and come to the table.

This is how we envision that decision impacting our

church: every spring the elders will take the responsibility

of teaching each Sunday School class from 2nd

grade on

about the meaning of the Lord’s Supper and asking them

if they would like to state their belief in Jesus by

participating in communion. If a child answers yes, the

elder will then meet with the child’s parents to make sure

that they also concur that the child has an authentic faith

in Christ and is ready to celebrate communion. The elders

will then talk to the child about their faith by asking

simply, “Do you believe in Jesus?” and “Do you want to

live for him?” With the parents’ blessing, that child would

then be welcomed to celebrate communion for the first

time, at which point they will receive a memento of this

significant stage of their faith.

The first time they will be invited to the table will

coincide with the giving of Bibles to 2nd

graders, making

the whole service a celebration for our children as we

encourage them towards further growth in faith.

We will have a class for parents the week before we speak

to the children so they will be prepared and will have an

opportunity to talk to their children and ensure their

readiness before the elders come to their class. We will

also have a class for those who haven’t made a formal

Profession of Faith but would like to make a statement of

faith and celebrate communion where they will be able to

talk to an elder.

This year the parent class will be April 8th

, the Sunday

School classes on Communion will be April 15th

and the

first time we welcome them to the table will be May 6th

.

If you have any questions about the process or reasoning

behind it, contact your district elder.


Boyz II Men

By Mary Systma

There’s a rhythm and blues group that I know very little

about except for the name, Boyz II Men. It’s an

intriguing name to me, because I have been raising a boy

for the past 22 years and now he’s a man.

He’s getting married in three months. He graduates from

college soon and will be starting a job, all sort of grown

up things. I can’t say when he became a man, but he did,

and not without a lot of love and attention.

This church had a lot to do with that. Jonathan had a lot

of wonderful men who served as great Christian role

models. He was raised by a village.

But what of the boys who grow up without fathers? Or

those whose role models are less than desirable? How do

they grow up to be godly men? I think about that a lot

when I’m in Nigeria. So many young boys with no

fathers in their lives. So many little girls who never see a

father treating their mother with respect and tenderness.

What of them? What kind of men will these boys

become?

I think this is another reason why the Bible pays special

attention to the fatherless. A father is meant to teach a

little boy those special skills he needs to be a good

provider and nurturer. A boy doesn’t become a man to

be proud of without a lot of intentional guidance.

The Gweimen Centre has hopes of doing more for the

boys in the way of job training in the future. We don’t

really have the staff for this right now. There is no lack of

role models around them who work very hard, in the

fields and at home, but there isn’t a lot of opportunity for

the boys to see the possibilities for income generation.

The most important thing we do for them right now is see

to it that they stay in school and stay healthy. If one of the

young men shows academic potential, the Gweimen

Centre will pay his school fees and give him a scholarship

to further his studies.

We have to proceed carefully with some of our efforts at

job training, because in the past, one of the American

women who worked with the children, before the centre

officially became Gweimen, sent some of the older

orphans away from the village to learn a trade. They

were treated very poorly under her supervision.

The boys at the Gweimen Centre do have Christian role

models in their lives. One of them is Bartholomew, who

spends time with the children every day. He teaches them

Bible lessons, he referees their soccer games, he listens to

them sing, but he also roughhouses, hugs, and disciplines

them. He smiles on their work.

The children call him “Uncle Bartholomew.” When I

asked one of the little ones what he loved about coming to

the Centre, he said it was because the people at Gweimen

loved him. I asked him if he could tell me who loved him

and why.

He replied, ”Uncle Bartholomew loves me. He helps me

to grow up to love Jesus.” David, who is 16, and

Emmanuel Solomon, who is 11, and Genesis, who is 6, all

come to the Centre regularly, and they watch Uncle

Bartholomew for cues about how to become godly young

men.

And they are encouraged to stay in school. This is one of

the best ways we have of helping a boy to become self -

sufficient some day. It is labor intensive and a long

process to help boys become men, and for some it

requires more than the village.

It requires help from people in America who provide the

funds to help them to stay in school and stay healthy

enough to learn.

Editors Note: There is a special opportunity right now to

help this ministry. During the months of March and April,

board members and friends have pledged up to $5,000 in

matching gifts. If you give a gift of $100, that will mean

$200 goes to Gweimen. You can give on-line at

www.gweimencentre.org or you can mail a check to

Gweimen Centre, P.O. Box 165, La Fox, IL 60147.

http://www.gweimencentre.org/


Library Highlights

By Emily Cederlund

Author Spotlight: Max Lucado

Max Lucado is the only author to have won three

Christian Book of the Year* awards—in 1999 for Just

Like Jesus, in 1997 for In the Grip of Grace, and in 1995

for When God Whispers Your Name. In 2005, Reader’s

Digest magazine dubbed him “America’s Best Preacher”

and in 2004, Christianity Today magazine called him

“America’s Pastor.” The product line for 3:16—The

Numbers of Hope sold more than four million units

worldwide, including one million units of the cornerstone

trade book of the same title (released in September 2007),

making it the fastest selling Lucado product in his career.

His latest, Outlive Your Life: You Were Made to Make a

Difference (September 2010) hit both the Publishers

Weekly and New York Times bestseller lists and has been

featured on “Fox & Friends” and “CNN American

Morning.” He has participated on the “Good Morning

America” Christmas Day panel in 2009 and 2010.

His works have appeared on every major national

bestseller list including Publishers Weekly, USA Today,

The New York Times, Evangelical Christian Publishers

Association, and Christian Booksellers Association. He

has been featured in countless media outlets and national

broadcasts.*

We have many of Max Lucado’s books in the Wheaton

CRC library. Please check them out:

A Love Worth Giving:

Living in the Overflow of God's Love

God Came Near: Chronicles of the Christ

God's Story, Your Story

He Chose The Nails:

What God did to Win Your Heart

In The Eye Of The Storm

In The Grip Of Grace

Jacob's Gift

On the Anvil

Six Hours One Friday:

Anchoring to the Power of the Cross

Tell Me the Story

The Children of the King

The Crippled Lamb

The Cure for the Common Life

The Final Week of Jesus:

Highlights from and the Angels Were Silent

When God Whispers Your Name *http://www.maxlucado.com/info/view/about_max_lucado/

Council Meeting

By Dave Sikkenga, Clerk

Following are the notes and actions of the Council in

regular session, February 20, 2012.

Reduced Ministry Shares:

Our clerk received notice from the CRC Denomination

Office that WCRC Denominational Ministry Shares were

$57,073 rather than the $59,277 expected (and approved

in the 2012 budget) based on our membership. This

reduction is due to the denomination policy to reduce the

per-member ministry share once membership decreased

below 193 members. 2012 will be the first year that our

membership count dropped below 193 (count is 184 for

2012).

Motion approved by council to accept the reduced

Ministry Share of $57,073

Membership Transfers Approved.

The council was pleased to accept the membership

transfers in the following motions (which had actually

been passed at the Jan 9, 2012 Shepherding Board

Meeting):

To accept the membership transfers of Ray, Rosemary,

and Ryan Koopman from the Ann Arbor CRC. Effective

January 9, 2012

To admit for full membership into the CRC (effective

January 9, 2012) the memberships of John and Julie

Tonnemacher who have transferred from St. John’s

Lutheran Church in Lombard, IL and have completed new

members classes with Pastor Kyle.

Treasurer and Assistant Treasurer Approved for June

2012-June 2013

Motion passed to reappoint Steve VanZee as treasure and

Heather Bossenga as assistant treasurer. Note that both

Steve and Heather have indicated that they would be

willing to continue in these positions and that council is

pleased with their contributions and grateful for their

service.

http://www.maxlucado.com/info/view/about_max_lucado/



















New Abuse Committee Membership:

Motion passed (provided by John Slinkman) to accept the

following members into the Church Abuse Committee:

Amanda Bommelje, Wendy Haack, Ed Bossenga, John

Slinkman.

Timothy Board Membership:

Typically WCRC has a representative on the Timothy

Christian School Board. Thanks to Floyd VanderMeer

who has been our representative for the past 3 years and

will be retiring this summer. A replacement nominee is

being sought to replace him for the next term.

Items of Interest

2012 Quilt Show

Friday, April 27 10 – 7

Saturday April 28, 10 – 4

First Baptist Church

1310 North Main Street

Wheaton, IL

For further information

Contact Joyce Verseput

Or www.villagequilters.net

Proceeds go to Gifts of Hope

Organ and Tissue Donation Services

Editors Note: New Column

Any members who belong to an organization that is not

supported by our church, but has a distinctly

humanitarian or mission purpose can request a mention

like that above. It must be received two Sundays before

the last Sunday of the month. Please put the information

in my mailbox(Gabrielse) with your name and contact

information.

Vietnamese New

Hope CRC

By Pastor Huu

What’s happening in the ministry at VNHCRC?

The prayer line is working well, especially with the

women’s sub-committee in their consolation to the sick

and lonely.

Pastor Huu’s wife has been especially helpful to the

widow of Mr. Dinh Thuan Nguyen.

Men’s coffee meets regularly on Saturday mornings at

Pastor Huu’s house. The meetings focus on sharing about

families and prayers.

Choir sang at Faith Community Church of Chicago on

12/11/2011.

Pastor Huu declined an invitation to teach a two-week

course in a seminary in Saigon, VietNam. The reason was

the need to sign a form accepting the “Communist

Doctrine”.

One short-term goal is to reproduce the bi-lingual

Heidelberg Catechism with the new name “52 Bible

Studies for Christians” and post it on the web so that

others familiar with the language may use it free.

In worship we project paragraph-by-paragraph the

English translation while we are preaching sermons in

Vietnamese. This is a goal in exploring the possibility of

preaching in English in the future.

A long-term goal: we are considering a worship service

during the week (Monday morning is most likely) for

those who can not go to church on Sunday.

Youth meetings are Friday nights at church for Bible

study and fun. We have a joint group of 8 from VNHCRC

and 4 to 6 from Vietnamese Evangelical Church of

Aurora.

We will have a one-day retreat for our church youth group

and other youth in the community on March 31, 2012 at

VNHCRC from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The retreat will

http://www.villagequilters.net/


focus on prayer, testimony, and identity about “What does

it mean to be Asian-American and Christian?”

One young man plans to go to the mission field in

VietNam to gain some in-country experiences at least one

year before he could go to Calvin Seminary.

We will have a 3-day retreat for Asian youth sometime in

May. Several CRC ethnic churches from both Michigan

and Wisconsin will be coming. Pray for that.

Relationships with other churches and organizations --

Outreach & Training

Pastor Huu will be preaching at Faith Community Church

of Chicago on Sundays: 3/11/12 and 3/25/12.

Originally our plan, with Little Saigon CRC in California,

was that the small English school in Central VietNam

would be opening in July or August 2012. Actually, it has

already opened and is running very smoothly now. Our

hidden purpose in this plan is to evangelize. The 52

Lord’s Days in the Heidelberg Catechism were renamed

“52 Bible Studies For Christians” and will be the first

teaching document used there. Pray for that.

Pastor Huu will be speaking at Lake Park High School in

Roselle on April 4, 2012 at their “War and Peace Forum.”

How do we give back to the Lord?

As many of you know, our worship offering is always

below our goal of $500.00 per service.

How might you help us?

Do whatever you think will be helpful for us in Christ’s

service. We deeply appreciate all!

Editors Note: VNH CRC will be celebrating 20 years of

service to our Lord in September, 2012. Several CRC

churches, in addition to WCRC, faithfully support this

work. A number of individuals also make regular

financial contributions. We would be remiss if we did not

recognize the enormous amount of time and energy

Gordon Andersen has contributed to this effort. Thank

God for the impact on the lives and hearts of our brothers

and sisters in this community.

Missions: Praying for Comings

and Returnings

By Grace Huitsing

Mike and Victoria Van Der Dyk—Nigeria

Victoria met her Green Card requirements by a two-week

visit here. Mike’s father in Lombard hosted her and Joy,

who was on spring break from Olivet U.

Back in Jos, Mike has been busy translating Leadership

Training Materials for pastors and workers into the Hausa

language. He asks prayer for guidance as he finishes this

important series for the church.

Mike asks for praise in the appointment of a strong

director for the CRC-Nigeria Missions Department., and

prayer for his leadership. After the unexpected death of

the Missions Department Director, a former professor of

Veenstra Theological Seminary and then CRCN Church

President, Rev. Istifanus Bahago was chosen. He is a

strong supporter of evangelism, and during his time as

Church President, the mission outreach expanded into

new areas of Nigeria, Niger, Sierra Leone and Kenya.

Ena Vander Molen, Wheaton

Having completed the 23-year stint of mastering the Obo

Manobo language and working with others in the

Philippines to complete the Obo Manobo New Testament,

set up literacy classes, a kindergarten, and a weekly radio

broadcast, Ena is waiting for the Lord’s next step.

She is spending two weeks in March at Wycliffe

Headquarters in Orlando, meeting with Wycliffe

personnel officers to ascertain future activities and

support.

Jack and Cindy Ippel, Budapest, Hungary

Cindy continues her volunteer work of editing English

papers for EDYN and has added helping the Hungarian

Baptist Aid association with their English website.

With a long week-end Hungarian national holiday, they

traveled to meet with their TeachOverseas colleagues in

Bratislava, Slovakia.

After thanking their readers for their prayers, Jack writes,

“God continues to provide opportunities for us here and it


seems obvious that this is where we need to be for another

year.

So we have officially told TeachOverseas as well as the

ministries where Cindy is volunteering that we are

coming back in the fall of 2012. We are excited and at

peace about this decision and look forward to another

year of serving in Hungary.”

Please remember each of these special people in your

prayers.

The Pickle Jar

The pickle jar as far back as I can remember sat on

the floor beside the dresser in my parents' bedroom.

When he got ready for bed, Dad would empty his pockets

and toss his coins into the jar.

As a small boy, I was always fascinated at the sounds the

coins made as they were dropped into the jar. They

landed with a merry jingle when the jar was almost

empty. Then the tones gradually muted to a dull thud as

the jar was filled.

I used to squat on the floor in front of the jar to admire

the copper and silver circles that glinted like a pirate's

treasure when the sun poured through the bedroom

window. When the jar was filled, Dad would sit at the

kitchen table and roll the coins before taking them to the

bank.

Taking the coins to the bank was always a big

production. Stacked neatly in a small cardboard box, the

coins were placed between Dad and me on the seat of his

old truck.

Each and every time, as we drove to the bank, Dad would

look at me hopefully. 'Those coins are going to keep you

out of the textile mill, son. You're going to do better than

me. This old mill town's not going to hold you back.'

Also, each and every time, as he slid the box of rolled

coins across the counter at the bank toward the cashier,

he would grin proudly. 'These are for my son's college

fund. He'll never work at the mill all his life like me.'

We would always celebrate each deposit by stopping

for an ice cream cone. I always got chocolate. Dad

always got vanilla. When the clerk at the ice cream

parlor handed Dad his change, he would show me the

few coins nestled in his palm. 'When we get home, we'll

start filling the jar again.' He always let me drop the first

coins into the empty jar. As they rattled around with a

brief, happy jingle, we grinned at each other. 'You'll get

to college on pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters,' he

said. 'But you'll get there; I'll see to that.'

No matter how rough things got at home, Dad continued

to doggedly drop his coins into the jar. Even the summer

when Dad got laid off from the mill, and Mama served

dried beans several times a week, not a single dime was

taken from the jar.

To the contrary, as Dad looked across the table at me,

pouring catsup over my beans to make them more

palatable, he became more determined than ever to make

a way out for me 'When you finish college, Son,' he told

me, his eyes glistening, 'You'll never have to eat beans

again - unless you want to.'

The years passed, and I finished college and took a

job in another town. Once, while visiting my parents

I used the phone in their bedroom, and noticed that

the pickle jar was gone. It had served its purpose

and had been removed.

A lump rose in my throat as I stared at the spot beside the

dresser where the jar had always stood.. My dad was a

man of few words: he never lectured me on the values of

determination, perseverance, and faith. The pickle jar had

taught me all these virtues far more eloquently than the

most flowery of words could have done. When I married,

I told my wife, Susan, about the significant part the lowly

pickle jar had played in my life as a boy. In my mind, it

defined, more than anything else, how much my dad had

loved me.

The first Christmas after our daughter Jessica was born,

we spent the holiday with my parents. After dinner, Mom

and Dad sat next to each other on the sofa, taking turns

cuddling their first grandchild. Jessica began to whimper

softly, and Susan took her from Dad's arms. 'She

probably needs to be changed,' she said, carrying the

baby into my

parents' bedroom to diaper her. When Susan came back

into the living room, there was a strange mist in her eyes.

She handed Jessica back to Dad before taking my hand

and leading me into the room. 'Look,' she said softly, her

eyes directing me to a spot on the floor beside the


dresser. To my amazement, there, as if it had never been

removed, stood the old pickle jar, the bottom already

covered with coins. I walked over to the pickle jar, dug

down into my pocket, and pulled out a fistful of coins.

With a gamut of emotions choking me, I dropped the

coins into the jar. I looked up and saw that Dad, carrying

Jessica, had slipped quietly into the room. Our eyes

locked, and I knew he was feeling the same emotions I

felt.

Neither one of us could speak. Nor were any words

needed.

*No Author could be found

Insights and Encounters

By Scott Cederlund

I was born on February 14, 1970, a Saturday, in a hospital

on the south side of Chicago where my grandfather

practiced medicine.

My mother was in Las Vegas with her parents seeing an

Elvis Presley concert.

My father was at home in Blue Island, enjoying a friendly

card game with his buddies.

We’ll get to how all of this works out in a moment here.

Recently in Adult Sunday School, Chuck Schoenherr

reminded us that there are no meaningless life

experiences. I’ve often thought of the path that God

placed me on that has lead to me now living in Bartlett

with Emily, Jakob and our dog Boomer. It’s the path

that’s previously taken me to Aurora, Downers Grove,

Toledo, Bowling Green, Grand Rapids, Dekalb and Palos

Heights. The path that the Lord has set before me began

in Blue Island, Las Vegas and Chicago.

I’m adopted and while it means everything to me, it also

means nothing to me. I don’t even remember when my

parents told me that; I’ve just always kind of known. I

don’t think I’ve ever reacted to it because my parents are

my parents and my family has always been my family.

I’ve had friends that were adopted and it took some of

them years to understand what that meant to them and to

their mothers and fathers. To me, it was just another one

of those things about my early childhood that I couldn’t

remember so the events of that Valentines day, who was

there and who wasn’t, don’t mean much beyond the

obvious significance that that was the day I entered the

world.

But being adopted also has meant everything. I have no

biological link to my parents or to much of my family.

Until Jakob was born, I never knew a single blood

relative. My parents have told me a few times about the

adoptive process for them. There was a couple of children

that they considered before me, a red-headed Irish boy

and a Lebanese boy. I’m not too sure why my parents

passed on those opportunities other than it didn’t feel

“right” at the time. But then on that day, with one in

Vegas and one in Blue Island, something “right” did

happen.

I’ve often felt like the Lord has had this correcting hand

in my life. When I get too proud, too boastful or just plain

forgetful of everything, he’s thrown these curve balls into

my life to remind me that He is there and He is the one

guiding my life and not me. He’s been guiding it since

that Saturday morning. I was delivered by a doctor who

was a family friend. He knew what my parents were

wanting and ,as I was born to a young, single woman, he

immediately called my grandfather and let him know that

I was born. And that’s how my family found me.

So Chuck was right; there are no meaningless life

experiences. Even at days old, while I can’t remember

them, I can see now how those early experiences

demonstrate the Lord acting in my life. I wasn’t born into

a family but that never meant that I wasn’t part of a

family. When I married Emily I got a second family, one

much larger than anything I had ever dreamt of having

before and when Jakob was born, I met the first person I

knew who was part of me and I was part of. Like I said,

being adopted means nothing to me but it does mean

everything. The Lord has given me a big family and that

means everything to me.


By Dave Nyenhuis

It happened again last week. I was enjoying a “father

moment.” It came because Rob had unexpectedly been

awarded a scholarship and I was proud of his

accomplishment. But then once again the thought

surfaced, “I wish my father was here to see this,” and

some of the joy was gone.

My father died in 1990. You would think I’d get over it

after 22 years, and for the most part I have. But a part of

me still mourns; and truth be told, some anger still

smolders against God. You see, my father died from

AIDS at the age of 59. In my mind, he was too young, his

ministry was too important, and he had too much left to

give for him to die. Added to that was the shame of a

disease he contracted through no fault of his own. And

there is this….if he had only contracted HIV a few years

later, medications were developed that would have kept

him going. The death sentence would have lifted into a

chronic illness and we would still have his company. All

in all, from my point of view, God really screwed up this

time.

But here’s the weird part. My mother contracted HIV

three years after my father. In fact, part of the burden we

carried at my father’s funeral was the knowledge that we

would soon be going through the trauma of death again.

But God intervened. He gave the gift of effective

treatment . My mother’s health is maintained. She is

now 77 years old, has recently successfully undergone hip

replacement surgery, and maintains an active live with her

church, friends and family.

So here’s the paradox. Now I am unable to rage at God

for my father’s death without also praising Him for my

mother’s life and health. What is odd is that the two

emotions don’t cancel each other out. I experience both,

joy and sadness, praise and rage, seemingly felt at the

same time.

As I’ve tried to work through these emotions I’ve come to

see them as a small example of my larger relationship

with God. This is much like what David expresses in the

Psalms, there is fear, rage, praise and bewilderment,

sometimes expressed in consecutive verses….seemingly

felt at the same time.

I don’t yet have the answers of why or when God chooses

to do what He does, but I continue to love Him for His

Father Moments when he comes along side, listens and

puts up with the myriad of emotions of his children.

By Ed Bossenga

It’s that time of year again when my students take

standardized tests to measure their progress and cognitive

abilities. They are always concerned about getting the

right answer. Since we have several teachers in our

family, the discussion around the dinner table turned to

the idea of students wanting a right answer. We

concluded that processing and understanding the how or

why of an answer were escaping many students.

Recently, Judy handed me an article in The Banner

entitled “The Jesus Questions.” She suggested I read it

since it dealt with “right” answers. In the article, Pastor

Sam Gutierrez recounts the idea that Christianity’s task is

to give the right answers to life’s questions. He refers to

the book, The Questions of Jesus, by John Dear in which

it is asserted that Jesus asked more than 300 questions of

people. In almost every situation, Jesus had a specific

probing question for everyone he meets, for every

occasion, for every experience, and for every potential

disciple. Many of the questions in Dear’s book provoked

challenges to the believer, and certainly cause one to

reflect on his or her life.

It struck me during this season of Lent that too often I

might be looking for the right answer to fix my problems.

More than that, however, is my feeling that I have the

right answer instead of looking to the question Jesus asks

and realizing the authentic answer is really to trust him.

Although I know this to be true, it is difficult for me to

process. There were two probing questions that

especially struck me from this article. First, “Why are

you so afraid? Do you still have no faith? (Mark 4:40)

The past months have brought some concern into my life.

My mom has had health issues that have confined her to a

nursing home. Judy’s mom has been in and out of the

hospital several times. Emmy has been experiencing

constant back pain because of a torn disk, and Jesse’s job

is in jeopardy. Jesus speaks directly to me in that first

question.

The second question that really caught my attention was

“Do you understand what I have done for you? (John

13:16) My right answer to this question is a qualified yes.

However, on Ash Wednesday God helped me answer this

question. We have an Ash Wednesday service at school

including the imposition of ashes. In the past I didn’t go

up for ashes because it may not be the “right” thing to do

for a reformed Protestant. Yet, the question that day to

me was “Do you know what I did for you?” I made a


conscious choice to receive ashes. It was a public way to

say “yes” I do know what you did for me. Lent is a

season of grace. It became evident to me that it is not so

much what I do, but about Jesus Christ’s presence in

calling me to come closer and closer to him each day.

This week’s faculty meeting included a time for reflection

during Lent based on a favorite scripture verse. Isaiah

12:2 is my favorite, “God is my strength and my

salvation, I will trust him and not be afraid.” Once again

God gave me the answer I needed for that first probing

question: “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no

faith?

Finally Pastor Gutierrez included a prayer to help seek the

authentic answers Christ gives to us. It has helped me in

dealing with the journey of life.

“Speak to me Lord, and ask me a question that will

challenge, unnerve, transform, realign, and encourage.

Make me a seeker and send me on a journey to discover

my authentic answer to your probing questions.”

By Gary Verseput

I have, for most of my life, been a “doer” first and

foremost. That may not be a surprise to some. Goals and

achievements were always important in my family while

growing up, and a frequent household maxim was

“Actions speak louder than words.” We focused on

starting early, staying on task, and finishing the job.

Rarely did we look backward, or even consider going

backward on a project, a job, or decision.

In my 20 years of Army life, that same focus continued:

“Take the objective!” “Mission first!” “Do whatever it

takes to get the job done!” My most lasting memory from

Officer Candidate School was the almost daily shout by

an instructor “Do something, Candidate, even if it's

wrong!” Perhaps many of us have had this type of focus

in our lives, to a greater or lesser degree. We may have

even wished for more or less of it, depending on where

we were and the situation we were in at the time.

At last, I've been coming to the realization over the past

several years that God wants me to focus on being more

than doing. That doesn't mean I'm freed from doing

things by any means, but it does mean my focus and

intent should be on being what He wants me to be rather

than just getting tasks accomplished. For instance, He

wants me to be still and acknowledge that He's in control,

and much of what happens in my world is not up to me

(Psalm 46:10). He wants me to be in the world, but not of

the world; to be in unity with the saints (church), rather

than to carry the decision; and to be in the Word, rather

than just to accomplish getting a certain amount read on a

schedule. He wants me to be compassionate, rather than

to think of people as jobs to get finished. He wants me to

be humble in setting an example, rather than proud of

what I've gotten done. And, He wants me to be satisfied

with what he has provided for me, rather than to focus on

acquiring more or feeling envious of others. There are

more examples, but these serve to point out the difference

between primarily focusing on being what God wants me

to be and simply getting tasks (even good, Christian tasks)

done. We still need to be “..doers of the Word, and not

hearers only..” (James 1:22), but much of what the Word

says is about how we should be.

Perhaps the clearest examples of all this have come over

the last year or more while helping our youngest daughter

through the process of her divorce. She has said

repeatedly how important it was to her, for me to just be

there with her at the attorney's office, in the courtroom, on

the bench in the court hallway, in the negotiation sessions,

in the car traveling to or from the courthouse. In almost

all of those instances, there was nothing I could do and

little that I could say. We spent minutes of time not

speaking. Just sitting with her head resting on my

shoulder. Just being until it was her turn before the judge.

Supporting Mindy was not a duty or task to be completed.

She needed me there in the moment. She needed my

compassion. She needed to rely on someone who would

be the Christian she could depend on. I couldn't fix it, but

I could be there with her, hold her hand, and remind her

that she is not alone. We thank God for that.

How would God have each of us be?

My thanks to Pastor John Schuurman for getting me

started on this change in my focus about four years ago;

we continue on.


By Steve Hess

My siblings and I have much to be thankful to God about

concerning the near miraculous recovery of my Mom in

the past year and a half.

During this period her colon had shown signs of

weakening and caused significant bleeding on three

occasions. The last two episodes proved difficult to mend

as attempts to locate the actual bleeding sites escaped

detection. My family members witnessed distress as the

cessation of a key medication (Coumadin) was weighed

by the doctors. On the one hand, Coumadin's blood

thinning properties help to lessen the possibility of a

stroke, but it was also felt, in her case, it may have

contributed to her bleeding outbreaks. The Coumadin was

stopped and a baby aspirin was put in it's place, and

through the prayers of family, church members, and the

indomitable spirit of my Mom the tissue did eventually

heal and ceased bleeding.

In the past two month's my Mom had another outbreak of

bleeding from the colon and a was taken to the hospital

from her home at Belmont Assisted living.

On this occasion, thankfully, the actual site of bleeding

was found and repaired! Mom is now back at home and

gaining in strength, and for now, any need of extensive

procedures have been averted. God has shown His healing

hand in all of this, and forces my family members and

myself to contemplate His mercy, His attention to prayer,

and His good pleasure in providing my Mother the

strength and will to live.


Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

1 PALM SUNDAY 6:15 pm Young People MC

2 7:00 pm ESL - MC

3 6:30 am Early Risers I-Hop

11:30 am Sr. Moments MC 6:30 pm CADETS - FH

6:30 pm GEMS - MC

4 9:00 am Coffee Break Leaders’ Mtg - MC

7:00 pm AA - FH

7:30 pm Choir Practice Sanc.

5 9:30 am Coffee Break/Story Hour MC & LL

7:30 pm Maundy Thursday Service

6

7

8 EASTER SUNDAY Easter Breakfast

6:00 EVENING SERVICE AT FAITH CRC

9 7:30 pm Congregational Mtg - Sanc



7:00 pm AA - FH



7:00 pm ESL - MC 7:30 pm Coffee Break - MC 8:00 pm Men’s Life Oakfield

13

14

15 6:15 pm Young People MC 6:30 pm Crown Financial Small Grp - MC

16 7:00 pm ESL - MC 7:00 pm Elders - MC 8:00 pm Deacons - MC


11:30 am Sr. Moments MC 6:30 pm CADETS - FH

6:30 pm GEMS - MC


7:00 pm AA - FH



7:00 pm ESL - MC 7:30 pm Coffee Break - MC 8:00 pm Men’s Life Oakfield

20 5:00 pm Cadets Competition Day – Dickson Valley

21 Cadets Competition Day 5:00 pm Weekenders FH & MC

22 6:30 pm Crown Financial Small Grp - MC

23 7:00 pm ESL - MC 7:30 pm Executive Committee - CR



7:00 pm AA - FH


26 9:30 am LAST Coffee Break/Story Hour MC & LL

7:00 pm ESL – MC 7:00 pm Worship Comm Mtg - CR 7:30 pm LAST Coffee Break MC

8:00 pm Men’s Life Oakfield

27

28

29 6:15 pm Young People Compassion Movie Night 6:30 pm Crown Financial Small Grp MC

30

Sunday Schedule 9:15 am Adult Sunday school - MC

10:30 am Worship service 5:00 pm Vesper service

Location Key CR: Council Room

FH: Fellowship Hall

HR: Heritage Room


Humor

3-year-old Reese :

'Our Father, Who does art in heaven,

Harold is His name.

Amen.'

A little boy was overheard praying:

'Lord, if you can't make me a better boy, don't worry

about it.

I'm having a real good time like I am.'

After the christening of his baby brother in church,

Jason sobbed all the way home in the back seat of the car.

His father asked him three times what was wrong.

Finally, the boy replied,

'That preacher said he wanted us brought up in a Christian

home, and I wanted to stay with you guys.'

One particular four-year-old prayed,

'And forgive us our trash baskets

as we forgive those who put trash in our baskets.'

A Sunday school teacher asked her children as they

were on the way to church service,

'And why is it necessary to be quiet in church?'

One bright little girl replied,

'Because people are sleeping.'

A mother was preparing pancakes for her sons, Kevin 5,

and Ryan 3. The boys began to argue over who would get

the first pancake. Their mother saw the opportunity for a

moral lesson..

'If Jesus were sitting here, He would say,

'Let my brother have the first pancake, I can wait.'

Kevin turned to his younger brother and said,

' Ryan , you be Jesus !'

A father was at the beach with his children

when the four-year-old son ran up to him,

grabbed his hand, and led him to the shore

where a seagull lay dead in the sand..

'Daddy, what happened to him?' the son asked.

'He died and went to Heaven,' the Dad replied.

The boy thought a moment and then said,

'Did God throw him back down?'

A wife invited some people to dinner..

At the table, she turned to their six-year-old daughter and

said,

'Would you like to say the blessing?'

'I wouldn't know what to say,' the girl replied.

'Just say what you hear Mommy say,' the wife answered.

The daughter bowed her head and said,

'Lord, why on earth did I invite all these people to

dinner?'

A Sunday School teacher asked, “Johnny, do you think

Noah did a lot of fishing when he was on the ark?” “No”

replied Johnny, “How could he with just two worms.”

Dear God,

I went to this wedding and they kissed right in church. Is

that OK?

Neil

Dear God,

Instead of letting people die and having to make new

ones, why don’t you just keep the ones you got right now?

Jane

Dear God,

I think the stapler is one of your greatest inventions.

Ryan

Dear God,

Thank you for the baby brother, but what I prayed for was

a puppy.

Joyce

Dear God,

We read Thos. Edison made light. But in Sunday School

they said you did it. So I bet he stole your idea.

Donna

Dear God,

If you give me a genie lamp like Alladin, I will give you

anything you want except my money and my chess set.

Raphael

Dear God,

Maybe Cain and Abel would not kill each so much if they

had their own rooms. It works with my brother.

Larry.


Kids Korner

1. On his third missionary journey, where was Paul

arrested?

________________________________________

2. How many baskets of bread were left after Jesus fed the

four thousand?

________________________________________

3. Who brought Dorcas, a disciple in Joppa back to life?

________________________________________

4. Who did King David send to the front line so that he

would be killed in battle?

________________________________________

5. Who wanted Jesus’ tomb sealed and guarded so that no

one could steal the body?

________________________________________

6. Who threatened to kill all the believers of Jesus?

________________________________________

7. How old was Jesus when he was baptized and started

his ministry?

________________________________________

8. How long was Moses on the mountain to receive the

ten commandments?

________________________________________

9. When he was praying, how many times did Jesus wake

his disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane?

________________________________________

10. What piece of clothing did the soldiers make Jesus

wear?

________________________________________

11. What woman led an army into battle?

________________________________________

12. What other name were the wise men called?

________________________________________

Look it up

1. Acts 21 : 15-36

2. Matthew 15 : 34-37

3. Acts 9 : 39-41

4. 2 Samuel 11 : 14-17

5. Matthew 27 : 62-64

6. Acts 9 : 1

7. Luke 3 : 21-23

8. Exodus 24 : 18

9. Matthew 26 : 39-45

10. John 19 : 2-5

11. Judges 4 : 6-9

12. Matthew 2 : 1

From Kid’s Bible Q&A, Published by

Barbour Publishing, Inc.

Used by permission 11/08

Note: If you are between the ages of 7 and 12 any time

during the calendar year 2012, sign your name and put

your answers in my mail box (Gabrielse) by Sunday,

April 15th.

Running totals:

William Fan 36

Philip Vanderschoot 36

Jacob Tukker 36

Kyle Tukker 36

Celeste Vandermeer 36

Once again, we have a contest for a $25 gift certificate to

be awarded in the January, 2013 issue.

Don’t miss a single issue.

Documents

A PUBLICATION OF THE WHEATON CHRISTIAN REFORMED CHURCH ... · A PUBLICATION OF THE WHEATON CHRISTIAN REFORMED CHURCH VOLUME 16 ISSUE 8 April, 2012 711 East Harrison, Wheaton, Illinois