A Day in The Life (woke up, got oughta bed…)

Wednesday September 20 begins at 7:30 with a short conversation with one of the fifty or so construction workers using the north end of our parking lot while they work on Sheridan Road — “God bless” he says, “I pray for your church everyday as I come and go.” What an unexpected blessing!

Moving toward the building, I’m greeted by New Vision Covenant Church members who are finishing up their morning prayers together; they gathered about 6 a.m., and are leaving now by 8. I note the humble faithfulness and diligent prayers of God’s people.

8 a.m. Time to put the coffee on. Catching up on emails, and morning reading and prayer before meetings begin. Blogs arrive via email, as do prayers that give me words to pray for the heart. Now I am centered and ready for the day!

9:30 – worship planning and coordination! Working together with Jen, Lynnea, and Mary on plans for Sundays to come. Anticipations build for our gatherings soon to come. Old routines and new ideas. Inspiring!

10:00 – Staff meeting. It’s time to celebrate Jen’s birthday with coffee cake, apple spice donuts and cards. What a pleasure to work together through the years. We peruse the bulletin insert, church calendar, and Wednesday wire. We coordinate and correct schedules, problem solve and confirm new and changing plans. Then we check in and share how we are, and pray for one another. Relationships deepen and take strength in working together to serve.

11:15 – just a little time to call a couple friends and check in, and send off a card or two. Jen’s off excitedly to the airport to greet her folks who have arrived for her birthday.

11:45 – Bag Lunch with Lynnea in her office. We are talking about current tensions and challenges, and how we might best understand and respond. The door outside her office is busy with about fifty folks arriving for their noon recovery meeting. One of them has a dog who comes and greets us most days. Another makes a conscious effort to stop and thank the church for its healing hospitality. The locksmith is here to fix the door still ajar from a robbery some time ago. The mail arrives, and a couple of you come by to make sure we’re on track for our first REFUEL dinner, which is always a cookout. So much coming and going, wonderful energy!

1:30 – over to Wallgreens for the latest flu shot and COVID vaccine. the pharmacy is overwhelmed and understaffed. In the waiting I’m praying for those whose faces I see — an elderly man with two walking sticks, a young mom moving back and forth with the pram trying to keep the baby satisfied, the pharmacist being shouted at through the window, and a young couple sitting next to me making wedding plans. How grateful I am for medicine!

3:00 — Peter and I are setting up table and chairs outside, anticipating the joyful gathering. Finding plates and cups, napkins and utensils. Soon John the griller will be here! Misse and Kari are leaving after working around the church all day on plans for children and families. Now time to go pick them up! Getting my steps in.

3:30 — A little time for sermon work. God asks Jonah “Is it right for you to be angry?” Jesus shoots the same question at the scribes and pharisees, and tells a crazy story. “What does the Spirit have to say to the Church?” I wonder. Good thing it’s only Wednesday. Much to ponder about God’s generosity and our challenge with it.

4:30 — John Lindahl is here to grill! I will help and taste-test! Kurt comes too. The construction workers are coming back to their cars, and shooting longing looks our way as they smell the hamburgers. A group of women arrive excitedly for group spiritual direction with Judi Geake. Things are ramping up!

5:30 — It’s the invasion of the gnats! and so, all of a sudden, “let’s get everything back inside to the gym.” Many hands make light work. We are eating together, and it’s easy to notice how excited the kids are for Wednesday Nights again! Blessed fellowship and yummy food.

6:30 — The Band has arrived and all is ready to go in the upper room. We sing together “All God’s Critters got a Place in the Choir” “I am the resurrection (clap) and the life (clap clap clap clap) and “Lord Prepare me to be a sanctuary” and a new song about “loving our neighbors”, our theme for the year:

Good Neighbor by Evan Craft

We may not look the same ya might talk different too

got a long list of differences between me and you

different colors different stories even different politics

but He’s calling us now to lay it all down get back to the heart of it

and be a good, good, good, good, good neighbor,

learn to love each other with the love of the Savior

make room at the table, and share the hope that we got

and be a good, good, good neighbor, and show the world we got a good God.

7:00 — I’m sitting in the choir loft practicing with the choir for Sunday… “Let the words of the Lord Jesus Christ dwell in you…” Mary and Mary Beth guide us along. Outside the sanctuary doors, kids and their parents are building houses out of the huge cardboard boxes that our new round tables were delivered in. Working on being loving neighbors. be ready for a surprise in the narthex! Kids and parents having faith conversations that are also fun and full of creativity. Miss Mel is the bomb!

7:40 — Last task of the work day is no task at all, but gathering with a few other men to sing through a men’s chorus anthem for October 1. “Guide Me O Thou Great Jehovah”. It’s last stanza is so fitting as a benediction to a blessed day: “When I tread the verge of Jordan, bid my anxious fears subside; bear me through the swelling current, land me safe on Canaan’s side: songs of praises, songs of praises I will ever give to thee, I will ever give to thee.” So grateful for the hymns of our faith.

8:00 — In the car on the way home. As I catch up on the cubs game, Ian Happ hits a grand slam! It will be all downhill from there, however. Arriving home, bear is jumping in the doorway, and we walk down the street together to catch up on the day.

9:30 Weary, but even more grateful, the day comes to a close. trying to catch an episode of a favorite Netflix show, my eyes can’t stay open, and I give in to blessed sleep. What a wonderful day!

Love from Here

Peter Hawkinson

A Day in The Life (woke up, got oughta bed…)

Wednesday September 20 begins at 7:30 with a short conversation with one of the fifty or so construction workers using the north end of our parking lot while they work on Sheridan Road — “God bless” he says, “I pray for your church everyday as I come and go.” What an unexpected blessing!

Moving toward the building, I’m greeted by New Vision Covenant Church members who are finishing up their morning prayers together; they gathered about 6 a.m., and are leaving now by 8. I note the humble faithfulness and diligent prayers of God’s people.

8 a.m. Time to put the coffee on. Catching up on emails, and morning reading and prayer before meetings begin. Blogs arrive via email, as do prayers that give me words to pray for the heart. Now I am centered and ready for the day!

9:30 – worship planning and coordination! Working together with Jen, Lynnea, and Mary on plans for Sundays to come. Anticipations build for our gatherings soon to come. Old routines and new ideas. Inspiring!

10:00 – Staff meeting. It’s time to celebrate Jen’s birthday with coffee cake, apple spice donuts and cards. What a pleasure to work together through the years. We peruse the bulletin insert, church calendar, and Wednesday wire. We coordinate and correct schedules, problem solve and confirm new and changing plans. Then we check in and share how we are, and pray for one another. Relationships deepen and take strength in working together to serve.

11:15 – just a little time to call a couple friends and check in, and send off a card or two. Jen’s off excitedly to the airport to greet her folks who have arrived for her birthday.

11:45 – Bag Lunch with Lynnea in her office. We are talking about current tensions and challenges, and how we might best understand and respond. The door outside her office is busy with about fifty folks arriving for their noon recovery meeting. One of them has a dog who comes and greets us most days. Another makes a conscious effort to stop and thank the church for its healing hospitality. The locksmith is here to fix the door still ajar from a robbery some time ago. The mail arrives, and a couple of you come by to make sure we’re on track for our first REFUEL dinner, which is always a cookout. So much coming and going, wonderful energy!

1:30 – over to Wallgreens for the latest flu shot and COVID vaccine. the pharmacy is overwhelmed and understaffed. In the waiting I’m praying for those whose faces I see — an elderly man with two walking sticks, a young mom moving back and forth with the pram trying to keep the baby satisfied, the pharmacist being shouted at through the window, and a young couple sitting next to me making wedding plans. How grateful I am for medicine!

3:00 — Peter and I are setting up table and chairs outside, anticipating the joyful gathering. Finding plates and cups, napkins and utensils. Soon John the griller will be here! Misse and Kari are leaving after working around the church all day on plans for children and families. Now time to go pick them up! Getting my steps in.

3:30 — A little time for sermon work. God asks Jonah “Is it right for you to be angry?” Jesus shoots the same question at the scribes and pharisees, and tells a crazy story. “What does the Spirit have to say to the Church?” I wonder. Good thing it’s only Wednesday. Much to ponder about God’s generosity and our challenge with it.

4:30 — John Lindahl is here to grill! I will help and taste-test! Kurt comes too. The construction workers are coming back to their cars, and shooting longing looks our way as they smell the hamburgers. A group of women arrive excitedly for group spiritual direction with Judi Geake. Things are ramping up!

5:30 — It’s the invasion of the gnats! and so, all of a sudden, “let’s get everything back inside to the gym.” Many hands make light work. We are eating together, and it’s easy to notice how excited the kids are for Wednesday Nights again! Blessed fellowship and yummy food.

6:30 — The Band has arrived and all is ready to go in the upper room. We sing together “All God’s Critters got a Place in the Choir” “I am the resurrection (clap) and the life (clap clap clap clap) and “Lord Prepare me to be a sanctuary” and a new song about “loving our neighbors”, our theme for the year:

Good Neighbor by Evan Craft

We may not look the same ya might talk different too

got a long list of differences between me and you

different colors different stories even different politics

but He’s calling us now to lay it all down get back to the heart of it

and be a good, good, good, good, good neighbor,

learn to love each other with the love of the Savior

make room at the table, and share the hope that we got

and be a good, good, good neighbor, and show the world we got a good God.

7:00 — I’m sitting in the choir loft practicing with the choir for Sunday… “Let the words of the Lord Jesus Christ dwell in you…” Mary and Mary Beth guide us along. Outside the sanctuary doors, kids and their parents are building houses out of the huge cardboard boxes that our new round tables were delivered in. Working on being loving neighbors. be ready for a surprise in the narthex! Kids and parents having faith conversations that are also fun and full of creativity. Miss Mel is the bomb!

7:40 — Last task of the work day is no task at all, but gathering with a few other men to sing through a men’s chorus anthem for October 1. “Guide Me O Thou Great Jehovah”. It’s last stanza is so fitting as a benediction to a blessed day: “When I tread the verge of Jordan, bid my anxious fears subside; bear me through the swelling current, land me safe on Canaan’s side: songs of praises, songs of praises I will ever give to thee, I will ever give to thee.” So grateful for the hymns of our faith.

8:00 — In the car on the way home. As I catch up on the cubs game, Ian Happ hits a grand slam! It will be all downhill from there, however. Arriving home, bear is jumping in the doorway, and we walk down the street together to catch up on the day.

9:30 Weary, but even more grateful, the day comes to a close. trying to catch an episode of a favorite Netflix show, my eyes can’t stay open, and I give in to blessed sleep. What a wonderful day!

Love from Here

Peter Hawkinson

Going Home

I’m recalling moments and days now long ago when I was lucky enough to go home. College years specifically bring lingering memories.

It was a rare occurrence, because The University of North Dakota in Grand Forks from 5258 Spaulding Avenue is 715 miles northwest. And winter comes early. And stays late. And when spring came and school was over, it was time to race to Covenant Point, where I was on summer staff every summer. So as good as I can remember, I went home for Christmas, and for a few days in May. That’s it! Twice a year through those five years — I’m a bit of a slow learner!

What I remember about going home is a weariness that I only realized when getting there. I realized how hungry I was when I encountered a full refrigerator, and how tired I was when I laid myself down on a real mattress. Lots of eating and even more sleeping for those few days, much to the chagrin of my folks and little brother Paul who surely wanted some quality time with me. On the rare occasions I could go home, the plan was to let go and just rest in the safety and comfort of my home and family.

Now, forty years later, I still find myself longing for home. I love to be at home, and to go home whenever I can. But I’m more tuned into the metaphor as it relates to my spirit — it’s weariness, and longing to rest and let go, especially this time of the year as the calendar and it’s treadmill are ramping up.

This is where I’m thankful for Bill Joel, and what might be my favorite song of his, “You’re My Home”, which says in part:

“When you touch my weary head and you tell me everything will be alright you say, “Use my body for your bed” and “My love will keep you warm throughout the night” Well I never had a place that I could call my very own But that’s alright, my love, ’cause you’re my home.”

His song invites me to “go home”, to locate “home” in a person, in a relationship even more than in a place. He goes on:

“Home can be the Pennsylvania Turnpike Indiana’s early morning dew High up in the hills of California Home is just another word for you…”

This must be why I treasure the little ascent Psalm 131 more all the time as life races along:

O LORD, my heart is not lifted up, my eyes not raised too high; I do not occupy myself with things too great and too marvelous for me. But I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother; My soul is like the weaned child that is with me. O Israel, hope in the LORD from this time on and forevermore.

I myself would call it a “going home” Psalm, not to any physical place, but to rest in the arms of God. That’s the image, of a child, fast asleep in a mother’s arms — a particularly beautiful and comforting image of God for me. And with that going is a letting go of “Things too wonderful for me” — all the unsolved and undone realities of life — resting from life’s stresses and the great mysteries and questions of life, letting go of all the “to do” lists always around — Going home to God, and resting in our weariness.

I happen to believe that the psalm was short so that it could be easily memorized, and therefore spoken with meaning anytime, anyplace. So I’m crowding the words onto a mid-size post-it note that I’ll see all day on the edge of my computer, until It’s engrained in my soul like the Lord’s Prayer. And it will invite me to stop and center myself, take an “adult time out” you might say all through the busy day. What a gift, to rest in what I know most of all, which is the love of God now and forever.

I can sing with Billy, the way the song ends, but to my God, “You’re my home, you’re my home!” And my soul will find rest and hope not because everything’s all buttoned up, but because, as is said so often in the African American Church, “God is good, all the time! All the time, God is good.”

Love From Here!

Peter Hawkinson