My latest book, last in a series of three, Praying The Lectionary Prayers Of The Church Cycle C is now available from CSS Publishing Company. You can purchase your copy by clicking on the link. Thank you!
Wednesday, September 1, 2021
Thursday, August 5, 2021
Memorial Sermon for Daniel Reid
Memorial Sermon for Daniel James Reid, based on Psalm 103:13-17 & Romans 8:31-39, by Pastor Garth Wehrfritz-Hanson, at Skudesness Lutheran Church, two o’clock, August 4, 2021.
Death comes to us all. As many of you know, there are different kinds of death. Some deaths are expected after a long life, or a long period of suffering caused by chronic illness. Such deaths are regarded by many people as a blessing. Other deaths are not expected and unpredictable, as well as unwanted. Daniel James Reid’s death was an accident; it was not expected or predicted; nor was it wanted. One day Daniel was very much alive. The next day he was no longer with you.
At first you may have been stunned; shock deadens the blow. Then the anesthesia of shock wears off and we begin to feel the awful hurt and heartache of bereavement. We would fall apart if it were not for the presence of those who care: mom, dad, children, sisters, brothers, other relatives, friends, neighbours and God. They come quickly to take us in their arms and breathe comfort in our ears. Remember too, that there are many people whom we do not even know—strangers--who read or hear of our bereavement and lift prayers to God in our behalf.
The Bible, in Psalm 103, speaks about the shortness of human life. The psalmist compares our human life with grass or wild flowers that quickly bloom, then a strong scorching wind makes them wither and die. Most, if not all of you, I expect would say that Daniel’s life was way too short. Why did he have to fall off that roof? He was only in his 30s, too young to die. I cannot answer your question why. However, I can point you to our Bible passages that speak of a God who loves us all and is with us, even in death.
As the psalmist assures us: Just as parents have compassion for their children, the LORD has compassion for all who worship him. The English word compassion is from the Latin words “com” meaning “with” or “together,” and “passio” or “pati” meaning “to suffer.” We are always within the reach and sight of God’s compassion. Even though we do wrong, mess up, make terrible mistakes, God our Parent still has compassion for us. Daniel’s parents had compassion for him, even when he did wrong and made mistakes; and Daniel had compassion for you Taylor, Jordyn and Jack. That compassion is a gift that God gives us. Because of that compassion, the sadness and suffering seem at times so great.
After the loss of Daniel perhaps you felt that everyone and everything was against you. Such feelings do come to us, since just as there are life-forces there are also anti-life forces at work in the world. However, listen again to these words of promise from the apostle Paul’s letter to the Romans, he writes: “What then are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us? The One who died for us, Jesus—who was raised to life for us!—is in the presence of God at this very moment sticking up for us.”(The Message)
In other words, the answer to whoever or whatever is against you is that they shall not have the last word; they shall not win because God is on your side. God has the last word, and God will win in the end. Why? Because it is kind of like playing a game of ball or hockey. The team with the best players will win the game. You and I are on the winning team, since we have the very best player who ever lived, namely, Jesus. He has already won the game for each and every one of us by the life he lived; by his suffering, atoning death on the cross; and by his victory over death through his resurrection-life three days after he died.
Paul goes on to say with great confidence: “Do you think anyone is going to be able to drive a wedge between us and Christ’s love for us (or condemn us)? (Do you think anyone has the power to separate us/divorce us from Christ’s love?) There is no way!”(The Message) Just as your love for Daniel went with him when he travelled so far away from you; and just as Daniel’s love for you remained with you even though he was working on the other side of the world in Saudi Arabia; so Jesus’ love is always going to be in us, with us, and for us.
Paul is even more confident when he answers his questions about Jesus’ love, he tells us this: “Not trouble, not hard times, not hatred, not hunger, not homelessness, not bullying threats, not backstabbing, not even the worst sins listed in Scripture:
They kill us in cold blood because they hate you.
We’re sitting ducks; they pick us off one by one.
None of this fazes us because Jesus loves us. I’m absolutely convinced that nothing—nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable—absolutely nothing can get between us and God’s love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us.”(The Message) His loving embrace by suffering and dying on the cross and his victory over death by his resurrection from death is his unconditional gift to each one of us; that after we die, we too may share in a resurrection like his.
What wonderful GOOD NEWS this is for you and I! The BEST NEWS EVER! I happen to believe it. I hope and pray that you do too. It makes all the difference in the world to live and die trusting in and knowing that God’s steadfast love (God’s constant love, God’s reliable love) is from everlasting to everlasting. To be loved by our LORD and, in response, to love others, that is the ultimate meaning of life. May it be so for all of you! Amen!
Friday, July 16, 2021
Wednesday, June 30, 2021
Wednesday, June 2, 2021
Book Review: The Cellist Of Sarajevo
The Cellist Of Sarajevo
Author: Steven Galloway
Publisher: Vintage Canada, a division of Random House of Canada Limited, paperback, 261 pages
The Author
Steven Galloway, at the time of this publication, authored two other novels, and was a professor who taught creative writing at the University of British Columbia and Simon Fraser University. However, he was dismissed from the University of British Columbia because of charges of sexual misconduct and bullying. According to the Canadian Encyclopedia, one charge was substantiated, an extra-marital affair with a student.
Format
The novel is divided into four parts, each having a few chapters, which focus on the three main characters: Arrow, Kenan, and Dragan. The cellist is an unnamed, and in a sense, minor and mysterious character in the novel. There are a few other characters not portrayed or developed in great detail. The novel concludes with an Afterword, in which Galloway explains the true life cellist, Vedran Smailovic; actually did play Albinoni’s Adagio in G Minor for 22 days, where 22 people lined up to buy bread were killed.
Some Observations
Sarajevo is under siege; principal cellist of the Sarajevo Symphony Orchestra looks out his window; he sees many of his friends and neighbours lined up on the street; waiting to buy bread. A bomb exploded and killed them. The cellist puts on his tuxedo; takes his cello down onto the street; and proceeds to play Albinoni’s Adagio. He did this for 22 days, each day to honour the dead.
A sniper who names herself Arrow successfully has escaped from being shot by other snipers.
Kenan, husband of Amila, and dad of three children worries about the dangers of travelling to the brewery to collect enough water for the family and their widow neighbour, Mrs. Ristovski. Will he make it back home safely, or will someone shoot him?
Dragan, a sixty-four-year-old baker remembers how Sarajevo was prior to the war—or at least how he thought it was. He sent his wife and son to Italy, hoping they’ll be safer there. Every time he goes to the bakery he risks being shot by a sniper. He is grateful for his work, and through it he has access to food, which he shares with his sister, brother-in-law, and their family. He lives with them now, since his home was destroyed.
The novel gives us a realistic impression of how disruptive and destructive war can be in a city. There are ruined buildings all over; the tram, the public transportation system is no longer available; inflation is sky-rocketing; food is scarcer and the price of it is more than double prior to the war. People like Kenan, a clerical assistant in an accounting firm, no longer work and have to sell house appliances or other items to buy food; while those involved in the black market exploit others, have plenty of food, and drive new Mercedes.
A commander named Nermin assigns Arrow the sniper the job of keeping the cellist alive while he plays on the street.
The cellist and the music are a symbol of the necessity of mourning the dead and living in hope for the future of Sarajevo.
Galloway addresses several issues regarding the realities of war, including: good and evil, the consequences of individual and collective actions, the fear of death, despair and hope, the eternal questions of why and how long in the face of suffering and injustice, to name a few.
Reflecting on the vulnerability of civilization, Dragan observes: “It needs to be built constantly, recreated daily. It vanishes far more quickly than he (Dragan) ever would have thought possible.” (p. 248)
In his Afterword, Galloway briefly mentions some of the historical details of the 1992-1996 Siege of Sarajevo, and thanks all of those who inspired him and contributed to his writing and publication of the novel.
Reading this novel makes yours truly more grateful that we Canadians have been blessed to live in a peaceful nation compared to far too many other countries in the world. May we never take this peaceful blessing for granted!
Saturday, May 15, 2021
Book Review: One Hundred Tons Of Ice
One Hundred Tons Of Ice and Other Gospel Stories
Author: Lawrence Wood
Publisher: Westminster John Knox Press, paperback, 184 pages, including Credits, Bibliography, and Notes
Reviewed by Rev. Garth Wehrfritz-Hanson
The Author
At the time of publication, Lawrence Wood was pastor of Fremont United Methodist Church in Fremont, Michigan. Previously he served in Harbor Springs and Alanson, Michigan. He is a graduate of Northwestern University and Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary. His writing has appeared in The Christian Century. He is currently senior minister at St. Andrew by the Sea, a community church in Gulf Shores, Alabama.
Contents
This volume begins with a section entitled Overture, followed by four parts: Summer, Fall, Winter, Spring. Each of these four parts contains several chapters. The chapters are thematic in nature, and the chapter titles often reveal the theme. Here are a couple of examples: In Summer, one title is Dixon, Illinois. In Fall, one title is the Peaceable Kingdom, which also includes a black and white image of the familiar painting of the same name by artist Edward Hicks.
A Few Brief Examples
In Overture, Wood begins with a wonderful story about a couple and their Newfoundland dog surviving an episode of falling into ice-cold water after the ice they were on gave way. Afterwards, the husband became more cognizant of the holy in the ordinary stuff of life. Wood then goes on to cite a quotation from an insightful ninety year old layperson: “The last book of the Bible is still being written, and I’d like to add a verse or two.” Wood then suggests: “Maybe that is what preaching is all about—telling the sacred story of our own day.” (p. 2)
In Summer, Wood shares a story about actor Fred Astaire and commercial exploitation. Another story I’d never heard of relates how “The Great Molasses Flood” (pp. 34-35) was a disaster killing and injuring many.
In Fall, Wood tells the story of Mr. Jefferson’s Bible and the Jesus Seminar—both of which decided what sayings and doings of Jesus were authentic, ending up with much different Gospels than those in the canon. We need the variety found in our canonical Bible. In Jesus and Mrs. Fish, Wood tells the story of the affluent Mrs. Stuyvesant Fish. She was not impressed with high society and ostentation, yet she extravagantly entertained them. She epitomized the greed of “more is never enough,” saying: “We’re not really rich. We have only a few million.” (p. 88)
In Winter, Wood ponders the question, what did Jesus look like? He includes the legend of Veronica’s handkerchief image of Jesus’ face; the legend of the Shroud of Turin; Michelangelo’s Jesus; French painter Leon Lhermitte’s portrait of Jesus; and Warner Sallman’s familiar portrait of Jesus. Wood concludes: “We are created in the image of God and are called to be the body of Christ, and believe it or not, that is his true likeness.” (p. 116) In the book’s title story, One Hundred Tons of Ice, readers will discover the story of “the Ice King,” (p. 142) Frederic Tudor, and where he sold the ice. It is a story of “one person’s ‘junk’ is another person’s treasure.” Everyone and everything is useful to God.
In Spring, Wood includes a story called Here Today, in which readers learn about John James Audubon and his encounter with what he estimated were one billion passenger pigeons in 1813. By 1914, the last bird died in the Cincinnati Zoo, making the species extinct. The Old Rugged Cross, as the title suggests, relates the story of the hymn’s origins. Wood also reflects on Simon of Cyrene carrying Jesus’ cross as well as the would-be followers of Jesus carrying their crosses.
Pastor Wood shares some priceless stories in this volume—stories that are endorsed by Professors Thomas G. Long, David Buttrick, and William H. Willimon on the back cover. Highly recommended to preachers and others who love stories.
Wednesday, May 5, 2021
Book Review: Albert Schweitzer's Mission Healing and Peace
Albert Schweitzer's Mission Healing and Peace: With Hitherto Unpublished Letters from Schweitzer, Nehru, Eisenhower, Khrushchev, and Kennedy
Author: Norman Cousins
Publisher: W.W. Norton & Company, hardcover, 319 pages, including Acknowledgments, Editor's Note, and Index
Reviewed by Rev. Garth Wehrfritz-Hanson
The Author
Norman Cousins wrote for Saturday Review, and later became professor of humanities in the medical faculty of the University of California, Los Angeles. He also authored Anatomy of an Illness, Human Options, The Human Heart, and The Words of Albert Schweitzer. He was the recipient of an honorary Doctor of Medicine degree at Yale University by the Connecticut Medical Association and the New Haven Medical Society.
Contents
In addition to Acknowledgments, Editor's Note and Index, the main body of this volume is divided into "Part I. A Visit to Lambaréné" and "Part II. The Correspondence, Introduction, Letters: 1957-1963," and a concluding "Epilogue."
Observations
In "A Visit to Lambaréné," Norman Cousins noted how Dr. Schweitzer left book manuscripts he was working on laying around, so that some were easily scattered and even stepped on by animals.
He also pointed out the irony of Dr. Schweitzer who could have enjoyed a career as a professional concert organist and pianist playing without complaint an out-of-tune, dilapidated, old upright piano in Lambaréné.
Cousins observed how witch doctors had power over people by threatening them with evil spells if they went to the Schweitzer Hospital.
"Dr. Schweitzer did not come to Africa for the purpose of building a towering medical centre. He came in order to meet the Africans on their own terms. What he built was an African village attached to a functional medical and surgical clinic." (p. 53)
Dr. Schweitzer could be gruff with the Africans--he could be patronizing, treating them like children. However, Dr. Schweitzer regarded his role at the hospital as father not only to the Africans, but to everyone. "He had a sense of total personal responsibility for everyone and everything at Lambaréné." (p. 55)
Dr. Schweitzer told Cousins that his correspondence (including to the leaders of nations, among others) was increasing and getting further behind and was time-consuming.
Cousins observed how energetic Dr. Schweitzer was--he could still vigorously work at nearly 83 years of age. He also noted the Doctor's sense of humour during mealtime.
Helena, Dr. Schweitzer's wife, told Cousins about her tuberculosis when she was young; her skiing accident that broke her spine; her daughter Rhene, who married Jean Eckert of Zurich, an organ builder; and how she had helped Dr. Schweitzer for many of the over 40 years in Lambaréné, prior to her becoming ill and walking with a cane. Cousins also states that he enjoyed other cordial visits with Mrs. Schweitzer, who had an interest in world events as well as his family. She died 2 months after his Lambaréné visit.
On one occasion, Dr. Schweitzer spoke with Cousins for 2 hours about philosophy and philosophers. He was influenced by Hegel and the Stoic school. He also spoke about his own philosophy and his published and unpublished works.
Cousins describes, in some detail, staff members who came from various countries and their duties in the hospital and lepers' village. Several of them had served in Lambaréné for many years. This was the case in spite of the fact that, according to Cousins, both the Schweitzer Hospital and leper village were under-staffed.
Cousins describes another conversation with Dr. Schweitzer about ethical, political and health issues in relation to nuclear energy and nuclear fallout from testing.
The Doctor surprised Cousins when he gave him his unpublished manuscript of The Kingdom of God--which he had hand-written on the back of all kinds of forms and old letters. This epitomized Dr. Schweitzer's stewardship and commitment not to live in luxury.
In another conversation, the Doctor told Cousins the more he studied Christian theology, the more he thought that over the centuries it had become too complicated and obscure. As principal of a seminary Dr. Schweitzer realized that he could no longer believe or teach what he was taught; and could not teach what he believed. Therefore he painfully gave up his position as principal at the seminary. He confessed: "I decided I would make my life my argument. I would attempt to have my life and work say what I believed." (p. 125)
Cousins left Lambaréné having accomplished the purpose of his visit: he had Dr. Schweitzer's unpublished manuscript of The Kingdom of God, and his promise of a future statement on world peace and the problem of nuclear testing.
Part II "The Correspondence," contains letters of Cousins and Dr. Schweitzer up to the year the latter died in 1965, as well as letters to others. "Most of the correspondence was on the key issues of the times--the deterioration of international relations, the hazards of the nuclear arms race (including dangers to the environment caused by testing), and the pervasive sense of uncontrolled drift toward a nuclear holocaust." (p. 143)
Cousins also includes Dr. Schweitzer's "A Declaration of Conscience" statement, which was broadcasted on radio from Oslo, and was deliberately chosen by Schweitzer because the Nobel Committee resided there. In it, he described the dangers of testing uranium, hydrogen and cobalt bombs and their radioactive fallout. He also appealed to citizens of the world to press their governments to end the testing of atomic weapons. Dr. Schweitzer's statement was also broadcasted on many transmitters throughout the world.
Many of the letters focus on the banning of nuclear weapons testing; the question of Berlin; and the Cuban missile crisis.
Dr. Schweitzer was grateful to have served in the medical profession into his nineties.
According to Cousins, in his "Epilogue," Schweitzer's greatest achievement was spreading his moral vision internationally. "The greatness of Schweitzer--indeed, the essence of Schweitzer--was the man as symbol." (p. 303)
Cousins goes on to cite how Schweitzer inspired people around the globe to found hospitals in impoverished places; medical clinics; and an orphanage. "Schweitzer demonstrated that one man (or woman) can make a difference." (p. 306)
Dr. Albert Schweitzer's freedom to sacrificially serve others mirrors the spirit of Jesus, and undoubtedly continues to inspire hundreds, thousands, and perhaps even millions today. Thank God for the Albert Schweitzers of this world!
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