The Way

Rejoice! Sermon Series

noreply@blogger.com (The Way) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 10:21:07 PST

In Phil 4:4, Paul writes, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.” This series will teach us how to cultivate an attitude of joy despite life’s challenging circumstances.

Sunday themes are:
Rejoice! Even When You Don’t Feel Like It (November 8)
Rejoice! Even When All Seems Lost (November 15)
Rejoice! Even When No One Else Does (November 22).

All Saints Sunday

noreply@blogger.com (The Way) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 11:22:27 PST

All Saints Sunday is a day we set aside each year to reflect on the faithful witness of those who have gone before us. These may be family members who shaped our lives or brothers and sisters in Christ who guided us with their words and deeds. All Saints Sunday is a day of remembrance and celebration for that “great cloud of witnesses” that surrounds us always.

Sunday, November 1, 2009

"Come to the Worship Table" Semon Series

noreply@blogger.com (The Way) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 13:51:27 PDT

We will turn our attention to the Lord’s Table during our October worship series. “Come to the Welcome Table” is an old spiritual that celebrates the gracious welcome we find in Christ and with the Body of Christ at the Table. Sunday themes are:

October 4: World Communion Sunday
October 11 Share the Feast: Feed the Hungry
October 18 Share the Table: Embrace the Outcast (sorry, this webcast is unavailable)
October 25 Share the Christ: Meet the Christ and Be the Christ

"Peacemakers" Sermon Series

noreply@blogger.com (The Way) — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 11:06:26 PDT

In Matthew 5:9, Jesus says, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” This September at The Way, we will explore what this means for us. Using Jesus’ teachings throughout the Gospels along with the book, The Peacemaker: A Biblical Guide to Resolving Personal Conflict by Ken Sande, we will challenge ourselves to be bearers of peace in our interpersonal relationships as well as our life together as a community of faith.
September 6 “Glorify God”
September 13 “Get the Log Out of Your Eye”
September 20 “Gently Restore”
September 27 “Go and Be Reconciled”

All Things Considered Sermon Series

noreply@blogger.com (The Way) — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 07:30:55 PDT

Every summer at The Way, we take time to consider your requests—those unanswered faith questions, those difficult scriptures, those spiritual musings and wonderings of yours. This is always one of the most varied and fun worship series of our year. Consider being a part of “All Things Considered” this summer!
August 2 Rev. Carolyn Bullard, preaching
August 9 Questions about Scripture
August 16 More (!) Questions about Theology
August 23 Questions about the Christian Church & Other Denominations
August 30 Questions about Spiritual Disciplines

Boot Camp Summer Worship Series

noreply@blogger.com (The Way) — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 13:36:42 PDT

This summer at The Way, we will experience a crash course in basic Christian Theology called Boot Camp. Over the past few months, many of your spiritual questions have centered on the core issues of our faith. Boot Camp will be an opportunity to learn more about these core issues from diverse perspectives. This will be a challenging series; it may even make you uncomfortable. But isn’t that what all Boot Camps do? By the end of July, you will have a solid—albeit basic—understanding of Christian theology and hopefully the desire to learn and explore Christian theology even more deeply.

June 7 - Faith
June 14 - The Bible (Activities Bldg)
June 21 - Meet God, Meet Christ (Activities Bldg)
June 28 - Born Again / Thin Places
July 5 - The Kingdom of God
July 12 - Sin and Salvation
July 19 - The Heart of the Matter
July 26 - Heart and Home

A River Deep and Wide

noreply@blogger.com (The Way) — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 08:17:01 PDT

I have just returned from Nashville where I participated in a weeklong seminar of this same name. The following thoughts are taken from the seminar brochure:Spirituality is like a river…a River flowing with the grace of God, a River full of life and vitality for thirsty souls and hungry hearts, a River of Jesus’ love. The Psalmist writes, “There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God.” (Ps 46:4a). This is the River we seek in an increasingly multicultural and inter-religious world. Some respond to diversity with fear, but as people of faith we know that differences can lead to discovery. Diversity is an invitation to dialogue. In the spirit of Jesus, who was always venturing forth to meet others, A River Deep and Wide will be an opportunity to learn, to grow, and to relate to one another, overcoming divisions and discovering our oneness in community. So it will be with us at The Way as we focus on the same theme. Each Sunday in May, we will consider a different current in this River of faith and life:
May 3 Bridge the Gap—A Celebration of Creation
May 10 Bridge the Generations
May 17 Bridge the Traditions
May 24 Bridge the Cultures
May 31 Catch the Current (Pentecost Sunday)

Anniversary Sunday and April 26

noreply@blogger.com (The Way) — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 07:49:07 PDT

The Way’s 4th Anniversary Celebration, April 19: Come celebrate four years of ministry at The Way! We will take a look back at the past year, open ourselves up to what God has in store for us in the year ahead, and share a potluck fellowship meal together. As with our previous anniversary celebrations, the music for this evening will be all-request.
Anniversary Sunday - April 19

Special Guests Chris and Maggie Bryant share experiences from their mission trip to China.
April 26

Easter Sunday Service

noreply@blogger.com (The Way) — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 12:39:52 PDT

The Way will gather for worship on Easter Sunday at our regular time to proclaim the Good News of Christ’s resurrection. Our scripture for the evening service will be the Emmaus Story, Luke 24:13-35.
Easter Sunday -April 12

Jesus Today Sermon Series

noreply@blogger.com (The Way) — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 11:54:18 PDT

"So what?" Unfortunately, that's the response of far too many Americans when hearing the Good News of Jesus Christ. According to a recent survey, two-thirds of the American public believes that religion is losing its influence on our society. When asked if religion can provide solutions to the problems regular Americans face, most people said no. Now we have a choice here. We can wring our hands and complain to ourselves about why more people haven't "found what we've found"; or we can answer their question. So what? What does it matter that Christ lived and died and rose again? How is Jesus relevant today? These are the questions we will wrestle with during this Lenten season as we consider "Jesus Today."
March 1: Life Today (Matthew 3-4)
March 8: Jesus Today (Psalm 23, John 10:1-16)
March 15: Spirituality Today (John 4)
March 22: Communion Today (Luke 13:29-John 17:1-26)
March 29: Freedom Today (Luke 17:11-19)

See the Light Sermon Series

noreply@blogger.com (The Way) — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 10:47:58 PST

We live in uncertain times, made even more uncertain by the economic instability of the past few months. It seems as if the world is conspiring against us in our need for security. But we would be remiss if we did not also reflect on how our materialism has contributed to the situation we face today. With this first worship series of the New Year, we will work to align how we actually live with how we talk about living as the Body of Christ. We are called to “See the Light”—both the Light of Christ that has the power to lead us from darkness into life and the dawning realization of what our priorities should be. During “See the Light,” we will consider:

January 11 Our Golden Calves
January 18 The Image of God
January 25 Your Inner Zacchaeus
February 1 The Cry of the Poor
February 8 It Is Enough
February 15 Now Choose
February 22 The Salvation Army (Rev. Carolyn Bullard, Guest Preacher)

Water of Life: A Worship Service for the New Year

noreply@blogger.com (The Way) — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 08:36:18 PST

January 4, 2009

Come Lord Jesus, Advent and Christmas Worship Series:

noreply@blogger.com (The Way) — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 08:37:58 PST

We know Jesus by several names—Jesus of Nazareth, Jesus the Christ, Emmanuel. Each of these names proclaims something different about the nature and mission of Christ. But these are not the only biblical titles for Jesus. Throughout the seasons of Advent and Christmas at The Way, we will consider some of Jesus’ other names and what they reveal about his identity. Our hope is to deepen our understanding of who Jesus is, who he comes to be in our lives, and who we are as his disciples.

November 30 Alpha and Omega (Revelation 21:1-6)
December 7 Root of Jesse (Isaiah 11:1-5)
December 14 Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:2-7) Due to technical difficulties this sermon was not recorded.
December 21 Word of God (John 1:1-14)
December 24 The Babe in a Manger (Luke 2:1-20)
December 28 Bright Morning Star (Matthew 2:1-12, Revelation 22:16)

There Is a Season, November Worship Series:

noreply@blogger.com (The Way) — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 11:15:41 PST

Some of the loveliest words in the Old Testament are found in Ecclesiastes 3 beginning with, “To everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.” The poem that follows paints a true picture of life complete with all its blessings and all its challenges. But it also proclaims the larger truth that through it all, God is. We live in God’s time. God is the One who was and is and is to be which means that all of life is under the providential care of God. In such uncertain times as these, it is important to remember that. No matter what we face, God is. During the month of November at The Way, we will consider:

A Time to Mourn, to Dance - November 2
A Time to Heal, a Time to Build Up - November 9
A Time to Reap, a Time to Sow - November 16
A Time to Live, a Time to Laugh - November 23

Eucharist, October Sermon Series

noreply@blogger.com (The Way) — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 14:54:12 PDT

Beginning on October 12, The Way will turn our attention to the Lord’s Table with this worship series called “Eucharist.” We share communion each week; it is the spiritual heart of our worship and the hallmark of our identity as the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). Using biblical and global stories of table fellowship, we will explore how the Eucharist invites us to Remember, Reconcile, and Revive. This will be a meaningful and multi-sensory experience of worship and the Lord’s Supper.
October 12: Eucharist - Remember
October 19: Eucharist - Reconcile
October 26: Eucharist - Revive

World Communion Sunday, October 5

noreply@blogger.com (The Way) — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 14:23:11 PDT

On Sunday, October 5, The Way will celebrate World Communion Sunday with a special worship service and community feast. World Communion Sunday was first celebrated in 1936 to highlight the unity of the Church around the Lord’s Table. While the Christian community is indeed separated by tradition, language, culture, and geography, we are still one body; we are the Body of Christ. And on this one special Sunday, we live out that truth at the Table all around the world. For our World Communion Sunday celebration, please bring food to share that is either a family meal tradition in your home or a dish that has special meaning for you. We will share some of these food stories as part of our worship service and then share the food itself at a fellowship dinner following the service. All are welcome; childcare is provided.
Sunday, October 5

Amos: Get Uncomfortable Worship Series

noreply@blogger.com (The Way) — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 23:07:59 PDT

We often talk of going to church as “meeting our needs” or “recharging us for the week to come.” While it is true that participating in church life does indeed meet our needs and prepare us for our Christian work out in the world, it is also true that going to church is not just about our comfort. In fact, the biblical prophets would argue that their job is to make people of faith uncomfortable. This September at The Way, we will consider Amos’ prophetic message. It is not easy to hear. It is not easy to take. And it will make us uncomfortable. So why put ourselves through it? Because Amos has words to say to us today; his message is as relevant now as it was when he first proclaimed it. Come, get uncomfortable this September with the prophet Amos!
September 7 God’s Call to a Prophet
September 14 God’s Call to Responsibility
September 21 God’s Call to Compassion
September 28 God’s Call to Hope

Being a Stranger: By Jennie Churchman

noreply@blogger.com (The Way) — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 08:56:01 PDT

I recently had the privilege of spending a Saturday volunteering with one of Tarrant County’s community organizations. It was a great day of putting my beliefs into action, and I’m glad I did it. But I also experienced what it is like to be an outsider, and I must say that it is not an easy role for me to play. I’m accustomed to leading volunteer groups, not joining one incognito. Worse than incognito, actually…more like awkward fifth wheel.

Walking into the gathering place alone was a little intimidating, but I tend to be an out-going person so I didn’t let it bother me that much. Because the room was already crowded with volunteers, I staked out a portion of the wall near the door to lean against as I waited with the others to receive our day’s work assignments. One older man came into the room, looked all around, sighed exasperatedly and said, “It’s the same group of people it always is.” I immediately felt defensive. What was I, chopped liver? We couldn’t have been standing any closer together without touching. I mean, I could see his pores! Could he not see me? What a way to make me feel valued and welcomed. I thought about letting it pass but instead said as cheerily as I could, “I’ve never been here before.”

At the lunch break, I had another moment of feeling like a true outsider, or rather, another moment of being put on the defensive for seeming like an outsider. Lunch was blackened pork chops with all the trimmings. It was excellent. I was happily eating my pork chop making small talk with the man next to me when a woman across the way interrupted me to say, “This is Texas. We don’t eat it like that. We pick it up and use our fingers.” First of all, I had been doing dirty, sweaty work all morning, and while I had washed my hands, I still didn’t feel like eating with them. A knife and fork suited me just fine. Second of all, I don’t like to gnaw on bones. I don’t eat ribs for the same reason. It grosses me out—that’s a little too close to the truth for me. I’d rather pretend that tasty bit of meat I’ve just eaten came off my fork, not off some animal’s bone. Gnawing on bones makes me feel like a wild dog, and believe me, no woman wants to feel like a dog.

And that’s not even including the fact that I’m about as Texan as they come these days. My grandfather’s grandparents—both sets—immigrated into Texas from Germany back in the 1850s and 60s. My grandmother’s grandfather was a nineteenth-century frontier Disciples preacher serving several Texas country churches including North Texas’ own Pilot Point Christian Church. On my father’s side, my grandfather’s grandfather relocated the family to Texas after shooting a man in Alabama. Family lore also tells it that as the wagons made their way into West Texas, Native American scouts watched my family from the bluffs above the trail. Shoot-outs and Native Americans…does it get any more Texan than that? I don’t know anything about my paternal grandmother’s side of the family, but haven’t I proved my point? Please don’t try to argue I’m not Texan simply because I choose not to gnaw on a bone. I just ignored the woman and kept eating.

I share all of this with you not to complain—well, maybe I’m complaining a little bit. But the message I really want to convey is how very hard it is to be a stranger. How very hard it is to walk into a room full of other people who seem to know each other and who don’t seem all that interested in getting to know me. This experience has made me realize how visitors to our church must sometimes feel—like true outsiders or true strangers rather than honored guests or, more accurately, brothers and sisters in Christ.

It is not easy to find that right balance between warm welcome and off-putting forwardness. I recognize that. And I also recognize that maybe I was a little too defensive in both cases. But I consider this experience to be a significant lesson in hospitality. I now know what it’s like to be on the other side of hospitality, and I want to make sure no one I come in contact with on a Sunday morning or a Sunday evening feels the way I felt that day.

We’re going to be hearing a lot about hospitality in the next few weeks at Northway, and I’m grateful for that. I consider hospitality to be one of the most important spiritual disciplines we can share together as a community. I hope every member of Northway and The Way takes advantage of this time—with its sermons, seminars, and studies—to focus on the true meaning of hospitality and how we can live it out every single day. But I also wish every member of Northway and The Way could have the same experience I had that Saturday in Fort Worth. In my opinion, there is no better way to learn about hospitality. Become a stranger, and then you’ll know how important hospitality really is.
Copyright 2008

The Association of Disciples Musicians Meets The Way

noreply@blogger.com (The Way) — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 06:22:19 PDT

By Greg Nunn and Chrissy Bird

The Way was privileged to be part of this year’s gathering of the Association of Disciples Musicians (ADM) in Tulsa. Our experience there was fantastic—inspiring, life-giving, challenging, reinvigorating—as we taught several workshops and led one worship service. Below are two reflections on The Way’s participation at ADM. Greg Nunn, ADM’s current president, wrote the first one about the worship service we led. Our own Chrissy Bird wrote the second.

By Greg Nunn
Using a guitar acoustical accompaniment to “Love Divine, All Loves Excelling” brought the congregation easily into the spirit of the worship service. Then, I stood to share in the several unique worship experiences offered to us. I had a lump in my throat wondering if these diverse, respectable, educated, veteran worship planners would embrace the opportunities provided. Lighting candles? Certainly. Meditation while prostrate on a pillow? Possibly. Creating art? Maybe.

I decided I would be the lone dancer leaping with streamer sticks across the narthex. I slowly cracked the door to accept my fate and had to dodge a leaping ADM'er and felt streamers gracefully brushing across my forehead. Then another dancer twirled passed with joy painted on her face. I had to pirouette while grabbing for my streamers to keep myself—and several others—on our feet! I found myself actually rejoicing in dance! Soon I returned to the sanctuary where people were in worship; quietly moving between stations, sitting in reflection and prayer with crayons in hand, building stained glass, lighting candles, all sharing a smile and a nod as they passed.

I had comments from several people about how nice the worship experience was that Tuesday. I had several friends come to me and tell my they were surprised by how personally moving Tuesday's Emerging Worship experiences were. It surprised me too. The evaluation sheets have circles around 'emerging worship' with short phrases applauding the experience—lots of nice responses. One person expressed concern that ADM will continue to address contemporary music. There was however, one critique: the person liked the emerging worship, but said the crayons had to go. Personally, I was too busy dancing to notice.

By Chrissy Bird
Question or Statement: How Great Is Our God

“How Great Is Our God” was one of the songs that we sang as we led Tuesday’s worship for the Association of Disciples Musicians Convention. Wow – a room full of musicians praising God with their gift of song. The Way was honored to receive an invitation by the ADM to come join them to teach and lead this amazing group in a style new to most of them. The weekend was filled with incredible workshops teaching about Choral singing and music, Handbell ringing, Organ playing, leading youth in music, and also about the new comers – those of us bringing “Emerging” Worship.

Our own, Jennie Churchman and Kristal Seid, led many workshops covering the gamut of, what we prefer to call, Experiential Worship. Bringing Back the Easter Vigil, Special Liturgical Worship, Enhancing Worship with Technology – these are some of the 17 workshops that Jennie and Kristal prepared and presented during the weekend. I watched them in action as I participated in their classes – I cannot adequately express with words how proud I am to be associated with people of their caliber. It was truly a blessing to be able to say, “Yes, I am with them.”

After learning about Emerging Worship, 150 music and worship leaders came together to experience worship and as Jennie did what Jennie does best, the Holy Spirit was clearly present in that room. Some of the attendees were apprehensive, as the majority had never experienced this type worship before, and we weren’t sure exactly how it would be received. But we gave them a full-on The Way worship experience. Wow – did I say wow, ‘cause I meant WOW!!! IT WAS AMAZING!!! We sang songs – traditional, contemporary, and blended, we had a sermon on Getting Lost in Worship and then we did just that – with 6 prayer stations to get Lost in God’s Wonder, God’s Love, and in Praise.

We prayed by watching images of His creation and creating for Him a graffiti wall of images and words that came to us to thank Him for this gift. We prayed with Acrostics – writing a prayer to thank God for his Grace. We prayed with joyous music and dance. We prayed with traditional candles and silence. We prayed with the scents of anointing oil, reading the story of Mary washing his feet, preparing him for what was to come and thanking God for His willingness to give the ultimate sacrifice so that we could be forgiven. We prayed with mandalas, an ancient form of worship where a circle representing our whole self is colored and designed as we were by our creator.

The sanctuary was covered by grown men and women draped on the chancel and sitting on the floor – coloring! Opening themselves to God in ways they may not have done since they were children! But one of the most incredible experiences of all was the joint formation of our community mandala. When we planned out our service of senses and experiences, none of us could have imagined how beautiful this creation would turn out. Together we designed a tangible symbol of our community – a circle representing all of us, separately and collectively.

Traditional vs. Emerging Worship – Mindy Cunningham said it best when addressing our Christian Women’s Fellowship – neither is better… they’re just different. Both offer an experience with our Lord and I am so thankful that we were given the chance to offer an additional approach to enhance each one’s journey to the heart of God.

So, the answer is yes. How Great is Our God… it is both a question and a statement.
It is a question that we are asked by a world of believers and non-believers and a statement that we must show the world everyday.

All Things Considered Sermon Series

noreply@blogger.com (The Way) — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 06:20:41 PDT

All Things Considered Series: Every summer at The Way, we take time to consider your requests—those unanswered faith questions, those difficult scriptures, those spiritual musings and wonderings of yours. This is always one of the most varied and fun worship series of our year. Consider being a part of “All Things Considered” this summer!

July 20 The Psalms, Rev. Carolyn Bullard preaching
July 27 The Psalms, Rev. Carolyn Bullard preaching
August 3 What’s the Story? Contradictions and Challenges in Scripture
August 10 What about Sin? If God made us, then why do we sin?
(due to unforseen complications the previous 4 sermons are unavailable for download...sorry!)

August 17 How Beautiful (Is the Body of Christ): Diversity and Community
August 24 Wake Up! An Open Letter to the Church at Sardis (and in America)
August 31 Sacrificial Atonement and Salvation

Take a Risk

noreply@blogger.com (The Way) — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 14:55:43 PDT

Well, Mama Duck died. Of all the potential disaster scenarios with these ducks that I obsessed about over the past two months, I never once considered the possibility that she might die. This is not how I wanted my Great Duck Adventure of 2008 to turn out. One day I noticed she was behaving strangely, and by that night she was dead.

I had to bury her by myself the next afternoon because Lindsay was out of town again. I’ve never buried an animal before. I had no idea how hard it is to dig a grave. It took me two hours. (Clearly I need to work on my upper body strength. Or maybe I just need better tools. I’m going with the tools—it’s easier on the ego.)

By the time I finished digging, I was hot, sweaty, tired, and emotionally drained. And I felt like a fool. Why was I so upset over a duck? She wasn’t even a pet, but here I was, a blubbering fool. The answer came to me fairly quickly: I was so upset because I allowed myself to get involved. I took a risk—gave of my time, my energy, my resources, my heart. I took a risk to care, and that means I took a risk to feel.

It is much easier to go through life without caring, without feeling. It is much easier to stay aloof, distant, detached. It is much easier, but it is not what we are called to be. As disciples of Jesus Christ, we are called to be like Christ. “Christian,” after all, means “little Christ.” Jesus wasn’t aloof. He wasn’t distant. He wasn’t detached. He was one of us; he was one with us. That is incarnation.

When Jesus interacted with others, he took time to see them, to hear them, to be with them. We, on the other hand, tend to rush through our days with barely a glance at those around us—even those closest to us. Well, it’s past time to change that. We’ve got to slow down and take the time to see, hear, and be with those God has put in our lives. That’s what it means to be the Body of Christ.

My neighbors and I have bonded over these ducks. Before, I knew their names but that was only because I was careful to write them down when we first moved into the neighborhood. I knew their names, but I would not have recognized their faces. That all changed with the ducks. Now we have been in each other’s homes, we have shared food, we have shared time—and we’ve even shared a few tears over Mama Duck. (At least I’m not the only emotional one on the street!) We have created community, and dare I say it, we have started to care about each other.

Lindsay and I moved into this neighborhood almost exactly one year ago. Two pastors who should have known better remained aloof, distant, and detached from our next-door neighbors. Only now have we become connected. Only now have we gotten involved. Only now have we taken the risk to let someone new into our lives. And maybe now, with God’s help, we can finally be a true reflection of Jesus Christ to our neighbors. All because of one family of ducks. Thanks be to God!

Copywright 2008 J. Churchman

Revelation Worship Series

noreply@blogger.com (The Way) — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 09:59:40 PDT

Revelation has intrigued Christians for centuries. Its mystery captivates us; its imagery frightens us. Indeed, Revelation is a compelling biblical book. This summer at The Way, we will focus on the Book of Revelation. Our aim is to become more familiar with its content and to experience some of its sensory nature. We also hope to discover what Revelation has to say to us today. While each Sunday of this worship series will have a specific focus text, you may wish to read the entire book according to the following schedule:

June 15 Revelation (Chapters 1-3)

June 22 Intervention (Chapters 4-7) Do to a technical problem this sermon was not recorded

June 29 Judgment (Chapters 8-14)

July 6 Question (Chapters 15-18)

July 13 Redemption (Chapters 19-22)

Leaning on the Everlasting Arms

noreply@blogger.com (The Way) — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 09:54:12 PDT

I sure am glad that God is God and I am not. I just couldn’t take the pressure. How does God stand it? Anxiously watching as we muddle our way through life? We make mistakes. We expose ourselves—sometimes completely obliviously—to untold dangers. We are just so vulnerable. Oh the stress! Oh the anxiety! Oh the absolute emotional torture! Whew. It’s a good thing that God is God and I am not.

Let me explain why this is coming to the fore at this moment in my life. You see, I am now responsible for a precious family of ducks. Twelve darling tiny yellow ducklings hatched in my front yard just over three weeks ago. Not wanting to interfere too much with their natural instincts, I left them in the front. But that was torture for me. In between dogs, hawks, cats, over-zealous children, and one creepy guy in a black Ford, I hardly got any rest that first week. My husband finally took pity on me and moved them into the backyard. Finally I could relax! They were safe. They were fed. They were happy. And Mama Duck could fly over the fence any time she wanted a break. It was a perfect solution.

Until one Saturday morning we awoke to find one of the ducklings missing. It was just gone. No trace. Was it a cat? Very likely, but it also could have been any number of other predators. I fretted all day about whether or not it was wise to keep them locked in the back. Perhaps Mama would feel safer—and actually be safer—in her original nest out front. After vacillating repeatedly all day—second-guessing myself and then second-guessing my second guesses—I let them out about 7:15 that evening. I thought for sure that Mama would head straight for her old nest. It was bedtime, after all, for the ducklings and dinnertime for Rachel and me. (Unfortunately, Lindsay was out of town, which becomes a very crucial detail later in this story.)

Mama went to the nest. Babies followed. Rachel and I turned to go inside. But then Mama got back out of the nest and proceeded to cross the street, waddling toward the park. Mama! What are you doing? It’s bedtime! Evidently, it was swim time because into the pond they all went. They swam around awhile, tried to get out once, got chased around by a mean goose, and eventually settled on the opposite side of the pond from our house. And it gets worse. With the goose in hot pursuit, Mama had no other option than to sit on the six-inch wide ledge of the water overflow pit. (I’m sure it has a technical name, but as I’m not an engineer, “water overflow pit” is as good as you’re going to get.) It’s a giant open concrete pit in the middle of the pond where excess water can go. And all the babies were perched on the six-inch wide ledge along with Mama.

By this time it was getting dark. Rachel and I decided to walk around the pond and try to coax Mama back to shore and to the safety of our house. As we got close, we understood why Mama decided to spend the night in such a precarious place. One of the babies had fallen down into the pit—an approximately eighteen-foot drop. I could hear its pitiful chirp echoing up into the night air. My heart sank. They were all doomed. In my mind’s eye I could see each duckling slipping down into that pit as the night wore on. After everything we had gone through to keep them alive, we were going to lose them all in one fell swoop just because I gave in to my second guesses. I could hardly stand to be inside my own skin. I felt like crying and wailing and hyperventilating all at the same time. Rachel saw the insanity in my face and said, “I wish Mama had never had her babies in our yard.”

I staggered home and placed a panicked call to Lindsay. I got his voicemail. I placed a panicked call to my brother. “I thought we decided that you would keep them in the yard tonight.” Not helpful. I called the Fire Department. “We don’t do that.” I called Animal Control. “It is after hours. If you are having an animal emergency, call 911.” I called 911. “I’m having an animal emergency.” “What kind of animal emergency?” “Well, you see, I’ve been taking care of this family of ducks and now they’re stuck on the other side of the pond.” I sounded stupid even to my own ears. “They won’t come out for that,” she said.

“Well,” I thought to myself, “If they won’t come out for a stranded family of ducks, then maybe they’ll come out for a stranded crazy lady.” By now it was after 11:00 PM. I grabbed my laundry basket, a yardstick, my cell phone and Rachel’s hand and said, “Come on Rachel. This may be the stupidest thing I’ve ever done, but I’m going to do it anyway.” When we got to the other side of the pond, I left Rachel on the sidewalk, taught her how to call 911 on the cell phone, and made my way down to the shore. I tested the depth with the yardstick, prepared to go in with anything below the neck. I was willing to do a lot for those ducks, but I wasn’t going to tread water in a lake filled with who-knows-what in the middle of the night.

To my great relief, the water was less than three feet deep. Piece of cake! In I went. And into the laundry basket went ten befuddled ducklings. Giddy with the success of our rescue mission, Rachel and I carried the ducklings home and put them in her bathroom. Then we rearmed with a flashlight, my neighbors’ pool net, the trusty laundry basket, and the cell phone, of course. My plan was to shine the light down into the pit and scoop up the last duckling with the pool net. Mama would surely follow. But when I got over to the pit, there was no duckling—only one dead turtle. And yet, I could still hear the chirp. Could there be another way down there? I decided to check it out.

Dodging what I am fairly sure was a water moccasin, I made my way through the creek and into the drainage tunnel. And there was Mama with the last duckling! We rescued the duckling first and then went back with the kitty carrier for Mama. Finally at 12:15 AM, Mama and the Eleven were reunited in Rachel’s bathroom, and Rachel and I sat down to supper. Twenty minutes and a shower later, I sank into bed—exhausted but exhilarated—and very grateful to spend the night safe in the everlasting arms of God.

Copywrite 2008 J Churchman

Gina Biddle, Guest Preacher

noreply@blogger.com (The Way) — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 09:52:14 PDT

On Sunday, June 8, The Way welcomes Gina Biddle as she leads our worship service and brings us the word while Jennie concludes her Walk to Emmaus. Gina is a member of Northway Christian Church and a hospital chaplain. She will preach on the Emmaus story from Luke 24.

Sunday, June 8

Mission Possible Sermon Series

noreply@blogger.com (The Way) — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 10:13:59 PDT

Our vision for The Way is to be an authentic community of faith committed to Christian discipleship and spiritual formation through experiential worship, challenging Bible study, and hands-on mission. As we begin our fourth year of ministry together, we have been taking a closer look at the three basic elements of our vision statement for "The Way". In April and May we considered the worship life of our community and study. For the next three weeks we will focus on mission.
May 18 Mission Possible: Tell the Story (Evangelism)
Do to a technical problem this sermon was not recorded.
May 25 Mission Possible: Be the Story (Service)
June 1 Mission Possible: Live the Story (Discipleship)