Monday Ministerial Musings

By Rev. Mark William Ennis

2023 Blog #26

June 26, 2023

“Under Care” of Classis

On Thursday evening I spent a wonderful meeting at a meeting of our Classis. For those of you unfamiliar with the terminology of the Reformed Church, a “Classis” is roughly the equivalent of a Roman Catholic Diocese. Our Classis met on Thursday and amid all the business, a most wonderful event happened.

Two of the students who were training to become ministers, passed their final exams and are now free to seek ministerial positions. These two have been students of our Classis for a number of years as they received their educations and were mentored by members of our Classis.

Shortly after these two were approved by classis, two new students came under the care of our classis. These two are students in seminary and will be mentored by classis members who will guide them toward their ultimate goal: to become ministers in the Reformed Church in America. One of these two, Ivan Gil, is the gentleman who is building an Hispanic Ministry in our congregation. This step by Classis is the first of many steps on his road toward ordination as a Minister of Word and Sacrament.

It was a proud moment for me to stand near Ivan as he read the declaration to become a student of our classis. I remember similar feelings a number of years ago when a young woman from our congregation, and my daughter, came under care of our Classis. Both of these young women are now ministers.

So, for Ivan, how long will this process take? I don’t know. It differs by student. He must finish his education, continue the mentoring of Classis, and be examined each year by members of Classis. I can tell you from experience that the preparation for ministry is long and difficult. Yet, it is sacred process that can test and strengthen faith. It is one that must never be taken without prayer, prayer for oneself and other prayers offered by others on behalf of the student.

And so, this blog is a celebratory announcement as well as a prayer request. Please be prayerful for Ivan Gil as he prepares for ministry and please be prayerful for the Classis of Greater-Palisades as we seek to properly mentor and prepare Ivan for ministry.

#ReformedChurchInAmerica                                 #PastorMarkAuthor            

#BergenCounty                                                        #BergenfieldNJ

#ClassisOfGreaterPalisades                                  #SeminaryStudents

#ChristianMinisters                                                  #Ordination

To read more of Pastor Mark’s writings, please look at his website:

www.pastormarkauthor.com

PastorMarkCast

In this week’s episode, Pastor Mark talks about a Christian gentleman who was forced out and shunned by a congregation because of his orientation and how this man was able to heal, find a new congregation and become and asset to this congregation.

Pastor Mark is a Christian Pastor, author, blogger, and sometimes background actor. He brings all of his years of life experience to ask spiritual questions about the ordinary events of life.

Go to this link to hear the podcast: https://rss.com/podcasts/pastormarkchat/1003107/

Monday Ministerial Musings

By Rev. Mark William Ennis

2023 Blog #25

June 19, 2023

A Concert at the Parkside Community Church in Westwood, NJ

For those of you who are reading this from out of state, Westwood is a few towns north of us here in Bergenfield. Friends of ours from the Reformed Church there invited us to a concert that the church was holding it was a fund raiser for a local anti-bullying program. We knew some church members there as well as one of the singers who regularly sings at worship in that congregation. It was a thrill to hear him and the others sing.

 It is a pleasure to see this gentleman in church and to hear that he is singing in church. For a while he had little to do with church. He was hurt by a particular congregation but ultimately landed in My Sanctuary Healing, a program of Hudson River Care and Counseling Center. This program, which I help with, aims to be a catalyst to heal people who have been wounded by all types of abuse from religious congregations.

This gentleman was raised as a Roman Catholic but ultimately became part of a large Pentecostal Church. All his life he wrestled with himself as he was always felt attracted to men instead of women. He always wished that he would be attracted to women. His life would have been easier if that was the case, but it was not within him to have such attractions.

His congregation tolerated all types of “sin” but not this particular “sin.” Affairs and abused were regularly tolerated and in some cases, seemingly, encouraged. Homosexuality, however, was not tolerated. Somehow it was separated and seen as being an especially heinous sin. This one almost seemed to be unforgiveable.

Ultimately he was forced out of the church and shunned. Those who claimed to be his friends distanced themselves from him. These friends feared being shunned by others in the church. This sudden loss of community drove him into depression and self-destructive behaviors. After hitting bottom he began to get healthy once more and started rising from the ashes of his past life.

For the past year, as part of My Sanctuary Healing, it has been a pleasure to watch him heal and I hope that my presence in the group has played a small part of his healing. Now, instead of being church avoidant, he is an active participant and is a great asset to the music program of the congregation. I’m jealous of this congregation. I would love to have this man as part of the choir of the congregation that I serve. He not only serves that congregation but also has a strong social conscience and enthusiastically sang at this concert to benefit the local community.

He loves Jesus, lives a life that is obedient to what Jesus commanded of his disciples, and clearly is full of the fruit of the Holy Spirit. It seems to me that congregations need to look at who is full of that fruit and who is obeying Jesus and not be worried about what a person’s orientation is. We hurt ourselves when we act like this toward those who are sprit-filled.

I hope and pray that all Christian congregations will examen themselves. What do we really hold as important, an orientation, or obedience to Jesus and the presence of the fruit of the Holy Spirit.

#ReformedChurchInAmerica                                 #PastorMarkAuthor            

#BergenCounty                                                        #BergenfieldNJ

#HudsonRiverCareandCounselingCenter           #MySanctuaryHealing

#ChurchAbuse                                                         #ParksideCommunityChurch

To read more of Pastor Mark’s writings, please look at his website:

www.pastormarkauthor.com

PastorMarkCast

In this week’s episode, Pastor Mark talks about the Reformed Church in America and its national meeting called the “General Synod.” From watching the meeting on You Tube he is optimistic about the future of the Reformed Church.

Pastor Mark is a Christian Pastor, author, blogger, and sometimes background actor. He brings all of his years of life experience to ask spiritual questions about the ordinary events of life.

Go to this link to hear the podcast: https://rss.com/podcasts/pastormarkchat/990622/

Monday Ministerial Musings

By Rev. Mark William Ennis

2023 Blog #24

June 12, 2023

Reflections on General Synod of the Reformed Church in America

As I write this blog I am listening to the live-stream of the General Synod of the Reformed Church of America, my home denomination. In my life-time it has always met in June but it was interrupted recently for COVID. I am grateful for technology which enables me to be part of the Synod even though I am not a delegate and am not able to attend in person.

There is business to do at Synod and sometimes it gets a bit cantankerous. I have been embarrassed at times when I have seen delegates behaving badly toward one another. Sometimes, I think, Satan is laughing when he sees how delegates behave. It is not such events that make Synods memorable for me. The two things that I love about Synod are interacting with friends and colleagues and seeing the video mission stories that the Reformed Church participates in. We can always read mission reports but seeing the videos and meeting the missionaries is a real treat.

This year, while watching Synod I heard about:

            A man whose family fled Medellin to keep him from drug gangs. He later became a major drug dealer in Chicago but found faith and is now doing evangelism work in Columbia.

            Reformed Church missionaries who have been caring for and re-settling refugees from Ukraine.

            Reformed Church missions that protect the vulnerable street children in the Philippines. 

            Vulnerable black youths in New York City finding their lives turned around by Reformed Churches in the City.

            A movement to fund-raise to buy uniforms for students in South Africa. Although school is free, one must have the money to buy a uniform in order to attend. Many poor families cannot afford these uniforms.

            Twenty years ago, missionaries of the Reformed Church helped rescue 315 refugees fleeing from the rise of the Taliban.

Most of us grew up in larger, exclusively white, Reformed Churches and we lament our shrinking over the past fifty years. We might get the impression that our church that the Reformed Church is in a free-fall toward extinction. If you feel this way then I challenge you to watch the General Synod proceedings on You Tube and get inspired by these stories. Many of those who were helped by our missions overseas are now in the United States, part of the Reformed Church, and doing mission activities in our hometowns. We are getting blessed at home by the missions that we have funded elsewhere and that is beginning to turn the tide of our decline.

I am excited to be a part of the decades to come. Yes, I believe we will start numerical growth. Yes, I believe that we will have a new excitement among us. Yes, I believe that we will be even more mission minded than we have ever been before, and that is a high goal.

We will be ethnically and culturally different but we will be the growing and spiritually energized church of Christ and I look forward to experiencing that.

#ReformedChurchInAmerica                                 #PastorMarkAuthor            

#BergenCounty                                                        #BergenfieldNJ

#GeneralSynod                                                        #Missionaries

#Transformation                                                       #Re-vitalization

To read more of Pastor Mark’s writings, please look at his website:

www.pastormarkauthor.com

PastorMarkCast

In this week’s episode, Pastor Mark talks  about the influence that one Sunday School teacher had on a young boy and how a young boy in the Sunday School was inspired and ultimately became a chaplain for professional sports teams.

Pastor Mark is a Christian Pastor, author, blogger, and sometimes background actor. He brings all of his years of life experience to ask spiritual questions about the ordinary events of life.

Go to this link to hear the podcast: https://rss.com/podcasts/pastormarkchat/980682/

Monday Ministerial Musings

By Rev. Mark William Ennis

2023 Blog #23

June 5, 2023

I Got To Wear a Superbowl Ring on Sunday

Yes, I really got to wear the ring for a short time. A mission speaker owns the ring and brought it to church.

Yesterday in church we had a mission speaker in lieu of a sermon. We heard from a man who was baptized, grew up in our congregation, and was confirmed here. He was very good friends with our consistory vice-president, elder Phil Melius. He is now working with Athletes in Action. His name is George Mc Govern and he has worked in that organization for forty years. This organization is affiliated with Campus Crusade for Christ.

In the past he worked on campuses and ministered to students. He then had the opportunity to be the chaplain of the NY Jets and NY Mets. He held this position for several years before becoming the chaplain for the New York Yankees and New York Giants.

His duties have included conducting chapel services, counseling, and Bible studies. The athletes that he worked with, celebrities though they were, suffered the same fears that you and I do. Being a celebrity and earning large amounts of money does not exempt one from fearing job security, worrying about future health, or having a younger person taking over your job. We sometimes look up to athletes and think that they have lives without troubles but perhaps their fame and celebrities can lead to more troubles and temptations. Thank God for people like George Mc Govern.

So how did George get started on this journey; a journey  that allowed him to meet Yogi Berra and Aaron Judge? How did he get to a place where he could receive three championship rings? Yes, team chaplains get rings along with the rest of the team. How did he start to live such a life?

George says that it all began with a Sunday School teacher named Elmer Nord. Elmer has been deceased for a while so I never had the pleasure of meeting him but his son, daughter, and son-in-law are all active members of the church. George said that Elmer taught the creation story to his Sunday school class. Elmer taught George and the other students that God created everything and he owns everything he loves us and wants us to follow him. George made up his mind to follow Jesus.

Sometimes we minimize the importance that we have in other people’s lives. We do have influence. George has done what he has done because of one Sunday school teacher. Let us who teach and interact with, children. We have influence for better or worse. Let that be a warning, but let us also celebrate the influence that our church had on George Mc Govern and countless other people.

#ReformedChurchInAmerica                                 #PastorMarkAuthor            

#BergenCounty                                                        #BergenfieldNJ

#AthletesInAction                                                     #CampusCrusadeForChrist

#ElmerNord                                                               #ClintonAvenueReformedChurch

To read more of Pastor Mark’s writings, please look at his website:

www.pastormarkauthor.com

Monday Ministerial Musings

By Rev. Mark William Ennis

2023 Blog #22

May 29, 2023

A Memorial Day Tribute To Kenneth Kizer

Today is Memorial Day. I will, of course, be attending the wreath-laying ceremony at town hall and will be marching in the town Memorial Day Parade. Of course, our family will gather for a picnic later. I do hope that no one wishes me a “Happy Memorial Day.” “Happy” and “Memorial Day” somehow do not seem to go together. Yes, I understand that this day is the unofficial beginning of summer and that is something to enjoy. But Memorial Day is really about remembering those in our military who have died defending our nation.

I always feel guilty on Memorial Day. I feel a bit of responsibility for the death of my Godfather. He did not die until 1980 but he began to walk toward his death when he suffered PTSD during World War II. He was in a construction battalion (CB) and built many of the structures for our military on Guam Island. He had a break down during his service and spent the end of the war in a military hospital psychiatric ward and never fully recovered from his break down.

I remember him mostly after his retirement. He was a bright man who taught me a lot but mostly lived in a small apartment with his wife, my Godmother, and rarely went outside. Uncle Kenny had virtually no social life, lamented the poverty of his childhood, and doing astrological star charts, convinced that none of us had any choices in life. Any issues a person had, he believed, was written in the stars and a person had no real control over one’s life.

During my high school and college years, as he aged, his depression deepened, his hopelessness worsened, and his drinking became worse. During those years he stopped doing self-care and he became something of a recluse. After my college graduation and one month before I started seminary he couldn’t endure the pain of living anymore. He waiting until my Godmother was out shopping and he hung himself in his apartment.

After his suicide he was out of pain but the family pain was severe. The summer after my college graduation I was so busy with my own life that I didn’t make much time for him. I was getting ready for Seminary and as engaged to be married. I was looking forward to the years ahead and forgot and neglected my Godfather who was in so much pain.

To this day I wonder how many years Uncle Kenny would have lived had I visited him that summer. Would he have found a reason to live if I had not focused so much on my own life at the expense of seeing him? I’ll never know the answers to these questions but I know that I would not be asking these questions if I had taken the time to see him and take care of him.

I plead with everyone reading this to not make the same mistake that I made. Let us never get so wrapped up in our own lives that we neglect those in pain, especially those who suffer because of the effects of their military service. Even as we remember those who were killed in service, let us care for those who lived through service but suffer from it.

#ReformedChurchInAmerica                                 #PastorMarkAuthor            

#BergenCounty                                                        #BergenfieldNJ

#MemorialDay                                                          #VeteranServices

To read more of Pastor Mark’s writings, please look at his website:

www.pastormarkauthor.com

Monday Ministerial Musings

By Rev. Mark William Ennis

2023 Blog #21

May 22, 2023

A  Spiritual Legacy

This weekend I had the joy of attending the graduation ceremony for New Brunswick Theological Seminary. It was a true joy to attend graduation. I haven’t attended graduation there in a few years. For several years it was remote because of COVID. Now  graduation is back and it is a wonderful place to celebrate new, young ministers and to catch up with old friends and colleagues.

Graduation is back but with a new an interesting twist: it was held at the Methodist Church in New Brunswick. With the expanded programs at the seminary, there are more graduates, and more families. The seminary chapel is not large enough to hold that many guests. The Methodist church was more than adequate in size and extended families were able to attend and enjoy the graduation.

Besides simply enjoying the graduation, there were two other factors that made this event more special for me. The first was that Leah was in an honor class. She graduated from New Brunswick Seminary ten years ago. The second was that the Methodist Church where Pam’s family grew up. It was a homecoming for her.

Pam’s Mother grew up in New Brunswick and she attended this church with Pam’s Grandmother, Grandfather and her Uncle Jim. Uncle Jim remembers, as a child, walking along the top of the communion rail. Pam’s Mom, Janet, was the older child and the “good girl.” She stayed in church, taught Sunday School and eventually became the lay-leader of the youth group.

Eventually the church hired a seminary student to help Janet run the youth group. This seminary student, Russ, came to help. Soon a romance began between Russ and Janet. Janet’s mother, wanted her daughter to marry a minister, made sure that she kept luring him into the home with freshly baked pies. Today’ social standards would forbid such a romance because of power imbalances, but in the 1950’s it was common for male seminarians to enter seminary as a single and find their spouse on a field assignment or in their first church.

As a girl, Pam would visit her Grandmother in New Brunswick during the summers and would, of course, go to church with her at the Methodist church. She spent a lot of time in that church and met many of her grandmother’s friends.

And so, this weekend, Leah was honored for having graduated ten years ago and she was honored in the church where her grandfather had his first seminary field assignment, her grandmother began doing youth ministry, where her mother attended summer worship. It is amazing how many blessings came from James and Irma Cooper worshiping at the Methodist Church in New Brunswick.

I couldn’t help but photographing Pam and Leah at the lectern of the church that is such a part of their spiritual heritage. After graduation we took a walk as well. We went just a few blocks from the church to the house where my mother in law and Uncle Jim grew up and where Irma and James raised their children. The house brought back memories for Pam.

And so, the Methodist church passed on a rich spiritual heritage to my family. I can’t help but wonder what blessings we will pass on by our church attendance and our bringing children to church. In generations, our good works may have the same compounded blessings. You never know how God might use a simple act as bringing a child to church.

#ReformedChurchInAmerica                                 #PastorMarkAuthor            

#BergenCounty                                                        #BergenfieldNJ

#NBTS                                                                       #Graduation

#UMC                                                                         #NewBrunswick

To read more of Pastor Mark’s writings, please look at his website:

www.pastormarkauthor.com

PastorMarkCast

In this week’s episode, Pastor Mark discusses his attendance at the graduation of New Brunswick Theological Seminary and his family’s relationship with the Methodist Church in which this graduation was held.

Pastor Mark is a Christian Pastor, author, blogger, and sometimes background actor. He brings all of his years of life experience to ask spiritual questions about the ordinary events of life.

Go to this link to hear the podcast: https://rss.com/podcasts/pastormarkchat/961458/