New Year Reflections on “The Student Prince”

Monday Ministerial Musings

By Rev. Mark William Ennis

2024 Blog #1

January 1, 2024

New Year Reflections on “The Student Prince”

I’ve been feeling a bit nostalgic this holiday season. My mother has been dead for ten years now and she died just a few days after Thanksgiving. I have been having a lot of memories of her, including the movies that she loved to watch. Among her favorite movies was “The Student Prince.” I didn’t appreciate it when I was young, but now I do. I appreciate the decision that the prince in this movie makes.

For those of you not old enough to remember it, this movie is about a prince who goes to Heidelberg to study. His family desires him to have an education. He enjoys his time as a student. No one calls him “royal.” He is free to live a life like other people do. He even develops an affection toward a bar maid.

When his father dies, he faces a choice. He can stay as a student and pursue his studies and the romance or he can do what he believes God has called him to do, return home and become king. He concludes that whether he likes it or not, God wishes him to return home, and he does. The character sings the song, “I’ll Walk with God” as a pledge to go wherever God requires, whether that is what he would have chosen to do.

I hope that we can all be as dedicated to doing God’s will in this new year as the prince was in the movie. For him, God’s will was more important than his. How many of us put God in front of us in these days where most of our society is rather self-centered.

I’ve heard people who claim to be “spiritual” but not “religious” tell me that God will walk with them wherever they go? I can’t help but disagree with that. God is not going to join us if we are going somewhere we should not be going. We don’t pick the path that God will walk on. Rather, Jesus calls us to walk on certain paths with him. God chooses the paths, not us.

I remember the stories of Jesus calling his disciples, it is he who called them away from the familiar. He invited them to walk with him. He never volunteered to walk with them nor did he allow them to pick the destination that they would be traveling toward.

I guess the difference between “spiritual” and “faithful” is who makes our life’s decisions, God our ourselves. Are we willing to walk the path that Jesus tells us to walk or are we hoping that Jesus will walk with us on the paths we choose, even if they are contrary to his teachings? The “Student Prince” is a story about one man who chose to listen to God’s calling rather than living for his own desires. I hope that we all make that decision during this new year.

If you wish to hear the song that Mario Lanza sings for this movie you may hear it by using this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_OQ2Cc6yFz4

#ReformedChurchInAmerica                                 #PastorMarkAuthor.com                

#BergenCounty                                                        #BergenfieldNJ

#FollowingJesus                                                      #Calling

#Spiritual                                                                   #Faithful

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

www.pastormarkauthor.com

Today I’ll be reflecting on Christmas Gifts

Monday Ministerial Musings

By Rev. Mark William Ennis

2023 Blog #51

December 25, 2023

Today I’ll be reflecting on Christmas Gifts

I hope that some people read this blog. I suspect that I will have fewer readers than usual. Given that Monday is on Christmas Day, I imagine that most people will be opening presents, dining with family, and giving presents.

Every Christmas I am always given beautiful and thoughtful presents by family and friends. I truly don’t need anything, but it is nice to open presents that have been carefully selected for me. Mostly my gifts are books and movies which are passions of mine. I appreciate the gifts and the thoughts behind them.

I imagine that everyone enjoys giving and receiving gifts, even if we do not need them. We live in a world that places a great value on possessions. “More is better” is the mentality. Children especially, desire more and more toys. Sometimes adults never outgrow these desires.

This year, I have not yet given or received gifts. That will come later today. No matter what gifts that I receive, I hope that I accept the real Christmas gifts that I am always freely given, the love, joy, and peace of God in Christ.

God teaches us at Christmas, that we are so important to him, that he made himself into a human to join us in life. Let us respond to that love.

God offers us each Christmas to share life with us so that no matter what life gives us, either the good or the bad, we can know Christ’s peace. Do we accept that peace?

God gives us the joy of knowing him each Christmas. Are we willing to accept this gift and live joyfully, even when the world gives us difficult times.

If we don’t accept God’s love, joy, and peace this Christmas, then we have missed the greatest Christmas gifts. If we don’t wish these gifts for others, then we have missed the spirit, and lessons, of Christmas. God offers us these great gifts. When we accept these gifts, then we are obligated to pass on these gifts to others.

Do we give the gifts of joy, love, and peace, to everyone, even our worst enemies? Do we pray for those who view us as the “enemy,” someone who dislikes us, or someone that we dislike? If not, we are not imitating God’s love in Christ.

May we accept these Christmas gifts from God, and using these gifts, may we seek the blessing of the rich and the poor, the powerful and the powerless, those who adore us and those who hate us. When we do this, we will be thanking God for the gifts that God has given us first.

Merry Christmas. I pray that you will accept these gifts from God and pass these on to another.

#ReformedChurchInAmerica                                 #PastorMarkAuthor.com                

#BergenCounty                                                        #BergenfieldNJ

#Christmas                                                                #Jesus

#Mary&Joseph                                                         #Incarnation

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

www.pastormarkauthor.com

“I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day” makes sense to me

Monday Ministerial Musings

By Rev. Mark William Ennis

2023 Blog #50

December 18, 2023

“I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day” makes sense to me

Since I can remember I have loved the Christmas Carol, “I heard the bells on Christmas Day.” I don’t know what attracted me to this carol when I first heard it, but somehow it spoke to me, and it quickly became one of my favorite songs of the Christmas season. It was later that I learned the history of the carol and liked it even more.

It was written, of course, by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, the famous writer of the 1800’s. He was a war correspondent during the American Civil War, and he knew personal suffering. His wife was killed in a kitchen fire. He attempted to rescue her and was badly burned in the same fire. He grew the beard that he is now famous for, because of the scaring on his face because of the fire.

If this was not enough suffering, his son was a soldier in the Union army who was severely wounded in the war. Longfellow was unsure if his son would live or die. This anxiety added to the grief he felt for his deceased wife, and the physical scaring that he had received.

As Christmas approached, he knew the horrors of war and the suffering that war caused. The loud sounds of battle seemed to compete with the sounds of church bells ringing in the celebration of Christmas. His carol is a carol of hope that the Christmas bells of hope would ultimately win against the sounds of violence and suffering.

I think about this carol whenever I hear news reports of the Israeli/Hamas war that is so much a part of our current news reporting. The Holy Land is in flames as the war continues. Civilian deaths escalate, and Israeli hostages have now been reported to have been killed by Israeli soldiers. This Christmas we will celebrate while the noises, deaths, and destruction will continue. The violence has even escalated as the Israeli military has increased even in the occupied West Bank.

Little more than a year ago, just six weeks before Christmas, I spent time on the West Bank. I remember thinking that Christmas was only a short time away as I overlooked the fields where it was said that the shepherds were tending their flocks when angels appeared and announced the birth of Jesus. Behind us was the place where it is said that Jesus was born. It was a peaceful place then, but I can only imagine how much strife and injuries are occurring in that formerly, quiet place.

Thinking of the military operations in the West Bank, and the major war being conducted in Gaza, I can better understand the conflict that was within Longfellow as he heard church bells amid war, fear, and grief. The world is often in conflict with the peace and justice that we look forward to.

We, who strive to live faithfully, often mourn that God’s righteous kingdom is so slow in coming. We hear the evil noises of the world even as we listen to the quieter sounds of God’s kingdom. Longfellow lived in hope, that the sweet music of the church bells would ultimately win over the sounds of war, and he celebrated this hope by writing this carol.

In the same way, I live in hope. I live believing that God’s light will ultimately overcome the warfare of this world. We who are faithful hold on to this hope and continue to be lights in a dark world and the joyful sounds of God’s music during the evil noises of the world. Let us be faithful being the joyful sounds and bright lights in a world that needs both.

#ReformedChurchInAmerica                                 #PastorMarkAuthor.com                

#BergenCounty                                                        #BergenfieldNJ

#Gaza                                                                         #Bethlehem

#Westbank                                                                #Longfellow

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

www.pastormarkauthor.com

A new episode of Pastor Mark Cast

In this episode, Pastor Mark celebrates a Christmas play that transcended culture and language as well as kept the focus on Jesus.

Go to this link to hear the podcast: https://rss.com/podcasts/pastormarkchat/1261227/

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.

A Christmas Play Transcending Language and Culture

Monday Ministerial Musings

By Rev. Mark William Ennis

2023 Blog #49

December 11, 2023

A Christmas Play Transcending Language and Culture

For thirty-nine years, as pastor, I have been part of Christmas plays in various congregations. Prior to Pastoring during these plays, I participated in many others as a child. I played various roles. I was a drummer boy, an angel, a shepherd and one time a Magi.

In all the plays that I have participated in, none of them have gone smoothly. There is always something that goes wrong. It is a joke among clergy that Christmas plays are “Christmas Disasters.”

I remember one year when half our cast caught the flu. We postponed the play for a week. The following week, the other half of the cast had flu symptoms. By the time everyone was healthy, Christmas had passed.

Before one performance we lost the doll who was to be baby Jesus. We searched but never found it. Instead of a baby Jesus doll, we had a rolled blanket, wrapped in another blanket, pretending to be a baby.

I remember the first Christmas play that I coordinated as a pastor. It was in 1984 in Hoboken. Most of the Sunday School was composed of immigrants from Northwest India. Some spoke English better than others. Being a director was difficult with such a cast, but it seemed like the most authentic play that I have been a part of. The complexions of the children from India, was darker than mine. They probably had complexions closer to that of Jesus. They looked more Middle eastern than Anglo children did.

Yesterday was the last Christmas play that I have been a part of. It was a little different, and it was magnificent. Some of our cast members were natives of this country. Others came from Ecuador and Columbia. One is bi-racial, Anglo and African American. We came from different cultures and races. Not all of us could speak to one another as we had language difficulties. The music and the art transcended our cultures and languages. We all could understand the Christmas story when we looked at the manger. The music spoke to all of us, even those who couldn’t understand the lyrics. The love of God in Christ has a way of rising above differences.

The first nativity play that we know of was presented by St. Francis of Assisi. He presented the story for people who were illiterate and were not able to read the Bible story themselves. Art, drama, and music communicated the story of God’s love in ways that language and culture cannot. Yesterday in church we continued St. Francis’ tradition. The story of Jesus, and God’s love, is for everyone. I am pleased to be part of this tradition begun by St. Francis, as well as having the chance to welcome new immigrants to our congregation and join with them in sharing the gospel of Christmas.

I have participated in dozens of Christmas pageants. This one was the best. God blessed us richly with newcomers who have differences but are united in the love of God in Christ. How much better can Christmas be. Difference become meaningless when we focus on Jesus. I can’t help but think that what we did was a little sliver of what Jesus meant when he prayed that his disciples would all be “one.”

#ReformedChurchInAmerica                                 #PastorMarkAuthor.com                

#BergenCounty                                                        #BergenfieldNJ

#ChristmasPlay                                                        #Bi-lingualWorship

#Hispanic                                                                  #Immigrants

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

www.pastormarkauthor.com

Pastor Mark Cast

In this episode, Pastor Mark talks about the suspension of Monsignor Gigantiello in Brooklyn and asks why priest who have perpetrated sexual abuse were not dealt with as harshly and quickly.

Go to this link to hear the podcast: https://rss.com/podcasts/pastormarkchat/1250426/

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.

The Brooklyn Archdiocese Suspended a Priest for What?

Monday Ministerial Musings

By Rev. Mark William Ennis

2023 Blog #48

December 4, 2023

The Brooklyn Archdiocese Suspended a Priest for What?

I recently read in the New York Times that there was discipline done to a priest, Monsignor Jamie J. Gigantiello. The diocese of Brooklyn removed him from his administrative duties because he allowed a music video to be filmed in his congregation, Our Lady of Mount Carmel-Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. He was disciplined just a few days after his “crime” was seen publicly.

What was his crime? He allowed a pop singer, Sabrina Carpenter, to film a music video inside the sanctuary. Part of the music video shows coffins on the altar of the church as Sabrina dances and sings. Apparently, the church hierarchy was offended by her song or having coffins on the altar. I watched the video and didn’t see anything to be offended about. You may watch it here if you like: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLbn61Z4LDI

What amazed me was the rapid response in relieving the Monsignor of his duties. For two decades now I have been counseling victims of religious abuse. A number of these victims were sexually abused by priests. Most recently I have worked with a group “My Sanctuary Healing,” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HWVzWYqGKvU&list=PLTOsN58Bh3VXkYo8S-22DS9ATTllz1-P6

I have found a pattern amid such abuse victims: they all report the slow response of the church to discipline priests who have perpetrated sexual abuse. Often, instead of discipline, these perpetrators are moved, parish to parish to be given “another chance.” Of course, such perpetrators commit other crimes against innocent people.

The feature film, “Spotlight,” chronicles how a few priests perpetrated sexual crimes for decades and never received the same discipline that Monsignor Gigantiello received. One must wonder why he received harsher discipline than priests who are, or have been, sexual predators. One only has to do a web search to see how many priests in Brooklyn alone were sexual predators but were not disciplined for years or decades. What makes this music video so offensive that a Monsignor had to be disciplined over it? Is allowing a music video, which was offensive to some, more offensive than sexual offenses against children? Such offenses against children ought to enrage all of us. I believe that I can safely say that God is enraged over children being hurt.

When the church disciplines a priest for allowing a music video to be filmed in church, faster than it reacts to child sexual abuse, the church, I believe, is not listening to Jesus. I am reminded of the book published by Jimmy Breslin several years ago entitled, “The Church that forgot Christ.” Protecting children and adults from abuse must be a higher priority than being concerned about a music video that offended some but not others.

According to the media, this music video by Sabrina Carpenter was viewed 9.7 million times on You Tube. The diocese of Brooklyn ought to congratulate Monsignor Gigantiello for finding a way to get 9.7 million people to see the inside of the church. Perhaps the church should make some music videos to attract a wider audience but above all, the church must keep abuse from happening and swiftly prosecute those who hurt others.

#ReformedChurchInAmerica                                 #PastorMarkAuthor.com                

#BergenCounty                                                        #BergenfieldNJ

#MonsignorGigantiello                                            #SabrinaCarpenter

#BrooklynDiocese                                                    #ProtectingChildren

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

www.pastormarkauthor.com