Monday Ministerial Musings

By Rev. Mark William Ennis

2022 Blog #15

April 18, 2022

Homeless During Holy Week

In the Christian community we refer to the week between Palm Sunday and the Sunday celebrating the resurrection of Jesus as “Holy Week.” By tradition it is a time of contemplating Jesus’ suffering and death as well as introspection about our own sin in preparation for the joyous celebration of Jesus’ resurrection. This Holy week I had more than enough suffering to contemplate.

On Monday of Holy Week a man from Pennsylvania opened fire on passengers on a subway in Brooklyn. Several of the victims will spend Holy Week in the hospital and will not spend this time at home with their families.

On Tuesday, the next day, a house in my neighborhood caught fire. Despite the very professional work of our volunteer fire company, the house  is no longer inhabitable. A family affiliated with the local Roman Catholic church will now spend Holy Week without a home.

On Wednesday, my childhood friend, Lidia T. Hawryluk, posted videos and pictures of a new wave of refugees from Ukraine who have been displaced by Putin’s war. They too will be homeless for Holy Week.

This news is quite depressing and my heart goes out to these people suffering to this extent. But I know that Holy Week isn’t over yet. The lesson of Holy Week and the day of Jesus’ resurrection is that God gets the last word. Yes, these people are suffering and this suffering will continue, but not forever. As bad as Holy Week is, Resurrection Day is coming.

Sometimes it appears that the bad is winning, but we who have faith in Jesus know that as bad as things can be, Jesus’ resurrection trumps everything bad. No matter what we have endured, they are insignificant compared to the glory that Christ’s people will see.

If you are feeling overwhelmed by the troubles of the world, draw close to Christ and feel his presence and his peace. It isn’t over until God says it is.

If you would like to contribute to help care for Ukrainian refugees please contribute by this link: https://www.rca.org/give/2022-european-crisis-response/

#ReformedChurchInAmerica                                 #PastorMarkAuthor            

#BergenCounty                                                        #BergenfieldNJ

# Ukraine                                                                   #Russia

# LidiaTHawryluk                                                     #UkrainianChildren

#HolyWeek                                                                #Jesus’Resurrection

To read more of Pastor Mark’s writings, please order copy of his book: https://deepriverbooks.com/books/the-circle-of-seven/

Monday Ministerial Musings

By Rev. Mark William Ennis

2022 Blog #14

April 11, 2022

Marked as Belonging

We are now in the beginning of Holy Week which is the most sacred week of the Christian year. It is a time of reflection and repentance. It is a time to celebrate the sacrifice of Jesus, God in human form. Perhaps this year, with the war in Ukraine continuing, contemplation of sin and a fallen world, is a bit more obvious. We are reminded daily of the horrors of war.

Lidia T. Hawryluk, my Ukrainian friend from childhood recently posted a horrible and haunting picture of children in the war zone of Ukraine. These children have letters placed with markers on their backs. The letters tell who each child is, who the parents are, and where the child is from. What is the point of this? The point is that in case of the death of the children’s parents, rescuers will know who the children are. This practice became common as the number of civilian casualties has increased leaving many children orphaned.

It burns my heart that civilian deaths are so high in this war of Putin’s. My heart breaks because of the rise of the number of orphans in Ukraine. I want to cry that parents know that they stand a good chance of dying and are hoping that someone else will find and raise their children. Can you imagine not knowing if you will survive tonight and be wondering who will be taking care of your children tomorrow? That is a nightmare that I would rather not contemplate but it is a reality  for many parents in war-torn Ukraine. On the verge of death, they are watching out for the welfare of their children.

This Holy Week, as with all Holy Weeks we contemplate God’s love for us and his watching out for our welfare both in this life and in the afterlife. Like those children in Ukraine, when we are part of Christ, we have the name of God etched upon us. Let us spend this Holy Week thanking God for making us his own and let us live lives that show gratitude for placing his name on us.

Both adult and juvenile refugees are still fleeing Ukraine and need our support. If you would like to contribute to help care for these refugees please contribute by this link: https://www.rca.org/give/2022-european-crisis-response/

#ReformedChurchInAmerica                                 #PastorMarkAuthor            

#BergenCounty                                                        #BergenfieldNJ

# Ukraine                                                                   #Russia

#Peace                                                                      #Refugees    

# LidiaTHawryluk                                                        #UkrainianChildren

To read more of Pastor Mark’s writings, please order copy of his book: https://deepriverbooks.com/books/the-circle-of-seven/

Our daily devotional is a re-post with permission from Words Of Hope. Come view our website at www.clintonave.org.

Do the Next Thing

By Jon Opgenorth on April 6, 2022

Read: John 6:1-14

Have the people sit down. (v. 10)

I tend to be more like Philip than Andrew. As I look over the tasks on my to-do list or consider the responsibilities of my leadership role, I can be overcome with inadequacy and see the impossibility of accomplishing what needs to be done. When Jesus asked Philip where they could buy bread to feed the multitudes, Philip’s quick math didn’t add up: “Two hundred denarii would not buy enough” (John 6:7). He froze in the face of what seemed impossible.

Jesus, of course, was not flustered. He had a plan all along. He wanted to teach Philip that he was able to supply all that was needed, even more. Andrew didn’t have much more confidence in the little boy’s lunch, but he did bring what meager resources he had to Jesus. Together, Andrew and Philip learned the truth, as the apostle Paul prayed, that God is “able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think” (Eph. 3:20). The resources of Jesus are without limit.

I take three things from this passage as I look over my to-do list. First, God is not surprised by the overwhelming nature of the mission he calls us to. Second, our work is not to get lost in the anxiety of what we think is impossible but to look for what God has already provided. Finally, offer thanks to God and do the next thing. —Jon Opgenorth

As you pray, ask God to show you his provision for what concerns you today.

Our daily devotional is a re-post with permission from Words Of Hope. Come view our website at www.clintonave.org.

Holy Disruption

By Jon Opgenorth on April 5, 2022

Read: John 5:1-18

He was even calling God his own Father. (v. 18)

John recorded fewer miracle stories than other gospel writers, but each one is full of meaning and grows our belief in Jesus. In this miracle, Jesus disrupted the false narratives of both the 38-year-old paralyzed man and the self-righteous religious leaders. The man on his mat placed his confidence in the false hope that if he could be the first one to the pool when the water stirred, he could be healed. Jesus disrupted the narrative by stirring the man to his feet: “Get up, take up your bed, and walk” (John 5:8). And he did!

The Jewish leaders placed their confidence in the false hope of their interpretation of God’s law. Jewish oral traditions contained 39 categories of work that broke Sabbath, including the carrying of mats! Jesus disrupted the narrative by not only healing on the Sabbath, but also by commanding the man to “take up” his bed, thus breaking the Sabbath. The disruption only grew when they confronted Jesus. He stunned them with the claim, “My Father is working until now, and I am working” (v. 17). This moment brought a tipping point. Jesus was claiming equality with God. They couldn’t see how this could be, so they began “seeking all the more to kill him” (v. 18).

It all makes me wonder, what false hopes am I placing confidence in? How do I assume my interpretation of God’s Word is correct? The solution is to have eyes like Jesus. He only does “what he sees the Father doing” (v. 19). —Jon Opgenorth

As you pray, ask for eyes to see what Jesus sees.

Monday Ministerial Musings

By Rev. Mark William Ennis

2022 Blog #13

April 4, 2022

Polish Hospitality

I have recently read that 2.3 million people fleeing Putin’s invasion of Ukraine have found safe haven in Poland. This number of refugees dwarf the amount of people fleeing Afghanistan following the rise of the Taliban there in 2021. That number is estimated to be 500,000 people. Of course, both of these numbers is dwarfed by the number of refugees who fled Afghanistan in 1979 when The Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan. After that invasion it is estimated that 6 million Afghanis fled that nation. Most, but not all, fled to refugee camps in Pakistan which soon reached maximum capacity. This refugee crisis begin to catch the attention of the entire world and the resettlement of those displaced people became a world issue.

I have no firsthand knowledge of what it is like to be a refugee and I really hope that I never will have such an experience. Until recently, everything that I knew about refugees came from news reports and pictures that I saw from the media. Recently, as I wrote about last week, I heard the report of a friend, Iryna Bondarenko, who was a refugee fleeing Ukraine and received hospitality in Poland. Since hearing from her, I have done a bit of research on the housing of refugees. I am in awe of some of the stories of mercy that I have heard.

A childhood friend, Lidia T. Hawryluk, who also is Ukrainian, regularly posts about Putin’s invasion and the hospitality shown by resettlement agencies in Poland. These agencies in Poland are gaining a good reputation for the kindness that they are expressing to refugees. The Polish government is receiving accolades for its assistance in the coordination of accepting and resettling Ukrainian refugees. The kindness of the Polish people, and the natural hospitality of that culture has been on full display during that crisis.  As the reputation of Putin has declined, the reputation of the Polish has increased.

Would our nation know what to do with 2.3 million refugees? The Polish, with the help of refugee agencies have figured this out and their natural kindness has come through. This blog is a shout out to the Polish for doing so much to help so many. This blog also is an encouragement to all of my readers to contribute as you are able to alleviate this refugee crisis. I recommend contributing through Church World Service. The link to contribute is: https://www.rca.org/give/2022-european-crisis-response/

#ReformedChurchInAmerica                                 #PastorMarkAuthor            

#BergenCounty                                                        #BergenfieldNJ

# Ukraine                                                                   #Russia

#Peace                                                                      #Refugees    

# LidiaTHawryluk                                                        #IrynaBondarenko

To read more of Pastor Mark’s writings, please order copy of his book: https://deepriverbooks.com/books/the-circle-of-seven/

Monday Ministerial Musings

By Rev. Mark William Ennis

2022 Blog #12

March 28, 2022

Ukraine: One Refugee’s Story

Several years ago the organist at the Clinton Avenue Reformed Church was a Ukrainian national. She was a rather talented organist who did well for our congregation. She ultimately left this position and returned to Ukraine where she cared for her ill mother. Recently, because of the Putin’s invasion, she returned from Ukraine to the United States and told us of the ordeal that she went through to leave her nation and come here to safety. In this bog I wish to share a bit of her story.

Iryna was first aware that Putin’s war had started when she heard two explosions in her hometown. She is unsure if they were rockets or aerial bombs, but they signaled for her that the war had begun. She was grateful that her mother had not lived long enough to see her nation invaded. Her brother and her son both of whom live in Ukraine, encouraged her to leave for her own safety while they stayed to protect their nation.

She drove toward the boarder of Poland but there was a huge traffic jam. Ultimately she joined a line of walkers to the boarder. It was a six mile walk to get to the boarder of Poland and Ukraine. Next came the wait for refugee processing which also took an extensive amount of time.

Iryna reported that the Polish people were incredibly hospitable. They assisted the fleeing Ukrainians in food, transportation, cell phones and relocation. Iryna was fortunate. Because she lived in the United States, she still had friends and connections here. This enabled a swift and efficient relocation here. Millions of refugees did not have these advantages. They remain in Poland waiting relocation to other safe nations.

I celebrate that Iryna is now here and safe. As safe as she is, she worries about her brother and son who remain in Ukraine defending their nation. She also thinks about the refugees who wait in Poland until they can be relocated. She is safe but these worries haunt her.

The Reformed Church in America, through Church World Service, is funding refugee relief. I encourage everyone reading this to make donations to ease the suffering of these displaced people. The link to contribute is: https://www.rca.org/give/2022-european-crisis-response/

#ReformedChurchInAmerica                                 #PastorMarkAuthor            

#BergenCounty                                                        #BergenfieldNJ

# Ukraine                                                                   #Russia

#Peace                                                                      #ClintonAvenueReformedChurch

#Refugees                                                                 #IrynaBondarenko

To read more of Pastor Mark’s writings, please order copy of his book: https://deepriverbooks.com/books/the-circle-of-seven/

Monday Ministerial Musings

By Rev. Mark William Ennis

2022 Blog #11

March 21, 2022

I respect President Zelensky

People who know me know that I rarely have anything good to say about politicians. In fact, I’m told that my face contorts when I speak about them or even think about them. I don’t know that for a fact, but I trust these observations from friends. I may have to stop painting with such a broad brush. I have come to respect President Zelensky of Ukraine when I watched his address to the congress of the United States and I wish we had a few politicians like him.

He has more courage than I do. If I had the choice to leave a war zone or stay in it I don’t know which choice I would make. I would like to think that I would stay and fight but I don’t know. I have never been tested with such a choice. He is a man of courage for staying.

I was impressed by how calm he was while addressing the congress. He was sitting in a city that was under attack by the Russian army and yet he was totally calm. I can’t imagine sitting calmly when bombs were falling around my neighborhood.

President Zelensky asked for nothing for himself. He did not even ask for soldiers to come and help his nation. He asked only for equipment; the means for citizens of his gallant nation to defend themselves. One asked to respect a man who is thinking of others above himself.

Before and after his speech he received a standing ovation from the members. I am happy that they rose to give President Zelensky the respect that he deserved. It wasn’t long however, before our members of congress stood in front of television cameras in expensive suits and started to blame others for the lack of aid to Ukraine. Each party blamed members of the other party for not doing enough.

I will continue to pray for the citizens of Ukraine and President Zelensky and I hope that our politicians learn a few lessons about leadership from this courageous and dignified President.

I thank my childhood friend, Lidia Hawryluk, who posted this photo of President Zelensky on her Facebook page.

#ReformedChurchInAmerica                                 #PastorMarkAuthor            

#BergenCounty                                                        #BergenfieldNJ

# Ukraine                                                                   #Russia

#Peace                                                                      # Conflict

#CongressionalAddress                                         # PresidentZelensky

To read more of Pastor Mark’s writings, please order copy of his book: https://deepriverbooks.com/books/the-circle-of-seven/

Reflexiones ministeriales del lunes
Por el reverendo Mark William Ennis
2022 Blog # 11
21 de marzo de 2022
Respeto al presidente Zelensky

La gente que me conoce sabe que rara vez tengo algo bueno que decir sobre los políticos. De hecho, me dicen que mi cara se contorts cuando hablo de ellos o incluso pensar en ellos. No lo sé por un hecho, pero confío en estas observaciones de amigos. Puede que tenga que dejar de pintar con un cepillo tan amplio. He llegado a respetar al Presidente Zelensky de Ucrania cuando observé su discurso ante el Congreso de los Estados Unidos y me gustaría que tuviéramos unos cuantos políticos como él.

Tiene más valor que yo. Si tuviera la opción de salir de una zona de guerra o quedarme en ella no sé qué opción haría. Me gustaría pensar que me quedaría y lucharía, pero no lo sé. Nunca he sido probado con tal opción. Es un hombre de valor para quedarse.

Me impresionó lo tranquilo que estaba mientras se dirigía al congreso. Estaba sentado en una ciudad que estaba siendo atacada por el ejército ruso y, sin embargo, estaba totalmente tranquilo. No puedo imaginar sentarme tranquilamente cuando las bombas estaban cayendo alrededor de mi vecindario.

El presidente Zelensky no pidió nada para sí mismo. Ni siquiera le había pedido a los soldados que vinieran y ayudaran a su nación. Sólo pidió equipo; los medios para que los ciudadanos de su nación galante se defendieran. Uno pidió respetar a un hombre que está pensando en otros por encima de sí mismo.

Antes y después de su discurso recibió una ovación de pie de los miembros. Me alegra que se levanten para dar al Presidente Zelensky el respeto que merecía. Sin embargo, no pasó mucho tiempo antes de que nuestros congresistas se pararan frente a las cámaras de televisión con trajes caros y comenzaran a culpar a otros por la falta de ayuda a Ucrania. Cada partido culpó a los miembros de la otra parte por no hacer lo suficiente.

Seguiré orando por los ciudadanos de Ucrania y por el Presidente Zelensky y espero que nuestros políticos aprendan algunas lecciones sobre el liderazgo de este valiente y digno Presidente.

Agradezco a mi amiga de la infancia, Lidia Hawryluk, que publicó esta foto del presidente Zelensky en su página de Facebook.

#ReformedChurchInAmerica                                 #PastorMarkAuthor            

#BergenCounty                                                        #BergenfieldNJ

# Ukraine                                                                   #Russia

#Peace                                                                      # Conflict

#CongressionalAddress                                         # PresidentZelensky

To read more of Pastor Mark’s writings, please order copy of his book: https://deepriverbooks.com/books/the-circle-of-seven/

Our daily devotional is a re-post with permission from Words Of Hope. Come view our website at www.clintonave.org.

Assyria, the Rising River of Plunder

By Gordon Van Wylen on March 15, 2022

Read: Isaiah 8:1-15

But the LORD of hosts, him you shall honor as holy. Let him be your fear, and let him be your dread. (v. 13)

As Isaiah continues to bring God’s message in the tense political situation under Ahaz, he writes a strange message on a large placard: “Quick to the plunder; swift to the spoil.” This is a warning to Judah: Do not put your trust in Assyria during your conflict with Aram and Israel for Assyria will be quick and powerful in its conquest of Aram and Israel and eventually Judah as well. To demonstrate his conviction, Isaiah gives his son the name meaning “quick to the plunder, swift to the spoil” (v. 3, NIV). Isaiah’s appeal is to trust God and focus on spiritual renewal in Judah.

Then Isaiah uses a striking analogy to depict the danger of depending on Assyria. He likens Judah’s rejection of God to rejecting the gently flowing water of the Shiloah spring in Jerusalem. Therefore, God will cause the mighty floodwaters of the Euphrates River, a symbol of Assyria, to overflow its banks and sweep over Judah. As we will read later, this actually happened under King Hezekiah. Again, Isaiah uses the word Immanuel, reflecting that “God with us” is our only hope. As our reading concludes God speaks directly to Isaiah encouraging him to be strong and faithful in his ministry. —Gordon Van Wylen

As you pray, ask God to help you stay faithful to his call, growing as a faithful and discerning witness.

 

Monday Ministerial Musings

By Rev. Mark William Ennis

2022 Blog #10

March 14, 2022

Rescue Buses in Ukraine

I don’t travel on buses very much but in my younger years I did. I took city buses every day in high school. I remember a bus ride when I was very young. It might have been my first bus ride. I was fascinated by the machine that collected the coins. The coins were separated by going down through different sized holes before going down to be inserted into a change holder. I dreamed of owning a bus and have everyone giving me coins. Later that week I took a glass jar and sat outside my house. I waited for people to walk by and put coins into the jar. Sadly, no coins were ever contributed.

I remember waiting for buses to get to high school. Every moment of waiting seemed like a year. This was especially true when it was raining or snowing, and twice as true when there was a strong wind. We watched up the street hoping for a glimpse of the bus as our bodies shivered and our hands were in our pockets fidgeting with our bus coins in our pockets. Of course, when the bus finally came and we could step out of the cold and into the warmth of a heated bus, it felt like paradise.

Recently I heard of an organization who shares my childhood dreams about buses. This organization is Life2Orphans when I first heard of them, they were hoping to obtain buses to evacuate orphans from various orphanages that are in danger from the rockets of the Russian army. They are dreaming of owning buses and are anxiously waiting for them to arrive.  With the acquisition of buses, orphans can be evacuated from danger. This assumes that evacuation routes continue to be open and safe for those fleeing from danger.

Recently I gave a personal contribution to this cause. This money, which is discretionary for me, and really I would not ever miss, might well have been a matter of life and death to these orphans. I am glad that I contributed toward this worthy cause. Shortly after making the contribution I received word that two buses had been obtained and the buses had been filled and are rolling toward a safe place. I do worry about the safety of any of these evacuation routes. Are they really safe? I pray so, but one never knows where Putin’s missiles will fall.

Perhaps lives will be saved by our efforts. I can only pray that the contributions that I and others have made will truly save children’s lives. I remember the words of the character Itzhak Stern to Oscar Schindler in Schindler’s List, “Whoever saves one life saves the world entire.”

To contribute to this orphanage please go to this website: https://www.life2orphans.org/

#ReformedChurchInAmerica                                 #PastorMarkAuthor            

#BergenCounty                                                        #BergenfieldNJ

# Ukraine                                                                   #Russia

#Peace                                                                      # Conflict

#UkrainianOrphans                                                 # Life2Orphans.org

To read more of Pastor Mark’s writings, please order copy of his book: https://deepriverbooks.com/books/the-circle-of-seven/