Corona Gratitude at Christmas

Monday Ministerial Musings

By Rev. Mark William Ennis

2021 Blog Number 52

December 27, 2021

Corona Gratitude at Christmas

Much to my surprise, I am Covid positive. I was tested after I became ill on the fourth Sunday of Advent. I spent one and one half days sick in bed despite taking all the precautions that I could. I wear a mask everywhere and have had two Covid vaccines plus a booster. I never dreamed that my test would be anything but negative.

As world of my illness spread people were very kind and checked in with me. One conversation that I had was with a friend who is a minister and chaplain. She asked how I felt and I told her that I was much better and out of bed.

“No,” she persisted, she is a therapist and a chaplain after all, “how are you feeling emotionally? Being ill around Christmas represents a profound loss for you.”

“I feel grateful,” I replied.

“You really are in denial,” she proclaimed. “You must be feeling anger.”

“Anger? Why? I’m alive.”

I continued, “In the early days of Covid three colleagues died from it. I spent only 1 ½ days sick in bed from it.

“I bet that my two vaccines and my booster might have kept me from hospitalization and/or death.

“I checked in with those folks that I was near my last Sunday in church. None of them have symptoms of Covid. I have good reason to believe that I didn’t spread it.

“Yes, I spent a bit of time on sick leave but I was able to work from home during quarantine. That is a gift we didn’t have before our technology explosion.

“I’m not feeling anger, I’m feeling gratitude.”

My friend just couldn’t relent. “You missed Christmas with your whole family, and a live Christmas Eve Service. These are losses. You must feel some anger at this.”

“Life isn’t perfect. I’m grateful for the grace I was given. I don’t have time to be angry over what I don’t have. Life itself is a gift and I’m grateful I am still alive.”

I guess that this is a choice we all make on Christmas and every other day of our lives. Do we get angry over what we don’t have or do we celebrate with gratitude all the wonderful gifts that we are given? Gratitude is a choice. I hope that we all feel gratitude each and every day.

#ClintonAvenueReformedChurch #ReformedChurchInAmerica

#PastorMarkAuthordotcom #BergenfieldNJ

#Covid #Christmas

#Gratitude #BeingAlive

To read more of Pastor Mark’s writings, please order copy of his book:

ahttps://deepriverbooks.com/books/the-circle-of-seven/

The Gospel of Hallmark Christmas Movies

Monday Ministerial Musings

By Rev. Mark William Ennis

2021 Blog Number 51

December 20, 2021

The Gospel of Hallmark Christmas Movies

“What do you have against Hallmark Movies and how do you even know what they are like?” I was asked by a woman who loves Hallmark Christmas Movies. She knows that I often criticize them. Well, here is my answer to her questions.

Yes, I have seen many Hallmark Christmas movies. While visiting my mother in the last weeks of her life, I heard her television broadcasting one movie after another. She loved that channel. I know a lot about these movies. What do I have against them? They are the opposite of the gospel of Jesus Christ, without whom there would be no Christmas.

The gospel of Hallmark instructs us that at the end of the movie, things will be magically fixed by the magic of Christmas. The nativity of Jesus tells us that at the end of the story there is still pain, not a magical fix, but God himself lives with you amidst these difficulties.

Hallmark movies focus on the love of humans for one another, without any mention of the love of God. I don’t believe that our love for one another can be separated from the love that God has for us and the love that we show to God. In the beginning of creation, the man and the woman are together, but God is also walking in fellowship with these two. The gospel of Hallmark does not mention God. This gospel believes that we can have love in its fullness without God’s presence. I believe that this is a false teaching.

The gospel of Hallmark is philosophically Humanist. It believes that human difficulties can be magically fixed by what people do. The Gospel of Christ teaches that humans are flawed. We will never know the full joy of life until we humble ourselves to God and live life with God. In short, Hallmark is Christmas without God. I think such a Christmas would leave a lot to be desired. I prefer the joy of a Christ-centered Christmas.

If you like this blog, please share it. Just one “share” can bring hundreds of new people to know about these blogs and our congregation. If you don’t like this blog, feel free to challenge me. Let’s get the conversation going!

#ClintonAvenueReformedChurch #ReformedChurchInAmerica

#PastorMarkAuthordotcom #BergenfieldNJ

#ChristmasPlays #Christmas

#God’sLove #Incarnation

To read more of Pastor Mark’s writings, please order copy of his book:

ahttps://deepriverbooks.com/books/the-circle-of-seven/

Fear and Wondering

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

Fear and Wondering

By Scott Hoezee on December 14, 2021

Read: Luke 1:57-66

And fear came on all their neighbors. (v. 65)

We often miss the Bible’s humor. God himself invented humor, and anyone who has ever watched a one-year-old child giggle uproariously at the silliest things senses that humor is hardwired into us. We should expect, then, to find humor in God’s holy book. And today’s scene from Luke 1 is funny.

Elizabeth gave birth to a son and the whole neighborhood gathered to celebrate. Everyone had long ago concluded that having children was never going to happen for this couple. So when it did, people responded with joy. At the day of circumcision, the child was to be formally named, and that was the father’s job ordinarily. But Zechariah had been strangely unable to speak for nine months, so the people turned to Elizabeth. They expected her to name him Zechariah Jr., but instead, she said John. The neighbors were shocked.

So they went to Zechariah and did what we often do to people who cannot speak: we talk louder. We make gestures with our hands. The neighbors “made signs”—I imagine them pointing to Elizabeth and making rude circular “She’s cuckoo” gesture around their ears, but perhaps they were more polite. Zechariah responded by writing out “His name is John” and just like that, he got his voice back.

The neighbors suddenly fell silent. Something odd was going on here. God was afoot in their neighborhood and that brought about an awestruck fear. Clearly this baby boy named John was going to be someone important to God. And they were right. —Scott Hoezee

As you pray, ask God to show you where God is working today.

Imperfectly Perfect

Monday Ministerial Musings

By Rev. Mark William Ennis

2021 Blog Number 50

December 13, 2021

Imperfectly Perfect

One of the great things that I have always enjoyed about church throughout my life is the annual Christmas pageant. As a little boy our pageant was always held on Christmas Eve. I frustrated my mother by falling asleep and missing my first performance. I don’t think that she ever forgave me. A few years later the whole cast got a virus and the play had to be cancelled. Frequently, pageants simply don’t go well.

Several years ago, due to a small Sunday School, we had to expand the Children’s play to an intergenerational version. It was rather fun to have people of all ages be part of this play, and a good education for the young people to be seeing older people participate in such activities.

The movie “The Preacher’s Wife” starring Whitney Houston has several scenes about a church performing a Christmas Play. Like the ones I have been a part of, not much goes right. There are a number of mishaps. Despite all the problems, the children have a wonderful experience and learn again of the miracle of Christmas, God becoming human for the sake of humanity.

How can something that goes so wrong possibly be so good? I think that it is because of the very simply message. God loves us enough to incarnate into human form. The message is powerful and is strong enough to overcome imperfection in our delivery. Yes, our pageants are imperfect, but the message is perfect and has the power to transform hearts. Perhaps that is why the story “A Christmas Carol” is so powerful. It is a simple story of the love of Christmas transforming the heart of Ebenezer Scrooge. God’s love is transforming, even if we as a church are imperfect at communicating it.

Isn’t this a microcosm of all that we do as faithful Christians. We are here to proclaim the love of Christ however imperfectly we do it. We can’t wait for the perfect time or the perfect means. But we must never stop proclaiming.

If you like this blog, please share it. Just one “share” can bring hundreds of new people to know about these blogs and our congregation.

#ClintonAvenueReformedChurch #ReformedChurchInAmerica

#PastorMarkAuthordotcom #BergenfieldNJ

#ChristmasPlays #Christmas

#God’sLove #Incarnation

To read more of Pastor Mark’s writings, please order copy of his book:

ahttps://deepriverbooks.com/books/the-circle-of-seven/

Monday Ministerial Musings

By Rev. Mark William Ennis

2021 Blog Number 49

December 6, 2021

Pearl Harbor and Other Traumas

Tomorrow we remember Pearl Harbor Day. That day in 1941 began our nation’s entrance into World War II and gave hundreds of thousands of young men really bad memories. As I child I knew a lot of veterans of that war. Most didn’t want to talk about the war. It was something to walk away from and try to forget. For most, they never had to visit those places of trauma ever again and they were happy about that. War causes abuse, but for most, the war ended.

War, like it or not, changes people. It is by nature, abuse. What happens when the trauma is not from war, but from a place that is not, by nature, supposed to be abusive or traumatic. What happens when abuse comes in church at the hands of people who claim to be committed to follow Jesus and who claim that church is “safe?” How do these people heal? Those who committed the abuse are not “the enemy” and have not been “defeated?” How does one heal when the abusers continue to be respected members or leaders of a church and no justice has been done?

Thanks to the efforts of the Hudson River Care and Counseling Center, a new program to attempt to bring healing to those who have suffered abuse by churches or church members. Clinton Avenue Reformed Church has partnered with this agency to help be catalysts for this healing.

It is an evil sad tragedy that there are some folks who have been abused by people who claim to be “people of faith.” We hope to be real people of faith who can begin to help healing from past wounds.

After months of preparation, Hudson River Care and Counseling Center, has begun recruiting victims who wish to enter this program of healing. My Sanctuary Healing has begun and the first introductory video has been launched. Please see the link below.

Do you know someone who has suffered because of religious abuse? Have you been so abused and need help healing old wounds? You are invited to watch the video link below and begin the first step toward healing. As a faith group hurt you, now let a faith group heal you. Please accept this Christmas Gift from Clinton Avenue Reformed Church and the Hudson River Care and Counseling Center.

If you like this blog, please share it. Just one “share” can bring hundreds of new people to know about these blogs and our congregation.

#ClintonAvenueReformedChurch #ReformedChurchInAmerica

#PastorMarkAuthordotcom

#BergenfieldNJ

#MySanctuaryHealing #HudsonRiverCareandCounseling

#ReligiousAbuse

#HealingfromAbuse

To read more of Pastor Mark’s writings, please order copy of his book:

ahttps://deepriverbooks.com/books/the-circle-of-seven/

You Did All You Could…

Monday Ministerial Musings

By Rev. Mark William Ennis

2021 Blog Number 48

November 29, 2021

You Did All You Could…

“You did all you could,” I said to a gentleman in my congregation two Sunday’s ago. We were talking over a cup of coffee following worship. His family sat around him. The man, on the brink of Thanksgiving, was grieving the death of a fourteen-year-old boy who was his neighbor and who played sports with his sons. Joe, the church member that I was speaking with, was a coach who administered CPR to the child who collapsed and ultimately died. Joe was feeling a bit guilty because the child did not live despite his efforts.

Tara, his wife and a trained nurse, quickly ran to the scene. She herded all of the nearby children outside for an improvised prayer circle as Joe, and then the responding EMT’s fought to save the boy’s life. Unfortunately, the CPR nor the prayers were able to save Aaron from death. Everyone involved had feelings of guilt and wondering if they had done enough. They all needed assurance.

I have been in such situations as a hospital chaplain. One evening I sat with a chronically ill girl, who was also fourteen years old. As she declined and her parents were in route, they asked a chaplain to sit with her. I prayed fervently that she would not die, or at least until her parents arrived. My prayers were not answered as I wished. She died before they arrived. I held her hand as she slipped away. I felt guilty and apologized to the parents that my prayers were un-answered. They assured me that I had done all I could do and they were grateful that their daughter did not die alone.

Sometimes, our prayers and best efforts do not get the results that we desire. Yet, by our presence, prayers and best efforts, we have “done all we can do.” Much of our efforts in many aspects of life, we don’t get the results that we want. Nevertheless, by our prayers and best efforts we have “done enough” and “done all that we could.” Perhaps that is the measure of our lives. Have we “been there” and “done our best?” Perhaps this ought to be how we evaluate our lives. Not results, which are often out of our control.

Now that Aaron has died it is the job of everyone who knew the family to be present, praying and doing our best to walk with his family through this time of grief. We all also have an obligation to be present for Tara and Joe and those children who witnessed this horror.

We must be present and do our best. Then we will have done all that we could do.

#ClintonAvenueReformedChurch #ReformedChurchInAmerica

#PastorMarkAuthordotcom #BergenfieldNJ

#DumontNJ #AaronVasquez

# JoeRivera #TaraFox-Rivera

To read more of Pastor Mark’s writings, please order copy of his book:

ahttps://deepriverbooks.com/books/the-circle-of-seven/

Fire House Generations

Monday Ministerial Musings

By Rev. Mark William Ennis

2021 Blog Number 47

November 22, 2021

Fire House Generations

During this past week I had the solemn duty to conduct two funeral services. The two gentlemen who died were from the same family. They were in-laws. A married couple from the church had each experienced the death of a father and a father-in-law on the same day. This was certainly unique, but I’m sure it was not unprecedented. But that is not the point of this blog. The point of this blog is to highlight that one death was that of a former fire chief from town. He was certainly remembered well and received full honors from members of Volunteer Fire Company #2 in Bergenfield.

The point of this blog is not the two deaths or the involvement of the firefighters. The point of this is to admire the generations of faithful service that the Hoyt Family has shown our community. Former Chief Norman Hoyt Sr. was buried with full honors but his funeral was organized by another firefighter, Norman Hoyt Jr. Norman Jr’s children, Ryan and Elizabeth are also part of Fire Company #2. They were among the firefighters standing guard at Norman’s funeral service.

I am certainly in awe of the courage and sacrifice of our firefighters. Few people that I know would be willing to run into burning buildings on behalf of strangers and give up long hours to train for preparedness. Yet, these people do that. Former Chief Norman Hoyt Sr. was especially adept at doing that. He is someone who should be honored.

What intrigues me even more is the multi-generational membership of firehouses. Firehouse memberships can become family legacies. I wish that we in the church did so well. Many congregations have members without the zeal that firefighters show. Many of our congregations lose the next generation due to lack of interest. Firehouses seem to do better than we do at keeping the descendants of fire fighters.

I honor the service of the late former chief Norman Hoyt Senior as I do all volunteer firefighters. I admire the courage that these firefighters show and their ability to recruit subsequent generations. Please, firefighters, tell me how I can do the same in our churches. I would love our members to show the same zeal and to keep the next generation interest.

#ClintonAvenueReformedChurch #ReformedChurchInAmerica

#PastorMarkAuthordotcom #BergenfieldNJ

#NormanHoytSr #NormanHoytJr

#BergenfieldFireCompany#2 #ElizabethHoyt

To read more of Pastor Mark’s writings, please order copy of his book:

ahttps://deepriverbooks.com/books/the-circle-of-seven/

Veteran’s Day; Celebration or Solemn?

Monday Ministerial Musings

By Rev. Mark William Ennis

2021 Blog Number 46

November 15, 2021

Veteran’s Day; Celebration or Solemn?

During this past week, all over Facebook I have been watching posts that wish people a “happy Veterans Day. The sentiment is nice but too many veterans have suffered too much for this to be a “happy day.” Too many of our veterans have physical and mental wounds some of which will never heal. This is a day to thank veterans but it does not seem like any event that should be “celebrated.” The word “celebrate” seems to me as if it implies a party.

Fortunately, many of our veterans did not return from deployment scarred mentally or physically. Nevertheless, their deployments interrupted their lives as well as the lives of their families. Soldiers when away to other places miss out on important events in the lives of children. Most of us simply take these times with our children for granted. Our veterans, and active-duty personnel give up on a lot of things as they serve our country.

My daughters are now in their thirties. I remember fondly attending their births. The memories of those births are embedded in my mind. Many of our soldiers have no such memories. My son-in-law missed the birth of his son, my grandson because the army would not grant him leave from an overseas deployment. I will never forget the joy on his face when he returned and got to see his little boy for the first time. I was thrilled with the joy of that day but regret that he had to give up the joy of seeing the little boy born.

Yes, Veterans and Active-duty troops need our thanks, respect, and support. I am grateful for their service to our nation. I am also thankful to the families who sacrifice a great deal while their soldiers are away. Veteran’s Day must remain an important day for us but it must never be a day of happiness. It must be a solemn day of Thanksgiving to those who have given so much for us.

Veterans, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. God bless you. Let me know how I can express my thanks to you.

#ClintonAvenueReformedChurch #ReformedChurchInAmerica

#PastorMarkAuthordotcom #BergenfieldNJ

#Veteran’sDay #Veterans

#MilitaryDeployment #MilitaryFamilies

To read more of Pastor Mark’s writings, please order copy of his book:

ahttps://deepriverbooks.com/books/the-circle-of-seven/

Living Saints

Monday Ministerial Musings

By Rev. Mark William Ennis

2021 Blog Number 45

November 8, 2021

Living Saints

Last week we celebrated “All Saints Day” during our worship. It is our custom during this celebration to read off the names of our church members who entered God’s nearer presence during the prior year. We celebrate the lives of those saints who are no longer with us but who have arrived in God’s kingdom. This blog focuses on two saints who still live with us on earth yet are truly saints as God calls us to be.

Specifically, I’ll be paying tribute to, and thanking God for, two of our elders, Elaine and Leslie, who really know what it is to be a disciple of Jesus. For six months they have been giving service above and beyond in caring for another elder who has been declining recently and has become in need of a high level of care in a memory care unit.

This declining elder has no family nearby. Her nearest relative is a niece in Chicago. The woman declining lives with us here in New Jersey. Who would help this woman? I have been her power of attorney and manage her money for her but organizing, packing and moving her was beyond the hours that I could take time for. I brought this concern to the board of elders and, as usually occurs, God raises up faithful elders to assist. Elder Elaine and Elder Leslie, rose to the challenge. They organized, packed, and got Elder Joan ready to move to a place where she could receive greater care. Without these elders Joan would have had a much more difficult time with her relocation.

Sometimes we don’t appreciate God’s faithful people until they die and speak nicely about them at the wake. Such a practice is not good enough for Elder Elaine and Elder Leslie. They deserve to hear this sentiment of gratitude.

Thank you, Ladies. You have been a fine example of what the church of Christ should be. You did great work and blessed a declining lady. May we all follow your example. I learned years ago never to underestimate spirit-filled elders. These two remind me of that every time I see them.

#ClintonAvenueReformedChurch #ReformedChurchInAmerica

#PastorMarkAuthordotcom #BergenfieldNJ

#ElaineMuller #LeslieLepre

#Elders #MinistryofMercy

To read more of Pastor Mark’s writings, please order copy of his book:

ahttps://deepriverbooks.com/books/the-circle-of-seven/

Thank You, General Powell, Son Of Immigrants

Monday Ministerial Musings

By Rev. Mark William Ennis

2021 Blog Number 44

November 1, 2021

Thank You, General Powell, Son Of Immigrants

It has been more than a week since the death of General Colin Powell. I was saddened when I first heard the news. I had never heard of him until the First Gulf War and then he became a household name. I was among the first to buy a copy of his book when it was published a few years following the conclusion of that war. After reading it I was even more impressed with him than I had been from simply hearing news stories about him. I am grateful that his parents chose to immigrate to our nation. We are better off because of their decision, and the service General Powell gave to our armed forces.

Years later, when I moved to New Jersey, I met a member of our great consistory who knew General Powell personally. These two gentlemen, had gone to college together, were members of the same fraternity, and both served in our military. They had stayed in contact with one another. Through this man I heard some college stories about General Powell. Each of these stories helped reaffirm my high opinion of him.

One of the things I enjoyed most about Colin Powell’s book was his list of thirteen rules for leadership. No, they don’t come up to the level of the ten commandments, but they contain good wisdom for becoming a good leader. Like the commandments, I will never truly live up to them, but attempting to live by them, I think, makes me a better leader.

If you haven’t heard them I will list them.

It ain’t as bad as you think. It will look better in the morning.
Get mad, then get over it.
Avoid having your ego so close to your position that when your position fall, your ego goes with it.
It can be done!
Be careful what you choose. You may get it.
Don’t let adverse facts stand in the way of a good decision
You can’t make someone else’s choices. You shouldn’t let someone else make yours.
Check small things.
Share credit.
Remain calm. Be kind.
Have a vision. Be demanding.
Don’t take counsel of your fears or naysayers.
Perpetual optimism is a force multiplier.

Let us all strive to follow the ten commandments from God and the leadership rules from Colin Powell. Also, if we think that immigration hurts our nation, do you think that we would be better off if General Powell’s parents had not moved here?

I pray that God will bless General Colin Powell with the peace and blessing of Christ’s presence.

#ClintonAvenueReformedChurch #ReformedChurchInAmerica

#PastorMarkAuthordotcom

#BergenfieldNJ

#GeneralColinPowell #TenCommandments

#ColinPowell’sRules #Immigration

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