A Blessed Year

I hear a lot of people still making “New Year’s Resolutions.” I thought that this tradition had died out years ago because no one that I know keeps resolutions more than a week into the new year. The only resolution that I make is the one to make no resolutions. This one I have kept for years.

One of my problems with resolutions is that always looking to improve keeps us distracted from how many blessings we really have. Anyone reading this is more blessed than most of the residents on this planet. I wonder if it is time to end the custom of resolutions and begin instead to start a new custom of “blessings.”

I got this idea from a friend on Facebook who posted a picture that got me thinking of this new tradition. The picture is attached below. What if instead of resolutions we focus on the blessings that we receive. How about weekly, or daily, we write what we are grateful for and put that into a jar. At the end of 2020, we each open our jars and read all the blessings that we were grateful for. I bet that we will forget many of these things that we were once grateful for. Opening the jar will remind us of those things that we were blessed with.

Will you join me in counting blessing rather than making resolutions? The more we pay attention to our blessings, and focus on them, the more we will appreciate them, and the fine lives we live. Our troubles will seem insignificant in comparison. Please, take this challenge and feel gratitude each and every day.

#ReformedChurchInAmerica                                 #ClintonAvenueReformedChurch

#PastorMarkAuthordotcom                                     #BergenfieldNJ

#BergenCountyNJ                                                    #I2020

#Gratitude                                                                  #Blessings

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

The Circle of Seven

Don Imus, perhaps the most famous name in radio, died last Friday. Since his retirement in March of 2018 I have hoped that he would come back. Now, these hopes are vanquished. I used to listen to him daily and still have never found a radio station to listen to daily.

He was a recovering drug addict and alcoholic. He has been fired for bigoted rants, has been accused of sexual harassment, and has been discharged for being intoxicated at work. He has been sued in court and has settled several lawsuits out of court. So why was I so attracted to him?

I appreciate his generosity. Published sources claim that he is responsible for raising 40 million dollars to fund the CJ foundation for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. His name is on the pediatric center at Hackensack Medical Center. I don’t know how much he contributed to get his name on the building. For years he ran a ranch for children with cancer. Some would recover, others would not. He did more for charitable causes than anyone else that I have heard of.

What I appreciate most is that he held people of authority to account. When interviewing politicians, he never treated them in a special way but treated them as people who were hired to serve us. Often he asked them questions that I wish I had the chance to ask them. He many ways he was a prophet who would tell politicians what they needed to hear but whom other media members would not dream of asking.

Imus also had prophetic words for Christians as well. In 2012, amid the Vatican Butler scandal, he asked the hard question, “why would the Pope have a butler? Jesus acted as a butler to his disciples, why should the pope not be a butler.” His point is well taken. Christians claim to imitate Jesus and we need to hear about it when we do not.

Imus said things that needed to be said and asked questions that needed to be asked. He spoke important prophet words. I thank God that I had years to hear him and pray that God will raise up another prophet to take his place. He wasn’t perfect but what prophet ever was?

Rest in Christ’s presence, I-man.

#ReformedChurchInAmerica                                 #ClintonAvenueReformedChurch

#PastorMarkAuthordotcom                                    #BergenfieldNJ

#BergenCountyNJ                                                   #ImusInTheMorning

#DonImus                                                                   #Prophets

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

The Circle of Seven

A few weeks ago, as we were distributing lunches to the day laborers in town, one of our distributers made an important observation. She noticed that many of the laborers had no gloves. I was a bit embarrassed that I had not made this observation myself. Somehow it alluded me, yet when she mentioned it I paid attention. She was correct. Despite the weather, many of them had no gloves and some had no hats either. Despite the cold temperatures, gloves were a luxury that they could not afford.

It seems incredible to us who live middle class lifestyles that anyone could live without gloves. The fact is that there are people who do. Most of us have a surplus of gloves and color coordinate them based on our outfits. We take many things for granted. Yet, living near us are people for whom gloves are unaffordable luxuries.

One of the women who has supported our lunch program could not live with the thought that our area workers lived in such a way. She obtained hats and gloves and brought them to the church for us to distribute. The very next day we gave out hats and gloves with the lunches. The workers looked truly grateful. 

I do feel a bit embarrassed that for the years of distributing lunches, I never noticed the lack of gloves. I became focused on our task and was overlooking other needs of these people. I am so glad that this was pointed out, and our group rose to meet the challenge.  We take a lot for granted but I’m grateful that God gives us these opportunities to see how much we have and grant us the chance to bless those with less.

#ReformedChurchInAmerica                                 #ClintonAvenueReformedChurch

#PastorMarkAuthordotcom                                    #BergenfieldNJ

#BergenCountyNJ                                                    #DayLaborers

#ColdWinters                                                             #Generosity

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

The Circle of Seven

Last week we welcomed back my son-in-law from his army deployment. Naturally, we wanted to take him out to a fine dinner to celebrate his homecoming. Gluten free is a necessity in our family. My daughter quickly used her gluten-free app and found Brasserie Memere in Closter. I had never heard of it, but it sounded good. 

We had two glitches before starting. The first was that the ceremony went much later than we expected. We had to call the restaurant to ask for the reservations to be delayed. The second came with our numbers. We had planned dinner for the five of us and two babies. At the armory, Marco’s mother’s family was there to greet Marco. They wished to join the celebration also. We called the restaurant to add reservations. Our original number was now doubled. The management assured us that this was no problem. We were greeted warmly.

We were seated graciously by owner Evelyn Ciszak. I mentioned to the waiter that we were honoring Marco who was home from deployment. In response to this, the service was overwhelming! Co-owner Peter Chin came over to greet us and thank Marco for his service to our country. The waiter was unbelievable attentive. It was a fine dinner. I’m the world’s biggest cheapskate. I complain about the price of White Castle.  Even I admit that the food was worth the menu prices. 

I began to get a bit annoyed at the wait to order desert. Sensing my impatience, the waiter came to explain that we were getting desert for free and it was being made specially for us. The owner wished to honor Marco’s military service. Soon one of the owners came with our free deserts and presented it to us; Macaroons. There were plenty of them for all of us and two left over.

The owners chatted with us some more. They really wanted to honor us for having a veteran in the family and they showed their appreciation. How many individuals go out of their way to honor veterans? Many of us give lip-service to honoring veterans. This couple lost money in doing Marco honor. I will certainly be back to show my appreciation.

If you are in Closter, please stop by and visit Mr. Chin and Evelyn Ciszak at Brasserie Memere, 107 Vervalen St. in Closter. They are worthy of our support.

#ReformedChurchInAmerica                                 #ClintonAvenueReformedChurch

#PastorMarkAuthordotcom                                     #BergenfieldNJ

#BergenCountyNJ                                                   #BrasserieMemere

#EvelynCiszak                                                           #PeterChin

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

The Circle of Seven

Military Arms

Renaissance Man, staring Danny De Vito is an old film now, but I was thinking about it recently. In this movie, Danny De Vito is hired to instruct a group of under-functioning soldiers how to think critically. He instructs them by teaching them Shakespeare and succeeds in instructing them not to be just soldiers, but soldiers and scholars. There is more to being a warrior than strength and fighting.

This reminds me of the Medieval code that knights swore to when becoming warriors in Europe. The code is as follows:

1. Believe the Church’s teachings and observe all the Church’s directions
2. Defend the Church
3. Respect and defend the weak
4. Love your country
5. Do not fear your enemy
6. Show no mercy and do not hesitate to make war with the infidel
7. Perform all your feudal duties as long as they do not conflict with the laws of God
8. Never lie or go back on one’s word
9. Be generous
10. Always and everywhere be right and good against evil and injustice

And so, it is today that our soldiers are called upon to not just be capable making warfare but to defend and respect the weak. They must be violent when called upon as well be gentle and protective of the weak. How is one person to do all of these things. My hunch is that these soldiers need our help to balance such opposite behaviors.

On Saturday, my son-in-law returned from deployment with the National Guard. He was serving a mission in the horn of Africa and this was his fourth deployment. This return is different. He was married shortly before deploying and his son was born while he was away. Now, he returns as a husband and father. His warrior ways must yield to his loving protective ways. I bet he needs help and support to do this.

We train our young people in the ways of the warrior and send them off. Now, when they return, we must help them learn the skills of loving nurturers. Military arms must now hold spouses and children, not guns. Let us all be there for our returning warriors.

#ReformedChurchInAmerica                                 #ClintonAvenueReformedChurch

#PastorMarkAuthordotcom                                     #BergenfieldNJ

#BergenCountyNJ                                                    #NJNationalGuard

#113thRegiment                                                       #44thInfantryBrigadeCombatTeam

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

The Circle of Seven

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Thanksgiving Day has always been a wonderful time for me. One of my greatest memories of this day was watching The March of the Wooden Soldiers on television while smelling the turkey cook in the electric roaster. Each commercial I would run into the kitchen to look through the window on top of the roaster to see the turkey cook. I would have removed the top to look except my mother always forbid me from doing this. To this day I love the smell of turkey cooking in an electric roaster which I purchased several years ago. Thanksgiving is still a wonderful day.

This year, at church, and at home, we began Thanksgiving dinner began with each person sharing what he/she was most thankful for during the year. We also told of our number one hope for the next year. It was fun to hear from each person and this conversation enabled us to get to know one another on a very deeper level than we all had previously known. I do hope to repeat this ritual during future Thanksgiving celebrations.

I wonder why we only “give thanks” once every year. Should we not be thankful each and every day? I have gone through difficult times in my life and yet, even in those times, my life has been easy compared to the lives that millions of people around the world live. My worst day is better than the days of the majority of people on the earth. Should we not be as thankful every day of our lives as we are on Thanksgiving Day?

This is a challenge to everyone reading this. Will you join me each day of the year in articulating what we are most thankful for at that time, and our hope for the next day? I bet that if we practiced thanksgiving every day and not on one day, our peace and joy will increase and our joy will be contagious. Let us celebrate Thanksgiving Life, not just Thanksgiving Day.

#ReformedChurchInAmerica                                             #ClintonAvenueReformedChurch

#PastorMarkAuthor.com                                                     #BergenfieldNJ

#BergenCountyNJ                                                               #ThanksgivingDay

#Gratitude                                                                             

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

The Circle of Seven

Our new daily devotional will be a re-post from Words Of Hope. We re-post this with permission of Words of Hope. God bless you!

https://www.woh.org/devotional/2019/11/26/still-serving/

Here in Bergenfield we are celebrating our 125^th anniversary. We have celebrated a number of events during this past year and they have been well attended and well received. New and old residents have come together to share the long history of our town.

Last afternoon our town held the latest of our celebrations; an interfaith celebration. It was held at the high school auditorium and featured presentations and testimonies by eight different faith communities. We sang, prayed, listened to one another and celebrated the faith that each group brought to share.

The differences of musical presentations were rather extreme ranging from an ancient chant performed by an Orthodox Christian Church, to a Psalm in Hebrew taught to us by a Rabbi, to the upbeat music of Latin Pentecostal churches. The music was very different, but all praised our creator. It was a holy and sacred event.

Someday, when the faithful arrive in paradise, we shall meet many different types of faithful people. Yesterday we received a small taste of that future paradise. It tasted good. The faithful of Bergenfield shined the light of God brightly yesterday. May we continue to do so that our town might be full of God’s light.

#ReformedChurchInAmerica                                             #ClintonAvenueReformedChurch

#PastorMarkAuthor.com                                                     #BergenfieldNJ

#BergenCountyNJ                                                               #125^thAnniversary

#InterfaithCelebration                                                           #Worship

To read more of Pastor Mark’s writings, please order a copy of his book: https://deepriverbooks.com/books/the-circle-of-seven/?fbclid=IwAR0Wl3TzzoNkkVEi4lIq2ySq6psacuYeawLY3OsQz1oivFIoVgn2CSkJ3Os

The Circle of Seven

Monday Ministerial Musings

By Rev. Mark William Ennis

Blog Number 38

November 18, 2019

Recharging The Clergy’s Spiritual Batteries

Yesterday my daughter was installed as the new pastor of the First Reformed Church of Boonton, NJ. It was a wonderful event. Folks from her new congregation were joined by members of her new Classis as well as old friends from various churches and congregations in the area. I had a most wonderful time with old friends and making new friends. The worship service was inspiring and I enjoyed sitting in the pew to receive communion instead of being the one who presides over the sacrament. It was refreshing to be able to sit and partake. Holding one of my grandsons during the service made it even more special.

How does a minister worship? Ministers by nature are leading worship but how do they get the opportunity to sit and worship, to be nurtured by singing and praying? Where do ministers recharge their spiritual batteries?

Lately I have been reading many reports of “ministerial burn out.” I don’t know why I have to read such reports. I sometimes feel it and know colleagues who have experienced “burn out.” It is no wonder. The clergy sexual scandals that have, too often, occurred, have caused many people to dis-trust all clergy. Once held in high-esteem, ministers are no longer looked up to as they once were. Churches were full a generation ago but now fewer people hold church participation as important.

So, where does a minister go to worship and pray? I wonder if all of us ought to find churches with different worship times to attend where we can simply sit, worship, sing and pray. Perhaps we do this too rarely. Worship is good for all, including the clergy. Sitting at worship might do all of us who are ordained a great deal of good. Maybe this should be a goal for all of us. When we recharge our spiritual batteries, we will do others a great deal of good.

#ReformedChurchInAmerica                                             #ClintonAvenueReformedChurch

#PastorMarkAuthor.com                                                     #BergenfieldNJ

#BergenCountyNJ                                                                #Worship

#SpiritualRenewal                                                                #ClergyWorship

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

The Circle of Seven

I write this blog about, and with the permission of, a saint of our congregation. Her name is Marilyn but she goes by the names of Aunt Marilyn or Miss Marilyn. She is truly a saint, full of good works, and the resiliency to adapt her good works based on her declining energy. I won’t disclose her age, but she does remember the attack on Pearl Harbor and that should give you some idea. 

She is an elder and in the past she has been a member of our governing board (Consistory) and has served as vice-president of that body. Her outstanding achievements have been in cooking and hospitality. She reads cook-books like novels and has graced us with her culinary skills at many church functions, as well as the dinners served at community groups. But this is not her outstanding achievement. That is her care for the homeless in our area.

Several times a year our congregation feeds the hungry of our area at the Bergen County Shelter. In years gone by, Elder Marilyn has cooked, coordinated and served at these events. She has lamented recently that health problems have precluded her ability to actively participate in this feeding program. For a woman who has always been active in hospitality, this was heart-breaking. But, she is a resilient saint. She found a way to be a part of our recent dinner-hosting.

Elder Marilyn started two weeks before the event and began baking home-made cookies for those that we would serve. She prepared 105 zip-lock bags, each containing one each of five different types of cookies. Being afraid of running short, she then 40 extra bags of cookies. These did not all have the same variety, but were equally home baked, and good. If she was not able to serve one way, she served another.

Where there is a will, there is a way. Marilyn could not serve one way, but found another way. I wish that all of us in Christ’s family had the burning desire to serve as she serves, and the adaptability to find new ways of doing it. She is a role model for all of us. Many people admire her. My advice is if you admire her, imitate her. Be faithful to Christ. Serve as she serves. As old ways of serving no longer work, find new ways.

This is a tribute to Marilyn, an adaptable saint and role model. Let us all live as faithfully as she does!

#ReformedChurchInAmerica                                             #ClintonAvenueReformedChurch

#PastorMarkAuthor.com                                                     #BergenfieldNJ

#BergenCountyNJ                                                                #Saints

#GoodWorks                                                                          #Aging

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

The Circle of Seven