* No one in the immediate family gets awards – their significance goes without saying!
* No one gets an award who would expect to get one – that defeats the purpose.
* Awards are presented in random order; I’m giving 7 for no other reason than that it seems like a good biblical number. (and, after two whole years’ worth of precedence, it’s now “the way it’s always been done”)

I’m sure you’ve been waiting eagerly, so with no more waiting, here you go!

Award #1: Synod Peeps
There are three in particular: M. Ehrenfried, T. Goodhart, and S. Midge. I could easily add J. Grevenstuk (but I won’t since she got an award last year ) or any number of others (there are several who could easily be added to that list), but these three have been consistent for several years now. Those who know me well, know that I look forward to the RCA’s General Synod each year more than just about any other event (General Synod is our denominations big yearly meeting). Not only do I enjoy seeing the church work at that level, I love the camaraderie and the unparalleled opportunity to worship, catch up, study, argue, and have fun with one another.

Award #2: The Webster Arboretum
If you live in the area, you must check the arboretum out. It is free; there are several beautiful paths for walking; it has a wonderful little pond, and it borders on a park with an excellent playground. No matter what life throws your way, it is the perfect place for a little bit of quietness.

Award #3: Richard Reinhart
Richard Reinhart is the author of a number of exceptional bread cookbooks. There is absolutely nothing more incredible than fresh bread. Baking it is good for the soul; eating it is good for the body; sharing it is good for community. All in all, there is little better than the smell of bread in the oven and Richard Reinhart’s books make it possible for normal people to produce nearly bakery-quality breads in a home kitchen. I particularly recommend The Bread Baker’s Apprentice and American Pie. You don’t want to actually go through the hassle of making your own bread? It doesn’t matter, his writing makes great reading, even for non-bakers.

Award #4: Letter Writing
I have never really been a letter-writer. Over the past months, however, I’ve grown to love letters and begun writing them. There’s something about putting pen to paper, about addressing an envelope, about affixing a stamp – something that isn’t matched by hitting “send” on an e-mail or txt. I’m not so ignorant as to believe that the “good ol’ days” were actually all that good (they certainly had they’re problems!) but I do appreciate some of the good ol’ things, and letter writing is beginning to rank among the items on that list – especially when done with a fountain pen!

Award #5: the Men who Knit
Whether it’s the men on MenWhoKnit.com or Ravelry, these men have remained a constant source of encouragement and support. Ironically, I have met few of them in real life, yet they are clear proof that online friendships can be strong and life-giving. I could name many, but particular mention certainly go to E. Mason, G. Patrick, B. Rohr, and J. Wilcox. I hope – over time – I can extend to them even a portion of good will and encouragement that they’ve shown me.

Award #6: AIDS Care, Rochester
I have only recently become aware of AIDS Care Rochester, but since then I have become increasingly impressed by the work they do. Testing, counseling, prevention services, etc., etc. The list of what they do is too long for this setting. I tentatively hope to ride their 5-day AIDS Red Ribbon Ride in August 2012. It is a fund raising ride, so stay tuned – in the next few weeks I hope to have my fund-raising page up and running!

Award #7: LuYH & Psalms for all Seasons Committee(s)
For the better part of a decade, I have been working with an awesome group of men and women culled from the RCA and the CRCNA in an effort to produce the first RCA/CRCNA bi-denominational hymnal. It has been an immense amount of work but everyone on the group is wonderful. I love every moment spent with them and, as the end begins to appear on the horizon, I’m looking forward to publication. The award goes to the subgroup who just published an off-shoot project entitled Psalms for All Seasons (you want this Psalms resource!) but also to the editorial committee of the hymnal (publication 2013). Love you all!

Have a wonderfully blessed and love-filled new year!

Grace and peace,
`tim

I’ve put together a little resource for you; if you’re interested you can check it out at:

http://www.lulu.com/content/paperback-book/the-bible-a-52-week-overview/10285826

This is a 52-week long, 5-day a week reading plan to help you actually read the most familiar and most influential stories and passages in the Bible.

Hope it’s helpful!

Grace and Peace,
`tim

You’ve seen the shocking images coming out of Japan in the wake of this past weekend’s earthquake and tsunami. You may also have seen that Reformed Church World Service has already responded, partnering with our long-term partner the United Church of Christ in Japan (UCCJ).

We’ve sent $10,000 to the UCCJ. Several of our ecumenical partners in the U.S. are following our lead. We’re trusting that together we can provide sufficient funding to our Christian brothers and sisters in the UCCJ to make a real impact–not only for them but also for their devastated communities.

Jhonny Alicea-Baez, director of RCA Global Mission, is in regular contact with leaders of the UCCJ and has encouraged them to reach out beyond their congregations to their neighbors. Traditionally the UCCJ has tended to be a private, insular church, but they’ve accepted this suggestion in great spirit and with great excitement.

As Jhonny says in a prayer available on the RCA website, “Grant the church in Japan strength and wisdom to stand firm in its conviction that every opportunity, be it joyful or sorrowful, is an opportunity to make your love in Jesus Christ known to all.”

I’m hoping that you’ll seriously consider encouraging the members of your church to extend their helping hands to our brothers and sisters in Japan.

Numerous resources to assist you in this effort are available on the RCA website at www.rca.org/japan. Please take a look–and please continue to uphold the entire nation of Japan in your prayers.

Grace and peace,
`tim

They’ll be posted at: http://teejtc.podbean.com/

Grace and Peace,
`tim

My self-imposed rules are simple (and essentially the same as last year):

* No one in the immediate family gets awards – their significance goes without saying!
* No one gets an award who would expect to get one – that defeats the purpose.
* Awards are presented in random order; I’m giving 7 for no other reason than that it seems like a good biblical number. (and, after ONE whole year’s worth of precedence, it’s now “the way it’s always been done”)

Award #1: The Men’s Knitting Community — There are a handful of people who fit into this category – particular mention goes to Bradley and Eric. Remarkably, my experience of the men’s knitting community is almost entirely online and yet it has been the most supportive, encouraging, life-improving and love-giving group of people I know.

Award #2: Staff – This year I moved from a no-staff church to a church with several employees. I’ll be honest, I have mixed feelings about paid staff at a church; sometimes churches hire staff so that the people of the congregation can get away without doing anything, and in some churches, the staff is power-hungry, controlling, and threat the rest of the people in the congregation as pawns. The staff at my new church is wonderful! They give generously of their time and energy and have an institutional knowledge of the congregation (and the willingness to share it) that has been invaluable.

Award #3: Juel Grevenstuk — Most people don’t know the work that goes into making General Synod, commission meetings, etc. go so smoothly. Juel does. Why? Because she handles a lot of it herself. This summer Juel was fundamental in facilitating thousands of specifics for a General Synod at Northwestern College – which doesn’t hold a lot of large conferences… that means that she had to do a lot more than normal – and she did it graciously. Also, I’ve had the joy of touching bases with Juel at the fall commission meetings for a number of years, but since I’m no longer on a commission, I missed that time of connections and realized how important it had become to me. Juel deserves a lot of the credit for freeing General Synod, commissions, councils, and various other groups to do the work and fun of Christ’s church without worrying about the specifics of human need.

Award #4: Matt Reimink — I mentioned Matt last year in relation to Ragbrai (although his role in my life certainly transcends the yearly pilgramge we made to the “holy land” of corn and pie). Since we now live in New York, Ragbrai didn’t happen this year for me (and isn’t likely in the near future — it’s FAR, FAR away!) However, I did have the joy of participating in Matt’s wedding last spring and did get to meet up with him on a quick trip back to Michigan for a meeting in August. He’s been the source of solid support, huge encouragement and great fun. He is one of those people I look forward to keeping in touch with despite distance.

Award #5: My Bike — OK, it’s an odd award. It’s an especially odd award considering the fact that we spent very little time together this year. Sometimes absence does make the heart grow fonder. I’ve never been considered an “athlete,” but learned that biking does wonders for my mental status, patience level, and quality of life. Go figure?! Perhaps exercise is good for me!

Award #6: Surrogate Aunts, Uncles, and Grandparents — Moving meant leaving behind a lot of “family.” There were many people in our last congregation that made it possible for JJ and I to both embrace God’s calling in our lives. Special note goes to “Aunt Deb” and the Nevenzels, but there were certainly others too. JJ and I miss you; our daughters miss you; without you, we’ve learned just how much sanity you provided us! To our friends in New York: We’re looking forward to you increasingly becoming our “family” too – it’s been a slower transition than we thought it would be, but we couldn’t be doing it without all of the aunts, uncles and grandparents who show us (especially our girls) such love!

Award #7: Kathryn Kurtz — This is perhaps the most unusual award of the year. I’ve never met her; I will likely never meet her; I’ve never had personal interaction with her via phone or internet, and I likely never will. However, as I’ve reflected over my life and loves (of people… of liturgy… of diversity… etc.), I’ve increasingly noticed that her writing has been strangely influential. This, despite the fact that she writes fiction and historical fantasy. It is an odd, but true, fact of my life – and she deserves to be recognized for it.

Well, there you go — the 2010 Old Year’s Awards. Thank you all for the life and love you’ve made possible! Please continue! May this next year be joyful and love-filled for one and all.

Grace and Peace,
`tim

Oddly enough, even though I’m usually the kind of person that tends to dream into the future (sometimes overly-ignoring the past), the new year’s transition is one that typically makes me look backwards to weigh the past rather than forward to create a list of mostly-unattainable goals.

One of the problems with looking back is figuring out what lens(es) to examine the past through. There are a lot of ways to evaluate the past – many of which are remarkably unhelpful.

Money? Success? Power? Career? Accomplishments? Society tends to suggest these are the things that make life worth living – the lenses through our lives should be evaluated. I disagree.

It’s a little old, and perhaps a bit cliché (ok.. it’s really old… but then, by some designations I’m getting a little old and maybe eve a bit cliché…. Don’t you dare suggest I’m “really” old yet!)

I don’t care, I still love Rent.

How do we evaluate the year behind us (and, perhaps equally as importantly: what do we strive for in the year ahead)? Love…

So, with that in mind, I’m working on the 2010 “Old Year’s Awards” — Stay tuned, they’ll be coming soon! I’m following the same rules as last year…. It’ll be a quick look back at 2010 and the people (and things) that have made my little corner of the world more loving and more hopeful.

Grace and Peace,
`tim

It’s shaping up to be a busy year for me but, of course, I’m looking forward to it.

If the rest of my blog isn’t of interest to you, you can reach “Synod 2010″ updates at:
http://synod.tenclay.org

Enjoy….

Grace and Peace,
`tim

We are doing well and recovering from the move. The trip out to Pultneyville took us almost exactly 12 hours. JJ had the girls in the car and I took Carina (the dog) with me in the van. The trip, although long, was relatively uneventful (exactly how a trip like that should be!) We arrived in Pultneyville around 6:30 and were warmly greeted by a group of people from our new congregation. Their hospitality even before we arrived has been unbelievably generous. I told someone the other day that I keep waiting for the shoe to drop – can a real people really be so kind?!

After a few nights of sleeping on the floor in our sleeping bags, we greeted the moving truck Wednesday morning and, by 12:30, everything was “moved in.” Back then, it all looked so organized and together — now, on the other hand, the whole house is filled with half-empty boxes as we’ve been searching for specific items and, at the same time, tried to find places for everything that we’ll be able to remember.

Sophia and Petra are starting to adjust. Petra has even slept through the night several times in the past week.

If you haven’t heard, my installation will be Saturday, May 22nd at 11:00 am. The installation service, in the Reformed Church, is the formal service that “officially” makes me the pastor here. It’s open to the public and, if you’re in the area, I’d love to have you attend!

In any case, someone reminded me this morning that I hadn’t posted anything since my arrival and I thought I’d better rectify that!

We’re well!

Grace and peace,
`tim

When JJ and I started talking about the likelihood of moving, we were immediately faced with a uniquely 21st century dilemma: What to do with our Facebook friends.

On the surface, the answer seems simple: nothing.

The problem is, something seems “wrong” with doing “nothing.”

Here’s what I mean: When I look at my Facebook friends, I notice that they fit into several different categories:

With the possible exception of the first category, each of them contains individuals who’ve “friended” me for various (potentially now-defunct) reasons. There are those who…

Obviously, I want to remain connected with the people in the first category. I may also need to remain connected with the people in the second category (I want to in many cases as well!) The question is, what is the best way of dealing with people in the third category?

You see, there is this strange reciprocity on Facebook. It seems rude to “unfriend” someone after previously “friending” them unless there’s been some kind of obvious break up. On the other hand, it seems equally as rude to put someone in the awkward position of having to “unfriend” me if we’ve been “friended” out of obligation but may not need to (or want to) stay in contact when I move 9 hours away. (This may be particularly true with people who’ve “friended” me because I was their teacher or minister).

(NOTE to Facebook: This is why I think you should set friends to time out in a year if they haven’t interacted at all. In other words, set the software to automatically unfriend people who haven’t written, chatted, or even “liked” each other’s status in 12 months. They can always refriend each other. Or better yet, give them a 1 month warning so that they know they need to get back in touch with one another before the auto-un-friending descends upon them!)

Until Facebook decides to instigate an auto-un-friending policy, we’re left with mitigating these waters on our own. Months of thinking about it have brought me to the conclusion that the best way of handling it is to do a massive-friend-purge when we move.

It isn’t that I don’t like most of the people involved (I do). It isn’t that I don’t want to be friends with them (I do). It’s that I want to give those who’ve “friended” me out of convenience or obligation a gracious way to respond to the fact that they we probably will not stay in contact when I move.

I’m sure it isn’t the perfect way of handling it. I don’t even know if it’s a good way of handling it. I do know that it’s the best option I’ve been able to come up with.

So, if we’re friends now, and you notice in the next few weeks that something happened and you’ve stopped getting my witty and thought-provoking status updates on your News Feed, it isn’t that I don’t like you.

Seriously, if you refriend me, I will eagerly reciprocate the refriendification. If we were somehow connected out of obligation or convenience (and the reasons no longer hold true), you will now have a wonderfully gracious way of opting out.

Don’t worry, the massive-friend-purge will not happen for a few weeks, so the defrendifying, refriending and refrendification will be entirely unnecessary for a while.

I write this now, because I wonder what you think.

How is a situation like this best handled? Leave a comment on my blog… drop me a message on FB… or an e-mail… give me a call… or write on my wall (if it’s appropriate for public consumption). Let me know what you think and what your experiences have been….

Grace and Peace,
`tim

Well, do I have a deal for you! (And it’s FREE!)

Credo ? Oratio is now available through Feed Burner which, among other things, makes it possible for you to sign up and receive new posts into your own private e-mail account!

The sign-up box is on the lower, right-hand side of the page. Simply enter your e-mail in the box and follow the instructions.

If you want to comment, you’ll still have to come to the blog or do it on Facebook, but reading just got much easier!

Grace and Peace,
`tim