Elizabeth Bakken Troldahl
troldahl@pilot.msu.eduThis sermon was presented at the 9:30 and 11 a. m. services by Liz Troldahl on October 26, 1997 at the Okemos Community Church, for Women's Sunday.
Nurturing God's Creation
When I was in college, my room mate told me I wasn't a Christian. I was flabbergasted. I had worked hard at becoming a Christian. When I was only 4, my dad asked if I wanted to "go along" to take my siblings to Sunday school. I was SO happy. When we got to church, Martine and Tony got out of the car. I started to get out, too. Dad wouldn't let me get out. I cried and cried and cried all the way home. Needless to say, Dad didn't ask if I wanted to "go along" again.
When my cousin and I went to confirmation class, we biked 3 1/2 miles on gravel roads to church all summer long. The last part of the bike ride was flying down the hill and pedaling HARD up the other side. It was so steep, we had to hop off the bikes to get to the top and to class at the church. I even remember the first two questions we had to learn. What is Christianity? and What is meant by that?
So when my room mate said I wasn't a Christian, because I was Unitarian, I trudged off to the college library to check it out. I decided at that time, I didn't care what people called me. I would rather think about how Jesus would act and what he would do to mold my thoughts, deeds and activities. I acted accordingly.
Something must have worked, as Hilda called to ask me to speak today. I am honored. ------- And now you know what I will go through to get out of ushering today!
The theme suggested for today -----Nurturing God's Creation. This morning I will focus on the people of God's Creation.
We have just heard how the Okemos Community Church Women have given money to the many areas of need. You have all been a part of that.
Now, how can you and I nurture the people of God's creation in ways money can not buy?
What can we do?
Where can we find the time, the energy and the commitment?
Who will benefit?
What can we do? What do you like to do? Find something you like to do and go on from there.
Food has a big role to play in what many of us choose to do. We take food to a sick friend. We welcome a new neighbor with a gift of food or arrange a neighborhood coffee to greet them. Near Valentine's day the Seekers took cookies and visited our friends at Burcham Hills. After a Maundy Thursday meal, we had a lot of food left over. We called the Economic Crisis Center. They were happy to receive it. Many groups welcome left over food from a big party such as bread left over after a wedding.
Some of us have extra produce from our gardens. Many places welcome fresh produce. We may be able to find companies that throw away food that is too old to sell and take it to the needy .
Now I'd like to talk about those extra Chairs at our table. The holidays are wonderful times to invite an extra ----- someone who is alone, or elderly or a family that has changed through death or divorce or a student from MSU, especially a foreign student who is not familiar with our holidays. Our most memorable Thanksgiving came about when I asked our elderly neighbors what they were doing for Thanksgiving. She said, "Oh, we give money to the poor and than go to Mc Donald's." They filled two empty chairs at our table . They entertained us. We howled at their stories. She told of when she asked her hubby to clean the black walnuts. After awhile she heard this PING, PING, PING coming from the basement. He was cleaning them in the washing machine.
Other ideas for getting together over a meal: a brown bag meal---everyone gets their favorite take out meal or packs their own. A lively conversation usually follows. The cold weather has arrived, so how about an indoor picnic. Invite one or more to join you. If you have a fireplace, pick up a package of hot dogs, buns, carrots, marshmallows. Put a blanket in front of the fire and you are all set. An outdoor activity might be making Hobo stew in the back yard. Guide the kids to do the cutting and cooking of the meat and veggies with safety in mind. You would use a grill now. In the 60's, my husband, Pete , used to do this with the neighborhood kids or the nieces and nephews at the lake in MN. He has been gone since 1973, but the kids still remember the tears from cutting the onions and how long it seemed to cook the stew before eating it.
When I told a friend I was speaking today, she said, "Oh tell them about your garden." I can't tell you all about it, but I will say my 16 1/2 ft. by 100 ft. garden produced bountifully. I was able to keep the ground hog out and shared it with a rabbit who maneuvered the fence. During two separate meals, I was able to fill a lot of extra chairs at my table. Some even experienced Swiss Chard and kohlrabi for the first time. A lot of positive conversation and laughter took place. PLUS---- I got my house cleaned------twice! I also have some green tomato pie in the freezer to take to Fred's 84 year old uncle in Grand Rapids.
We can go to your local school and demonstrate how a food is made. Today's children do not always get to see food made. The last year I taught gave me a surprise. We made jello in an electric pan in the classroom for a science lesson. The results were eaten for our Valentine party. Less than 1/2 of the class had ever seen jello made. Most of that half had seen it made by their grandmothers.
Now let's move to another area of what we can do. Again this is something many of us already do----- write cards or letters. What is the first thing you look for when you get your mail? I always check for a letter or a card. We can take any note card and send our own message or we can buy a card and add a little to the message that is printed.
How about taking the time to write a letter? What can we put in that letter? Tell about the things we are doing, what we see happening out our window or in the park----how the squirrels chase or the hungry ground hog eats the dandelions or the birds dive or a nest you've spotted. Tell about the flowers or the colored leaves. We can even press them and tape them on our letter. Tell about something that happened years ago.
In June I was writing to a terminally ill childhood friend. I wrote to her about my favorite Model A's There were four. Her family's car would drive up, we heard the car coming, dropped what we were doing and ran out to greet them. I asked her if she remembered my brother's. He painted his Model A lime green with yellow wheels. You could see it driving on the country roads a mile away! The third was my uncle's car. In winter, he would pick us up at the mailbox and drive us to school so we wouldn't have to walk the mile in below zero weather. I loved the way the front seat folded up so I could climb into the back.
And the last Model A didn't even run. It was the carcass of one. The wheel base had been used to make a wagon pulled by horses for haying and such. It was in my uncle's woods. My cousin, Neal, would sit and steer it and make the honking sounds as he shifted the gears. Luella and Ruth sat in the back and I got to sit up front with him going nowhere, but everywhere in our young minds.
By writing, we can help someone who is lonesome or very ill think about something to brighten their day. Young people find great joy in receiving mail, too.
When I was young, Ruth and I would go down to the mailbox and wait for Gust to come with the mail. While we waited we would braid clover or make grass whistles out of quack grass leaves or make grass rings or hunt for fossils in the gravel. Finally the mail arrived. Mom's cousin always remembered our birthdays. How excited we were when the box finally arrived. On Tuesdays, the Sunday paper would arrive from St. Louis, MO. Mom's dad would read it and send it on to us. It wasn't the Sunday paper to us, it was Grandpa's funnies.
When we are on the receiving end of a card or letter, we may have time and energy to call the sender and let them know how much it meant to us.
I have talked about food and writing. There are other things we can do.
Visit a friend, bring along a cribbage board or deck of cards or game . Share your pet. Take them to a nursing home or school. Jean Lockwood has done that. Use our tools, help fix something for some one. Bring along our needle and thread. Sew on some buttons or fix a hem. Bring flowers from our gardens. Check out a book from the library or bring along a favorite book or the Bible to read to them. Make a phone call. Schools can always use our help. Share our occupations, demonstrate, speak about a trip or experience. When Mom was in her late 70's, she came to my class and told them about the games she played in school when she was a girl. One of those games was picking someone to be it. The it became a bear. The rest of the children would take the rakes they brought to school and pile leaves over the bear. Than they would walk around the pile and taunt the bear until the bear jumped up, chased and caught a new bear.
When was the last time you saw children play "hide the thimble?" Maybe it is time to teach them. It doesn't take batteries. If you are older, it is good for children to know we are more than just an old person.
At my sister's church in CO, a group of older ladies get together to visit and sew quilts. For the recent flood at Fort Collins, they gave 34 hand made quilts from reused fabrics.
Where can we find the time, energy and commitment?
Well, we all need to eat. Maybe after church we plan to eat out. Take someone along . Or, maybe having someone over to our home gives us the incentive to get some things done that need doing. We end up helping ourselves, too.
For writing, pick a day, maybe it is Sunday. It may help us to know what we wrote the last time if we write weekly to Grandma and Grandpa or Great Grandma and Great Grandpa or an aunt or uncle. If you have children, send along a note or a picture that they have made.
Have a weekly family conference. Discuss what the whole family can do. At this time of year, we can get out the rakes. When winter comes, some one might need help shoveling. We can discuss who to invite to those extra chairs at our table. It is important to include all ages in doing this. Maybe we are busy on most days, but there is one day that is sort of asking for an activity.
Who will benefit?
One of the things I found frustrating was finding a card for my terminally ill friends and family. They are very much alive and need our prayers and letters and best wishes. It may be hard for you to talk with them or write to them, but they are in need more than ever. Let them know you care. Let them know you are praying for them. Share the joys of life with them. Last year my sister's church in CO was praying for me, too. I know it helped get me through the chemo.
When my husband's dear friend was dying from cancer, his wife called to say he wanted to see his friends for the last time. Pete didn't know what he was going to do. Then he went down in the basement and came up with a golf ball glued to a golf tee glued into a piece of wood. He and Heidi had played numerous golf games together. He stained the wood with shoe polish and wrote on it: 2nd place in the Troldahl-Kamata golf tournament. When he took it to the hospital, Heidi read it and laughed Heartily. They went on from there.
Children benefit. Many children have a tough time today. Some do not get enough sleep or the right foods. Some don't get special attention. Parents are so very busy. Include children in plans for doing for others. At Christmas our church helps some families with gifts. Some of you include your children when shopping for those gifts.
Include children by sending off a note to them on special days, they love getting their very own mail.
What we have done for others is worth while indeed. Just knowing we are doing God's work can be reward enough.
At age 94 Anna Hought gave her recipe for long life: "Be happy and content. Thank God for all that life brings your way. And always, do for others."
What can we do? Anything.
Where can we find the time energy and commitment? Be creative.
Who will benefit? Everyone.
I hope you have some new ideas for ways to help make a difference. Make a Christian difference in others lives by Nurturing God's Creation, especially the people in it.
May God bless you.
Amen.
Email: troldahl@pilot.msu.edu