blasphemous, indeed . . .

15 10 2007

I am a child of the eighties, and as such, was exposed to a fair amount of Depeche Mode. This song had particular significance to me (or at any rate, my friends enjoyed pointing out the parallels between the song and my own life), and to be honest, there have been more than a few times in my life where I have wondered if God really didn’t have ”a sick sense of humor” after all . . .

But today, I know the truth. I know that the God I serve is sovereign, loving, and good, and that no matter what happens, I am going to stand until the end of my days with Job and others like him who have chosen to call His name blessed when He gives AND when He takes away.


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remembering September 11th–the faces I knew

11 09 2007

I was lucky, as well, in that the number of people I knew personally who lost their lives on this day in 2001 was relatively small. Of the three listed here, Jonathan Hohmann is probably the one I knew best, as I went to church with him for several years  and taught Sunday School alongside of his wife Rose. I also had his son Matthew in my Sunday School class (and have the cute pictures to prove it!)

The next is a guy I went to school with . . . he was in my class through fifth grade, and I have a class picture somewhere. (which I will not be sharing here, to protect the guilty–myself in particular–from the fashion police!)

And finally, someone from my graduating class at Tottenville High School who I barely knew, except perhaps by name/face.

yes, I am one of the lucky ones.

Jonathan Hohmann

Mark Whitford

Eddie Oliver


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don’t know what to pray for . . .

18 08 2007
Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. Romans 8:26-27, ESV

Although I don’t know this man particularly well, the picture above (from Bob and Renita Reed’s blog) personifies what I love about him. Norm (along with his wife, Mary) have been, for lack of a better word, “pillars” of our church community, and the picture above was so perfect to me because this was often how I saw Norm at church, with kids swarming around him. I am not even clear on the connections, but Norm and Mary had quite a few kids, official and un-official. They have so much love, and give so much.

 As I write this, Norm is desperately ill and at the point of death. (You can read the story by going to www.caringbridge.org and entering the name (no spaces) “normkaterberg”.)

In the latest entry at this site, we are asked to pray for a miracle . . . pray to the God who is certainly capable of such . . . and yet I struggle . . . the Bible says that the Spirit intercedes for us ACCORDING TO THE WILL OF GOD, and yet I am always troubled at times like this, wondering if what we are praying for is really God’s will. In a situation like this, it is easy for me to try to “tell” God that it certainly should be His will, but I have to remind myself over and over again that He is sovereign, that His ways are higher than ours . . . it doesn’t stop me from arguing with Him at times, however . . . and certainly not in this situation.

Then I wonder if I am just lacking in the type of faith that is needed to raise people from the dead . . . if I prayed without a shred of doubt, would the outcome be different? Am I making “sovereignty” some kind of sacred cow, an excuse for not praying in faith, believing for a miracle?

I just don’t know. I can only pray. The verses that start this posting don’t say that we shouldn’t pray just because we don’t know how to pray . . . instead, it implores us to allow the Comforter to work through us.

Those of you who know this Comforter, please join me in praying, though we don’t know how . . .


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