Blessings of Home

Sunday, August 8, we WARMLY blessed the new home of Maria Montoya and her family. It was a hot day, but the back deck and grassy yard made the perfect place for talking, eating, and singing blessings.

For Barb Welty there was another layer of blessing. This home had belonged to her mother, Betty Jean. Now the carefully tended perenniel beds were also the home for Maria's thriving tomato, pepper, cilantro and basil plants.

To see the joy of Kathia and Vanessa with their new room and new kittens, to taste Carlos'chicken and Maria's homemade salsa, to enjoy the fun and fellowship and singing of a Florence House Blessing, made me realize how these moments mark our long journey together with joy. There has been a death. And a new birth.

Maria settles into this new home in Three Rivers at the same time as launching two daughters. Jheny, recent Goshen College graduate, will soon move to Indianapolis to find work. Brenda, recent high school graduate, heads off to Hesston College in Kansas.

Kate and James Lind of Sustainable Greens joined the Florence Family for the feast. They are the "work family" for Maria and the girls and have been like loving grandparents at many times. Now we can all rejoice together as new memories are made, common work celebrated, and young women become anchored in this place of beauty, space, and growth.

Simply Beautiful!

On Sunday, August 1, the creative beauty of Florence Church of the Brethren Mennonite filled the sanctuary and beyond. I was away, but seeing the photos was awe-inspiring to me. God, our creator, indeed has blessed us with creativity and beauty beyond our awareness of each other -- even in this little congregation!

Thanks to Kathy and Willard Fenton-Miller and Judy Broadworth and Suzanne Lind for weaving a wonderful worship around these gifts.

Enjoy!


Quilt by Christine Nofsinger


Shell piece by David Wenger


Stone carving by David Wenger



Paper art by Emma Fenton-Miller


Wooden toys by Henry Braun


Handwork by Jan Warstler


Flowers by Jo Beachy


Potter by Josh Ewert


Paintings by Judy Broadworth


Photos by Kathy Fenton-Miller


Pottery by Riana Beachy Hasenick


Quilt by Roxie Ewert


Photos by Sara Braun


Water color by Sylvie Gudin


Woodwork by Willard Fenton-Miller

As we went down to the river to pray....and play...

Morning has broken like the first morning.
Blackbird has spoken like the first bird.
Praise for the singing, praise for the morning,
Praise for them springing fresh from the Word.

Today was a beauty. We met at 10 am at the Hoshel Canoe Park by the river, about five miles from church. This is oru traditional baptism site.

Today Judy Broadworth, Brenda Nieto and Ben Nofsinger make their public statement of intent to follow Jesus. We sang, shared the news of our lives, and shared the Good News of Jesus who began a Way of Life that was worth persecuting in its earliest days and which shapes our lives centuries later.

As we remember the great cloud of witnesses who have gone before us in following Jesus, we are both humbled and encouraged. Judy, Brenda and Ben and those gathered promised once more to keep these promises central to our life together.

BAPTISMAL VOWS

Will you make Jesus the center of your faith – loving God, as seen in Christ, and alive in the Spirit?

Will you make community the center of your life – loving your neighbor and your self in the church and in the world?

Will you make reconciliation the center of your work– loving both friends and enemies with grace, and seeking shalom for all people, living creatures, and for the planet?

Will you turn away from sin, temptation, violence and evil -- all that prevents you from living in love –and follow The Way of Jesus with us?

Will you turn toward giving and receiving time, talent and treasures, counsel and forgiveness -- through worship, learning, fellowship and service -- as we continue our journey in Jesus together?

I baptize you in the name
of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,
One God who Mothers us all.
Arise to new life in Christ!

VIBRANT RURAL WORLD CUP PARTY!
Following the baptism we share communion from the hands of Judy, Brenda and Ben. Then we headed for Bair Lane in Marcellus for one more of our Vibrant Rural Celebrations – funded by the Lilly Clergy Renewal Grant. After tacos, fruit and decadent brownies, the final World Cup Match on the big screen was our entertainment.









CANOEING THE FAWN RIVER

The day before, on Saturday, July 10, Charlie and Jane Bowers had organized a Vibrant Canoe Trip on the Fawn River. Twenty seven of us enjoyed the silent and stunning beauty of this wetland and marsh river ride.







Floating, Faith, Food, Fellowship, Fun, Futbol!

Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

Florence Amigos

About a quarter of Florence Church is living, at least part time, at Amigo Centre (Mennonite camp) this summer. Rose Lind, Emily and Margaret Wenger have been on staff. Jason Lichti is the program director. And Jason and Lori, Joshua, Jesse and John Lichti live in their house on camp grounds. John Mark Wenger and Riana Beachy Hasenick have been campers.

I made a "pastoral call" to camp last Wednesday, including eating "pirate" lunch with Rose, Emily and Jesse and a short visit with Margaret. You can read more at vibrantruralrr.blogspot.com

I have been asked to speak at KNOW JESUS, a junior high event that culminates the summer for Amigo Centre and Camp Friedenswald. Their staff members work together to provide worship and activity leadershp for that event. It takes place the weekend of August 7-9 at Goshen College.

Willard Fenton-Miller was appointed to the Camp Friedenswald board at Central District Conference in June.

And our VIBRANT RURAL CAMP-IN RETREAT will take place at Amigo Centre on Labor Day weekend. Florence has a long history of camping out at Amigo Park in early September, but this year, with the financing of the Lilly Clergy Renewal Grant, we are taking a different kind of retreat, expenses paid, and food provided.

Hmmmm....what do we make of these camp connections?

Congo Cloth Connections at Central District Conference

Christine Nofsinger and Suzanne and Rose Lind presented a workshop at Central District Conference meeting in Bluffton, OH on Friday, June 26. The room was a flood of color! You can see their great partnership and joy in sharing the cloth and the women and stories from Congo that it reflects. Lots of yards of cloth were sold and lots of ideas generated about how stitches can be prayers, connecting us here to the vibrant and beautiful people of Congo.

The Simple Way (summer worship)

To Live Simply in the Way of Jesus we have agreed in not simple. But the simple life is "the life that really is life." (1 Timothy 6:19) And so we will explore that Life together.

We began this series on May 30, 2010 with a look at the collaboration of God and Wisdom as seen in Proverbs 8. Henry Bruan played God and Nina Lanctot played Sophia/Wisdom. And we played!

And we will continue to play since this summer is the congregation's chance to have a "VIBRANT RURAL SABBATICAL" with activities funded by the Lilly Endownment Clergy Renewal Grant we were awarded. We will culminate the summer with a Camp-In at Amigo Centre, on Labor Day Weekend.

The Simple Life is both a call and a playful invitation. We will embody scripture texts, sing and reflect together each Sunday. All are welcome.

Recommended Reading: "Simple Ways Toward the Sacred" by Gunilla Norris

"Purity of heart is to will one thing." Soren Kierkegaard

Graduates and Graduates-To-Be

We were blessed this year to have three high school graduates and three college graduates:

Emma Fenton-Miller (Goshen College, with one semester to go)
Brenda Nieto (Three Rivers High School)
Jheny Nieto (Goshen College)
Ben Nofsinger (Marcellus High School)
Elisabeth Wenger (Houghton College)
Emily Wenger (Three Rivers High School)

We also welcomed Rose Lind back after her year of service in Service Adventure, Johnstown, PA.

At our potluck we also had a table for graduates to be. We are committed to helping each one imagine a future where their gifts flourish and they serve the church and the world.


The Florence Board recently approved a new service emphasis that will provide resources and support to all ages as we imagine creative service adventures, near and far.

We will celebrate service this fall.