Karl Westerhof
What interests me: Books, babies, dogs,books, North Woods cabins, Liz my wife and Joe my son, organizational change, books, conflict management, community development, communication, discipleship, leadership, books... and did I mention that I love to read?
I've always loved Jesus, but in recent years that love has become so much more central in my life. Willard, Foster, Peterson, Chan and Wright, and the like have taken their places on my shelves along with Drucker, Collins, Heifetz, and Buckingham... I'm on the journey of learning how spiritual transformation happens in my life, and how I can become more like Jesus, my Savior, Teacher, Lord, and Friend.
I worked for the CRC in one way and another since the late 60s, and much of that experience was strongly shaped by being a child of the 60s. Race relations, justice, development, and social change were abiding interests. And the North Woods of Michigan.
Most recently I've been with World Renew (formerly CRWRC), the denomination's relief and community development agency. Our family lived in the Philippines while I worked as Asia Regional Director, and later I was Program team leader, coach to team leaders, and leader of the Advancement team. In semi retirement I'm working as coach for classis renewal in the CRC, and as outreach pastor for Grace CRC.
Posted in: Going to the Mall for Christmas?
It's an event, not a liturgy, and therefore not formative.
It supports the mall's culture instead of reforming it.
With these arguments, Smith dismisses the mall Messiah. And I called it a foretaste of heaven!
I wonder if critiquing it in terms of whether it's a liturgy is quite fair. Granted the concerns Smith raises, yet I think he's a bit too humbuggy. I want to leave room for the occasional one-time, unique prophetic event. The symbolic. The impact of the one burning bush you'll ever see (or recognize).
Could it be that in spite of its shortfalls, it could work as a sign? Could it still function in some redemptive way? Bringing genuine beauty into the front lines of the fray? Bringing a moment of contemplation to the midst of the chaos? don't sell it short.
Posted in: Mother Teresa and Pastors (part 2)
I sure hope you share with us your experience of preaching this psalm, and what happened in you and in those at the funeral. This situation is SO full of anguish.
Posted in: Waiting... But What about our Breath?
Dear kelib,
You are certainly right that people are not living for the BOT decision! I know that there is pain that makes BOT decisions seem silly and irrelevant. I know it's a time of joblessness, and loneliness, and illness, and being without insurance,and wondering whether anyone cares. I know that there are plenty of people in our world who couldn't care less what the decision makers in the CRC do or don't do.
You, kelib, know about pain. I read between the lines and I hear your heart. You are hurting and the BOT decisions seem useless. Where is comfort ? Where is real mercy?
kelib, when you open your heart just a little bit, and let the hurting show, you take a big risk. You know that. You risk being misunderstood, and you risk rejection. You risk more pain. I'm sorry that is true. At the same time, I don't know how you can find mercy and friendship and healing unless you DO take the risk. God's people are called to be a healing community, a community of love and grace and mercy. I pray that may be your experience, and I pray that you won't pull back when the pain is great. May you find the kind of deacons who will come around you with arms of love in the name of Jesus. No one deserves less than that, and everyone has a need for that, no matter how much it may look like we have our lives all together.
Posted in: Waiting... But What about our Breath?
Thanks! Yes and Amen. The kind of Deacons Conference you describe is wonderful for training,encouragement, spiritual growth, and collaboration. I also agree that deacons belong at classis and synod. I'm very hopeful that the newly named deacons' task force will address this issue. I'll have more news about that as soon as its membership is all confirmed and the news is public. The assignment from synod gives us all a great opportunity to think in fresh ways about the office and role of the deacon.
Posted in: Waiting... But What about our Breath?
kelib, you DID give me a hug with your note! Thanks! Humble loving actions are at the heart of the Christian life, and you nailed it. LOVE is the greatest of these!!
One year ago on November 1 my 38 year old daughter went to be with Jesus in heaven. She had leukemia. Oh how we miss her. She was beautiful inside and out with a loving nature. She had a sharp tongue too, but always admitted it and asked for forgiveness. sometimes the sharpness was both painful and funny.
Why do I share this here? Because when I think of her life, I see so clearly that her daily walk was a humble one, a loving one. Not dramatic, not spectacular, not outstanding in any way. She used to say, "I love my life." And it was a simple life. She learned, especially in her 21 month journey with leukemia, to love the blessings she experienced in every day ways. She loved looking out of the hospital window at fall colors. She arranged her room to be "homey". She took great joy in her cats whenever she got to be at home with them. And she loved her husband and her friends and her parents.
I celebrate Sarah's life. I celebrate the presence of God's grace in her - her faith, her dignity, her unshakable steadiness, her trust that her life was in God's hands. These are the "eternal verities" , kelib, and she "got it"; you get it too. My wife has a great gift of contentment. I'm learning it - slowly. I pray that the daily reminders of God's goodness that we experience in the "dailiness" of our lives will become more and more visible to us, and that we will continue to bless each other by our faithful testimony to his steadfast love, which endures forever!
Posted in: Waiting... But What about our Breath?
Jeff, your comment is right on .... yes, diaconal work is SO contextual (or should be)! That's a key point, and yes, the variety of communities and congregational settings makes it hard to get on the same page. I wonder how others have handled this.
I wish so hard that congregations could support each other more in diaconal work, learn together, and even when appropriate develop cooperative ministry. Yet sometimes it's even hard to get folks from the same congregation on the same page!
This is a great opportunity for me to say that there is another dimension of The Network being developed - networks of regional resources IN REGIONS where CRC congregations are present. This dimension is intended to complement and further expand the networking that is online. We are experimenting in a half dozen regions, to see if we can instigate some inter-congregational networking where that is not happening and where it would be helpful. Your comment on how diversity in congregational settings makes that hard reminds me that sometimes what we might need is "affinity" networks, not just geographical ones. How might your congregation, for example, find others who are in similar circumstances and have similar challenges and opportunities? And how might you get in touch for encouragement, learning, intercession, and the like? What do you think? Could I be helpful in that, wearing my Network Developer hat?
Posted in: Waiting... But What about our Breath?
I think you are right that our first responsibility is to those with whom we have direct relationships. And that's the beginning.
God's blessings are always for the purpose of equipping us to bless others. The deacon needs to see that her or his responsibility begins with motivating and equipping God's people to participate, to share in serving the needs of others. I think deacons help God's people to know the joy of gifting each other so that together they can gift the world.
When we see this inter-connection between serving and equipping and involving the family, and the "external mission", and stewardship, we are on our way to a very "wholistic" understanding of what it means to be a deacon. The responsibility of the deacon is to enable the family of God to join in to serve, to give, to participate in mission. In this important sense deacons are servant leaders. The more people are involved with the deacons in stewarding their gifts, and making them available to the congregation's mission, the more the work of the deacon is effective.
Posted in: A Whole New World
Powerful stuff, Steve. Thanks. These big themes form such a handy list for thinking and praying about where the Spirit might be leading us. Is systematic dialog being held about these themes anywhere in our denomination? (besides on your blog?)