"M" is for Ministries . . .

"And Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi,

Let me now go to the field,

and glean ears of corn after him

In whose sight I shall find grace.

And she said unto her, Go, my daughter."

Ruth 2:2  KJV

“M” is for Ministry . . . and yes, you've read that correctly, my second "M" post for my Quaker Alphabet is on ministry. I realize that some of you may be a bit curious or even shocked with this choice while at least one of my Friends may be quite pleased and eager to see where I go with this one.

 

As I began this post, I looked for definitions of ministry but the definitions I was finding had to do with Ministers and who/what Ministers do, that is to say that I found definitions of a Pastor and who/what a Pastor does - administration, not at all what I was looking for. However, I did, finally, run across a few definitions that seemed to get a bit closer to where I was going with this post:

• "Some who carry a concern that leads them to visit other meetings or groups in the wider world." (Glossary of Quaker Terms, New York Yearly Meeting)

• "When a person is inspired by the spirit to speak in Meeting for Worship, that is described as Ministry."  (Swarthmore Friends Meeting)

• "Ministry is meeting people where they are at and taking them to where God wants them to be."  ('Attempting to behold the miracle long enough without falling asleep,' August 23, 2010, blog post, J.R. Briggs)

The first two obviously came from Quaker sources and speak of ministry in Quaker terms, but the third one really hit me when I read it . . . especially the last part of it "taking them to where God wants them to be." A phrase that is oh so similar to one that I found last year, and quoted in my second blog "The Meaning of GRACE . . ."

• "Grace is the empowering Presence of God enabling you to be who He created you to be, and to do what He has called you to do." (James Ryle)

So, by now maybe the pieces of this puzzle are coming together a bit more clearly for all of you. Eleven months ago "I Shall Find Grace . . ." sent me off "to do what He has called me to do," and now "M is for Ministries . . . " is "taking them to where God wants them to be," OR maybe this last one should read has "taken me to where God wants me to be."

 

Ministry is a word that you could say 'grew on me' this last year, or maybe a better description might be to say that 'I grew into it' this last year. Now, there are those of you who will totally understand what I mean here, for one reason or another, and others of you will be totally clueless . . . and that's OK, don't give up on me just yet, keep on reading.

 

I have a number of F/friends who have told me over the last several years that I’m doing a great job OR wonderful job with this or that ministry, and I cringe! I’m not a minister . . . that’s my Uncle John – he’s the minister in the family. You know, he went to seminary, not me. I've had no formal education in ministry work. Yes,  as a child I went to Sunday School, Saturday Church School, Church Camp, and Vacation Bible School. As an adult I've taught Sunday School, worked with Vacation Bible School, Kid's Club, served as a counselor at Church Camp, I'm an elected Director & assistant teacher with the Weekday Religious Education program, I'm also a member of Friends Committee on Scouting & I promote the Religious Education programs to all Scouts . . . and yeah, I know the bulletins at my Meeting say that we’re all ministers, but . . . I'm not a minister!

 

So image now, at least for a moment, the reaction I had on February 4^th, 2013 when a certain Friend sends me a grant application to ‘travel in the ministry!’ But I’m not going to be traveling in the ministry! And she said, I would be. Alright, I applied for that grant and I receive an award that covered my travel expenses, to participate in the Pilgrimage to Ireland/Northern Ireland, 'to travel in the ministry.'

 

While on the Pilgrimage I really didn’t think about ministry, or at least I didn’t think about doing any ministry. I started this blog about a month before I left, and if you’ve read the first paragraph in the left hand column you see that I said ". . . what I will share in the Blog will be spiritual in nature and will tell of the ministries I find myself in along this journey." What I published was different things I saw, felt and experienced that I saw as ministries, BUT, it was ministries that I saw my Irish Friends doing and not ministries that I was doing.

 

After I returned home, I published more posts to my blog, sharing about my experiences and I found myself needing to also write reports to the two groups that awarded me grants. The grant to ‘travel in the ministry’ asked me specifically to ‘describe the ministry undertaken.’ WHOOPS! I didn’t’ do any ministry, so now what? I can’t just make something up. I’ve gotta be honest . . . and so I was. And here’s how I began answering this question:

 

“I didn't set out with any ministries planned to do while I was on the pilgrimage. I was going for the experience, to meet and learn about Irish Friends and what they are doing in Northern Ireland with regards to the 'Troubles.' Looking back I can now see several ministries that I was involved in while on pilgrimage, ministries that just seemed to happen along the way, or as some might say “God moments.” Some of these are/were a bit more visible or recognizable as ministries than others and one ministry was a group effort - one that the six of us on the pilgrimage, at that time, were involved in.”

 

A bit later in my report I made the following statement, a sort of confession, if you will:

 

”I have become more accepting when someone talks to me and uses the word ‘ministry’ for what I do. Seeing and hearing what our Irish Friends have and are doing and my blogging about their ‘ministries’ has made me see more of what I have done/am doing as ‘ministries.’ I never thought I’d hear myself say that or write it down. I see this as one of the bigger lessons I learned from this pilgrimage experience.”

 

Yes, being able to look back at what I've done and look at what I’m doing as ministries was a huge lesson learned last summer. But even so, I still cringe a bit when someone points out what I’m doing as a ministry.

 

Last February and March the two questions I was asked most often were: 'Why are you wanting to go on this Pilgrimage?' and 'Why do you want to go to Ireland?' I had no clue and Ireland wasn't any place that I had ever talked about wanting to go to before, but I was having very strong feelings that I had to go, there was something or someone that I needed to see, something I needed to do . . . something God wanted me to see or do or someone He wanted me to talk to, something I couldn't really explain . . . although a few Friends understood.

 

A couple of Friends have made comments about my writings, my blog posts, and have said that they are wonderful 'devotionals' . . . and I thought maybe that's what it was all about. Did God want me to write, to write devotions? And now this evening as I sit and finish up this post on ministry, I wonder . . . is this what it was all for? Did it really have anything to do with Ireland, the Irish Friends, and/or my blogging . . . OR was it all to open my eyes so that I could/would see what I do as ministry? Was all my blogging about what I saw as ministries, among my Irish Friends, was that all just to help me see what I do as ministry? Was this one of those 'swift kicks' from God to open my eyes to see what others have been seeing in me?

 

Funny as now I have a song, that we've sung up at Quaker Haven Camp the last several years, going through my head:

 

Open the eyes of my heart Lord

Open the eyes of my heart

I want to see you

I want to see you

Open the eyes of my heart Lord

Open the eyes of my heart

I want to see you

I want to see you

 

To see you high and lifted up

Shining in the light of Your glory

Pour out Your power and love

As we sing holy, holy, holy,

Holy, holy, holy,

Holy, holy, holy,

Holy, holy, holy,

I want to see You.*

 

And it could be that this song is going through my head as I used it in the power point about Quaker Haven Camp that I put together for Meeting last Sunday.

 

What ministry or ministries are you doing? Where has God called you to go? What has God called you to do? What concerns do you have, and what are you doing about them? Have you give any vocal ministry lately? Or maybe a written ministry? Take a look around you . . . there are opportunities for ministry all around you, every day, everywhere you go . . .

 

 

*Paul Baloche

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Recipe time . . . One of my all-time favorites is Marta’s German Cake, a name that we gave it way back when I was in High School (early 1970’s). Marta was an older German lady who was a live-in helper for Auntie Pearl, after Uncle Walt died. Uncle Walt and Auntie Pearl Schmeirer (sp) lived on a small farm south of us in South Bend, Indiana, and they were very good friends with Grandma and Grandpa Jena, my dad’s parents. Mom’s Blueberry Pudding, again I have no clue who ‘Mom’ is/was.

Marta’s German Cake

¾ pound margarine
3 cup + 3 Tablespoons sugar
6 large eggs
3½ cups flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
9 Tablespoons milk

 

Preheat oven to 325˚F. Grease 12 cup Bundt pan.

 

Beat margarine and sugar well. Add eggs 2 at a time, beating well. Add flour, baking powder, and milk – always start and end with flour. More flour may be added- no more milk! Dough will be stiff! To a little less than ½ batter add – 4 ½ heaping teaspoons cocoa, 3 heaping teaspoons Nestles original milk cocoa (sweetened chocolate), 2 heaping teaspoons instant Sanka (decaf coffee).

 

Pour into Bundt pan – white layer around bottom, 3 spoons brown, more white, more brown, finishing with white. Do not stir to marble!

 

Bake 1-1 1/6 hour. Test with long Q-Tip (with the cotton removed!). Must come out clean. May put a piece of foil on top - loose, if getting too brown. Cool ½ hour before turning out.

 

Mom’s Blueberry Pudding

 ½ + ¾ cup sugar       

3 Tablespoons butter
½ cup milk
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 Tablespoon corn starch
1 pint fresh blueberries
1 cup water, boiling

 

Preheat oven to 350˚F.  9” square baking dish. Turn down to 325˚F if using glass.

 

Cream butter and ½ cup sugar. Add milk, baking powder, salt and flour, beating well. Place the fruit in the bottom of baking dish. Pour dough over the fruit. Mix ¾ cup sugar and corn starch and sprinkle over the dough. Pour boiling water over all.

 

Bake for 35-40 minutes.

 

Serve warm with ice cream or cold with whipping cream.

 

For frozen berries cut down the boiling water to ¾ cup.

 

For peaches: use 3 cups fruit – sprinkle with little sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg.

 

 

 

"M" is for Mud . . .

"And Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi,

Let me now go to the field,

and glean ears of corn after him

In whose sight I shall find grace.

And she said unto her, Go, my daughter."

Ruth 2:2  KJV

"M" is for 'Mud' or I suppose that I could have said muddy!



The original "Sandy Spring"

Back in April, thirteen members of Friends Committee on Scouting gathered on the Campus of Sandy Spring Friends School, in Sandy Spring, Maryland, for our Annual Meeting and 25th Anniversary Celebration. I had an amazing time, I hope the other members did as well. The fun, fellowship, food, laughter, stories, photo ops and yes, the picking on one another or teasing as some might call it . . . all in good fun.

 

Well, everything was going just fine . . . until Sunday morning! Yeah, wait until Sunday morning . . .



One of the 'mud' obstacles . . .
this was the easy one
to get around

The plan was to take a "leisurely two mile hike through the woods, part of the Underground Railroad trail, past the original Sandy Spring to the historical Sandy Spring Meeting House for Meeting for Worship." What our host didn't figure on was the rain, or was it the recent snow . . . that left areas of the path a bit sloppy!



Sandy Spring
Friends Meeting House

A comment made by one of my Scouting Friends, upon hearing that we'd be sleeping on wrestling mats in the gym at Sandy Spring Friends School that weekend was "I am so pleased we will be sleeping on mats. John Woolman would approve." I haven't quite figured that comment out yet. But I'm wondering 'WWGFS?' and 'WWLB-PS?' OK, I would hope that Quaker Scouters and even Quaker Guiders would be able to figure those two out, but just in case you are neither, or your brain just isn't getting it . . . 'What Would George Fox Say?' and 'What Would Lord Baden-Powell Say?' You won't lose any Brownie Points with me if you didn't figure it out for yourself! That is, what would they have to say about our hiking though the woods and through the mud, to get to Meeting for Worship? OK, only four of us actually hiked through the woods to get to Meeting . . . and we were met by four more that drove.

 

So, yes, "M" is for 'Mud,' a muddy hike through the woods to get to Meeting for Worship . . . with my Scouting Friends . . . a perfect end to an amazing weekend!

 

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Now for a couple of  recipes . . . Molasses Spice Cookies are another one of those cookies my Mom only made for Christmas, which was a shame cause they were really good. The second recipe I've included for Mom's Apple Sauce Bread we had from time to time, sorry as I have no clue who "Mom" is . . . I know it's not my Mom, but it could have been her mother or just a recipe that she copied from somewhere that was called that. Enjoy!

Molasses Spice Cookies

(makes 60 cookies)

 

½ cup shortening (white shortening, like Crisco)

¼ teaspoon salt

½ cup sugar

¼ teaspoon ground allspice

1 large egg, beaten

¼ teaspoon ground cloves

¼ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon ground mace

¼ cup molasses (mild)

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour, sifted

½ teaspoon ground ginger

 

Preheat oven to 375˚ F.  Ungreased cookie sheets.

 

Cream shortening, add sugar gradually. Add egg. Mix soda with molasses and add to creamed mixture. Gradually add flour sifted with salt and spices. Put thru cookie press. Top with colored worms.

 

Bake for 8 minutes.

 

OK, those not from the US might think I've lost all  my marbles with this, but 'worms' is what we always called them when I was a kid, I know that some people put them on ice cream - I think the name I've seen them go by is 'sprinkles.' They're small tubular multi-colored candies that are sold in the grocery stores around here for decorating cookies . . . they add some festive color to these cookies. But I've got a new idea to try, next time I make a batch of these . . . chopped up glace ginger!

 

Mom’s Apple Sauce Bread

 

2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted

¾ cups sugar 

3 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 ½ cups apple sauce

2 Tablespoons shortening, melted (white shortening - like Crisco)

1 large egg

Preheat oven to 350˚ F. Grease  an  8"x4” or 9"x5” loaf pan. If using glass, turn down to 325˚ F.

Sift together dry ingredients. Beat egg into apple sauce. Add dry ingredients and melted shortening. Nuts may be added if desired.

Bake 1 hour.


 

'L' is for Legacy . . .

"And Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi,

Let me now go to the field,

and glean ears of corn after him

In whose sight I shall find grace.

And she said unto her, Go, my daughter.

Ruth 2:2  KJV 

"L" is for Legacy . . .' One of the definitions for Legacy I found says: 'anything handed down from the past, as from an ancestor or predecessor,' which I think fits where this blog post will go.

 

It was the last week of May two years ago, that I went up to Quaker Haven Camp to help with the renovations being done to Friendship Lodge. I left home early Saturday morning arriving at camp mid morning and left camp the following Saturday morning . . . it was a long week, but seemed not long enough. I went up not knowing what jobs/tasks would be assigned to me or for how long I would be there, but with the intent that I could stay the whole week.

 

The Lounge -
when I arrived on Saturday

When I arrived I went into Friendship Lodge and tried to figure out exactly who I should report to . . . looking around the lounge area all I could think of was oh my, this will never be done by next weekend! And this room wasn't a part of the renovations being done at that time, but it was where a lot of the materials for the renovations were - and it was a mess! As I looked down the hallway, where the bedrooms were located, I could see that there was plenty of work that needed to be done.

 

One of the bedrooms -
when I arrived
on Saturday

The hallway had new tile on the floor and the walls had been painted, a couple of Young Friends were installing the baseboard molding. Looking into the bedrooms - the walls had been painted . . . several had toilets sitting in the middle of them and maybe even a sink. They still needed carpet, baseboard molding, wallpaper borders, mini blinds on the windows and furniture. The bathrooms had the showers installed, but were lacking toilets, sinks, fixtures in the showers, some light fixtures and toilet paper holders. There was a lot of work to be done!

I did a lot of tasks that week, working together with some Friends I knew and Friends I was just meeting for the first time. Friends from Western Yearly Meeting and Indiana Yearly Meeting all working together . . . using the gifts and talents that God gave each of us to get the job done. Several Young Friends were there over the weekend . . . what a blessing to see them giving what they had to help out and give back to their camp. Older Friends throughout the week doing what needed to be done - some with skills needed to install the sinks, light and plumbing fixtures in the new bathrooms; putting up wallpaper borders in the new bedrooms; installing this and that . . . teaching and learning new skills along the way.



One of the
doors I painted

Some of the jobs I had included helping to install the door knobs and hinges on the bedroom doors, painting three of the outside doors (inside & outside) which lead to the Camp Director asking me if I would give a fresh coat of paint to the outside of the double doors leading into the Chapel. I vacuumed a lot of carpets! I helped carry in and assemble several bunk beds - some were standard twin over twin and some twin over double.

One Friend was installing the baseboard moldings in the bedrooms and I had heard him say that he needed to leave no later than 7pm that evening, as he needed to drive home. There was no way he was going to finish all the moldings before he left and I could see that it would be so much easier to have the molding done before the beds were brought in and assembled. Before I left to get something for dinner I stopped and asked him if that was something that I could do, he looked surprised and said "You know how to do this?" Well, no I have no clue, but I had watched him and the Young Friends doing it and if he was willing to teach me I was willing to try. He showed me how to do it and then he watched me do one wall and around the two corners and left me to do what I could. Before he left he gave me his cell phone number so that I could call him the next day and tell him how much more needed to be done so he could get some more caulk on his way back to camp. I think he had about 5 of the 12 rooms done before he left. So, I spent that evening installing moldings in several bedrooms and finished the rest the next morning before lunch. As I headed down to lunch I called this Friend to tell him that all the bedrooms were done, except for the one corner that I couldn't do. I think he was surprised that I had been able to finish the job.


So, what does all this renovation work have to do with Legacy? Well, while I was there working that week I met Morris, a former Director for Quaker Haven Camp, who now lives across the lake with his wife. Morris told me that Friendship Lodge had been built back when he was the Director of Quaker Haven and he had helped built it . . . thus "leaving his mark," and had returned to help with the renovations "leaving his mark" yet again. Morris said you are now "making your mark" here in Friendship Lodge. The conversations we had that week as we worked together were PRICELESS.

 

One of the bedrooms

What legacy have I OR am I leaving at Quaker Haven? Morris said that the work I was doing that week in Friendship Lodge was now a part of my legacy, which in itself didn't seem like much, but he went on . . . the bigger part of the legacy that I’m making/leaving at Quaker Haven is with the campers, the CIT's, the councilors, the session staff and the camp staff that I work with, and have conversations with over the years.

 

Friday evening I attended the dinner and gospel sing in the Lodge, a time to sit back and relax as our work was complete - Friendship Lodge was cleaned and awaiting its first guest to arrive, later that evening. One of the singers, a Pastor, quoted a scripture - "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Philippians 4:13, a scripture that I know well. I thought about that verse the rest of Friday night and on the drive home (lots of time to think when you have 175 miles to drive by yourself) and how it really tied the whole week together. From walking into the Friendship Lodge a week earlier and thinking there was no way it would be ready for anyone to stay there by Friday night and a couple of days during the week when there were only a handful of us working - again thinking that there was no way we can get this all done without more help. But we did get it done, OK there was a bit more work that needed to be done, but it was usable. And how did we get it done . . . with prayers, our faith and our trust in God - that He would provide.

 

One of the bathrooms

Someone, and I honestly don’t recall who, made the comment about me on Thursday, that there wasn’t a job that I had been asked or given to do that I said I can’t or I won’t do. I guess I knew, in the back of my mind, that God was with me and would help me. I remember commenting that I was a ‘jack of all trades and a master of none’ . . . and I’m still looking to earn my masters! It all goes back to Philippians 4:13 . . . “I CAN DO all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

When I left Friendship Lodge Friday afternoon I had a conversation with Brandon, the Director – he talked about how Quaker Haven was built by volunteers. What an awesome legacy to be a part of. Very little of what we have at Quaker Haven has been done by paid contractors/professionals . . . nearly everything has been done by volunteers . . . Western Yearly Meeting and Indiana Yearly Meeting Friends working together, side-by-side for the good of all Friends and visitors who come to spend time at Quaker Haven and soak in all the beauty God provides for us . . . what we see, hear, smell, touch and feel . . . God is good!

I returned to Quaker Haven as a counselor about a month later, last June and I will be back in July this year, but it's different – no paint brushes, screwdrivers, wenches, staple guns, caulking guns, vacuum cleaners, window cleaner, scaffolding or ladders to climb on or wet rags . . . I return as a counselor with a  cabin full of 5^th & 6^th grade girls and a CIT or two – time to sit back and relax and spend time sharing God’s Word and all He has created with the campers, CIT’s, other counselors and staff. A different work, yes, but an opportunity to work on another piece of my legacy at Quaker Haven Camp.

Friends from the past, such as George Fox, Margaret Fell, Lucretia Mott, William Penn, Anthony Benezet, Robert Barclay, Levi Coffin, Mary Dyer, Stephen Grellet, Joseph Gurney, Elias Hicks, Rufus Jones, Isaac Pennington, John Greenleaf Whittier and John Woolman just to name a few . . . all have left their legacy for Friends. But they're not the only Friends who have left their legacy . . . there are countless others who are leaving their legacies.

So, what other pieces of my life are a part of my legacy? My work in Scouting - both Girl Scouting & Boy/Cub Scouting; my faith - Church/Meeting; Friends Committee on Scouting; Weekday Religious Education; my family and my crafting - counted cross stitch, crocheting, knitting, sewing & quilting.

We all have a legacy to leave . . . What is your legacy? What is it that you've done, are doing, OR will do that others will remember you for?

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The first recipe comes by way of one of my classmates, Pamela Lofgren. We attended school together from Kindergarden through High School. Pamela made this for her 4-H cooking project in the summer of 1972. The second recipe is for a yummy chocolate frosting! 

Lofgren’s Lemon Squares

1 cup all-purpose flour

¼ cup powdered sugar

½ cup butter

3 large eggs

¾ teaspoon baking powder

1 ½ cup sugar

3/8 teaspoon salt

2 ½ Tablespoon lemon juice

Preheat oven to 325˚F.  Greased 9”x9”x2” pan.

Cut in flour, powdered sugar and butter till mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Press into pan.

Bake for 15 minutes.

Mix eggs, baking powder, sugar, salt and lemon juice and spread over baked layer. Return to oven.

Bake about 25 minutes more. Cool. Sprinkle with powdered sugar when cool!

 

Luxury Chocolate Frosting

2-12 ounce packages semi-sweet chocolate pieces

½ cup butter or margarine

1 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted

3 large eggs, unbeaten

1 teaspoon vanilla

Melt chocolate pieces over hot water; cool completely at room temperature. Cream butter or margarine, gradually add confectioners’ sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating with rotary beater. Blend in vanilla and cooled chocolate; beat until smooth.

Decorate cake with Brazil nut slivers.