Several recent messages have been added to the “Messages” page at tomvanderwell.com where there’s an archive of Tom’s messages from the past decade. Cheers! New Messages added:
If you’re looking for a schedule of Tom’s upcoming messages you can find them at tomvanderwell.com. Click on “Upcoming Messages & Performances.”
It has been quite a year on several fronts in 2024, which is why I’m sitting here on Christmas Eve to finally update the Latest from this past summer and fall.
My last update from Spring 2024 left off after Pella’s annual Tulip Time, and May always brings the beginning of Lake season. What Wendy and I didn’t know going in was that this would be our final summer at “The Playhouse,” our place on Lake of the Ozarks that has been a part of our family for over 25 years. By the end of the summer Wendy and I decided that this season of our lives was over. God provided a very clear and simple path in selling it to friends who we know will be blessed by it, and will pass that blessing forward.
So, it was a great final summer with annual trips with friends and family. Most memorable for me was the opportunity to meet at the lake with my dad and siblings. It was the first time we’d all been together at the lake, ever, and it was a great opportunity to share time together as a family. We tried to remember the last time we’d been together as a family for more than a couple of days and we couldn’t really come up with an answer!
Taylor, Clayton, Milo, and Sylvie had been living with us from December 2023 until Tulip Time in May. They bought a house in Des Moines, but having them in Des Moines has been a much better proximity than Edinburgh, Scotland! Clayton has been working for Lutheran Services of Iowa in their Refugee Settlement program and Taylor continues to work for Storii. It’s been fun to have them nearby where we can visit them when we’re in Des Moines, take the kids out for special times with Papa and/or Yaya, and have them visit. Milo has loved coming to church with Papa, Yaya, and Papa Dean. I continue to teach regularly and even had the blessing of being asked to baptize a dear friend this Spring. We even had a very rare treat when solar flares gave us a glimpse of the Northern Lights over our house!
My dad continues to live here in Pella in independent living. He stays busy making stained glass and won the blue ribbon at the Iowa State Fair this year!
Madison, G, and MJ (Maddy Jo) continue to live in South Carolina, but we were blessed to have them home this summer. Madison continues to work at a boutique and spa in Columbia. She took a management position this year. Garrett continues in real estate, but he worked to get his teaching certificate so that he can both teach and coach football at the high school level. Late June and early July ended up being full of gatherings with family and friends as we celebrated Sylvie’s 2nd birthday and welcomed the SC crew back to Iowa for the Fourth of July weekend. The Pella VLs had us down to their pool for fun in the sun and water. Even Taylor and Maddy Kate’s Godfather Dave made an appearance! The summer also included my 40th High School Class reunion (Hoover High School Class of 1984). Wendy’s friends, “The Golden Girls” had a sleepover at our house, as well. I got to play bartender.
Of course, Wendy and I love spending time with friends over good food and good drinks. We enjoyed a couple of weekends together. In the summer, we headed to Kansas City to catch our Cubbies at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City and had dinner with friends there. In the fall, we headed to Minneapolis for our annual pilgrimage to the Mother Ship (USBank Stadium) to watch the Vikings. We also took in a show at the Guthrie for the first time since COVID. In the fall, we headed to Park City, UT to visit friends, found our way to the top of Sundance Mountain, and enjoyed some spectacular views!
While we were in Park City, Wendy got word that her Grandma Vander Hart had passed away. As the only family member actually in Pella, Wendy has ceaselessly cared for her grandmother and her grandma’s needs for years. We returned from Utah to meet with Wendy’s family and lay Grandma to rest. I was blessed that she asked me to do her funeral.
No year is without its share of adversity. Torrential rains and drainage tiling that was blogged by tree roots combined to back up our sump pump and flood our basement twice this summer. The carpet was able to be salvaged, but the floods required us to pull up all of our carpets in the basement, tear out all of the carpet pads, and then have new carpet pads installed and the carpet re-laid. We used it as an opportunity to employ some local high school and college students. I’ll be very happy if we never have to do that again!
Wendy and I have not been involved in theatre for about six years. In the fall, I was recruited to once again run for President of our local Community Theatre. I was elected. So, we’re back in the mix of things, including presiding over Union Street Players’ annual Awards Dinner. Wendy is not on the Board but has been assisting with finances and the box office. She also helped organize the Awards Dinner. I might even make it back on stage this coming year!
We also enjoyed a visit from Wendy’s sister and her children from their home in Mazatlan this fall, as well as a wonderful picnic with our faith family from the Auditorium at Third Church.
Fall also brings Pella’s annual Tulip Queen Announcement Party. Wendy once again presided as Director of the evening’s festivities and I served once again as Master of Ceremonies. It’s always amazing to spend time with such talented young ladies who instill such hope for the future. Both Wendy and I are blessed every year to get to know these amazing women and be a part of our Community’s annual tradition.
Jesus replied, “Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.” So he traveled throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons.
Mark 1:38-39 (NIV)
Other than a four year sojourn to the outskirts of Chicago for college, I have lived my entire life in Iowa. As I network for work with business people on both coasts, I find that most people a) don’t know exactly where Iowa is on the map and b) have never been here. Iowa is known as “flyover” country. Business, politics, and culture in America are driven primarily by people on the either coast. Here in Iowa It’s mostly rural farmland dotted with small towns. We’re an easy target for comedians. The only reason anyone pays attention to Iowa is our first in the nation caucuses every four years that kick of the presidential race, and every four years the important and elite talking heads on the coasts gripe in the media about us having that little sliver of the political pie.
In the 40-plus years that I’ve been studying this Great Story from Genesis to Revelation, one of the things that I find lost on most people is the giant cultural divide between the worldly powers of Jesus’ day and where Jesus chose to begin His earthly ministry. For those living in Judea, the center of everything elite and important was in Jerusalem. The city of Jerusalem was New York, L.A., and Washington D.C. rolled into one. Just as people flock to those centers of business, politics, and entertainment to “make it” in the world today, so would those who wanted to “make it” in Jesus day go directly to Jerusalem. Every one who was anyone of power and prestige was in the big city.
The north shore of Galilee, on the other hand, was the “flyover” country in its day. That’s where Jesus chose to begin his ministry. When I visited the area I was amazed how remote it still feels today. To get to some of the little villages where Jesus taught we had to navigate back-country roads to places it’s obvious few people ever visit. It’s remote, isolated, and about as far away from “worldly power” as one could get.
Today our chapter-a-day journey begins a trek through the gospel of Mark, written by a man named John Mark, who has his own interesting story. Mark was a young man when his mother, Mary, became a follower of Jesus. He was among the throng of followers who are often forgotten in the shadows behind The Twelve who got most of the attention. Mark’s mother was among the women with means who financially supported Jesus’ ministry and in the events after Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection, Jesus’ disciples and followers met at and lived in Mary’s home. Mark is in the background of most of the events of those early years of the Jesus’ Movement. He was with Paul on the first missionary journey, spent much of his adult life living with and assisting Peter. At the end of Paul’s life, Mark is there by his side.
I felt a spiritual connection between person and place this morning as I meditated on the first chapter of Mark’s biography of Jesus. Jesus chose to center His ministry in a rural area dotted with small villages of simple people just trying to catch fish, grow crops, and survive. Jesus’ followers were, for the most part, blue-collar workers with little education and zero prominence in the world. People like Mark, who was just a kid whose mom decided to follow Jesus, and so he lived his life in the background of events that would change the world. He was a stage-hand in the drama of the Jesus Movement – listening, learning, and then sharing Jesus’ teaching. Just one of those names in the program to which no one really pays attention.
And, I think this is the point. Through the prophet Isaiah, God said that His ways are not our ways. He doesn’t do things the way Wall Street, Washington, Hollywood, or Silicon Valley believe that things should be done. God sent His Son to flyover country to simple people living in rural areas who are just trying to make a living and figure out life.
I find something endearing and profoundly significant in this, especially in a culture where popularity, fame, and influence have become the currency of power in an online world that has become an endless cacophony of voices. Jesus’ message has never broadly resonated in the power centers of this world where the kingdoms of politics, education, commerce, and even religion hold sway. I am reminded that at the very end of the Story in Revelation, those kingdoms will still be lined up against God.
And so, in the quiet this morning, I sit in flyover country. Few people can find me on a map, and most people will avoid visiting. The further I get in my life journey the more I appreciate it. Jesus taught that I should seek first the Kingdom of God. Along life’s road I discovered that the closer and more enticed I become with the Kingdoms of this world, the harder it becomes find the eternal treasures that Jesus said were most important. I think Mark understood this. What a great role model; Living life in the background listening, learning, and sharing Jesus’ teaching among simple people who are just trying make a living and figure out life.
If you know anyone who might be encouraged by today’s post, please share.
“‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: You have gone far enough, princes of Israel! Give up your violence and oppression and do what is just and right. Stop dispossessing my people, declares the Sovereign Lord.’”
Ezekiel 45:9 (NIV)
When you live in Iowa your entire life and feel a civic responsibility, there’s a certain mindshare that politics and national issues take up. Certainly the Iowa Caucuses are a major part of that. A year ago you could meet and hear any number of the Presidential candidates right here in our little town. Usually the venue is packed.
Hearing the issues the candidates talk about and how they plan to address large scale, complex problems stirs thoughts about how one might re-order the world. Approach an issue one way and you create one negative consequence. Approach the same issue a different way and you create a different negative consequence. Pretty soon I begin to have “If only” thoughts and conversations in my head.
“If only we could eliminate the Tax Code and start from scratch.”
“If only the Founding Fathers had included term limits.”
“If only we could rid the entire system of corruption.”
In the past few chapters, Ezekiel envisioned an ideal new Temple that has , to this point in history, never been built. I discussed the various interpretations regarding why it has never been built in the post/podcast on Ezekiel 43 entitled The Mystery. In today’s chapter, Ezekiel’s vision now shifts to an idealized vision of the restoration of Israel. I have to remember that as Ezekiel is having this vision the nation had been conquered, Jerusalem and Solomon’s Temple had been destroyed. It’s as if there’s now an opportunity to envision how things could be “if only” they can return and start from scratch.
This idealized vision of their nation’s restoration begins with “when you allot the land” because security and prosperity begin with having land to build homes and grow crops and raise livestock necessary to survive and thrive. And the first allotment of the land described is God’s. It’s a giant, square sacred space at the center of everything and the center of that square is God’s sanctuary. Adjacent to it is a new square holy city within the giant square and Zeke says, “it will belong to all Israel.”
So we have a nation with this giant sacred space and God at the center. There’s also holy city. All of this land doesn’t belong to the king, land barons, property developers, oligarchs, or powerful blue blood families. It belongs to everyone.
Throughout the Great Story, beginning in Exodus, God has been trying to provide humanity with a vision for how things can and should be. But there’s a pesky issue that has to be addressed. Zeke addresses it right up front in verses 9-12. The princes of the past have been power hungry, greedy, and corrupt. And, this is always the problem when you begin to play “If only…” games in your head and dream up ideal situations.
People are not always ideal. We have pride and out of control appetites that make us hurt one-another with our selfishness, anger, jealousy, envy, and hard-hearted resentments. This the thing that I always find missing when candidates talk about systemic changes to fix complex problems. Solutions start with a change in the hearts and lives of people.
That’s what Jesus would come to tell us. Large, systemic changes begin with God changing me.
If only I will surrender and allow Him to do so.
If you know anyone who might be encouraged by today’s post, please share.
When the wall collapses, will people not ask you, “Where is the whitewash you covered it with?”
Ezekiel 13:12 (NIV)
The Iowa town where Wendy and I live is a unique place. Pella was founded by a Dutch pastor and his flock back in 1847. They were fleeing religious persecution back in Netherlands and were intent on creating “a city of refuge” on the Iowa prairie. Visitors from the Netherlands today will often say that Pella is more Dutch than the Netherlands itself. Dutch heritage is so woven into the town that any commercial businesses must include classic Dutch architectural design flourishes on their buildings. Even Walmart and McDonalds comply (see the featured photo on today’s post).
Of course, the architectural flourishes are just that. Behind the doors of that cute looking shop on the square, it’s just a building like any other building. In some cases, that building is 170 years old and in critically major disrepair. This has led to locals using the metaphor of a “Dutch Front.” The front of the building looks cute, quaint, and Dutch, but on the inside it’s a hell-hole. The metaphor is often (and aptly) used to describe people who keep up self-righteous, religious appearances for public consumption, but whose actual lives are filled with greed, anger, slander, hypocrisy, and critical spirits.
In today’s chapter, God has Ezekiel prophesy against false prophets and professional diviners and spiritualists who practiced black magic. I was fascinated that God’s metaphor for false prophets was basically the same metaphor as our Dutch Front. In Zeke’s day, a strong wall around the city protected it from an enemy attack. God tells Zeke that the false prophets of his day were like a “flimsy wall” that had been whitewashed to look good. These prophets would tell people what they wanted to hear, that everything was going to be okay and that they would live in peace, while God was trying to warn them of the impending doom and destruction.
In the quiet this morning, I find myself meditating on this metaphor. Even Jesus used a form of it with the hypocritical religious Pharisees of His day:
“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean.”
There are two truths that I have observed along my life journey that come to mind as I reflect on Jesus’ words.
First, there is no one perfect and even the most sincerely devout individual has blind spots and imperfections. We are all works in progress. I have known critics and non-believers who are quick to paint any and all self-proclaimed believers with the same coat of whitewash in an effort to justify their unbelief and poor life choices. It is a very human thing to generalize an entire subset of humanity as “those people.” It makes easier for us to dismiss them instead of understanding them.
Second, Jesus was most critical of self-righteous, fundamentalist religious-types. Much like the false prophets, they played the religious game, they even thought they were being devoutly sincere, but they were blind to the spiritual reality. Their hearts weren’t seeking after the heart of God, but rather were seeking public approval ratings that made them feel good while ignoring the heart changes inside that desperately needed to be made.
In the quiet this morning, I find myself standing in the tension. Look hard enough and you will find my flaws. My wife, my children, and my inner circle of friends know them very well. As a disciple of Jesus, my first priority is not to seek and point out the flaws and hypocrisies of others. My priority is to be God’s perpetual and faithful cardiac patient. My heart has to perpetually change if I am going to be the disciple God calls me to be: My life, words, and actions increasingly blossoming with the Fruit of the Spirit. There is a time and place for calling out sin and hypocrisy just like Zeke in his day, and Jesus in His. Yet, I’m reminded that His criticism of the religious leaders was a very small part of His story, which was primarily about His healing and restorative sacrificial love for others. May my life increasingly reflect His.
If you know anyone who might be encouraged by today’s post, please share.
…make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.
1 Thessalonians 4:11-12 (NIV)
This past winter and spring our kids and grandkids lived with us for over four months here in Pella, Iowa (see featured photo). They were transitioning back to the States after five years of living in Edinburgh, Scotland.
One day our grandson Milo asked his mother, “Is Papa famous?”
Taylor laughed and asked what prompted the question.
“Everybody knows him,” he replied.
Welcome to a small town, young man.
I have been doing a lot of online networking for business in recent weeks, having Zoom calls with people from all over North America. As we introduce one another, I find that the vast majority of them live in cities, with most of them located on either one of the coasts. When I tell them I live in a little town in Iowa, they often react with surprise. Some will even ask me about it, typically stating that they couldn’t do it and it would be too boring for them. This is often followed by a statement about needing a lot of things to do and places to go for activity and entertainment.
Fascinating.
In today’s chapter, Paul shifts the theme of his letter from personal matters (e.g. discussion of Timothy’s visit and his longing to make a personal visit of his own) to instructions in life for the spiritually young Jesus followers in Thessalonica.
Paul’s first instruction was to avoid sexual immorality. Keep in mind that generally loose sexual mores and attitudes were a hallmark of ancient Greece. As one historian described sex in the city of Athens (where Paul is writing this letter):
“Relationships between men of the same age were not at all common: rather, the standard same-sex relationship would involve an adolescent boy and an older man. Men also used female prostitutes regularly: sex could be bought cheaply in a city that was home to countless brothels, streetwalkers and female ‘entertainers’.”
Paul urges the Thessalonian believers to produce the fruit of self-control in sexual matters for their own spiritual, and physical, well-being.
He then goes on to repeat his encouragement that I wrote about in yesterday’s post, which is to increase in love “more and more.” But he then adds a general instruction for daily life, encouraging them to make it their “ambition” to lead a “quiet life.”
…make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.
It was about thirty years ago that these verses first leaped off the page and into my soul. This passage has become somewhat of a guide and a mission. I didn’t think about it when I moved to a small town from the city where I’d spent most of my life, but in retrospect, I find that it was definitely synergistic.
Yes, my life is quieter. I can get anywhere I need in ten minutes or less. I like seeing people I know everywhere. I love that people know my name when I walk into the store, a restaurant, or the pub. I love that the guys at George’s Pizza begin making our pizza as soon as they see our car pull up on Sunday. I love not dealing with the traffic, crime, and cost of a city. And, despite not having all the available activity and entertainment options of a city, Wendy and I never lack things to do nor do we ever feel that our entertainment tank is on empty.
Paul’s words to the Thessalonians have been instrumental in my life journey. I have made it my ambition to lead a quieter life, and it has greatly increased the quality of my life. Please don’t hear what I’m not saying. I don’t think one has to live in a small town to have a quieter life. I’m just saying that I have found it to personally be part of my own journey in being ambitious for more quiet.
And, in the quiet this morning, I find myself thinking of the ambitions I observe in our adventure-seeking, adrenaline-addicted, YOLO culture. I observe individuals who are so ambitious for non-stop activity and entertainment that they never have time to figure out why their relationships aren’t working, their soul feels so empty, or their minds are so constantly afraid and anxious. The answers to those things require contemplation, introspection, and conversation (and I would add prayer), and those things require quiet.
If you know anyone who might be encouraged by today’s post, please share.
For the last several years, I have attempted to post a recap of “The Latest” from our crew at least quarterly. Alas, I have been remiss since the end of summer last year. I’m happy to say that it had nothing to do with anything tragic or bad. In fact, the past nine months have been full of really good things, thank God (from whom all blessings flow).
So, here are the highlights from post-Labor Day 2023 through Pella Tulip Time 2024 complete with over 200 photos! Since I’m covering a lot of time, I’m going to arrange this edition of “The Latest” thematically.
Tay & Clay Move Back, and Move IN!
Taylor, Clayton, Milo, and Sylvie have made Edinburgh, Scotland home for the past five years. In 2023 it became clear that their visa would finally run out. It was time for them to return to the States. It was bittersweet for them. They will miss Scotland and all of their friends and colleagues. At the same time, they were grateful to move closer to family and friends back in Iowa. They wrapped up their lives in Scotland in the fall, enjoying Halloween parties, saying goodbye to friends, colleagues, and classmates, and packing up their lives for a move across the pond.
On December 19, 2023, the four of them moved into Papa and Yaya’s house here in Pella. They were with us through the first weekend of May 2024. Wendy and I are so grateful for the opportunity to be Papa and Yaya every day and live daily life with our kids and grandkids. We made so many great memories from the kids helping Yaya make smoothies in the morning to Milo and Papa’s video game adventures. We passed colds and flu around, suffered together, and survived to tell the tale. But, there were copious amounts of cuddling, stories, great meals, movies, running in circles, dancing in the kitchen, dress-up, and laughter.
The kids purchased a house in Des Moines in the Spring of 2024 and the four of them officially moved on the first Sunday of May. We’re excited to have them close and grateful for the memories we made living life together this past year.
MK, G, and MJ Make THREE!
Madison and Garrett continue doing life in Columbia, SC. They announced that grandbaby #3 was on the way last fall. I had the blessing of getting to visit on a business trip last fall. I got to go with Madison to her ultrasound and see our granddaughter making eyes at me via technology. Madison Jo (MJ) Anderson was born in February. She is her Daddy’s little girl, and SO CUTE! Papa and Yaya got to visit just a few weeks after she was born and enjoyed lots of cuddle time with both MJ and our grand pups, Bertha and Hazel. While in Columbia, Madison arranged for us to enjoy facials from Pout, the salon where she works. We also enjoyed some good food and an afternoon in the local bookstore (Yes! They still exist! And, this one actually served craft beer and wine while you look over the selection of books!).
Papa Dean in Pella
My parents moved to Pella in the autumn of 2022. Mom passed away in March of 2023. Dad continues to reside in independent living here in Pella where he continues to build community. At 87, he continues to battle the never-ending medical struggles that come with aging, but he remains active and independent. Dad has become well-known for his stained-glass work. He makes several small pieces to sell as ornaments but has also received some larger commissions that keep him busy on top of his personal projects for the State Fair. He joins our worship community every Sunday and we’re grateful to have him here in Pella.
Return to the “Mother Ship.” SKOL!!
Until the COVID pandemic, Wendy and I had established a tradition of an annual pilgrimage to Minneapolis each fall for a weekend of theatre, maybe baseball, and a Minnesota Vikings game. We hadn’t made the pilgrimage since 2019, but in 2023 the tradition recommenced! We combined the trip with some business we had in the Twin Cities and attended our first Monday Night Football game in which the Vikings hosted the to-be NFC Champion San Francisco 49ers with former ISU Cyclone Brock Purdy at the helm. It was a great night, and the Vikings prevailed. SKOL!
Holidays 2023
With Madison in the final trimester, we understandably didn’t get the SC crew back for the holidays. To be honest, we kept our holidays very low-key this year. My siblings all gathered for an evening together with Dad at our house, the first Christmas since Mom’s passing. We enjoyed a quiet family Christmas Day with the kids and grandkids, along with some evenings of cheer with friends as Wendy and I celebrated our 18th anniversary on New Year’s Eve. We even babysat our furry friend, Maria, as her family went skiing in Colorado.
The Medical Struggles Continue
Over the last couple of years, Wendy has endured a number of medical procedures. A rogue cut of an avocado led to surgery to repair an artery and tendons in her hand. She then had surgery to address some joint issues on the toes of each foot and a finger. Just when we thought she was through the woods, she took a bad step and broke her foot, leading to another surgery and months of rehab, walking with a scooter, and hobbling in a boot. Thankfully, we believe that’s all behind us now (God, please let that all be behind us now. Amen.).
Friends, Family, and Community
Wendy and I are so blessed with great families, an amazing community, and so many great friends with whom we get to share this life journey. We have had birthday dinners, concerts, trips to the lake, and evenings out. Our business hosted a table for Many Hands for Haiti’s annual business breakfast as Wendy and I hosted our friend and colleagues from Brooklyn, NY.
Also in the fall, Wendy and I were honored to be asked to introduce our local community theatre’s newest inductee to the Union Street Players Walk of Fame, Jana DeZwarte. We have not been involved with USP now for several years, but we continue to enjoy getting together with theatre friends. We hosted a gathering of our stage compatriots at the Vander Well Pub this Spring.
Wendy continues to watch out for her 97-year-old grandmother who lives in assisted living here in town. Her folks and our nephews and niece visit quite often as they come to town to see great-grandma.
Wendy and I also continued to serve our local Community with the annual Tulip Queen Announcement Party. Wendy is on the committee and directs the event. I get to be the Master of Ceremonies and “Tulip Court Dad” to the 12 candidates for a day. As usual, it was an amazing group of 12 ladies who all had the chops to be on the Tulip Court. We loved that his year the Tulip Queen was our dear friend, Mia, who we first met when Wendy cast her in the lead role of The Christmas Post. back in 2016.
Cruisin’ the Caribbean
Cruising has been our favorite form of vacation since our first cruise together back in 2014. This year we decided to take an 11-day cruise, our longest so far, with our friends Kev and Beck. We sailed out of Florida and cruised the Southern Caribbean on Holland America’s Eurodam. Holland America was celebrating its 150th Anniversary, and my great-grandfather sailed to America on Holland America when he emigrated back in the 1880s, though I’m certain his cruise was not as enjoyable as ours. Wendy and I had been on the Eurodam before, but this trip we were visiting ports of call we’d never been to before.
It was an enjoyable trip. Every evening of the cruise we held up at the Tamarind Bar for before-dinner cocktails and it suddenly felt like it was the place to be on the ship. We had so much fun with our bartenders Daniel and Amable, and met great friends like Alvin from Seattle.
I loved the 11 days, and it made me want to do even longer cruises in the future. A trans-ocean or round-the-world cruise is one of the few things on my bucket list. I don’t know if it will ever happen, but this trip only fueled my desire to make it happen.
Tulip Time
When you live in Pella, the years are marked by Tulip Time, the annual community festival that has made our little village a destination for hundreds of thousands of people from all over the world. Celebrating our town’s Dutch heritage and unique history is truly a community effort. Almost everyone pitches in, and most of us volunteer in multiple capacities.
Two things made this Tulip Time special.
First, Wendy and I have been portraying our town’s founding couple, H.P. and Maria Scholte in stage productions for over 15 years. We’ve been portraying the historic couple during Tulip Time festivities for a decade. We announced this year that it would be our last. It’s been a great run, and I’ll probably still make appearances as “Dominie” (i.e. Dutch for “Pastor”) Scholte upon invitation from our local Historical Society. That said, it’s time to pass the baton to a young couple who can be the Dominie and Maria for the next generation of Tulip Time visitors.
Second, as the kids prepared for their move to Des Moines, this was the first (and perhaps last) opportunity for Milo to participate in Tulip Time parades with all of his classmates and for Taylor and the kids to put on their Dutch costumes, scrub the streets, march in the parades, and do all of the things that make Tulip Time special. We even had Milo and Sylvie ride in the horse-drawn carriage with us as the Dominie and Maria.
As my Grandma Golly used to say, “There you be.” We’re caught up on “The Latest” through May. I’ll fill you in on Summer 2024 in about eight weeks or so. Cheers!
[Paul and Barnabas] returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch, strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. “We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,” they said.
Acts 14:21b-22 (NIV)
Living in Iowa, one tends to earn a great appreciation for farmers. Even the Iowa Hawkeye football team wears a sticker on their helmets with the letters ANF (“America Needs Farmers”). I was raised in the city of Des Moines, but I still have learned a lot about farming simply by living here and knowing many people who did grow up on a farm, including Wendy.
I have a friend in the seed business. His job is to help his company’s seed produce as much of a yield as possible. As I asked him about his job, I found out that it had a lot to do with helping their farmer customers make sure the soil has the right chemical balance for the seed to thrive.
In today’s chapter, Paul and Barnabas conclude their first missionary journey, in which they visited towns on the island of Cyprus and Greek towns on the mainland north of there. By the end of the chapter, they return to home base in Antioch to report that many people believed in Jesus and they were able to establish gatherings of Jesus followers in towns throughout the region. That said, their experiences were mixed.
On Cyprus, they were invited to speak with the Roman Governor, who became a believer.
In Pisidian Antioch the reaction was mixed. The Jews there largely rejected Jesus’ Message, but many of the Gentiles in the town believed.
In the town of Iconium, many believed but this created great division within both the Jewish and Gentiles communities. Those who rejected Jesus’ Message plotted to have Paul and Barnabas stoned to death.
In Lystra, the large Greek community were wowed by a miracle, but they missed the connection to Jesus’ Message. The crowd declared Paul and Barnabas the incarnation of Zeus and Hermes and tried to offer sacrifices to them. The plotters from Iconium arrive in Lystra and the crowds end up turning on Paul and Barnabas, stoning Paul until they thought he was dead.
In Derbe, everything seems to have gone well and many people believed Jesus’ Message.
As I meditated on the diverse general responses Paul and Barnabas received to Jesus’ Message, I couldn’t help but think of Jesus’ parable of the Sower. The seed is tossed, but it falls on different kinds of soil. The success of the seed to end up taking root, growing, and producing a yield was dependent on the condition of the soil on which it landed.
I had a friend and fellow blogger who just last week asked me about these chapter-a-day posts, and how I manage my expectations with regard to the number of visits, clicks, and likes I receive. The truth is that the only way I’ve been able to keep doing these posts is by constantly reminding myself to surrender any expectations I might have. Like Paul and Barnabas, and like Jesus’ parable, I am the sower. The yield is dependent on the heart-soil of each one who reads or listens.
The same is true as I attempt to live, act, and relate to others in the fruit of God’s Spirit and share Jesus’ love with others. Some may sense something in me that attracts them. Others may be repelled. I can’t control the heart-soil of those around me, I can only control the quality of the seed I’m sowing in how I live and love.
If you know anyone who might be encouraged by today’s post, please share.
Lately my people have risen up like an enemy. You strip off the rich robe from those who pass by without a care, like men returning from battle.
Micah 2:8 (NIV)
There is a great scene towards the end of the HBO miniseries Band of Brothers in which the men of Easy Company become the first Allies to occupy Hitler’s private Austrian retreat known as “The Eagle’s Nest.” The soldiers promptly helped themselves to some souvenirs. Major Dick Winters confesses that he and his family had been eating with Hitler’s silverware since he returned from the war.
Pillaging has been a part of warfare throughout history. “To the victor go the spoils” is a popular proverbial phrase. The fascinating thing about it is that its origin was not about war, but politics. The first documented use of the phrase was by a New York Senator in 1828 in reference to the spoils of political power.
And, to wax cynical, there is truth to the phrase. It always amazes me how political power gets wielded to protect, empower, and pad the pockets of a few at the expense of the many. I don’t have to read history to know this. I only have to read today’s headlines.
In today’s chapter, the ancient prophet Micah is calling out this same reality in his own time. The political elites of his day used their power to take whatever they wanted from their own people in an ancient version of Eminent Domain. In some cases, leaving everyday families without inheritance and without recourse. These elites would gather around themselves false prophets, who were the social media of their day, to cover up and justify their actions. Micah offers a contrasting opinion. “What goes around comes around,” is a different proverbial phrase, and Micah warns the elites that a day is coming when God will bring disaster upon them in the form of the pillaging Assyrian army. Then these same political elites will experience what it’s like to lose everything and be left without recourse.
I sit in the quiet this morning on MLK Day here in America, which happens to also be Caucus Day here in Iowa in this election year. I find myself thinking about all that Martin Luther King Jr. said and stood for, a modern-day prophet crying out like ancient Micah against our political system that was stacked in favor of one set of citizens while oppressing another set of citizens within the same country. Tonight, in that same political system, the citizens of Iowa will choose who we trust to take up what is arguably the most powerful and elite political position in the world and kick off a months-long process to put a person in that position.
I’m no prophet, but I know my history. Even the best human political systems ever devised are riddled with corruption as political elites empower themselves, pad their pockets, and protect their own. As the Sage of Ecclesiastes observed, “There is nothing new under the sun.” It seems to me that Micah’s predicament and prophesy are as relevant today as ever.
For the record, as I do not belong to any political party, I will not be Caucusing tonight. I will, however, be praying. Come to think of it, prayer is a form of caucus. You’re welcome to join me.
If you know anyone who might be encouraged by today’s post, please share.
“Let us acknowledge the Lord;
let us press on to acknowledge him.
As surely as the sun rises,
he will appear;
he will come to us like the winter rains,
like the spring rains that water the earth.”
Hosea 6:3 (NIV)
The latest census shows that 80% of Americans live in urban and suburban areas. Only 20% live in the rural areas that make up the vast majority of the map. Growing up in Iowa, one inherently learns that there is a connection between life and agriculture. When life depends on agriculture, the weather plays a major part of the days and seasons.
When I was young, there was a summer marked by severe drought. I remember that an unexpected rain shower broke out one evening near a town where the farmers and residents had gathered to pray for rain. The local television station immediately scrolled the news across the screen.
For the ancients, agriculture and the weather was more critical than it is for American farmers today. A drought means major economic hardship in the heartland, but back in Hosea’s day a drought meant famine and death. Rain was equated with the perpetuation of life itself.
Just prior to reading through these ancient prophecies of Hosea, this chapter-a-day journey trekked through Amos. The prophet Amos came just before Hosea, and his prophecies were all angry protest songs filled with judgement and condemnation for the corruption and evil that was happening in the land. I find Hosea presenting a contrasting message that is more far-sighted than Amos. Yes, there is the condemnation of evil and a calling out of the corruption, but Hosea’s vision continually sees beyond the judgement and exile to the restoration and blessing God is also promising on the other side of it.
I can’t help but wonder if Hosea’s own relationship with his promiscuous and adulterous wife, and the redemption and restoration of his marriage, provided him a larger understanding of God’s own heart.
In describing the restored relationship after the time of exile, Hosea begins by assuring his listeners that God’s love and grace will appear “as surely as the sun rises.” I was reminded of Paul’s words to Timothy: “If we are faithless, God remains faithful for he cannot disown Himself.” Hosea then provides a beautiful word picture: God comes like the rain. The water of life pours from heaven, replenishing the land from the death of winter; Giving birth to new life and the promise of an abundant harvest to come.
In the quiet this morning, I find myself appreciating Hosea’s far-sightedness to look beyond the impending drought of judgement and exile. Glancing back over my shoulder, I remember seasons of drought that have dotted my spiritual journey. I have found that drought happens spiritually just as it does in the physical world. However, with each season of drought, God has always, eventually “come to me like the rain”that replenishes, restores, and gives birth to new life.
If you know anyone who might be encouraged by today’s post, please share.
