Dear Rose Park,
As many of you know, I was on the swim team at Hope College. I swam with our very own Aaron Welsch and we swam just a few years after our own Jake Taber (who is the current head coach). I spent hundreds of hours at the Dow Center pool over my college years and couldn’t even begin to count how many yards I swam. But this past week, I saw something occur at the Dow that I’ve never seen before.
Dear Rose Park,
Today is Sam’s and my nine-year anniversary. Nine isn’t one of those milestone numbers like ten, twenty, or thirty but what sticks out to me is the symbol for nine years of marriage. Some of you already might know this, but each year of marriage is symbolized by a different item, symbol, gift, or theme. There are some quite interesting symbols for certain years, but nine might be my favorite.
Dear Rose Park,
Last Thursday morning, after I dropped off Simon and Winnie to Calvary CAMP, I drove to Escape Ministries on 32nd Street to meet with their program director, AJ Westendorp. AJ and I have known each other since we were kids. We grew up together playing baseball at Maplewood Ball Diamonds. Prior to our meeting, I stood at the door and gave high-fives and fist-bumps to the 26 high school students who are participating in their job’s program; it was such a joy to spend those few minutes encouraging them as they headed out the door and prepared to begin their day.
Dear Rose Park,
During this past academic year, I drove Simon to school almost every day. Sometimes Simon and I would have waffles or a bowl of cereal at home and then drive to school. Other times we’d stop by Dutch Delight for a donut, head to church to eat and grab a quick cup of coffee, and then make our way to the school drop-off line. On those donut expeditions, we saw the faithfulness of one particular neighbor on full display.
Dear Rose Park,
I am a visual learner; I like to pair a concept with an image to allow my mind to understand the concept more fully. I’ve also found this to be true in my teaching. Lately I’ve been teaching Simon the nine positions on a baseball field; I have found it far easier to teach him (and more effective) by showing him the positions on the field rather than merely talking about them. When it comes to preaching, there’s one particular image I’ve found to be helpful.
Dear Rose Park,
Sam and I landed in Chicago on Sunday evening. We spent the night at Sam’s parents and then drove back to Holland on Monday morning. Two weeks is the longest I’ve ever been away from my family. I missed them dearly and was overjoyed to hug Simon and Winnie. In the grand scheme of things two weeks isn’t that long, but in a small sense it just felt good to come home.
Dear Rose Park,
A few weeks ago I wrote a letter to you all naming the obvious dynamic that the world, and particularly the worlds relationship with the church, has changed. Fifty to seventy-five years ago, when a family would move into the neighborhood not only would they look for the local church but they would also look for a particular denomination of church. Fast-forward to today and we’re lucky if that same family is looking for a church at all. This shift is for a variety of reasons and at some level, can be disheartening, but at another level this shift in culture can be the stimulus for renewal.
Dear Rose Park,
By the time you’re reading this on Wednesday morning, Lord willing, I will be arriving to the Isle of Iona in Scotland. Iona is a tiny island off the southwest coast of Mull in the Inner Hebrides. It is only 1.5 miles wide by 3 miles long, with a population of around 170 permanent residents. Despite it’s small stature it has one of the coolest nicknames I’ve ever heard; Iona is known as ‘the Cradle of Christianity’ in Scotland.
Dear Rose Park,
This past Friday, Simon had his first baseball practice through Holland Little League. Along with another dad, I volunteered to be the coach of his team, the Guardians. There are twelve little boys on the team, each of them coming from different backgrounds and experience levels, but all of them seem to be eager to learn and try new things on the baseball field.
Dear Rose Park,
Over the course of the last few years, I’ve read and re-read Tod Bolsinger’s book Canoeing the Mountains: Christian Leadership in Uncharted Territory. It’s been a fascinating book to read and critique while in the crucible of pastoral ministry. Essentially, it tells the story of explorers Lewis and Clark who were prepared to find a waterway to the Pacific Ocean, instead they found themselves facing the Rocky Mountains. In that moment they knew they no longer needed their canoes, instead they needed to find new navigational tools.
