Chosen By God
Stories
Object:
Contents
"Chosen by God" by Peter Andrew Smith
"Not As Mighty a Fortress As You Might Think" by Frank Ramirez
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Chosen by God
by Peter Andrew Smith
Jeremiah 1:4-10
There once was a girl whose mother told her that she was destined for greatness. "You are blessed by God to do wonderful things in the world." The little girl believed those words. She worked hard at everything she did, listened to her elders, went to church faithfully, and tried to be a good person.
Yet things were not always easy for the girl. She had trouble making friends and felt that no one really understood her. She struggled at school and spent many a long night trying to understand the lessons of the previous day. Time passed and she grew into a young woman. She graduated high school and was accepted into a local university.
Her mother said to her as she left home, "You are blessed by God to do wonderful things in the world." The young woman had trouble believing those words. She found university a difficult time. Nothing came easy to her and she put in many hours studying. She was lonely being away from her family and she had trouble making it to church because of her part time job. She wished she had never left home.
Yet she persevered. She found study groups and tutors who helped her learn the difficult material. She worked harder than she had ever worked before and passed all her classes. She made friends and for the first time in her life felt she was not alone. The months turned into years and finally she had enough credits to graduate. Now with her degree in hand she went out into the world looking for work.
Her mother wrote to her an encouraging note telling her how proud she was and reminding her "You are blessed by God to do wonderful things in the world." The young woman knew she could succeed through hard work and perseverance. However, she doubted there was some greater purpose for her life and wondered why she had ever believed that when she was younger.
She drifted away from church but that didn't bother her too much because she liked her work and enjoyed having her independence. A special friendship from university blossomed into romance and led to marriage. She felt that life could not get any better as she matured into adulthood. The woman was content and felt she had found her way.
Yet that did not last. The bliss of her marriage changed when her husband lost his job and her hours were cut back. Her nights were filled with arguments over money and stress over how they would survive. She had to take a second job to pay the bills which left her tired emotionally and drained physically. An unexpected pregnancy was not a source of joy but rather a moment of terror and fear. Holding her first child in the hospital she wept in despair and had no idea how she could possibly keep going.
She confessed those fears to her mother who replied "You are blessed by God to do wonderful things in the world." The woman didn't believe those words at all. Her marriage was falling apart. She spent all of her energy and effort trying to keep them from drowning in debt. She did not think things could get any worse.
Yet they did when her mother died unexpectedly. The woman raged and demanded God explain why she had been abandoned. She wanted to know why God burdened her with so many things and why her life was such a waste. She shouted and cried and finally fell to her knees begging God for help in her life.
That was when things began to change. She and her husband couldn't afford a marriage counsellor but found a pastor who helped them learn how to talk and face the challenges of marriage. They began to attend church regularly as a family and the woman found that anchored her week and gave her the strength and hope to face the other problems in her life. She started to treasure the days she had with her family, the good things she was able to do in her work, and the relationships she made at church. She thought life was finally good.
Yet it got better. She was asked to take on some leadership at her church and found out new things about herself and what she could do. Her seniority at work meant she was asked to help mentor new employees and she rediscovered the joy she had once felt at her job. She and her husband welcomed a second child and surrounded by her family she knew that God had blessed her in her life to do great things as a mother, a wife, and a Christian. All it took from her was the willingness to be a part of what God had planned and for her to trust in what God was doing through her life for the world.
Peter Andrew Smith is an ordained minister in the United Church of Canada who currently serves at St. James United Church in Antigonish, Nova Scotia. He is the author of All Things Are Ready (CSS), a book of lectionary-based communion prayers, as well as many stories and articles, which can be found listed at www.peterandrewsmith.com.
Not As Mighty a Fortress As You Might Think
by Frank Ramirez
Psalm 71:1-6
Be to me a rock of refuge, a strong fortress, to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress.
-- Psalm 71:3
If all you're looking for is a good afternoon's exercise, Starved Rock State Park in Illinois may be just the place. Located along the Illinois River in the north central part of the state, it is much a child's playground, albeit a playground for giants, as it is a geological formation and a place where history was made. Then again, you can't help but be reminded of giant stone cushions, perhaps stolen from some monster's stone, cobbled together to make a play fort for the gargantuan children!
There are thirteen miles of trails, spread over eighteen canyons overlooking the steep drops into the river below. It's a stark contrast to the gentle rolling hills and plains of the Midwestern landscape that surrounds the dramatic rock formations, laid down over the ages when the area was covered by a deep inland sea.
More recently, geologically speaking, stones were cracked like nuts by the actions of glaciers advancing and receding, as the waters flooded in and carved the beautiful natural landscape seen today. There is a wide variety of flora and fauna, although visitors need to be aware that there is real danger here -- poison ivy thrives!
The very name, Starved Rock, seems filled with intrigue and danger. Walking up and down the stone slabs, one can imagine a terrible scenario in which a tribe of Native Americans, or perhaps European settlers, withstood a siege by enemies, only to be felled one by one by that most terrible of foes -- bitter hunger.
Human history along the rocks goes back at least 8,000 years. There are signs of habitation by various Native-American tribes over millennia. For a 200-year period from the 1500s to the 1700s the group known as the Illiniwek thrived along the Illinois River in the Starved Rock region. There may have been as many as 5,000-7,000 inhabitants who surely must have enjoyed the view as much as any modern tourist today.
As far as that obvious image of the fort goes, European missionaries actually built a fort as part of the often-forgotten French advance into the territory. Louis Jolliet and Father Jacques Marquette were the first Europeans to set eyes on Starved Rock in 1673. They returned a couple of years later to found a mission point called Immaculate Conception. Ten years later Fort Saint Louis was built on the site by the French to protect their claim over the whole region. However, within a generation the fort was abandoned as a military station as it provided no protection against raiding parties. Instead, after the French established a fort near the site of modern-day Peoria, Fort St. Louis became a trading post. By 1720 even that had disappeared.
According to the story -- and it is important to emphasize that it is only a legend -- one of the chiefs of the Ottawa, named Pontiac, was attending a tribal council in another region of the state, when he was slain by a member of another tribe, one of the Illiniwek. That tribe eventually took refuge at Starved Rock, escaping a revenge attack from the Potawatomi -- allies of the Ottawa. Surrounded, they held out until they died of starvation -- hence the name of the rock formation.
Actually, none of that story may be true. No one is sure what is history and what is just a story. Still both the legend of the dying Indians and the historical fact that Fort St. Louis provided no protection demonstrated the biblical truth that there is no fortress, no refuge, no human habitation that will ultimately provide protection against a mighty foe.
Isn't that was the Psalmist is saying -- that God is the only true rock of refuge? This history of God's people, as well as the history written in these stones along the Illinois River, may be telling us the same thing.
(Want to know more? Eaton G. Osman's book Starved Rock: A Historical Sketch, is available as a free audio download at librivox.org.)
Frank Ramirez has served as a pastor for nearly 30 years in Church of the Brethren congregations in Los Angeles, California; Elkhart, Indiana; and Everett, Pennsylvania. A graduate of LaVerne College and Bethany Theological Seminary, Ramirez is the author of numerous books, articles, and short stories. His CSS titles include Partners in Healing, He Took a Towel, The Bee Attitudes, three volumes of Lectionary Worship Aids, and Breakdown on Bethlehem Street (Christmas 2012).
*****************************************
StoryShare, February 3, 2013, issue.
Copyright 2013 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to the StoryShare service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons, in worship and classroom settings, in brief devotions, in radio spots, and as newsletter fillers. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to permissions@csspub.com or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 5450 N. Dixie Highway, Lima, Ohio 45807.
"Chosen by God" by Peter Andrew Smith
"Not As Mighty a Fortress As You Might Think" by Frank Ramirez
* * * * * * * *
Chosen by God
by Peter Andrew Smith
Jeremiah 1:4-10
There once was a girl whose mother told her that she was destined for greatness. "You are blessed by God to do wonderful things in the world." The little girl believed those words. She worked hard at everything she did, listened to her elders, went to church faithfully, and tried to be a good person.
Yet things were not always easy for the girl. She had trouble making friends and felt that no one really understood her. She struggled at school and spent many a long night trying to understand the lessons of the previous day. Time passed and she grew into a young woman. She graduated high school and was accepted into a local university.
Her mother said to her as she left home, "You are blessed by God to do wonderful things in the world." The young woman had trouble believing those words. She found university a difficult time. Nothing came easy to her and she put in many hours studying. She was lonely being away from her family and she had trouble making it to church because of her part time job. She wished she had never left home.
Yet she persevered. She found study groups and tutors who helped her learn the difficult material. She worked harder than she had ever worked before and passed all her classes. She made friends and for the first time in her life felt she was not alone. The months turned into years and finally she had enough credits to graduate. Now with her degree in hand she went out into the world looking for work.
Her mother wrote to her an encouraging note telling her how proud she was and reminding her "You are blessed by God to do wonderful things in the world." The young woman knew she could succeed through hard work and perseverance. However, she doubted there was some greater purpose for her life and wondered why she had ever believed that when she was younger.
She drifted away from church but that didn't bother her too much because she liked her work and enjoyed having her independence. A special friendship from university blossomed into romance and led to marriage. She felt that life could not get any better as she matured into adulthood. The woman was content and felt she had found her way.
Yet that did not last. The bliss of her marriage changed when her husband lost his job and her hours were cut back. Her nights were filled with arguments over money and stress over how they would survive. She had to take a second job to pay the bills which left her tired emotionally and drained physically. An unexpected pregnancy was not a source of joy but rather a moment of terror and fear. Holding her first child in the hospital she wept in despair and had no idea how she could possibly keep going.
She confessed those fears to her mother who replied "You are blessed by God to do wonderful things in the world." The woman didn't believe those words at all. Her marriage was falling apart. She spent all of her energy and effort trying to keep them from drowning in debt. She did not think things could get any worse.
Yet they did when her mother died unexpectedly. The woman raged and demanded God explain why she had been abandoned. She wanted to know why God burdened her with so many things and why her life was such a waste. She shouted and cried and finally fell to her knees begging God for help in her life.
That was when things began to change. She and her husband couldn't afford a marriage counsellor but found a pastor who helped them learn how to talk and face the challenges of marriage. They began to attend church regularly as a family and the woman found that anchored her week and gave her the strength and hope to face the other problems in her life. She started to treasure the days she had with her family, the good things she was able to do in her work, and the relationships she made at church. She thought life was finally good.
Yet it got better. She was asked to take on some leadership at her church and found out new things about herself and what she could do. Her seniority at work meant she was asked to help mentor new employees and she rediscovered the joy she had once felt at her job. She and her husband welcomed a second child and surrounded by her family she knew that God had blessed her in her life to do great things as a mother, a wife, and a Christian. All it took from her was the willingness to be a part of what God had planned and for her to trust in what God was doing through her life for the world.
Peter Andrew Smith is an ordained minister in the United Church of Canada who currently serves at St. James United Church in Antigonish, Nova Scotia. He is the author of All Things Are Ready (CSS), a book of lectionary-based communion prayers, as well as many stories and articles, which can be found listed at www.peterandrewsmith.com.
Not As Mighty a Fortress As You Might Think
by Frank Ramirez
Psalm 71:1-6
Be to me a rock of refuge, a strong fortress, to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress.
-- Psalm 71:3
If all you're looking for is a good afternoon's exercise, Starved Rock State Park in Illinois may be just the place. Located along the Illinois River in the north central part of the state, it is much a child's playground, albeit a playground for giants, as it is a geological formation and a place where history was made. Then again, you can't help but be reminded of giant stone cushions, perhaps stolen from some monster's stone, cobbled together to make a play fort for the gargantuan children!
There are thirteen miles of trails, spread over eighteen canyons overlooking the steep drops into the river below. It's a stark contrast to the gentle rolling hills and plains of the Midwestern landscape that surrounds the dramatic rock formations, laid down over the ages when the area was covered by a deep inland sea.
More recently, geologically speaking, stones were cracked like nuts by the actions of glaciers advancing and receding, as the waters flooded in and carved the beautiful natural landscape seen today. There is a wide variety of flora and fauna, although visitors need to be aware that there is real danger here -- poison ivy thrives!
The very name, Starved Rock, seems filled with intrigue and danger. Walking up and down the stone slabs, one can imagine a terrible scenario in which a tribe of Native Americans, or perhaps European settlers, withstood a siege by enemies, only to be felled one by one by that most terrible of foes -- bitter hunger.
Human history along the rocks goes back at least 8,000 years. There are signs of habitation by various Native-American tribes over millennia. For a 200-year period from the 1500s to the 1700s the group known as the Illiniwek thrived along the Illinois River in the Starved Rock region. There may have been as many as 5,000-7,000 inhabitants who surely must have enjoyed the view as much as any modern tourist today.
As far as that obvious image of the fort goes, European missionaries actually built a fort as part of the often-forgotten French advance into the territory. Louis Jolliet and Father Jacques Marquette were the first Europeans to set eyes on Starved Rock in 1673. They returned a couple of years later to found a mission point called Immaculate Conception. Ten years later Fort Saint Louis was built on the site by the French to protect their claim over the whole region. However, within a generation the fort was abandoned as a military station as it provided no protection against raiding parties. Instead, after the French established a fort near the site of modern-day Peoria, Fort St. Louis became a trading post. By 1720 even that had disappeared.
According to the story -- and it is important to emphasize that it is only a legend -- one of the chiefs of the Ottawa, named Pontiac, was attending a tribal council in another region of the state, when he was slain by a member of another tribe, one of the Illiniwek. That tribe eventually took refuge at Starved Rock, escaping a revenge attack from the Potawatomi -- allies of the Ottawa. Surrounded, they held out until they died of starvation -- hence the name of the rock formation.
Actually, none of that story may be true. No one is sure what is history and what is just a story. Still both the legend of the dying Indians and the historical fact that Fort St. Louis provided no protection demonstrated the biblical truth that there is no fortress, no refuge, no human habitation that will ultimately provide protection against a mighty foe.
Isn't that was the Psalmist is saying -- that God is the only true rock of refuge? This history of God's people, as well as the history written in these stones along the Illinois River, may be telling us the same thing.
(Want to know more? Eaton G. Osman's book Starved Rock: A Historical Sketch, is available as a free audio download at librivox.org.)
Frank Ramirez has served as a pastor for nearly 30 years in Church of the Brethren congregations in Los Angeles, California; Elkhart, Indiana; and Everett, Pennsylvania. A graduate of LaVerne College and Bethany Theological Seminary, Ramirez is the author of numerous books, articles, and short stories. His CSS titles include Partners in Healing, He Took a Towel, The Bee Attitudes, three volumes of Lectionary Worship Aids, and Breakdown on Bethlehem Street (Christmas 2012).
*****************************************
StoryShare, February 3, 2013, issue.
Copyright 2013 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to the StoryShare service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons, in worship and classroom settings, in brief devotions, in radio spots, and as newsletter fillers. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to permissions@csspub.com or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 5450 N. Dixie Highway, Lima, Ohio 45807.
