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"I have said these things to you while I am still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you."

John 14:25-27a

In the movie Babette's Feast a small congregation of elderly believers have fallen away from the forgiving ways of their founder. His two daughters have stayed on in the village after his death and provided for the physical needs of their parishioners, but are unable to overcome the divisions that are threatening the unity of their fellowship. Even at the celebration of the anniversary of the 100th birthday of their founder, they fan the embers of old wrongs. An old couple who had each committed adultery before their remarriage blame each other for their transgressions. Two neighbors accuse each other of cheating, and so on. But as the night progresses with the marvelous French meal that Babette (longtime servant to the sisters) has prepared, something wonderful happens. Through the fine wines and succulent foods, the miracle of grace changes their hearts -- which is ironic, for their Puritan natures had so rebelled at the idea of the lavish meal that earlier they had met and vowed together that they would pay no heed to the food. The effect of the food is helped by words from their guest, an officer who had once worshiped with them in a vain effort to win the affections of one of the sisters. Now a self-assured general, he speaks about grace and how in its mystery all desires and yearnings are completed. One by one, the parishioners forgive each other, and as they leave, apparently reluctant to end the spell of the evening, they join hands outside the house and form a slow circle dance of thanksgiving.

(Babette's Gaestebud, Denmark [1987]; Babette's Feast, U.S. [1988]; Gabriel Axel, director)

Shining Moments



A Day of Pentecost

by Ellen Sherry

Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them.

Acts 2:3

I was raised in the Congregational Church. I was baptized, went to Sunday school, was confirmed, and attended church regularly until I was in my late teens. However, church didn't mean anything to me, and I didn't feel I got anything out of it or feel connected to it in any way, so once I was away from home I no longer attended services.

Prayer was pretty infrequent for me, but occasionally, when I would wake up worrying in the middle of the night, I would pray. Some of those prayers were answered, sometimes in rather dramatic ways. They were always selfish prayers, often having to do with the weather or other petty wants of mine. One night in December of 2000, I was thanking God for a prayer that had been answered. I said, "Thank you, God, you're the greatest." And all of a sudden, a wide band of bright white light came down at me from near the ceiling. My first thought was "Oh my gosh, this is going to hurt." But it didn't hurt -- the light flowed into my chest and all I felt was some slight pressure. The light flowed and flowed into me, filling my heart to overflowing with indescribable love. It was the most amazing feeling; such a wonderful feeling of peace filled me -- peace like I had never ever known before! And then, after what seemed like a few minutes, the light was gone. I looked over at my husband, but he was still sound asleep. If I had to describe in words what I had experienced, I would say that it was as if the light was saying, "I am God and I am love." I lay in bed for a long time, thinking about what had just happened, until I finally fell asleep.

The next morning, I didn't know what to think. I knew what had happened the night before, and I was convinced it was real, but I didn't know what to do about it. It was very confusing when I tried to understand it. Why did God's light flow into me? I'm just an ordinary, average, run-of-the-mill person, a woman with a husband, three nearly-grown kids, and two dogs. I have always tried to live by the teachings of Christ and the church, but I'm no saint. I have plenty of weaknesses and shortcomings.

I know if I told anyone about the light, they would think I was crazy, so I kept it to myself for a year and a half. I did start attending church regularly at the Ellsworth United Methodist Church. It helped just to be with a group of people who believed in God. But that wasn't enough. Somehow I felt called to do more, so I started praying and meditating every morning. It felt like something I had to do. But despite these things I became more and more depressed. I had all these new feelings and thoughts and beliefs that I'd never had before, and I was in turmoil. Finally, at my request, my pastor recommended a Christian counselor. That was the best thing for me. She asked me why I was there, and I told her that I had the overwhelming feeling that I had to serve God, and that it was a totally new feeling for me. I didn't know how to serve God, I didn't know how other people served God, and I didn't know who to talk to about it. She looked surprised and asked why I felt this way. I was very apprehensive to tell her about the light, but I did, and she was very accepting of my story. She helped me feel like I wasn't crazy, that the light really happened and it was okay to talk about it to people I felt I could trust.

When the light came, it was as if somehow a computer chip of new ideas, thoughts, and beliefs was also implanted in me at the same time that my heart was filled with love. For example, I had totally new feelings about death and dying. Cemeteries used to make me very, very uncomfortable, but now when I drive by them I have this feeling that all the people there are at rest.

Another change is that I no longer fear death! I don't know why. I just know that after death, we will be at peace, we will be with God, and all will be right. I can't explain why I know this; I just have an unshakable belief that this is so. What surprises me most is that not being afraid of death makes me not afraid to live. I feel like I can do what I want to and not be afraid. If I die tomorrow, somehow that's okay with me now. In comparison, I used to worry much more about everyday things: the kids, driving, the dangers of life in general. But somehow, life doesn't seem so dangerous anymore and not nearly as scary. God is in control of my life and all is right with my world!

Sometimes I feel guilty feeling this much at peace, but then I remind myself that I didn't ask for the light to come and I wasn't praying for any kind of change in my life. It just happened to me, and only God knows why. I can only assume he has something in mind for me to do. I don't know what yet, but if I follow my heart and listen to God, I pray that I will be shown what God's plan is for my life.

Ellen Sherry lives in Ellsworth, Wisconsin, where she and her husband have raised three children. She works as the Community Education Director for the Ellsworth School District.
Good Stories



Praying to Win

by John Sumwalt

"I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it."

John 14:13-14

Ithaca High School has been known over the years for its championship wrestling teams. I wrestled on some of those teams in the late 1960s when Steve Waterman was our coach. Steve encouraged us to give our best for the school and the team, but he also made it very clear that church, family, and relationships with friends came first. His supportive style of coaching and his caring personality fostered a team spirit that, for many of us, resulted in great individual achievements. We knew that he cared about us more than he cared about winning, and that made all the difference. There were many of us in those years who excelled beyond personal expectations and abilities because of the support and encouragement that we received from Coach Waterman. But of all the good wrestlers I knew at Ithaca, the best among us was one who never won more than a few matches in his whole high school career.

Rolland Spencer was our heavyweight. At 5'4", 162 pounds, he was smaller than most of the wrestlers he went up against. Some of them were over six feet tall and weighed up to 300 pounds. He wrestled some guys who looked absolutely terrifying. They were not only big and strong, they were mean. There were several occasions when we tried to convince Rolland to forfeit rather than risk getting hurt, but he always insisted on wrestling, and he always got pinned. Most of us would have quit after three or four matches like that. But Rolland was not a quitter. He went out, match after match, and gave the best that he had to give. After a while we began to root for him just to get through one match without getting pinned.

I have never been one who believed in praying for myself, or for my team, to win. I always prayed that God would help me to do my best and have always been satisfied with that, whether I won or lost. There was, however, one occasion when I prayed with all my might for our team to win. It happened in Elroy, at a late-season meet against the Royal Panthers. After 11 bouts we were ahead by four points. There was one match remaining, heavyweight. Rolland was to face one of the biggest and best heavyweights in our part of the state. All he had to do was keep from getting pinned and we would win.

It looked like David against Goliath when Rolland went out to stand across from Royal's big heavyweight. We were yelling and cheering for Rolland at the tops of our voices, and I don't think I was the only one who was praying like I had never prayed before: "Dear God, don't let him get hurt and keep him from getting pinned."

We thought it was going to be all over in the first period. The big man took Rolland down and tipped him over onto his back in a matter of seconds. Somehow Rolland was able to keep his shoulders off the mat until the buzzer went off ending the first two-minute period. The second and the third periods were the same. Each time Rolland was turned onto his back almost immediately, and each time he strained and pushed and somehow kept his shoulders from touching the mat for the required two seconds. The Royal heavyweight pushed him back and forth across the mat several times, trying almost every pinning combination in the book, but this time Rolland would not be pinned. When the final buzzer sounded, the Royal wrestler's arm was raised in victory, but it was Rolland who was really the victor, and everyone in the gymnasium knew it. We ran out onto the mat, hoisted Rolland up onto our shoulders, and carried him off. No champion ever received or deserved more adulation and praise than Rolland Spencer got that night. We whooped and hollered all the way home. And in the few quiet moments that came in the midst of our celebrating, I thanked God for keeping Rolland safe and helping him to win.

Rolland Spencer is a self-employed mechanic in Lone Rock, Wisconsin. Steve Waterman just retired as superintendent of schools in Osceola, Iowa, where he is running for the state senate. This story was published with their permission. Ithaca High School still produces some of the best wrestlers in the nation.



Scrap Pile



Memorial Day Reflections

by John Sumwalt

As we sang the familiar words of Katharina von Schlegel's beautiful hymn "Be Still My Soul" in worship a few weeks ago, I pondered all of the changes we have seen in our congregation. There have been 16 deaths of longtime members and one infant in the past year: Helen Roberts, Helen Wilke, Pearl Krentz, Arthur Zeisberger, Clarence "Red" Woleben, Woodrow "Woody" Urban, Mabel Beers, Nicole Veenhuis, Hazel Corey, Jim Sceales, Laurine Hunt, Marjorie Borror, Florence DeSwarte, Violet Anderson, Ann Schulz, Gladys Scott, and Margaret "Peg" Mielenz.

As I read the list of the saints on Memorial Sunday, I know that the sound of each of these names will bring to mind many wonderful memories. It was just five years ago that Peg and Harold Mielenz drove to our house (she was 92 then, and he was 97) for a gathering shortly after our family arrived. Peg was so pleased to have been invited, and full of laughter and fun. She told about growing up in parsonages (her father was a minister) and how she had been on the committee to select our parsonage when Rev. Gladstone Brown was the pastor in the early 1970s. She delighted in the tour of the house and told us what it was like when she first saw it. How blessed our congregation has been to have had leaders like Peg.

Oh, how we miss all of these dear ones! It doesn't seem possible that they could not be among us. What a comfort to sing "Be still my soul... in every change God faithful will remain."



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Rosmarie Trapp will join John Sumwalt in leading a workshop on "Vision Stories in the Bible and Today" Saturday, June 5, from 10 a.m.–2 p.m. at Wauwatosa Avenue United Methodist Church, located at 1529 Wauwatosa Ave. in Milwaukee. A $15.00 registration fee is payable at the door and includes lunch. Phone 414-453-0700 or e-mail jsumwalt@naspa.net to register.

Rosmarie was the first child born to Captain Georg and Maria von Trapp, whose family story is told in The Sound of Music. After Rosmarie was born the couple had two more children, for a total of ten von Trapp family singers. They became famous for their triumphant flight from Nazi-controlled Austria in the 1930s. Rosmarie has personal stories in all three of John's visions books. She will tell stories and sing favorite songs from The Sound of Music.

John will tell stories from his recent book Sharing Visions: Divine Revelations, Angels, and Holy Coincidences and a number of humorous stories from his large repertoire of country and city tales. John has been delighting audiences with his unique brand of storytelling for 20 years. He is the author of eight books, including the three books of vision stories he recently edited for CSS Publishing Company. In these Chicken Soup for the Soul-like vignettes, ordinary people tell extraordinary accounts of visions from God, healing miracles, holy coincidences, and the presence of angels, just like those described in the Bible. "People didn't stop having visions after Biblical times. We just don't talk about them as much for fear people will think we are crazy," Sumwalt says.

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The Vision Stories Series



Shining Moments: Visions of the Holy in Ordinary Lives, the third book in the vision series, will be released this summer by CSS Publishing Company. It includes 65 authentic, life-transforming narratives that demonstrate God's power and presence.

Rosmarie Trapp, of Waterbury, Vermont, tells of assurance that came to her on a seven-day personal retreat:

"...the Lord visited me in a bright, golden light in my room... the golden glow brought peace to my soul, and I found that I could stand upon the rock of my salvation. At first I was pretty wobbly, and it took years to be firm. It's been twenty years since that blessing, and I'm still learning not to wobble."

Canadian writer Ralph Milton, editor of Rumors and author of the acclaimed novel Julian's Cell, describes a vision that blessed him shortly after he received word from his sister Peggy that their beloved sister June had died:

"That night, as I went to bed, I suddenly found myself with June and Peggy, and we were singing together as we often did as children -- loud and high and clear in our childhood voices the songs from Humperdinck's Hansel and Gretel: 'When at night I go to sleep, fourteen angels watch do keep...' and the final line, 'two to whom 'tis given to guide my steps to heaven.' This was not just a memory. It was far too clear and powerful, and I sang through the whole song, every word, with my sisters... I don't recall ever having a memory or a dream as clear and powerful as that one. And it left me with a sense of joy and peace and thanksgiving."

Bill Bell tells of a vision that sustained him while he was in Vietnam:

"A few months after Gram's death, while I was still in Vietnam, I was stricken with what then was diagnosed as malaria. Accompanying this malady was high fever, and I remember having what has been commonly referred to as the 'near-death' experience. My experience included hovering over, and being able to see, what appeared to be my sleeping body. Then, quite to my surprise, I was visited by my recently deceased grandmother. Interestingly enough, Gram appeared to be about 20 years younger, but was dressed in her favorite red and white checkerboard dress. She told me not be frightened, that I was going to recover. She also mentioned that... the Vietnam conflict was not going to end soon, but I would be safe..."

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StoryShare, May 30, 2004, issue.

Copyright 2004 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., P.O. Box 4503, Lima, Ohio 45802-4503.