- HILLCREST PEACEFULLY. SIMPLY. TOGETHER. HILLCREST. 2705 Mountain View Drive I La Verne, California I 909-392-4375 LivingatHillcrest.org DSS #191501662 I COA #069 CHURCH OF THE BRETHREN ESSENGER Editor; Randy Miller Publisher: Wendy McFadden News: Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford Subscriptions: Diane Stroyeck Design: The Concept Mill Vor dem Blitz (Before the Lightning}, 1923, by Paul Klee (1 879 -1940) November 2014 voL.163 No. 9 www.sRETHREN.oRG J The prodigal son who can't come home 8 If he hadn't gone to church with that Brethren girl and discovered r/ I I pacifism, David Hemler might not have spent the past three decades of his life in exile. Was the sacrifice worth it? Find out what this rela­ /I tively unknown conscientious objector has dealt with since he v/ I walked away from his military post and followed his conscience. I Aministry of restoration in Los Angeles 13 As congregations in the midst of a traditionally rural denomination, Brethren churches in the cities can sometimes feel overlooked and even neglected. But like all congregations, urban Brethren churches have joys, strengths, and struggles. There is much to learn from them. Are we 'morning-after' Brethren? 15 It's not so difficult to understand Jesus' command that we love one another, but it can be next to impossible to put it into practice, as even his earliest followers discovered. Are we that much different from them? Rethinking church 18 In an era where the church has largely lost its authority in the sur­ rounding culture, is having more people attend more church events the most effective way to share the good news of the gospel? Might there be another way? departments 2 FROM THE PUBLISHER 20 NEWS 26 LETTERS 3 INTOUCH 24 LIVING SIMPLY 30 TURNING POINTS 6 REFLECTIONS 25 MEDIA REVIEW 32 EDITORIAL 7 THE BUZZ FromthePublisher lessings of the new year to you. How to reach us No need to break out the party hats and noisemakers, however. I'm B MESSENGER talking about the new Christian year, which begins with Advent. During this 1451 Dundee Avenue first half of the Christian year, we follow the life of Jesus, from birth to resur­ Elgin, IL 60120 rection and ascension, and all the way to Pentecost. Subscriptions: For many people, it's traditional to stay up until mid­ [email protected] night on New Year's Eve in order to welcome the new Phone: 800-323-8039 ext. 327 year. After all, who would want to miss the auspicious Fax: 847-742-1407 tick of the clock from 11:59 to 12:00? For the Christian Advertising: year it's also about being awake: "Therefore, keep [email protected] awake-for you do not know when the master of the Phone: 800-323-8039 ext. 308 Fax: 847-742-1407 house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or at dawn, or else he may find you asleep Editorial: when he comes suddenly. And what I say to you I say [email protected] Phone: 800-323-8039 ext. 376 to all: Keep awake" (Mark 13:35-37). That apocalyptic Fax: 847-742-1407 text comes from the Gospel reading for the first WENDY MCFADDEN Sunday of Advent. Subscription rates: PUBLISHER $17.50 individual rate This is hardly the stuff of jingle bells. Apparently we - $32 for 2 years should take this arrival-this advent-pretty seriously. "Awakening is not about $14.50 gift rate busying ourselves and filling the schedule with religious events," writes Sandy $14.50 church club rate Bosserman in Awake, the Brethren Press Advent devotional. - $27 for 2 years $ 1.25 student (per month) There is much in the world to make us lethargic and anesthetized-or over­ whelmed and paralyzed. How do we shake off our drowsiness and stay awake? If you move, clip address label and Instead of consuming things, we can consume the scripture readings of the send with new address to MESSENGER season, our "new year" texts. We can ponder the paradox that the end-times Subscriptions, at the above address. Allow at least five weeks for are all times and all times are the end-times, as Diana Butler Bass notes. address change. "Christ will return, yet Christ has already come." We can look at the world with the alertness of God's presence rather than the jadedness of our culture. Digital Messenger offers enhanced Sandy Bosserman asks: "What do we mean when we say: "Wake up!"? Is the content. Go to www.brethren.org/ accessmessenger. world a better place for our being awake?" Good questions to ask ourselves, as we stand on the threshold of this new year. Visit MESSENGER online at www.brethren.org/messenger. MESSENGER is the official publication of the .Church of the Brethren. Member of the Associated Church Press. Biblical quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are from the New Revised Standard Version. Copyright © November 2014, Church of the Brethren. MESSENGER (ISSN 0026-0355) is published 10 times a year by Brethren Press, Church of the Brethren. Periodicals postage paid at Elgin, Ill., and add iti onal mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to MESSENGER, 1451 Dundee Ave., Elgin, IL 60120-1694. ~ Printed on recycled paper ~ (20% post consumer) 2 MESSENGER NOVEMBER 2014 lntouch Celebrating the circle of life in Iowa Celebration of Heifer International at Peace Church of the Brethren in Council Bluffs, Iowa, kicked off with an intergenerational worship service on Oct. 12 using resources from Heifer AInternational's Animal Crackers, wrote pastor Laura Leighton-Harris in a report to Newsline. "We opened our service with a clip of 'The Circle of Life' from The Lion King. Our youth and adults brought the Litany of Praise to life with their various animal sounds and movements. 'Noah' shared his story and the youth asked him for some animals to give to folks in other countries. Our youth handed out the arks and calen­ dars during the offering time. 'All Creatures of Our God and King' and 'All Things Bright and Beautiful' were a few of our hymns." A display table in the church's fellowship hall brings awareness of the program for groups who use the church facility and for those attending rummage sales, she added. A jar made by late members of the congregation, Jane Nelson and Toots Conaway, was set out for donations. Church member Anne Brooks and her students made a variety of animal bracelets, key chains, and bookmarks for sale, with the money raised going to Heifer. Other fundraisers include a raffle for one of the plush animals around Christmas time, and a youth donation can at the Annual Trunk or Treat on Oct. 31. "In November, after our collections of the arks and the other donations, the next fun part will be in selecting the animals for the individuals and families all around the world," she reported. "We have many in our congregation for whom Heifer is very spe­ cial and meaningful." Animal Crackers is a free educational resource and fundraising program to help children, youth and adults see themselves as part of the global family and gain a deeper appreciation of the ways in which Heifer helps people, animals and plants live in harmony as God's good creation. It is available at https://shop.heifer.org/animal-crackers-chrisitan-kit-2013.html. by the numbers Dollar amount, in millions, allocated by the Church of the Brethren Mission and Ministry Board at their October meeting for expanded crisis response in Nigeria MESSENGER NOVEMBER 2014 3 -lntouch Phoning it in "Why are there cell phones on the pul­ pit?" asks an article by Dawn Blackmon in the Illinois and Wisconsin District newsletter. The answer is that Cham­ paign (Ill.) Church of the Brethren has begun keeping home-bound members in the loop through a "telephone ser­ vice" in which cell phones help absent members attend in real time. "This past winter, when a IO-inch snowfall kept some members away, they were called on their phones, and so were able to lis­ ten to the service," Blackmon reported. "Along with keeping temporarily home­ bound members engaged in church activities, this service has the added benefit of being free. God has provided all the tools we need to help his people Veggies aplenty in Indiana come together to worship!" A children's garden at Middlebury (Ind.) Church of the Brethren Golf helps district was featured in the Goshen (Ind.) News June 27. "The children of the Middlebury Church of the Brethren's garden are yielding vegetables "Thank you for your continued sup­ that are being used for salads in a local outreach and at the local food port," said the Middle Pennsylvania bank," the newspaper reported. District newsletter, reporting that "In the spring, the children approximately $10,000 was raised for planted a garden that contained a 0 the district ministries and Camp Blue multitude of vegetables, including Diamond by the Brethren Open Golf asparagus, carrots, lettuce, and Tournament on Aug. 12 at Iron Masters cucumbers .... Once a month, Golf Course near Roaring Spring, Pa. the church takes a meal to a local "Despite some rain showers, 94 golf­ retirement community as a way ers enjoyed 18 holes of golf followed to share food and fellowship. The by a meal at Albright remainder of the lettuce is given Church of the Breth- to the local food bank." ren Fellowship Hall served and donated by Ann's }. TDR Catering." Lititz Church supports Nigerian Brethren Lititz (Pa.) Church of the Brethren has donated $17,000 to the EYN Compassion Fund, responding to the needs of Nigerian Brethren affected by insurgent violence.