Intermountain Ministry

On December 9^th I had the pleasure of filling the pulpit for Rev. Nancy Slabaugh Hart at Stevensville United Methodist Church. Both the building and the people were grand, and I thoroughly enjoyed the visit.

It seemed more than fitting that the Advent candle lighting liturgy focused on children. Here it is, so you can enjoy it, too:

The Children’s Candle

Reader #1: The hopes and dreams of old were placed upon the shoulders of the children to come. Thepromises of God to Abraham and Sarah were fulfilled through the birth of their son Isaac. In the years of wandering and exile, faith kept their people alive, a faith taught to their children. In these days of Advent, we reflect on the promises we make to the children of our community and the ways we live in God’s peace.

Reader #2: We light this candle for the children that have carried on the faith in years past, and for the children of today, who are part of our church now and the future, who live out the faith and walk the ways of the Prince of Peace.

(light the second purple candle)

Prayer: God of all children, help us to live out your hopes and dreams in this world, to live in the way of Your Shalom. In this time of Advent, help us to prepare for Christ’s coming into our lives in a new way. Amen.

Indeed, the hope carried in the heart of a child is one of the great messages of this Christmas season. Soon, it was my time to pray for the congregation and to share a message from Intermountain about the work we are doing and how it connects to the work of the church. [ A copy of this sermon can be found on our resource page on the blog: www.intermountainministry.org/resources ] As we were into the second Sunday of Advent, the passage read for the sermon time was from Luke 1:76-79:

“And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, to give knowledge of salvation to his people by the forgiveness of their sins. By the tender mercy of our God, the dawn from on high will break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.”

Both in the service and in the coffee fellowship that followed, there was great interest in the on-going work of the church’s ministry as expressed through the chaplain’s ministry here on campus. Half a dozen families signed up to be on the mailing list and stay in regular contact with Intermountain, and I walked away with a wonderful jar of homemade cherry preserves! A special thank you goes to Bob Edgar, the more than able liturgist, and Carol in the office for making sure things went so smoothly for our time together. And, of course, I would like to thank Pastor Nancy for extending the invitation to come and share, and the honor of preaching in her stead for that Sunday.

Chaplain Chris Haughee

What a blessing it is to partner with Janet Tatz, our very knowledgeable and faithful Jewish mentor at Intermountain. Janet had served alongside previous chaplain, Dana Holzer, for a number of years as a volunteer mentor, and then in the last few years as part-time staff. Whenever there is a Jewish child on campus that needs instruction and mentoring in their faith, Janet goes above and beyond to make sure that the spiritual and cultural needs of that child are met.

We also get to work together on joint activities, like the observance of Hanukkah in chapel for all the children. On December 11^th and 14^th, both the younger group and the older children were able to learn about the holiday, eat some traditional desserts shared at Hanukkah, sing songs [see “Hanukkah Song Sheet” on resources page], and play dreidel!

Here is a little about Janet, and the holiday celebration, so you can have a little snapshot of our experience here in chapel:

Q: Janet, what is the most rewarding part of working with the Jewish children on campus at Intermountain?

A: It is very rewarding to see the Jewish students at Intermountain grow in their understanding of and appreciation for the Jewish traditions, prayers, teachings, holiday celebrations and customs.  Our Jewish faith serves as a medium or bond between the children and their parents and helps reconnect the family in a very positive way. Read the rest of this entry »

From Luke, Chapter 1

76 [Zechariah prophesies], “And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, 77 to give knowledge of salvation to his people by the forgiveness of their sins. 78 By the tender mercy of our God, the dawn from on high will break upon us, 79 to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.”

Jennifer had hit rock bottom. No longer able to balance the demands of parenthood with her drug and alcohol addiction, her daughter Katie was removed from her home and placed in care with Intermountain’s Providence Home in Kalispell. Jennifer’s world came crashing down, and she was faced with a decision. She could continue walking into the darkness of her addictions and never see her daughter again, or she could turn towards the light, fight her addiction and restore her family. Intermountain was providing her that light, a ray of hope. Would she respond? [NOTE: This story first appeared in the 2011 Annual Report Issue of Fine Gold, and Jennifer and the story of Devin that follows are both for illustrative purposes. Jennifer has asked that we not use her last name, while the names and genders of the children have been altered in order to protect their privacy.]

Little Devin also found himself in a hopeless and dark place. His 20th placement had just failed. Another couple who said they would love him unconditionally had broken his trust… again. The cycle of pain, acting out, and rejection had left him feeling unlovable, unwanted, and a burden to those he secretly, desperately wanted connection and intimacy with in a parent-child relationship.

Where is God in all of this? Where is a voice of hope and healing and restoration? Who will help those who feel a sense of hopelessness this morning… is there a light that will shine into their darkness?

Today’s Gospel passage highlights a prophetic word by Zechariah, once struck mute by the Lord for not believing a message of hope. The one stuck in unbelief at what God might do now spills forth praise and tells forth a message of restoration for all people.

Domenico Ghirlandaio, Zechariah Writes John’s Name,
fresco in the Cappella Tornabuoni, Santa Maria Novella, Firenze

Zechariah describes his infant son, John, as one who will be “the prophet of the Most High.” A prophet (prophḗtēs) declares the mind (message) of God, which sometimes predicts the future (foretelling) – and more commonly, speaks forth His message for a particular situation. A prophḗtēs (“a prophet”) then is someone inspired by God to foretell or tell-forth the Word of God. God’s Word, in this prophesy, is that darkness and despair will NOT have the final say. Hope is coming! Read the rest of this entry »