The Third Edition - Third Reformed Church
←
→
Page content transcription
If your browser does not render page correctly, please read the page content below
The Third Edition Winter, 2021
The Third Edition
Pastor’s Pen
Rev. Jeffrey Petersen
Buried deep in my digital music library is a 30 second clip titled “peanut.” On a purely auditory level it is un-
remarkable. Not even the most avant-garde artist would call it music. It’s just a rapid, rhythmic whooshing,
but if you have ever been in a 12-week prenatal exam room, you know it is one of the most amazing sounds to
ever touch your ears! That clip was recorded early in the new year, 2006. I can still remember watching the
doctor smear ultrasound gel on my wife’s abdomen and slowly manipulate the wand of her device until in an
instant the unmistakable pulse of a primitive little heart filled the room and tears filled my eyes.
It was my first sensory connection with my first-born child. The experience would be repeated two and a half
years later with my second. Up until that ultrasound, the life Jen was nurturing
within her was an absolute mystery to me. She had all kinds of embodied
knowledge of what she carried, but I couldn’t feel what she felt. It would be
weeks before she became visibly pregnant, and months before I could feel little
elbows and knees struggling against the confines of the womb. In hearing that
ultrasound, the abstract notion of a baby-to-be was made tangible.
That audio clip is titled “peanut” because that was what we called our son in
utero. If you prepared for parenthood with the venerable classic, “What To Ex-
pect When You’re Expecting,” you know that the size of a fetus is best de-
scribed by what kind of food it’s comparable to: “This week your child is the
size of a grape.” We read all the way through grapefruits and melons, but
“peanut” stuck until he was named “Eli” at birth. If you’ve seen all six feet, one
inch of him lately you know that “peanut” is hardly an appropriate nickname.
You never know what will come from such small starts!
I am amazed at how many of the scripture passages we hear through Advent
and Christmas focus on the small, hidden, unremarkable origins of Jesus. The
prophet Micah calls out, “But you, O Bethlehem of Ephrathah, who are one of the little clans of Judah, from
you shall come forth for me one who is to rule in Israel, whose origin is from of old, from ancient days.” It’s
from a little clan that the messiah would come. It’s in a quiet pregnancy of an unwed mother that his story be-
gins. It’s just a few local shepherds who witness heaven open with joy at his birth. It’s in a little town of unre-
markable Galilee that he will increase in stature and wisdom for decades before entering public view.
The theme of big impacts coming from small origins was a hallmark of Jesus’ teaching as well. The Kingdom
of God is like a mustard seed, the tiniest of all the seeds, yet capable of growing large enough to harbor all the
Continued on page 2
www.thirdreformedchurchgr.org
The Third Edition Fall, 2021
Buesa of the sky. Again, it is like yeast tucked away invisible
in bread dough yet causing all of it to rise. In fact, the King-
dom of God belongs to children, and if you can’t receive it
with the expansive smallness of child-like acceptance, you
can’t really get it at all.
I wonder what all this emphasis on smallness is intended to
teach us? I wonder if we can even hear that message in the
richest nation of earth that is enamored with bigness, prioritiz-
es limitless growth, and equates success with size? I wonder
what it means for the church in a period where church engage-
ment nationwide is 30% lower than before the COVID pan-
demic? I wonder what it means for us?
Third has a smaller membership list, a smaller budget, a
smaller footprint in our broader community than we did two
years ago. In a time where relentless adaptation and the grief
of loss consume energy, our dreams and ambitions are smaller
as well. This Advent season I found myself wondering if that
smallness isn’t just “okay,” but “necessary.”
The pressure is there to “rebuild,” to “grow,” to “do more,”
but what if pushing for more bigness is like pressuring a preg-
nancy at 12 weeks to rush to full term? To race there ahead of
the natural course of things only does damage. I trust that God
has seasons of growth and new life in store for Third. And I
trust that God’s intentions must be realized in God’s timing.
The question most alive for me isn’t “how do we grow again as a church,” but “what are we to expect when
we’re expecting?” I assume part of the answer is that we expect things to be uncertain and occasionally anx-
ious, we expect at times to be bewildered and overwhelmed, we expect some discomfort and spiritual morning
sickness along the way, we expect hope, excitement, and anticipation to grow as things naturally develop, we
expect doing things to keep us healthy and strong so we can birth new things in their time, and we expect
smallness to be okay. How could we not? It was in the small, dark confines of Mary’s womb that the whoosh-
ing heart of Christ pulsed long before the expansive Kingdom of God was declared.
MEL TROTTER TRANSITION HOUSE PROGRAM
David Wygmans
A group of Third Reformed folks made a trip to the Mel Trotter house back in Octo-
ber to help clean up the house after final construction work and generally found the
place “nicer than my place.” We were delighted to see what a great temporary home
Mel Trotter has created for these men. (If you wish to hear more about that, talk to
Gussie Farris, Bill Dykstra, Walt Lockwood, Jeffrey Peterson, or David Wygmans.)
Aberdeen Reformed, which recently closed, donated a considerable amount of dish-
Continued on page 3
2
The Third Edition Fall, 2021
ware, cookware, silverware, and other kitchen items, even beyond what this house needs, so some will be used
in other MTM houses.
Some of the men have moved into the house, and others are in the process of getting approved for residence
there. Given the approaching holidays, our further involvement is minimal, but we look forward to ramping up
our relationship in the new year. We will have some form of “meet-and-greet” in January, so watch for further
news about that. We still need 2-4 people to be a part of the intentional-relationship team. Here, again, are the
commitments for this team:
Two service projects each year to be done with the guests. This could be spring planting, fall clean up, mi-
nor repairs or improvements (at the Madison house).
At least two meals a month…to be cooked and eaten with the residents at their house.
Personal invitations to church and small group events and gatherings, possibly including a home Bible
study.
Please prayerfully consider whether God is calling you to this ministry.
Baptismal Promise: An Update on Middle and High School Youth Groups at
Third
Michael Christy
Third has always struck me as a gathering of people as un-
likely as those who come together to share a holiday dinner.
We’re family. Sure, we have our share of disagreement (no
doubt some dysfunction too), but I’ve also seen firsthand
how this congregation pulls together, how members have
stepped up when needed.
Before this school year started, with no dedicated youth
pastor, several members saw an opportunity to build rela-
tionships with and to help mentor the faith development of
some of our younger members. A number of adults volun-
teered to lead 2nd hour; others offered to lead the youth
groups (middle and high school). It’s great to see this type
of realization of the baptismal promises we made these
young people—to love, encourage, and support them.
The collective plan of the youth group leaders was to create space for us to have fun together, to build a sense
of community, and to find ways to serve others—and hopefully learn some things about ourselves in the pro-
cess.
We kicked off the year with a backyard campfire—the high school group met at the Fann’s; the middle school
group, at the Christy’s. After the first round of smores, the rain started pouring down on the middle school
Continued on page 4
3
The Third Edition Fall, 2021
group. We retreated to the garage to continue talking about what everyone wanted to see happen this year. The
rain couldn’t dampen our plans for a great year.
We’ve had some fun adventures. The middle
school boys and girls split up to race through a
corn maze—the girls won, but not without
some controversy. We played a lively round of
charades—the girls won again, but in all fair-
ness the boys had to act out “president,” which
is admittedly challenging.
We’ve had a couple opportunities this year to
do some service projects. We (along with
5th/6th graders and the high-school youth group)
shopped for NECM just before Thanksgiving.
The middle-schoolers made up two families,
the Osteroches and the Wealthmans. We
shopped for these fictional families to help us
connect our act of shopping to service to oth-
ers.
The middle school group has also had the chance to do some self-reflection. We participated in a couple of
different exercises about values and the way those values took shape in our lives. It’s been important for us as
leaders to create space where students feel safe to ask questions and to express how they see themselves in the
world. Church can too easily and too often become a place where we present an inauthentic version of our-
selves—afraid that some parts of us just don’t belong.
Third has been blessed to have generations of families call our congregation home. We hope that at the end of
this year, that our young people feel even more connected to this congregation, and for years to come. After
all, we’re family.
Thank you to this year’s middle and high school volunteers: Amy Breukink (HS), Kirk Breukink (MS), Tim
Breukink, Jennifer Christy (MS), Michael Christy (MS), Brandy Coleman (MS), Liz Coleman, Les Coleman,
Chris Fann (MS 2nd hour, HS), Pam Lockwood, Deb Roden, Ron Roden, Ron Schollaart, and Tammy Schol-
laart.
OUR AMAZING GOD
by Roger Bolhouse
Several years ago, my wife and I were youth group leaders for the high school kids. I remember a particular
Saturday night when we had an event at Third—a great time, including pizza for a snack. Well, I was ex-
hausted when it ended around 1am, and we all went home to sleep.
The next morning I arrived at church a bit before 9 and was immediately greeted by one of the dear old saints
Continued on page 5
4
of the church, who severely chastised me for not taking out the trash before I’d left. Sadly, I
did not handle it well and became somewhat of a grumpy young man. I then took out the
trash, lamenting under my breath.
As I got back into church, I noticed that no one was in the lounge, so I sat down and prayed.
It went something like this, “Lord, I am not in a very good mood and certainly not ready to
worship or praise you. I am angry but perhaps you can help me change my attitude.”
As I walked out of the lounge into the main hall-
way, I noticed that no one was greeting our members and guests that
morning. So I decided I could do that, and I began to greet people
and welcome them to church. I apologize now because my smile
was faked and my greeting not very sincere. As time went on, I be-
gan to change because everyone greeted me and smiled. I sensed
my demeanor changing, and at 10 I walked down the hall, and as I
made the turn into the narthex there was a smile on my face and joy
in my heart. I stopped to say, “Lord, you are truly amazing. Thank
You. I am truly ready to worship and praise you now.”
COURTYARD HAVEN
Walt Lockwood
Third Reformed Church has several serene and meditative
spots, yet during three seasons of the year, few are more in-
viting than the courtyard. In the spring, three of the aging
trees are heavy with blooms: a saucer magnolia, a star mag-
nolia, and a white flowering dogwood. The fourth tree is a
broad, flaming Japanese maple, the seedlings of which have
been transplanted to
the yards of dozens
of congregation
members. All the
courtyard trees are
beyond 50 years old
but still gloriously
healthy in their ha-
ven protected by church walls. All were donated by church members
in that first year of the new church’s existence (when Homer
Noordyke headed the Property Committee). The Neckers joined the
church in 1969, a year after it opened, and Bruce remembers the
flowering trees being beautiful from the start.
According to Art DeLooff, the Baker family provided a large sum for
the construction of the courtyard’s concrete walkways. Church mem-
bers donated most hedges and flowering bushes, though today I can
link few to specific families. I’m able to point to a rose bush planted
by Bob and Lyde Veenstra, who for years were caretakers of the
courtyard. But other plants have come and gone, replaced by newer
Continued on page 6
5
ones, all mostly donated. Three long-time pink florabunda roses still blossom
on the north end. Several others have died in frigid winters. A glorious crim-
son azalea blazes in spring near the courtyard center. An aging rhododendron
unfolds in May (a bit of a struggle), along with several newer pink hydrangeas
(two of them gifts from the Inhulsens) with blooms lasting through spring and
summer. Boxwood and yew hedges frame gardens. Pachysandra runs rampant
as ground cover. Out of its midst grow rose mallow, hostas of various sorts,
catnip, phlox, peony, mums, grape hyacinth, tulips, daffodils, and perhaps a
dozen other scattered perennials, flowering bulbs, and reseeding annuals donat-
ed from the home gardens of members. Though the layout of the whole from
an aerial view suggests an orderly French design, up close the creative hodge-
podge of plantings leans in a more English direction (with a bit of Dutch fla-
vor).
A mound of catnip and pachysandra in the southwest corner covers up a former
fountain and waterfall with pump that once kept open water moving most of the
year, a great attraction to mallard ducks that have nested there every spring since the church opened. The
protected area is an attraction for ducks looking to start families—but it is also a hazard because of lack of
sustenance. Church secretaries (Lisa is one) have for years set out food and water
for the female mallards and their broods. Hawks find the ducklings easy
marks. Yet many of the small fluff balls manage to survive, at last shepherded out
of the courtyard by volunteers who guide mother and brood through the halls and
back door to puddles and sheltered spots between Romence and the parsonage back
yard. Pastor Jeffrey, Bill Davidson, Jim Vanden Bos and Keith Boeve have been
seen leading dignified processions of quacking mallards for a number of springs.
A dozen or so years ago, the concrete in the courtyard fountain cracked, the water
disappeared, and in time pachysandra and catnip covered up all evidence of the
stone structure. Though their water source disappeared, the ducks did not. Matt
and Esther Woudenberg donated a small electric fountain that burbled in the center
of the courtyard for about eight years. That wore out two summers ago and has
been replaced by another—certainly not an adequate water source for ducks, but
you won’t convince them of that.
Some time ago (the late 90s, I think), Bob and Lyde Veenstra recruited me to help them in the courtyard,
having heard from someone that I was a gardener. I remember the courtyard under their care being a bit
more orderly than it is today. They lived nearby and spent more time fine-tuning than I’ve managed to
do. Still, I have the help of numerous volunteers, some of them enthusiastic gardeners, some who, though
enthusiastic, don’t know a weed from a flower. The work gets done, especially in the group clean-ups of late
spring and fall. David Wygmans lends a consistent hand with the ongoing labors. Pastor Jeffrey, Dave Hen-
drickson, Jamie DeKorte, Margie Prince, Eli and Asher Petersen, Dan DeLooff and his daughters (when the
girls were younger they planted the annuals), Dick Welscott, Kirk Breukink, Chris Brummel, Reid Morris,
Brad DeLooff (who provides mulch), and many others (including Maurie Boogaart and Matt Woudenberg in
the recent past) have had a part in this labor of love.
In 2005 a crew led by Art DeLooff , Jack Verbrugge, and Bob Struik reconfigured the courtyard in order to
accommodate Sunday school classes, youth groups, wedding parties, and social occasions involving outdoor
grilling. They laid down a good deal more concrete (which had to be wheeled in from outside) and built
benches, creating a large, usable center circle area with walkways radiating to the four doorways. Dan
DeLooff put in a hybrid sprinkler system. According to Art, a pergola for wedding pictures was planned but
never built.
A couple of years into Jeffrey’s ministry, Matt and Brooke VanderPloeg took the lead in carving out a small
Continued on page 7
6
grotto near the area of the original fountain where a table and two chairs now
sit. Pastor Jeffrey has used it for work and meditation, and it became a favorite
quiet spot of Isaiah Hager, our former youth leader.
The annuals we plant each May come from Romence Gardens, with whom we’ve
worked to mutual advantage for years. After much experimentation, we have set-
tled on a single annual replanted each year—the durable wax begonia, resistant to
nearly everything, including drought and overwatering. No other has thrived as
well.
There is much about the courtyard history I don’t know. I would appreciate cor-
rection where I’ve erred, and more complete information from those who have a
longer institutional memory than I. This fall, for instance, I was trimming the
courtyard hedges and managed to slice my extension cord in half. In the process,
I tripped a breaker for the courtyard outlets and have yet to find the electrical box
involved. As Art DeLooff and I were searching unsuccessfully for the source of
the problem, he suggested that (since we might need an electrician anyway) the
courtyard would be much enhanced by some well-placed outdoor lighting. I had
to agree.
Josie DiVitto
7
The Third Edition Fall, 2021
Upcoming Events in our life together
Lisa Swart
January 9
Children’s Worship Resumes
Congregational Meeting Following Worship
5/6th Grade, Middle School and High School Youth Groups Resume @ 6 pm
January 12 – Women’s Bible Study Resumes @ 9:30 am
January 16 – 2nd Hour Resumes @ 11:30 am
January 19 – Wednesday Night Connections @ 6 pm
February 2 – Wednesday Night Connections @ 6 pm
February 16 – Wednesday Night Connections @ 6 pm
March 2 – Ash Wednesday
Pancake Supper @ 6 pm
Ash Wednesday Service @ 7 pm
March 16 – Wednesday Night Connections @ 6 pm
March 30 – Wednesday Night Connections @ 6 pm
Editorial Staff
Walt Lockwood
Jeffrey Petersen
Lisa Swart
David Wygmans
8
You can also read
