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By Don Marsh–As we enter the summer months, we are getting outside, enjoying the flora and fauna of our Rocky Mountains. After being quarantined for months, to be able to enjoy God’s creation in person is a such a blessing. I love one quaint passage in Proverbs that praises some of God’s small creatures.

Four things there are which are smallest on earth yet wise beyond the wisest:
ants, a folk with no strength, yet they prepare their store of food in the summer
rock-badgers, a feeble folk, yet they make their home among the rocks
locusts, which have no king, yet they all sally forth in formation;
the lizard, which can be grasped in the hand, yet is found in the palaces of kings.
— Proverbs 30:24-28 REB

There are more than 20,000 species of ants in the world, with dozens in Colorado. They build intricate colonies, with different rooms for different functions. They seem to be always moving, working together in an amazing division of labor. Some species store up food for the winter or fatten up so they won’t need to eat during the cold months.

In our area, the pika is most similar to the biblical badgers (called “conies” in the King James Version).  Pikas are small relatives of rabbits that live at or above timberline, protected from the elements and predators by building dens in the talus, or loose rock. They seldom venture far from their secure homes.

It is reported that in 1875 a swarm of Rocky Mountain locusts (now extinct) streamed overhead for five days, blotting out the sun. Composed of 10 billion individuals, the swarm devoured as much vegetation as a massive herd of bison. Experts at the time estimated that the swarm was 1,800 miles long and at least 110 miles wide, large enough to cover Wyoming and Colorado.

There are several varieties of lizards in the geographical area of the Rocky Mountain Conference. The horned toad is even the state reptile of Wyoming. An impressive characteristic of lizards is their ability to camouflage themselves by changing body color and sometimes body patterns to blend with their background. Some species can walk on walls, and have no qualms about sneaking into people’s houses, whether king or pauper.

So, what is the lesson of these wisest of the wise? The ant knows that now is the time to prepare for the future. Conies know they are not strong by themselves but dwell securely in the place God prepared for them. Locusts know they must work together. One locust is harmless. Working together in a swarm, they are a mighty army. By ourselves, we can do little. Cooperating with God, we can do more than we could ask or think. Lizards seem out of place in a palace. We may think we don’t belong either, but Jesus promised he has a room for you in his house.

–Don Marsh, is chaplain at Good Samaritan Medical Center, Lafayette, Colorado.

By Bob Reynolds – Aurora, Colorado . . . Two Denver area churches joined together to support an Aurora refugee neighborhood, with not only basic needs but also fellowship.

For the second year, True Life Community has partnered with Lakewood Fellowship to offer an outreach day to those who have fled their home countries with little or no belongings.

Heavenbound Outreach, meets every second Sabbath in a parking lot between two apartment complexes designed for refugees.  They offer clothing, household items, and toys for the children.  The outreach also allows for interactions with children offering popcorn, cotton candy, fruit drinks, and bottled water.

It is through area church donations, shopping yard sales, and browsing online sites for deals the items are gathered for distribution.  Heavenbound Outreach are always looking for donations of clothing and household items for the refuges. “We can pick up items or they can be brought to me,” Celestino Archaleta, volunteer with Heavenbound stated.

Archaleta started the outreach ten years ago, when he delivered items to a family in the complex and witnessed the need in the community.  The community is thankful to have this outreach available to them.

“This program is a shining example of how we as Christians can be of service to others in need,” stated the True Life Community pastor.  “These people need so much and we have so much we can give.  Each time we go, we see people carrying away boxes and bags full of shoes and clothes to their apartment.  Many of them have small children and we are so glad to see them get clothes, shoes and warm coats at winter time.”

—Bob Reynolds, is pastor of True Life Community in Littleton, Colorado; photo supplied

By Jon Roberts – Durango, Colorado . . . When we all work together to advance God’s kingdom, all things are possible no matter how big and daunting the issue is.

This is a lesson the Durango, Colorado church and school found out first-hand on November 25.

The building was facing serious damage after the sewer system backed up and spilled contaminated water throughout the building.  Action had to be taken immediately to ensure that the preschool, an important community outreach, would be able to reopen in January.

The repair estimate was enormous for the 35 members who attended the Durango church.

They immediately went to God in prayer and sought counsel from Him.

Triple Eagle Construction, a small business in Durango, heard about the situation.

They jumped into action working throughout Thanksgiving and Christmas to ensure the school could reopen in January.

All the work was completed without asking for a down payment or even an advance payment.

When the subcontractors contacted the church for payment, the church was faced with a dilemma–how to pay for the emergency repairs.

Hearing about the church’s inability to cover the expenses of the repairs, Triple Eagle absorbed the debt and paid the subcontractors themselves, even refusing to pursue debt collection, put a lien against the church, or take legal action for the outstanding debt, because they trusted the church and a handshake still means something today.

The news about how God worked miracles to repair the building and now the financial stress facing the members, a small church 700 miles south of northern Wyoming knew they had to do something to help their brothers and sisters.

“When one congregation is hurting, we all hurt,” commented Lester Bentley, pastor for the Northeastern Wyoming district. “We, as a congregation, feel this is a very tough row to hoe for any congregation to do alone, especially since it can affect many of the ministry opportunities for that church for years to come as they pay off their debt.”

The Sheridan congregation would like to “challenge all the other churches of the Rocky Mountain Conference to meet or exceed our donation of $200 to help pay off this debt.  Let all work together for the good of the Durango church and the conference,” Bentley concluded.

“It’s an amazing God thing, because the first Sabbath we are going to be back [from suspension of services], we are going to have a celebration of prayer and thanksgiving,” said Gary Force, pastor of Durango church.  “We have a God that serves, protects, provides, and that answered our prayers in ways none of us could have imagined.”

–Jon Roberts is RMC communication/media assistant; photo supplied.

By Ella Smith Simmons — Silver Spring, Maryland . . . As are most of you, I am outraged over the heartless murder of George Floyd, the brutal slaughter of Breonna Taylor, and the Klan-style killing of Ahmaud Arbery. Yet, as I have sought to properly direct my anger and process my despair for change, I am reminded that I was equally outraged over the heinous executions of Eric Garner, Michael Brown, and Freddie Gray, all in 2014; and before them, the senseless, vigilante-style killing of Trayvon Martin in 2012. Perhaps one of the most traumatic for me was the killing of 12-year-old Tamir Rice in 2014. Whenever these atrocities occur, I remember that before them was the loss of my grade school classmate whose name you have never heard to the same racist brutality back in 1968; and before him, the loss of my great-uncle to the ravages of emotional despair in his inability to cope with unchecked societal injustices; and before him, countless black lives lost in lynchings and other brutalities in this country, my country.

In remembering this week, I had to acknowledge the fact that after the shock, the outrage, and the pain, we always return to an unhealthy, inhumane business-and-ministry-as-usual, only praying and hoping for that better day of change.

How can this be? I am asking this of all of us who consider ourselves, at least to some degree, spiritually mature, and all who assert conversion. How can we claim justification and sanctification in Jesus Christ and turn a deaf ear and a blind eye to racism and its ravages in any form? How can we proclaim the gospel to all the world if we will not live it to its fullest? Has the power of systemic racism rendered us numb? Have we just checked out? Is it that we just try to fly under society’s radar to avoid its ire? Yes, there have been some improvements in our society over time. But there have been so many setbacks, and we have never come far enough to claim victory over the sin of racism and its horrible effects on society. To be who we claim to be, we have a long way to go.

Our Fundamental Belief Number 14, “Unity in the Body of Christ,” states our commitment to the value of all human life and living in ways that reflect the commitment. It says in summary:

The church is one body with many members, called from every nation, kindred, tongue, and people. In Christ we are a new creation; distinctions of race, culture, learning, and nationality, and differences between high and low, rich and poor, male and female, must not be divisive among us. We are all equal in Christ, who by one Spirit has bonded us into one fellowship with Him and with one another; we are to serve and be served without partiality or reservation. Through the revelation of Jesus Christ in the Scriptures we share the same faith and hope, and reach out in one witness to all. This unity has its source in the oneness of the triune God, who has adopted us as His children. We cite Scripture as the foundation for these beliefs.

The Seventh-day Adventist Church has taken a clear stand. This statement articulates not only our beliefs but also, by this standard of belief, our responsibility to each other and all humankind. If racism can be defined as the devaluing of one group of people as inferior while super-valuing another group or other groups of people as superior, it is clearly antithetical to our stated beliefs. We people of the Book know the origin of racism. As with all other schemes of the enemy, we must reject it, call it out wherever it exists, and live in opposition to it within the church and throughout society.

We should be aware of the deceptions and myths of the “mark of Cain” and “the curse of Ham” being black skin that have survived through much of modern history. It seems that many creationists buy into Darwinian falsehood when it comes to ethnic differences ascribed to fictional stages of evolutionary development from animal to human. Even many who declare the equal value of all people appear to accept the falsehood, at least subconsciously, that God created different races or ethnic groups for different purposes, such as some people groups inherently gifted for leadership, or management, or the performing arts, or athletics, or slavery, and so forth. Surely, we people of the Book do not ascribe any credence to these. So, what is the problem?

I wonder if in part we are waiting for some supernatural change to usher us into a new relational order in which we as a body actually model our Fundamental Beliefs. Yes, some do as individuals and often in private relationships. But should not a great majority of us exemplify the character of Christ? Should we not seek for justice in society? We love Micah 6:8: it calls us to act justly, to love mercy, and to live humbly under God. (One translation says to not take ourselves too seriously, but to take God seriously.) We are called to act justly, not only to think and preach about justice, but to act justly.

Theologians, anthropologists, psychologists, and sociologists have reminded us that while we need to identify the core of a problem and must seek to help people change their hearts/minds to overcome the problem, we have to engage in correct behaviors. They have found that correct behavior must sometimes precede the internalization and ownership of beliefs and values. If we take to heart our Fundamental Belief Number 14, what is the problem that allows some to tolerate and even facilitate injustices and atrocities in our nations, communities, and churches? What causes some to replicate the more covert elements of racism while decrying the overt evidences of racism? Is that not hypocrisy?

Explore with me for a moment a phenomenon that is pervasive throughout most of the world and strongly encouraged in the United States — the current worldwide focus on the inevitably outrageous consequences of racism. Let’s look just for moment at the role of the acquisition and maintenance of power, the knee on the neck, even in the church. In a current issue of National Geographic, a writer likens the killing of George Floyd to the lynchings of days gone by: “This man was lying helplessly on the ground. He’s subdued. There’s the cop kneeling on his neck. This man is pleading for his life. To me, that is the ultimate display of power of one human being over another.”

When I try to explain the current dynamics in the United States, I turn to one of my favorite speeches, given by the former Maryland slave, scholar, orator, writer, social reformer, anthropologist, and statesman Frederick Douglass. He spoke these words on the 23rd anniversary of the “West India Emancipation,” on August 3, 1857, in Canandaigua, New York:

Let me give you a word of the philosophy of reform. The whole history of the progress of human liberty shows that all concessions yet made to her august claims have been born of earnest struggle. . . . If there is no struggle there is no progress. Those who profess to favor freedom and yet deprecate agitation are men who want crops without plowing up the ground; they want rain without thunder and lightning. They want the ocean without the awful roar of its many waters. . . . This struggle may be a moral one, or it may be a physical one, and it may be both moral and physical, but it must be a struggle. Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will. Find out just what any people will quietly submit to and you have found out the exact measure of injustice and wrong which will be imposed upon them, and these will continue till they are resisted with either words or blows, or with both. The limits of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance of those whom they oppress. In the light of these ideas, Negroes will be hunted at the North and held and flogged at the South so long as they submit to those devilish outrages and make no resistance, either moral or physical. Men may not get all they pay for in this world, but they must certainly pay for all they get. If we ever get free from the oppressions and wrongs heaped upon us, we must pay for their removal. We must do this by labor, by suffering, by sacrifice, and if needs be, by our lives and the lives of others.

After referencing the work of the British abolitionist William Wilberforce, Douglass said:

I am aware that the rebellious disposition of the slaves was said to arise out of the discussion which the Abolitionists were carrying on at home, and it is not necessary to refute this alleged explanation. All that I contend for is this: that the slaves of the West Indies did fight for their freedom, and that the fact of their discontent was known in England, and that it assisted in bringing about that state of public opinion which finally resulted in their emancipation. And if this be true, the objection is answered.

We see what this looks like in the public arena. What should it look like in the church generally, and in the Adventist Church specifically?

We must act. My prayer is that we can muster the strength to return to the early days of Adventism when we as a people were active, indeed leaders, in the public square. We as a people fought against the evils of slavery, racism, and the marginalization of minorities.

It is past time to acknowledge that indeed we have a problem in the church at all levels. I have seen it up close and clearly. You have seen it too. There is hope for us all if we turn to the Source of our strength. In her writings, Ellen White predicted that in the last days, “Many had lost sight of Jesus. They needed to have their eyes directed to His divine person, His merits, and His changeless love for the human family.” “The last message of mercy to be given to the world, is a revelation of His character of love. The children of God are to manifest His glory. In their own life and character they are to reveal what the grace of God has done for them.” “In visions of the night, representations passed before me of a great reformatory movement among God’s people. Many were praising God. The sick were healed, and other miracles were wrought.”

I believe this reform movement includes the eradication and healing of racism among us, and the achievement of that love to which Jesus called us — that love by which the world will know we are Christians.

This time, after the shock, the outrage, and the pain, let us not return to an unhealthy, inhumane business-and-ministry-as-usual, only praying and hoping for that better day of change.

There was a time when God told His people to get up off their knees, to stop praying, and move forward. So let us arise and “let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!” (Amos 5:24 NIV).

I hear that charge to move now.

—Ella Smith Simmons is general vice-president General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists; photo by UnSplash

1. Deneen L. Brown, “‘It Was a Modern-day Lynching’: Violent Deaths Reflect a Brutal American Legacy.” National Geographic, June 3, 2020, https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/2020/06/history-of-lynching-violent-deaths-reflect-brutal-american-legacy/.

2. Ellen G. White, Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, 91, 92.

3. Ellen G. White, Christ’s Object Lessons, 415, 416.

4. Ellen G. White, Testimonies for the Church, 9:126.

This article was originally published on Adventist Review Online.

By Willie Edward Hucks II — Berrien Springs, Michigan . . . As the world’s attention was captured by the asphyxiation death of George Floyd while in police custody in Minneapolis, Minnesota, another notable event transpired earlier that same day in New York City. Christian Cooper — a writer, editor, and avid birder — encountered Amy Cooper walking her unleashed dog in a section of Central Park where regulations specified that dogs must be leashed at all times.

Unprovoked by nothing more than Mr. Cooper’s request that she leash her dog, she called the police and told them “there’s an African American man threatening my life.”

Why would she call the police and state that a black man posed a threat to her and her dog, in spite of the fact that Ms. Cooper had to know that the video evidence would prove her claim to be false?

Herein lies the reality that blacks — and black men in particular — face on a daily basis in America. We can be jogging down the street, walking home after buying snacks, sitting at home playing video games with a nephew, or enjoying a nature walk — and still feel psychologically or physically threatened.

Mrs. Potiphar: A Cautionary Tale

In my homiletics courses, I stress the applicability of Scripture to all areas of living in an effort to demonstrate that God’s Word speaks to life today. As Solomon said, “There is nothing new under the sun” (Eccles. 1:9).[1]

Joseph, a hard-working and trustworthy yet disenfranchised young man, was victimized by the false assertions of Potiphar’s wife (Gen. 39:14). And it worked. It worked because she was the beneficiary of privilege and recipient of benefit of doubt. It worked because Joseph was deemed to be of an inferior heritage (“a Hebrew”). It worked because those to whom she lodged the accusation would believe her privileged word over the word of someone who mocked her (verses 14, 17). Mrs. Potiphar, meet Amy. Amy, meet Mrs. Potiphar.

Verse 15 speaks to planted evidence that led to Joseph’s conviction; but we’ll save that discussion for another article. Suffice it to say, Christian Cooper could well have been George Floyd if things had turned out differently.

Sea Change needed for American Adventism?

Protests in the wake of George Floyd’s suffocation death may be leading to a sea change in terms of how Americans see race relations. Only time will tell. For those who believe transformation is needed sociologically and administratively throughout American Adventism, I pose the question: How do we accomplish such in a way that we relate to others as equal brothers and sisters in Christ, in an effort to present a strong witness to society? I offer a six-step proposal.

We must open-mindedly listen to views that differ from our own. In doing so, we must sideline our stubbornly-held beliefs and give ourselves permission to alter our opinions about the subject matter at hand. We must acknowledge that we possess unconscious biases about race and the “other” that may not be accurate. The truth is there is more than one way to see some things. My understanding does not invalidate your understanding, or vice versa.

A case in point: For years, I assumed the two travelers from Jerusalem to Emmaus (Luke 24) were males until a female challenged me on that presupposition. I possessed an unconscious bias that is not explicitly supported either by Scripture or Ellen White in The Desire of Ages. My initial belief could be correct; hers could be correct. But I needed to be open-minded enough to alter my view.

Too many people base their views of race on what they were taught growing up or what they see on TV. If their views have been shaped otherwise, they have been positively shaped based on a co-worker or neighbor, or negatively on an isolated episode. Intentional, consistent, and heartfelt interactions would prove to expand the database upon which we can re-evaluate our views.

We must be willing to live in uncomfortable spaces. Shifting demographics have led to redistribution of political, administrative, and financial clout. Along with shifting demographics have come diversity of voices and demands for a larger piece of the pie; and a larger piece for one requires a smaller piece for another. This burgeoning reality causes some to hearken back to the theme song from the 1970s TV comedy All in the Family: “Those were the days.” The 21^st century, however, calls us all to live in and adjust to an ever-changing landscape.

See how you may have benefited from white privilege. It is assumed that people are hired or promoted based on qualifications. Many of us know from firsthand experience that it’s not always what you know; rather, it’s who you know. Too many assume that their qualifications earned that job (and not silent discrimination) or they gained their wealth (but not generationally). They believe they earned it themselves, and that others should pull themselves up by their bootstraps just as they did. But some possess boots with frayed laces.

Don’t see one experience as the norm and the other as the anomaly. Society has created the picture that criminality is pandemic and interwoven into the black experience; but crime by whites is anomalous, an exception to the rule. Crime is endemic to all races and ethnicities — regardless of who should be arrested or ends up being convicted.

Norm versus anomaly has been applied to church life, worship and music, and other aspects of living that time and space prevent me from discussing. In short, stereotypes and opinions remain unchallenged if we don’t broaden our horizons.

Stop deflecting, no matter how true. Here are some examples: 1) “All lives matter; not just black lives.” Keep in mind that the father loved the son that stayed home as much as he loved the “prodigal” son. But the son who left home is the one who needed special attention in the parable. 2) “Only the Second Coming will fix racism.” ADRA builds wells and promotes literacy for women overseas. Shall we abandon those efforts while we wait for Jesus to return?[2]

Don’t cross over to the other side of the road (Luke 10:30-32). Ignoring the bleeding victim doesn’t address the issue. Ignoring the bleeding victim is simply another way of saying, “That’s not my problem. Let someone else deal with it!”[3]

Only through the indwelling Spirit and courageous conversations and commitment to genuine growth will we live out the prayer of Christ: “That they all may be one … that the world may believe that You sent me” (John 17:21).

— Willie Edward Hucks II serves as chair of the Department of Christian Ministry and associate professor of Pastoral Theology and Homiletics, Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary at Andrews University in Berrien Springs, Michigan. Photo by iStock.

[1] Unless otherwise stated, all scriptural references are from the New King James Version.

[2] Other examples include: “There is no black race or white race; only the human race” (If race is a sociological construct, then the same applies to the concept of a human race.). “What about segregated conferences….?” (A convenient and sometimes innocent diversion. However, if one were to travel that road, it would be akin to my February 2015 broken wrist that needed to be reset; that is, it needed to be completely broken before it could be reset. That required severe pain before the healing could start.). “All this talk about race serves to divide. We need to heal” (Discussing race doesn’t create division. It brings to light pre-existing conditions.).

[3] In MEDITATION XVII: “Devotions upon Emergent Occasions,” John Donne wrote, “No man is an island entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main.”

This article was originally published on the NAD website.

Columbia, Maryland . . .On Sabbath, June 27, 2020, the leadership of the North American Division of the Seventh-day Adventist Church is asking its members, churches, ministries, and services to join in a special day of prayer for the deep hurt and frustration that racial injustice and inequity have caused in North America. As the conversations on racism in society and in the church continue to grow, we are urging the 1.2 million church members in the territories of Bermuda, Canada, Guam/Micronesia, and the United States to come together and prayerfully seek God’s guidance and leading in our lives, especially in how we relate to one another, and how we can help stop injustice against people of color.

As leaders, we want to ask the Holy Spirit to open our hearts and ears so we may understand and listen to our brothers and sisters, specifically in the Black American community, as they share the pain and anger they have experienced over the years. We want to ask for forgiveness, and we want to ask for compassion and strength to have the tough yet necessary conversations so our church can move forward in healing the wounds that run deep in our faith community.

By coming to God in prayerful surrender to Him, we can become the church God wants us to be to reach out to those hurting in all our communities.

—Newspoints; Photo courtesy of iStock

This press release was originally published on the NAD website.

By Dorie Panganiban — Farmington, New Mexico … When this coronavirus pandemic hit, millions of people were impacted. Sad to say, the Navajo Nation where La Vida Mission’s ministry revolves, has been hit so hard that it had the highest per capita COVID-19 infection rate in the United States, even surpassing hot spots in New York City.

A lockdown, stay-at-home order and nightly and week-end curfews were implemented throughout the Nation to provide safety, but undeniably, it made life harder for our Native people in terms of mobility and securing food for their daily needs, especially on weekends. Add to this the loss of jobs and the resultant income, and you’ll understand why many families were struggling.

One of our activities during La Vida Mission’s lockdown was reaching out to the community through our small “care packages delivery” of fresh fruits, purchased with our limited church outreach funds. To that was added supplies of rice, beans and masa flour from the school cafeteria.

With a delivery from Montrose Adventist Church, as reported in NewsNuggets (May 22, 2020), we prepared not just care packages and food bags, but also food boxes to deliver to our Native friends.

In the first week of May, “when our food supplies run extremely low, we stopped our general food distribution, but left our church’s door open for community’s requests for help,” reported Dori Panganiban, La Vida Mission’s community outreach director.  She added, “I believe that the Lord isn’t done yet with what He wants us to do for His precious Navajo children because by the second week of May, Sherman Mohler, president of  Southwest Paleontological Society, drove up to the Mission with loads of assorted food, groceries, and clothes for the community, along with household appliances for the Mission. He also told us of cash donations from his Go-Fund-Me fundraiser.”

A Facebook fundraiser generated many donations as well. “We used these [funds] to order flour, assorted groceries and toilet paper online for the next food distribution. Neal Kelley and his wife drove down from Montrose with a pick-up load of food from the Sharing Ministry to add to our supplies. Putting all these donations together, we were able to make 150 food boxes that we distributed at one time in our church parking lot on May 28 instead of delivering them to individual houses. “It was strategic to do so and would make these necessary packages reach the people quicker in preparation for the coming whole week-end curfew and lockdown,” Dori added.

But the fun was not over yet. Towards the end of our food box distribution on May 28, “Navajo Strong” from Utah drove up with 80 gallons of hand sanitizer to help with our ministry. “When I returned to my office after the distribution, I received a call from Brenda Maldonado of Colorado Springs Central Church, asking me how their church could possibly help with our community outreach, so we discussed together another relief operation. Coming home that same day, my husband gave me an envelope that he found lying on a bench in our sunroom with a generous check to the church from a local church member appropriated specifically towards our Food Box Distribution Ministry. I could not believe all these happening in just one day,” she reported.

“On Friday morning of June 3, we did another “drive-in food box distribution” in our church parking lot with Pastor Mike Maldonado and his wife Brenda joining us in the fun,” Dorie enthused.

“Just as He made the five loaves of bread and two fishes multiply, He multiplied our small care packages into something bigger to impact our community for Him,” she concluded.

– Dorie Panganiban, office manager and community outreach director, La Vida Mission; photos supplied.

By Alise Weber – Littleton, Colorado . . . The sun peeked through the clouds and shone down on the lawn of the Littleton church just in time for the evening outdoor church service.  Just an hour earlier, wild winds, angry clouds, and a downpour, complete with hail, had touched upon the same ground.

Members were gathering for this evening worship service on June 6 to conclude their seven-week series on Esther, led by pastors Andy Nash and Chris Morris. In the spirit of celebration, as the Jewish nation did when saved from certain death, a Purim celebration was planned directly after the church service.

As the worship service concluded, Nash ended with inspiring words that reflected on the bravery of Esther. The members were challenged “to go forward to make a difference in this world, as Esther did.”

Then, the Purim celebration began!

Individually wrapped baklava with bags of pre-packaged popcorn and bottles of water were handed to attendees ready to rejoice in the spirit of victory. Children volunteered to reenact a play depicting the story of Esther. The script was read, the actors and actresses used their improvisational skills to act out the scenes, and the joyful crowd joined in by offering comedic boos and cheers as each scene unfolded.

Following the skit, the assembly participated in traditional Hebrew dancing. A giant circle was formed on the lawn, wide enough for everyone to social distance.  As the music began, everyone used a grapevine step to the right and then twirled in unison before clapping twice. Several rounds of Hebrew dancing followed before the glow of the sunlight began to fade.

The film, “One Night with the King,” began playing on the screen, and children eagerly grabbed their chairs for a chance to watch.

“It was a beautiful night, that not only revisited the story of the brave queen who saved her people from death but made Scripture come alive by adding a multi-sensory experience that all ages could enjoy,” one of the pastors commented.

—Alise Weber is associate pastor for children’s and family ministry; photos supplied, video by Cesiah Morris

Casper, Wyoming … With all that has been going on in our country over the past few months, including the shut-down of many gatherings, Casper church families requested a graduation appreciation Sabbath ceremony for their many young adults who graduated from high school and college this year. Since Casper Church began drive-in services on May 9 and reopened its regular services on Memorial Day weekend, May 23, they were able to accommodate this request.

Casper was grateful they were able to provide some recognition for their achievements due to most ceremonies being cancelled due to Covid-19, Pastor Shayne commented. The Casper congregation celebrated these 2020 graduates on Sabbath, June 6:  Alexis Dvarishkis, Lacey Evert, Adam Cornett and Timmy and Jeff Pike.

The church also extended recognition to Austin Pedersen (pictured), in their sister church in Wheatland, who graduated this year as well.

Pastor Shayne joined them in his own Andrews University regalia, preaching on “How to Overcome Fears,” and encouraging each graduate to pursue their calling by facing failure as a normal part of learning and growth.

“The churches in Casper and Wheatland are very proud of their accomplishments. We pray that God will continue to bless and walk with every single one of them,” Pastor Shayne added.

—Casper Church Communications; photos by Anca Vincent, Traci Pike & Liz Cornett, and Cynthia Pedersen.

By Karla Klemm — What makes up the fabric of a life? How can I explain my love for cooking, enjoying a walk in the woods and reading a good book, especially poetry? These traits most assuredly come from a variety of people in my life, especially my maternal grandmother, Millicent “Milly” Doleman Barrett.

She was born February 3, 1907 to a young mother in northern Idaho who, for an unknown reason, was not able to care for her. In the same town, there lived a couple, John and Agnes Doleman, who had three teenage boys–James, Horrace, and Frank.  They had always wanted a girl, so as my grandmother recounted to me, “when they heard of this homeless baby, they took her into their home and adopted her”. Her older brothers loved her dearly and doted on her. There were always interesting things to do on their ranch–horses to ride, cows to herd and chickens to feed. One of the boys had a goat and he would hitch it to a wagon and give Milly a ride.

As she grew, she decided to become a teacher and attended Walla Walla College for two years. She later recounted to me her pride in the fact that she was adopted by a Seventh-day Adventist family. Her parents had joined the church when their three boys were quite young.

My grandmother met Raymond Barrett in Oregon at a bus junction and they later eloped in 1928, much to the chagrin of both sides of the family (they went on to be married for 58 years). They had one daughter, Joanne, my mother. As I grew up near my grandparents, they were like second parents to me and my brother and sister. We had many lazy summer days playing in the nearby woods, reading books aloud and running around the perimeter of the house to see how high we could get our heart rate to go. I can still taste the homemade bread and Tillamook cheddar cheese sandwiches she would make for us after climbing the hill from the bottom of the driveway where the school bus dropped us.

My grandmother would have been most interested if there had been ancestry.com when she was alive. The mystery of the origin of her birth family was a consistent presence in her life, yet how fortunate she felt to have been adopted by her family. This makes me reflect on how awesome and special adoption can be.

In the words of Jon Piper, “Adoption is the visible gospel.”

I have huge appreciation and admiration for those who are able to adopt children. From what I’ve read and heard, it swells the heart beyond measure. I look forward to the day when I might know the full origins of my family tree. In the meantime, I’m so thankful for the family who made room in their hearts for my dear grandmother.

—Karla Klemm is a member of the Grand Junction, Colorado church; she facilitates church community events.

Pictured (left to right) is James, John, Frank, Agnes and Horace with young Milly.