My Earth Day at Laurel Lake Camp

November 23, 2009

“Earth Day” for me took place on November 22, 2009. I was out at Laurel Lake Camp and Retreat center conducting a Spiritual Retreat for the PA Conference Educators. We practiced focused Bible study, prayer, journaling and a discipline of silence for 14 hours each day, in order to come apart from the press of the world, and listen for the leading of God through prayer and meditation. (See chapter 38 in Desire of Ages, “Come Rest Awhile”)
During the morning while observing silence, I would walk 2-4 miles. Sunday morning I decided as I walked the road along LLC, that I would take 2 large garbage bags and pick up the trash along the side of the road on LLC’s property.



While doing that, I came to an amazing discovery! Alcohol drinkers have to be the worst litter bugs of all! Through a scientific process, I found there to be more discards from alcohol drinkers than any other type of trash. That was rated by quantity, volume and weight. Even when you factor in the junk tire I found, the beer bottles, cans and six pack carriers took up more space and weight in my bags that all other trash combined.
While helping to clean up the roadside for LLC, I wondered why there are more beer garbage items than even plastic soda bottles.
What if just some of the energy dedicated to greenhouse gasses and global warming also included factoring in the amount of energy and waste that goes into making glass beer bottles and aluminum beer cans that are then thrown out alongside of the highways and polluter our ecology?
It also made me think that as Seventh-day Adventists, we could be among those who are committed to responsible garbage management and reasonable environment issues. As children of God, as wise stewards of God’s world, as those who recognized that “The earth is the Lords and the fullness thereof…” we could be intentional about caring for God’s world and using the best wise management of its resources.
One day soon, Jesus will come and take us from this sin-filled world. The fact that we are soon to leave this world, does not mean we can leave off wise and proper environmental actions, just because we are about to leave the world. This world is a training ground for living throughout eternity with the Lord. And in a world re-created by the Savior, we want to bring habits of care and trust. Can God trust us to properly appreciate the beauty and inter-connectedness of His creation, His natural world? Will we treat the earth made new any better than we are currently treating the handiwork of God here in this world?
It was great to pick up LLC’s roadways and “spruce up” our camp.
What will I do at home? What might you do in God’s home that He has entrusted us with?

PA Educator's Spiritual Retreat

PRESIDENT’S BLOG
November 22, 2009

This weekend I spent with a group of our PA Conference Educators at Laurel Lake Camp and Retreat center conducting a Spiritual Retreat. What a great group of people! We are privileged to have them caring for our young people’s Christian Education.

We practiced focused Bible study, prayer, journaling and a discipline of silence for 14 hours each day, in order to come apart from the press of the world, and listen for the leading of God through prayer and meditation. (See chapter 38 in Desire of Ages, “Come Rest Awhile”)

There is something profound about stopping all the routine activities, all the motions and actions, all the sounds and duties. Something freeing about letting go of anxieties, cares and concerns, and just being still in the presence of God. Jesus invited His disciples to do that, and He encourages us to do the same.

While at the retreat, we read the entire Chapter 38 from Desire of Ages, as a group, each person reading a paragraph out loud to the rest of the group, and then meditating and/or commenting on it.

We also focused our attention over the 3 day span on John 15:1-17, going over and over that passage, seeking new insights, or listening carefully to catch each message and meaning.

We had the delight of having Missi with us, who is a young lady from the Church Plant in Carnegie, PA She accompanied Mayda Clark, who is planting with her husband, Andres. Missi is not a Seventh-day Adventist. Her home has not included attending church more than just once in a while. Yet she has a heart for God and a desire to share what she is learning about Jesus. You might think that a teenager would find this kind of retreat boring. But she participated fully and gave some wonderful spiritual insights during our group times with the Bible.

Several teacher spouses attended, and they found the time just as enriching and fulfilling.
I myself, found the blessing of walking quietly in nature, sitting still to pray and reflect, and reading the scriptures followed by journaling the thoughts God brought to mind to be a watering of my soul.

Next year, we are planning another Spiritual Retreat. One for pastors on a Sunday-Tuesday schedule, and another for educators on a Friday-Sunday time.

NAD Meetings -- November 2009

PRESIDENT’S BLOG
November 11, 2009

Over this past week I attended the North American Division Year End meetings. They began with 2 days of meetings conducting by Adventist Risk Management. We received reports on employee health insurance and property casualty and prevention. During the employee health insurance, it looks like the NAD health insurance is moving to an employee wellness plan, much like the one pioneered by the Pennsylvania Conference.

Over the weekend we met at the General Conference Building and heard reports from the various departments of the NAD, and discussed and voted different policies. From the NAD Ministerial Department, we heard that the growth rate for the NAD is 15% growth rate for this time ending in 2009. The year of pastoral evangelism has greatly assisted that.

We also considered the cost of living issue, and voted to have no cost of living for the 2010-2011 year. This is totally appropriate, considering the tithe increase or rather decrease for most conferences, and the condition of the national economy. Also the employment and financial issues of many of our church members.

One of the thrilling stories to come from the NAD meetings involves HOPE TV. Just recently HOPE TV approached the satellite TV company, DIRECT TV with an application to be added to their TV channel offerings. DIRECT TV already had 250 non-profit agencies requesting to be added to DIRECT TV ahead of our request. The Board of DIRECT TV had Brad Thorpe, Candice Thorpe, Mark Finley and Fred Kinsey visit with them to present our proposal. While they were presenting, one of the top officials came into the meeting, sat down, listened for a while and then said, you are what we want and need on this satellite. So they approved the placement of HOPE TV on one of the largest TV Satellite companies with millions of subscribers. HOPE TV is now on Channel 368 on DIRECT TV. There is a special subscription rate for new subscribers who mention HOPE TV. Our pastors will be receiving this information in January.
I am dropping my subscription to Comcast Cable and have already had DIRECT TV installed so I can get HOPE TV at the house.

I had the opportunity to share lunch and an extended conversation with Bill Knott, editor of the Adventist Review and a long-time personal friend. I am really impressed with the changes and the quality of the Adventist Review.