Thanksgiving 2017

I grew up in New Brighton, Pennsylvania, during the 1960's.  It's a small, western Pennsylvania river town.  My Dad lived there most of his life (except a few years in Beaver Falls - after he married my Mom).  It was a good place to grow up.

My schools:

• Fourth Ward Elementary:  grades 1-4
• Thompson Elementary:  grades 5-6
• N.B. Junior High School:  grades 7-9
• N.B. Senior High School:  grades 10-12

I received an excellent education and am grateful to the many teachers who had a positive influence on my life!  

Small-town communities maintain traditions.  Every year, at that time, the protestants would collaborate on a Community Thanksgiving Worship.  It would move from year-to-year among the various churches in town that could hold the crowd.  This service was held at 10:00 AM on Thanksgiving Day - which had to have been terribly inconvenient for the women who were preparing Thanksgiving feasts!  

Most of the time, our family attended;  there may have been a couple of times that I went with just my father.  It was an amazing experience!  I loved the grand pipe organs of some of the big Presbyterian churches.  The architecture of the Lutheran churches impressed me and the liturgical signs of the United Methodists were intriguing.  The singing of traditional Thanksgiving hymns was part of the experience.  Worshiping with our neighbors was wonderful!  I would see other students from my school there with their parents!  Sometimes that sort of surprised me!   :-)

It was a wonderful time of community spirit anchored in our common faith in an Almighty God!  Love and respect permeated the air!  I miss that...

Each year, like you, I reflect on the things I'm thankful for.  Our lists would probably be somewhat similar.  

• My wife!  Debbie is gone at least one day a week to be with her Mom for 24-hours!  It's amazing how much I miss her companionship those days!  We've been friends since 1968 (married for 44 of them).  We've shared lots of joy and some pain together.  She's been patient with me.  We continue to love sharing our lives on a daily basis!  It's hard to comprehend what it will be like next spring when I leave her for months to hike the Appalachian Trail...
• Our children!  We've been texting today about how much we enjoyed Travis' abilities in the kitchen!  He was such a source of pride and joy in our lives!  He blessed us by spending holidays with us well into his adult life!  We miss him terribly.  Troy and Missy have bought a new house;  we're so excited for them!  They live less than ten minutes from us!  They're caught up in lots of improvements on the house as they seek to "make it their own"!  It's such a comfort for us to have Troy close by.  Tracie and Jon live in Connecticut.  We get to see them a bit more now that we're retired, but it's still a long trip.  We're so proud of Jon and his accomplishments in the Navy.  Tracie is an amazing wife and mother.  And Rylie and Coltin are so special to us!  
• Our home!  We've lived in many different parsonages and homes over the years.  Most of them, we were a bit reluctant to put holes in the wall or suggest structural changes, because it didn't really belong to us.  So, you can imagine our joy at now having our OWN HOME!  We are so comfortably snuggled into the hillside in Heron Woods (in Enon Valley).  We're only a couple miles from the farm where Deb grew up!  Four of her sisters and two brothers live minutes away.  Our home is surrounded by tall pines and we overlook two small lakes that are teeming with fish!  
• Our friends!  Although we have not cultivated many close friends, we enjoy a wide circle of caring support that reaches literally around the world!  At times of loss or difficulty, we have been so generously supported in prayer and with other expressions of love and thoughtfulness.  

Both of us were raised in Christian homes and appreciate the tremendous advantages that were ours as a result!  That foundation was so important;  we tried to pass that favor along to our kids!

I've been so favored throughout my life!  I've tried to respond with a generous heart as a result.  I'm so thankful for the freedoms I've enjoyed that came at such a high cost by many in our military!  I will always stand to honor this country and our flag.  My earliest memory is of my Dad taking me to a Veteran's Day parade (when I was three) and teaching me to take off my hat when the flag went by!  It's deeply ingrained in me!

But most of all, I'm thankful for God's grace!  I am so aware of how inadequate I am and how completely undeserving I am of what He has done for me.  I'm continually overwhelmed by His patience and long-suffering!  He should have given up on me long ago, but He still keeps pursuing me and calling me.  I'm forever grateful!  

Although Thanksgiving is not celebrated in China, many of my former students have been texting me with messages over recent hours!  Their innocence, hope, creativity and joy were such a blessing to me!  We've had numerous conversations with them since last night and feel so privileged to have lived and walked among them for three years!  

Even though we've settled in here at Heron Woods, we still have an adventurous spirit!  We're a little anchored right now because of Debbie's participation in caring for her mother, but don't be surprised if someday you hear that we've headed off to some foreign point on another life-adventure under God's grace and guidance.

For now, I'm counting my blessings - naming them one by one.  And I'm GRATEFUL!  

BLESSINGS ON CORNERSTONE

Our family showed up at Cornerstone Church in March, 1996.  We arrived after a spiraling period of confusion and chaos.  After leading a church in Spencerville, MD for two-and-a-half years, I resigned because of a family crisis.  We packed all our belongings up in the two-car garage (with the church's permission) and headed for the Whippo family farm in western Pennsylvania.

After a month with Debbie's parents, we moved to an apartment in an empty building in Chester, WV (rent-free, courtesy of a special friend).  I spent the next several months looking for any kind of a job that would produce income.  Finally, Debbie and I interviewed with the Shelter Care social serving agency in Akron, OH.  Short story:  we were hired and began work about two weeks later.

At first, we lived in Cuyahoga Falls.  On Sunday, we knew we'd attend the Cornerstone Church;  we had attended seminary at the same time as Charlie and Brenda Young.  We'd heard of the stability, vision and growth of this congregation and were excited to be a part of their ministry. 

I called ahead to get the times for worship.  We arrived early:  me, Debbie, Troy (15) and Tracie (14).  We stood in the foyer waiting for the first service to end.  As the service time grew closer, the foyer began to fill!  Eventually, we were pushed over to the entrance to the office suite.  More and more people crowded into this limited space.  We could hear the worship team leading the congregation in the closing song.  Excitement was building!  By now the room was so packed with people, I wondered how anyone would get out of the service.  

Suddenly, the ushers (I remember that Dave Potter was one of them) pushed the doors open and people started streaming for the front doors!  Amazingly, the crowd parted as they passed through.  People were high-fiving us as they left the building, giving hints of what we should expect!  At one point Troy (over 6' tall) leaned over to me and told me, "Dad, I think I'm going to like this church!"  We were all feeling the excitement;  I asked him why?  His response was golden:  "There're a lot of good-looking girls that attend here!"  :-)

Gradually, we were able to squeeze through the crowd and enter the sanctuary.  People were literally running to get seats!  Dave Haydu was the worship leader at the time;  he did a great job!  The music was new to us and invigorating spiritually.  Brenda Young's message was on-target!  We knew we had found our new church.

That very day, the congregation was saying farewell to an associate pastor.  As a result, Brenda fairly quickly asked if I was allowed (by Shelter Care) to hold another position.  In a matter of weeks, I started as a part-time associate.  In June, her other associate left to attend seminary.  I stepped into the full-time role of Lead Associate and stayed for nearly six years.

Being free of the lead role, I was able to work in areas of strength and develop relationships.  I trained several Men's Ministry Teams while there.  I did a lot of oversight of the nearly twelve members of the staff (many were part time).  I picked up the nickname of the guy who wore many hats.

Our lives were on full-throttle during these years.  The Cornerstone family accepted us completely.  They also enfolded the many children and youth that we brought from our shelter home!  We felt so blessed to be part of this phenomenal work of God.  Cornerstone is the only church I've ever known where seventy-five percent of the congregation are first-generation believers!  It may sound like an exaggeration to say that we saw commitments to Christ EVERY WEEK - but it's the truth!

Jim Stetler became a role model and dear friend during these years.  He's one of the most amazing evangelists and disciplers that I have personally known.  He was tenacious!  I admire him deeply!

Working with Brenda was a highlight of my career!  I learned so much from watching her and sitting under her ministry!  She is an exceptional leader who invests deeply and places great demands on her staff!  I will be fore ver grateful for the investment she made in my life and ministry!

Our time in Akron was fraught with ongoing family dilemmas and stresses.  Our Cornerstone family coddled us and our kids and our shelter kids.  The prayers of God's people saw us through a seven-year process of recovery.  And praise the Lord, Troy remained in Akron and at Cornerstone even when we moved on to New Middletown.  He became established in his faith and began to participate as a leader in the young adult ministry!  Thanks be to God.

It was when we arrived at Cornerstone that I decided to change my name.  On our first Sunday, I asked Brenda if she would help me do that.  I had always disliked the name Harold, so, with her help everyone in Akron began to know me as Hal.  :-)  [It's short for Hallelujah!]

There are SO MANY stories that could be told.  In the late fall of the same year we arrived, I stepped in temporarily as worship leader.  The connection with the people was so strong that I continued that role until we left in the summer of 2003.  The church grew to three services during that season and we were thrilled to be a small part of it!

We were led into ministries that we would never have dreamed of.  Debbie came to lead a Bible study for a group of women who were trying to break away from destructive life patterns.  She remembers mentioning Moses in the first study meeting;  these women said they'd heard his name, but wanted to know who he really was.  We were called to some of these homes for crisis interventions at all hours of the day (or night).  They became our newest friends!  God was so gracious and kind to work in us and through us during these years!

Gradually, my role emerged to be more of counseling than anything else.  Brenda also counsels.  We also had a counseling center in the church staffed by members of the congregation:  Cornerstone Care!  We were constantly reaching people who were caught in the perils of life and were looking for a lifeline!

Discerning and training leaders was a major part of our role!  No one does that better than Brenda Young!  She taught me to hold the crown over people's heads and let them grow into it!  [Those who know Brenda have heard those words before...]

I feel the pain of the current congregation as they leave a building that has many memories.  However, I am fully confident that He who began a good work in you, WILL COMPLETE IT until the day of Jesus Christ!  Keep the ministry strong, Cornerstone people!  Keep loving and caring for those who need it!  Keep snatching them from the fire!  God isn't finished with you YET!!!!!  Trust Him to cover the details!

Much love and frequent prayers from Pastor Hal!!!!!!!!!

BIG SHOES TO FILL

I read on FaceBook that my friend, Dale Garrett, died Tuesday.  When I passed this word to my son, Troy, he expressed the same genuine sorrow that I did when I heard the news.  We sat in the same row with Dale and Pat on Sunday morning at church.  It's hard to believe that he's gone.  Genuine sympathies to Pat and his family!

I was Dale's pastor for nine years.  He was a regular attender and continual encourager.  His unique laugh echoed in our halls and his charismatic smile infected anyone around.  

Dale drew a crowd when he started into his story-telling mode.  His 'bigger-than-life' stories were captivating and often left you wondering how much was actually accurate.  I've heard him tell stories about his brothers and sisters on numerous occasions.  They must have been a tough bunch!  He made them sound like lumberjacks or studio-wrestling types.   He would unwind his stories and look you right-in-the-eye and say, "It's the truth!"  :-)

The whole community will miss him for his assumed role as Santa Claus every Christmas season!  He served the children and adults of our area for years as its greatest advocate of genuine Christmas joy!  He was tireless in portraying this venerable character!  Nobody did it better!

We invited him to stop by one year when our grandchildren were visiting.  They were apparently too young to appreciate him and stood watching from behind their mother.  But Dale spent over an hour trying to coax them to his side.  

Eventually he turned his attention to our son, Troy, and our son-in-law, Jon.  Before long, he had Troy on the floor teaching him how to do a one-handed push-up!  And the stories rolled...

This expression of Christmas joy came to fruition one year during our NIGHT OF JOY celebration.  As we presented the Christmas story that year, I had asked Dale to be a part of the evening.  He showed up - in costume - and greeted people in the foyer before and after the program - picture-taking abounded!  

But the most meaningful moment of the evening came when Dale (Santa) came forward at the climax of the play and knelt at the manger for a few moments.  Powerful!

Many kids grew up at Free Methodist Community Church thinking that Santa attended their church all year long!  

One of the things I loved about serving Free Methodist Community Church was the fact that we were rich with men on Sundays.  There were a number of times during my tenure that I made a special appeal to men in the congregation.  Each time I did so, Dale Garrett was the first on his feet and moving toward the front.  I have no doubt that he loved the Lord and sincerely tried to be a good man!  

Dale's generosity was a hallmark!  He gave freely of his time, talent and treasure.  On a couple of occasions he encouraged me to borrow his Corvette to use in taking Debbie out on a special date.  I guess I was too proud to accept his offer which is a shame because I know he really wanted me to do so.  

In 2012, Debbie and I left our role at FMCC and headed for China to teach English.  Dale was so excited for us.  Many years earlier, he and Pat had lived in Japan for a number of years and he regaled me with stories of the different countries they had visited and lived in.  He strongly reassured me that this experience would be valuable and enjoyable.  Of course, he was right!  

During our three years in China, communications gradually declined - the "out-of-sight, out-of-mind" principle at work!  We distinctly felt the loss even among our family.  We had some pretty lonely holidays during those years.  But Dale never quit communicating!  I have a file of stories that he sent along that brought me laughter and joy at a time of relative isolation.  He kept me informed about his grandchildren and his other activities.  

Like so many others, I'm going to miss him!  I'll miss that high-pitched "He he he..." that signaled his excitement!  I'll miss him coming up to me and telling me:  "Pastor Hal, you're a good man!"  He was the good man!  He made an impression!  Be sure that my prayers will prevail for Pat and the rest of this special family!  Heaven is richer as this new resident thunders down the streets of gold!  

If you'd like to read his obituary, copy and paste this link:  

http://www.vindy.com/news/tributes/2017/nov/02/dale-l-garret/