March 20 CLE Meeting

Another beautiful Sunday afternoon prayer meeting.  Clare Holmes shares a personal testimony about her time with the CLE and Brendan Murray joined us from Lansing and spoke on the new life Christ has brought to us.

March 8 CLE Meeting

David Williamson gave the first in a two part talk on the prophet Jeremiah and covenant.

February 21 CLE Meeting

We had a great meeting this past Sunday filled with good worship, and many children running around making a joyful noise before and after the prayer meeting.  Our own Caedy Convis shared how the Lord has been teaching her about surrender.  Ken Noecker, the presiding elder for the Servants of the Word brotherhood (the overall leader) spoke on  the promise given to Abraham to be a blessing to all the nations.

(The first few seconds of the recording for Caedy were cut off)

February 9 CLE Meeting

Along with a delicious meal on the cusp of Lent and a stirring time of worship, we were able to hear a testimony from Annemarie McCarthy on how the Lord has been working through challenges in her life, and a talk  from Noel Delgadillo on Abraham and Lord cutting the covenant.

January 24 CLE Meeting

The theme of looking at covenant in the scripture continued at the meeting with a look at the corrupt covenant present in the construction of the Tower of Babel.  Scott Biggerstaff also gave a great testimony on the Lord's work in his life.

January 12 CLE Meeting

At our first prayer meeting of Paddy McFadden offered an inspiring testimony about offering our lives and important decisions to the Lord, and Noel Delgadillo gave a talk on "Creation and Covenant".  Many of the talks in the coming months will be looking at different places in scripture where the theme of covenant is prominent.

This is not a picture of Noel relaxing before the start of a Lord's Day celebration, but it could be one of his ancestors.

December 8 CLE Meeting

Brittney Shellenbarger gave part of her testimony and James Munk gave a stirring talk on the topic of unity.

November 24 CLE Meeting

The main focus of the meeting was a follow-up to the previous talk on listening to the Lord and we took time to pray for one another and listen to what he was saying in small groups.  Sylvia Oleck did give a testimony on her mission trip experience which is well worth listening to.

Mt. Assiniboine, photo credit Nico Angleys

November 10 CLE Meeting

Charlie Bleish gave a personal testimony about evangelism and how a friend helped draw him to the Lord, and Sam Williamson gave a talk on Listing to God, both well worth listening to.

Mt. Assinboine Provincial Park, photo credit Nico Angleys

October 27 CLE Meeting

Brooks Carlson form Daivd Williamson's home church in Ann Arbor spoke from his heart some words of encouragement and challenge to members of the CLE.

October 13 CLE Meeting

Photo credit: Nico Angleys - Backpackers on the move

Septemeber 29 CLE Meeting

Jim Parr gave a scripture rich and memorable reflection on generosity at our meeting on 9/29.

Its a sandwich, no its a butterfly ... stop you're both right! (photo from hgtv.com)

September 15 CLE Meeting

The 1st CLE meeting of the fall.  We rolled out the theme for the new fall and start of the fourth year of the CLE - Transformation in Christ as a Holy Spirit centered people.

Photo Credit - Nico Angleys used with permission

Photo Credit Nico Angleys, Used with permission

Summer CLE Meetings

A little back log happened over the summer.  Here are a set of talks from the summer that didn't get posted in a timely manner.

July 14 CLE Meeting

Noel Delgadillo spoke on Dreaming with the Lord, particularly inspired by Psalms 126 and 137.

June 2 CLE Meeting

Brian Laba spoke on two encounters with Christ on the road, the disciples on the road to Emmaus in Luke 24 and the conversion of Saul on the road to Damascus in Acts 9.

May 19 CLE Meeting

Dallas Burkholder and Janice Firn from Ann Arbor compellingly spoke on the encounter of Zacchaeus with Jesus Christ in Luke 19.  

Luckily I was able to turn up a picture of the tree that Zacchaeus climbed.

April 21 CLE Meeting

Dave Hughes from the Word of Life Community in Ann Arbor gave a marvelous reflection on Luke 8:40-56, the dual encounter of Jairus the synagogue leader and the woman with the flow of blood.

CLE Service Project

A number of folks were able to help get Calvin CRC's neighborhood assistance house cleaned up and ready for ministry during an April 11 service project.  Here are some pictures from that.

Maundy Thursday mediation

Bekah Williamson gave us a great meditation when we gathered together for night prayers on Holy Thursday evening.  Well worth looking at if you weren't able to be there.

Dummy Subjects

This Lent I’ve been reflecting a lot on English grammar. This wasn’t my original intent when planning for the season, but God can speak through anything I suppose. In this reflecting I’ve discovered a connection between grammar and my own spirituality.

Work with me.

In English there is something called a Dummy subject. Dummy subjects are stand in words, signifiers whose job is to point back to the main subject.

The party is tonight. It will be fun.

It is the Dummy subject. The important thing about Dummy subjects is that they mean nothing on their own. They are hollow signposts reminding us of what is actually meaningful.

I have many Dummy subjects in my life: grad school, work, small group, and Monday night Founders. I can pick and choose however I like, I can arrange them in order of favorites but all of them are mere signposts. There one and only job is to point me to Christ.

That’s the precursor to my reflections. All these Dummy subjects are ‘supposed’ to point me to Christ but instead they point me to themselves or, more dangerously, to myself.

In theory Lent is meant to be a season to forget ourselves, to forsake particular luxuries and favorite pastimes. It is a time to fast—to pray—to meditate.

Notice I said ‘in theory?’ Because in actuality we have Dummy subjects cropping up all over Lent trying to point us in the wrong directions, away from the cross and onto ourselves.

John 13: 3-13.

I love Peter. He makes all the mistakes and we get to learn from them. He gets caught up with the Dummy subject of being washed. Of being tangibly clean, ‘ then also my head and my hands’, when Christ—the GREATEST SUBJECT OF ALL TIME—kneels before him offering a simple blessing.

Okay.

Here is my actual reflection.

We have a lot on this earth and in our individual lives to be thankful for. Three months ago we sang “Oh Holy Night” and celebrated the birth of a common-born baby who came to set us free from sin.

But it all leads to this. To this weekend. This series of events prophesied about thousands of years ago.

Today is Holy Thursday. Tomorrow is Good Friday.

All of creation leads into Good Friday. The crucifixion is the main subject of everything. Things that came before it, what came after, and even the events of this world that will occur after our own deaths.

All creation stands as a signpost pointing to Good Friday. To the sacrifice knowingly given, willingly given.

This Lent I’ve spent too much time in front of mirrors attempting to figure myself out. What my purpose is, where I am going in life, why I am in Grand Rapids. All until today actually, thinking about tomorrow. I looked in the mirror and realized I too am a Dummy subject.

I am a signpost.

My only purpose is to point to the cross and the resurrection.