30 Days of Thanksgiving, Day 30: Influencers

Today, on this last day of the original challenge/exercise, I am expressing my thanks to God for all of the men and women that He has used in my life to influence me over the past 50 years. Some have been in my life the entire time, and others have passed through more quickly. Still others simply brushed past me and jostled me as we passed.

I have in mind today those who were, have been, and are “live” players in my life, including mentors, teachers, leaders, and friends whose voice I have heard and whose touch I have felt. I am also thinking, however, of those who have stirred me without knowing it. Some, even, have influenced me even after they have departed this life. Not in some eerie, ghostlike phantasm but in the form of the words that they left behind, written down on pages for anyone to read.

“No man is an island,” John Donne said. The man that I am today, and the man that I shall become, has been and is being shaped and fashioned by a host of influencers. It is quite likely that, if you are reading this, to have been, you are, and/or you will be one of the influencers in my life. Thank you, and thanks be to God for you.

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30 Days of Thanksgiving, Day 23: My Family Heritage

Today I am writing to express my thankfulness for the heritage of my family-on both sides--of Christian faith and service for Christ. You might say that vocational Christian service (notably, pastors and Christian school teachers/administration) is our "family business."

For many years I have known about my father's side of the family, the Ashleys. My dad had two brothers, both of whom are pastors. My dad trained to be a funeral director after coming home from World War II, so the natural family joke was "two to get ready and one to go." In my generation, there are (out of 12 children) four pastors and three Christian school teachers/administrators. While we weren't pushed into ministry, I have no doubt that our family's heritage helped to make vocational ministry a viable option.

Just recently, however, I discovered that this legacy is also in my mother's ancestry, also. In fact, about 3 years ago I discovered that I am a direct descendent of Rev. Obadiah Holmes (1607-1682). Rev. Holmes was born in Northern England in around 1607, and traveled to New England in 1639, arriving in Salem, Massachusetts along with his wife Catherine. (You can read more about him here: http://homepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~sam/obadiah.html )

Obadiah is significant in church history, especially among Baptists, because he is believed to be the first Christian to suffer persecution because of the convictions of his faith here in the "new world." This persecution came in the form of a public beating--30 lashes with a three-stranded whip. What strikes me as both strange and sad is that the reason for this persecution was that Holmes, a Baptist in his convictions, was persecuted at the hands of the Puritan Christians that held the power and influence in his town. Thus, he became the first Christian to shed blood because of his faith here in the New World. He did not die as a result of his beating, of course, and he went on to become the second pastor of the First Baptist Church in America, succeeding Dr. John Clarke as the pastor of the Baptist church in Newport, Rhode Island. He remained in that pulpit for 30 years, until his death in 1682.

When I learned the story of Rev. Obadiah Holmes, and learned that he is my great (x12) grandfather on my mother's side of my family tree, I felt, and feel, an overwhelming sense of connection with this man who, for 30 years nearly 330 years ago, had essentially the same "job" as I have today, preaching and proclaiming the same gospel message, and seeking to make disciples for Jesus Christ.

Heavenly Father, thank you for this heritage of Christian service in my family, going back into the far distant past. Thank you for their example to me, and for the encouragement that it brings.

30 Days of Thanksgiving, Day 19: My Pastors

Today in my thoughts of thankfulness marches a squad of remarkable men. These men have little in common in their outward appearance. Some are tall, some slim, some erect, some bent over. Some are smiling and cheerful in their countenance, while others wear a grim visage.

These men are my Pastors. Each one has had the role of shepherd in my life, and I render honor and respect to every one of them. Some taught me by their words, some showed my by their example, and a few did both consistently. Some little part of each one of these men has molded and shaped the person I am today, and the person I am becoming. I liken them to the tools a master craftsman carries in his toolbox. Each tool has a particular purpose and is used to accomplish a particular task. The hammer is used to drive nails home and to tap the chisel. The file and the rasp are used to shape and smooth. The screwdriver is used to...well, anyway,  the sandpaper and polishing cloth are used to smooth and finish the job. God has used each of the men on my list to do in my life what God knew needed to be done at that time in my life. I thank God for these men, and for those who are still living and serving God, I honor them and pray for their continued fruitfulness. This list is generally organized in chronological order.

Pastor Jack Beukema, First Baptist Church, Afton, NY
Pastor Howard Carlson, First Baptist Church, Afton, NY
Pastor Louis Caruana, First Baptist Church, Afton, NY
Pastor Ken Rogers, Berean Bible Church, Greene, NY
Pastor Joseph Mugglesworth, Lehigh Baptist Church, Philadelphia, PA
Pastor Tom Rauch, Lehigh Baptist Church, Philadelphia, PA
Pastor Ken Wilcox, First Baptist Church, Bristol, PA
Pastor James Bates, Mansfield Baptist Church, Port Murray, NJ
Pastor Don Stone, Victory Baptist Church, Berlin, Germany
Pastor Mike Peper, First Baptist Church, Aston, PA
Pastor Bruce Baker, Immanuel Bible Church, Campbell Hall, NY
Pastor Cam Thompson, First Baptist Church, Newburgh, NY

And, in a unique ministry to me,

Pastor Don Ashley, Scipio Community Church, Scipio Center, NY and Highland Bethel Evangelical Mennonite Church, Fort Wayne, IN.

Thank you, Pastors. God has blessed me through your ministry.

30 Days of Thanksgiving, Day 13: Colleagues in Ministry

Today I am thankful to God (when I say "I am thankful", I mean "I am thanking God" and not just chance, luck, the Great Spirit, Fate, or any other non-specific thing or being) for those who labor with me, whether up close or from a distance, in pastoral ministry in churches here in the Mid-Hudson Valley, around New York State, in the Tri-State area (NY-NJ-PA), and elsewhere.

Over the years I have made a number of friends who are now, or have been, pastors. A few of them have already gone on ahead into Glory, and are among the "cloud of witnesses" mentioned in Hebrews 12:1. Most, though, are still accessible to me, whether by e-mail, Facebook, phone call, or even face-to-face visit. We collaborate in sharing ideas, we rely upon one another when trying out new ideas, we commiserate with one another over common disappointments and challenges in ministry, we pray for and with one another, we laugh, we cry, and encourage one another.

As I write, and as I was composing today's entry in my head during my shower this morning (no singing for me today!) names and faces cycled through my thoughts. Even now they continue like a carousel slide projector (the precursor to a PowerPoint Presentation, for those who may need me to draw you a diagram...) but I hesitate to start listing names lest I unintentionally snub a dear friend by omitting his or her name.

Later today, at our Annual Mid-Hudson/Union Association of American Baptist Churches of New York State (just our name is a run-on sentence!), I will see some of the very colleagues I am writing about this morning. I am always glad to see them, and I always feel lifted up when I have talked with one or with several of them, or have read an e-mail, blog entry or Facebook post from them. I thank God for my co-laborers in ministry, my fellow pastors.

Dear Heavenly Father, I thank you today for the men and women that You have called, prepared, appointed, anointed, empowered, and all the other things that You have done and always do to put Your servant in Your pulpit in Your church today. Bless each one especially today, and please let each one know that they are appreciated. Thank You, Father, for the gift of pastors, and especially those who are known to me. In Jesus' Name I pray this. Over...

30 Days of Thanksgiving, Day 12

Today I am thankful for my grandparents: Carlton and Iva (Guernsey) Shaver on my mother's side of the family, and Milton Willard and Lucille (Davies) Ashley on my father's side of the family.

My "Grampy", Carlton Shaver, was a farmer and a postal carrier, but more than that, he was a Giant among men in his community. He was beloved by all in the area. I loved to sit near him as a little boy (on his lap if I was quick enough) and tell stories about fishing, about hunting, about snowstorms, about delivering Christmas packages after hours on Christmas Eve, or just about anything else. He was quick with his laugh, and when he laughed, the earth shook in laughter around him. I loved my Grampy, and to this day I carry his name proudly, for my parents gave me his name, Carlton, as my middle name.

Grandma and Grandpa Ashley were made of different "stuff." Grandpa A. was retired from IBM already when I became aware of what he did, or used to do, for a living. He had many small tools, probably because he worked on fine machinery. He was a meticulously neat and organized person. I remember going through his things after he died, and coming across a cigar box carefully labeled: "pieces of string too short to keep." Sure enough, the cigar box was full of short pieces of string, that evidently were NOT, in fact, TOO short to keep.

It is Grandma Ashley, though, that was in my mind the more remarkable of the Ashley grandparents. She was stern and sharp-tongued, but her Welsh heart was full of love for me and the rest of her 13 grandchildren. She was a praying woman, and I know that she prayed for me every day (probably at the precise same time each day!) even as I finished college and entered the ministry.

Though all four of my grandparents are with the Lord now and inaccessible to me, I still think of them often. Something will remind me of one of Grampy Shaver's stories, or a life lesson he taught me. Something else will trigger a memory of Grandma Ashley and her labors in prayer. Whatever it is that brings back to my mind thoughts of my wonderful grandparents, I always am willing to linger a moment on the memory, and in my heart, I smile and give thanks.