Saturday, December 4, 2010
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Memoir of Ruth Gibble Faus Wolgemuth
This is not published in The LINK but it was written for publication in The Conference Journal of the Central Pennsylvania Conference of The United Methodist Church in which Mother and Father served for many years.
Memoir of Mrs. Ruth Faus Wolgemuth
The fourteenth of sixteen siblings, Ruth Wolgemuth was born on September 13, 1917 in rural Manheim, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. While not chosen as one of four children for a high school education she learned the blessing and honor of a good days work along with a fervent Christian faith from her parents, Albert Baker Faus and Annie Brubaker Gibble, a sister of Dr. Phares Brubaker Gibble, a prominent leader in the Evangelical United Brethren Church. She learned a simple, humble, and obedient lifestyle among the Brethren in Christ in Lancaster County. The gift of hospitality of her mother followed Ruth throughout her life. Ruth learned the blessing of hard work from her father on the farm, sometimes behind the cultivators harnessed to Amanda, her favorite mule. To help support the large family Ruth sewed shoes at Gerberich Payne Shoe Company in Mount Joy, a four-mile walk from the farm.
On September 16, 1938, Ruth married a neighbor, Paul Lehman Wolgemuth. Following nine years of farming in Lancaster County, she accepted the supportive role to her husband in full-time ministry. Together they served churches among the Brethren in Christ in Southwest Virginia, Central Pennsylvania, and South Central Kentucky. Upon Paul’s return to college, Ruth worked in food services at Messiah College to support the family of five.
Ministry with the Evangelical United Brethren Church/United Methodist Church began in 1961 with appointments in this annual conference in Sugar Valley, Bethleham/Springvale, Winfield, and Mifflinburg.
Ruth was known for her hearty laughter, her love of her siblings, her devotion to her husband and family. Her carefree and cheerful manner and her devotion to Jesus Christ were a blessing to the churches she and her husband served. She enjoyed time in the kitchen, singing, sewing, and gardening. After Paul’s decease in 1999 Ruth made her home in Lewisburg, Pennsylania, and her last years at the Blue Ridge Christian Home near her daughter in Virginia.
Cancer took the earthly life of Ruth on May 29, 2009. Her funeral service was held at Albright United Methodist Church in Winfield. She is interred at the church of her youth, Mastersonville Brethren in Christ Church near Manheim.
Ruth is mother to Gerald Wolgemuth of Harrisburg, Doris Fredricksen of Fairfield, Virginia, and Dennis Wolgemuth of Hershey, Pennsylvania. At the time of Ruth’s death, there were seven grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.
In the thoughts of her children, in the words of Solomon, and in the language of Ruth’s youth, “She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness. Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her.
Finally in the benediction heard hundreds of times from her husband, Paul, “Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.”
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Can ya' throw 'yer hat through the tree?
February always found me standing in the middle of the orchard, pruning shears in one hand, saw in the other, ready to wreak havoc on a dozen unsuspecting fruit trees. A nearby grape vine was also destined for little mercy.
I might have picked up some genes from my great-grandfather. He would have been called a great orchardman in his day. I remember a cherry tree of his that had three kinds of cherries growing on the same tree because Daniel was an expert at grafting. A grape vine he planted around the turn of the twentieth century still yields bushels of succulent Concord grapes.
I was a bit too timid to be a good “orchard terrorist.” You must be one of those to get big apples, plums, quince, and grapes. To me it always seemed a travesty to literally cut away two-thirds of the growth of a beautiful tree or vine, but a good orchardman should show very little mercy. “Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain fruit destined for the cider press.”
I did my best to heed the advice of the experts through the years, but it was tough. “Don’t prune your own trees. Have a stranger do it. You won’t cut enough away.” I didn’t really know any strangers willing to prune my trees.I did pretty well with, “ ‘Yer not done prunin’ ‘til ‘ya can throw ‘yer hat through the tree.”
A productive orchard is one under the scrutiny of someone who finds the dead wood and turns it into kindling, someone who cuts away the twisted shoots that divert energy to other than growing fruit.It’s a parable, for sure.
If I look at my own life I must admit there is a generous amount of dead wood - activity that served me well for a time, but its usefulness has passed and I’d be better off without. There is an over-population of “shoots” that might have appeal but shouldn’t be blocking the sun in my life. An appointment with a good, sharp pruning shears would do me good.
So, I guess I’m praying, “God be my ‘orchardman.’ Prune me down to size. Take me back to the vibrant branches. My fruit is full of blemishes, a bit small, badly shaped. With your help, I think I’m capable of better.”
Glad we could get together.
I might have picked up some genes from my great-grandfather. He would have been called a great orchardman in his day. I remember a cherry tree of his that had three kinds of cherries growing on the same tree because Daniel was an expert at grafting. A grape vine he planted around the turn of the twentieth century still yields bushels of succulent Concord grapes.
I was a bit too timid to be a good “orchard terrorist.” You must be one of those to get big apples, plums, quince, and grapes. To me it always seemed a travesty to literally cut away two-thirds of the growth of a beautiful tree or vine, but a good orchardman should show very little mercy. “Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain fruit destined for the cider press.”
I did my best to heed the advice of the experts through the years, but it was tough. “Don’t prune your own trees. Have a stranger do it. You won’t cut enough away.” I didn’t really know any strangers willing to prune my trees.I did pretty well with, “ ‘Yer not done prunin’ ‘til ‘ya can throw ‘yer hat through the tree.”
A productive orchard is one under the scrutiny of someone who finds the dead wood and turns it into kindling, someone who cuts away the twisted shoots that divert energy to other than growing fruit.It’s a parable, for sure.
If I look at my own life I must admit there is a generous amount of dead wood - activity that served me well for a time, but its usefulness has passed and I’d be better off without. There is an over-population of “shoots” that might have appeal but shouldn’t be blocking the sun in my life. An appointment with a good, sharp pruning shears would do me good.
So, I guess I’m praying, “God be my ‘orchardman.’ Prune me down to size. Take me back to the vibrant branches. My fruit is full of blemishes, a bit small, badly shaped. With your help, I think I’m capable of better.”
Glad we could get together.
No one listens to the sound of a wooden bell
If you visit my office you’ll find a small wooden table inside the door. On the table is a little wooden bell. I planted it there after my wife, daughters, and grand-daughters brought it to me after they participated in a Haitian work mission. “I picked it up from a vendor’s blanket spread out on the street, and I couldn’t put it back down,” my wife said.
Burned into the side of the wooden bell are these words: No one listens to the cries of the poor or the sound of a wooden bell.
It’s not that the bell is silent that no one listens. If you pick up the bell and shake it, the clapper will yield a dull rattle. You won’t hear it, though, if the TV is on, or the radio is blaring, or your cell phone is ringing.
The rattle of the wooden bell is unpleasant. If you listen very closely, you might hear the last wimper of a dying child, the final gasps of a dying victim of HIV/AIDS, or the scratching of a wooden hoe in parched soil.I pick up the wooden bell and occasionally rattle it and . . .
listen . . .
listen . . .
listen.
And I invite you, if you stop by my office, to pick up the wooden bell, shake it and . . .
listen . . .
listen . . .
listen . . .
and remember that today, like any other day, thirty thousand children will starve to death, and more than five thousand will die from HIV/AIDS.
Glad we could get together.
Burned into the side of the wooden bell are these words: No one listens to the cries of the poor or the sound of a wooden bell.
It’s not that the bell is silent that no one listens. If you pick up the bell and shake it, the clapper will yield a dull rattle. You won’t hear it, though, if the TV is on, or the radio is blaring, or your cell phone is ringing.
The rattle of the wooden bell is unpleasant. If you listen very closely, you might hear the last wimper of a dying child, the final gasps of a dying victim of HIV/AIDS, or the scratching of a wooden hoe in parched soil.I pick up the wooden bell and occasionally rattle it and . . .
listen . . .
listen . . .
listen.
And I invite you, if you stop by my office, to pick up the wooden bell, shake it and . . .
listen . . .
listen . . .
listen . . .
and remember that today, like any other day, thirty thousand children will starve to death, and more than five thousand will die from HIV/AIDS.
Glad we could get together.
JW
Huddle, snuggle, grapple, juggle, and struggle
Economic recessions are devastating for most, absolutely lethal for many. Economic structures are imperfect, fragile. They are run by error-prone persons like all the rest of us. Economic structures are often a loaded gun with a hair-trigger; the slightest miscalculation can trip them.
Economic storms blow up quickly, accelerated in these times of exponential change. Economic downturns are a fact of life; it’s improbable that anyone will live more than 25 years without encountering serious economic stress.
Economic downturns ruthlessly expose any and all weaknesses in any economy. Any financial high wire acts are likely to be exposed whether at home or in the board room.Those are the hard-hearted facts.
May we offer some light-hearted suggestions?
HUDDLE
The movie “March of the Penguins” comes to mind. When families are faced with danger they cling to each other. Your family might be relatives, church family, or other acquaintances. It can be embarrassing to find yourself in financial straits, but understand that anyone can find themselves in similar predicaments. Denying your condition will only deepen your financial crisis.
SNUGGLE
Look for others who can be attentive to your emotional, social, and spiritual needs. Don’t minimize the impact of those needs. Find others in similar difficulty. Cling to each other for support. Worship regularly. Arrange the time for Bible study. Understand God’s interest in your plight.
GRAPPLE
Grapple with the holes in your financial practices, your world view, your core values, that may have contributed to your vulnerability in this economic crisis. There will be more of those in the future. Will you have learned valuable lessons from this one?
JUGGLE
Look for creative ways of getting through this downturn. Minimize financial damage by restructuring debt. If you can’t make a payment, show up in your creditor’s office. Creditors are less willing to make concessions when you hide. Rearrange debt to whatever extent possible in collaboration with your creditors.
STRUGGLE
“Tough times never last, but tough people do.” That’s an expression of a popular TV preacher. It’s real. You can test it. A strong will bolstered by your faith will see you through. You’ll be stronger when this is over.
Economic storms blow up quickly, accelerated in these times of exponential change. Economic downturns are a fact of life; it’s improbable that anyone will live more than 25 years without encountering serious economic stress.
Economic downturns ruthlessly expose any and all weaknesses in any economy. Any financial high wire acts are likely to be exposed whether at home or in the board room.Those are the hard-hearted facts.
May we offer some light-hearted suggestions?
HUDDLE
The movie “March of the Penguins” comes to mind. When families are faced with danger they cling to each other. Your family might be relatives, church family, or other acquaintances. It can be embarrassing to find yourself in financial straits, but understand that anyone can find themselves in similar predicaments. Denying your condition will only deepen your financial crisis.
SNUGGLE
Look for others who can be attentive to your emotional, social, and spiritual needs. Don’t minimize the impact of those needs. Find others in similar difficulty. Cling to each other for support. Worship regularly. Arrange the time for Bible study. Understand God’s interest in your plight.
GRAPPLE
Grapple with the holes in your financial practices, your world view, your core values, that may have contributed to your vulnerability in this economic crisis. There will be more of those in the future. Will you have learned valuable lessons from this one?
JUGGLE
Look for creative ways of getting through this downturn. Minimize financial damage by restructuring debt. If you can’t make a payment, show up in your creditor’s office. Creditors are less willing to make concessions when you hide. Rearrange debt to whatever extent possible in collaboration with your creditors.
STRUGGLE
“Tough times never last, but tough people do.” That’s an expression of a popular TV preacher. It’s real. You can test it. A strong will bolstered by your faith will see you through. You’ll be stronger when this is over.
JW
Nobody's anything...all the time
There are some large envelopes around our office that contain labels – nifty, sticky little pieces of paper. Sometimes we use them to mail things. Sometimes we use them to label stuff so we know where stuff is, when we need stuff to get stuff done.
There’s a problem with labels. ‘Ever buy something that was too much money in the first place, to be faced by a blasted label that insists on leaving behind its stickiness to be cursed by you every time you use the affixee.
As I understand it, Post-it notes were invented by a guy at 3M who was a choir director. He got tired of little pieces of paper used to mark hymns, falling out of his hymnal. So, he developed a light adhesive that was just sticky enough to get its job done and no more.
We tend as persons, to wear labels, usually affixed by persons intent on classifying everyone they meet. It seems we must always be “something.” We must be conservative, liberal, Republican, Democrat, fundamentalist, universalist, pro-life, pro-choice, and on-and-on, and on-and-on, ad nausium.
How dull!
Nothing could be more unkind or full of baloney. Show me anyone who is anything all the time, and I’ll show you a store manikin.
Bill Cosby once said, “Nothing fits in a pigeon-hole except a pigeon.” But it seems we spend our lives being stuffed into pigeon-holes, devised by people carrying labels…with permanent adhesive.
If we’re honest, like Saint Paul, we’ve all been things we’ve later abandoned. We’ve become things we’ve never been before. And we sometimes return to being things we’d given up long ago, good or bad. That doesn’t make us wishy-washy, just very, very human.
I’d like to think that I could wear the label “Christian” reliably. Unfortunately, sometimes my behavior more resembles the behavior of an atheist.
So, if you want to attach a label to my forehead, I hope you’re equipped with Post-it notes because I may need a new label in about five minutes.
There is one label I long for. If you’d stick “disciple of Jesus” on my forehead, I’d do my very best to live up to it.
Glad we could get together.
There’s a problem with labels. ‘Ever buy something that was too much money in the first place, to be faced by a blasted label that insists on leaving behind its stickiness to be cursed by you every time you use the affixee.
As I understand it, Post-it notes were invented by a guy at 3M who was a choir director. He got tired of little pieces of paper used to mark hymns, falling out of his hymnal. So, he developed a light adhesive that was just sticky enough to get its job done and no more.
We tend as persons, to wear labels, usually affixed by persons intent on classifying everyone they meet. It seems we must always be “something.” We must be conservative, liberal, Republican, Democrat, fundamentalist, universalist, pro-life, pro-choice, and on-and-on, and on-and-on, ad nausium.
How dull!
Nothing could be more unkind or full of baloney. Show me anyone who is anything all the time, and I’ll show you a store manikin.
Bill Cosby once said, “Nothing fits in a pigeon-hole except a pigeon.” But it seems we spend our lives being stuffed into pigeon-holes, devised by people carrying labels…with permanent adhesive.
If we’re honest, like Saint Paul, we’ve all been things we’ve later abandoned. We’ve become things we’ve never been before. And we sometimes return to being things we’d given up long ago, good or bad. That doesn’t make us wishy-washy, just very, very human.
I’d like to think that I could wear the label “Christian” reliably. Unfortunately, sometimes my behavior more resembles the behavior of an atheist.
So, if you want to attach a label to my forehead, I hope you’re equipped with Post-it notes because I may need a new label in about five minutes.
There is one label I long for. If you’d stick “disciple of Jesus” on my forehead, I’d do my very best to live up to it.
Glad we could get together.
God calls us to be good stewards in exponential times
If you are acquainted with the video “Shift Happens” you’ll recall the term “exponential times.” Significant developments in communication technology are introduced almost annually. Changes in communication tools in human history sometimes did not occur for millenia or centuries.
Exponential times demand exponential decision-making.
In light of all of that, we have been studying the communication tools we use as a United Methodist connection in Central Pennsylvania and asking the question: Are we called to do anything differently in relation to what we understand is good stewardship of the resources entrusted to us?
Part of the discernment is analyzing what portion of resources are allocated to specific communication media. Media that has been in place for many years must then defend its share of the CPC communication budget.
The LINK, which you are reading, has required approximately 70 percent of our communication budget over the past ten years. Two years ago it began to cost more to mail The LINK than to print it.
The communication technology that fulfills information demand, changes constantly. While print remains the preferred medium for many, more and more readers have migrated to electronics. And it is a reasonable assumption that electronics are becoming a preference across our constituency.
Beginning in October, the LINK will be published bi-monthly with issues identified as October/November, December/January, February/March, April/May, June/July, and August/September.
This change frees resources to bring the LINK to playing a better role. The paper needs to continue to provide a certain amount of news that is less time critical, but also needs to move toward becoming more resource-oriented as we learn together how to “make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.”
Time-critical news will become more the role of LINK Xpress and QuikLINK. So it behooves us to encourage more and more persons to subscribe to QuikLINK/LINK Xpress. It will also be important that persons, electronically connected, will be willing, in some cases, to share news with others who may not be attached to electronic media.
We know that there will be an adjustment period to this change, but we are confident that our readers will realize benefits in the future. JW
Exponential times demand exponential decision-making.
In light of all of that, we have been studying the communication tools we use as a United Methodist connection in Central Pennsylvania and asking the question: Are we called to do anything differently in relation to what we understand is good stewardship of the resources entrusted to us?
Part of the discernment is analyzing what portion of resources are allocated to specific communication media. Media that has been in place for many years must then defend its share of the CPC communication budget.
The LINK, which you are reading, has required approximately 70 percent of our communication budget over the past ten years. Two years ago it began to cost more to mail The LINK than to print it.
The communication technology that fulfills information demand, changes constantly. While print remains the preferred medium for many, more and more readers have migrated to electronics. And it is a reasonable assumption that electronics are becoming a preference across our constituency.
Beginning in October, the LINK will be published bi-monthly with issues identified as October/November, December/January, February/March, April/May, June/July, and August/September.
This change frees resources to bring the LINK to playing a better role. The paper needs to continue to provide a certain amount of news that is less time critical, but also needs to move toward becoming more resource-oriented as we learn together how to “make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.”
Time-critical news will become more the role of LINK Xpress and QuikLINK. So it behooves us to encourage more and more persons to subscribe to QuikLINK/LINK Xpress. It will also be important that persons, electronically connected, will be willing, in some cases, to share news with others who may not be attached to electronic media.
We know that there will be an adjustment period to this change, but we are confident that our readers will realize benefits in the future. JW
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