World Convention Christian Outreach Workshop in Stavanger: WWCTU_Christian_Outreach_Workshop_presentation_060510.ppt

Summer vacation news

When chilly winds blow in early spring, our thoughts already turn to the anxiously awaited summer vacation period. As a result, there are many - often too many- expectations. I have managed to ruin my summer vacation in two different ways. First, I have made much too specific plans concerning my vacation, and second, I have done nothing at all to prepare for my vacation. The second way has resulted in a false feeling of being care free. I have not understood the meaning of vacation time in gaining strength through resting and spending time with my close ones.

Jesus reminded his disciples of the importance of retreating to some peace and quiet in order to gain strength and be rejuvenated. That cannot be done if there is no separation between weekdays and holy days, work time and vacation. Our work faces many challenges and annually increasing demands. How can we manage our workload and take care of our personal well-being? What do I have left to give to my work associates or to my family awaiting their spouse and mother at home?

In my childhood and youth, when I felt anxious I often went to the woods for a walk or entered the sauna building for prayer. Those were places where I could be at peace and alone with God. What is your safe place to go to when you need strength or when your mind is burdened with worries?

In White Ribbon work we have a wonderful opportunity to live by the old saying “Ora et labora”, Pray and Work. They go hand in hand. We cannot go on without knowing and trusting that God knows each moment of our lives. Without Him we become cynical and begin accusing ourselves and each other when problems arise. Sharing our worries, big or small, listening and helping others make our organisation a better place for employees and volunteers alike. Jesus calls us to do this through his example.

Greatest is the one who gives goodness to others. The time that we share, an accepting look or a kind word might be a treasure we can give to someone. Earthly treasures are gathered in wealth, fame and glory. Treasures in heaven come through sharing. Greatest is the one who has a treasure in heaven.

Let us remember this even when we feel like a failure and the results of our efforts might come out as second rate at best. In God’s eyes we are precious at our own places, no matter what we do.

As an organisation we might be undervalued and it may seem that our work is not appreciated. Then, again, it is essential to have a word with our Heavenly employer. Is there something that He wants done differently? Why are we facing adversity? Maybe it is a lesson for us to turn adversity into a blessing.

I wish you strength in your work and joy in your moments of rest. May God take care of us- and yes, He does!

Fall Devotional 2009

Life is a story. Here at the Finnish White Ribbon Union we have organised several PhotoTherapy groups in the past few years. They rely on the healing power of photographs. The participants bring with them snapshots that are meaningful to them and they work in groups. Most people bring photos of the turning points in their lives. Sometimes they are linked with feelings of grief and loss, other times with joy and happiness. As people work on their life stories, difficult experiences gain a new meaning. This also serves as an opportunity for re-interpretation, which is essential when our lives are shadowed by loss, grief or bitterness of being mistreated. It is important for us to know where we come from, where we are now and where we are headed.

White Ribbon work enables us to nurture others like we have been nurtured ourselves. It is important for every person to have someone to share her story with. Wounds can be healed when a person is surrounded by love and acceptance- by someone who is an instrument of God’s love in this world. I feel very privileged to be in a profession where I meet people who face the great questions of life. This applies especially to funeral services. Saying goodbye at a gravesite by a casket is always a touching moment for the pastor as well. In those situations I think about what I would like to be remembered for when I pass on.

It is essential for our mental well-being to accept our mortality. What if death and grief are multiplied? Many White Ribbon sisters live in difficult circumstances around the world. Many of you have to face death and suffering on a daily basis. It is demanding to bear collective grief. Some people have lives filled with suffering. The global economic recession creates unemployment, increases social problems and alienation. Substance abuse increases, families are in crisis and the future seems uncertain. In Finland, we are worried about a large number of youth who find neither work nor educational opportunities.

In our White Ribbon work we could emphasize healing wounds with compassion. We can create groups where people can share their wounds in a safe environment. These wounds and pains can become sources of strength to help them carry on. It is essential for us as women to continue nurturing others. Organised maternal love is still needed today.

Thank you God for times past. Thank you for this moment also.

Christmas Devotional

25 years ago I purchased a Nativity Scene for my family. I thought it would be useful in explaining the meaning of Christmas to our child. At the time, Nativity Scenes were not common in Lutheran homes, which made ours a rare and much admired specimen. I often brought it to our White Ribbon Christmas events and since then, I have purchased many Nativity Scenes as well as given some as gifts to my Godchildren and my mother. Even today, it is our Nativity Scene together with the Christmas tree that brings Christmas Spirit into our home.

Martin Luther says that a Christian builds in his heart a manger to receive Christ Child. It is comforting that Jesus was born in a manger in a shelter for animals. Every day we ask Jesus to be born again in our hearts that often are just as dark and somber.

A Christmas Carol loved by the Finns says, freely translated: Lord Jesus come to me, make a house in my heart. Oh Jesus, fill it with grace and stay in me for always.

We celebrate Christmas in various environments and create Christmas Spirit in many different ways. Many White Ribbon sisters spend Christmas in sunny warm weather instead of the cold darkness experienced by us living in the North. For us, Christ giving the light to Christmas is highlighted by candles in the cold winter darkness.

One of our most popular Church Christmas traditions is singing Favourite Christmas Carols together. Several carolling events fill our churches from year to year. This simple format of singing Favourite Christmas Carols in Finnish parishes has been in services for over 30 years. They continue to become increasingly popular with even more people wanting to take a moment from their hectic daily lives to listen to the message of Christmas.

The Finnish Evangelical Lutheran Mission began organising Favourite Christmas Carols events in 1973. At first, the goal was to arrange a small evening of Christmas carols in all Finnish parishes on third Advent Sunday, which was the quietest Sunday of the church year. The main program was singing together, and a special lyrics leaflet was printed to facilitate easy participation. An offering was collected for the international work of the Finnish Evangelical Lutheran Mission. 140 parishes participated in the first year.

Today, Favourite Christmas Carols events have become the most popular musical events in parish life. Almost every parish offers at least one Favourite Christmas Carols event. In some parishes, Christmas Carols are sung from Advent to Epiphany. About one million Finns participate in these events annually. The tradition has spread amongst Finns living abroad and lyrics leaflets are shipped to dozens of countries.

If there is a Finnish parish in your area, a Finnish Seamen’s Mission, or Finnish missionaries, you could ask them about carolling events. Maybe you could join them in the spirit of fellowship and sing carols together.

Prayer:

Thank you, Lord, for 130 years of White Ribbon mission work and service in Your glory around the world. Thank you for the people You have blessed and sent to do Your work. Thank you for the daily opportunities that each one of us has to give Your gifts to others and to look beyond ourselves. Today we see the good fruits that this work bears. Thank you lighting Your fire in the hearts of so many people living in faraway areas.

We want to bring before You all the work done for the White Ribbon cause in our countries and abroad. You know the present needs in Africa. Bless Africa. You hear what Asia requires. Bless Asia. We leave the Middle East, Oceania and America in your wise and capable hands. We also give unto You our continent, Europe. Let Your light shine on us.

Have mercy on us so that we can do our part for peace and reconciliation in this world.

Let us all experience joy at Christmastime. In the name of the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

Sunday September 27, 2009. 17th Sunday after Pentacost

Jesus gives life. John 5:19-21

Jesus gave them this answer: "I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. 20For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, to your amazement he will show him even greater things than these. 21For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it.

Because of the Gospel texts, this Sunday is called little Easter or autumn Easter. Jesus has conquered death and therefore we have hope that surpasses the boundary of death.

Rabindranath Tagore writes: I have had many invitations to the world’s festival, and thus my life has been blessed. My eyes have seen, and my ears have heard. It was my part at this feast to play upon my instruments, and I have done all I could.

Our solutions are often determined by fear and when we are afraid, we don’t have the courage to live. We become absorbed in our grief of seeing life pass us by without us being able to grab hold of it. Jesus came into this world so that you and I could have life and we would not have to freeze in our place. A person who is excited about life has been allowed to grieve and is capable of grief. Grief is a God-given tool for us when we face death in life, whether it be small deaths or the great death.

A small death for a child may be our first bicycle which he crashed and broke. Sometimes there is no room for a child’s grief in adults’ hearts, and children are not allowed to cry when they are sad. In families where parents don’t have the energy to act like parents, children often have to bottle up inside their feelings of weakness, sadness and anger. This is especially true in substance abuse families. Children constantly have to worry about and manage things that are too complicated for their age. In homes, church communities and workplaces we meet a large number of these people who as children were traumatized in different ways. Healing requires an experience of loving and caring, which is where God uses us, the people.

Jesus gives the gift of life, but sometimes we as people refuse to accept this gift. It is easy to remain bitter, angry and somber. It makes us afraid to move forward into the cleansing brightness of Jesus. What kind of things have we hidden in the dark corners of our closets?

In our work at the Finnish White Ribbon Union we come across problems caused by addiction on a daily basis. Psychotherapist Walther H. Lechler has expressed the problem of substance abuse in a nutshell: It is not about the drug, it is about the person. Many of the people we work with carry with them the dark shadow of growing up in a substance abuse family. Those years have often damaged the development of a young person to the extent where there has been no room for personal growth. How can one break this vicious cycle?

Richard Beauvaisin developed a community treatment model which has been successfully applied in treating addictions. He has expressed his operating philosophy concerning the importance of self-help groups for alcoholics in these words:

”We are here because, at the end, we cannot escape ourselves. As long as we refuse to face ourselves in the eyes and hearts of our fellow beings, we are on the run. As long as we refuse to open ourselves up to our neighbors, we are not safe. As long as we are afraid that others will see through us, we cannot identify ourselves or others- we are left alone.”

Facing our lives in an open and honest way makes us aware of the unique nature of each person in a healthy way. It makes us aware of our limits, but at the same time it gives us joy and gratitude for the opportunity to be weaving the fabric of life together with others.

Today’s Gospel text speaks of father and son. It is true when we say: Where fathers or mothers lead, boys and girls follow. That’s the way it goes. We know more than well how important the life skills learned at home are for the future of the child. From early childhood on we absorb ways to react and those patterns become so much a part of us that we may not notice how destructive they can be. It is comforting to know that nobody must remain in repeating bad patterns. In order to change our ways we need support and someone to guide the way. This is the spot where you and I have been called.

Jesus gives us a life in which we can be accepted and have grace. We don’t have to hide from ourselves or from God. Even if the love in our lives has been injured, Jesus gives us the opportunity to change. He gives us space to grieve and to recuperate. There is hope even before the majesty of death. Jesus is not like we humans are, inclined to suffocate each others’ tears with harsh words because we cannot bear grief and weakness, neither in ourselves nor in others.

Rabindranath Tagore has said:

The water in a vessel is sparkling; the water in the sea is dark. The small truth has words which are clear; the great truth has great silence. It is true that when actions speak, words come alive. Charity inevitably brings us to the Jesus who set an example through his life and his death on the cross.

Christ has died for us so that we might live with him. Go, encourage and strengthen each other, as you already do.

JESUS CALLED US TO BE PARTNERS

He shared his mind with us and opened up his heart to us. Jesus has chosen us to send us out. He did not choose us to live a life alone and apart from the world. Jesus made us to represent him in our daily world. What does this mean in White Ribbon Work? How can we represent our Lord in everyday life? One of the most important principles is that we should put love on the first place, not selfishness. We should ask: “What is my neighbor´s good in this situation?” If we can forget our own good and pray “Let me love my neighbour as I love myself” we could change this world to a much warmer and more charitable place. We can help to give a new start, get someone up on her feet when we are partners of God. We can take everything to God in prayer and after that we must accept the answer which God in his perfect wisdom sends us.

Father in heaven; you gave your Son Jesus Christ to suffering and to death on the cross, and raised him to life in glory. Grant us a patient faith in time of darkness, and strengthen our hearts with the knowledge of your love. Keep us faithful to your gospel. We thank you for our fellowship in the White Ribbon. Help us that our lives will be built on faith and love. Amen.

TEMPERANCE SUNDAY

If your Union is well-connected with Church ask, the possibility to organize one Sunday´s Service by the theme “Temperance Sunday”. In 2008 the birthday of Frances Willard, September 28th, is Sunday. In many churches the temperance topic already exists but can easily be forgotten under other important topics.
You could offer White Ribboner´s help in different ways:

Roots for Sermon (Irja Eskelinen, Department of Christian Outreach, could write one or two roots which were free in use and applied)

White Ribboners can offer their services during the Service; wish church members welcome collecting offering, decoration the church, reading Scriptures, prayer of intercession and so on.

One option is church coffee or tea, if that is local and suitable manner, and “Open doors” after the Service, presided by the local White Ribbon Union. “Open doors” can also be organized with other Christian organizations and temperance organizations which stand up for Christian values. If you choose this option, there will be more possibilities to deal tasks and there will not be too much work for one organization. There is yet another important point: feeling of community.

One Roots for Sermon would be of John 9:24-38. My arguments are the following: It is a simple fact of Christian experience that many a man may not be able to put into theological language what he believes Jesus to be, but in spite of that he can witness to what Jesus has done for his life. Even though we cannot understand with our intellect, we can still feel with our heart. It is better to love Jesus than to love and know theories about him.

It is very much the same with temperance. It is better to live temperance life, temperance which includes your manners, thoughts, drink and food and treating other people, than to know theories about temperance. By the same token faith has to be put into practise the temperance lifestyle has to be put into practise. If there is lack of love, it does not hold up even though we tried harder and harder. Only the man who realizes his own sin can be forgiven. Only the man who realizes his own weakness can become strong. Only the man who realizes his own blindness can learn to see. The more knowledge a man has the more he is to be condemned if he does not recognize the good when he sees it. The law that responsibility is the other side of privilege is written into life.

That means liability to us whose life is not broken because of alcohol or drugs. We know, and we must act for those whose life has been burdened maybe for generations by drinking problems and other addictions.
Prayer is faith´s mother tongue

Joh 14:1-3. Do not let your heart be distressed. Believe in God and believe in me. There are many abiding-places in my Father´s house. If it were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? And, if I go and prepare a place for you, I am coming again, and I will welcome you to myself, that where I am, there you too may be.

There comes a time when we have to believe where we cannot prove and to accept where we cannot understand. If, at the darkest hour, we believe that somehow there is a purpose in life and that that purpose is love, even the unbearable becomes bearable and even in the darkness there is a glimmer of light.

What did Jesus mean when he said there were many abiding places? The word John uses is the word monai, monai. I believe that the meaning of the word monai is just that in heaven there is room for all. Many times our earthly houses are overcrowded. You can feel that there is no own place just for you. In our Father´s house it is different. Jesus is saying today to us: “Don´t be afraid. In your Father´s house you will never be shut out.”

But we must remember that Jesus also told us of the cross which we must carry. Jesus did not promise us an easy way. We have to follow in his steps. Jesus is our forerunner. Jesus sees us and our needs. Have we ever considered how important it is for someone to see us? Conversely, how heavy it is to bear the burden that no one sees us. Seeing is not only about seeing the exterior, but rather seeing into the heart. How often do we catch sight of someone without seeing or hearing them? We often encounter someone with our gaze fixed beyond them, as we are already searching for the next person. Genuine seeing means stopping, and stepping into someone's shoes. In the final analysis seeing means love towards another person. When Jesus sees us He feels love and compassion for us. That should help us to act the same way with those who we meet daily in White Ribbon work, in our daily moments.

Dear Heavenly Father

Help me so that I could see more than eyes are telling me. I know that all they show is limitation. Help me look at people with your understanding and love. Amen

Devotional I

A Catholic theologian Philipp Harnoncourt has published an article ”Facing death”. That article includes exercises that help to live one’s life and to face the limits of life. It also gives advice on how to serve one another.

Learn to stretch out your arm to give Be a happy giver and do not expect anything for return Do not gather too much in stock Remember that possessions and wealth are given to us as a loan and not to be spent, and always be ready to return everything and show your accounts

One has to know his own place by our Creator’s side…but also by the side of our fellow citizens and generations of people. Be humble when you succeed and stay calm in times of trouble Let others take your place from time to time Take other people seriously Listen to others without interrupting them Rejoice in other’s success

Do not let the sun set over your wrath Try to restrain your desire to be right Try to reconcile Do forgive Do ask for forgiveness Do realize and admit your guilt Be content and calm – not to be lazy or to look for one’s own comfort – but to knowingly seek for peace: Look for peace and strive for it.

The Finnish White Ribbon Union had its own reflectors made in the fall of 2007. Here in the dark North a reflector is a vital thing that helps drivers see those walking in the dark. A farmer who lived in western Finland invented a reflector in 1950’s. The first reflectors were attached to horse carriages to warn motor vehicles about horses on the road.

The White Ribbon reflector is white and ribbon-shaped. It serves two purposes: it promotes White Ribbon work, and at the same time it reminds people to use reflectors during the darkest time of the year.

The power of a reflector is based on light. A ribbon itself does not shed light, but even the smallest beam of light makes it reflect light. A Christian can be like a reflector who sheds the light of the Christ to the world. Maybe one of the most quoted sayings of Jesus is found in John 8:12: “I am the light of the world. He who follows me will not walk in darkness, but he will have a light of life.” I have often repeated these words in christening ceremony when a candle is lit and passed to the one being baptised or to his or her parents. It is a beautiful religious ritual and a part of the christening ceremony of the Finnish Lutheran Church. Its message, however, may reach further than one might think.

What is the light that Jesus brought to the world? How does that light lighten the darkness? Psalm 119:105 tells about this same light: “Your word is a lantern to my feet and a light to my path.”

The words of Jesus, “I am the light of the world”, include both a promise and an invitation. The essential idea is that the light of the world gives people the light of life. The light given by Jesus is true life; life in faith and trust in God. One can follow Jesus only if he wanders in light, and in light wanders only those who follow Jesus.

Let the light of Christ lighten our life in every step of the way. It gives us strength even at times when our path goes to shadows and even to darkness. We can trust that Isaiah 55:11 is still true in our life and destiny that lies ahead: “In the same way, the promise that I make does not return to me, having accomplished nothing. No, it is realized as I desire, and is fulfilled as I intend.”

The time of Advent and Christmas is the time of countless good-natured greetings. Their beginning is in God’s own greeting, the message of the first night of Christmas. Every Christmas the world seems to need that message more and more. Martin Luther King was a man who fought all of his life for peace, equality and justice. Words and deeds helped him to accomplish his work, and many people listened to him and started to work for peace and fight for equality, following his example.

Martin Luther King died because he defended the poor and demanded justice to all people. He defended the weaker ones, spoke up for the poor and insisted that all God’s creatures are equal and by doing so he carried out biblical message. God has created all people, of all color, of all looks, and of all size, but none is better than the other but everyone is God’s image and of equal value with one another.

This year, on December 11, my brother Antti turned 50. When writing a speech for him I dug up a diary I had started to write in 1971. It was a Christmas present from Antti at that same year.

In 1973 I had written in my diary a thought by Douglas Mallock that I had found in Martin Luther King’s book “No violence”.

We have a very good year behind us because we have been healthy. We have been able to accomplish a considerable amount of work. Anni is already 14 and will go to confirmation school in summer.

We have done what we have known and been able to do. Soon there will be a time to rest and get up steam. We wish you a peaceful Christmas and a blessed New Year 2006!

I hope our paths will cross this year!