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- SHERYL & STEVE FROEHLICH - LIVING THE STORY THAT GOD'S GRACE IS ENOUGH
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Fridays with Froehlichs #10 |
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The end is in sight, and we are sad. The folks here at Mosaic Church have become dear to us, and it will be hard to say goodbye. We have been together for 7 months of waiting, and together we are giving thanks for the provision of a new pastor, Shaynor Newsome. Thanks be to God.
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We have already started the slow process of packing for a March 20 departure. We plan to meander our way home to Ithaca, trailer in tow, with stops at White Sands, Carlsbad Caverns, College Station, Jackson, Greenville, Roanoke, visiting friends and NLPC alums along the way. |
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In early February we were in Phoenix to attend a conference focusing on reform needed in churches in response to cases of leadership and sexual abuse. Some of the stories were horrific and heartbreaking, and yet at the same time they were hopeful reminders of God’s healing mercy. It was humbling to hear how individuals who had been so brutally harmed by church leaders have not given up on Jesus or the church. The presence of many pastors among the over 500 attendees from 41 States reflected a growing commitment to lead with integrity, humility, transparency, compassion, and courage. Thanks be to God.
The highlight of the conference for us was hearing Diane Langberg who for 3 decades has been a formidable defender and an effective agent of healing for many who have been wounded in and by the church. We admire her enormously, and give thanks for her voice as a skilled counselor and wise Christian leader. We have been sitting with her thoughts on deception for the past couple of weeks. |
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The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?
Jeremiah 17:9 |
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We see deception on display among public leaders, both in the Church and in the culture around us, but am I willing to admit how I deceive myself? Often my blindness is because I’m unwilling to be self-reflective. |
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I often think we should have tattooed to the back of whatever hand we use to write,
"I might be wrong."
Louise Penny, A Fatal Grace |
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We have also been sitting with some thoughts recently shared by Andy Crouch on a PostEverything podcast (which we recommend). Crouch is hardly alone in observing that trust in institutions has effectively collapsed in a way anticipated by the French historian, Alexis de Tocqueville who visited America in the 1830s. He is also not the first to compare our moment in history to that described at the end of the book of Judges: “Everyone did whatever seemed right in their own eyes” (Judges 21:25). The moral disintegration parallels the institutional collapse.
So, how do we live between the chaos of Judges and the arrival of the promised King? We can ask the question because we, too, are facing another round of geo-political and spiritual crisis.
In 1967 Bob Dylan penned the lyrics, “When Quinn the Eskimo gets here, everybody’s gonna jump for joy.” As Christians we look forward to jumping for joy when righteousness, justice, and peace cover the earth. It feels like that day will never come, and it may not come for a long time. We don’t know.
As we live between the times, it’s easy to feel helpless. We’re in exile, far from that promised shalom.
It’s ok to feel helpless, to know we are unable to banish the troubles that oppress and distress us. |
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In the Christian tradition, self-knowledge manifests not in proud enlightenment but in humility. It’s intentional work that requires us to dig deep and listen well.
Chuck DeGroat |
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It’s in that moment of weakness, empty-handedness, and exile that Crouch points us to the story in between the chaos and the king, the book of Ruth. What we witness amid this story of famine, death, sorrow, and detachment, is the power of relationship, of covenanted community (of the sort Elizabeth Oldfield talks about). These relationships and this community are the everyday place we are called to live. The basic story-line is about deeply committed friendships.
The first act of the story begins when Ruth, a Moabite, binds herself to her Hebrew mother-in-law. Ruth is an outsider, a foreigner, an “other” who does not belong. But she commits herself not only to Naomi but to Naomi’s land, people, and God: “Wherever you go, I will go; wherever you live, I will live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God” (Ruth 1:16).
Then, in the second act of the story, Boaz with sacrificial generosity and kindness devotes himself to the stability and flourishing of these women. As Boaz says to Ruth, “I will do for you all you ask. All the people of my town know that you are a woman of noble character” (Ruth 3:11). Boaz commits himself to these women with the same tenacity as Ruth binding her life to Naomi. We witness an extraordinary love, devotion, and loyalty that far exceed mere duty. |
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But the effect of her being on those around her was incalculably diffusive: for the growing good of the world is partly dependent on unhistoric acts; and that things are not so ill with you and me as they might have been, is half owing to the number who lived faithfully a hidden life, and rest in unvisited tombs.
George Eliot, Middlemarch |
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What is it about this story that helps us live in exile between the times?
There are several ways we could answer that question, but what has caught our imagination are relationship and community. And as Crouch encourages us, it is this deeply personal commitment to others that needs to be our focus in exile. And, as it was in the time of the judges, it is a commitment we make while unspeakable corruption yawns around us like a pit of despair.
Ruth and Boaz, anticipating Jesus, show us that in a time of helplessness and powerlessness, the path through the hardship is the self-giving way of the Cross.
It would be easy to circle the wagons and be the defenders of our tribe. But as YHWH says to the people in exile in Babylon, “seek the welfare of the city.” Get to know your neighbors and seek their flourishing, even (as in the case of the Babylonians) those enemies who are eager to delight in our destruction. Even Jesus says that our vision for relationship must extend beyond mere biological connection (Mark 3:33-35). Can a supreme love for God animate a sacrificial non-self-centered love for the people in the orbit of our lives? We believe it can.
As Ruth has chosen to cling to Naomi and as Boaz has chosen to embrace Naomi's family, so the scars of Jesus remind us how closely he has freely chosen to drawn near to us. He has fully joined himself to us to be wounded by us. He has entered into the hardship, chaos, alienation, and injustice of life (in which we have been complicit), not to be a distant spectator, but to be a very present companion, a saviour and, yes, even a friend. He is with us to free us from victim status (that is to free us from defining ourselves by the hardships we bear) and to empower us to live with the responsibility and creativity of love.
Everything that happens in this story pushes back against my selfishness, my self-protection and isolationism, and my stubborn reluctance to be inconvenienced. It is not a tale about institutions or power. It is about remarkably ordinary relationships, and more specifically about friendship. It’s about costly hospitality. It is about a way of living that may seem like a mustard seed – small, insignificant, and weak. How will such seemingly mundane practices make any difference against the evil that frightens us and seems enormously insurmountable? It feels counter-intuitive (even sometimes like a failure), but it is in fact the way the Spirit of God is at work in keeping his promise to knit our lives together as his people and to bring us safely home. We may not see it, but in friendship upon friendship, love upon love, sacrifice upon sacrifice, our lives are preparing the way for the coming of the King. |
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We do not love each other without changing each other.
Madeleine L'Engle |
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There is a profound intimacy and presence in the story of Ruth that we find in our story together. If you are reading this newsletter, even if you are not a follower of Jesus, you are part of God’s faithfulness and goodness to us. Over the years on this journey together you have shown us great hospitality, generosity, and kindness… sometimes simply by your quiet presence. Thank you. And we pray that you have known and seen some of his grace through us. It is in this community we find the hope and courage to keep looking to the Author and Finisher of our faith, who still bears in his body the scars inflicted by those who, even in the name of God, clutch at power in this world. His scars are his promise never to leave us or forsake us. And he keeps that promise by being present in and through you. Thank you. |
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Remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison.
Remember those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.
(Hebrews 13:3)
Nikolay Romanyuk, senior presbyter of Holy Trinity Church in the Moscow area, was arrested and his home was searched because he preached that Christians should not fight in the invasion against Ukraine “on the basis of Holy Scripture.” (read more) |
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I was in prison and you came to visit me. (Jesus)
Matthew 25:36
Ioann Burdin is a long-time priest who served the village of Karabanova. After preaching that the Russian war against Ukraine was “brother killing brother,” he was charged by the Russian Orthodox church court with undermining trust in Patriarch Kirill, head of the Russian Orthodox church and a defender of Putin’s mission to reestablish the political boundaries of Mother Russia. After the court convicted him as a heretic and banned him from conducting services, he has been hounded from his parish. (read more) |
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Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.
Galatians 6:2
Aleksiy Uminsky has been charged by a Russian Orthodox church court for violating his priestly oath by refusing to read a prayer asking God to grant victory over Ukraine. The court has declared that he should be “expelled from Holy Orders.” (read more)
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Preparing for Lent
Riffing on Ash Wednesday
by Reggie Kidd, Dean of the Cathedral Church at St Luke, Orlando, FL
We confess our pride and sense of entitlement …
so that we may know the freedom of Christ’s humility …
that the kingdom of heaven may thus be ours.
We acknowledge our envy of people who are better off than we …
so that we may know the tears of Christ for a broken world …
that we may thus be comforted.
We confess our anger at blocked life-agendas (read more) |
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"Jesus Reviled," Georges Rouault (1922)
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Mosaic Church Service of Lament
The elders here at Mosaic Church asked Steve to write and lead a service of lament for Sunday morning worship. They believe that, while fitting for the season of Lent, lament should be part of the regular rhythm of Christian worship. You can view the service here |
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We were given the honor of serving again at
New Life Romanian Church in Glendale, AZ
Steve preached (in English)
Steve & Sheryl led a seminar on the Church, Faith, & Mental Health.
Our enduring friendship with Mircea & Daniella Mot began when they came to Reformed Theological Seminary in 1992 when Steve was Director of Admission. Mircea now serves as an elder at NLRC. |
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A Conversation Between Friends
Steve: One of the most meaningful aspects of being a pastor in Ithaca over the past 25 years has been the relationships with my fellow elders. Serving alongside them was a great joy and privilege. These relationships stretched over enough years that I was able to witness a significant part of their lives as they grew into their careers and callings – each of them are amazing interesting people. It was humbling to join them in serving others through prayer, discipleship, pastoral care, listening, and trusting God together. But, above all, I value knowing them as friends.
One of my fellow elders is Matt Tiscareno. For the past 10 years, Matt has served as a Senior Research Scientist at SETI where he conducts cutting-edge research on planetary rings, particularly focusing on Saturn's rings and their dynamic processes, contributing to missions such as NASA's Cassini-Huygens mission. He’s married to Laura, and they have 4 kids. He also serves as an elder in his church in CA.
Robert Ricardo Reese is a friend of Matt’s, and (no surprise) Robert appreciates many of the same things about Matt that I also appreciate. Robert interviewed Matt on his podcast to invite Matt to talk about his life: topics like philosophy, theology, planets, and parenting. Now, it may seem odd that I invite you to listen to this podcast – you probably don’t know Matt. It’s 2 guys just talking about life. But that’s the point – the conversation is a window into a lovely friendship between a scientist and a poet, and it’s a window into what makes an everyday life of faith worth observing, a life in which the often scattered threads of life can be woven together. I hope you enjoy and are encouraged by the conversation.
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The phrase "when pigs fly" is an adynaton - a figure of speech so hyperbolic that it describes an impossibility.
Last February had you told me that we would be moving to Albuquerque, NM for Steve to serve as an interim pastor for almost 8 months, I might have responded: “That will happen ‘when pigs fly’!” A year later I am smiling at my mental image of a flying pig and musing sometimes ‘pigs do fly’! The playful image really does capture some of the joy we have been gifted these months in the Land of Enchantment. The many disparate details that came together to make this amazing junket feasible are mind-boggling in retrospect. We are living Ephesians 3:20: “God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us.” (The Message)
As my thoughts spill forward I am mindful that Lent - a season for self-reflection, assessment, repentance, and anticipation - begins this Wednesday, March 5. Amidst packing and travel and day trips and hellos and goodbyes how will I create space and make time for Lent this year? |
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“Judas, Peter”
because we are all
betrayers, taking
silver and eating
body and blood and asking
(guilty) is it I and hearing
him say yes
it would be simple for us all
to rush out
and hang ourselves
but if we find grace
to cry and wait
after the voice of morning
has crowed in our ears
clearly enough
to break out hearts
he will be there
to ask us each again
do you love me?
• Luci Shaw, from Polishing the Petoskey Stone |
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Do I love Him? How are my relationships? My friendships? |
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“Shalom is the human being dwelling at peace in all his or her relationships:
with God,
with self,
with fellow humans,
with nature.”
• Nicholas Wolterstorff, Until Justice & Peace Embrace.
"Heavenly Father, in this season of resurrection we need to be agents of your peace and witnesses to your Son, risen and alive. In a nation riven with violence and anger, selfishness and lies, give us your Spirit to make us resurrection people. In the blessed Name of Jesus, Amen."
• Fleming Rutledge |
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Fully Alive: Tending to the Soul in Turbulent Times
Elizabeth Oldfield
We have found Elizabeth Oldfield to be a remarkably invigorating, engaging, and convicting voice. Virtue, she argues, matters for a robust faith that is not just resilient, kind, liberating, generous, and courageous, but that also resists vice and self-centeredness. Through the lens of the 7 deadly sins, she finds the concept of sin liberating as she offers an amusingly relatable discussion of our historic faith that invites skeptics to reconsider what they have rejected. Her memoir-inflected project also invites Christians to reject a shallow no-cost faith and to embrace the challenging opportunity together to live out the call of Jesus in the world.
Oldfield hosts The Sacred, a podcast designed to model genuinely curious conversations across differences. Previously, for 10 years she was Director of Theos, a leading religion and society think tank in the UK. She worked for many years as a journalist at the BBC One and also at Sky News and the World Service. Her writing has appeared in Prospect Magazine, The Times, UnHerd, and The Financial Times.
You can listen to an excellent interview with Oldfield on an episode of the PostEverything podcast. |
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Ezra
recites the Heidelberg Catechism
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Word Made Fresh
"A recent survey found only twelve percent of Americans had read poetry in the past year. I wonder if many are like friends of my who are put off by one or both of two things. Firstly, they find poetry confusing or obscure. Secondly, they don’t know where to start. By contrast, Abram Van Engen believes poetry is for all of us, an invitation to pay attention, to delight, and reflect. For Christians, he goes further. Poetry may be found in much of scripture, most notably in the Psalms. They both disclose God to us and give us language to disclose ourselves to God at all the turns of life. Van Engen believes poetry is for you and he sets out in this book to show how you may enjoy it and find your life enriched by it." |
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A Rocha Worship & Creation Care Guidebook
Living God's Call to Care for Creation: A Rocha USA is helping Christians and churches recover our biblical calling as caretakers of God’s good but groaning world. |
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Personal Updates
Medical: Steve got his next CT scan in late December, but it took a month to get the results. Happily he remains all clear. Thanks be to God. We were unsuccessful in scheduling any medical appointments while in ABQ - doctors had no availability for at least 9 months. So, we will return to Ithaca and a flurry of medical appointments to catch up.
♥ Sheryl's injectable med has brought her amazing relief from migraines. God's grace through the meds has truly restored her life. For the past 18 months, the manufacturer has qualified us for assistance that has covered the cost. But this year, inexplicably (with no change of income), they are not qualifying us. Our annual cost will be almost $2,000 which is not in the budget. If you pray, please ask the Lord for provision either of an affordable alternative or of this new expense.
Donor Support: In a few weeks we will be changing to a new fiscal sponsor, Friends of the Great Commission. It is a larger more comprehensive agency. That's the good news. The not-so-good news is that the fee deducted from each contribution will be 9%, slightly more than the current fee rate. Our account with YES will remain open for a few more months. Look for updated giving instructions on the Support page of our website. Be sure to let us know if you have any questions about this change.
♥ For the past 2 years, a sponsor has covered the cost of our website and related internet expenses (including online security). The sponsor will no longer be covering those annual costs which total almost $500. We'd be grateful if you would prayerfully consider a gift to cover some or all of these costs.
Ithaca: We remain so grateful to George and Ro for managing the homestead while we've been away. They've been terrific. We've decided to host a grad student in our AirBnB apartment for the 2025-26 school year. He's a wonderful Christian who's very active with the Grad Christian Fellowship at Cornell. This will free us from having to do frequent guest turnovers and will give us the flexibility to travel a bit. Today we got the 2025 escrow schedule from our bank - our taxes are increasing $182 per month. Everybody take a deep breath.
Family: Our oldest son, Christopher, his wife Teresa, and their 5 kids made the long trek from Ithaca to ABQ for the Christmas and New Year holidays. They made the drive in "the bus." We had a terrific time hanging out with them, visiting Meow Wolf and the Georgia O'Keefe museum in Santa Fe (we took the train), hiking the Petroglyphs and the Sandias, and introducing them to New Mexican food. Christopher is on full VA and Social Security disability because of the impact of his military service. We are praying that his financial and medical support will be spared what appear to be the indiscriminate slash-and-burn cuts being directed by the administration.
What's Next?: We have a family reunion in July in OH which may be the last one Sheryl's mom (89) will be able to attend. We are looking forward to cycling with friends and being intoxicated again by the magical music of the creek that flows past our house. We believe we want to focus on writing this next year. And, Steve is in conversation with a church in NY about serving as visiting pastor - without having to relocate, he would have only weekend assignments with a limited role 3 weekends a month which sounds fine to us. Stay tuned for more detail. |
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Benediction
Now may the God who is from everlasting to everlasting,
who has loved you with an everlasting love,
and who gives you everlasting life,
now support you with the everlasting arms
in these days and in all the days until Jesus comes.
Amen
From Grace Be With You
by Dale Ralph Davis
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Please take a few moments to browse the website
Grace Unscripted.
Please prayerfully consider supporting our work through Grace Unscripted.
Visit the Support page.
Thank you. |
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