Uplook - May 5, 2025
Dear Seattle Saints,
Warm May greetings to all. You may have noticed that with our out-of-town guests that I did not write last weekend. It doesn't happen often but thanks to those who reached out wondering if things were OK. And thanks to all who helped with the first fellowship/potluck dinner of the year. As you may have heard...we are shifting our annual special meetings to the springtime rather than fall. Last weekend was a prelude to what that will look like in future years if the Lord tarries except we will be inviting more than just Langley...but including the rest of our sister churches nearby.
Tomorrow is Mother's Day, and we will celebrate those who carried us and nurtured us both physically and spiritually. While we know that in our broken world, there are times when parents do not live up to their divine calling and create unnecessary pain for their children, we do not let that reality minimize the fact that God has honored and elevated Mother's for their pivotal role in His divine plan of not only populating the world but also nurturing and teaching each succeeding generation about a loving Creator and Redeemer. We also want to honor and elevate those who bear this great responsibility today. We have observed over the years, the joy and pain which women embrace in their journey toward and through motherhood and we are thankful for a faithful God who has promised to stand right beside them in both the joy and the pain...as one who understands what it means to be both loved by some while rejected by others when all are lovingly welcomed at the Divine Table.
And speaking of mothers...I would like to take just a moment to honor several within my own family. My mother was the 4th of 6 children and endured the tragic loss of her father when she was 11 years old. Her family was held together by my grandmother who was a strong woman indeed. My mother married right out of high school and moved across the country where she and my father forged a happy marriage with two children. She endured separation from her extended family and yet maintained close love and ties with family across the miles. While not saved at the time as we understand it, she taught us respect for God and the Bible and took us to church. She also valiantly stood beside my father as he fought the brain cancer which eventually took his life and ended their 27 years of marriage , setting an example of marriage commitment. She went on to love her grandchildren, graduate from university, teach English Composition, and travel. I owe to her my love of language and verbosity. She went to be with the Lord 16 years ago.
Lori's mother also had a significant impact on my life and spiritual walk. She was a strong woman who as a 16-year-old had surrendered her heart to the love of God. That love was evidenced from then on throughout her life. She was the mother of 4 (Lori the youngest) but her table often included many more, eventually including me from time to time until I married Lori (and then even more often). She often prayed for me and reminded me that the foundation of a successful life, marriage, parenting, and ministry was founded in love: God's toward us and then that same love reflected through us toward others. She taught us what it meant to love and serve even when in pain as she endured years of bone marrow cancer before going to be with the Lord in 1996.
And finally, at our home we also honor a beautiful sister in the Lord who never had birth children nor a family of her own. Sis. Ruth Crabtree was introduced to us when we moved to Seattle in 1997 and quickly became
"Auntie Ruth" to our children, a mother/friend to Lori after the loss of her own mother, and an example of intercessory prayer and love to me. We were blessed to work with her after her many years of faithful service to the Lord and the church which continued for nearly 20 years more. She lived near or with us for many of those years and she added such joy to our family over the years until her passing in 2016.
Of course, these have all gone on to their reward and there are mothers in our family (and perhaps yours) who are also worthy of honor. I'll do my best to do that in person tomorrow in church...giving them their "flowers" while still alive to enjoy them.
God bless you all,
BB
Rev. William E. McKibben
Senior Pastor
Warm May greetings to all. You may have noticed that with our out-of-town guests that I did not write last weekend. It doesn't happen often but thanks to those who reached out wondering if things were OK. And thanks to all who helped with the first fellowship/potluck dinner of the year. As you may have heard...we are shifting our annual special meetings to the springtime rather than fall. Last weekend was a prelude to what that will look like in future years if the Lord tarries except we will be inviting more than just Langley...but including the rest of our sister churches nearby.
Tomorrow is Mother's Day, and we will celebrate those who carried us and nurtured us both physically and spiritually. While we know that in our broken world, there are times when parents do not live up to their divine calling and create unnecessary pain for their children, we do not let that reality minimize the fact that God has honored and elevated Mother's for their pivotal role in His divine plan of not only populating the world but also nurturing and teaching each succeeding generation about a loving Creator and Redeemer. We also want to honor and elevate those who bear this great responsibility today. We have observed over the years, the joy and pain which women embrace in their journey toward and through motherhood and we are thankful for a faithful God who has promised to stand right beside them in both the joy and the pain...as one who understands what it means to be both loved by some while rejected by others when all are lovingly welcomed at the Divine Table.
And speaking of mothers...I would like to take just a moment to honor several within my own family. My mother was the 4th of 6 children and endured the tragic loss of her father when she was 11 years old. Her family was held together by my grandmother who was a strong woman indeed. My mother married right out of high school and moved across the country where she and my father forged a happy marriage with two children. She endured separation from her extended family and yet maintained close love and ties with family across the miles. While not saved at the time as we understand it, she taught us respect for God and the Bible and took us to church. She also valiantly stood beside my father as he fought the brain cancer which eventually took his life and ended their 27 years of marriage , setting an example of marriage commitment. She went on to love her grandchildren, graduate from university, teach English Composition, and travel. I owe to her my love of language and verbosity. She went to be with the Lord 16 years ago.
Lori's mother also had a significant impact on my life and spiritual walk. She was a strong woman who as a 16-year-old had surrendered her heart to the love of God. That love was evidenced from then on throughout her life. She was the mother of 4 (Lori the youngest) but her table often included many more, eventually including me from time to time until I married Lori (and then even more often). She often prayed for me and reminded me that the foundation of a successful life, marriage, parenting, and ministry was founded in love: God's toward us and then that same love reflected through us toward others. She taught us what it meant to love and serve even when in pain as she endured years of bone marrow cancer before going to be with the Lord in 1996.
And finally, at our home we also honor a beautiful sister in the Lord who never had birth children nor a family of her own. Sis. Ruth Crabtree was introduced to us when we moved to Seattle in 1997 and quickly became
"Auntie Ruth" to our children, a mother/friend to Lori after the loss of her own mother, and an example of intercessory prayer and love to me. We were blessed to work with her after her many years of faithful service to the Lord and the church which continued for nearly 20 years more. She lived near or with us for many of those years and she added such joy to our family over the years until her passing in 2016.
Of course, these have all gone on to their reward and there are mothers in our family (and perhaps yours) who are also worthy of honor. I'll do my best to do that in person tomorrow in church...giving them their "flowers" while still alive to enjoy them.
God bless you all,
BB
Rev. William E. McKibben
Senior Pastor
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