Photo by Ben White on Unsplash Comfort ye. These are the first two words in George Friderich Handel’s The Messiah. Then, the text repeats these words: “Comfort ye, my people.” “Comfort ye” is the theme of the Handel’s great oratorio. As Charles King points out in his wonderful new book, “Every Valley: The Desperate Lives and Troubled Times That Made Handel’s Messiah ,” Handel’s masterpiece proclaims hope for a dark world. Actually, Handel did not write the words. The great composer’s librettist was Charles Jennens, a conservative appalled by the times in which he lived. Jennens believed in inherited institutions. He rejected much that was theologically current, including Deism, rationalism, and the Enlightenment. Faith, like the monarchy, rested not on reason but on awe and mystery, anchored by the King James Bible. Politically, Jennens favored the old, deposed Stuart dynasty, exiled in France, which made him a distinct outsider and potentially treasonous. King also describes the personal life of Jennens, which had more than its share of darkness. Jennens never married and depression plagued him. Likewise, for English society the times were tumultuous. Civil, colonial, and European wars haunted recent memory. Deep poverty was widespread, and the international slave trade fueled the economy. Jennens was a significant investor in the South Sea Company, which trafficked in slaves, and Handel owned its stock for several years. In the midst of all this theological, political, and personal darkness, Jennens created a comforting libretto that exudes light. He wrote about wonder, promise, and the ability to nudge life in that direction. Suffering is part of the world, but God stays with us through it. Jennens’s Messiah exudes optimism. Jennens accomplished this in three parts. Part I states prophecy (the crooked will be made straight and the rough places plain). Then the libretto moves into struggle, (he was despised and rejected). But in Part III Jennens declares a glorious expression of hope. Hallelujah! Comfort ye, my people. Handel didn’t care about any of this. He was a gluttonous, gouty man of the world with a well-deserved reputation for prolific cursing. But he saw something in Jennens’s libretto that inspired him to write soaring, passionate, melodic, and memorable music that puts an exclamation point on the pathos and joy of the Jennens’s words. For many, today’s times resemble Handel’s (and Jennens’s). Like Jennens, many suffer personal pain. Young people, especially young men, feel darkness due to college debts, home unaffordability, career stagnation, or difficulty in forming relationships. In the public sector, apprehension about the future is at an all-time high. This is not the time or place to catalogue the many causes of darkness in today’s world, but whether conservatives who worry that the tides of history run against them on cultural issues or progressives who fear the worst in climate change, deep anxiety is an epidemic. Whatever our political taste—be ye red or be ye blue—we can easily tick off multiple causes for alarm. In all honesty, sometimes the darkness wins. I strive for realism, and I detest Pollyannaism, which is often a popular fallback in church circles. Consequently, I know that sometimes life gets very hard. But not always. In our times, like Jennens’s, all is not lost; there is a better way. In this season may we give our mental make-up a little more attention (comfort ye), nurture hope (the trumpet shall sound), and wait for an opportunity to make a difference. Can I get Handel’s (and Jennens’s) last word? Amen. Steve Longenecker is Professor of History, emeritus, at Bridgewater College (VA).

The following originally appeared in the November 1994 issue of The Brethren Evangelist and was written by then-editor Richard C. Winfield NEARLY EVERY AMERICAN knows that our annual observance of Thanksgiving Day looks back to the harvest festival held in Plymouth Colony in 1621. But many people may not realize that Thanksgiving Day has not always been a national holiday in the United States. Our nation’s first President, George Washington, proclaimed in 1789 that a day of thanksgiving should be observed that year by the 13 states that then constituted the nation. But it wasn't until 1863 and the presidency of Abraham Lincoln that Thanksgiving Day became an annual observance. And this came about only because of the tireless efforts of a person little-known to us today, a woman named Sarah J. Hale. Who was Sarah J. Hale? Sarah Josepha Buell was born in 1788 in Newport, New Hampshire. In 1813 she married David Hale, a lawyer. He encouraged her to write for local newspapers. How she managed to do this while having five children over the next nine years is anybody's guess. At any rate, when her husband died in 1822, Mrs. Hale had experienced enough success as a writer to enter into a full-scale literary career. In 1827 her first novel was published and was well-received. The following year, Rev. John L. Blake began a monthly woman's magazine in Boston and offered Hale the editorship. She accepted, moved to Boston, and edited Ladies’ Magazine there until 1837. The magazine featured fiction, poetry, essays, and criticism, and attempted to define and celebrate the wholesome and tasteful in American life. Mrs. Hale wrote most of the material for each issue. In 1837, Louis A. Godey bought out the magazine and changed the name to Godey’s Lady’s Book. He retained Mrs. Hale as editor, and she moved to Philadelphia, where for the next 40 years she headed a magazine that prided itself on being " a beacon light of refined taste, pure morals, and practical wisdom." A Thanksgiving campaign Mrs. Hale began her campaign for an annual, national Thanksgiving holiday in Godey's Lady's Book in 1846-a campaign that was to last 17 years and more. But her first public statements on this subject came long before that date. As early as 1827 she wrote, "Thanksgiving like the Fourth of July should be considered a national festival and observed by all our people..." Mrs. Hale saw a Thanksgiving holiday not only as a day for giving thanks for God's goodness and His blessings, but also as a unifying bond for our nation. In this regard, we need to remember that she waged much of her campaign for a national Thanksgiving holiday during the years leading up to the division of the Union and the Civil War. Mrs. Hale's efforts to establish a Thanksgiving holiday were not limited to her editorials in Lady's Book . She wrote letters to all the Presidents from 1850 to 1863 urging them to proclaim a national observance of Thanksgiving. She wrote to other influential people in government as well. And since there was no national observance of Thanksgiving Day, she also wrote to governors of states urging them to proclaim a state Thanksgiving holiday. Over the years she wrote literally thousands of letters - all by hand. By 1852, she was able to announce in Lady’s Book that all but two of the then 31 states had united in a common observance of a Thanksgiving Day. But she continued her campaign for a nationally-declared holiday. In 1861, the first year of the Civil War, she begged for a Thanksgiving Day of Peace, pleading that “we lay aside our enmities and strifes… on this one day." Her pleading failed. But two years later, in 1863, in the midst of the Civil War, her goal was achieved. On October 3, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln issued what was the first National Thanksgiving Proclamation since the days of George Washington. All Mrs. Hale's efforts, her editorials, and her letters had finally borne fruit. For the next several years, she continued to urge President Lincoln and his successor to proclaim the fourth Thursday in November as a national Thanksgiving Day, for at that time each year's observance of the holiday was by annual proclamation of the President. Thanksgiving continued to be observed every year from 1863 on, but it wasn't until 1941 that a joint resolution of Congress legally established the fourth Thursday in November as a national Thanksgiving holiday. Some observations Mrs. Hale's example reminds us what one person can accomplish by persistent and dedicated effort. But her example also reminds us that great achievements often don't come easily or quickly. It was 36 years from her first public statement appealing for a national Thanksgiving observance until Abraham Lincoln proclaimed the holiday in 1863. And during those years she wrote dozens of editorials and thousands of letters campaigning for this holiday. We do well to remember this when we seek to bring about changes in government (for example, in laws concerning abortion, pornography, prayer in schools, a balanced-budget, etc.). In this day when we expect instant results, we need to take a longer view. And one or two letters to our congressmen may not be enough to get the job done. One additional thought: Mrs. Hale labored long and hard to make sure that our nation would set apart one day each year on which we, as a nation, would express our gratitude to God for His goodness and His abundant blessings upon us. Therefore, let’s make sure we use the day for that purpose. Let’s put some thanks into our Thanksgiving. And while we're at it, we might even want to express a word of gratitude as well for the dedication and persistence of Sarah J. Hale.

Brethren Academy 2024 took place November 8-10, and Ashland, OH was graced with the presence of 16 high school-aged, up-and-coming leaders of The Brethren Church! The weekend was full of teaching, fellowship, and communion with the Lord and the Body of Christ. The future of The Brethren Church looks brighter with these students in it! This year marked the last of a 3-year rotation of Brethren Academy themes. The first year of the theme rotation, students learn about their identity in Christ and their identity as members of The Brethren Church. In the second year, they learn about their God-given calling and how they are able to live that out in a uniquely Brethren way wherever they find themselves in life. This year, as the third year of this rotation, students learned what it means to have a Kingdom Witness and why it's important to share it with others. Students learned from Executive Board member and pastor of Gretna Brethren Church, Rob Starnes, and even had the opportunity to practice sharing their Kingdom Witness with the group. Students were led by mentors who walked alongside them, through the weekend, and helped process what the Lord was teaching them. These mentors included Brianna Freel, Chyann Mackey, Shelby Morris, Lydia Smith, Amanda Carriere, and Sarah and David Miller. Patrick Sprague also led students in worship. This is the second year Patrick has led worship and set the tone for the weekend in this meaningful way. Sara Moore, Ryan Smith, and Lydia McCullough also planned and orchestrated the weekend. Thank you, mentors and leaders, for being an integral part of Brethren Academy! On Saturday, students had the opportunity to learn what a Kingdom Witness looks like in unique contexts. They visited the Ashland Public Library and heard from their Community Engagement Manager, Lindsay Brandon-Smith, about how she can share her Kingdom Witness through her day-to-day work as a public library employee. Then, students were joined by a panel of speakers with different backgrounds and understandings of what sharing their Kingdom Witness can look like. Students learned that even though their Kingdom Witness may be different from others, it is still powerful to share because it might be the exact message someone else needs to hear to learn about God. Thank you to our panelists: Cory Smith, Ron Waters, Tony Basham, Louis Mancha, Sadie Vanderzyden, and Amber LeMaster! To end our time, students joined Park Street Brethren Church for their Sunday morning service and heard a timely message from Pastor Nate Bebout about the promises of God’s New Covenant in times of tension. Then, students were joined by local Brethren, Steven Cole, Dale Stoffer, and Alex Hill, to name just a few, who heard highlights from the weekend and prayed over the students as they prepared to return home, equipped with the confidence to share their Kingdom Witness with their friends and family. It was a beautiful time in which The Brethren Church's current and future leaders could gather and support one another. Thank you to all who participated in this beautiful, impactful weekend! The Lord is certainly raising up the future leaders of The Brethren Church, and we are so excited to see what He does in the lives of these students in the months and years to come! Starting in 2025, Brethren Academy will be fully funded by The Brethren Church. At General Conference 2025, our offering will go toward funding Brethren Academy so we can continue the work of raising young leaders for many years to come. Please consider donating to this worthy cause! Lydia McCullough Executive Assistant The Brethren Church

Praise the Father for a new Pastoral Couple in Argentina. On Sunday, November 3, 2024, Nancy and Agustin Bidondo were ordained and set as pastors for the congregation in Santa Fe, Argentina. Elders Willy Romanenghi and Guillermo Rojas presided over the ceremony, releasing this amazing young couple into the ministry as the church's pastors. Over the past couple of years, Willy and Guillermo have been working to identify and mentor young men and women and prepare them for the service. This marks the third new elder in Argentina in 2024, with Willy’s own son, Guillermo, preparing for ordination soon. Let us praise God for all he is doing with our partners worldwide! What a testimony to the faith and love of his people and their willingness to accept the call to ministry in the pastorate and in the workplace. God's word continues to be heard, and his kingdom continues to advance. Amen!!! Scott Soden Global Partners Coordinator

Duolingo is a language-learning app. You play games and complete exercises, and your proficiency in a new language increases as you practice. Currently, Duolingo offers courses for over 40 languages on its platform. I am the proud owner of a 2+ year streak on Duolingo; as of this writing, yours truly has completed exercises in Spanish for 981 (and counting) straight days. You might think that my ability to communicate en español should be pretty good by now. Maybe I’m even borderline fluent. But you would be totally wrong. My Spanish is still pretty lousy. A 365-day streak is enough to put me in the top 20% of users in my age bracket. I have nearly tripled that. So what gives?  Well, being a busy human being, I did what busy human beings do: I found a shortcut. I discovered an exercise that would keep my streak going, and it only took about a minute and a half a day. So, instead of investing the recommended 10-15 minutes a day studying Spanish, I started spending less than two. I’ve been doing that for the entire last year, at least. My ability to use more complicated forms and tenses plateaued and then began declining. Despite my consistency, the effort and time I invested almost nearly three years wasn’t nearly as fruitful as it might have been if my heart had really been in it. God, through his prophet Isaiah, called out his people, saying, “[They] come near me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me” (Isaiah 29:13). Doing and saying the right things is the easy part. I can attest that you can earn a 1,000-day streak in Duolingo and not actually learn much Spanish. According to scripture, it’s possible to prophesy, cast out demons, and perform miracles without actually knowing Jesus! (Matthew 7:21-23) Clearly, just doing and saying the right things – and even incredible, powerfully good things - isn’t enough. There’s one story in the Bible that came to my attention recently, and I’ve been thinking about it ever since. Right after Pentecost, Peter and John are in Jerusalem. The two of them have been preaching, teaching, and healing, and the church has been growing by the thousands. In Acts 3, they healed a lame man. In the very next chapter they were arrested by the Sadducees and brought before the Sanhedrin. The religious leaders ask them where their power to heal comes from. Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, gives a powerful testimony of Jesus. After hearing Peter’s bold witness, the religious leaders marveled—not because of the eloquence of Peter’s words. Peter and John were “uneducated” and “untrained.” They didn’t marvel anew at the miraculous healing of the lame man now made whole and standing before them. They marveled because they realized that they had been with Jesus. (Acts 4:13) The Sadducees had spent their entire lives learning about God, talking about God, and teaching others about God. They knew more about God than anyone else. But now their eyes have been opened: John and Peter didn’t just know about God. John and Peter were transformed because they had been with Jesus. As a result, the members of the Sanhedrin were left speechless (v. 14). Here’s the lesson I’m learning about my halfhearted Spanish studies and my walk with Jesus: Your heart has to be in it. Transformation comes through sitting in the presence of Jesus. Intentionally. Consistently. Let our prayers not just be a fleeting moment to list things we want but leisurely, meaningful time spent seeking the face and heart of Jesus. May we seek him with a hunger and thirst as real as any we’ve ever felt. And like John and Peter, I pray that those around us might know when they look at us that we, too, have been with Jesus.

Every year, churches from all over prepare and send teams out into the world to engage communities, learn from new friends, develop relationships, make disciples, and serve in unique ways. This October, the Mount Olive Brethren Church (McGaheysville, VA) sent a team to Peru. They had several objectives, including helping construct the new building in Puerto Maldonado and refurbishing the building in Lima. What a blessing they were and what a time they had! Read on to hear from Chyann Mackey, Youth Pastor at Mount Olive and Global Partners Team Member, about what she observed and how God used the team’s time in Peru for the people there and the team. “Seven Members from Mount Olive traveled to Peru at the beginning of October to spend some time working in Puerto Maldonado and Lima. Our trip began in the jungle as we reunited with our friends, Pastor Segundo and his wife Vilma, and David Abuid. When we arrived on Tuesday at the work site, they already had the foundation and columns, so we worked to level out the floors. As we shoveled the dirt, we sprinkled down pieces of paper with Bible verses written on them that our church back home prayed over this new Brethren Church. Tuesday afternoon, many kids from the church came to join us, and we were able to fellowship and share a meal with them, as well as share some hygiene kits and t-shirts we brought. We mixed, wheelbarrowed, poured, and spread concrete over the floors on Thursday. The way the Peruvian team and the American team worked together was remarkable. Everyone had their own job and worked smoothly to set the floors. We worked for five long hours before running out of concrete, but we could see that the floors were 90% finished. We shared a meal with the team of workers, and it was so good to get to know all of them! We headed to Lima on Friday and spent the evening with Pastor Luis Angel and his youth group. We folded pamphlets with the church's information, times, address and an encouraging message. Then we went out and walked through the community, sharing and praying for people. On Saturday, we went to Ticlio Chico and had field day activities and games with the kids, which was so much fun. Despite the language barrier, their joy and laughter was unmistakable. On Sunday, we met with the congregation for a beautiful service led by Pastor Luis Angel. He spoke about the honor and sacrifice of serving the Lord. After church, we painted the room where the church is held. Again, it was a beautiful time to reconnect with friends and work together as a body of believers. This entire trip felt like a big, warm hug and a blessing to be a part of. I am deeply encouraged by the stewardship I witnessed by Pastor Segundo, Pastor Luis Angel, and their congregations. They both have extraordinary dreams and are called by God. They lead so humbly as faithful servants in a very inspiring way.” Chyann Mackey Is your church taking a team into the field? Let us know because we want to tell your story! Contact me at scott@brethrenchurch.org today, and let’s help your church tell the story of how God continues to use the Brethren Church to advance the kingdom!

Over 40 people from the North Central Region met Saturday, October 19, 2024, for their annual regional gathering. They represented nine of the region’s congregations. Gretna Brethren Church, Bellefontaine, Ohio, hosted the event. Jack Radcliffe, Radial Church lead staff and adjunct professor at Malone University, presented two training sessions: “Starting [Small] Kingdom Works” and “Mission and Discipleship in the Rhythms of Everyday Life.” He shared principles to help churches and individuals shift their focus toward their communities and answer the question, “What is our posture toward the world today?” In the first session he addressed leading congregations through a transformational process in their relationship with their communities. He used examples from his experience of helping a traditional church transition into a network of house churches. He emphasized, however, that the principles can be used in any model of church organization and size. In his second session, Radcliffe focused on how we, individually and in small missional groups, can implement engagement in mission that enhances our personal growth in discipleship. He also involved participants in table discussions on the principles he had shared and how they might implement them in their own lives and churches. Drew Meziere, Regional Resource Coordinator, served as the MC. Cory Smith (Smoky Row) and Amber LeMaster (Five Stones/Garber) led the group in worship. Reports on regional activities were shared by Sarah Wells (Park Street), Regional Leadership Team chair; Cory Smith (Smoky Row) and Ken Van Duyne (Park Street), Camp Bethany; and Lynn Mercer (West Alexandria), regional golf outing. The morning’s activities concluded with a catered box lunch and fellowship. Ron Waters Donor Care Team The Brethren Church

WOW… 40 YEARS! On Saturday, October 26, 2024, the Cheyenne Brethren Church in Wyoming gathered together to celebrate Rev. Dr. G. Emery Hurd’s 40th Anniversary of Service. Pastor Hurd was called to Cheyenne in July of 1984 and has been the Senior Pastor ever since. Numerous members and friends gathered to commemorate his years of dedicated ministry. National and regional representatives as well as other Brethren Church Elders joined us for a night of dinner, photos, videos, and fun memorable moments. Pastor Emery and Sue Hurd were grateful for the love expressed to them and are excited to continue their last few years serving their congregation until they retire. Pastor Emery is one of only a few Brethren Elders to serve over 40 years at the same location and is honored to claim that commendable achievement. If you’d like to congratulate Pastor Emery & Sue Hurd, send your greeting cards to: Cheyenne Brethren Church 2600 E. 12th Street Cheyenne, WY 82001. Thank you! Cheyenne Brethren Church Pastoral Care Committee Coordinator Tracy Navarro

Brethren Church members of the West Region gathered in Tucson, Arizona in early October for some fun in the hot sun. Over 120 people from six churches in the region participated in activities over the weekend which included a Q&A time with Executive Director Steven Cole, prayer, site seeing, line dancing, a bonfire, games, and some great southwestern food. The weekend culminated in a worship service Sunday morning. Gary Castro, our Brethren Global Partner from the Philippians, shared a fantastic message and testimony of what God has been doing in his life and life of the Brethren Churches there. The following churches that participated are: Carson Oaks Community Church: Stockton, CA Northgate Community Church: Manteca, CA Pasadena Centro Cristian: Pasadena, CA Cheyenne Brethren Church: Cheyenne, WY First Brethren Church: Tucson, AZ Summit Ridge Community Church: Tucson, AZ This marked the second time the region gathered together since regionalization. There were several goals for our gathering: to create and strengthen relationships among our churches in the West, to meet and hear from a Brethren Global Partner, to interact with some of our National staff and hear what was happening in the Brethren Church, and finally, to have fun. Which we did! The schedule for this weekend was designed to maximize relational connection and help create an environment to help achieve our goals. It was an incredible time of gathering together and we are looking forward to our next regional gathering, maybe in Northern California. Who knows?? Respectfully submitted, Dan Acker Pastor, Summit Ridge Community Church West Regional Resource Coordinator