By Michael Cook • 13 Dec, 2023

What comes to mind when you think of the word “luxury”? Do you imagine exotic vacations on faraway tropical islands, complete with white sandy beaches and someone nearby to make sure you never find the bottom of your piña colada? Or maybe luxury is embodied in the precision-crafted inner workings of a Swiss-made chronograph all wrapped up in a solid gold case and bracelet. However, I might encourage you to consider beyond the typical categories of luxury experiences and luxury goods when you think about what makes something luxurious. In 2015, noted Swiss-Argentinian designer Alfredo Häberli was invited to create an art installation in cooperation with BMW's automotive design team. Häberli understands luxury; his beautiful armchairs and sofas can sell for tens of thousands of dollars. But when talking about what constitutes luxury, he didn’t mention the materials used to make the pieces. Nor did he mention old-world craftsmanship or modern, minimalist design. So how does Alfredo Häberli define luxury? “For me,” he stated, “silence, space, and time are the luxury goods of the future.” Think about that. Silence, space, and time. As I reflect on those words, it seems to me that “the luxury goods of the future” are actually very, very old. Last month, I had the opportunity to visit the Abbey of Gethsemani in Trappist, Kentucky, for a weekend retreat. The Cistercian monks there live simply. Their motto, ora et labora (“prayer and work”), pretty much sums up their existence. There is silence on the grounds - talking is prohibited except in designated areas. The experience was odd at first, but I learned to welcome the silence. No one had any expectation of small talk in the public spaces. I didn’t have to engage in any kind of chit-chat at all. My introverted heart found the Abbey to be the most peaceful place I’ve ever known. The weirdest thing about it - and I only realized this about 24 hours in - was that I hadn’t seen or heard any advertisements the entire time I was there. My attention, which is usually splintered in countless directions, was able to find rest in the peace and quiet there. Space was abundant at the abbey. The courtyard was an acre or two, filled with statues, trees, and birds. The ceilings in the cathedral were fifty feet or more at the peak, which made the sanctuary seem enormous. But the most space was to be found in the woods across the street, which comprised hundreds of acres and contained many miles of hiking trails. I climbed the four named knobs on the map, each with marvelous views of the surrounding countryside. And during that time, I was reminded why Jesus so often stole away to spend time in the wilderness. When you have access to so much silence and so much space, time does something weird. It stretches out and slows down. I’m not sure how else to explain it. The weekend (plus dinner on Friday and breakfast on Monday) felt more like a whole week. I lingered over my meals because I never had to eat and run off to the next thing. One morning after breakfast, I poured myself a second cup of coffee and sat by the window to watch the birds at the bird feeder. For half an hour, I watched cardinals, jays, sparrows, finches, and the occasional squirrel come and go. I read two books cover-to-cover and started a third. I hiked ten miles on Sunday. During my time, I made it a point to attend a reasonable number of church services; I probably spent 3 or 4 hours in the sanctuary throughout the weekend, and I spent several more hours just sitting quietly with Jesus with no agenda other than enjoying his presence and his creation. No one would ever confuse the Abbey of Gethsemani for a luxury resort. My room was austere but perfectly adequate and featured two small single beds, a desk, plain white walls, and institutional low-pile carpet. Meals were simple as well. Breakfast consisted of oatmeal or cereal. Soups and salads featured prominently for lunch and dinner. Despite the humble accommodation, silence, space, and time were in lavish supply, and the weekend retreat at the Abbey may have been the most luxurious experience I have ever been privileged to enjoy. Michael Cook Ministry Support Specialist The Brethren Church

By Tracy Navarro • 13 Dec, 2023

Dear friends, it is with great JOY and AMAZEMENT that we announce how God has been moving at Cheyenne Brethren Church! Our goal for 2023 for Operation Christmas Child was 1,200 boxes, and we nearly met our goal by collecting 1,149 boxes. We believe any amount of OCC boxes is considered a success in our eyes because it's the Lord who blesses the numbers! We are so thankful for the sacrificial work of so many, especially Sue Hurd as coordinator, Carol Poteet who tracks inventory, and Kathy Juniker & Chris Heater who help with logistics. Our whole church gets behind the international ministry of Samaritan's Purse, which is organized by Rev. Franklin Graham. Operation Christmas Child is a passion of our church. We collect items throughout the year for the boxes and have a dedicated room just for OCC storage. We have craft days to make items for the boxes. People take boxes to their place of employment to ask coworkers to join in the blessing. We had dozens of people show up for the packing party, where there was great fellowship and laughter! Both young and old gather to fold, label, pack, apply rubber bands, transfer boxes to our drop-off location, pray, and travel to the Denver, Colorado collection center. Seeing God's people come together for a wonderful purpose is amazing! Placing a smile on a child's face is one of the most rewarding experiences Christ-followers can have. God is so Good! Tracy Navarro Church Social Media Coordinator Cheyenne Brethren Church

By Steven Longenecker • 13 Dec, 2023

This month, America celebrates the 250th anniversary of the Boston Tea Party. On December 16, 1773, approximately seventy-five determined Bostonians boarded three ships and dumped 92,000 pounds of tea overboard. The bold action was symbolic because tea was the national drink on both sides of the Atlantic—green, not black, spiked with cobalt by the Chinese to make it greener—but the insurgents also provoked a genuine turning point in the relationship between Britain and many of its North American colonists. As we celebrate this famed national moment, may we then ponder its meaning for Brethren today. The Patriots, dressed as Indians to summon Indigenous bravery rather than to disguise themselves, boarded the first ship, the Dartmouth, at 6 p.m. under a bright moon and the darkness of mid-winter New England. As a large crowd watched from the docks, the faux Indians, working men who knew how to use block and tackle, went about their work in silence, save for the chopping open of chests with hatchets and axes. In three efficient hours, the Tea Party created one of the most celebrated moments of the American revolutionary movement. The Patriot movement was angry because British officials had granted the East India Company the right to sell directly to consignees in North America, bypassing middlemen in London. Consequently, the tea was cheaper than smuggled Dutch tea, but it still bore a hated tax. Moreover, limiting sales to designated consignees in North America created a government-made monopoly for a fortunate few and cut out many other local merchants. Some American leaders thought that the Tea Party was an overreaction. George Washington lamented the assault on private property, and Benjamin Franklin pointed out that the stockholders in the East India Company were not America’s opponents. Across the pond, for the first time British officials contemplated war. really, the Tea Party had a large hand in a deteriorating situation that devolved into a very costly eight-year armed conflict with high casualties and pervasive brutality. The War for Independence was not a gentleman’s war, a popular myth. Brethren nonresistants suffered heavily. The slide from a bitter argument over taxation without representation, a valid complaint, into open warfare remains tragic. The British Isles and British North America shared much in common, including religion. How could such a tragedy have happened? The British-American descent into darkness resembles our situation today with its passion, misunderstandings, and wide gulf between antagonists. This is not to suggest that America is on the cusp of a lengthy, horrible war, but America has already damaged itself and more serious injury is certainly plausible. One of the great contributions of the American Revolution was the empowerment of individual citizens in the public square. In that spirit, let Brethren listen for God’s message for them in these alarming times. How can individual Brethren make a positive contribution to public discourse? God is close, speaks clearly (God does not mumble), and will instruct us. really, the Scriptures are unmistakable about the nearness of God. “Draw near to God, and God will draw near to you” (James 4:8). If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to you.” (Revelation 3:20). “Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you” (Matthew 7:7-8). And “Let anyone who wishes take the water of life as a gift.” (Revelation 22:17), which was a favorite of the early Brethren. Consequently, yea, though we walk through the valley of cable news, Thou art with us. In the cacophony of demagogic politicians and depressing overseas conflicts, God’s still, small voice is discernable. (Sadly, some who suffer from mental illness or difficult health struggle to find God, with good reason. My heart goes out to them. But they are exceptions. For most of us, knock and it shall be opened.) Undoubtedly, the potential descent into national darkness is a religious issue because deteriorating American democracy threatens to hurt individuals. Unrelenting intimidation and harassment of local officials, just one example, is already widespread and inflicts pain on its targets. Thus, religion has a role in political life because of the great capacity for public policy and behavior to help or hurt God’s children. God probably won’t commission concerned Brethren to change the world, but those who pray about it will hear how to contribute to society at large and, specifically, how to relate to our political crisis. As we commemorate the Boston Tea Party, God will counsel concerned Brethren about how to enhance the democracy that the Boston patriots so desired and how to heal the nation that they created. Steve Longenecker is Professor of History, emeritus, at Bridgewater College (VA). Photo by Dipen Patel on Unsplash