Bret Hammond

Carolyn “Sue” Parker, age 78, of Kansas, IL passed away at 2:50 p.m. on Wednesday, January 19, 2022 at The Gibson Family Center for Hospice Care, Terre Haute, IN after a long, hard-fought battle with frontotemporal dementia. She was born on October 30, 1943 in Union Center, IL, the daughter of Roy Clifford Black & Edith Fern Black (Lilly). On April 21, 1962 she married the love of her life, Terry Fredric Parker, in Morris, IL.

Survivors include her husband of nearly 60 years, Terry Fredric Parker of Kansas, IL; children, Charles Rodney Parker (Sherry) of Greenup, IL, Terry Douglas Parker (Lisa) of Kansas, IL; Wendy Sue Fuller (Donovan) of Bigfork, MT; John Wesley Parker (Delana) of Kansas, IL; grandchildren, Dustin Charles Parker (Morgan) of Wahpeton, ND; Hayden Douglas Parker (Chelsey) of Bloomington, IL; Dakotah LeAnn Shelton (Liam) of Fort Riley, KS; Dalton James Parker (Paige) of Toledo, IL; Hampton Allen Parker & Bryce Declan Parker of Kansas, IL; Akaiyan Leigh Fuller & Kinnerly Sue Fuller of Bigfork, MT; great grandchildren, Adalynn, Lucas, & Elliot Parker of Wahpeton, ND; Mason Parker of Bloomington, IL; GraceLynn & Oliver Parker of Toledo, IL; sister in law, DeAnn Parker (Bob Lasley) of Princeton, IN and many nephews and nieces. She was preceded in death by her parents, siblings (Leland Black, William (Bill) Reet Black, Mary Morecraft, Virginia Rose Carl, Kenneth Black, Harold Lee Black, Larry Dean Black), and granddaughter, Kintla Leigh Fuller.

Sue was a graduate of Casey High School. She was a beloved wife and stay-at-home mom until her children were in school and then put her caregiving gifts to work as a teacher’s aide to children at Eastern Illinois Area of Special Education.

Sue treasured spending time with her family and hosted countless family events and Sunday/holiday dinners that are precious memories for her children and grandchildren. She enjoyed attending church, weekly coffee chats with her friends, arts/crafts, and shopping and operated a resale business (P&S Rummage) in Kansas, IL with her longtime friend Nila Seales. She attended church at Kansas Christian Church in Illinois and United Church of God in West Terre Haute, Indiana.

Parents ask a question that prompts an almost universal response in children. You witness a toddler holding a strange item, and you ask, “What’s that in your hand?” A heartbeat later, the toddler takes off running! I remember for Megan, that item was often the television remote; for Connor, it’s more than likely a fork full of food. Either way, ask, “What’s that in your hand?” and the chase is on! There’s no way they’re giving their prize up without a fight!

So in Exodus 4, after Moses has given God his excuses for why he cannot be the right choice to lead his people out of Egypt, God asks the same question of Moses. “What’s that in your hand?” But unlike your toddler, Moses is already on the run. He’s out here in the wilderness because he’s run away from his failure and shame. Still, God knows what he’s carrying can be useful.

So, what’s in your hand? What are you carrying? When God asks that question, do you run away from him or run to him? Today we’ll look at Moses’ story and hear God’s call for us to run to him and trust him with whatever is in our hands.

It seems to have become a daily occurrence on Facebook. You sign in and find a friend request from someone who is already a friend. What do you do? Delete it, report it to Facebook, or send a message to your actual friend asking, "Is this really you?"

In Exodus 3, Moses encounters God at the burning bush. In verse 13, he asks a question that's akin to, "Is this really you?" He asks God for his name. "Do I really know you? Can I trust you?"

Maybe you've wanted to ask God the same question. Can I really trust that you're who you say you are? Can I really trust that you care?

God responds not just with his name but with his name forever. In other words, if Moses could trust he was there, then we can trust he's there for us as well.

Are you familiar with "Imposter Syndrome?" It's that little voice inside your head that loves to tell you, "you're a fake, a phony, and one day everyone is going to figure you out. You can't fool them forever."

Do you ever hear that voice inside your head? I love what Adam Grant says about Imposter Syndrome. "Imposter syndrome is a paradox. Others believe in you but you don't believe in yourself. Yet, you believe yourself instead of them. If you doubt yourself, shouldn't you also doubt your judgment of yourself? When multiple people believe in you, it might be time to believe them."

Read that again, slowly. You probably need to hear it.

When God encountered Moses through the burning bush and told him his plan to use Moses to set his people free, Moses' first question was, "Who am I?" In other words, "God, what makes you think I'm competent? I'm a failure, a phony, and everyone has figured me out."

When we hear Moses' question, we hear something of our own self-doubt. And just like Moses, we need to hear God answer back, "But I am with you."

One of our favorite songs at Kansas Christian Church is "Holy Ground." When we sing it, I can look around the room and watch as my friends become acutely aware of the presence of God. We sing the line, "And I know there are angels all around," and I genuinely believe we do.

The song builds off several Bible passages, most notably Moses' encounter with God through the burning bush. But while our song is beautiful, Moses' story is strange and lonely. He's out there because of his guilt and shame. He's been running away from his responsibilities, and yet that's precisely where God encounters him.

What if "holy ground" is not a place of beauty but a place of pain and dread? What if God meets you in a desert place in your life and calls you to take off your shoes so that nothing will come between you and him?

It's the day after Christmas. So what's left to do other than put away the tree and toss out the used wrapping paper? We've spent a month working ourselves up for the big event, and now it's time to put it all behind us, right?

At the end of Charles Dickens's "A Christmas Carol," after Scrooge's transformation, we read, "And it was always said of him, that he knew how to keep Christmas well, if any man alive possessed the knowledge." I believe that "keeping Christmas" must be something done more than one day a year. Keeping Christmas means keeping the message alive all year long.

"Fear not!" Those words, spoken by the angel Gabriel to a young girl named Mary, are followed with words of incredible value. "For you have found favor with God." With those words, any fear of judgment or condemnation was assuaged. This was a message of grace, and God's grace banishes the fear of judgment.

Those around us need to know there is favor to be found with God. Instead, they spend their lives hearing words of condemnation. They are told they aren't good enough and are made to feel they are not loved. They need to know the favor—the grace found in Jesus.

Mary's response to the angel's message comes in a song she sings to her cousin, Elizabeth. Her song begins very personally with, "all generations will call ME blessed," but it ends with a blessing for all. God "has filled the hungry with good things."

Are you hungry for God's grace? Are you starving to know his favor? Then, Mary's song is for you.

When we were first married, Trish bought us a beautiful porcelain nativity with many pieces. It has camels, a donkey, all three wise men, and a smattering of shepherds. There is a problem, though. Every year when I set the pieces out, I have to wonder, "Is this a shepherd . . . or is it Joseph?" I admit there's been more than one year when I've mistaken Joseph for a shepherd and vise versa.

Joseph tends to get lost in our Christmas story. Sure, he belongs in the center of the nativity, but he often gets relegated to the sidelines. We realize, though, just as God chose Mary, he chose Joseph. Moreover, there are qualities to his character that caught God's attention. I believe those are qualities God still looks for in us, and we ought to look for in each other.

In this message, we dig into Joseph's story and see what Advent brings to those who need someone to believe in them.

It has often been said that the most common command in the Bible is "Fear not." But what amazes me is how often those words appear in the Christmas story. "Fear not" is spoken to the shepherds by the angels, Mary by Gabriel, and Joseph in a dream. But before those words are spoken of Jesus' birth, they're said to Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist.

But it's not just "fear not." Zechariah is told, "Fear not, your prayer has been heard." The command to not be afraid is tied to the deepest desire in Zechariah's heart, a hope he refused to let go of even when all hope seemed to be gone.

What if God hears your greatest hope? What if your greatest fear could melt away in his presence? This is where we begin the Christmas story in Luke, and it could be where the Christmas story meets each of us.

Thanksgiving is coming. Every November, people on Facebook spend the month sharing what's on their list of things they're thankful for. Those posts often cause me to realize that I'm thankful for the same things! Their giving thanks literally gives ME thanks!

Giving is like that, whether it's thanksgiving or caregiving, or simply giving to support someone's need. Our gift has a far more significant effect than just meeting a need. And in some miraculous way, we receive back more than we can know.

In Philippians 4, Paul thanks his friends for the gift they have given him, but he wants them to know what they have received. In providing for him, they've learned the promise that, as Paul says, "my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:19). In giving, they've received back so much more.