Dear Craig

By Leonard V. Kalkwarf

I invite you to listen in as a grandfather shares his faith and values through a series of fifteen letters with his grandson. The tone is intimate and encouraging as it bridges the generational gap through gentle care and timeless truth. Kalkwarf inspires both grandparents and grandchildren to see and live a more rooted, relevant life. The Rev. Gregg A. Mast, PhD, president, New Brunswick Theological Seminary, New Brunswick, New Jersey

A fascinating glimpse into the thoughts of people confronted by the crucifixion, full of suspense, drama and enduring truths. Virginia Castor elder, Abington Presbyterian Church, Abington, Pennsylvania

In Dear Craig, Len Kalkwarf has penned a beautiful way for one generation to communicate contemporary biblical understandings to succeeding generations. The Christian faith of a grandfather is shared with his grandson in such a way that all of us can gain insights for our communications with our children and grandchildren. The Rev. James M. Bell, pastor, The Village Church, Greenspring Retirement Community, Springfield, Virginia

Dear Craig is an inspiring book of letters written by a mentor about first-century individuals who provide fresh insights especially for clergy and educators. Dr. Edwin G. Mulder, general secretary emeritus, Reformed Church in America

Young men and womenand, indeed, all who want to find what the Bible is about will find Dr. Kalkwarfs treatment of its larger persons engagingly helpful. He makes them come alive! Their letters are instructive, fun, and good reading! Rear Admiral Ross H. Trower former chief of navy chaplains

This is a thoughtful and fascinating collection of first-person narratives. These are not one-dimensional saints or sinners but complex characters. Kalkwarf has brought them to life and told their stories in a way that allows them to speak meaningfully to twenty-first-century readers. Dr. Lynn Japinga, professor of religion, Hope College, Holland, Michigan

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Jun 26, 2013
• ISBN: 9781449795368

Leonard V. Kalkwarf

Leonard V. Kalkwarf is a Minister of the Word and Sacrament in the Reformed Church in America, the oldest protestant denomination on the North American continent. He served as a parish minister for 50 years and continues to be active in the ministry preaching, teaching and writing. He is the author of a number of books including the book Dear Craig, a series of creative letters addressed to their grandson as though they were written in the twenty-first century by well-known and lesser known personalities who were involved with the crucifixion of Jesus. He also published the book Exploring the Libraries of the U.S. Presidents One of his hobbies is studying presidential history. He has an in-house television program regarding the presidents which he presents to the residents in the retirement community of two thousand residents where he and his wife Beverly reside in Northern Virginia. For six years he served as a White House volunteer in the Presidential Correspondence Department. Len, as he is known to his friends, received his theological education at the New Brunswick Theological Seminary, New Brunswick, N.J. He has a Masters of Education from New York University, a Masters of Sacred Theology from the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Philadelphia, an earned doctorate from Princeton and an honorary doctorate from his alma mater, Central College in Pella, Iowa. He is listed in Whos Who in America. He is an avid bowler, horseshoe player, and enjoys billiards and competing each year in the Northern Virginia Senior Olympics. He and his wife Beverly, a Registered Nurse, have been married sixty four years and have three adult children, three grandchildren and three great grandchildren. Len and Beverly live in Springfield, Virginia, and spend their summers at their cottage in Readfield, Maine..

Book preview

Copyright © 2013 Leonard V. Kalkwarf.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Scripture quotations (unless otherwise noted) are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible and are copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States.

WestBow Press books may be ordered through booksellers or by contacting:

WestBow Press

A Division of Thomas Nelson

1663 Liberty Drive

Bloomington, IN 47403

www.westbowpress.com

1-[phone]

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

ISBN: 978-1-4497-9537-5 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4497-9538-2 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4497-9536-8 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2013908798

WestBow Press rev. date: 6/24/2013

TABLE OF CONTENTS

About the Author

Preface

Introduction

Barabbas

Caiaphas

Claudia

Cleopas

Dismas

Herod Antipas

Joseph of Arimathea

Joseph of the House of David

Judas Iscariot

Longinus

Mary

Peter

Pontius Pilate

Simon of Cyrene

Thomas

Comments

Endnotes

More than a dozen voices from the past in the form of creative letters as though they were written in the twenty-first century by well-known and lesser known personalities in the Bible.

Dedication

This book is dedicated to

the congregation of the Reformed Church

in

Willow Grove, PA,

where the content of many of these letters were

conceived

and

shared.

About the Author

42609.jpg

Leonard V. Kalkwarf is an ordained minister of the Word and Sacrament in the Reformed Church in America and a past president of its General Synod. He has served congregations in New York State, Pennsylvania, and Kuwait.

A graduate of Central College in Iowa and New Brunswick Theological Seminary in New Jersey, he has a master’s degree in education from New York University, a master’s of sacred theology from the Lutheran Seminary in Philadelphia, a doctorate of ministry from Princeton, and an honorary doctorate of divinity from his alma mater.

He is the author of two children’s religious textbooks, a Maundy Thursday drama, as well as published articles in religious periodicals.

He is retired. He and his wife, Beverly, live in Springfield, Virginia and Readfield, Maine.

Preface

42798.jpg

During the fifty years I was active in parish ministry, I would occasionally preach a sermon in the first person, speaking as if I were that biblical person. The congregation received those sermons enthusiastically because for the first time they saw the struggles that these individuals experienced from their own perspective.

In the preparation of these sermons I did a rather comprehensive study not only of the gospel accounts but also the legends that had developed over the centuries. In this book I present this information in the form of letters as if they were written in the twenty-first century by the more important biblical personalities who were caught up in the passion of our Lord.

These letters are my understanding of these key biblical personalities even as each gospel writer gave his interpretation of that person. By combining information found in all four Gospels along with some of the legends that have developed over the centuries, I am attempting to give the reader a comprehensive view of these men and women as they struggled with decisions that shaped and made the Christian faith.

While the letters are addressed to my grandson, who was ten years old at the time of this book’s publication, my purpose in writing this book is to help the serious Bible student understand the humanness of these individuals as well as provide a preaching resource for pastors.

It was Dr. Jeffrey Japinga (now of McCormick Theological Seminary) who first suggested I publish these in an epistle format. Members of the congregations I served also encouraged me to put this information in print, as did my wife, Beverly, whose encouragement and support during this project was ever-so-helpful and appreciated.

I am indebted to those who read some of the earlier drafts of my manuscript and made many helpful suggestions. Among them are Fran Duvall, Dorothy Massie, Carolyn Posey, Millicent Taylor, and Simeon Taylor.

But the one person to whom I am especially indebted is my daughter, Cindy Kalkwarf, for her careful reading of the entire manuscript and making major suggestions that improved every draft and has added greatly to the quality and readability of this book.

While all of my friends and family have been extremely generous in the giving of their time, insights, and suggestions, in the final analysis I realize I alone am responsible for any errors and weaknesses of the book.

Introduction

42800.jpg

Dear Craig,

I heard you say church is boring! I can understand that, for the church does talk about people who lived a long time ago. They spoke a different language and lived in a different world. But that doesn’t mean they were boring or even that different from us.

If you were to receive letters from them and they shared how they saw their lives and why they did what they did, what do you think they might say? I think you would be surprised how they viewed their accomplishments, and you might even discover they weren’t so boring and different from us after all. So I have created more than a dozen letters as if they were written and addressed to you by some of the people about whom the church often speaks.

I hope you will enjoy reading them, and I trust you will come to appreciate that while they lived a long time ago they were real human beings not much different from you and me. Each one had strengths and weaknesses like all of us but nevertheless made a significant contribution to the spiritual life of countless thousands.

With love,

Grandpa

Barabbas

42802.jpg

Dear Craig,

My name is Jesus. No, not Jesus Christ, the Son of God, but the other Jesus¹ recorded on the pages of your New Testament. My name is really Jesus Barabbas. People remember me as the one who got out of prison instead of your Jesus Christ.

People think of me as a thief. I think that most people have totally misunderstood me.

I write to you from across the time barrier of nearly two thousand years! I want you to understand some of the statements recorded in your history so that you know who I was and what I really did from my perspective. Those who wrote about me in your history books wrote the way they wanted me to be remembered. I think many were biased.

Let me begin by telling you who I was.

The gospel writer John quotes Jesus as saying, All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers.² Now certainly he was not referring to burglars and ordinary thieves. He meant those who had tried to save the people before and presented themselves as the savior from Rome. They were the ones who tried to steal the power from Rome. They had been political revolutionaries. And I was one of them! Not a common house thief, bank robber, or shoplifter. I was into political espionage and intrigue. So please don’t think of me as an ordinary thief. I was a hero to many for trying to save my people from Roman power.

In fact, I think most people in your day would have liked me. I was a PK, which means preacher’s kid, as you probably know, because my name means son of a Father.³ I was the son of an official teacher of religion. Women were impressed with me. I was manly, physically strong, and virile with proud, flashing eyes. Maybe a little on the bragging side but rather daring. Men liked me because I was the leader of many a risky expedition, the hero of a thousand escapades, the darling of the people, a Robin Hood of Israel who had taken his own life in his hand again and again for the cause they all had at heart.⁴ Anyone who liked sports and was impressed with military heroes was enamored with me. And I was proud