PENTECOST IN SMILTENE (SMEEL-TENA), LATVIA
The isolated 40 mile stretch of road between the border (Estonia and Latvia) and the beautiful small village of Smiltene is reminiscent of Washington Irving’s short story, “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow”. Isolation protects Smiltene … leaving it somewhat unsullied by the distortions of our bizarre modern world. Surely Katrina Van Tassel, Ichabod Crane, and Brom Bones still roam the countryside here.
Our last entry in early June described the trip to Kemi, Finland to visit Klo Gay and Margaret. Now we are on the way to Pentecost.
Along the 40 mile stretch, we alternate between farmland and virgin forests. Occasional storks provide proof positive that maternity is still alive and well here … as “they” police the farmlands looking for a late breakfast of mice, frogs, or other small vermin. Bypassing the occasional farmhouse with a few farm animals, we speculate on which home may be expecting a maternal visit from a large snow white bird with an orange beak and long orange legs.
The forested stretches are notable for large White Birch trees … providing an overhead canopy heavily shading the area …. the ground is covered by Lichens (a kind of green moss dominant in shady northern areas). Wild animals may also be seen including an occasional moose. To persons somewhat initiated, it appears to us that the major industry in this area of Latvia is lumbering … Smiltene has several lumber companies and Church Members have been employed by those companies.
Having loaded up our vehicles, complete with food for the weekly Sabbath, we had departed Tartu at 10 AM. Total distance from Tartu to Smiltene is about 100 miles (2 hours). Hazel drove the first car with Valdur and Maret. I drove the second one with Toomas. The border runs through the middle of a city situated in such a way that the city is divided by the border. The Estonian speaking northern side of this one city is Valga; the Latvian speaking southern side of the same city is Valka. For the past 10 years, there has not been any passport control at the border. Essentially they are melding into one country now (European Union) …. an interesting phenomenon … from our insightful Biblical perspective.
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Our destination is Slipi, a side road to a lake house (5 miles outside Smiltene) owned by Antra and Janis Kikute. The lake house sits about a furlong from the lake …. beautiful and clear. Fish abound in the lake … we were told to bring swimwear (a little too chilly for most this trip). We were greeted by Zeela (mostly German Shepherd) who stood watch outside the front entry to the guest house for the two days we would be there. Here at the Kikute lake house, we would celebrate God’s Holy (weekly) Sabbath, sleep in the accommodations, and then the following day, celebrate God’s annual Holy Day of Pentecost. The brethren from Smiltene (20+) would return to their homes for the night.
Robert Schultz, pastor of the Smiltene Baptist Church translated into Latvian. Robert had asked me to give the sermon on both days. After consideration and prayer, I decided to use 2 different physical/spiritual analogies to explain God’s Holy Spirit. A different analogy for each sermon on consecutive days.
Saturday, I focused on water as a symbol of God’s Holy Spirit, emphasizing how water has physical properties which inform us about how GHS functions in our lives. The characteristics used were; 1. Inanimate; (not a spirit being, but rather the power of God); 2. Life providing; where there is no water there is no life; 3. Abundant; 4. Cleansing; 5. Provides Comfort. Appropriately enough, throughout the entire day, water fell from the sky.
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A monumental Sabbath Feast. Inara and Ugis brought a large number of special pancakes filled with venison killed by Ugis; Juris brought special cheese, made by his wife, filled with unusual herbs … something we would never quite be able to get elsewhere; Skaidrite made a large cake which Liene finished decorating before services; and from a strawberry farm owned by relatives of the Kikutes, there were 2 five gallon buckets of freshly picked strawberries. These strawberries were not like the ones “from the store” … fresh, sweet and very meaty! There was too much other food to describe … these were some of the more unique things which were brought.
Following the “first round” of feasting, some of the guests adjourned to “the sauna”. Being 74 years old, I refrained. Past history has taught me that heating up while digesting copious quantities of food is too stressful for my cardio system. The sauna is in a log house behind the main guest house … about the length of a football field. It is heated by wood … a very nice facility complete with showers, sanitary and all appropriate accoutrements. Just another indication of the quality facilities at the lake house.
But we were not through eating. “Pizza by Kristine (Kikute … Antra’s oldest daughter)” … also Dace’s Miezite’s two daughters, Kristine and Zana plus their two cousins, teen agers all … prepared the pizza. Quite a plethora of different taste stimulations. Even after all the earlier feasting, the aromas from the several different varieties tested the limits of our ragged personal moderation. More than any other recent failure I could remember, I enjoyed “failing that test”. Demographics of the Smiltene Church are different than we currently encounter in most USA churches. Half of the members are young persons. Reminiscent of US Churches 30 years ago. Notable how these young persons participate. Washington Irving ….. please note. A place lost in time.
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With Pentecost Services scheduled for 10 AM, I was up at 4:30 revisiting my sermon notes. Breakfast, complete with a second round of pizza and special breakfast rolls, dawned around 8 AM. This time, the sermon analogy switched to oil as a symbol of GHS. Emphasis was on the need to build a supply of oil to fuel our lamps so that we can be the “light of the world” when the crisis strikes. There are two sizable assembly halls in the guest house. We were in the hall on the second floor. At first, I felt a little awkward (even naked) because there was no lectern behind which to hide while speaking. Like the previous day, that sensation quickly passed. Working with a translator is different. The pace of the message must take into consideration that intervals are required for the translator to convert and relay the previous thought. Today (Pentecost) I “Rode Robert Hard, and Put Him Away Wet”. But Robert is quite good … and rapid at doing this job. Overwhelming to realize we have been sharing this responsibility together for 10 years ….. an unexplainable sensation of appreciation.
Before leaving for Estonia at 3:30, there was another Feast. This one was brought in by a cafeteria in Smiltene. Also quite a spread … and the “Price Was Right”. Six Euros, again reminding me that this is a place “Lost In Time”.
We already knew about it … it had been brought up before services. “It” was a special celebratory cake made by a baker who uses part of the guesthouse as her “home bakery/kitchen”. Very professionally done, there was a message displayed on the circular face of the cake. Roughly translated the message read 50 Days, or … 50th Day. No doubt the baker had been prompted by someone as to the message, but I don’t ever remember anything more appropriate for the Day of Pentecost. Concluding the day, the cake was cut, and we all ate a piece of the Pentecost Cake. The week end was summarized by this concluding event which bonded us together.
We would be remiss if we did not emphatically express our appreciation to all the brethren in Smiltene for hosting this event and for sharing their lives with us. Especially we want to thank Antra. We know this required a lot of service on her part … and doubtless others “behind the scenes” who helped her to make the facility ready and to restore it to its same level of order once we had left. This is no small task.
Sounds of the rude world … a line from the old love song “Beautiful Dreamer” … just this one phrase … echoed in my head driving away. Smiltene contradicts the norm. Here the “rude World” is a little less apparent. As usual, we leave this place feeling like we have been touched by something a little more pristine .. a little more reminiscent of times gone by.
From that point of view, Smiltene is truly a place “Lost In Time”
By contrast, Pentecost is an eternal Holy Occasion. The time for Pentecost is now and forever after.
Our next entry will be entitled, “Making The Sausage” … we will share with you how literature is compiled and mailed from our office/apartment in Tartu.