Another Historic Day

This past Wednesday was a historic day. The group that gathers once a month to collate, staple, fold and sort the church newsletter, the Intercom, met for the last time. The La Verne Church of the Brethren has an excellent newsletter. When I pastored other churches I was always envious of the Intercom.

Starting in January the Intercom is going to be distributed by email. The same careful attention and thought that has made the Intercom so exceptional will continue. It is just that the method by which it reaches our homes that will be different.

Thanksgiving

In 1974 my father accepted the call to become the pastor of the San Diego Church of the Brethren. My sister was already grown and had a family of her own. My brother was a freshman in college in Kansas. So at the age of 14, I was the only child that moved with my parents from Kansas to Southern California.

As Thanksgiving approached my mother decided that she didn't want to do the traditional thing. She didn't particularly like turkey, she hated football and she thought a family gathering of three would make her too sad. So she made ham sandwiches and we headed for a day exploring Julian and the surrounding area. We had a perfect, magical day that began a family tradition.
Over the next several years my brother and his wife and my grandparents moved to San Diego. The Thanksgiving moveable feast had been born and it continued. Once my grandmother got involved the meal was no longer a simple picnic. It became a Thanksgiving feast that had to be transported.
Then my Uncle's family moved to San Diego. A cousin came to California for college. My cousin from San Francisco would often come down for the day. Each year my mother would send out a detailed survey to all those who might want to attend. We could vote on where we wanted to eat our Thanksgiving meal: beach, mountains or desert.
When we went to the beach we spent much of the day exploring tide pools. If the desert was chosen we each had to have our picture taken by the cactus that most expressed our personality. Often we played cards or a competitive game of Boogle. It had all the marks of a good Thanksgiving Day, minus turkey and football.
When Bryan and I moved our family back to Southern California in 2002, Thanksgiving meals in the out of doors was one of the many things for which I looked forward. Bryan, however, loves turkey and football. Luckily for Bryan, the outdoor Thanksgiving doesn't happen every year. One year my mother's side of the family had a reunion on an island in Arizona over the Thanksgiving weekend. Bryan said he thought it sounded like fun, if I rented a convertible and drove him over. There is nothing like sharing a good meal with family, then jumping into a huge pool on a private island in the desert!
We don't always spend Thanksgiving with extended family. A couple years ago Matt was working in Flagstaff and it looked like he might spend Thanksgiving alone. So he went to him. Both of our boys became vegetarians after moving to California. Thanksgiving food always requires careful thought. So that year we ate fake chicken kabobs and then drove to the Grand Canyon.
This year we have a son living in S. Korea and one in England. For each of them Thanksgiving this year will be like just another Thursday. We are celebrating the day with extended family....eating turkey and maybe even watching some football.

A Snake Story

When I was growing up my mother had a pet boa constrictor. Yes, you read that correctly...a boa constrictor. It was 8 feet long and she named it Macijiya, which means female snake in Hausa. When people let her know they thought she was bizarre for having a pet snake she would say, "What other pet will hug you like a boa constrictor?" My mother fed her snake live mice until one bit her precious Macijiya. From then on she raised her own mice until she had dozens. Then my dad would kill them for her and she would put them in the deep freeze until the snake was hungry.

My cousin Jill with my mother's snake.

My freshman year of college I met Bryan, who is now my husband. After several months of dating it was time for Bryan to meet my parents. I warned him that my mother was atypical. Bryan drove me to San Diego for the weekend. When we arrived my mother, Bryan and I sat in the living room making conversation. At one point Bryan said, "Susan tells me you have a pet boa constrictor." Without skipping a beat my mother said, "Yes, I do. Would you like to hold her?" Bryan thought it was some kind of test and so he answered, "Sure."

So within a half hour of meeting my mother, Bryan was draped with an 8 foot boa. A snake uses its tail for balance. So Macijiya's tail went through Bryan's legs and tightened. The snake brought its head up to rest on the top of Bryan's glasses. Suddenly it dawned on him what was happening because he turned to me and said, "When was the last time you held this snake." I laughed and said, "I wouldn't hold that thing." With a bit of panic in his voice he said to my mother, "Will it bite me?" Completely deadpan my mother replied, "Only if it senses you have any fear?" Immediately Bryan said to me, "Will you ask you mother to please remove this snake from my body?"

I wish I had the foresight to have a camera ready. What an image. My new boyfriend wrapped in a boa constrictor, my mother reaching through his legs to unhook the snake's tail. All I can say is....Bryan must really love me.

Story Not Appropriate for a Sermon -- #1

Today I preached about the importance of my story, your story and God's story. I love to tell stories. Here is one of my favorite stories not appropriate for a sermon.

When I first began in pastoral ministry I was 24 years old and a co-pastor with my husband, Bryan, in a yoked parish situation. One of the churches we served was in Michigan City, Indiana. It was a city church without a parking lot. Every Thursday afternoon I led a Bible Study for a group of older adult women in the church. They all parked on the street that ran in front of the church. I tried to park behind all of them so that I could make sure they all got off safely.

One day as we got in our cars after Bible Study I noticed a man who kept walking up and down the sidewalk in front of the church. It seemed odd so I "stood guard" until all of the women got into their cars and then I jumped into my car. As soon as I was behind the wheel, the man came off the sidewalk and stood between my car and the car in front of me. Then he pulled his pants down and began to play with himself.

I felt trapped. Unable to pull out and unable to get help, I sat there in misery. The woman parked directly in front of me, completely unaware of what was happening by her back bumper, put her car in reverse and threw the exhibitionist onto the hood of my car. Oblivious of what she had done, she drove off. I don't know which of us was more surprised, the man on the hood of my car with his naked butt in the air or me. He scrambled down off my car and ran down the sidewalk as he pulled his pants back up.

After I got over my shock I began to laugh. I do think God has a hilarious sense of humor.

I Love My Secular Holidays!

Today Bryan and I had the day off together for Veterans' Day. Occasionally someone will question why I get Veterans' Day off. It is real clear to me. I get to work on all the religious holidays. I love secular holidays.

Bryan and I went to breakfast in Glendora and then, without any preplanning, we drove north on Glendora Mountain Road. When Bryan was a student of Bob Neher at ULV he had to do a niche study and he did it in the wilderness area down that road. Before we knew it we were on a 22-mile road to Mt. Baldy Village. What a stunning drive on such a clear day. We realized quickly by the amount of trash at all of the turnouts along the way that we must have been the only people in Southern California not to have known about this beautiful drive....even though we seemed to have it to ourselves today.

When we got home I got ready for Ellen Click's graveside service. I had never been to Oak Park Cemetery in Claremont before. What a beautiful place. It was a privilege to be with Ellen's family as they spoke of her love and their love.

Then Bryan and I went to the movies. I love movies. I love watching movies. I love talking about movies. Then we walked over to the Back Abbey. I had not eaten there before. (I would recommend the crab crakes.)

What a perfect day. Breakfast out, dinner out, a gorgeous drive, sacred time and a movie. I love secular holidays.

A Look Backwards

Bryan and I attended the ULV Homecoming Dinner last night. I was asked to give the invocation and I was extremely honored. The program listed me as a graduate of 1997. (I actually graduated in 1982 and I was grateful for them shaving 15 years off my age!) At my table a delightful woman from the Alumni Office left me a gift of leopard print kleenex. She said she had heard me speak a couple times and so she knew that I could use tissues. My college roommate and I were at the same table. Steve & Ann Morgan were honored as Alumni of the Year. The University had put together an excellent feel-good video. When Steve Morgan spoke he gave tribute to the ULV connection to the Church of the Brethren. He asked those in the room who were part of the Church of the Brethren to raise their hands. Those with their hands in the air were the majority of the room. It was a good evening and I was proud to be a ULV graduate.

This afternoon we went to the Homecoming game. When we arrived the score was 6 to 20 with ULV losing. However, by the end of regulation play the score was 20 to 20. After three overtimes ULV finally lost 26 to 28.

We went over to Ben Hines Field for a tribute to Ben Hines. We sat and ate In-n-Out as the sun began its descent. I came dressed appropriately for a football game in November but unfortunately, I was not dressed appropriately once the sun went down. We didn't stay for the whole event but we came away so impressed by the things we heard about Ben Hines. I have always enjoyed Ben but when I heard all he did to build a field and a baseball program at ULV I fell in love with him.

I went to ULV from 1978 to 1982. I loved my college years. I wish I would have availed myself to more that the college had to offer. But Bryan and I were inseparable all four of those years. Besides meeting Bryan, one of the greatest gifts the college gave me was a chance to try my wings in service to the church. I spent two of my summers in Summer Service. One summer I spent at the Bakersfield Church of the Brethren. Another summer I worked for the La Verne Church of the Brethren. At the end of the summer the church hired me as Youth Director. (The picture on the right is me during that summer.)

This weekend I was reminded of how much I owe to people who have given themselves for the good of institutions that challenge and transform us.