Limping Through London

At breakfast this morning I watched my son eat beans on toast. I think Brett could live in England on a long term basis. I, however, told him I would visit him but I would could never move here....I need some sunshine in my life.

I twisted my ankle late last night. This is a tragic experience when one has planned a day of exploring London by foot. We started on the North side of the Thames at the Tower of London. We didn't join the insanely long line to venture inside. We were satisfied just to walk past Traitor's Gate and see the holes through which the archers shot their arrows. Then we hiked across the Tower Bridge to the South side of the Thames.

What an impressive city London is. The mixture of old and new boggles my mind. We strolled (I limped) past City Hall, HMS Belfast, the Golden Hinde, Shakespeare's Globe, the Tate Modern and then across Millennium Bridge. We stopped at St. Paul's Cathedral in order to meet Brett's roommate Alice.

After a long relaxing lunch I felt recuperated enough to venture out to the British Museum. The British Museum was high on Bryan's list of things to do while in London. We wanted to see the Elgin Marbles and the Caryatid from the Acropolis in Athens.

What we didn't know was that the British Museum houses the Rosetta Stone. We had several amazing hours at this museum. It was unlike any other museum I have ever explored. No one checked my purse as I entered. There is no fee, although a donation is appreciated. Very few things were behind glass and people were touching everything. At one point I witnessed a father wanting to take a picture of his sons with the Lykian tomb of Payava. The three sons set their iPods on the tomb while he took the picture. Which also points out that pictures were allowed.

We had dinner in an Indian restaurant in Covent Gardens. According to Brett you can find delicious food from many ethnicities but he has yet to find decent Mexican food. We made it back to the hotel and I now have a wrap on my ankle.

Visiting Brett in the City of Fog

We arrived in London yesterday. We are here to spend time with Brett during the holidays. It has been hard to have both of our boys on different continents. Brett moves around this city like he has lived here his whole life. He met us at Heathrow with oyster cards to make our travel on public transportation a bit easier. After a delicious Thai dinner in Covent Gardens we were ready for bed.

This morning we got up at 5:45 to meet our tour to Stonehenge. I should have known that it would be an exciting day when the shower head popped off the wall and covered the bathroom in water.

I was a bit afraid that Stonehenge would be a waste of time but I was absolutely mesmerized by it. I was glad we got up early to see it, even if the day was completely overcast and foggy.

Our next stop was to the Salisbury Cathedral. It has a beautiful cloister and an amazing sanctuary. It was completed in 1258. I understand how cathedrals have the ability to pull someone's mind to the glory of God. The cathedral also houses the oldest working clock (1386) and one of the four surviving copies of the Magna Carta.

We had pasties and baguettes for lunch before heading for Old Sarum Castle and an ancient burial chamber from 6,000 years ago.

Our last stop on the tour was another henge in the village of Avebury. At this site is a henge, several very large stone circles and it is older than Stonehenge.

The advantage of Avebury is that you can go right up to the stones, which we did. Our guide was convinced that you could feel heat radiating from the stones. We spent way too much time trying to discern if he was right.

The last adventure of the day was a jaunt through Central London in the dark and the rain. It is a beautiful city at night. I am eager to explore it when the sun is out.

Christmas Eve

It is Christmas Eve afternoon. I have been going at high speed for several weeks and now that I am ready for tonight and Sunday I feel so relieved. I really thought when I had an empty nest Bryan and I would bump into each other all the time. But either life is busier or I am slower at accomplishing things. There are so many things Bryan and I didn't do this year. We didn't put up any lights outside. I didn't feel too bad about that until I drove past this house on Thoroughbred Street in Upland. It made me feel like an underachiever.

We didn't send out Christmas cards either. I used to send out a funny letter in reaction to all those Christmas letters you get in which everyone's child graduated from MIT or they sailed around the world on their own yacht. But I couldn't find a witty bone in my body this year.

My sister and my father called this afternoon. My father had a stroke in 2008 and while he knows what he wants to say, he usually can't say it. But recently he has found some language returning. Today on the phone he said, "Merry Christmas." I told him it was the best present he could give me.

Then we Skyped with Matt and his girlfriend, Kairee. They already had their Christmas morning and were getting ready to cook their Christmas dinner. Tomorrow they leave for Japan.

Tonight is the Christmas Eve service at the church. I talked to a man on the phone yesterday who said that he usually drives up from Long Beach for our Christmas Eve service but he won't be doing that this year. He said he would miss our service because it is so beautiful and calm. I agree.

I'm Free

I am having a hard time sleeping tonight. It has been happening all this week. You know, when you have an issue to solve and you are looking at it from all directions? So I have been chewing and chewing on it hoping that soon it will taste right in my mouth. Until that happens, I don't sleep well. I have a couple options when sleep alludes me. One is to read and the other is to write. Tonight I will write down one of my favorite stories.

When our oldest son, Matt, was in elementary school he had trouble getting ready in the morning in time to make the school bus. The first several times we drove him to school. But he started getting in the habit of missing the bus. So Bryan decided to solve the situation by making Matt pay us to drive him to school when the bus left without him. The next time Matt was late Bryan charged Matt $1 for his chauffeured ride to school. He informed Matt that each time he missed the bus the cost would go up by an additional dollar. Matt got to $4 before he learned to be ready on time.

Our youngest son, Brett, was more of a challenge. The first time Brett missed the bus it was in late October of his kindergarten year. Bryan said, "I will drive you to school but it will cost you $1." Brett was hysterical. He only had 64 cents. So Bryan had Brett make out an IOU for the remaining 36 cents and then drove him to school. Bryan and I patted ourselves on the back for another successful parenting story.

That noon when I picked Brett up from school the teacher came out to the car and said, "What is this Brett tells me about you charging him to go to school?" I blushed bright red and said, "Only when he misses the bus." She looked disappointed in me.

When Brett and I got home the mail had arrived and there was an envelope addressed to Brett. It was a card from a nice woman at church who wasn't going to be home on Halloween night. Brett always liked to go Trick or Treating at her house and she felt bad so she sent him $1. Brett held up the bill and said, "I'm free."

Bryan worked late that night and Brett had to go to bed before Bryan got home. But Brett made me promise him that I would send his dad in to kiss him good night. Bryan tiptoed into Brett's room and kissed him on the forehead. Immediately, Brett sat up and pulled out his little boy wallet out from under the covers. He retrieved his newly received money, handed it to Bryan and said, "You owe me 64 cents."

The next day when Brett got home from school he asked me if there were any jobs he could do around the house to earn money. I said, "What are you saving for?" He said, "The next time I miss the bus."

I remember one morning encouraging him to hurry so that he didn't miss the bus. He said, "It's okay. I have plenty of money. I plan on having you drive me today." When Brett got up to $9 I finally decided that a new strategy was in order. I told him that I wasn't ready to drive him to school that morning. I needed to shower, do my hair, trim my fingernails, load the dishwasher and start the laundry before we could leave. Suddenly the tables were turned. Brett started telling me to hurry up. I took him to school an hour and a half late and he had to fill out paper work about why he was so tardy. He didn't miss the bus again.

When I think of that story, I smile. I didn't smile at the time, however. Brett...always thinking....always planning...always trying to let me know who was really in charge.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

One of the things I love about the Christmas season is the chance to celebrate the staff of this church. The office staff gathers for a white elephant gift exchange and a nice brunch. Some of our white elephant gifts over the years are notorious. Julie picked my gift this year. I think it is a gift that she can treasure for years to come.

It has been a tradition at this church for many years to invite all the current staff and any former staff that worked for the church for five or more years to come together for a Christmas potluck. It is one of my favorite Christmas events. We have a delicious meal of traditional foods, get to know each other better, have a short program and do some singing.

Last Christmas Chuck Boyer joined us for the event. He was definitely missed this year. Tonight Ryan and I created a game called "Musical Christmas Traditions" and Shawn made an old piano sound beautiful. Shawn is the only person I have ever seen who can play a piano while pivoting his whole upper body backwards.

What a church! What a staff! What a great place to call home!

Cloudy with a Chance of Beauty

When Bryan and I moved our family to California in 2002, people in Indiana would ask me if I missed the seasons changing. I don't. I get Christmas tree lights on palm trees. I like picking oranges off the tree in January. I don't miss shoveling the sidewalk. I don't miss all the muddy footprints on the freshly mopped floor. But I do miss clouds. The midwest has some of the most amazing clouds. When we have clouds here in Southern California, I notice. Below are some of the cloud pictures I have taken since August. (Don't worry...I won't show all of them to you.)

Sunset in Monument Valley

At Mesa Verde National Park

Outside the St. Louis Arch

Sunset in South Dakota

Road into Zion National Park

New York City

Flying above Toronto

Imerovigli, Santorini

Driving on 15 North from Oceanside

Tonight I was driving home from visiting at Woods and I was struck by the beauty of the sky. I stopped at the corner of Foothill and Garey to take this picture. I love clouds!

My Silver Anniversary

This morning I was completely surprised by a brunch in honor of my 25th year of ordination. As Bryan will tell you, it is hard to surprise me. I had no clue it was happening. There were even silver 25s hanging from the Christmas tree. The group sang me a happy 25th anniversary song. I got to blow out the candles on the egg casserole. We played a Jeopardy game in which each answer had the number 25 in it. People were asked to share what I mean to them. I think I was so overwhelmed I didn't properly thank the group for honoring me in such a surprising, fun and beautiful way. I have been sitting in the glow of it all day.

I was ordained in June of 1985 in the sanctuary of the La Verne Church of the Brethren. Marlin Heckman signed my ordination certificate. John Gingrich preached the sermon that day. Then Bryan and I packed up all the boxes we had been storing in our parents' garages and drove a rental van across the country to Michigan City, Indiana. Because of some of the questions I was asked today I have been contemplating how different I am from that 24 year old woman.

I am so grateful for all the living I have done since then. There really is nothing like ministry. I get to be with people in those truly sacred moments of life. I get to hold babies as the congregation promises to love them and be community to them. I get to be with families as their loved ones die and they speak their words of devotion. I get to aid the congregation in memorializing those who have died. I get to listen to people as they come to new understandings of themselves and their place in the world. I can't thank you enough for letting me be one of the pastors of this congregation. It truly is a blessing.

Advent Has Arrived

All the signs of Advent have arrived. Last week a group of us met at the church to tie greens onto ropes so that we could have them for the Hanging of the Greens on the First Sunday of Advent. It is quite a production. First someone has to cut all the needed greens. Then the greens need to be washed and fireproofed. Wire needs to be cut and many hands are needed to wire all the greens to the ropes. The pulleys in the sanctuary need to be hung. About ten people are needed to pull the greens into place during worship.

While we were outside preparing greens Eric and Juliet Davis were inside preparing the sanctuary. With an agave, greens, berries, and fruit the front of our worshiping space has been transformed Now the sanctuary smells like greens and fresh fruit.

While some wired greens and some prepared the

sanctuary, others were creating their Advent wreaths.

A couple Sundays ago our children had challenged us to each take home a paper bag to fill full of food for the local food bank. During the Children's Story the children brought the bags forward. It was absolutely awe inspiring to see the great response. There was more food than the children could bring up by themselves.

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.

City Walking

One of the things Bryan and I promised each other wouldn't end when my sabbatical ended was walking together. We got City Walks: LA and in three weeks we have been on three walks. Our first walk was through the Hollywood Forever Cemetery. We saw the headstones of Mel Blanc, Cecil B. DeMille, Tyrone Powers, Jayne Mansfield, Johnny Ramone and others. We experienced the mausoleum and got a good walk in. My grandfather was a sociologist and anthropologist. He believed that if you visited a cemetery you learned quite a bit about a culture. I have been visiting cemeteries since I was a little girl. My mother even brought along butcher paper and charcoal so we could make rubbings of the most interesting things we found.

The second week we went to Echo Park and Angelino Heights. What an interesting part of the city. In Echo Park we enjoyed watching a painting class depict the beauty around them. In Angelino Heights we saw Victorian homes, decorated for Halloween, with the city skyscrapers in the background. As we left the area we drove past the Angelus Temple where Aimee Semple McPherson planted her Foursquare Gospel Church. When we got home I read about the colorful life of McPherson!

Then today, after Commission Chair and Staff Liaison training we headed for Marina Del Rey. What a gorgeous place. It was a good walk...but I would rather have been out on a sailboat.

30 Minutes Vs. 30 Years

When I was on sabbatical I did not involve myself in the day to day events of the La Verne Church of the Brethren. What I didn't realize was that I also was on sabbatical from the denomination. Then today, through the wonders of Facebook, I learned of the "Letter of Deepest Concern" from the Standing Committee Delegates and District Board of the Southern Pennsylvania District. (See the letter pasted below.) I sat in a funk for a long time contemplating the future of our beloved denomination.

This week in Sunday School we heard excerpts from Earle Fike's article on forbearance from the recent issue of Brethren Life & Thought. The question that was posed in Sunday School was whether our denomination, consisting of such divergent viewpoints on human sexuality, could continue to stay together. I have continued to want to be hopeful about the possibility. After all, dividing would be so painful. How do you divide up property and membership? What good is a peace church that can't work on its differences?

But this letter from Southern Pennsylvania depressed me so much. It was the tone of the letter....the idea that people left crying, bruised, angry and broken from the experience of listening to a different viewpoint for 30 minutes so that means we need a "very sincere public apology" from Earle Fike. 30 minutes? Really? What about 30 years of denying and bullying BMC? What kind public apology will that require? I have watched many, many people leave Annual Conference crying, bruised, angry and broken from the experience but this is the first time I have heard of a District Board asking for a "very sincere public apology" to be made. What is the difference? In the past the ones who left injured were the ones without power or a voice.

Each District is supposed to be having hearings on the topic of homosexuality. The hearing in our part of the District happens on January 22 at 3 p.m. at Pomona Fellowship. The question before us as a denomination is how do we move forward?

I for one have little energy for this denominational struggle. I would rather give my time and passion to working for peace, feeding the hungry, standing up against bullies and preaching what Jesus preached. I would like to be about this work with those who understand that God is always bigger and more loving than we are.

Southern Pennsylvania District Church of the Brethren

Standing Committee Delegates: Larry M. Dentler & John A. Shelly

(letter was approved & affirmed by the Southern Pennsylvania District of the Church of the Brethren District Board, meeting at Upton Church of the Brethren, July 24, 2010)

August 9, 2010

To: Annual Conference Office
2010 Annual Conference Officers
2010 Program & Arrangements Committee

Letter of Deepest Concern

Dear Sisters & Brothers,

As Standing Committee delegates for Southern Pennsylvania District we are writing this letter following 2010 Annual Conference. The decision to write this Letter of Deepest Concern comes after discussions with many of our constituents from Southern Pennsylvania District who attended Annual Conference in Pittsburgh. We write in humility for we know that Annual Conference involves a mind boggling myriad of details to care for. There is much about Annual Conference that we affirm and applaud as being inspirational, well planned, and exciting. But this year we come home with some very deep concern that was not just expressed by one or two but by many of those who attended Annual Conference from our District.

1) The 10 year old granddaughter of one of our families was in the exhibit hall. Persons at the Womaen’s Caucus booth gave her a rainbow scarf and told her, “You should wear this.” The little girl went back to her grandmother‘with a lot of confusion. This was very distressing for the family. Annual Conference should be a safe place for children, not a place where other persons’ controversial viewpoints are thrust upon them. Since this booth this year seemed to be singular in focus — handing out scarves to support homosexual acceptance – we believe that Womaen’s Caucus should either be denied further exhibit space or placed on a probationary status stating clearly that they were in violation of #2, #3, and #6 of “Expectations of Exhibitors” (2010 Annual Conference Booklet, pp.52,53) this year, and any future disregard for Program & Arrangements Policy will result in future denial of exhibit space.
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p.2

2) The “rolling BMC booth” was present again this year. This seems to laugh in the face of the decisions of Program & Arrangements and Annual Conference policy. This seems to us to reflect a total disregard for the authority of church leadership. Persons find the in- your-face nature of the “rolling booth” to be embarrassing. We understand that we stress “no-force,” but we have also stressed respect for leadership. Something must be done!

3) When new fellowships and churches were welcomed we were introduced to Common Spirit in Minnesota. In only slightly shrouded language it was made clear that this is a congregation with a main focus on acceptance of homosexuality, in direct violation of the 1983 policy. We understand that new fellowships and congregations are acknowledged as part of District responsibility, but many delegates from our District felt that they were manipulated at this moment in Annual Conference. There was no time given to ask questions, and only a vote on accepting all four at once. These procedures lead to a gnawing, growing, festering belief that Conference officers are not being forthright and honest with the delegate body, and that we are being “set up.” I can’t tell you how many times we as our District’s Standing Committee delegates heard this kind of discontent and skepticism. Trust is eroding.

4) The moment causing the greatest concern for us was the sermon of Brother Earle Fike in Monday evening worship. Perhaps you noticed as we did that many persons left the convention center with tears. Others with faces gripped in anger. Have no doubt, this message will be noted as a milestone in the record of the debate before us. Anyone with conservative viewpoint on the human sexuality issue left feeling beat up and bruised. We affirm Brother Earle’s right to his viewpoint, but this message came across more as a “lobbying speech” than a message from God’s Word. This is especially true since, as many have noted, Earle completely ignored the fact that what brought acceptance was Zacchaeus’ repentance. This message came after we had been told repeatedly by the Conference Officers that there would be no speeches on this issue this year!

When I questioned Moderator Shawn about the message he said that Earle didn’t deliver the message that Shawn had asked him to. He also said that Annual Conference Director Chris had informed him,
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p. 3

upon receiving Earle’s manuscript, that “it was going to be controversial.” Why then was there not some intervention? This 30 minute “moment” did great harm to the unity of the Body, great harm to the spirit of the Annual Conference, caused further brokenness and division at a very moment when we are trying to encourage people to listen to each other!

Again, please hear us affirm that Brother Earle certainly has a right to his viewpoint. But to use the message time during worship for this one-sided “lobbying speech” with no chance for rebuttal or discourse, not only showed very poor taste by Earle, but extremely poor leadership by those who might have intervened, and was in reality ‘out of order’ in keeping with the Special Response Process before us, and as one District Executive noted, may well have been in violation of the Ministerial “Code Of Ethics” (Ethics in Ministry Relations – 1996, pp.AC80.5-7).

In our minds a very sincere public apology is in order from those in leadership to the Body of the Church. This did great damage, very likely even hindering the Special Response Hearing process which is just before us.

Let us conclude by saying once again that we celebrate and affirm all the hard work by many faithful servants to make Annual Conference the wonderful “family reunion” that it is. Our love for you as our leaders, and our love for our Church compels us to share these concerns at this tenuous moment in our history when the rumblings of division rattle around us. Please understand that we would be remiss in fulfilling our responsibility as our District’s Standing Committee delegates if we did not share our concern.

Your brothers & servants in Jesus’ love,

Larry M. Dentler
Bermudian Church of the Brethren, 279 Bermudian Church Road, East Berlin, PA 17316 / office ph: 717-292-1861

John A. Shelly
7535 Talhelm Road, Chambersburg, PA 17202/ph: 717-375-2510

Last Day

Today is the last day of my sabbatical. I am doing laundry, cleaning house, making sure the hummingbirds are fed, and trying to finish up my sermon. It isn't pouring forth like I had hoped. I have always found that when I have been on vacation for awhile, the first sermon back is hard. I am brimming with new thoughts and learnings and I haven't filtered through them yet. Plus, I am nervous about jumping back in. Will I keep my balance?

But I am also excited. I have missed my church home and the people who make up my church family. I am ready to be reconnected to those who comfort, challenge and love me. I can't wait to sing soulful songs in worship again....alongside people who I know how to harmonize with. I can't wait to get my hands in the game and work for a better world.

Long Beach Congregational Church

Since this was the last Sunday of my sabbatical, Bryan and I tore ourselves away from the surf at Laguna Beach and headed for Long Beach for church. I wanted to visit the Long Beach Congregational Church where Jerry Stinson is the pastor. When I was pastor of the Manchester Church of the Brethren, Jerry Stinson was a pastor in Carlsbad. We ended up in a small group together at an Albin Institute training in Connecticut at the time that Rev. Stinson was moving to Long Beach Congregational Church. About halfway through the week-long event I said to him, "I've heard of you. I have a notebook full of your sermons in my office." A couple from the Manchester church had worshiped in the congregation he served in Carlsbad. They were so moved by his preaching that they had asked for copies of his sermons, three-hole punched them, put them in a notebook, and gave them to me with a card that said this was the kind of preaching they appreciated. Ever since I came to pastor in La Verne, I have wanted to attend the church where Jerry Stinson preaches.

For awhile it seemed like Bryan and I wouldn't make it. As we neared Long Beach we discovered, to our dismay, that the Long Beach marathon was happening today. We were rerouted twice until we got on the 405 to the 710 and tried to get into the downtown area from the west. We finally arrived to the church a half hour late. I had visited the church's website numerous times and it is an excellent and informative website. I wished that there had been mention of the marathon on their website, with information on how to get to church on October 17.

Long Beach Congregational Church was celebrating Children's Sabbath, started by the Children's Defense Fund. Rev. Jerry Stinson's sermon was passed on the Exodus story of passover. He is completely authentic in his preaching, sharing his progressive reading of the Bible. The church is definitely inclusive. There was a interpreter for the deaf but it appeared that no one there today was deaf. The ushers included people of different races and an older man in a wheelchair. People were extremely friendly to us and no one welcomed us by telling us it was their job to welcome visitors!

Gratitude for this Extravagant Respite

My last "fling" on my sabbatical has been a weekend at Laguna Beach for my 50th birthday. Bryan and I are staying at a hotel so close to the beach that the sound of the waves makes it hard for us to hear each other. The picture at the top of my blog was taken here at Laguna Beach. For those of you who can't read what it says: In this fleeting moment, what extravagant respite, as booming surf speaks its mystical passage across the undreamed depths.

I am so thankful for this extravagant respite called a sabbatical. I return to work on Thursday. I am rested, tan and filled with ideas. I am a tad bit thinner and I walk a little stronger. I have a few new questions and am saturated in gratitude. I got to spend such good time with my family.... father, sister, brother, sons, husband and extended family. I have been silly, weepy, overjoyed and incredibly moved. I have taken about 3,000 pictures. I will return to work older, bolder and more balanced.

Thank you for the gift of this experience!

Feeding our Bodies and Our Souls

This morning, Bryan and I attended worship at Irvine Congregational Church. I chose this church because Fred Plummer, the President of the Center for Progressive Christianity (of which the La Verne Church of the Brethren is an affiliate), was the founding pastor there. When I looked at their website I learned that on September 12 their church passed around a Qur'an in a way of recognizing the Muslims as their neighbors. That was the same weekend that Terry Jones, a pastor in Florida, threatened to burn copies of the Qur'an. I was impressed with their reaction as a church.

This church expects visitors. There are four parking spaces marked specifically for visitors. There were two greeters who shook our hands as we walked through the front door. The leader did an excellent job of welcoming visitors and telling us how welcome she felt when she first came to this church. But only three people spoke to us while we were there: the lay person in charge of greeting visitors, another visitor and the pastor. Genuine hospitality is so very important to how welcome you feel when visiting a congregation for the first time.

The sermon was amazing. The text was from Luke and it was the story of the ten lepers Jesus healed and the one who returned to thank him. The pastor, Paul Tellstrom, spoke of the connection between that story and the bullying that is happening to gay teens today. He called us to be proactive against hate speech. He told us to speak truth to power and referred to religious groups who used this specific time to speak against homosexuality. His sermon was passionate and compelling and relevant to today. The congregation responded to his sermon with loud applause. Bryan and I were moved beyond words. As soon as the sermon was over the congregation stood and moved across the aisles toward each other, holding hands and singing, "Alleluia." It was beautiful. The benediction was loving and challenging.

Bryan and I went out to lunch afterwards. Through yelp.com I found a vegan restaurant down the street. One of the benefits of having vegetarian sons is that we have learned the joy and flavor of fresh vegetables and ingredients. We ate amazing food, sipped lavender lemonade and tried to share how deeply affected we were by the sermon. To hear someone take the gospel and speak truth to power through it was so inspiring. It made me want to stand up and speak out and love more...and isn't that what it should be all about anyway.

I'm 50!

I turned 50 today. Nothing is different and everything is different. I had lunch yesterday with my best friend from high school. She is exactly one month older than me and we have been celebrating our birthdays and half birthdays together for over 35 years. I told her that turning 50 wasn't bothering me because my partner loves me and thinks I'm beautiful.

I went through the whole day thinking, "Wow. I really am okay with turning 50." But about 6 p.m. I got weepy. There have been several events this week that have reminded me that Bryan and I are now empty nesters.

Last Friday, our oldest son, Matt, and his girlfriend, Kairee, left for a year in S. Korea. Our youngest son, Brett, left on September 13 to do his senior year in college in Norwich, England. Talk about an empty nest. We have an empty continent. We had last year with our youngest at college to get used to the idea. We didn't mind the empty nest because both of our children were easily reachable by phone. Both Matt and Brett left their phones on our kitchen island as they took off for the airport this time. At this point, we are dependent on them to let us know how they are doing. Thank goodness for email and Skype. How did our parents do it when we headed off to live our lives without email or cell phones or Skype or Facebook?

Then yesterday Bryan and I sold our third car. We had been keeping an old car around so that our children could get around when they were growing up. Obviously they have grown up and we don't need a third car because our children don't even live in this country.

I am 50 and nothing is different and everything is different.

The Gift of Art

Matt and his girlfriend, Kairee, are visiting for a few days before they leave for a year in South Korea. Needless to say, I am wanting to spend as much time with them as possible before they leave. Yesterday we went down to San Diego so that we could meet the newest addition to the family, Mackenzie, who is less than 2 months old. Since we were in San Diego already and it happens to be one of my favorite places, we went early and wandered around La Jolla and Balboa Park.

The Nikkigator at Balboa Park

One of the things I have noticed on my trips this summer is all the public art. I told Matt and Kairee that I love public art, even if it is cheesy. I love the fact that I get to interact with art and not pay a cent. I love the fact that something that is not needed is still there just for the enhancement of life.

Toliet seat cover -- Artist's Cafe, Chicago

Matt asked me what defines public art. After fumbling around I finally said, "I know it when I see it." So today I looked up public art on wikipedia. I know wikipedia isn't the final say on anything but here is how it is defined there: ....art in any media that has been planned and executed with the specific intention of being sited or staged in the physical public domain, usually outside and accessible to all. The gate at the La Verne Church of the Brethren is public art. It is not only functional, it is a gift to the community.

Bryan in the International Terminal -- Toronto

Wikipedia doesn't answer the question Matt and I were discussing because it didn't define art. Maybe someone can define art for me. Is graffiti art? Even if it is drawn in 2010 on a B.C. ruin in Greece?

While on this sabbatical I visited the Judson Memorial Church in New York City. Part of their statement uses these words: We think the arts make life worth living and celebrate the secular and sacred in all that we do, including worship and how we use the inheritance of our glorious space. Judson Memorial's sanctuary is plain, as churches go. It has a nice stain glass window in the front. But poetry, music and drama are regularly a part of their services. The need to create art is valued there. I think that is true of La Verne Church of the Brethren, as well. It is one of the many things that makes LVCoB so incredible. Could we do an even better job of naming it and claiming it?