Sheriff's Deputies at Starbucks

Today I was working on my Bite of St. A's lesson preparation at Starbucks when two sheriff's deputies came in. I always feel like a kid when I see law enforcement people. The gun, the badge, the starchy uniforms - I'm in awe of their authority. These two were big strapping young guys, and they carried themselves with confidence but not cockiness. They sat down at a table for coffee. I guess even sheriff's deputies need coffee.

I was impressed by how many people came up to talk with them. They're obviously very much a part of their community. I made a sketch of them and afterward one of them came up to me and asked about the sketch. I showed it to him and said I'd send him a copy. I hope it's not illegal to sketch a deputy!

Preaching workshop with Herbert O'Driscoll

Yesterday I attended a preaching workshop led by the great preacher and thinker Herbert O'Driscoll. The workshop was held at St. Andrew's, Seattle, which flaunts an inspiring stained-glass cross in the glass wall at one end of the church. I made the painting above while I was there.

O'Driscoll is the former Dean of the Cathedral in Vancouver, British Columbia and the former Dean of the College of Preachers in Washington, D.C. He's the author of numerous books and is internationally known for his preaching genius.

His message to us was that we have entered a postmodern age that calls for new methods of communication. People don't want more information on Sunday morning - they have too much information already. People want to have an experience of God, and we communicate that experience by use of the imagination through images and stories.

He urged us preachers to enter the scripture texts with our imagination and try to encounter the text intimately. Today's preaching has to be self-revelatory, he said, in the sense that people want to hear our honest encounter with God through scripture. He said:

"Preaching is not God overhearing what we're saying to our people, but our people overhearing what we're saying to God."

O'Driscoll said that preaching today is incomplete in the sense that we don't offer final answers. The image of the preacher is no longer that of an authority figure speaking from on high, but a wilderness guide helping us grope through the wilderness without knowing the way out.

He urged us to be more honest and intimate in our preaching and move from "constructive sophistication" to "profound simplicity". In the last part of his presentation he offered us a number of practical helps in sermon preparation for the new year starting in Advent.

I found O'Driscoll very refreshing. His deep wisdom encouraged me to go deeper in my own encounter with scripture and to be as honest as I can with myself and my message. A very worthwhile day.
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Taking apples to the food bank

The apple tree outside St. Antony's has a good load of apples this year. After church on Sunday I helped others pick apples and load them into boxes. Then today I took the apples to the Central Kitsap Food Bank. They placed them just outside the door as free food for anyone to pick up.

Right away people started taking them. Food direct from our church to people who can use it!

Attending my Uncle Charley's burial service

Yesterday I attended my Uncle Charley's burial service at Ft. Lyon National Cemetery near Las Animas, Colorado. The photo above shows the Navy honor guard presenting an American flag to my Aunt Betty.

Uncle Charley died about two months ago and there was a memorial service in South Dakota shortly afterward. Yesterday there was a simple commital of his ashes at the cemetery. Pastor Terilynn Russ, the pastor at La Junta United Methodist Church, officiated at the committal which was followed by military honors given by a Navy honor guard.

I was glad I wasn't the officiant at this burial. I was told in seminary, "Don't try to be a pastor to your family." In this case, I was able to let Pastor Terilynn do the officiating and I could simply be present and grieve. That was very helpful for me.

My father is buried in this same cemetery, and just being there in the presence of his grave called up deep grief and sadness in me. Burying my uncle added to it. Dad and Uncle Charley were both men of the "greatest generation", both served in World War II, and both had a certain military bearing to them. Uncle Charley's death represents the passing of a generation to me, and that affects me profoundly.

Uncle Charley was a medical doctor. He received his training just in time to be posted to China during World War II. He participated in the early years of kidney dialysis research and he was instrumental in the development of the medical school in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

Uncle Charley had a very dry sense of humor and a quick wit. He knew how to draw out a story and lead you into the punch line every time. He was droll, wise, and a compassionate doctor and leader. He lived a life of dignity and accomplishment. May he rest in peace and rise in glory.

Charley Gutch, M.D.

Dedication of Eagle Scout project

Yesterday we dedicated a new meditation trail and garden at St. Antony's created by life Scout Tristan Scalf. Tristan completed this project as a part of his work towards his eagle scout award. Tristan had to get approval for the project, find business sponsors, and recruit helpers to do the work. It's a beautiful trail and garden, and a wonderful addition to St. Antony's. Thank you, tristan!

The Ray Berglind Memorial Mini-Golf experience

Today I participated in the Ray Berglind Memorial Mini-Golf Tournament. Ray was a staunch member of St. Antony's until he died a few years ago, and his family holds a mini-golf tournament every year to remember him and to raise money for charity.

Everyone who knew Ray tells me what a solid person he was. A successful man with a loving family, Ray left a legacy to be proud of. His family clearly has fond memories of him.

There were close to 25 people at the tournament, most of whom are St. Antony's members. There was lots of laughter and kidding about the bloopers and missed putts, and I think everyone enjoyed themselves. In addition, contributions were made for Communitas, a group home organization for those with disabilities. Ray's grandson, Devon, lives in a Communitas home.

All in all, a fun morning for a good cause, and a good activity for the people of St. Antony's.
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Listening to my Lutheran colleagues

On Tuesday I was privileged to listen in on a conversation among my Lutheran colleagues as they discussed the recent vote of their national church body to begin the process where gay and lesbian persons who are in a committed relationship may be called as pastors to a consenting congregation. The Lutheran Church also voted to begin the process of recognizing "lifelong, monogamous, same-gender relationships."

These are pastors I meet with on a regular basis to study the Biblical texts for the upcoming Sunday as we all prepare our weekly sermons. Today they agreed to set aside some time after our Bible study to talk about their national church decisions.

All these pastors spoke about their desire to minister to all their people in this time of change. All of them have addressed the issues in their congregations with small groups, forums, informal discussions, and one-on-one encounters. All of them have some members who agree with the national church decisions, and some members who disagree. It's a wrenching time for their denomination as they struggle with change.

I was able to offer my perspective from the experience of the Episcopal Church since we've gone through this a few years before the Lutheran Church. I told them I admired their pastoral sensitivity in the way they've handled this so far, and I wished them well in their attempts to maintain the unity and peace of their congregations.
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My summer vacation - Week 1

I just returned from two weeks of summer vacation. My time away was refreshing and renewing...just what a vacation should be. Like many clergy, I find that there's no way to really take a vacation unless I leave town. There are no phone calls, no temptations to do a little more work, no obligations to attend to. When you leave town, you leave it behind.

Week 1 of my vacation was spent backpacking with my older son Guy on the Washington Coast. We drove to La Push, a small village on the coast, and left our car near there. Katy then drove us around through Neah Bay to the north part of the coast and dropped us off at the trailhead to Shi Shi Beach. We hiked from there south along the beach to our car.

The scenery along the coast is breathtaking. We encountered huge rocks jutting into the surf, jagged rocky coves awash in waves, long crescent beaches, and rocky obstacles along our way.


The first morning we woke up to the serene beauty of a misty morning at the Point of Arches (above).


The next day we hiked along the beach (above) to Cape Alava where we camped on a grassy spot (photo at the top of this column).


The last two days were difficult hiking because we had long stretches of rocky shoreline to scramble over. I fell and hurt my shin, and I lost the sole of one of my boots. At the end we were weary, dirty, and smelly. It was great! We felt like we really experienced the Olympic Coast and accomplished what we set out to do.

And, of course, there's nothing like coming back home, taking a hot shower and sleeping in a real bed. After a hike like this, the comforts of home are appreciated like never before.

When I go hiking, my normal routine of prayer life is interrupted. I don't have an easy chair to sit in and meditate like I usually do. On a hike, I find myself talking to God more directly and openly. I'm able to break out of my usual patterns and listen to God in new ways.

What I find is that I'm able to shed some of the roles I usually carry and I'm able to be myself more honestly. Hiking especially makes me focus on the basics of survival and identity. That's refreshing to me because I'm able to renew my inner self and feel reaffirmed in who I am as a simple person walking before God. I'm grateful I had this chance to do that.
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