November 15th, 2007 – Council Meeting

Being on council does offer additional opportunities to gain deeper insights into the congregation. This is certainly true from the everyday operational business but also in our church’s present and future aspirations.

For operational business we discussed about pledges and Stewardship, the Treasurer’s report, Worship and Music, Education, Youth and Outreach. We made decisions about specific items like copiers to broader concerns like establishing the endowment fund. Some initial ideas around Pastor Dayle’s upcoming sabbatical this year were mentioned.

Jacob Nolte came before council to talk about a concert he is hosting on December 9th at 7:00 pm in the auditorium at Clackamas High School in memory of Bethany. The benefit is for the Adolescent and Young Adult Clinic at the Cancer Institute at OHSU. Many Creator musicians will be participating and council voted to support the benefit as well.

There was another concern regarding Creator’s ministry that came out in this meeting and the next steps Creator might want to take as a church. Council members spoke from their hearts and their passion was evident. Kelly spoke eloquently about the difference he saw in the Christian community established in the families who are recently in the process of becoming ‘empty nesters’ and those older members who have established friendships with other members that extend beyond planned church activities.

The desire to move to a deeper level of meaning for Creator and the individual congregational members was evident. A council retreat in January may give us the needed time to address this outside the demand for the operational business decisions which always have an urgency that cannot be ignored.

Susan talked about Teresa’s recent decision to resign from council. Teresa's hope is that Education will continue to have a strong voice within the council. Teresa’s work in Education for Creator has impressed all of us and her participation as a member of council will be missed.

Finally, Justin announced he and Carrie are expecting a baby. There was a round of congratulations and we closed, as we opened, with prayer.

June 30th, 2007 – Bethany’s Memorial Service

Community, family and friends of Bethany came together for this service beginning early in the morning to set up chairs in the sanctuary that was cleared for Day Camp the day before. It ended with the effort to change to the morning worship configuration for Sunday's service.

Between those tasks there were so many volunteers, lending hands and hearts to help with so many jobs. Setting up and cleaning the worship space for a large attendance. Bringing together the audio visual components together with the final pieces of planning and preparation for the service itself were all tasks to be completed.

This was not to mention the gardening, preparing the Fellowship Hall, bringing desserts and myriads of tasks that were done throughout the day. The family brought tokens and personal effects and displayed them on tables to help us focus and remember Bethany. What first caught my attention was a Winnie The Pooh book

I was close to what was going on with the musicians and I marveled at how David and Kelly resolved immediate needs that presented themselves while pulling together time to rehearse during all the activity. The purposefulness of everyone doing what needed to be done overwhelmed me.

The choir arrived for rehearsal at 5:30. The unexpected happened. Lisa, an oboist who played with Bethany, volunteered to perform on Stay With Us. Later she alternated with Geoff, who was playing viola, on the prelude music. Her gifts, together with Geoff’s and Kelly’s as accompanist, set the mood for the service to the packed church.

The choir all seated together up front, were gathered to give leadership to others in singing. The sound of so many in the congregation with that leadership singing towards the musicians was a powerful experience. Performing the music with David and Kelly, I felt the holiness around us. The lyrics to Kelly’s Kyrie, changed for the occasion, only heightened that feeling.

I have tried before in this blog, to capture in words how unique the Holden Evening setting is for so many people. Bethany chose two beautiful and evocative pieces from this service for her memorial. They took on new meanings, given why we gathered and I am sure many people left with a changed experience of those pieces.

The words in the service gave all of us pause, to think about what we would miss. Susan touched us with her Eulogy, and the memories and the messages of Bethany she shared. Bethany’s friend Ashley gave us a glimpse of Bethany in her college years and the impression and appreciation of her life from a peer.

Toni’s letter was filled with pride and love, a mother’s mediation for that close community of family and friends that captured the spirit and voice of her daughter well.

Bethany's Life In Photos was a photo montage that Mary edited; shown with music that Bethany had picked out herself, namely Joni Mitchell's orchestral performance of Both Sides Now. The lyrics and the contemplative complexity of this songs meditation brought tears to my eyes. This woman's connection with the life she led and those who were important to her was so evident and overwhelming.

Denise gave the reading from Revelation. The choir sang Stay With Us and emotion caught up with me again during the piece. The way the Choir Anthem came together for this service carried me to a different place than past performances, an aspect of a request 'Stay with us' that will may not befulfilled in the way it is asked.

Pastor Dayle gave the homily. Her remarks were personal, poignant and profound. She pulled up memories of Bethany overcoming fear of a roller coaster, Bethany’s love of Winnie The Pooh and Bethany’s love of the swam as a totem of beauty, wisdom and transformation.

The commendation by the pastor who baptized Bethany was moving. His quiet words filled our hearts as he said simply that all of us did what we could for Bethany both personally and as a church to acknowledge her baptism keep her in the knowledge she was a child of God. Those earthly efforts were at an end and we commended her to God’s care.

The Nunc Dimmitis ended the service. The musicians and the choir blended in the raised prayer / knowledge that is at the heart of these words.

Tonight's goodbye to someone close to our hearts.

June 28th, 2007 - Choir Rehearsal

The joy and the tears were both present as the choir practiced music for Bethany's service. Kelly summed it up well:

There may be times when any of us could lose ourselves in a sorrow of the moment. When that happens there are others to pick up the performance.

We worked through each well-chosen piece, with new well-thought-out words to two. There was time and attention paid to details, to make it right. Toni chose Blest Be The Ties That Bind to recognize the community response that had come to mean so much to her and the family.

Each piece resonated as we rehearsed them but for this evening this simple hymn, as we were gathered with our voices bound together in harmony, caught the spirit behind this rehearsal. When it became a capella (and tonight the translation from Italian of those words 'in the style of the chapel' took on a new meaning for me) the pure simplicity of the sound carried the music and the moment deep within our hearts.

Kelly's Nunc Dimittis stood out tonight as well. Kelly framed the moment these words are uttered - Simeon led a devout life and was promised by the Holy Spirit that he would not die until he had seen the Saviour. Mary and Joesph brought their baby temple for the ceremony of consecration of the firstborn son and Simeon knows this is what he has waited for. He takes Jesus into his arms and prays the Nunc Dimittis. He knows there is no other experience he needs in this life beyond seeing the Saviour.

Later, as Kelly led us in prayer to close the evening, he prayed regarding an elation, energy and beauty that some may experience at Saturday's service because they glimpsed God in a special way through Bethany's presence in their lives.

Bethany was there in our minds and hearts tonight.