Elders and Waterfire

I'm writing from the Renaissance Hotel in Providence, RI. I've been attending a conference for Annuitant Visitors of the Pension Board of the United Church of Christ.

Renaissance Hotel

The Hotel is a renovated Masonic Temple, and is immediately across the street from the RI State Capital, as you can see. It's pretty posh, but our expenses are all paid by the Pension Board.

What is an Annuitant Visitor? There are about 150 of us spread across the United States. We are charged with keeping in touch with about 6000 retired ministers who are receiving a pension from the United Church of Christ. I myself have about 50 such retirees under my care in Vermont. I try to visit or call them regularly, and am available if they have a specific question or concern. Once a year, these 150 Visitors, all of whom are themselves retired ministers like myself, gather for a three-day Seminar to get caught up on the information we need to know. This year's conference was particularly interesting.

First of all, let me introduce you to Michael Downs, CEO of the Pension Board.

Michael Downs is a remarkably gifted manager. He has been head of the Pension Board for nine years, and it is considered one of the best managed pension funds in the world, with assets of $2.6 billion. Its administrative costs are 3/4 of 1% (0.75%) - one of the lowest of any fund, anywhere. Auditors of the fund regularly give it the highest ratings. Despite some very rocky years, the fund is growing, and UCC pensions have not decreased one penny in the last three difficult years; some have increased (depending on the balance of stocks and bonds in your retirement package). He is a very wise person when it comes to financial affairs, and we always look forward to his presentation every year. He does not see the economy getting better soon. He thinks Greece will default in October; Europe is going to have a difficult time, and that will affect our markets, since Europe is our largest trading partner. Nevertheless, over the long haul, he is optimistic.

One of the AVs from California gave a pep talk about being an "elder." It was funny, poignant and wise. I liked the story of the "elder" single man and woman who happened to meet at a conference. They sort of hit it off and went for a walk together, and then had dinner together, and then she invited him to her room. In the room she said, "You remind me of my fourth husband." "Good grief," he said, "how many times have you been married?" "Three," she said.

One of the most substantive presentations for me had to do with the role and calling of a retired minister. A very articulate retired woman minister, The Rev. Marti Baumer, held us in thrall while she led us through a comprehensive overview of what it means to be called to ministry, and particularly what that means in these later retirement years, when we are not actually serving a church. I think she stimulated every one of us to think more deeply about what we are really about.

So, we got a lot of intellectual and spiritual nourishment. And the hotel food was remarkably good too. About the best I've ever experienced in a hotel. Needless to say, the room is posh. They've done a great job transforming this historic Masonic Temple into a hotel. It would be $129 a night if I had to pay for it. But I don't.

Room 436

Tonight, after supper, we were free to wander. It happened to be the night of one of Providence's spectacles - the WaterFire. It is quite a sight. The Providence River (which was sort of a cesspool when I lived in Providence in the 1960s as a grad student), has been cleaned up, opened up, and made accessible downtown by creating a park on both sides. There is a promenade which ends in a large lagoon surrounded by an amphitheater and bridges. Every month or so, they stage a ritual in which Venetian-type gondolas filled with folks in medieval costumes go up the river and around the lagoon with huge torches and light pyres of wood that are located on rock pilings in the water - maybe thirty or more such pyres in all. There were thousands of people gathered to watch this spectacle, and with the city-scape behind, people of all kinds walking along the promenade, sidewalk cafes, music being played over huge speakers in the background (sort of mellow pop classic and jazz), it created quite the ambiance. It made Providence seem like a very lively and interesting city. Which I think it is.

WaterFire in Providence, RI

I lived here from 1960-1967, and it was going through a depression then. Department stores were closing, the downtown was seedy. I was happy to be here tonight and see the transformation. After watching the WaterFire I walked up the hill to the Brown University campus and in the lovely, warm evening, I walked by places which had been so familiar and deeply meaningful to me 45-50 years ago when I was in graduate school. Memories galore came flooding back. E.g., as I stopped to get a drink from a water fountain in the student union, I realized that I was standing on the spot where, 48 years ago this coming November 22nd, I had looked up at a TV monitor and seen my first glimpse of news that President Kennedy had been shot.

I did all of this by myself. Ellen is in Maine this weekend with her brother Jim and his new wife, Mary, She is attending the Common Ground Fair in Unity, ME, sponsored by the Maine Organic Growers Association. That too is a wonderful event, and at just about the other end of the spectrum from what I witnessed here in Providence tonight. It would have been fun to have her here with me, but it will also be fun to share our respective experiences when we are together again on Monday.

Time flies!

Well, it's been a full month or more since my last blog entry. A lot of water has gone over the dam, both literally and figuratively, since then. For one thing, it has rained and rained. That includes Tropical Storm Irene, but we got almost as much rain the next week also. I haven't seen total figures for the past month, but it has to be over 10 inches. Fortunately, our home and driveway were not damaged by all this rain, but we know folks whose houses were swept away. Towns near us, like Wilmington, were damaged terribly, the business district changed forever. The state has done a great job of getting roads open again - e.g., Route 9 is open between Brattleboro and Bennington now.

Since my last blog entry Ellen and I went to Maine for her brother Jim's wedding. Jim and Mary were married in Union, ME, on Aug. 20th; Ellen was in charge of the food for the reception, while I was the officiant.I was also her helper, roasting lamb and helping schlep stuff from place to place. It was a lovely wedding, but we came home pretty tired. A week ago we went back for a couple of days to enjoy Jim's house while Jim and Mary were in London for their honeymoon. We love going to Maine.

The day after Irene, I went into my woods to inspect what the impact was of all that water that flowed down the mountain. It was impressive. But I tripped, fell on my chest and hurt my ribs - bruised probably. Anyway, it's been pretty sore. It's gradually getting better.

Everything is "starting up" again: The Concert Choir started up last Wednesday - we're doing the Salisbury Vespers by contemporary British composer Bob Chilkott. The Chorale is preparing a concert for October 2nd - a Memorial for Blanche Moyse. We're singing three Bach Cantatas: #30 Freue dich, erloster Schar, #42 Am Abend derselbige Sabbats and #147 Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben.

My grandchildren are calling. Bye for now.

The Rapture and the Presidency

I've been reflecting on the fact that two evangelical Christians now seem to be in the lead for the Republican Party's nominee for the presidency in 2012: Rep. Michele Bachmann, who won the Iowa Straw Pool, and Gov. Rick Perry, who announced his candidacy on Saturday and immediately was perceived to be in the top three (with Bachmann and Mitt Romney).

I'm wondering about the implications of having a candidate for the Presidency who believes in the "Rapture," i.e., the belief that in the end times, the "saved," will be caught up into the air, there to join Jesus Christ and those raised from the dead (cf. I Thessalonians 4:17 -"Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air, and so shall we ever be with the Lord." Cf. also Mt. 24:40-41 - "Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill. The one shall one taken, the other left.") Now it must be granted that beliefs concerning the Rapture, especially its timing and sequence in the events of the end times, vary considerably among those Christian groups that hold this expectation. But the fundamental idea is common to all.

Let me say first of all that I do not believe in the Rapture. I regard the passages quoted above from the New Testament as products of a time in which there was an expectation of an immediate end of the world, within a few decades at the most. There was no "New Testament" when these words were uttered, either by Jesus or by Paul, and there would have been no need for one, given the shortness of the remaining time. It was only after those hopes and expectations were disappointed (that first generation died and the end still had not come), that adjustments were made, and it was realized that Christians were going to be around for a long time and needed instruction and inspiration. Thus the New Testament canon was formed over the course of a century or more. The prophecies of a "rapture" were reported, but could no longer mean what they originally had meant. Ever since, Christians have debated what they mean for subsequent generations. There have always been some Christians who have believed that they apply to the time in which they live, up to the present time (as recently as last May 31st).

I do not know precisely what Rep. Bachmann or Gov. Perry believe about the Rapture. But polls have indicated that, in Rep. Bachmann's case at least, 31% of her followers believe in the Rapture. It seems likely that she does too. And I assume that means that she hopes and expects that when the Rapture takes place, she will be among the saved who are "caught up." If so what are the implications of that for her candidacy? Well, I feel that any candidate who believes in the Rapture should be disqualified for the office of the presidency.

The president-elect takes this oath at her or his inauguration:

"I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."

I do not see how someone who believes in the Rapture could take this oath in good conscience. They would be affirming their determination to defend the Constitution of the United States even while believing - and indeed hoping - that should the Rapture occur during their term of office, they would be "caught up" and thus be unable to fulfill their presidential obligations. It seems to me that to take this oath in good faith, one would want to be, and intend to be, among those "left behind," in the rapture.

There is no question that if the Rapture does take place, it will be followed by severe social dislocation (what the Bible calls "tribulation"). Airplanes will be left pilot-less; subway trains will lose their engineers; patients on the operating table will lose their chief surgeon, etc. We will need strong hands on the tiller at every level of government to restore order out of the resulting chaos.

Of course, the "saved" could not care less about this. In fact, those who believe in the Rapture probably feel that those left behind deserve to suffer because they are the "damned," so the more chaos the better. But those of us left behind may have different ideas on this.

If the Republican Party ends up nominating for the presidency someone who believes in the Rapture (and who sees himself or herself as among the "saved") won't that send a message that the party cares little for the American people as a whole and just wants to save the skins of the few? But, come to think about it, that's what their fiscal policy is all about! But that's another whole issue.

Home again, home again...

DAY SEVENTY-FIVE: I guess I'll let "seventy-five" be the end of this series. I'm home now, and am already very much in a "non-trip" mode, feeling the pressures of what lies ahead. My brother, Stewart, seems to be doing pretty well in his new location. While I was there, we hosted his friend, Carol, for lunch. We figured out how to program his new answering machine (no mean feat!). I showed him how to make smoothies, and he's following up on that. Since I left he's had more visitors, went out himself to visit an old work colleague who turned out lived in the next building, has gone to his Barbershop Chorus annual Corn Boil. I've made arrangements to go back in October for the dedication of the Chicago Theological Seminary new building at the University of Chicago, and a classmate at the seminary will join me and we'll stay with Stewart. I don't think this would have happened at the old place. So, it sounds good.

I never had a chance to post a photo from our visit with Katie, Savanna and Brendan at Oxbow Lake, NY on our way home the first time (back around DAY SIXTY-EIGHT). So, here it is:

Since my return home from Stewart's, Ellen has gone to several Marlboro Music Festival rehearsals, and today, after church, we joined Katie and Savanna there for a concert of Handel, Copland and Schubert.

Now I'm getting ready to lead a service next Sunday which will celebrate the 250th anniversary of the founding of the town of Guilford. The service will feature the famous Guilford "Nine-o'-clock Choir" and the hymns of Isaac Watts. It will be a festive morning. And of course, less than two weeks down the road is the wedding of Jim Tolles and Mary Cooke in Union, Maine where Ellen will be head caterer for the reception and I'll be the officiant. Stay tuned!

Back to Vermont

DAY SEVENTY: Today is my last day here in Elgin with my brother. My niece, Becky, will pick me up late this afternoon and take me to the Elgin METRA station where I get a commuter train into Union Station in time for early boarding of the Amtrak for Albany. I hope to get a good seat. The train leaves at 10pm, arrives in Albany tomorrow at 2:45pm. Ellen will meet me there. I hope to get some sleep on the train but I'm not optimistic. I got very little coming out last Friday-Saturday.

I'm glad I came to be with Stewart during these first days in his new apartment. I'm hopeful that this will work for him but I have some concerns. He will be living alone. His kids, Becky especially, will check in on him frequently, I'm sure. I plan to call him regularly. But still... He is not sleeping well, and hasn't for years. He is extremely thin. He gets light-headed fairly easily, feels weak and tired. I'm not sure he'll eat properly alone. But, I like the apartment and he seems to also. It's in a pleasant neighborhood. It seems pretty quiet. It is not too far from all the familiar things. It could be a new start for him. I hope so!

Back in Elgin, IL

DAY SIXTY-EIGHT:I'm back in Elgin with my brother. Ellen is in Vermont. I came out by train, arriving yesterday in Union Station, Chicago, at about 11am. I got a bite to eat at the food court and then took the Metra to Elgin where Peter met me. The move went well - Daniel had rented a van and with that and others using their cars, they brought everything in one trip. Stewart was exhausted but seemed in pretty good spirits: what a trooper! He said he went up and down the stairs at the old house (called Whitewood) more times yesterday than he would have done in a week normally. When I arrived, he was concerned that he couldn't find his checkbook. It wasn't in the drawer where he remembered putting it. I drove him back to Whitewood and we looked for it there - no luck. Then he thought maybe he had put it in another drawer in the new apartment, so we went back - no luck. But Daniel came to the rescue. He thought to pull out the drawer and found the checkbook stuck behind the drawer. It made sense - in the process of moving the cabinet, it got tipped and since the checkbook was on top, it just fell behind the drawer out of sight. Whew! Daniel said, "You always lose one thing when you move. I guess that wasn't it!"

Daniel brought over a wonderful airbed, queen sized, for me to sleep on here at the apartment. It's very comfortable!

GOING BACK: We had a lovely time with Katie, Savanna and Brendan on Oxbow Lake near Speculator, NY where they rent a cottage. I haven't had a chance to download the photos I took there, and now that will have to wait until i get back to Vermont next week.

When we arrived home last Monday evening, Ellen and I found the house sort of musty, having been closed up in extreme heat and humidity, but once it got aired out and we got the dehumidifier going, it wasn't too bad. No mice! No ants! Yay!

We went up to Marlboro Music Festival Wednesday evening and heard a wonderful and unusual concert of pieces by Schubert, Webern, Schnittke and Bernstein that neither of us had ever heard before. The Schubert and Bernstein were pieces of musical theater that were charming (Schubert's Der Hochzeitsbraten was a comedy about a couple poaching a rabbit for their wedding feast, and the Bernstein Arias and Barcarolles was about the more sophisticated angst of a married couple that could have been out of a Stephen Sondheim musical). The Webern Quartet for violin, clarinet, tenor saxophone and piano was repeated, a brilliant decision by the programmer, and the Schnittke (Russian, 1934-1998) Piano Quintet was a very powerful and difficult piece involving a lot of quarter-tones. It made us want to know more about Schnittke. What a treasure the Marlboro Music Festival is! This is their 60th anniversary.

Most of the days back home I was busy preparing for the August 14th service at the Guilford Church that I will be leading - celebrating the 250th anniversary of the founding of the town of Guilford. It will feature the hymns of Isaac Watts. We also hosted John and Cynthia for supper and had a lovely evening with them. I was pretty busy the whole time.

Back in Elgin, I'll be here until next Tuesday. Last evening I went out and bought Stewart a blender, and got all the makings for my smoothies (whey powder, tofu, cottage cheese, yogurt and fruit) which I regularly make for breakfast. I'm hoping he might take to them, and make them for himself after I leave.

New Plan

DAY FIFTY-EIGHT: Our plan is evolving, but as of now, we're on our way home to Vermont. Then I'll come back to Elgin, IL by train on July 29-30, to be with Stewart for the first few days he is in a new apartment. Then I'll come back to Vermont August 3rd. Today we drove from Bartlett to Erie, PA. It was HOT. It got up to 104 in places. But the AC in the Corolla is good and we were comfortable - until we got out to stretch! Tomorrow, we'll drive to Oxbow Lake in the Adirondacks, NY, to spend a few days with Katie and Savanna.

Last night we somehow got into finding fun stuff on YouTube with Jerry, Gretchen, Becky and Stewart: We found You Always Hurt the One You Love performed by Spike Jones and his City Slickers; Nature Boy sung by Nat King Cole, and then Serutan Yob performed by Red Ingle and His Unnatural Seven; Managua, Nicaragua by Guy Lombardo and Freddie Martin, Alan Sherman singing Hello Muddah, Hello Faddah; and the crowning joy, Victor Borge doing his Phonetic Punctuation and even more hilarious Inflationary Language. It's amazing what you can find. I was a HUGE Spike Jones fan when I was about 12 years old. I still think he's funny, but Victor Borge gets the prize. He was brilliant.

Yesterday I took some things over to the new apartment for Stewart. Here's a shot of the entrance: