Sermons

Doers of the Word

BY THERESA MCCONNELL | SEPTEMBER 3, 2006

I want to tell you a modern day parable using our trip as the story with the hope that you will hear God’s activity within the layers of human activity.

Although it is always difficult to return to a regular routine after time away the time you made available to us as a family was invaluable. The first week I continued to make arrangement with Grace UMC pastors to provide for your pastoral needs during my absence. Then Rachel and I began tackling a room that is behind the door with signage stating “DO NOT ENTER” because we don’t want some unawares individual getting hurt from the clutter. We made a substantial dent in the room and were able to put a bed to good use in my sister’s home, since she and her family just returned to Louisiana from Oregon. Why even the truck we received to replace Rachel’s car that had a dented fender following the 4th of July event here at the church came into use to transport the bed. (Her car is now repaired and in fine shape- and no she was not hurt. Just shocked when a huge boat backed into her car and did not even realize he’s done it until she got out of her car to let him know there had been an accident. Imagine the huge motor on the back of a boat heading toward your windshield!

After doing some home organization Rachel and I had a leisurely time shopping for items for her college room. Interesting isn’t it that college single beds require sheets just longer than the “usual and customary size”. Hmmm. We located other items she needed and they began to pile up in her room as she contemplated packing. We had opportunity to take several long leisurely walks through the neighborhood in the evenings, got used to her being gone as she babysat and had time with her friends before they left for college.

In the meantime I’m getting her loan processed for college, taking care of family business, working on Rachel’s memory quilt (no it’s not yet done), cleaning out our flower beds and mulching them to be ready for the heat of summer, as well as doing all the tedious mundane chores that had stacked up for a while. Rachel and I also went to get an ID for her and get money into the bank to pay for books.

In the intervening times David and I have been mentally preparing for a trip to visit long-time friends of his. Trust me, it is complex to schedule visits with people in five different cities and to do so in a way that tries to build in some sense of leisure! David might debate that with me, but it was the intention nonetheless.

Rachel had wanted to take a “road trip” with some of her girlfriends and made plans to take them to visit their grandparents in Center, TX, several days after we leave for our first stop: Houston. That means Rachel has a few days at home alone and she takes the opportunity to visit spend the night with some adult friends and her Aunt and family. She had a blast watching movies and visiting!

David and I begin our first road trip. We cut across East Texas heading toward Houston to visit his first cousin once-removed and her mother, his first cousin. What a delight to discover through internet search that his cousin was alive at 91 years of age. It was a long drive for us but such a delight to have a late supper and visit during the evening with Joan, her husband and sister, Pam. We have not seen these folks in at least 20 years. It was great to re-connect, discuss the intervening years, see what was going on with other family members, etc. The astounding thing is that my phone call to Joan to plan this time resulted in her telling me that the very day I called her mother had been asking about David and wanting to know what was known about him!

After being in Houston we headed toward Denton, TX, to visit my friend Susie, whom I’ve know since 3rd grade and her husband, Lynn. We arrived about 6 pm had supper and she and I talked late into the night as David and Lynn went to workout and watched football on TV and went on the bed without us! The next morning David and I had a leisurely breakfast and then went to a UMC church nearby. I misunderstood the directions to the church so we arrived when the service was in progress. The place was packed. As the usher was looking for a place to seat us I was thinking, “How can I get out of here? There is no way I am walking all the way down front to find a seat”. Needless to say the church is beginning a building program and we got to hear about their mission work during the summer. They had just returned from a trip to Mexico.

After church David tracked down the pastor as I sat in the lobby. As many people passed by one finally spoke. Lots of conversation was going on around me and down the pew from where I sat, but for the longest no one spoke to me. “Open hearts, open minds, open doors”! I thought of you all and how that would not likely happen here…a visitor not being greeted.

Then Sunday afternoon the guys worked out and later Susie and I decided to do the same. It was fun to work on the weights with a friend and then hit the pool. This was short-lived because we were leaving for Dallas to meet Rachel and our former neighbors at their home to celebrate Rachel’s birthday. She was not 18! And as we drove into Dallas from Denton we approached a very high over-pass… it probably arched over two other overpasses below it. I discovered that my friend is afraid of heights! Imagine that. All these years I didn’t know that. Well, we made it in fine even though Lynn remained at home because he felt tired.

It was great to catch up with the Robbins and introduce mutual friends to each other. They really hit it off. It was fun to see Rachel’s extended family members meet one another. Gradually the young adults who had babysat Rachel as an infant and child came home and we got to see them briefly.

The next day David and I went into Dallas and we got him unpacked at some long-time friends home and I left to go for my yearly visit with clergywomen with whom I had been to seminary. One could not attend this year because of her responsibilities as Bishop and because her mother was seriously ill. David spent time at SMU, worked out at the health complex which has really changed since we lived there, and saw his former colleagues. I went to be with my women friends for three days of talking, having communion with one of our group as she had chemotherapy, eating together, praying together, and did I say talking(?), we divided our expenses and I went to meet David.

David and I had an appointment with a young couple, the young woman had lived nearby and was a close friend of Rachel’s. We were to preside at her wedding in four weeks. It was a good and stressful conversation. These young folks have a number of challenges before them and they are so in love. We continue to pray that they will help each other grow up as they build their life together.

Now we head for Austin to visit friends and don’t quite make the last 30 miles. We check into a hotel and meet them in the morning. This group of David’s friends have known each other since grade school…1st grade. They are the Ogden Group – from the Ogden Elementary School in Beaumont, TX, where David grew up. It was good to visit even though one wife was returning from rehab with an injured hip and another group member continued to live with his brilliant mind slowed down due to a stroke he experience several year ago. Again is not for cowards! The journey of life brings unexpected changes and turns.

We leave late afternoon to go to San Antonio to visit another one of the Ogden group. He lives in efficiency apt in downtown SA and lives on a limited income. He walks everywhere or takes a taxi. He’s a real city-dweller. He directs me to a Mexican food restaurant, where he runs into friends. We discuss everything from the current war to old friends to health concerns to all the things old friends remember together. The next day after breakfast we went for a stroll down the River Walk. What fun! Took some pictures of David and Howard as they sat together on a park bench and as they strolled back to the car. Lots of laughter and two good story-tellers. So many good strolls down memory lane.

I packed too much into the trip so we cut off our second visit to Houston and went on to Austin to see friends there. What a delight to have someone else prepare dinner for us and encourage us to visit and relax, which we did. I learned that these folks had traveled around the world on a missionary salary because of a regulation that if you paid $80 more you could go to the next stop. They did and their daughter who (during the 60’s) wanted to go on a cross-country bus tour with some guy her parents did not know and had yet to meet ended up going with her folks to the mission field and traveling the world! It was great to hear their story of losing a job and not knowing what was ahead and the mission opportunity developing and then other forms of ministry through the years. Both are active in the church where we worshipped together Sunday in Austin.

After lunch we headed for Shreveport and met horrible bumper to bumper traffic until we decided to cut through East Texas where we saw beautiful forest and had a nice trip back. The encounter with flashing lights was another matter, of course. A story for another day.

We finally arrived in Shreveport and could hardly wait to prop the feet up! But I had a tennis match the next day and was leaving for a conference in two days. This was training for the Response Team on which I serve for the Conference. It was 10 hour days cramming as much info into our time together as possible. We even worked over lunch! So much for any sight-seeing of Nashville. I was delighted I did not need to preach the Sunday following our return home on Sat! Instead we heard John Beck at First UMC downtown. Pat Day was on his honeymoon and absent from the pulpit that Sunday.

We now had one week until Rachel left for choir camp and returned to campus for Orientation. So once she was gone, she was gone! I discovered during that week of anticipation that I really was not sad about Rachel’s going to college. That’s what we’d been rearing her to do and she was ready and excited about moving into the dorm (read here: out from under the watchful eye). That was all fine. What was not fine was all that would take place with her that I would not know about! My sadness was at not sharing the events of her life as we had before. I had my cry the day before she moved.

Rachel and I got my car all packed up with her things and dropped her car off for repair and then called her friends who were committed to helping her move in as she and her dad and I headed toward Centenary. David and I helped her move into her dorm along with her friends. Her dad was security as we went up and down the stairs with boxes.

I had a few more days of quilting – cutting squares, sewing them into designs, gathering photographs, scanning them on to material or transparencies, and making more material to cut and sew! Rachel does not realize because I could sew a Ninja outfit for Halloween when she was in 3/4th garage that I cannot REALLY sew! But we’re making progress.

Following the sewing week, I left for the National Consultation of UM Clergywomen. This group meets about once every 4-6 years. It was a wonderful inspiring event to see and hear the women bishops and experience worship in a multicultural setting. It was awesome.

After returning home (David had stayed home with some folks taking him to lunch and providing additional conversation and care) it was time to quilt for the weekend. We did see Rachel on Sunday – we visited Christ UMC together.

Then we got a phone call early Monday telling me that Lynn, Susie’s husband, who we had just seen a month prior, had died. He had some chronic health problems but I did not expect him to die this soon. He was 53 and I was going to preside at his funeral. I could not seem to get off soon enough. We finally arrived in Denton just before going to the funeral home. Fortunately, the family was amenable to my suggestions about where to put the PowerPoint that the children had put together.

Fortunately, during the month that intervened Lynn was able to do what was necessary to end some estrangement between himself and his children. I am so glad that reconciliation took place prior to his dying. Friends from all around provided support, constructed the order of worship, provided guitar accompaniment and special music. It was difficult and yet meaningful.

Two days later David and I presided at a small wedding and took off to Philadelphia where we saw my long-term friends. The following day we saw his friend from Marine days and his wife. We were able to visit the next morning as well before he had a procedure done. We then left Virginia and headed for Maryland where we stayed with my cousin. We talked, saw her mural artwork in the Greek restaurant, talked genealogy and theology and some concerns about the church. We heard her music and that of her children (on tune is 4th on Christian Country Music Charts). You think I’m blunt, she’s more so!

We flew back to Dallas to have supper with friends in the evening and to check on Susie at breakfast in the morning. Since I’d forgotten to get reservations my brother in Dallas took care of that for us. As we were pulling into the motel we got the call from Lillian about Jo Ann. It was 3:30 pm. I was relieved to reach Millie and to find that Jo Ann was conscious though in very serious condition.

Were you to see this recollection as a parable, what would the message to you be? What does it mean to connect and reconnect with one’s source of being? What does it mean to be a doer of God’s word amidst the brokenness of life? Your own brokenness as well as the brokenness of other? When life has so many ups and downs it is positive to hear that God’s “without variation of shadow due to change”. God’s always seeking the best for us in each and every circumstance of life. Always. That character of God does not change.

As you have heard about our adventure I hope you have resonated with some of it. This time away has been very productive and gratifying. Your generosity has been overwhelming. The generosity of other clergy to give with expectation of nothing in return has been a blessing. Simply giving so someone else might have a lighter load. You have cared for one anther. Sometimes the emotions have been like a roller coaster. As we have lived in very close quarters I have been challenged to “live the faith” not simply hear it or understand it. It is a challenge to allow God to work in one – through one’s weakness- so that God might be glorified. And I am the first to confess that I was not always successful. And as we repeat in our communion ritual: God is faithful and just and will forgive us all unrighteousness. And being forgiven we can be made holy through Christ’s transforming love. As we have celebrated birthdays and lives well-lived our joy has been increased and comfort like a mantle was placed on my shoulder. Your prayers have sustained us and I trust you have been the people God has called you to be. Doers of the word and not hearers only!

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