Lately, I have been contemplating why, for 39 years, I have been at Otter Creek church. I think these wonderings have occurred from hearing of some folks who are leaving or thinking about leaving. Surely, something more than laziness and resistance to change has kept me here.
I do not stay at Otter Creek because of the Bible classes. I have certainly been in some challenging, entertaining, and important classes taught be superb teachers. I find myself sometimes telling Lee Camp, one of my favorite teachers, that I both love his class and I hate his class. Lee does not let participants languish unchallenged in his classes. I have also suffered through some dry classes taught by wonderful people who were willing but, were truly ill equipped to teach. But, I neither stay nor leave because of Bible classes.
I do not stay at Otter Creek because of the worship service, although, we have beautiful worship services and have a history of great worship leaders including Buddy Arnold and Brandon Scott Thomas. The maturity and sheer musical brilliance and accomplishment of Randy Gill make our present services rich, indeed. I rarely leave worship without shedding a few tears. The instrumental service is not my "cup of tea," but I am so glad we have it for it is deeply meaningful to many others. I neither stay nor leave Otter Creek because of worship styles, song choices, or instruments used.
I do not stay at Otter Creek for the preaching. Having said that, I do not believe there is a finer teaching minister anywhere than our Josh Graves. He is young in years but he is mature in the ways that matter. He is a man of scholarship and integrity and kindness and conviction. He delivers lessons week after week that, again, challenge and comfort and stir up and create hope in hearts that have lost hope. In 39 years, I have lived through sermons of mediocrity delivered by good men; men trying to serve a body of believers well, but who often left me with the feeling that I just could not do this church thing at OC any longer. I neither stay nor leave Otter Creek because of who stands in the pulpit.
I stay because I knew Bud and Bernie Arnold, Howard and Zona Justiss, Frank and Carolyn Maddux, Gussie and Howard Hackney, Jack and Virginia Karnes, Charlie and Helen Armstrong, John and Ruth Rucker, and many other pillars of this particular church family. When I attend the memorial services of men like Charlie Brandon and Oscar Mason, I know their stories, I know their families, I have learned at their feet. I stay because I have memories of being extravagantly and anonymously cared for during two particular financially difficult times. I learned from this family that any time it is possible to give anonymously, do. I stay because this is my family, people who remember my children as babies and Mr. L and me as newlyweds. People I knew as newlyweds and whose children I love so dearly. People with whom I share this grand adventure called Grandparenting. They know me. I know them. And, yes, there are those who can provoke the living daylights out of me, but I stay for what I can learn from them. I am sure there are those who would like to knock me upside the head. Maybe I stay for what they can learn from me. I stay because these are the people by whose sides I wish to serve. In this world of transience, there is something so comforting and life-giving to have deep roots intertwined with others.
It has been a long time since I last blogged. This has been on my heart. If you have read this, thank you for indulging me.
I wish each of you a day of peace and joy
