“Saints and Stewards”
Hebrews 12:1-2
Rev. Dr. Deborah L. Clark
November 1, 2015
I met Nancy Staver on a cold, dark night in late 1995–in the room that would ultimately become my office. Despite my nervousness at being interviewed by a 10-member pastoral search committee, I was immediately drawn to Nancy. She was warm and caring, insightful, compassionate and very intelligent. I was stunned to learn, during the second interview, that she had Alzheimer’s. I was privileged to be her pastor in the years that followed, blessed to walk with her on that sometimes devastating journey.
I learned so much from Nancy. Together we tried to figure out what it really means to believe that our worth doesn’t come from our intelligence or our accomplishments, but from God. Together we tried to claim that every moment is a gift, whether or not we can remember it. Sometimes she approached her disease with grace and humor; sometimes she couldn’t.
As her Alzheimer’s progressed, Nancy moved to the Memory Care unit at the Heritage, and I began leading monthly worship services there. Each time I went, I could see a change in Nancy’s ability to communicate. Even so, she still knew how to be a friend. One day, in the middle of the service, Nancy’s friend Clare began to cough. Nancy reached over and put her arm around Clare, patting her gently on her back.
It was a simple act, one that said a lot about Nancy. She had practiced compassion so much during her life, it had become instinctive. When her body and mind no longer worked well, her instinct for kindness was still there. That, I thought to myself, is how I want to live.
Today is All Saints Day. Today we remember those who have gone before us. We call them saints, not because they were perfect but because their lives were gifts from God. Today I especially think of the saints of this church–the people whose lives shaped this community and helped make us who we are today. They were stewards of our church, caretakers for the buildings and the people and the mission so that this community can continue to be a blessing, to us and to the world.
Nancy Staver was quick to admit her doubts about our faith, especially about Jesus. She came to Edwards Church because she felt accepted for who she was, and she helped shape this church as a place where questions are welcomed. Nancy’s gifts to this church live on in our current confirmands, who last Sunday in our gathering asked deep and profound questions that went right to the heart of our faith.
Between the time I met Nancy and the time I started as pastor, the church lost two faithful stewards–Jim Adams and Don MacDougall. I never got to meet them, but I could see the impact of their lives on this church. Both sang in the choir. Both were famous for their leadership of the Pancake Jamboree. Don was known for standing out on the front steps of the church in his choir robe, greeting every person who came in. A legacy of extravagant welcome, long before we began using those words.
One of my first visits, upon starting as pastor, was with David Roy, who was moderator of the church. We sat in Marge and Dave’s family room and talked about his passion for geology and theology–and the connections between the two. Then he told me about his vision for a new building, describing in great detail what he believed was needed to move our church into the 21st century. Seven years later, when we dedicated our new education building, I remembered that conversation. We built the building Dave had dreamed about. Thank God for Dave’s faithful stewardship of a vision for the church’s future.
Dave was part of bringing that vision to fruition, one of many dedicated members who worked tirelessly until we finally had classrooms and an elevator and even bathrooms. Frank Gillis and Olof Arnheim were co-chairs of the Capital Campaign Committee, tasked to raise money for the new building. Our consultant encouraged us to set a goal to raise $246,000. I didn’t believe it was possible. Frank and Olof did. In his own laid-back way, Frank conveyed confidence in our ability to raise the money. Olof’s enthusiasm was not laid-back. He took to heart the consultant’s catch-phrase- “Give until it feels good”–, and he challenged us until we exceeded our goal by more than $100,000. Two stewards whose legacies are generosity, two saints who gave us the gift of believing in ourselves.
The picture I have in my mind of Olof, though, is not at one of those meetings, but in the new Education Building, wearing a chef’s hat, corralling the men of the church to make cucumber sandwiches for an afternoon tea. The legacy, in the end, is not a building for the sake of having a new building, but a building that is an expression of hospitality.
An over-the-top capital campaign and a beautiful new building–these are dramatic examples of the gifts the saints of Edwards Church have given us. We know, though, that most of the time faithful stewardship is expressed in seemingly ordinary things, in small actions that add up to make a huge difference.
For decades, twice a year, John Hart changed every single smoke detector battery on campus. When he wasn’t changing batteries, he was shoveling snow or raking leaves or fixing doors–always quietly, often unnoticed. Marie Munson was in charge of coffee hour for many years, calling or cajoling people to take a turn. Ella Munro wrote hymns. Jan Rousseau did the shopping for special mission projects. As we’ve been planning the Veterans’ Pasta Supper, I keep remembering the stories I’ve heard about the spaghetti suppers Carroll Kell prepared. Dave Alabran’s kindness and energy lifted the spirits of any room he entered. Marty Carl reminded us each week in our prayers to give thanks for kind people. Jeannie Baker brought passion for the church fair; Addie Stearns refused to let physical limitations keep her down, Al Timmons served as head usher, Wendy Champagne reminded us all that even when we are struggling in our personal lives, we can still do things to help others. Bill Dyan, Rose Gagnon, Bill McGraw, Ruth Parker, Ruth Yetton, the Dozois’, Richard Bell, Ruthe and Andy Eycleshymer, Alberta Walkup, William Wood, Julie Maher, Jim Flaherty, Sheila Calnan, Gena Dooley, Margie Tuttle…and that’s just in the last nineteen years….
Soon after I started as pastor here, I began to understand the gift my predecessor, Margaret Crockett-Dickerman, gave to this church. Margaret’s deep love for Edwards Church became part of the DNA of our congregation: a church that knows it is loved is a church that has love to share. And I am so grateful for the legacy Susan Dickerman leaves. Sue believed so deeply in the potential and promise of this congregation that she helped the rest of us believe it too. Her spirit is with us, encouraging us to take risks, to trust our creativity, to dare to develop new models of outreach for a new age.
So many saints. So many stewards, caretakers of this church. We remember them. We miss them. We feel their presence with us. Their voices echo when the choir sings. The walls of this sanctuary hold their prayers; the walls of the Sue Dickerman Education building hold their dreams for our future. They are in the trees and in the daffodils that come up every spring. They are in our appreciation of hard questions. They are in our courage and our commitment, in our hospitality and in our passion for justice. They are a cloud of witnesses, surrounding and enfolding us, cheering us on as we run this race.
The world is a different place than it was when Jim and Don and John made pancakes. It’s even a different place than when Wendy folded bulletins and Olof made tea. The challenges are different; the race has been rerouted several times over. Still, the care these saints gave our church help us find strength for today’s race. This cloud of witnesses, this cloud of saints and stewards, urges us on, calling us to claim our passions and live our vision. Thank God for their gifts. May we honor their legacy through our faithfulness and generosity. Amen.