June 22-26, 2011
Clear Lake is a lovely little town of about 350 - more this week as it was Rodeo Week! Moving from home to home this week afforded me the opportunity to visit with four different families of this small congregation: Avis, Bernice, Norma & Russel, and Pastor Jim and wife Diane. Avis and I visited around town and had dinner with her daughter Pam. Bernice and her granddaughter Morgan took me "saling" as there were many rummage sales taking place all over Clear Lake. Norma and Russel took me on a road trip to Brookings to see a lovely garden, a drive around the UCC Church in Brookings and to SDSU for the best ice cream I've had in a long time! We also took a side trip to get right up to the softly spinning wind turbines around the area. Pastor Jim and Diane shared their lovely home and gave me some much needed quiet time on Saturday evening - I just put my feet up an vegetated in front of the TV.
One highlight of many was the opportunity to drive in the Classic Car Parade. Doug, son of Norma and Russel, restores antique tractors. He also restores old cars and I got to drive the big white, (did I say BIG?) Chevy Impala with red leather interior. Now That's what an engine should sound like! It was a pleasure to drive slowly down main street waving and smiling from behind the wheel of this classic.
Another highlight was a "coincidence" created by God: Thursday, at Bernice's home, I sat watching TV in her very cozy and comfortable livingroom, putting the finishing fringe on a blue Prayer Shawl I have been working on since I arrived this summer. As we talked, I realized (ok, sometimes it take me a while to put 2 and 2 together!) that Alice's funeral was on Saturday. I had met Richard, her husband, on Friday and he was gracious to me though naturally he was very sad. So I had Norma and Russel take a look at the Prayer Shawl and ok it as suitable for Richard; Norma came up with a gift bag the same color of blue; I put in the Prayer for Comfort and a brochure about the Prayer Shawl Ministry at First Congregational Church of Alameda; I had a label from FCCA and one last cross in my knitting bag which I attached to the shawl. Then on Saturday, I gave the bag to Richard's son Wayne and he will give it to Richard when things settle down a bit - there were a LOT of people who came to honor Alice. It was God's timing that I was finishing the shawl only that week, that Norma had a gift bag the right color, and I had one more cross to sew in the corner of this comforting, blue prayer shawl. I was honored to be able to gift this shawl to Richard and hope that it will help to bring him peace and comfort. I have another shawl (brown) which I will travel with from now on, just in case. (Yes, she can learn!) I have also started a Baptismal Shawl... maybe God will find a use for it before the summer is out?
Pastor Jim was kind enough to let me step into the pulpit on Sunday. This was my 2nd sermon and I offered them my Jigsaw Puzzle Theology with a few personal stories thrown in for interest. The Clear Lake church is a lovely little building. Inside, they have a photo of the church taken in 1902 and only a few changes have been made over the years. It is a sweet little church which seats maybe 80 folks. The stained-glass windows are beautiful and the chancel is small but inviting. It was an honor to serve this small community of faithful. I wish them all the very best in the future; they are a very warm, welcoming and loving group of people.
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