 |
| Dolora Hendrickson |
Really, are you ready for that? The Roman empire collapsed. Why couldn't we have Mitt Romney as president instead? Yes he'd be looking for "middle ground" from time to time. And that stance is necessary sometimes to maintain harmony. I voted for Ronald Reagan once. The regime we have now won't compromise with anyone.
The president demonizes and personally insults anyone who might want to dissent from what he wants, even people with the Federal Reserve who are just trying to do the job of the Fed which is supposed to be separate from politics. Trump doesn't believe in politics as a place for occasional horsetrading - it's all or nothing with him, it's all about MAGA.
And what is MAGA's primary fountain for support? It is the so-called "evangelicals" of America. They are allowed to represent the Christian faith as if they are fundamental. The media reports it that way, so if I profess to be Christian I must be some sort of "evangelical" i.e. a MAGA zealot. I'm not.
The Christian faith is going to have a lot of answering to do. But in the end maybe we'll all end up struggling to just survive. If the flag-waving evangelicals of Trumpworld are allowed to stand as representing the Christian faith, I want nothing to do with the faith.
But I was at Faith Lutheran today to pay final respects to Dolora who was a gem of a person. What a wonderful family she bequeathed to us all. Such a long and rich life.
I have found that the best way to honor someone at the time of their passing is to tell a little story, to share a little anecdote. So here we go! This goes back to when Faith Lutheran was having some difficulty with conflict. On came a new minister who I recall had a rather short tenure presumably because of the conflict. I interviewed him for the Morris paper when he started. I found him to be agreeable.
Back in those days I often formed a semi-personal friendship with many of the people I interviewed. It wasn't just "business." I told the guy that I could stop by sometime and catch a sermon of his. I was not a regular churchgoer then. My family church was First Lutheran. My parents attended Easter Sunday service there. It was on an Easter Sunday that I decided to go over to Faith Lutheran and sample the new guy's work.
I walked in, received a nice greeting, took a seat in the pews and was then astonished. This guy who was the new full-time pastor was not there! A man of the cloth not present for Easter Sunday? Bev McNeill was in charge. Well, the congregation had its heart in being there.
I did not stay long. I heard later that the pastor was not present because "his daughter was having a baby." Hmm. I wasn't really buying it. Easter Sunday? To put your own family's interests first instead of your flock?
So I was discussing this with Dolora. She seemed receptive to my point of view. She said of the situation that "she (the daughter) was having the baby, not him."
I certainly could not have chosen better words.
The old is new again?
I got to wondering the other day if "Pastor Emmy" might be in a position to come back to Faith Lutheran. She left here when her husband got a job as director of Norsk Hostfest. Well, I heard on KFGO this past week that this event has bitten the dust, it is terminated. So, might Pastor Emmy be in position to come back? She made friends here. I was told it was unlikely since her family has connections with where they are living now.
Such transient people these ministers can be. ELCA ministers are hard to secure now.
Rev. Wayne Kopitzke did a quite fine job officiating for Dolora's funeral on Saturday. I didn't recognize as many people as I thought I would. Well, time passes and one generation gives way to the next, alas.
I was pleased that the late Dave Holman's sons came and talked to me. I was also pleased to sit next to the Griffiths at the lunch. I went to high school with Dan Griffith's sister Maureen, Class of '73. We were a unique generation.
I was pleased a few months back to run into Dolora's son Mike along the biking/walking trail east of town. So I said "Hi Mark." Well, Mark was his younger brother!
Of course we all remember Dolora's husband Alan Hendrickson the iconic wrestling coach of the Tigers. Remember the "famous" photo of Alan cutting Dan Jost's hair?
Addendum: The pastor who stabilized things at Faith Lutheran was Dell Sanderson. That's two l's as it's not short for "Delmont." A clergy insider informed me that Dell "accepted the position on condition that a certain other person resign." And there's a million stories in the naked city.
My understanding of Rev. Kopitzke is that it's a stop-gap assignment, not permanent or long-term. They are fortunate to have him. Meanwhile First Lutheran has partnered with the local Methodist Church.
- Brian Williams - morris mn minnesota - bwilly73@yahoo.com
No comments:
Post a Comment