A weekend on memory lane

Bill and Sue Berger of All Saints

I saw friends at three events this weekend. The first honored Bill Berger, pastor in Seattle. Bill, who go Northwest's Regius Award, has been an inspiration because of his spiritual perseverance and love for his community.

Julia Young

Friday morning during NU's chapel, Julia Young, semi-retired faculty and student favorite, was given the Didaskalos Award, which annually has recognized outstanding professors over the last few decades. A scholarship named for TJ Bulger, who started the alumni department at NU, made the event a done-deal for me. TJ consistently offered encouragement, hugs, and good counsel during my tenure as Alumni Director.

ThoraJean Bulger (left), being thanked by students and
friends for her work in securing alumni scholarships

The highlight of the weekend was my all-day college choir reunion. Our conductor flew in from Ontario and many of us came some distance. We attended the alma mater over 30 years ago so we're in our 50s and 60s.

W and I picked up supplies and food the night before, and drove up early Saturday to set up and cook lunch. We ate lasagne, salad, garlic bread (except for my vegan option) - and consumed salty and sweet snacks to fuel the afternoon of stories and prayers.

Betty-Lou, Rosemarie, Melody, Sylvia, and Don

My mom and dad stopped by for a few hours to hear how those kids who dropped by their house became adults. It took a lot of cooking and cleaning by many willing volunteers (thanks to my mom, too). Rod Bitterman, first-year Harmie and current pastor, opened his church in Chilliwack, BC, set up tables, and made sure we'd cleaned up afterwards. (We would have donated to the college if they had made room for us.)

Elmer and Sherry Komant,
missionaries to Rwanda

Looking at the faces of friends and faculty, it's plain to see that life has taken unexpected turns. There have been great accomplishments, spiritual highs, and rewards. But there have also been devastating losses, surprises of pain, illness, and grief, and challenges that could have ruined our walk of faith.

Here we are, by the grace of God. "Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow, blessings all mine with 10,000 beside," says the hymnwriter.

Praying with and for each other

Through every dark valley or steep mountain climbs, whether overlooking the beautiful vistas when life seems whole and perfect ... or thinking the next step would plunge us into an abyss, God has accompanied and blessed us with his loving presence. Each day, he provided strength and grace enough.

Alumni directors from secular universities complain about the drinking and carousing that happens at alum events. (Mind you, drunk alumni are more generous than those who are sober.) Those of us from Christian institutions gratefully honor our own alums, faithful people who impact communities, raise good citizens, and spread God's love wherever they go.

From 1974-77 faculty and students to 2012 friends:
WPBC Harmonnaires

Read more:

*It was not because you were more numerous than any other people that the Lord set his heart on you and chose you—for you were the fewest of all peoples. It was because the Lord loved you. Deuteronomy 7:7-8

*(Boaz said,) "I … know about everything you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband. I have heard how you left your father and mother and your own land to live here among complete strangers. May the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge, reward you fully for what you have done."

Ruth 2:11–12

*When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? Psalm 8:3-4 NIV

*God chose what is low and despised in the world, things that are not, to reduced to nothing things that are. 1 Corinthians 1:28

Moravian Prayer: O God of wisdom, God of love, you have chosen us and we are your people. Enduring God, may the world see that we are yours by the love we spread into our communities. Amen.

Gaudy Night: great fun at the theatre!

W and I enjoyed the Gaudy Night show at Taproot Theatre last night! Producing Artistic Director Scott Nolte knows his actors and his space and once again provided an entertaining evening.

The story starts in 1935 with a girls'-night gone wrong. In an era where society questioned the value of educating women, female dons and students tried to minimize any scandal: when one occurred, it was not easily forgiven or forgotten.

Oxford alumni of 1935 have gathered for their annual Gaudy Night celebrations but a cloud hangs over their women's college. Crude notes threaten mayhem and vandalism almost derails a celebration. Who can find the culprit?

Enter detective novelist Harriet Vane, 15-year alumna of Shrewsbury College. FYI for those of you unaware of British university systems: separate "colleges" - what we call universities - are clustered under a single university name. Thus, Oxford University today consists of 38 independent, self-governing colleges with a governing regent, usually someone famous. (Prince Philip is regent of Cambridge, for instance.)

If you like entertaining fun, this who-did-it? surprises the viewer with its twists and turns, delights with cultural insights into British academia, spinsterhood, and the early C20 class system. Don't miss the romantic banter between the female novelist and her suitor and mentor, Sayer's hero and British diplomat, Lord Peter Wimsey. The audience around me sat on the edges of their seats. Sometimes they laughed aloud at the British humor, occasionally they held their breath with suspense, sucked into the story like I was.

As usual, Taproot maximizes its small stage. The audience sits close enough to get intimately involved in the action, which my seat-mates and first-time attendees kept exclaiming about. The set changes, minimal, efficient, and at times resembling a choreographed dance, fired our imaginations as the action traveled between library, guestroom, faculty offices, and punt (a small river boat beloved by students because it requires great balance to pole along). The costuming (by Sarah Burch Gordon) was simple and authentic.

The actors' body acting riveted my attention as much as the script by Frances Limoncelli. Jeff Berryman (Lord Peter Wimsey) and Alyson Scadron Branner (Harriet Vane) were convincingly funny and serious by turn. Overall this show was outstanding, barring small blips in lines that stopped the flow a few times and occasional foul language.

My recommendation (and my guest's): ****+ or 4.5 stars. I'd say, "DON'T miss this one!" Gaudy Night is Taproot's final play of the 2012 season, running through October 20. It's long (2:20) but the story is hilarious and full of adventure. If you'd like to stay behind to discuss the play, purchase Wednesday tickets.

Coming up for 2013: Jeeves in Bloom (if you haven't meet P.G. Wodehouse's Jeeves and Wooster, you'll laugh yourself to bits at the interaction between the silly nobleman and butler); Lopez's The Whipping Man; Moses' Bach at Leipzig; Mills' adaptation of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night in Illyria; and Wilder comedic The Matchmaker.

Tickets were provided gratis to the reviewer by Taproot.