November 7, 2025: Christa Hoven Memorial

 

Bach Arioso From Cantata no 156 Performed by Christa
https://youtu.be/jM0_LWcOBq0

Christa Hoven performs To Spring, Op. 43, No. 6 : Edvard Grieg

https://youtu.be/qNgzSp4GBqo

Eulogy - Brian, Tina, Nicole

Opening Prayer: selected by Christa Gabrielle reads

Remembrance/ Slideshow Music by Christa
Christa Hoven performs Claire de Lune by Debussy

 https://youtu.be/9ijJHV6Bck8

Scripture Reading: 

First Reading: Romans 8:38-39 & Psalm 23 Amy reads

Gospel Acclamation: R&A Gospel Acclamation: All Souls (Melody)

John 14:1-4

Homily

Hymn of the day: Music video by Christa
Christa Hoven performs Edvard Grieg - Wedding Day at Troldhaugen
https://youtu.be/S7um14M2QeU

Prayers of the people 

Lord's Prayer

Music by Christa
Christa Hoven performs Cantabile in B Minor, from Sonata, Wq.553 : Bach
https://youtu.be/FqwyVv4Orhs

PRAYER OF COMMENDATION 

Sending song:  Music by Christa
Christa Hoven performs Piano Sonata No. 13 In A Major, Op. 120, D. 664 - II. Andante : Schubert

https://youtu.be/CBEXNYJ0noA

Jeff Buck Memorial Service 9.12.2025

Jeff Buck Memorial Service

At the Deathbed. Edvard Munch, 1895.

 

November 10, 2024 - Shirley Peterson's Memorial

All photos by Ron Houser

There didn't appear to be an empty chair in either the sanctuary or narthex at Creator on Sunday afternoon for the memorial - but there was. And the attendees were acutely aware of the one who was absent. 

Everyone's bereavement and grief was an undercurrent as everyone tried to make it a celebration of her life yet the sorrow was still, obviously present. Shirley had a unique place in our lives. We were all bearing the weight of this loss, each of us feeling the absence of a person we cherished deeply.

Shirley chose John 14:1-4 as a message of comfort for the Gospel reading. She knew in this sorrow, we find would ourselves searching for some comfort and assurance. Jesus, knowing the fears and doubts of His disciples, said, 'Do not let your hearts be troubled.' The verse speaks to us today with these same words, inviting us to find peace in His promises.

This was a celebration of a life well-lived. Shirley engaged with and enjoyed everyone around her. She loved travel and excursions. Her love, kindness, and memories remained vivid with all of us and were abundantly shared.

Attendees included family and friends. There were past and current Creator members, the Creator Youth and SE Youth Collective were represented. Many members of choirs, both Creator and Tillicum Community Choir attended and sang. Past musicians including Marilyn Keller, A.J. McQuarters, Luke Stromberg, past Creator lead musicians, Kelly Carlisle and David Lee, together with Kim Lee Annie and Amy Miles who sang a delicate rendition of Wailin' Jenny's One Voice during the prelude.

The music was, as expected, stunning. Highlights included Kelly Carlisle on piano backed Marilyn Keller who sang an ardent, inspiring tribute to God and God's generosity - Great Is Thy Faithfulness. 

Luke Stromberg sang the solo and was backed by choir (that included the Creator and Tillicum choirs) on Carlisle's Nunc Dimmitus. The devotional impact of these words was intense.

Lord, let your servant depart in peace,
Now your promise has been fulfilled,
For my eyes have seen your salvation,
Which you have prepared in the sight of all,
A light to lighten the gentiles,
And the glory of Israel.

According to John's gospel after Jesus raised Lazarus Jesus told the crowd to do something as community after Lazarus came out with these words, “Unwrap him and let him go!” The Nunc Dimmitus served as our unwrapping and letting Shirley go in peace and confidence. 

The memorial ended with Keller and the choir leading everyone in an energetic, while also a prayerful Sending Song, May the Circle be Unbroken.

Shirley was a compatriot that stood side by side with many of us for so many years. She leaves her footprints on my heart and the memorial served as testament that there remains for each of us an empty chair in our lives now.

May 2, 2020 - Pastor Ray's Memorial Service

This week many individual conversations at Creator shifted from the inevitability of the stay at home we are all sharing to the inconvenience of isolation and what we have lost since it began There were a few temper flare ups.

Saturday Pastor Ray's memorial was held. For some, who strongly yearned for a traditional memorial where we could have been gathered, Saturday did not give them the sense of closure they expected. My prayers are that they may come to that sense of closure whatever way it finally comes.

The thought and effort in planning the memorial from Pastor Janell, Bishop Laurie and showed.  Bishop Laurie spoke of how grateful she was to come from a tradition that honors lament. That honoring was present throughout this service. Kim, Toni and Patsy were invited to share their stories about Pastor Ray and they represented many of the different ways we experienced him well.

The Hymn of the Day, Beautiful Things by Gungor,  was an inspired choice by Eric and a fitting way to remember what was important to Ray and his life of lived prayers to God.

The fact that this service was shared by so many and could be shared here was a great gift. It brought people from Alaska, Colorado and Washington together with those who were mournng in the Oregon Synod with this friends and family and that did feel fitting to have happened for Pastor Ray.

August 13, 2017 - Tenth Sunday after Pentecost - Food for Thought, Fuel for a Different Kind of Living - Dr. Samuel Tse's Memorial

On Friday evening last week white supremicists surrounded a historically black church hosting a prayer vigil, while waving lit torches and chanted a Nazi slogan demonstrating against the removal of s statue of Robert E. Lee in Charlottesville, Virginia. On Saturday people of faith and clergy gathered in opposition to people calling for white supremacy. Someone drove a car into a crowd of counter-protestors. President Trump reacted with the following statement: "We're closely following the terrible events unfolding in Charlottesville, Virginia. We condemn in the strongest possible terms this egregious display of hatred, bigotry and violence on many sides, on many sides."

For the weekend this was America's lead national story. I followed this story until I left for church on Saturday. That afternoon I participated in another story. A story about a community engaged in living out our vision and hope for bringing about a more inclusive future for all.

This was not in opposition to the weekend's lead story. It was planned without knowledge of the lead story. On Saturday family, friends and fellow congregants gathered together for Dr. Samuel Tse's Memorial Service at my church.

Let me say first of all that I believe Sam inspired everyone who met him. He was an immigrant to this country from China's Canton Province. The story of his escape was amazing.  In 1970, with his feet cut by running barefoot (guards took shoes to keep him in a work camp). He swam for five hours through shark-infested waters of the South China Sea. He memorably said later about his experiences “We are all immigrants and pilgrims on this earth. The journey is short, let us help each other, love each other, and thank God for being his child....”

Pastor Michelle, in her sermon the next day, preached: "As I listened to the Chinese interpreter for the service, I looked around the room and saw many beautiful children of God who happen to be of Chinese ancestry.  I also saw a few other nationalities and races represented among Sam’s family and friends....  “This is the family of God!,” I said to myself.  “These are the beautiful rainbow children of God....”  She continued by quoting Aditi Juneja on Twitter, who wrote, '“If you’ve wondered what you would’ve done during slavery, the Holocaust, or the Civil Rights movement…you’re doing it now.,,,,”  Food for thought...and, I pray, not only food for thought, but fuel for action!"'

I want to be clear on my reaction to the Juneja quote. It can carry, for some, an implicit judgment about what people should currently do by presuming the preferred food for thought, the preferred actions for individuals to take, are all confrontational. Who would not want to deal with what are now considered historic wrongs through direct confrontation?

I don't think, however, this kind of direct confrontation is the only viable response to this weekend's lead story. The Creator weekend experience was not directly confrontational but moved us towards another larger vision and a better future.

Several times Creator's community responses have overwhelmed me and transcended what I imagined might happen next. The action God inspires may not be the action we think we must take. Saturday reminded me of the careful planning done after a vote we took in 2009 to affirm our inclusive welcome to all, including LGBT. In the midst of that planning two of those members decided to get married. We obviously could not have planned this but it firmly established a new way of living out our discipleship. The Holy Spirit was working.

During Saturday's service listening to those who shared with everyone their memories of Sam was enlightening. They knit together different aspects of Sam's life, from a neighbor's anecdote to his older sister's emotional tribute of his impact in the families life. The service moved everyone and, despite what could have been potential language barriers, no one was excluded.

This Sunday's gospel was about Jesus walking on the water. As disciples I suppose it is up to us to ask if we can get out of our boat; the boat of how we complacently live, or in how we think the world works. When we do. Jesus holds out his hand.  

I can't speak to walking on the water but at least for a brief, beautiful, weekend our story was we did walk out of our boat. We were swimming with life, with God, and Sam, enveloped in a God given vision. 

Swimming with God

My Song of Remembrance for Dr. Samuel Tse

Sam had led an empty life

Till 1970

When he left the world he'd known

By swimming the China Sea

Five hours in the dark to dark freedom

Not knowing where his life might lead him

Later on in a summer camp

Circa 1975

Where he learned about Jesus

And waded to what changed his life

In his bones this was his second baptism

One more immersion in that same South China Sea

Where he found

Life is swimming with God, ceaselessly.

He is swimming with God, finally.

Now I miss his friendly smile

With his kindness pushing through,

His earnestness when he talked of God

As we both said our adieu

I know he knew

Life is swimming with God, ceaselessly.

We are swimming with God, finally