A Time of Jubilee

One of the big surprises when we were deciding to move here was the Community Church. We’ll never forget the first time we attended it as tourists. It was unlike any church experience. A fairly small church; a fairly small congregation compared to the one thousand or so that we came from. But it was like coming into a long-lost family. We felt genuinely welcomed and valued.

This weekend is a celebration – a “Jubilee” – marking 50 years of the church being in its current location and 134 years of its existence. The celebration is also to honor Dick Staub, who was the pastor for over 10 years. I’ve been wanting to write about him ever since starting this blog, and there could be no more appropriate time than this.

Dick is unlike any pastor I’ve known. I grew up in a Catholic family in a small California town that was out of the way. My mom says that’s why our priest was so terribly uninteresting – because they sent the interesting ones to the big cities. He was monotone and every minute sitting in that pew was an eternity. Church never conjured joy, love, or passion in my mind. It was weekly torture. Thankfully I ended up giving God a second chance later in life. Or perhaps the other way around. (Ha.) I thought I loved church when we were in Santa Barbara. But coming to Orcas Island Community Church was an absolute ball, thanks to Dick.

A ball? Church? Yes. Totally. Not to mention the music that Grant Myles-Era played and directed at that same time. What a combo. We found secret treasure on this little out-of-the-way island. What a wonderful thing to feel that church was one of my very favorite things in life every single week once we moved to the island.

You see, Dick has an oratory gift. His genetics and life experiences provided the power of a captivatingly told story every time. I was always thrilled when church would go longer than expected. He understood that real life, real emotion, and the world around us were not things we magically shed when we stepped into church in order to talk “holy” for an hour. And – thank you, God – he loves to laugh. Sometimes you’d think it were a sin to laugh if you eavesdropped on a lot of other churches. Not the case here.

Soaking in some Jerry Root

I’m so thankful for you, Dick; you have fed me biblically, humorously, and intellectually for some great years here. This Jubilee (a biblically significant time marking a 50-year period), though it has only been one evening so far, is so good for my systems. Brian Moss, you have stepped in to fill some really big shoes as our new pastor, and have done a graceful, beautiful job logistically, administratively, musically, and “sermonally.” Jerry Root, I’m really disappointed that I missed all the talks you gave here in the past during Kindlings Fests. You make me want to move to Illinois and go back to college as a theology groupie so that I can hear everything you have to say. And Stephen Newby, I’ve lived my whole life in white pockets of America, wanting to experience culture that was missing in those places; I never got to experience what gospel was until being on Orcas Island, of all places. Your gifts fill holes in me with deep, deep gratification.

I left the church tonight feeling how rock stars must feel after a performance – like it might take awhile to come down off my cloud but knowing it would be hard to find anything nearly as satisfying for the rest of the night. I’m so glad I get to come back tomorrow and Sunday for more.

For more information about this weekend’s jubilee, visit here.

For more about Dick Staub, visit here.

For more about Jerry Root, visit here.

For more about Stephen Newby, visit here.

And to learn about Jeff Johnson, who will join in tomorrow, visit here.

Photo of Dick by Josh Staub

Photo of Jerry Root and company by Daphne Tyree